Special Educational Needs Policy 2025

Statutory	Yes
Website	Yes
Last Review	April 2025
Next Review	April 2026
Reviewer	Miss R Garaty
Governor Committee	Standards & Wellbeing
Ratified by BoG	19 May 2025

Aims
Legislation and guidance
Definitions
Roles and responsibilities
SEND information report
Monitoring arrangements
Links with other policies and documents

1. Aims

Our SEND policy and information report aims to:

Set out how our school will support and make provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Explain the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in providing for pupils with SEND

Philosophy:

All members of staff, in conjunction with the authorities, (Governing Body and LA) have a responsibility to ensure that every student has an equal opportunity to attain their maximum potential in all aspects of the curriculum. Pupils are entitled to a broad and balanced curriculum, including the National Curriculum (incorporating personalised provision), and their relative progress will be recorded, valued and reviewed.

2. Legislation and guidance

This policy and information report is based on the statutory Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice and the following legislation:

Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which sets out schools’ responsibilities for pupils with SEND and disabilities
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, which set out schools’ responsibilities for education, health and care plans (EHCP), SEND co-ordinators (SENDCOs) and the SEND information report

3. Definitions

A pupil has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have:

A significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
A disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools

Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools.

Pupils who experience difficulty in accessing the curriculum may also have a particular gift or talent. This is addressed through our provision for more able pupils.

Special Educational Provision may be triggered when pupils fail to achieve adequate progress, despite having had access to a differentiated programme over 2 terms. Parents/ carers and staff will be informed that the child has special educational needs and appropriate provision identified to meet the pupil’s individual need(s) will be made.

Lack of adequate progress may be indicated by:

Little or no progress despite the use of targeted teaching approaches, differentiated approaches to curriculum materials, and/ or a differentiated curriculum.

Working at levels significantly below age expectations, particularly in Literacy or Numeracy.
Presenting persistent and significant emotional and / or mental health difficulties, which have not been managed by appropriate strategies usually employed.

Sensory or physical impairments that result in little progress despite the provision of appropriate aids or equipment.
Poor communication or interaction, requiring specific interactions and adaptations to access learning.

4. Roles and responsibilities

The roles and responsibilities of school personnel with regard to special educational needs are given below. They are in accordance with Code of Practice (2014), Children’s & Families Act, guidelines and school job descriptions.

4.1 The Governing body

The governing body will:

Appoint a SEND link governor
SEND link governor will help to raise awareness of SEND issues at governing board meetings
Monitor the quality and effectiveness of SEN and disability provision within the school and update the governing board on this
Work with the Headteacher and SENDCO to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school
Monitoring the policy through the school’s self-review procedures.

All governors are informed of the school’s provision, including funding, equipment and staffing.

4.2 The Headteacher

The Headteacher will:

Work with the SENDCO and governing body to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school
Have overall responsibility for the provision and progress of learners with SEN and/or a disability
Set objectives and priorities in the school development plan, which includes SEND
Line-manage day to day provision for pupils with SEND, including setting a budget for support pupils within the school’s overall financial resources
Report to the governing body

4.3 The SENDCO

The SENDCO is Rebecca Garaty.

They will:

Work with the headteacher and SEND governor to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school
Have day-to-day responsibility for the operation of this SEND policy and the co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEND, including those who have an EHCP
Provide professional guidance to colleagues and work with staff, parents, and other agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND receive appropriate support and high-quality inclusive teaching
Manage and develop the roles of Teaching Assistants and Learning Mentors, through training and performance management
Recruit and deploy the School’s SEND Teaching Assistants, Learning Mentors, Deputy SENDCO, and SEND Administration Officer.
Liaise with parents/ carers of pupils with SEND and ensuring effective co-production
Liaise with the relevant school year team to monitor the progress of pupils with SEND and to help identify pupils who might need additional support
Liaising with schools including feeder primaries and specialist settings
Liaising with other SENDCOs, both locally and nationally
Liaising with outside agencies. Contributing to in-service training and external training (as appropriate)
Coordinate and liaise with colleagues and parents to write EHCPs according to the school’s SEND policy
Advise on the graduated approach to providing SEND support
Monitor the identification of pupils with SEND
Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively
Be a point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services
Liaise with potential next providers of education to ensure pupils and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned
Work with the headteacher and governing board to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
Ensure the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEND up to date

4.4 Subject Leaders:

Subject leaders will:

Ensure appropriate curriculum provision and delivery clearly stated in their schemes of work
Ensure appropriate teaching resources for pupils with SEND are purchased from school capitation
Attend, or identify key staff for training, as required
Monitor the progress of all pupils, including pupils with SEND, in their subject areas
Follow the College’s Graduated Approach to Pupil Inclusion

