Blackheath Primary School

Special Education Needs (SEN) Policy

Date of issue: Autumn 2026

Review date: Autumn 2027

Contents:

Statement of intent

Legal framework
Aims and objectives
Roles and responsibilities
Identifying SEND
SEND support
Access to the Curriculum
Safeguarding
Admissions
Transition
Partnership with parents
Funding for SEND support
EHC needs assessments and plans
Provision Maps and Individual Learning Plans
Supporting successful preparation for adulthood
Managing complaints
Staff training and improving practice
Use of data and record keeping
Publishing information
Joint commissioning, planning and delivery
Monitoring and review

Statement of Intent

Blackheath Primary School believes that all pupils are entitled to an education that enables them to achieve their best, become confident individuals living fulfilling lives, and make a successful transition into adulthood.

Blackheath Primary School aims to promote a consistency of approach to meeting children’s special educational needs, with a focus on preventative work to ensure that those needs are identified as quickly as possible and early action is taken.

The policy outlines the framework for Blackheath Primary School to meet its duty, obligation and principal equality values to provide an appropriate high quality education to all of its pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and to do everything it can to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

Through successful implementation of this policy, the school aims to eliminate discrimination and promote equal opportunities.

Blackheath Primary School will work with the Local Authority’s SEND principles to underpin policy. These are as follows:

Co-production:

Involving children, young people, parents, and carers in all decision-making processes related to SEND and their provision.

High Ambition and Aspirations:

Providing high quality provision and fostering high expectations for the educational and pastoral experiences of those with SEND, to achieve independence and good outcomes.

Focus on Independence:

Providing support that helps young people with SEND and those in alternative provision to develop the skills needed for a successful transition to adulthood and independent living and employment

Joint Planning & Commissioning:

Encouraging close cooperation and collaborative planning between education, health, and social care to optimise service delivery.

Graduated and Inclusive Support:

Implementing a staged approach within educational and training settings to identify and support children and young people with SEND; focusing on inclusive practice and removing barriers to learning

Early Identification:

Emphasising the importance of early recognition of difficulties to provide timely and effective support, even before a formal Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) may be needed.

Clear and Accessible Local Offer:

Providing clear, comprehensive, and easily accessible information about all services available to support children and young people with SEND and their families; giving greater choice and control for pupils and parents over their support.

Promoting Well-being:

Addressing the emotional and mental health needs of children and young people through whole-school approaches and relevant curricula.

These principles are outlined in the Sandwell Local Area Partnership Inclusion (SEND and Alternative Provision) Plan 2023-2026, which details the strategy for improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND

Sandwell SEND Local Offer is found at:

https://fis.sandwell.gov.uk/kb5/sandwell/directory/localoffer.page

Under the Equality Act 2010, a disability is a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. For the purposes of this policy, a pupil is defined as having SEND if they have:

A significantly greater difficulty in learning than most others of the same age.
A disability or health condition that prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities used by peers of the same age in mainstream settings.
Special educational provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream settings.

Legal Framework

This policy has due regard to all relevant legislation and statutory guidance including, but not limited to, the following:

Local Government Act 1974
Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986
Children Act 1989
Education Act 1996
Education Act 2002
Mental Capacity Act 2005
Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 (Disability) Regulations 2010
Children and Families Act 2014

Schools SEN Information Report Regulations (2014)

The Special Educational Needs (Personal Budgets) Regulations 2014

The National Curriculum in England: Primary

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Amendment) Regulations 2015
The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Detained Persons) Regulations 2015
The UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Data Protection Act 2018
Health and Care Act 2022
DfE ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’
DfE ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’
DfE ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026’
DfE ‘Mental health and wellbeing provision in schools’
DfE ‘School Admissions Code’
DfE ‘Keeping children safe in education 2026’
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) ‘Reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils’

Teachers Standards (Updated December 2021)

This policy operates in conjunction with the following school policies:

Admissions Policy
Pupil Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Pupil Confidentiality Policy
Data Protection Policy
Records Management Policy
Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Policy
Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions Policy
Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
Exclusion and Suspension Policy
Behaviour Policy
Complaints Procedures
Accessibility Plan
SEN Information Report
Equality information and objectives statement
School Evaluation and Development Plans
Health & Safety Overview
Fire Evacuation Procedures

Aims and Objectives

Every school is required to identify and address the SEND of the pupils that they support. At Blackheath Primary School, we aim to meet the needs of each individual child. We aim to raise the expectations and aspirations of all children including those with SEN. Blackheath Primary staff provide a focus on outcomes for children and young people rather than hours of support. We realise that all children learn differently and at different rates and are committed to provide a suitable learning environment, curriculum and targets to meet their individual needs.

