Special Educational Needs
Policy
2014-15
Special Educational Needs Policy 2014-15
Abbey College Cambridge
Special Educational Needs Policy 2014-15
Abbey Cambridge and Alpha Plus Group
Senior Person Responsible for this Policy: Karen Lonsdale
Telephone:
01223 578280
Mobile:
07584 343942
Email:
Karen.Lonsdale@abbeycambridge.co.uk
This policy is reviewed on an annual basis
Annual Policy reviewed by:
Karen Lonsdale
Annual Review date:
September 2014
Next date of Annual Review:
August 2015
This policy has been adopted by the governors, is addressed to all members of staff and volunteers where
appropriate, is available to parents on request and is published on the school's website. It applies wherever
staff or volunteers are working with pupils, including when this involves being away from the school.
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Sep 2014
Special Educational Needs Policy 2014-15
Abbey College Cambridge
Special Educational Needs Policy 2014-15
Abbey College Cambridge
SENCO – Arushi Prabhakar
This document will provide information about the College philosophy and aims
with regards to students with SEN. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of staff
and encourages a whole school approach to ensuring the progress of students with
SEN.
Philosophy
In accordance with the college vision, all students should have the opportunity to
access the curriculum so that they can develop a love of learning. Along with high
quality inclusive teaching, the College will offer appropriate interventions and
access arrangements for students identified with special educational needs.
Aims
All teachers are teachers of SEN, and should provide high quality inclusive teaching.
This means differentiating to the varying needs of each individual. Lessons are well
planned, include clear and focused learning goals and success criteria, with
reasonable adjustments and special educational provision incorporated effectively.
All students should show high levels of engagement with their learning by taking
High quality
inclusive
teaching
High
expectations
for all
students
Outstanding
Achievement
ownership and responsibility over their learning process. Students should be
encouraged to develop a growth mindset and rise to challenges in order to make
outstanding progress.
The SENCO, classroom teacher, student and parents will form a working
partnership to ensure that appropriate support is maintained.
Roles and responsibilities following the
College Approach
This is a whole school approach for assessing,
tracking and monitoring progress, it builds on
frequent review in successive cycles as
outlined below:
1. Assess (Teacher, SENCO,
Assess
Review
Approach
External)
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Do
Plan
Special Educational Needs Policy 2014-15
Abbey College Cambridge
Students who are not making expected progress will be referred to the SENCO using
the checklist for initial identification of SEN. Classroom teachers should
communicate any initial concerns about the student to the SENCO. These concerns
can include:
 Behaviour or ability to socialize

Reading and/or writing

Concentration levels

Physical needs or impairments
With parental approval, an educational psychologist may be involved in assessing
the student for SEN, the results of which will be communicated to parents and all
relevant teachers by the SENCO.
2. Plan (Teacher, SENCO)
Support and interventions are agreed upon by the SENCO, teacher, parent and
student. An IEP is written and circulated by the SENCO to provide guidance to
classroom teachers. Lessons should be differentiated appropriately based on the IEP.
Learning support assistants are to mirror the support that the classroom teacher has
put in place. There will be frequent communication between the LSA and classroom
teacher in order to ensure that the support provided outside of lesson time is
meaningful and suitable. The SENCO communicates to parents about SEN. The
SENCO communicates with the CPO regarding any sensitivities surrounding SEN
and repercussions on welfare and wellbeing, particularly where cultural attitudes
towards SEN may be detrimental to the child’s welfare.
The IEP will provide guidance on:
 Student name, class, subjects taken

Strengths and areas for improvement

Intended outcomes

Interventions e.g. LSA support

Access arrangements
Available Access Arrangements include:
 Extra time allowance as suggested by assessment

Supervised rest breaks

Use of a scribe, transcript or reader depending on need

Use of a word processor

Large print papers
3. Do (Teacher, LSA)
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The classroom teacher remains central to ensuring that the intentions of the IEP are
carried through in the classroom on a daily basis. Teachers should use the IEP to:
 Focus on the intended outcomes for the student

Continuously evaluate the quality of support provided

Contribute to whole school improvement

Have high aspirations for every student

Involve the LSA in planning process as appropriate
Teachers should encourage all students to become independent learners. AfL should
be used effectively to increase participation and engagement of students with SEN;
suitable support will help improve intended outcomes.
The Head of Department will ensure that the schemes of work and resources
provided are appropriate to a range of abilities and learning styles.
It must be noted that ensuring correct provisions are made for students with SEN is
a whole school responsibility. Provisions are student-centered and may change
often, in accordance to information revealed from reviews. Staff must be vigilant in
keeping up to date with the requirements and intended outcomes for each student
with SEN.
4. Review (Teacher, LSA, SENCO)
The purpose of the review is for the classroom teacher, LSA and SENCO to discuss
whether a student is making adequate progress. Reviews will be frequent and will
draw on evidence such as the teacher’s assessment and experience of the student,
information on student behavior and their development compared to their peers.
The views of the student and parents will also be taken into account.
The Head of Year will conduct observations for students with SEN to make sure that
they are utilising the strategies which have been suggested to them by the teacher
and LSA. Feedback from these observations will be discussed with SENCO and will
inform the review process.
Assess, Plan, Do, Review is a whole school approach to ensuring outstanding
progress for students with SEN. Students are central to this approach, and review
should be frequent in order for the support to remain effective, personalised and upto-date.
Abbreviations and Agreed Definitions
SENCO – Special Educational Needs Coordinator
SEN
A student with special need is one who, for any reason, may not be able to gain full
access to the curriculum offered to the majority of students.
These reasons may include:
 Physical disability, including visual and hearing impairment.
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Abbey College Cambridge