4.5 Year Leaders:

Year Leaders will:

Be accountable for the progress and well-being of all pupils in their year group
Follow the College’s Graduated Approach to Pupil Inclusion
Ensure appropriate curriculum provision and delivery during tutor time periods
Attend, or identify key staff for training from the pastoral team, as required
Monitor the progress, attendance and behaviour of all pupils, including pupils with SEND, within their year group
Ensure appropriate support is in place for all pupils with SEND in their year group
Liaise closely with the SENDCO, including raising individual concerns to SENDCO through the referral process.
Lead and contribute to reviews of SEND Pupil Inclusion Plans and contribute to EHCP reviews.
Communicate with parents regarding the progress of pupils with SEND in their year group.

4.6 Class teachers and Tutors

Each class teacher and Tutor is responsible for:

The progress and development of every pupil in their class
Devising strategies and identifying appropriate differentiated methods of access to the curriculum, in conjunction with the Learning Support Department.
Recognising that central to the work of every teacher is the cycle of planning, teaching, assessing and evaluating that takes account of the wide range of abilities, aptitudes and interests of the pupils in their classes
Working closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching
Working with the SENDCO to review each pupil’s progress and development and decide on any changes to provision
Ensuring that Pupil Inclusion Plans are considered in lessons
Raising individual concerns to the SENDCO through the referral process
Contributing to reviews for Pupil Inclusion Plans and EHCP reviews
Communicating with parents/ carers regarding the progress of pupils with SEND in their classes
Ensuring they follow this SEND policy

4.7 Teaching assistants/ Learning Mentors and SEND administration officer:

The above will:

Support pupils with SEND and the wider school population
Plan and deliver individualised programs where appropriate

Monitor progress against targets using Pupil Inclusion Plans and through whole school and Learning Support data
Write and update Pupil Inclusion Plans

Contribute to the review progress, either in person or with a written report

Work with individuals and small groups in or out of the classroom, under the direction of the class teacher

Support teacher’s differentiation planning, where appropriate
Attend relevant training, as appropriate and/ or directed by the SENDCOs

5. SEND information report

5.1 The kinds of SEND that are provided for

Swanmore College is an inclusive mainstream school. The College does not have a SEND specialism.

Our school currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including:

Communication and interaction, for example, autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties
Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia
Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, hearing impairments, processing difficulties, epilepsy, gross and fine motor skills difficulties
Moderate and multiple learning difficulties

5.2 Supporting Transition to Swanmore College

If your child has an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) or very complex needs, please contact the Learning Support Department at Swanmore College.
The Learning Support Department and SENDCO can support tours and visits to the school
The Learning Support Department and SENDCO will be available for you to meet during Open Evenings and Information Evenings at Swanmore College
We welcome invitations to Year 5 and Year 6 EHCP Annual Review meetings held at the primary school for children who are looking to transfer to Swanmore College in Year 7
In the summer term of Year 6, Swanmore SENDCO virtually meets the SENDCOs of feeder schools, and others if possible. SEND information about your child is passed on to her
Your child will be invited to visit Swanmore College before Induction Day. One or more visits can be agreed between parents and schools according to your child’s needs.
Primary schools will inform Swanmore College whether a child has SEND needs by the end of Year 6. If the child’s needs are still present by the beginning of year 7, your child will be on the SEND register
The SEND register is then reviewed three times per year. When a child’s needs are above the criteria set by Hampshire Authority, the pupil will be removed from the register and will be monitored
If a pupil had previously accessed support from Outside Agencies, these will be reviewed and may continue depending on their ongoing needs.
A Pupil Inclusion Plan will be drawn up and made available to all teachers of a pupil as a result of the information provided to us by primary schools, parents and Outside Agencies
All pupils will additionally sit Cognitive Assessment Tests (CATs) within the first few weeks at Swanmore College to help us learn more about their learning profile
If a pupil with SEND joins Swanmore College after Year 7, we will support transition through parent meetings as above. Information from these meetings and the CATs testing above will allow us to also draw up a Pupil Inclusion Plan to meet their needs.

5.3 Identifying pupils with SEND and assessing their needs

We will assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate.

All pupils joining the school will complete Cognitive Ability Tests (CATs) to discover more about their learning profile, including their strengths and difficulties.

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 SEND.

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.

In addition to this, the school can offer additional screening to help indicate further areas of need. This can be requested by a pupil or parent, or a referral may be made by a member of staff or outside agency.

