School Offer
All schools are supported to be as inclusive as possible, with the needs of students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities being met in a mainstream setting wherever possible.
The four broad ‘areas of need’ are defined as:
- Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning, Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties, and Sensory and Physical Needs
From the 1 September 2014, under Section 65 (3) (a) of the Special Educational Needs (Information) Regulations, all schools are required to publish an SEN Information Report on their School website.
This report must contain SEN information as is set out in the Schedule, as well as utilising the Local Authority (LA) Local Offer. Consequently, the report should meet the needs of SEN students as determined by School policy and the provision that the School is able to determine.
Further information on the Schedule can be found by following this link
Our SEND Policy has been reviewed in line with the new regulations.
Our Equality Policy can be viewed here.
Our SEN Information Report can be found below:
RESPONSES TO THE 14 QUESTIONS
(including the on-site specialist centre for the visually impaired)
Questions |
School Response |
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.
The SENCO is Mrs Waller paula.waller@oxted.thpt.org.uk telephone 01883 712425 |
How will School staff support my child/young person? |
Oxted School is a mainstream, inclusive setting with a Visual Impairment Centre attached. Our School fully complies with the requirements outlined in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice 2015. Staff have been trained so as to be able to cater for the learners who may have difficulties with:
We make reasonable adjustments to our practices so as to comply with the Equality Act (2010). |
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. |
How will both you and I know how my child/young person is doing and how will you help me to support my child/young person’s learning?
|
Student feedback is part of our established learning culture. Students with additional needs are fully integrated in the decision around their support. |
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 members 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. |
What specialist services and expertise are available at or accessed by the School?
|
Oxted School are always concerned with the overall development of the learner which may necessitate at times working with agencies outside of the School setting. |
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. |
|
What training are the staff supporting young people with SEND had or having |
As stated above, all our staff within inclusion are trained within their specialist areas. We also have a very high ‘continuing professional development’ training programme where the Inclusion team disseminate this specialist knowledge to all staff. |
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. |
How accessible is the School environment? |
Advice was taken when writing the Accessibility Plan and every effort to make reasonable adjustments, where possible. Most of the building is wheelchair accessible, with disabled toilets and changing rooms. As there is a Visual Impaired Centre on site, the environment is mostly inclusive. For students that have English as their second language the School has a designated EAL Coordinator (English as an Additional Language). |
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. |
How are the School’s resources allocated and matched to children’s/young people’s special educational needs? |
We review the needs of the learners within the school and endeavour to put in place provisions in order to be able to cater for these needs. Some of the funding the school receives may go towards funding training so that in-house provision is more targeted at needs. The SENCo carries out learning walks which include reviewing how provision is delivered and helps in maintaining standards through rigorous quality assurance. |
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. |
How are parents involved in the School? How can I be involved? |
We involve parents and families as often as we can. We communicate with parents using a variety of means. The school sends email messages with letters attached to communicate with parents. |
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. The SENCo at the school is Mrs Waller paula.waller@oxted.thpt.org.uk or senhelpdesk@oxted.thpt.org.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. |
Who you need to contact if you have query, any feedback or complaint relating to your child:
Area of Need |
Person to Contact |
Email Address |
SENCO |
Mrs P Waller |
|
Deputy SENCO |
Mrs A Rosier |
annette.rosier@oxted.thpt.org.uk |
Specialist Centre for the Visually Impaired (VI) |
Mrs H Leech | hazel.leech@oxted.thpt.org.uk |
Looked After Children (LAC) |
Mr S Milne |
|
English as an Additional Language (EAL) |
Mrs V Patakas |
|
Stretch & Challenge |
Mr W Dale |
We have an SEN Helpdesk to allow parents and staff to contact the SEN Department.
In order to streamline our processes all SEN queries should be made through the SEN Helpdesk senhelpdesk@oxted.thpt.org.uk
We will monitor the emails daily and will use this as our method of contact for all SEN queries
Helpful websites for parents:
Family Matters
- A free, impartial information service for families with children aged 0 to 19 (up to 25 for young people with a disability or special educational need), including a directory of services for parents.
www.surreycc.gov.uk/people-and-community/family-information-service
- Specifically for parents of children and young people with SEN
Partnership with Parents (PWP)
The service also provides information relating to Surrey services, policies and procedures. It is also available to support professionals working with parents, offering advice and guidance on effective communication and parental engagement.
Please also see:
- Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 years
- Special Educational needs and Disability: 'A Guide for Parents and Carers'
- Keeping Children Safe in School
- Equality Act 2010: advice for schools DfE Feb 2013
- Surrey Local Offer Website
- Statutory Guidance on Supporting Students at School with Medical Conditions April 2014
- Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
- Equality
- Teachers Standards