Our objectives are to:

Use our best endeavours to identify pupils with SEND and make sure that get the support they need to access the school’s broad and balanced curriculum.
Ensure that pupils with SEND engage in the activities of the school alongside pupils who do not have SEND.
Ensure there is high-quality provision to meet the needs of pupils with SEND, with specific focus on inclusive practice and removing barriers to learning.
Fulfil our statutory duties towards pupils with SEND in light of the SEND code of practice.
Promote disability equality and equality of opportunity, fulfilling our duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled pupils.
Make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services, to ensure that disabled pupils are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers.
Designate a teacher to be responsible for coordinating SEND provision, i.e. the SENCO.
Inform parents when they are making special educational provision for their child.

to provide support and advice for all staff working with SEND pupils
to facilitate embedding pupil voice in reviews, planning and decision-making wherever possible

Review, prepare and publish important information about the school and its implementation of relevant SEND policies, including:
- Accessibility plans setting out how they plan to increase access to the curriculum and the physical environment for pupils with SEND.
- Information about the admission arrangements for pupils with SEND and the steps taken to prevent them being treated less favourably than others.
- A SEN information report about the implementation of the school’s policy for pupils with SEND.

Roles and responsibilities

The Governing body will be responsible for:

Ensuring this policy is implemented fairly and consistently across the school.
Ensuring the school meets its duties in relation to supporting pupils with SEND.
Ensuring that there is a qualified teacher designated as SENCO for the school.

The Governing body will receive regular reports regarding SEND provision, pupil outcomes, inclusion and funding to enable effective strategic oversight.

The Headteacher is responsible for ensuring the school offers a broad and balanced curriculum, with high-quality teaching and a positive and enriching educational experience of for all pupils, including pupils with SEND.

In enacting this policy, the Headteacher will:

Ensure the school holds ambitious expectations for all pupils with SEND.
Establish and sustain culture and practices that enable pupils with SEND to access the curriculum and learn effectively.
Ensure the school works effectively in partnership with parents, carers and professionals, to identify the additional needs and SEND of pupils, providing support and adaptation where appropriate.
Ensure the school fulfils its statutory duties with regard to the SEND code of practice.
Work with the Governing body to ensure that there is a qualified teacher designated as SENCO for the school.
Ensure the SENCO has sufficient time and resources to carry out their functions.
Provide the SENCO with sufficient administrative support and time away from teaching to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities.
Regularly and carefully reviewing the quality of teaching for pupils at risk of underachievement, as a core part of the school’s performance management arrangements.
Ensure that procedures and policies for the day-to-day running of the school do not directly or indirectly discriminate against pupils with SEND.

The SENCO will be responsible for:

Collaborating with the governing board and headteacher, as part of the SLT, to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in the school.
The day-to-day responsibility for the operation of SEND policy.
The coordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEND.
Liaising with the relevant designated teacher for LAC with SEND.
Advising on a graduated approach to providing SEND support.
Co-ordinating and developing school based strategies for the identification and review of children with SEN
Advising on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively.
Liaising with the parents/carers of pupils with SEND.
Liaising with early years providers, other schools, educational psychologists, health and social care professionals, and independent or voluntary bodies, as required.
Being a key point of contact for external agencies, especially the LA and LA support services.
Liaising with the potential future providers of education to ensure that pupils and their parents are informed about the options, and a smooth transition is planned.
Working with the relevant governors and the headteacher to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010, regarding reasonable adjustments and access arrangements.
Ensuring that the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEND up-to-date, in line with the school’s Data Protection Policy.
Providing professional guidance to colleagues, and working closely with staff, parents and other agencies.
Being familiar with the provision in the Local Offer and being able to work with professionals who are providing a supporting role to the family.

Teachers will be responsible for:

Ensuring they follow this SEND policy.
Planning and reviewing support for pupils with SEND on a graduated basis, in collaboration with parents (wherever possible), the SENCO and, where appropriate, the pupils themselves.
Setting high expectations for every pupil and aiming to teach them the full curriculum, whatever their prior attainment.
Planning lessons to address potential areas of difficulty to ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving.
Ensuring every pupil with SEND is able to study the full national curriculum, where learning levels allow.
Being accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class.
Being aware of the needs, outcomes sought, and support provided to any pupils with SEND they are working with.
Understanding and implementing strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils with the support of the SENCO.
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
Keeping the relevant figures of authority up-to-date with any changes in behaviour, academic developments and causes of concern. The relevant figures of authority include the headteacher.

The designated SENCO at Blackheath Primary School is Mrs Jo Morgan. The SENCO holds the mandatory National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCO) as required by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations.

Mrs Morgan can be contacted at: Blackheath Primary School, Britannia Road, Rowley Regis, B65 9NF: by telephone on 0121 559 1033 or by email office@bps.sandwell.sch.uk

The governor responsible for oversight of our school’s special needs provision is Patrice Meredith

Identifying SEND

At Blackheath Primary School it is the belief that all children have an equal right to a full and robust education which will enable them to achieve their full potential. We use our best endeavours to secure SEN provision for pupils for whom this is required, that is ‘additional to and different from’ that provided within an adapted or differentiated curriculum to better respond to the four areas of need identified in the Code of Practice (January, 2015)

Communication and Interaction: Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and Autistic children and young people and those who are neurodivergent.