Additional Exam Support will be assessed in line with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) Regulations. Assessments for exam access arrangements (e.g. a reader/ scribe/ rest breaks/ additional time) may be made where:

There is significant evidence of a substantial barrier to a pupil’s ability to access examinations
The support requested for the examinations reflects the pupil’s normal way of working
Evidence of a substantial barrier to a pupil’s ability to access examinations has been documented within the school setting and by teachers
Arrangements have been made to remove the pupil’s barrier through support and interventions, as appropriate, prior to providing the pupil with support in their examinations.

5.4 Consulting and involving pupils and parents

We believe that the views and experiences of both pupils and parents are vitally important to understand and meet the needs of any pupil at Swanmore College. Therefore, we consult and involve both pupils and parents in the following ways (this list is not exhaustive):

All parents are invited to attend parents’ evenings
Collecting parent and pupil views for EHCP applications or annual reviews
Parent and pupil surveys
Invitations to information evenings, e.g. Year 7 Information Evening at the start of the academic year
Progress meetings
Sharing Pupil Inclusion Plans with parents, and pupils (as appropriate), to ask for input
Collecting pupil views following interventions
Parents are encouraged to contact individual subject teachers to discuss any subject based concerns or questions
Parents are able to request a meeting with their child’s Tutor/ Year Team/ the SENDCO if they would like to discuss their child’s needs beyond one subject
Notifying parents of changes to a child’s provision or support, e.g. informing parents of invitations to intervention groups.

5.5 Assessing and reviewing pupils' progress towards outcomes

We will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review.

The subject teacher and Head of Department will work with the Learning Support Team and SENDCO to carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This will draw on:

The teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil
Their previous progress and attainment and behaviour
Other teachers’ assessments, where relevant
The individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data
The views and experience of parents
The pupil’s own views
Advice from external support services, if relevant

The assessment will be reviewed regularly.

All teachers and members of 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.

Updates to the pupil’s support plan in school will be circulated to all staff that work with that pupil.

We will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress.

5.6 Supporting pupils moving between phases and preparing for adulthood

We will share information with the school, college, or other setting the pupil is moving to. We will agree with parents and pupils which information will be shared as part of this.

Due to GDPR regulations, we will require a signature from the child’s parent/s to allow us to share the child’s data with schools or other educational settings that are not within the Hampshire Local Authority.

Transition to Post-16 provision:

All pupils will have access to the school’s Careers Advisory Team
All pupils on the SEND register will have a Careers Interview to support their choice of post-16 provision
The Learning Support Team and SENDCOs will support pupils and parents with discussions about post-16 courses and provisions
If the child has an EHCP, an annual review will be held before the end of December to discuss transition. Post-16 course providers will be invited to these meetings as requested by the parent/s
The Learning Support Team and SENDCOs will communicate with the new educational placement to share information about a child’s needs, including supporting writing of new support plans as appropriate

5.7 Our approach to teaching pupils with SEND

All teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the pupils in their class.

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

Swanmore College follows a Graduated Approach to Pupil Inclusion. All pupils are considered as part of this approach and are able to access appropriate levels of support, regardless of whether they have been identified as SEND.

Additional interventions may be referred to for pupils with SEND or identified other needs. These interventions include (this list is not exhaustive):

Pastoral support and mentoring
Support within subjects, e.g. revision classes afterschool
Access to a laptop in lessons
Literacy and numeracy catch up sessions
Targeted reading support
Mindfulness sessions
Handwriting support
Homework support – homework club afterschool
Break and lunch time support group
Entry level qualifications to support GCSE studies in Year 10 and Year 11

5.8 Adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment

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

We use high quality inclusive teaching practice to enable a wider range of pupils and learning needs are able to access the curriculum
Staff adapt resources and lesson plans to meet the needs of their classes
Use of recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc.
Differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc.

5.9 Additional support for learning

High quality inclusive teaching is our first step in responding to the needs of all pupils.

Additional members of staff may also be involved with supporting a pupil/ pupils depending on their needs. For example:

We have Learning Mentors who are trained to help teachers and provide advice about how to support a pupil/ pupils within their lessons.
Learning Mentors and Teaching Assistants may deliver interventions such as mindfulness, numeracy and literacy support.
Tutors and Deputy Heads of Year may provide emotional wellbeing support.
Teaching assistants may be timetabled into a classroom if a pupil/ pupils have an EHCP that names particular high levels of support.

We work with the following agencies to provide support for pupils with SEND:

Please see ‘Working with other agencies’ section below.

