How does the School know if children/young people need extra help and what should I do if I think my child/young person may have special educational needs?

The School has an experienced Inclusion team which has expertise in Special Educational Needs, behaviour, removing social barriers and developing emotional well-being.  All students are screened for their cognitive ability when they first join.  These results are explained and shared with staff. Students who are identified as having below average standard scores are then assessed using more in depth screening tests.  Any student that is identified as having complex needs are placed the SEND register and SEND Support Arrangements are implemented that follow the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ process in order to meet the needs of that young person.

We track the progress of all our students and as professionals, we regularly discuss any concerns we have as well as celebrate achievement.  We have weekly student focused meetings and half termly Impact meetings to track and monitor progress.  We have robust whole-school data collection and data monitoring systems. Parents are encouraged to speak to their child’s tutor about any concerns they have.  When a student is not making expected progress in a particular area of learning the School can identify the need for additional support.  This will then be discussed with parents/carers and the student where necessary.

The School has an SEN policy which can be found on the School website (Information / School Policies).

The SENCO is Mr Snashall (ssnashall@oxtedschool.co.uk), telephone 01883 712425

The School website has a list of other key members of staff and also some helpful external support websites and groups to contact.

How will the curriculum be matched to my child’s/young person’s needs?

Reasonable adjustments are made to teaching approaches in order to include and support learners. Staff *differentiate approaches and resources so as to support access to the curriculum. We have an Accessibility Plan which shows how adaptations are made not only to the built environment but to the curriculum and how information is accessed by learners and their parents. On our website we have audio feeds for specific documents so that information can be accessed by stakeholders who may have difficulties reading or seeing.

We have a tailored personalised curriculum for some of our students.  When the School has a significantly low attaining student, they are likely to follow a modified curriculum that includes additional maths and English lessons.  We hold meetings with parents before options evening at KS4 so both parents and our young people are fully aware of the options and challenges each route will pose for them.

The curriculum choices at KS4 are broad and varied and we offer support advice and guidance through-out the options process.  The curriculum in Year 7, 8 and 9 is challenging and has been modified to meet the new government standards.

*Differentiation is the way a teacher prepares instruction to meet the needs of all the students in an inclusive classroom, from the most challenged to the most gifted. Differentiating instruction is not only going to help students fully participate, it will also enrich and improve the experience of the general education of students.

What support will there be for my child’s/young person’s overall well-being?

All our staff are regularly trained to provide a high standard of pastoral support.  The School has a traditional and well established House system which students, staff and parents are very proud of.  Relevant staff are trained to support medical needs and in some cases all staff receive training.  Surrey County Council have trained a member of staff to be an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) to help support individual students.  We have a strong inclusion team who have additional training in specialist areas such as self-harm and depression.  We have a Medical Policy in place with medication managed by the First Aider, located in the Pupil Welfare Office.

Our Behaviour Policy, which includes guidance on expectations, rewards and sanctions is understood and in place by all staff.  We regularly monitor attendance and take the necessary actions to prevent prolonged ‘unauthorised’ absence.  Student Voice is central to our ethos and this encourages our students to become independent and confident learners.  We have an active Student Council.

We have a zero tolerance approach to bullying in the school which addresses the causes of bullying as well as dealing with negative behaviours. We often use a restorative/mediation approach to bullying which is administered by trained staff to good effect.

Our PSHE programme also looks to develop emotional and social development. The School also uses mentoring to work with learners to positively focus on social and emotional development. In the first instance every child has a tutor who they can talk to in order to share concerns.

Our Special Needs Coordinator (SENCo) is a qualified teacher and a member of the Senior Leadership Team.  Other skills within the inclusion team include counselling qualifications, specialist mental health training, SEN training, literacy screening qualifications, self-harm training, restorative practices, Safeguarding training and many more.

We have trained staff within the School who have been trained in ELSA (emotional literacy), ELKLAN (speech and language support), literacy, numeracy support. We aim to ensure that all staff working with learners who have SEN possess a working knowledge of the difficulty to help them in supporting access to the curriculum.

Where it is deemed that external support is necessary we discuss any referrals with parents in the first instance and gain full consent before proceeding with a referral.

How will my child/young person be included in activities outside the classroom including School trips?

We have a whole school approach to inclusion which supports all learners engaging in activities together. Any barriers to learning or engagement are reviewed with discussions on what can be done to overcome these. We make reasonable adjustments so that learners can join in with activities regardless of their needs.

Each year additional staff accompanied school trips to Year 8 camp, Geography field trips, Drama performances and many more.

Registers are taken for all school activities and we actively monitor the engagement of learners across the school.

How will the School prepare and support my child to join the School, transfer to a new School/college or the next stage of education and life?

We hold meetings with staff at our local primary schools. During these meetings we share an overview of our learners who have SEN.

Good practice is shared so that transition to the next phase is made easier. In some cases staff from the primary schools come in to work with learners to give them a familiar face for when they transfer. Visits to the local primary schools are also organised and we fully encourage all our learners to attend induction day. Where we know there is likely to be high levels of anxiety we send staff along for parts of the induction day.

Parents are invited in to discuss the next stage of the young person's development. Guidance and signposting for advice is given during the meeting so that each stakeholder can take an active part in preparing for the next stage of education or employment.

Careers talks are given to learners so that they can make informed choices about what they would like to do in the future.

Induction is important to us and we invest time in welcoming all our students in a way to ensure a smooth transition that makes them feel a part of our school.  We work well with our partner schools and have clear and established links with local colleges and primary schools.  The School strongly believes the impact of the induction process significantly affects the success of the individual student.  The school has a dedicated team responsible for induction that includes a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

How is the decision made about what type and how much support my child/young person will receive?

The SENCo liaises with key staff in the school where there are concerns about progress or engagement. Following the sharing of information, decisions are made as to the most appropriate type of support to put in place for the learner. Learners are then spoken to regarding progress/concerns with a one page profile being completed; parents are also consulted when the profile is put together.

Student profiles are produced in consultation with learners so that teaching staff have a clear overview of the whole child. We feel that it is important to have the views of the learner so that they feel involved in their own learning.

Who can I contact for further information?

In the first instance, parents/carers are encouraged to talk to their child’s form tutor. As part of the induction evening parents have the opportunity where possible to meet with the tutor.

Further information and support can be obtained from the Head of House or relevant class teacher.  All the teachers email addresses and contact details are available on the school’s website.

The SENCo at the school is Mr S Snashall ssnashall@oxtedschool.co.uk  or  senhelpdesk@oxtedschool.co.uk or by telephone 01883 712425. In the first instance if a parent has a concern they are encouraged to speak to the class teacher/form tutor.

If the matter cannot be resolved at this stage then the SENCo may become involved and a meeting convened so as to discuss the nature of the complaint and look for a resolution to the issue.

The Complaints Procedure will outline the formal steps the school will take in handling each complaint.

Area of Need

Person to Contact

Email Address

Deputy SENCO

Mrs N Snuggs
Ms S Lambert

nsnuggs@oxtedschool.co.uk
slambert@oxtedschool.co.uk

Looked After Children (LAC)

Mr S Milne

smilne@oxtedschool.co.uk

Stretch & Challenge

Mr W Dale

wdale@oxtedschool.co.uk