Cognition and Learning: Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum with associated difficulties with mobility and communication, profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties, as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment. Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning - encompassing a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.
Social, Emotional and Mental Health: Children who display challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour, withdrawn or isolated children, anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder or attachment disorder.

Sensory/Physical: vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI)

Every teacher is a teacher of every child or young person including those with SEN.

The school recognises that early identification and effective provision improves long-term outcomes for pupils. As part of the overall approach to monitoring the progress and development of all pupils, it has a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEND as outlined in the school’s SEN Information Report.

What are Special Educational Needs?

A child or young person has SEN if he or she has a learning difficulty or a disability which calls for SEN provision to be made for him or her. A learning difficulty or disability is a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others at the same age. SEN provision means educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for the others of the same age in a mainstream setting in England. Code of Practice 2015.

The SENCo, Head teacher, and the SLT, work closely together to ensure the Blackheath SEN policy works within the guidelines and inclusion policies of the Code of Practice, the Local Authority and other school policies in order to meet the needs of all pupils at Blackheath Primary School.

Identifying Special Educational Needs

With the support of the SLT, classroom teachers will conduct regular progress assessments for all pupils, with the aim of identifying pupils who are making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances.

‘Less than expected progress’ will be characterised by progress which:

Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline.
Does not match or better the pupil’s previous rate of progress.
Fails to close the attainment gap between them and their peers.
Widens the attainment gap.

The school plans, manages and reviews SEND provision across the four areas of need.

The school will use a range of indicators to identify a pupil’s difficulty and plan provision; including before the child arrives at school; in order to ensure that they build on previous learning and experience, including that already established during the child's previous schooling or preschool years. If the child already has an identified special educational need, this information may be transferred from other partners in their Early Years setting or a previous school and the class teacher and SENCO will use this to:

Provide starting points for the development of an appropriate curriculum
Identify and focus attention on action to support the child within the class
Use the assessment processes to identify any learning difficulties
Ensure ongoing observation and assessments provide regular feedback about the child's achievements and experiences to form the basis for planning the next steps of the child's learning.

Identification of pupils with SEND will be continuous through children’s time at the school. Staff will be expected to remain alert to events that can lead to learning difficulties, such as bereavement or bullying.

The school will maintain a list of pupils who have been recognised as having SEND. This is known as The Special Needs Register. All pupil records will be held centrally and kept securely. In some circumstances the records may be shared with external agencies, for example, for safeguarding issues or on transition to another school.

SEND Support

The school is aware of its statutory duty to provide a broad and balanced curriculum and recognise that high quality teaching, which is differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEND.

Teachers at the school will:

Set high expectations for every pupil.
Plan stretching work for pupils whose attainment is significantly above the expected standard.
Plan lessons for pupils who have low levels of prior attainment or come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Use appropriate assessment to set targets which are deliberately ambitious.
Plan lessons to ensure that there are no barriers to every pupil achieving.
Be responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff.

Monitoring Children's Progress

The school's system for observing and assessing the progress of all children takes place each term and this provides information about areas of learning in which a child is not progressing satisfactorily. Under these circumstances the class teacher will identify suitable interventions and/or provision for that child to catch up. These interventions/provisions will be additional to the quality first teaching and adaptive teaching taking place. Such interventions/provisions are discussed with Senior Leaders at termly Pupil Progress meetings and reviewed half termly.

The key test for the need of action is that current rates of progress are inadequate.

Adequate progress can be identified as that which:

prevents the attainment gap between the child and his peers from widening.
closes the attainment gap between the child and their peers
better the child's previous rate of progress
ensures access to the full curriculum
demonstrates an improvement in self help, social or personal skills
demonstrates improvements in the child's behaviour

It is the class teacher’s responsibility to take the necessary steps to address any initial concerns regarding a pupil, by putting specific intervention/provision in place and consequently monitoring it. Parents may be consulted at this point where necessary. If no progress is noted after a termly period the teacher will consult with the SENCO and a Record of Concern may be filled in.

Following discussion with the SENCO, the class teacher will then provide additional interventions that are additional to those being used as part of the school's adaptive and differentiated curriculum and the child may be given individual learning targets which will be applied within the classroom. These targets will be monitored by the class teacher and SENCO. Parents will be informed and involved in decisions regarding SEN Support provision and the child may be placed on the school's SEN Support Register following discussion with parents/carers.

Decisions on whether to make special educational provision for pupils will be based upon:

Discussions between the teacher and SENCO.
Analysis of the pupil’s progress – using internal formative and summative assessments, alongside national data and expectations of progress.
Discussion with the pupil and their parent.

