Inclusion

Meeting Special Educational and Individual Pupil Needs

Raincliffe School has a recognised reputation for providing for pupils who have been identified as having Special Educational Needs or other Individual Learning needs which could possibly cause barriers to learning. Gifted and talented pupils are also identified, monitored and supported. Raincliffe has a policy of welcoming all students and their families, irrespective of ethnicity, gender, ability disability or sexual orientation. We have a commitment to ensuring that equality of opportunity is available to all within our school and the wider community. 

Provision for these pupils is centred around The Independent Learning Centre and Sky Class. Outreach work into mainstream classes is also coordinated from these areas to provide support and advice across the whole school community.

The great majority of pupils will learn and progress within the normal arrangements, already in place within Raincliffe School, which take account of the ability and aptitude of a particular pupil. Those who have difficulty may well have special educational needs which need to be addressed.

A child is deemed to have special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child has a learning difficulty if he or she:

• Has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age.
• Has a disability that either prevents or hinders the child from making use of educational facilities of a kind provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the Local Authority.

The aims of educational provision for children with special educational needs are in no way different from those expressed in the general school aims, which are encapsulated in the School Mission Statement. This states that 'Raincliffe School will ensure a supportive atmosphere in which everyone is valued and expectations are high’.

The responsibility for arrangements to identify, assess and meet the special educational needs of pupils rests with the governors. They, in partnership with the Headteacher, determine general policy and approach to provision for students with SEN, establish the appropriate staffing and funding arrangements and maintain an oversight of the school's work. The SENCO and Director for Inclusion is responsible for co-ordinating agreed provision.

The day to day provision for those pupils who exhibit special educational and Individual Needs is the shared responsibility of the staff of the school as a whole, with all teachers’ ensuring that pupils in their groups are taught appropriately. It is their responsibility to ensure that materials and methodology are appropriately differentiated to meet the identified needs of pupils, or groups of pupils.

The SEN and Individual Needs Policy

Aims:

• To enable all pupils to develop as fully as possible their abilities, interests and aptitudes and to make additional provision for those who exhibit a Special Educational and/or Individual Need..
• To provide opportunity for equal access for all to a broad and balanced curriculum.
• To work within school and with outside agencies to identify, diagnose and address the special educational needs of pupils.
• To teach skills which will allow pupils to integrate fully and successfully into mainstream education.
• To ensure that adequate resources are provided to meet the Special Educational and/or Individual Needs of any child within the school.
• To ensure that all teachers accept that they have a responsibility to meet the needs of all pupils within their groups as set out in the NC inclusion statement.


Objectives:

• To identify all pupils who have Special Educational and/or Individual Needs.
• To establish a common system of record keeping and monitoring procedures which will enable pupils of any age who are exhibiting signs of need to be identified and given help and support as necessary.
• To provide, within school, a phased and structured approach to addressing the special educational needs of pupils. This to be provided via a 3-stage approach (described in detail in the full SEN policy).
• To provide a differentiated curriculum which meets the needs of individual pupils.
• To maintain effective links with Primary feeder schools to allow the smooth, cross-phase transition of pupils with special educational needs.
• To give pastoral support to pupils with Special Educational and/or Individual Needs.
• To foster and maintain links with outside agencies and educational support services.
• To forge links with parents, thereby co-operating with them as partners in providing for the Special Educational and/or Individual needs of their children.
• To seek special arrangements for internal and external tests and examinations for those pupils for whom such arrangements are agreed to be appropriate.
• To actively support the implementation of the school's policy on Equal Opportunities and Disability.

Further information regarding current SEN provision can be found within the full SEN Policy document.