The Treehouse School
Nature, nurture and nourishment
SEN POLICY
At The Treehouse School we believe educational provision should be inclusive, responsive and
effective.
Rationale
All children are born with an innate capacity to learn, there is no ceiling to what they can achieve;
it is our job to ensure that every pupil achieves their potential. Educational inclusion is about equal
opportunities for all learners, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, impairment, attainment and
background. We do not believe this goal can be achieved by fragmenting their experiences;
making provision for all learners involves being part of experiences that are meaningful and
accessible by all. In order for all children to feel successful we need to ensure that we recognise
and meet the needs of:
 learners with special educational needs
 learners who are gifted and talented
 learners who need support to learn English as an additional language (EAL)
 learners who are looked after by the local authority
 learners who are at risk of disaffection and exclusion
Every child is special and has needs.
Definitions
Specific provision, which is different from normal provision, needs to be made if…
 A child is not achieving developmental goals within accepted time frames.
 A child has a greater difficulty in learning than other children. This may be as a result of
barriers to learning, such as behavioural, social or emotional difficulties or a physical
disability.
 A child is gifted and or talented, displaying one or more ability, developed or with the
potential to be developed, to a level significantly ahead of their peers.
Learning and Teaching
At The Treehouse our approach to teaching and learning is very personalised. We believe that
EVERY child is entitled to teaching that is responsive to their strengths and weaknesses, learning
styles and interests. It is flexible in recognition of the fact that children develop at different rates at
different times.
Principles
We aim to:
 Ensure all children’s needs are catered for.
 Continually monitor the progress of all pupils, identifying specific needs and offering
appropriate support.
 Provide full access, for all pupils, to all areas of the curriculum.
 Ensure that provision is inclusive. We are committed to valuing every pupil; we recognize that
self-esteem is a fundamental pre-requisite for learning.
 Involve parents/carers at every stage during their child’s educational journey.
 Involve the children themselves in self-assessment and the planning of next steps.
 Enable children to move on from The Treehouse well equipped in the skills, capacities and
aptitudes they will need to flourish during the next stage of their education
 Ensure the SEN, Disability Act and relevant Codes of Practice are used to make appropriate
provision, providing equality of opportunity.
Meeting the needs of children with SEN
At The Treehouse teachers continually observe, assess and monitor pupils’ progress to ensure that
their teaching is responsive to children’s needs. As a result of this process, teachers are able to
confidently tailor teaching and learning opportunities to ensure progress is achieved. Where
The Treehouse Trust Registered Charity Number: 1143650
1
The Treehouse School
Nature, nurture and nourishment
appropriate, staff will work with individuals/groups of children, to address identified needs or areas
of weakness.
Class Organisation
At The Treehouse we believe that children with SEN make the best progress when integrated with
their peers, in small classes with a good ratio of adult support. To this end, classes will have a
maximum of twenty pupils, with SEN children working alongside their peer group.
Identification, Assessment and Review
At The Treehouse we aim to be highly responsive to children’s changing needs. The continual
assessment of all children’s progress informs decisions about the provision that needs to be made.
Assessments may lead to a child being placed on the SEN register at;
Initial Action
This is an expression of concern – the child is not making expected progress.
School Action
This stage reflects a child’s need for ‘different or additional’ provision.
Action Plus
Children at this stage of the register have been identified by teachers as
needing more support than those at School Action, usually in the form of
additional adult support.
Statement
Children who have a Statement of Educational Need have been identified as
needing a very high level of support. The process of applying for a Statement is
regulated by statute. A child’s Statement will often detail specific arrangements
(such as a designated number of TA hours or the support of Outside Agencies)
that must be put in place to ensure their needs are met. Once a child has a
Statement they are entitled to regular reviews of their provision.
The Treehouse will do everything in its power to make provision for all children with SEN. Calls upon
outside agencies for help or assessment will be funded by the parent/carer.
IEPs
All children on the SEN register have an IEP (Individual Educational Plan) which gives the targets
(usually three) which the child and the adults who support them are working on. These targets
should be ‘SMART’ (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time limited) and relate
specifically to the child’s difficulties. The IEP is a teaching plan, and as such includes information on
the provision the child will be offered. Regular monitoring of the child’s progress against their targets
is recorded on the IEP, as are meetings with parents and visits from Outside Agencies. Children on
the register at Initial Action and School Action will have a review (including a meeting with parents)
twice a year; children at Action Plus and those with Statements have three reviews a year.
Entry and Transition Arrangements
Children start at The Treehouse at the age of five and move on to secondary education at the age
of eleven.
On entry
In the term before entry children will make three visits to the school. Teachers will liaise with parents
to plot children’s starting points and share any relevant paperwork. Children with SEN may have
more visits if this is deemed appropriate.
Year Six Transition
All children visit their destination secondary schools on a number of occasions. The transition of
children on the SEN register is managed through meetings between the SENCOs of both schools.
They may decide that some year six children need extra visits, or a specialised transition programme
Where possible teaching assistants who will be supporting children in year seven will visit the children
whilst still in year six.
The Treehouse Trust Registered Charity Number: 1143650
2
The Treehouse School
Nature, nurture and nourishment
Roles and Responsibilities
Headteacher
The headteacher has overall responsibility for ensuring that children with SEN are receiving the
support they need to make progress at a level appropriate for their age and abilities.
SENCO
The SENCO has responsibility for ensuring that the SEN provision is fully implemented in line with this
policy. This includes reviewing provision across the school, ensuring that teachers and TAs are
supported in, and trained for, the work they do with children.
Class teachers
Class teachers have responsibility for ensuring that all children with SEN in their class are receiving
the provision they need to make progress. Their responsibilities also include writing and reviewing
IEPs and meeting with parents.
The Trustees
The Trustees, with the headteacher, have overall responsibility for ensuring that provision is available
to meet the needs of all children with SEN. This includes ensuring that resources are used efficiently.
Children’s Views
At The Treehouse we believe that the views of children are very important. Children are involved in
reviews, are aware of their strengths and weaknesses and know what they need to do in order to
make progress.
Parental Involvement
Communication
At The Treehouse we feel it is very important to communicate regularly with parents about their
child’s progress. This happens in two ways at The Treehouse; through the formal process of IEP
reviews, where parents’ views are sought and included as part of the process, and informally,
through regular conversations between parents, teachers and TAs as the need arises.
Support
We recognise that some parents may need support to provide for their child with SEN effectively.
This support could take the form of a ‘Team Around The Child’ (TAC) process, or could be on a more
informal basis, through befriending, offering emotional or practical support, or through suggesting
sources of outside help or support.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Review
Regular review of this policy will enable staff to evaluate its impact and effectiveness.
August 2013
The Treehouse Trust Registered Charity Number: 1143650
3