Additional information and FAQs

As a mainstream school, we recognise that there are four main areas of Special Educational Need as identified in the Code of Practice 2015:

• Communication and Interaction – for example, Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC), Asperger’s Syndrome, speech and language difficulties
• Cognition and Learning – for example, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia,
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health – for example, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),
• Sensory and/or physical needs – for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties, epilepsy

When your child first joins Manor High School, we use information from a range of sources to help identify SEND and other needs. The school will carry out a baseline assessment and use the results along with information from parents/carers; primary school teachers; end of key stage 2 levels; literacy and numeracy tests; application form information; transition programme of primary school visits; enhanced transition programmes; specialist professional colleagues and external agencies.

If you think that your child may have special educational needs or a disability, speak to your child’s tutor in the first instance. They will discuss and/or refer your concerns with members of staff accordingly.

Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress:

• Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline.
• Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress.
• Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers.
• Widens the attainment gap.

This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs.

Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SEN.

When deciding whether special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed.

For more information on our core offer, please see our SEND Policy.

All students with SEND and who need extra support, are on the SEND support register, which is accessible to all staff. All students with a SEND have a SEND learning plan or a SEND Support Plan indicating relevant strategies to support their specific needs. Staff use this information to inform their lesson planning, teaching and learning activities.

In order to meet individual needs it is sometimes necessary to provide a personalised approach to learning and support. This approach may include small group or individual work across a broad range of activities to support the educational and emotional development of the student.

In addition to a child receiving a SEND learning plan, or a SEND support plan, we will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review.

The class teacher will work with the SENDCo to carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs.

All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. We will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress.

Throughout the process of SEN identification, parent/carers involvement is crucial in order for us to best support your child’s needs.

We will have an early discussion with the pupil and their parents/carers when identifying whether they need special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that:

• Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty.
• We take into account the parents’ concerns.
• Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child.
• Everyone is clear on what the next steps are.

Parents/carers will be formally notified when it is decided that a pupil will receive SEN support, or when advice is sought from outside agencies.

To ensure that students on the SEND register have a smooth and worry-free transition we liaise closely with primary schools and external agencies, and where appropriate attend transition reviews.

The Oadby family of Schools shares its systems and structures, training and good practice.  There is a common approach to record keeping systems for pupils with SEND. These records are passed to the relevant School.

Once identified, The SENDCo from the next school is invited to the Annual Review or Multi-Disciplinary meeting of a child with an EHC plan, which precedes transfer. Information about SEN support needs and exam arrangements are shared with POST 16 providers to ensure ongoing support is received by the pupil.

When a pupil transitions to a new year group, class teachers closely liaise to ensure a smooth transition for that pupil and that their provision continues to meet their needs.  If required, a pupil will visit their new class and spend time with their class teacher in addition to the standard transition plan that all children receive.

High quality teaching is our first step in responding to pupils who have SEN. This will be differentiated for individual pupils.

Teachers are able to access additional information, including suggested strategies for support through each student’s SEND learning plan or SEND support plan. Teaching Assistants support is provided in many lessons for students identified as having additional needs access to the curriculum via an educational health care plan (EHCP). One to one support is provided to those students who have an EHCP in place with one to one hours specified within their plan. The amount of one to one hours is based on the severity of the pupils needs and their EHCP.

Manor High is a mainly single storey school with internal steps to the main hall. There is access to all facilities and the school can offer wheelchair access at the main entrance to accommodate children with physical difficulties and there are some accessible toilets. We also have a lift in areas where applicable. In accordance with the Equality Act 2010 the school has an ‘Accessibility Plan’ which shows how the school plans to improve access progressively over time and a policy for ‘Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions’ including the administration of medication. There is a designated parking space in the car park for people with disabilities needing extra space.

We make the following adaptations to ensure all pupils’ needs are met:

• Differentiating our curriculum to ensure all pupils are able to access it, for example, by grouping, smaller group work, teaching style, content of the lesson, pre-teaching.
• Adapting our resources and staffing
• Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, social stories, visual aids.
• Differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, work stations.

Where necessary, the School seeks advice from Leicestershire Specialist Teaching service.  Within this service there are:

• Vision Support Team
• Assistive Technology for Education Team
• Autism and Learning Support Team (Previously Autism Outreach Service)
• Hearing Support Team

We evaluate the effectiveness by:

• Reviewing pupils’ individual progress towards their goals each term.
• Regularly reviewing the impact of interventions.
• Using pupil questionnaires.
• Monitoring by the SENDCo.
• Using provision maps to measure progress.
• Holding annual reviews for pupils with EHC plans.

All of our extra-curricular activities and school visits are available to all our pupils, including our before-and after-school clubs.

All pupils are encouraged to take part in sports day, school plays, performances, parent and family sessions.

No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEN or disability.

Please see our  SEND Policy for more information regarding how we support pupils with disabilities.

Supporting our pupil’s emotional well-being and social development is a priority at Manor High School. We were awarded the National Well-being award in May 2019. We provide support for pupils to improve their emotional and social development through our structured PSHE programme. This is a mindful approach to the curriculum carefully planned to meet the emotional and social development needs of our pupils.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to bullying.  We were awarded the Anti bullying Gold Award in October 2018. Please see our anti bullying policy.

Manor High has a healthy together practitioner within the Health Authority. If a referral is made a care navigator will follow up on that referral and direct to the appropriate service. Similarly, contact is made with the Social Services Department and Educational Welfare Service as appropriate. Referrals are made to organisations such as ‘Early Help’ when deemed appropriate. School may also work with the following services:

• Educational Psychology Service
• CAMHS
• Speech and Language Therapy (SALT)
• Vision Support Team
• Assistive Technology for Education Team
• Autism and Learning Support Team (Previously Autism Outreach Service)
• Hearing Support Team
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy,
• the Area Special School outreach team

This is not an exhaustive list of services that Manor High works with to support the needs of the children.

Parents/carers are encouraged to discuss any problems or concerns with the school. These should be raised initially with the pupil’s class teacher.  Most problems can be resolved in this way, but if this does not happen, parents may raise the concern with the SENDCo or Headteacher. If necessary, the parents may complain to the governors and, if they are still dissatisfied, may take their complaint to the LA’s statutory SEND disagreement resolution process.