Reasons for a child being added to the SEN register may include the fact that he/she:

has communication and/or interaction difficulties, and continues to make little or no progress
makes little or no progress, even when teaching approaches are specifically targeted towards a child's identified area of weakness
shows signs of difficulty in developing literacy or mathematics skills which result in poor attainment in some curriculum areas.
presents persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties which are not improved by the behaviour management techniques usually employed in the school
has sensory or physical problems, and continues to make little or no progress, despite the provision of specialist equipment

A Graduated approach to SEN support

Once a pupil has been identified with SEND, the school will employ a graduated approach to meeting the pupil’s needs. SEN support arises from cyclical process, known as the “Graduated Approach,” The four stages of the cycle are: • Assess • Plan • Do • Review.

Assess: establishing a clear assessment of the pupil’s needs
Plan: agreeing the adjustments, interventions and support to be put in place, as well as the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, along with a clear date for review
Do: implementing the agreed interventions and support
Review: analysing the effectiveness of the interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress in line with the agreed review date

This approach allows decisions and actions to be revisited, refined and revised, leading to a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what supports the pupil in making good progress and securing good outcomes.

Please see our The Graduated Approach on the school website for further details

Provision for children with special educational needs is a matter for the whole school. The governing body, the school's head teachers, the SENCO and all other members of staff, particularly class teachers and teaching assistants, have important day to day responsibilities. All teachers are teachers of children with special educational needs and the responsibility and accountability for the progress and development of pupils with SEN lies with the class teacher.

A referral for assessment can be made by a member of staff or parent, or a pupil may self-refer. The views and targets of the parent and the pupil will be sought.

The Nature of Intervention

The SENCO and the class teacher will decide on the action needed to help the child's progress in the light of earlier assessments. This may include:

Different learning materials or specialist equipment.
Group or individual support, class-based or as withdrawal groups, working with TA teacher support; or other Wave 3 intervention such as Stareway to Spelling, Social Use of Language Programme (SULP)
Extra adult time to administer the nature of the planned intervention and also to monitor its effectiveness.
Staff deployment and training to introduce more effective strategies.

After initial discussions with the SENCO, the child's class teacher will be responsible for the child on a daily basis and ensuring delivery of any individualised programme in the classroom. Parents will continue to be consulted and kept informed of the action taken to help their child, and of the outcome of any action. Parents will be invited to meet regularly with the class teacher and will have specific time slots to discuss targets for their child during parent’s meetings. The SENCo also has timed slots available during these parent meetings. The opportunity to meet the SENCO is also available at any time during the school year, should parents wish to discuss the learning of their child at any point. An appointment can be made through the school office.

The SENCO will support further assessment of the child where necessary, assisting in planning for their future needs in discussion with colleagues and parents.

Where the pupil has not achieved the outcomes, the results of the intervention will feed back into the analysis of the pupil’s needs and changes to the intervention or the outcomes will be discussed. The pupil ‘assess, plan, do and review’ cycle may continue. This will build a history and a better understanding of the pupil’s difficulties.

Where higher levels of need are identified, the school will access specialised assessments from external agencies and professionals.

The use of outside agencies

Blackheath Primary School has support from several external agencies. Inclusion Support provide the following members of staff to support both children and staff at school.

Stephanie Holden - Educational Psychologist

Sarah Dixon – Social, Emotional and Behaviour Advisor

Michelle Duke - Learning Advisor (including Specific Learning Difficulties)

Emily Woolman – Complex, Communication and Autism Team

Inclusion Support may also be involved in supporting children with more complex needs such as:

Preventing Primary Exclusion Team
Early Years Inclusion Team
Sensory Support: Hearing Support Team /Visual Support Team

These services may become involved where a child continues to make little or no progress despite considerable input and curriculum adaptation. In these cases the child's records are used in order to establish strategies previously employed and targets already set.

Additional external agencies can also be involved such as the Speech and Language Therapy Team, Physiotherapy Team or the Occupational Health Therapy Team.

Our school also buys into the Enhanced Speech and Language Therapy service and we receive additional support from Harriet Yates, Speech and Language Therapist.

The external specialist may act in an advisory capacity, or provide additional specialist assessment or be involved in teaching the child directly. Individual targets for the child will set out recommended strategies for best supporting their progress. These will be implemented, where possible and, in the main, during the normal classroom setting. The delivery of these identified interventions continues to be the responsibility of the class teacher.

Outside agencies may become involved if the child:

continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a lengthy period of time
continues working substantially below that expected of children of a similar age
continues to have difficulty in developing literacy and mathematical skills
has emotional or behavioural difficulties which regularly and substantially interfere with the child's own learning or that of the class group
has sensory or physical needs and requires additional specialist equipment or regular advice or visits by a specialist service
has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning
continues to fall behind the level of their peers, despite having received planned intervention

The school will record the steps taken to meet the needs of individual children through the use of The Provision Map where provision is met through the School’s Notional funding and Individual Learning Plans (ILP's), along with their reviews, for individuals who receive additional funding, either through an EHCP or Early Years intervention Grant.

The school organises and records its Provision Map (Provisions, Interventions and Individual Learning Plans through Edukey Provision Mapping Tool.

