St. Nicholas Catholic High School

Special Educational Needs

It is the policy at St Nicholas Catholic High School to encourage the highest level of educational and social inclusion in all aspects of school life, both inside and outside of the classroom, to ensure that each student achieves the highest level of achievement that is possible. The individual student matters as stated in the Mission Statement and paying due regard to ‘Every Child Matters’.

This will mean providing appropriate support for students who have learning difficulties, physical or mental health disabilities or challenging those who are most able so that each student can achieve the personal success the school is striving to help them obtain.

All students are assessed for specific difficulties (reading, writing, number) on entry to the School via the Special Needs Co-ordinator. In the light of this review appropriate support in terms of extra tuition or physical equipment will be made available wherever necessary and it’s practicable. Some students will have special educational needs throughout their school career while for others it will be for a shorter period. Students with Statements of Special Needs and those at any stage of the Code of Practice will be given Individual Education Programmes which will be reviewed twice yearly in conjunction with Subject Leaders, Key Stage Leaders and the Special Needs Co-ordinator. If additional (specialist) assessment is required the appropriate support from Cheshire County will be sought. Throughout this process parents are informed and their support will be sought.

Rationale

The school aims to provide every student with the opportunity and encouragement to realise his/her potential, recognising that these must be the same for children with difficulties and disabilities. The help that these students need in progressing towards this aim will be different but all children deserve to be valued equally, have their needs recognised and experience success. Inclusion is regarded as crucial.

The policy seeks to serve the needs of those students who:

  • have an identified learning difficulty that calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
  • have a physical disability or difficulty as covered by the Disability Discrimination legislation (SENDA 2001 and DDA 1995). The school Access plan, as part of the School Development Plan must ensure that the needs of these students are being considered and the necessary arrangements made.
  • have emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

It must be ensured that students who fall into these categories gain maximum access to a broad and balanced curriculum. Success in these respects is best achieved by a collaborative approach that recognises the roles played in the process by the students themselves, parents and staff, including support services and agencies. It is essential that students with special educational needs are monitored and actions taken to ensure that they are healthy, safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being as covered by the Every Child Matters agenda.

Guidelines

To ensure the policy is delivered the following responsibilities have been identified:

  • overall responsibility for the delivery of the policy to lie with the Headteacher.
  • oversight of the policy to lie with a member of the Governing Body.
  • responsibility for the operation of the policy to lie with the Special Educational Needs co-ordinator.

All students, including those with identified Special Educational Needs are admitted in accordance with the school’s stated admissions policy.

A range of criteria is used to identify students as early as possible through a variety of sources. This follows the stipulated stage process as laid down in the Code of Practice. Parents and students need to be involved at every stage of this process. Parents requiring information about the delivery of Special Educational Needs should be encouraged to raise such matters with the appropriate staff.

The school allows for full integration within the curriculum of students with identified Special Educational Needs and supports them by providing access to teaching staff, classroom assistant support and a variety of teaching strategies.

To assist in this the school seeks to provide appropriate In Service support for professional development within this area.

Multi-agency meetings are held to provide opportunities to share information and work together for the benefit of the student.

Resources are allocated in accordance with the school’s budget policy and this includes any delegated funding for students with a Statement of Special Educational Needs.

Conclusion

In order to measure the success of the policy and its provisions, a yearly review is carried out and presented to parents in the annual report of the Governing Body.

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