Learning difficulties, including specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia).

Emotional or behavioural difficulties.

Illness and long-term absence
LSA – Learning Support Assistant
IEP – Individual Education Plan
AfL – Assessment for learning
CPO – Child Protection Officer
Access arrangement
Supporting learners with needs so that they can access their exams as easily as
anyone else
Disability Accessibility Policy
For the purpose of this statement, disability is defined as: “A physical or mental
impairment with substantial and long term adverse effect on normal day-to-day
activities.”
Physical accommodation and access
The Classroom G1 and Laboratory G2 in Glisson Road are wheelchair accessible.
Admissions arrangements
All students are interviewed before a place is offered at the College. At interview,
prospective students and their parents should identify any educational needs that
should be facilitated by the College, as well as day-to-day requirements that will
address the student’s welfare.
Appropriate and feasible courses are discussed with all students and their parents
and guardians, in the light of the information brought concerning educational
history as well as future aims and ambitions. Best advice is given in terms of
academic suitability.
Students will not be refused a programme of study on the grounds of disability
without compelling reasons.
Where the College has to make changes in order to accommodate a student’s needs,
we will use the information we gain from prospective students and parents to gain
insight into ways in which barriers to learning might be broken down. We will also
work collaboratively with relevant agencies to ensure that we are adequately
resourced.
The College will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments to the College
environment before the student begins his or her studies.
Confidentiality
Prospective or already enrolled students will be able to disclose their disability in
private.
Confidentiality about the nature and extent of the disability will be preserved.
Examinations and assessments
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Abbey College Cambridge
The College’s Examinations Officer will ensure that a student with a documented
identification of a special need or a student with a disability will have appropriate
support in examinations.
Students and parents will be asked to provide any necessary documentation at the
time of enrolment.
This may be given in line with recommendations and advice from the relevant
awarding bodies.
Additional documents:
1. Checklist for Early Detection of SEN
2. High Quality Inclusive Teaching checklist
Checklist for Early Detection of SEN
Name of student:
Tutor:
Criteria

Significant discrepancy between oral and written performance
Persistent difficulties with spelling easy or common words
Erratic spelling- has good and bad days
Difficulty getting ideas down on paper
Problems putting things in sequential order
Written work fails to express the student’s understanding, ideas or
vocabulary
Easily misreads or miscopies
Loses place easily when reading or following instructions
Has difficulty seeing errors- cannot proof-read
Finds reading new words difficult
Handwriting may be messy, poorly constructed or immature
Shows left / right confusion
Finds it difficult to memorise / remember new facts, new words, and new
instructions
Has trouble generalising or acquiring and applying new rules
Does not seem to learn by ordinary teaching methods
May be described as a quick forgetter rather than a slow learner
The above information is of a nature that a subject teacher would
accumulate quite early in a course
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NB: Not every dyslexic learner or student with SEN shows all these difficulties,
but when a number of difficulties are manifested simultaneously further
investigations should be made.
(Source: Lindsay Peer, Educational Director, British Dyslexia Association.)
High Quality Inclusive Teaching
Is this
Key characteristic of high quality,
consistent
inclusive teaching and learning
practice in our
school / my
classroom?
High expectations are made explicit for all pupils
The classroom environment and resources provided support
pupil learning
Lessons are well planned with clear and focused learning
objectives and success criteria
Reasonable adjustments and special educational provision are
planned effectively
A range of effective teaching strategies and approaches to
support individual needs are in place
The teacher and other adults model and explain effectively
The teacher and other adults use higher level questioning to
support and challenge pupils
There are high levels of engagement and interaction for all pupils
Opportunities for learning through individual and group
discussion are provided
Opportunities for pupils to be working independently and
collaboratively are provided
Effective feedback is used to move pupils on in their learning
Encouragement and praise are used effectively to engage and
motivate pupils
Pupils are able to confidently and accurately engage in self and
peer assessment to identify next steps for learning
Additional adults are deployed effectively to support pupil
progress
As a result of the above all pupils:
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- show high levels of engagement with their learning
- take ownership and responsibility over their learning
- are motivated and enjoy their learning
- develop a growth mindset and rise to challenges
- become increasingly independent and resilient learners
- make good or outstanding progress
(Source: Natalie Packer Educational Consultancy)
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