The SENCO has responsibility for ensuring that up to date records, maps and plans are kept and are available when needed. When referring a child for an Education and Health Care plan, the Local Authority is provided with such records of our work with the child to date.

Where, despite the school having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the SEN of a pupil, they have not made expected progress, the school, in consultation with parents, will consider requesting an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.

The school will consider whether additional pastoral support and attention for pupils with SEND is required, alongside ensuring that any appropriate support for communication is in place.

EAL

The school is aware that there may be pupils at the school for whom English is not their first language and appreciates that having EAL is not equated to having learning difficulties. At the same time, when pupils with EAL make slow progress, it will not be assumed that their language status is the only reason; they may have SEND.

The identification and assessment of the special educational needs of children whose first language is not English requires particular care. Where there is uncertainty about a particular child, the school will consider the pupil within the context of their home, culture and community and look carefully at all aspects of a pupil’s performance in different subjects to establish whether the problems they have in the classroom are due to limitations in their command of English or arise from SEND.

Access to the Curriculum

We adhere to the Equality Act 2010 duty to make reasonable adjustments for pupils with SEND.

All children have an entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum, which is adapted or differentiated to enable children to understand the relevance and purpose of learning activities and experience levels of understanding and rates of progress that bring feelings of success and achievement.

Teachers use a range of strategies to meet children's special educational needs. Lessons have a clear learning focus and teachers adapt and differentiate work appropriately, and use assessment to inform the next stage of learning.

We support children in a manner that acknowledges their entitlement to share the same learning experiences that their peers enjoy. Wherever possible, we do not withdraw children from the classroom situation. It may be of benefit for children with special educational needs to work within a smaller group of children with additional adult support within the classroom. However, there are times we ask the children to work in small groups, or in a one-to-one situation outside the classroom, in order to maximise learning,

Children at Blackheath Primary School have access to a range of Healthy Minds Intervention Programmes to support positive mental wellbeing.

Children who are working on personalised curriculums may have access to bespoke ‘pop-up’ interventions driven by targets outlined within their Education and Health Care Plan.

The HIVE

Our school is committed to providing an inclusive environment in which all pupils can achieve their full potential. As part of our graduated approach to supporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), we provide a specialist Support Base for pupils with significant additional needs.; called The HIVE.

The HIVE is designed to support pupils who:

Have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or are currently undergoing statutory assessment and awaiting an EHCP.
Have complex learning, communication and/or sensory needs that require a higher level of provision than is typically available through universal and targeted classroom support.
Benefit from a highly structured, nurturing and adapted learning environment, alongside specialist teaching approaches and interventions.

The HIVE provides personalised support tailored to individual needs, whilst promoting inclusion and participation within the wider school community. Pupils access a bespoke curriculum that is informed by their EHCP outcomes, identified needs and individual strengths. This may include support for communication and interaction, cognition and learning, sensory processing, emotional regulation, independence and social development.

Where appropriate, pupils are supported to access learning and activities in their mainstream class, enabling them to develop relationships with their peers and participate fully in school life. The balance between provision in the HIVE and mainstream inclusion is determined through ongoing assessment, review and collaboration with parents/carers, external professionals and, where appropriate, the pupil themselves.

The HIVE is staffed by experienced and appropriately trained professionals who work closely with families and other agencies to ensure that provision is responsive, effective and aligned with each pupil's identified needs and long-term outcomes.

Our aim is to provide a safe, supportive and aspirational environment in which every child can thrive, develop independence and make the best possible progress academically, socially and emotionally.

Safeguarding

The school recognises that evidence shows pupils with SEND are at a greater risk of abuse and maltreatment, so will ensure that staff are aware that pupils with SEND:

Have the potential to be disproportionately impacted by behaviours such as bullying.
May face additional risks online, e.g. from online bullying, grooming and radicalisation.
Are at greater risk of abuse, including child-on-child abuse, neglect, and sexual violence and harassment.

The school recognises that there are additional barriers to recognising abuse and neglect in this group of pupils. These barriers can include, but are not limited to:

Assumptions that indicators of possible abuse such as behaviour, mood and injury relate to the pupil’s condition without further exploration.
These pupils being more prone to peer group isolation or bullying (including prejudice-based bullying) than other pupils.
The potential for pupils with SEND or certain medical conditions being disproportionally impacted by behaviours such as bullying, without outwardly showing any signs.
Communication barriers and difficulties in managing or reporting these challenges.
A different cognitive understanding and being unable to understand the difference between fact or fiction in online content.

The headteacher and governing board will ensure that the school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy reflects the fact that these additional barriers can exist when identifying abuse. When using physical intervention and reasonable force in response to risks presented by incidents involving pupils with SEND, staff will have due regard for the procedures outlined in the school’s Physical Intervention Policy.

Care will be taken by all staff, particularly those who work closely with pupils with SEND, to notice any changes behaviour or mood, or any injuries, and these indicators will be investigated by the DSL in collaboration with the SENCO.

