SEND
Our Approach
Staff at Woodcote believe that all children with special educational needs should have access to a broad and well-balanced education.
We believe that all students can experience success in learning provided that the work they are asked to do is differentiated to meet their individual needs.
Our approach to SEND follows the 2014 Code of Practice.
For our SEND Policies, please click HERE. And for our overall SEND information, please click here
For the 2023-24 Croydon Locality SEND Support document, please click here.
And for the SEND Support Brochure, please click here.
SEND – a definition
Pupils who are identified as having special educational needs at Woodcote include any student who:
- has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age due to difficulties
in cognition and learning. - has sensory or physical needs.
- has emotional, social or mental health difficulties
- has communication and interaction needs
- has English as a second language.
FAQs & Other Information
There are well established links with the feeder primary schools. They are visited by the SENDCO in the term before they start, so that information concerning all students with special needs is collated and disseminated to staff. Additionally there is a centralised meeting of primary and secondary school SENDCos arranged by Croydon SEND .
Parents/carers of pupils with SEND are welcome to visit the school on an individual basis through contact with the SENDCo prior to making their selection in the autumn term of the school year preceding transition.
When a student is transferred from a mainstream or a special school, liaison takes place with parents, staff, the educational psychologist and any other relevant agencies. The SENDCo disseminates regularly updated information to keep staff fully informed about the needs of all students with special needs. The SENDCo is usually invited to attend the last Annual Review of an EHCP student at Primary School.
There is a special transition day for high needs SEND pupils which takes place a week before the main transition day for all year 6 pupils. The purpose of this is to make these pupils more familiar with the school and make them more confident the following week.
Initial identification is via the information received by the SENDCo from their Primary school. On arrival at Woodcote screening tests take place to ensure that all those pupils needing support are identified. After that the teachers at Woodcote make referrals to the SENDCo with their concerns about individual pupils they teach. In addition there are half termly SEND meetings run by the SENDCo and attended by representatives of each subject. The driving force behind the identification process by teachers is the fact that a pupil is not making adequate or expected progress despite the teacher delivering lessons with differentiated tasks which should make tasks accessible to all pupils.
Pupils have two designations according to their levels of need
E – The pupil has an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) which means the individual has significant and long lasting needs, which requires additional funding form the LEA, in order to access the curriculum
K – The pupil has significant difficulties but whose needs can be met with funding from the schools budget
A wide range of support is available to support pupils with SEND. The range of support is constantly monitored in terms of effectiveness and appropriateness to meet the needs of pupils but at present these are the primary means of support:-
- in class support via the participation of a teaching assistant. At Woodcote we are not believers in one to one support for pupils with EHCP, to the exclusion of any possibility of aiding other pupils in the same group, and so our teaching assistants, although assigned to support an EHCP pupil will actually not spend the whole time with that student. Instead they will ‘work the room’ and support other high needs pupils and any pupil who needs help
- small group literacy and numeracy classes delivered by specialist teachers and/or TAs with significant experience under the teachers’ guidance.
- Social skills groups run by Speech and Language Therapists and/or TAs under their guidance following initial SALT assessment by Woodcote’s SALT provider.
- Social and emotional support as required for pupils with social/emotional difficulties who are struggling in their lesson (for as long as it is appropriate judged on an individual basis)
- Access to the SEN area before school, break and lunchtime for pupils who are uncomfortable in the normal playground areas.
Before long term interventions are commenced parents are consulted to get their permission and meetings with parents take place to evaluate it’s success and discuss next steps if there is a need.
Pupils are involved in the writing of their SEND support plan/Pupil Passport/Individual Education Plan as appropriate. They contribute to these documents so that they are aware of the agreed targets and how to achieve them.
As well as the annual parents evenings parents/carers can arrange to see the SENDCo for additional meetings if they require one. Those pupils with EHCPs have annual reviews which are attended by the SENDCo and any outside agencies who work with the pupil. The purpose of these meetings is to ensure that the provision made by the school is meeting the child’s needs and that details of the pupil’s difficulties are still accurate. The views of both the pupil and parents/carers are included in this review.
Any concerns parents/carers have should be addressed to the SENDCo
The ethos of the school is one of inclusivity and so all pupils are expected to participate in mainstream classes alongside their peers. The content of lessons will be addressed in the first instance by ‘Quality first teaching’ with materials and tasks suitably differentiated so that all pupils can understand and complete them. Any additional support lessons are run with the agreement of parents/carers. In Key stage 4 pupils with significant needs will follow a modified curriculum in which they follow fewer options allowing for extra literacy and numeracy lessons. In Year 11 this cohort of pupils will take Entry level exams in addition to GCSEs.
Woodcote aims to give additional support to parents/carers in terms of bringing in outside agencies such as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, the school counsellor and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. These agencies can offer advice and guidance to parents/carers.
Woodcote will make all reasonable adjustments to enable all pupils to participate in additional trips and activities unless there are serious health and safety issues.
The entire school is accessible to students with mobility issues. Where necessary adaptive equipment and furniture is available to enable participation by all students. There are staff trained in use of the ‘Evac chair’ to ensure children can be safely evacuated in the event of fire.
A range of specialist services is used by the school to address the problems faced by pupils with SEND. School staff, particularly those in the Enhanced Learning Provision, work with and liaise with outside agencies such as physiotherapy, occupational health, SALT and the Educational Psychology Service on a regular basis.
Staff receive regular training on aspects of SEND by means of INSET days and twilight INSET. Additionally the SENDCo holds regular meetings with representatives of each subject in which extra training, particularly on differentiation, is covered.
Woodcote works closely with employers and colleges to ensure that all relevant information, subject to consent, is shared to ensure a smooth transition from Woodcote. We provide careers interviews and invite representatives of LEAs to attend meetings with parents as appropriate to offer the best advice so that the most suitable choices are made by pupils for life beyond Woodcote.
To ensure all pupils, whatever their degree of difficulty, achieve their best possible results in public examinations the SENDCo collects information from teachers and carries out assessments. Following these all children who require special exam concessions such as :-
- Reader
- Scribe
- Extra time
- Rest breaks
- Use of a word processor
will have applications made to JCQ ( Joint council for Qualifications) and if granted they will receive them in internal and external examinations/assessments.
Useful Links
Further websites to support parents of children with speech and language needs.
Local Authority Information
Local authorities are responsible for publishing a Local Offer and ensuring it is available for everyone to see. This is important to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families are given information about support services the local authority think will be available in their local areas.
Please click on the links below for further information.