5.10 Accessibility of the School Site

The school site is accessible and maintained in order to make sure it is safe for our pupils with physical disabilities.
There are disabled parking bays in the main school car park, marked with disabled signs.
We have disabled toilets and a changing room, which can be used for pupils to change for PE.
The school site is partially accessible to wheelchair users. Most school buildings are two stories, with the second story only accessible by stairs. The English/ MFL department building has a disabled lift. Classes are timetabled downstairs for children and members of staff with accessibility issues, or classes can be moved if placed in an inaccessible location.
Pupils and members of staff with physical disabilities, which may impair their ability to reach the fire muster point within the designated target time, will have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) written. This PEEP will be reviewed annually.
The school office is fully accessible.
All new buildings and work will consider the school’s accessibility plan.
Equipment, such as support chairs and frames are provided through Hampshire County Council’s, Childrens Services Department, and Physical Disability team. We have termly contact with the Specialist Teacher Advisors within this department and can make further referrals where necessary. The site team and Learning Support team support the movement of this equipment to relevant classrooms.
Full information about Accessibility can be found in the School’s Accessibility Plan.

5.11 Evaluating the effectiveness of SEND provision

We evaluate the effectiveness of provision for pupils with SEND by:

Reviewing pupils’ individual progress towards their goals each term
Reviewing the impact of interventions after 6-8 weeks
Using pupil questionnaires after interventions
Monitoring by the Year Team and SENDCO
Holding annual reviews for pupils with an EHCP
Monitoring pupil attendance, effort, rewards and behaviour points

5.12 Enabling pupils with SEND to engage in activities available to those in the school who do not have SEND

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

All pupils are encouraged to take part in sports days/school productions/ work experience/ school activity days at the end of the academic year.

No pupil is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEND, so long as reasonable adjustments can be made to ensure the safety and well-being of the pupil, other pupils and staff facilitating the activities.

Information about accessibility can be found in the school’s Accessibility Plan
Arrangements can be made to move classrooms and activities to ground floor rooms to support accessibility
Pupils can be provided with cards to allow them to move lessons before or after the crowd to avoid busy corridors
We will liaise with appropriate external agencies to discuss appropriate arrangements can be made

5.13 Support for improving emotional and social development

We provide support for pupils to improve their emotional and social development in the following ways:

Pupils with SEND are encouraged to be part of the school council
Pupils with SEND are supported within the classroom with minimal removal from their peers to support social development
Pupils with SEND may have additional supervision at social times available to help positive social interactions and to build friendships
The pastoral support system in school, including the Tutor, Head of Year and Deputy Head of Year take an active role in supporting the emotional well-being of all pupils in their care
Additional support to meet needs will be noted on a Pupil Inclusion Plan. This might include a named key adult in school or access to supportive intervention sessions.

We have a zero tolerance approach to bullying.

5.14 Working with other agencies

Following transition:

For pupils with an EHCP, County Advisory Teams may continue to support and visit pupils on school site depending on their needs.
If a pupil had previously accessed the Behaviour Support Team, this will stop in Year 6 but will oversee transition at the start of Year 7

Accessing additional agency support:

Support from a variety of Outside Agencies may be recruited by the SENDCO, working with the relevant pastoral team, if deemed appropriate to support a child
The school works closely with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and the Hampshire Educational Psychiatrists

5.15 Complaints about SEND provision

Initially, all complaints from parents or carers about their child's provision are made to the SENDCO, who follows this up with relevant staff. However, if a parent or carer is not satisfied with the response given, the Complaints Procedure outlined in the school's website may be followed.

5.16 Contact details of support services for parents of pupils with SEND

As parents, you are able to contact support services to provide impartial advice on SEND matters. Hampshire Special Education Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS) can be contacted by:

Email: info@hampshiresendiass.co.uk

Phone: 0808 164 5504

5.17 Contact details for raising concerns

SENDCO: Miss R Garaty (senco@swanmore-sec.hants.sch.uk)

Headteacher: Mr K Jonathan

5.18 The local authority local offer

The Hampshire Local Authority’s Offer can be found on their website:

https://fish.hants.gov.uk/kb5/hampshire/directory/localoffer.page

6. Monitoring arrangements

This policy and information report will be reviewed by the SENDCO every year. It will also be updated if any changes to the information are made during the year.

It will be approved by the governing board.

The degree of success of the policy and its implementation will be evaluated using the following indicators:

Recorded views of pupils and parents or carers, particularly at meetings.

Recorded views by teachers on pupil’s competence, confidence and social acceptability.

Measurable or observable gains from pupils, particularly in terms of set targets, screening tests and other assessments carried out where appropriate and examination results.

Number of complaints received.

7. Links with other policies and documents

This policy links to our policies on:

Accessibility plan
Admissions
Behaviour
Complaints
Pupils with Medical Needs

Tagged Policies

Special Educational Needs policy and info report 2025

pdf

Swanmore School