All staff, including ancillary, administrative and site staff, will read and understand Part One of Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026. School staff will be particularly alert to the potential need for early help for pupils with SEND and additional needs.

The school adopts an anti-discriminatory and inclusive approach to safeguarding and recognises that children may experience multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities requiring coordinated support. Staff recognise that children may experience prejudice-based harm, including racism, faith-based prejudice, disablism, homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying, and other forms of discrimination. Such experiences may negatively affect a child's welfare, wellbeing, mental health and sense of safety and will be considered within safeguarding practice where appropriate.

The governing board and headteacher will ensure that pupils with SEND are taught about how to keep themselves and others safe including online. The school will ensure that teaching of safeguarding is tailored to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of pupils with SEND.

Any reports of abuse involving pupils with SEND will involve close liaison between the DSL/DDSL and the SENCO.

Admissions

Children are admitted throughout the school in accordance with Sandwell’s admission policy which states that those with SEND, where appropriate, should be given priority for a place. Parents are encouraged to visit the school prior to application and to state clearly on the forms any special needs their child may have.

The school will ensure it meets its duties set under the DfE’s ‘School Admissions Code’ by:

Not refusing admission for a child thought to be potentially disruptive, or likely to exhibit challenging behaviour, on the grounds that the child is first to be assessed for SEND.
Not refusing admission for a child that has named the school in their EHC plan.
Considering applications from parents of children who have SEND but do not have an EHC plan.
Not refusing admission for a child who has SEND but does not have an EHC plan because the school does not feel able to cater for those needs.
Not refusing admission for a child who does not have an EHC plan.
Not discriminating against or disadvantaging applicants with SEND.
Ensuring policies relating to school uniform and trips do not discourage parents of pupils with SEND from applying for a place.
Adopting fair practices and arrangements in accordance with the ‘School Admissions Code’ for the admission of children without an EHC plan.
Ensuring the school’s oversubscription arrangements will not disadvantage children with SEND.
Ensuring that tests for selection are accessible to children with SEND, with reasonable adjustments made where necessary.

Arrangements for the fair admissions of pupils with SEND are outlined in the Admissions Policy and will be published on the school website.

The school may challenge a decision to name the school in an EHC plan if the school considers that such a placement would be unsuitable based on the child’s age, ability, aptitude or SEND; or it would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children or the efficient use of resources. The school will consider whether any reasonable adjustments can be made to provide a placement.

Transition

The school is aware of the importance of planning and preparing for the transitions between phases of education and preparation for adult life.

Where pupils have EHC plans, these will be reviewed and amended in sufficient time prior to a pupil moving between key phases of education, to allow for planning for and, where necessary, commissioning of support and provision at the new setting.

Partnership with parents

Partnership plays a key role in enabling children and young people with SEN to achieve their potential. Parents hold key information and have knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of a child's needs. All parents of children with special educational needs will be treated as partners given support to play an active and valued role in their child's education.

Children and young people with special educational needs often have a unique knowledge of their own needs and their views about what sort of help they would like. They will be encouraged to contribute to the assessment of their needs, the review and the transition process, wherever able.

The school is committed to working in partnership with all parents in the best interests of their child and will provide an annual report for all parents on their child’s progress.

Where a pupil is receiving SEND support, the school will regularly liaise with parents in setting outcomes and reviewing progress. The class teacher will meet with the parents during termly parents evenings.

The planning that the school implements will help parents and pupils with SEND express their needs, wishes and goals, and will:

Focus on the pupil as an individual, not allowing their SEND to become a label.
Be easy for pupils and their parents to understand by using clear, ordinary language and images, rather than professional jargon.
Highlight the pupil’s strengths and capabilities.
Enable the pupil, and those who know them best, to say what they have done, what they are interested in and what outcomes they are seeking in the future.
Tailor support to the needs of the individual.
Organise assessments to minimise demands on parents.
Bring together relevant professionals to discuss and agree together the overall approach.

Where the LA provides a pupil with an EHC plan, the school will involve the parents and the pupil in discussions surrounding how the school can best implement the plan’s provisions to help the pupil thrive in their education, and will discern the expected impact of the provision on the pupil’s progress.

The school's website contains details of our policy for special educational needs, the special educational needs information report including the arrangements made for children in our school with special educational needs.

At all stages of the special needs process, the school keeps parents fully informed and involved. We take account of the wishes, feelings and knowledge of parents at all stages.

We encourage parents to make an active contribution to their child's education and have regular meetings to share the progress of special needs children with their parents.

The SENCO is available for parents to speak to, including during the termly parent’s meetings and all children who receive additional funding are subject to an annual review. It is the SENCO’s responsibility to inform the parents of any outside intervention, and share the process of decision-making by providing clear information relating to the education of their child.

Where necessary, the school will facilitate support from an advocate to ensure the parent’s views are heard and acknowledged.

Parents can make an appointment to see the SENCO through the school email address or via telephone. Parents have access to the school website which has a detailed Special Educational Needs section.

Funding for SEND Support

Where additional pupil needs are identified the school will use its delegated funding allowance to provide early intervention support for the benefit of pupils identified with SEND.

Where pupils with SEND have been receiving early intervention support but are still not making sufficient progress, the school will consider accessing high needs top-up funding from the LA to provide additional specialist support.

EHC needs assessments and plans

The school recognises that, despite having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the SEND of a pupil, some pupils may not make expected levels of progress. In these cases, the school will consult with parents and consider requesting an EHC needs assessment.

The purpose of an EHC plan is to make special educational provision to meet the SEND of the pupil, to secure the best possible outcomes for them across education, health and social care and prepare them for adulthood.

As part of the EHC needs assessment, the school will meet its duty by:

Responding to any request for information as part of the EHC needs assessment process within six weeks from the date of the request, unless special exemptions apply as outlined in the SEND code of practice.
Providing the LA with any school-specific information and evidence about the pupil’s profile and educational progress.
Gathering any advice received from relevant professionals regarding their education, health and care needs, desired outcomes, and any special education, health and care provision that may be required to meet their identified needs and achieve desired outcomes.

If, following the assessment, the LA decides not to issue an EHC plan, the school will be provided with written feedback collected during the EHC needs. It will use this information to contribute to the graduated approach and inform how the outcomes sought for the pupil can be achieved through further special educational provision made by the school and its partners. Where this is the case, the parents/carers of the pupil, or the pupil themselves, will be informed within a maximum of 16 weeks from the initial request of an EHC assessment.

Where the LA decides to issue an EHC plan, it must consult the prospective school by sending a copy of the draft plan and consider their comments before deciding whether to name it in the pupil’s EHC plan. The school will meet its duty to provide views on a draft EHC plan within 15 days.

The school will admit any pupil that names the school in an EHC plan and will ensure that all those teaching or working with a pupil named in an EHC plan are aware of the pupil’s needs and that arrangements are in place to meet them.

Our school ensures that all those teaching or working with a pupil named in an EHC plan are aware of the pupil’s needs and that arrangements are in place to meet them. The progress of children with Education Health and Care plans will be reviewed internally every term in line with the whole school review cycle and in addition with an annual review. When this coincides with transition to High school the SENCO from the High School will be informed of the outcome of the review.

Reviewing EHC Plans

The school will ensure that teachers monitor and review the pupil’s progress during the year and a formal review of the EHC plan is conducted at least annually.

The school will:

Cooperate with the LA and relevant individuals to ensure an annual review meeting takes place
Ensure that the appropriate people are given at least two weeks’ notice of the date of the meeting, such as representatives from the LA SEN, social care and health services.
Seek advice and information about the pupil prior to the annual review meeting from all parties invited, and send any information received to all those invited, at least two weeks in advance of the meeting.
Ensure that sufficient arrangements are put in place at the school to host the annual review meeting.
Contribute any relevant information and recommendations about the EHC plan to the LA, keeping parents involved at all times.
Lead the review of the EHC plan to create the greatest confidence amongst pupils and their parents.
Prepare and send a report of the meeting to everyone invited within two weeks of the meeting
Clarify to the parents and pupil that they have the right to appeal the decisions made regarding the EHC plan.
Where necessary, provide support from an advocate to ensure the pupil’s views are heard and acknowledged.
Where necessary, facilitate support from an advocate to ensure the parent’s views are heard and acknowledged.
Review each pupil’s EHC plan to ensure that it includes the statutory sections outlined in the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’, labelled separately from one another.

If a pupil’s needs significantly change, the school will request a re-assessment of an EHC plan at least six months after an initial assessment. Thereafter, the governing body or headteacher will request the LA to conduct a re-assessment of a pupil whenever they feel it is necessary.

Provision Maps and Individual Learning Plans

Interventions and supportive programmes employed to enable the child to progress will be recorded on a Provision map where provision is met through the School’s Notional funding and Individual Learning Plans (ILP's), along with their reviews, for individuals who receive additional funding, either through and EHCP or Early Years Intervention Grant.

A Provision Map will include information about:

the name and description of the provision and the area of concern to which it relates
the timings and costings of the provision

short term targets and desired outcomes for the child as a result of receiving the intervention

entry and exit data to track an intervention’s success; wherever possible

reviews of outcomes identifying the impact of the intervention

An Individual Learning Plan will include information about:

areas of strength, areas of need and nature of difficulty
short term targets and desired outcomes related to areas of concern
the provision to be put in place including the teaching strategies/intervention to be used including key staff
entry and exit data to track provision success wherever possible
reviews of outcomes for the child every term linking to targets; the impact of the intervention and next steps where applicable

Provisions and Individual Learning Plans are recorded on Edukey Provision Mapping Tool.

Supporting successful preparation for adulthood

The school is aware that being supported towards greater independence and employability can be life-transforming for pupils with SEND. It recognises the importance of starting early, centring on pupil aspirations, interests and needs, and will ensure that pupils are supported at developmentally appropriate levels to make a smooth transition to what they will be doing next, e.g. moving on to higher education.

The school will:

Seek to understand the interests, strengths and motivations of pupils and use this as a basis for planning support around them.
Support pupils so that they are included in social groups and develop friendships.
Ensure that pupils with SEND engage in the activities of the school together with those who do not have SEND, and are encouraged to participate fully in the life of the school and in any wider community activity.
Engage with secondary schools, as necessary, to help plan for any transitions.

Managing complaints

The school will publish the Complaints Procedure Policy on the school website.

Following a parent’s serious complaint or disagreement about the SEND provision being made for their child, the school will contact the LA immediately to seek disagreement resolution advice, regardless of whether an EHC plan is in place.

The school is aware of the formal and informal arrangements for resolving disagreements at a local level and will work with the LA in responding to requests for information as part of procedures for:

Disagreement resolution.
Mediation.
Appeals to the SEND Tribunal.

The school will meet any request to attend a SEND tribunal and explain any departure from its duties and obligations under the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’.

Staff training and improving practice

The school is committed to the learning and development of all its staff members and training opportunities will be provided and delivered in line with the school’s CPD and Training Policy.

The school SENCO and Teaching and Learning Coordinator will consider staff skills and strengths and ensure that CPD provision allows staff to develop their awareness, skills, and practices in identifying, educating, and assessing pupils with SEND.

Use of data and record keeping

All information about pupils will be kept in accordance with the school’s Records Management Policy and Data Protection Policy.

The school’s records will:

Record details of additional or different provision made under SEND support, with accurate information to evidence the SEND support that has been provided over the pupil’s time in the school, as well as its impact, e.g. through the use of provision maps.
Include details of SEND, outcomes, action, agreed support, teaching strategies and the involvement of specialists, as part of its standard management information system to monitor the progress, behaviour and development of all pupils.
Maintain an accurate and up-to-date register of the provision made for pupils with SEND.
Be kept securely so that unauthorised persons do not have access to it, so far as reasonably practicable.

The school keeps data on the levels and types of need within the school and makes this available to the LA and Ofsted.

Confidentiality

The school will not disclose any EHC plan without the consent of the pupil’s parents, except for specified purposes or in the interests of the pupil, such as disclosure:

To a SEND tribunal when parents appeal, and to the Secretary of State under the Education Act 1996.
On the order of any court for any criminal proceedings.
For the purposes of investigations of maladministration under the Local Government Act 1974.
To enable any authority to perform duties arising from the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986, or from the Children Act 1989 relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
To Ofsted inspection teams as part of their inspections of schools and LAs.
To any person in connection with the pupil’s application for students with disabilities allowance in advance of taking up a place in HE.
To the headteacher (or equivalent position) of the setting at which the pupil is intending to start their next phase of education.

The school will adhere to the Pupil Confidentiality Policy at all times.

Publishing information

The school will publish information on the school website about the implementation of this policy.

The information published will be updated annually and any changes to the information occurring during the year will be updated as soon as possible.

The SEN Information Report will be published on the school website. It will include all the information outlined in paragraphs 6.79 and 6.83 of the ‘Special educational needs and disabilities code of practice: 0 to 25 years’.

Joint commissioning, planning and delivery

The school will work closely with local education, health and social care services to ensure pupils get the right support.

The school will assist the LA in carrying out their statutory duties under the Children and Families Act 2014, by ensuring that services work together where this promotes children and young people’s wellbeing or improves the quality of special educational provision (Section 25 of the Children and Families Act 2014).

The school will draw on the wide range of local data sets about the likely educational needs of pupils with SEND to forecast future needs, including:

Population and demographic data.
Prevalence data for different kinds of SEND among children at the national level.
Numbers of local children with EHC plans and their main needs.
The numbers and types of settings locally that work with or educate pupils with SEND.
An analysis of local challenges or sources of health inequalities.

The school will plan, deliver and monitor services against how well outcomes have been met, including, but not limited to:

Improved educational progress and outcomes for pupils with SEND.
Increasing the identification of pupils with SEND prior to school entry.

Where pupils with SEND also have a medical condition, their provision will be planned and delivered in coordination with the EHC plan.

SEND support will be adapted and/or replaced depending on its effectiveness in achieving the agreed outcomes.

Monitoring and review

Parents and carers have the right to raise concerns. The school will support access to SENDIASS and the statutory mediation process before Tribunal, as set out in Chapter 11 of the SEND Code of Practice.

This policy has been created by the SENCO, with the SEN Governors in liaison with the SLT and all staff; taking into consideration the parents of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The policy is reviewed on an annual basis by the headteacher in conjunction with the governing body; any changes made to this policy will be communicated to all members of staff, parents of pupils with SEND, and relevant stakeholders.

All members of staff are required to familiarise themselves with this policy as part of their induction programme.

The next scheduled review date for this policy is Autumn 2027.