Special Educational Needs

SEN Information Report

Name of policy	SEN Information Report
Date reviewed	Spring 2021
Staff member Responsible	Marsha Davis
Governor Responsible	Curriculum, Pastoral, School Improvement Committee
Date signed off by Governors	24 March 2021

WHAT IS THE SEN INFORMATION REPORT?

The CCfL Special Educational Needs (SEN) Information Report is the school’s offer for children with SEN. It sets out what we provide for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEN/D) throughout their time with us. It explains how we support students with SEN/D and their families to best prepare them for the next stage of their education, training or employment.

Please note that our SEN Policy gives more detail about our day to day procedures.

(The SEN Policy is a clear set of simple statements of how the school intends to carry out its services and actions to support students with SEN).SEN Information Report

Camden Local Authority (local government) also publishes on its website at Camden Local Offer. (A Local Offer gives children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families’ information about what support services the local authority think will be available in their local area.)

This sets out a wide range of information about the specialist services, schools, colleges and organisations that can provide support and information for families of children and young people with SEND.

The local offer also explains the procedures for requesting an assessment for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). An EHCP is a legal document which sets out a description of your child's needs (what he or she can and cannot do) and sets out a plan of what needs to be done to meet those needs by education, health and social care. The EHCP replaced the SEN statement.

You will also find a very wide range of useful information at http://www.localoffer.camden.gov.uk

THE PURPOSE OF SEN INFORMATION REPORT

The purpose of our school’s SEN Information Report is to inform parents and carers about:

how we support young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities in all aspects of school life
what we do to ensure that the young people’s needs are identified
what support we provide to ensure young people achieve
how we work closely with parents/carers and young people

HOW WE KEEP IT UNDER REVIEW

We will keep our SEN Information Report under review annually using feedback from parents/carers when they are invited to Student Review Day. (This is when students and parents/carers meet with teachers to discuss the students’ progress). We will ask parents/carers what’s working well and what we need to further put in place to support their child. We review students’ programmes regularly following feedback from parents/carers.

WHAT KIND OF SCHOOL IS CCFL?

The Camden Centre for Learning (CCfL) is Camden’s educational provision for secondary aged students whose primary need is their social, emotional or behavioural development.

It is comprised of the following two specialist services in Camden:

Harmood Site – students who attend this site are mostly on the special school roll because they have an EHCP. PRU students in years 7&8 are also educated here, as are year 9 students who are reintegrating into mainstream schools.
Agincourt Site – students who attend this site are in years 9-11, mostly on the PRU roll, and do not have an EHCP. However, they still have additional needs primarily relating to social, emotional and mental health (SEMH).

The provision is predominantly organised into two schools, Harmood site specialising in students with more complex SEN needs with more bespoke vocational pathways and Agincourt site specialising in students following GCSE pathways or accredited vocational courses.

We have spaces for up to a 100 young people who require specialist SEMH provision, including students:

who need special provision through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP),
who have been permanently excluded from mainstream school, or are at significant risk of being permanently excluded

A range of support is provided, from short-term to long-term provision for students with EHCPs or students with complex social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

KS4 Alternative Programme

CCfL are also been working in partnership with secondary schools to offer Vocational placements for young people who are disaffected with mainstream school and where a vocational pathway will lead to better outcomes in terms of both educational progress and social wellbeing. This programme is fully funded by secondary schools.

Our last Special School OFSTED inspection May 2017 noted that:

“The facilities and training provided to staff are helping the school to meet effectively the increasingly complex needs of some pupils attending the school.”

In the words of a parent who contacted the inspection team, ‘I am genuinely emotional and full of pride at who CCfL has helped my son become. My son is pursuing his dreams and passions as he is being taught in a way he can understand and remember.’

WHAT OUR PARENTS/CARERS AND STUDENTS TELL US

In recent parent/teacher meetings, parents told us that they value that “the staff talk to the pupils and parents/carers regularly, by making daily phone calls and at Review Days”. Feedback from Student Questionnaires completed during this academic year (2019-2020) tells us that the large majority of students:

enjoy school and feel that they are making good progress with learning
are happy at school
feel safe and that any problems are sorted out quickly by using restorative approaches.
appreciate the use of a quiet room to use at lunch times as well as outside activities.
enjoy a broad range of subjects taught and that the clear marking system helps them to progress with their learning.
appreciate the extra support they receive for literacy and numeracy and that this has increased their confidence.
value having their feelings and thoughts listened to
like assemblies on Fridays where achievements and progress are celebrated.

OUR VISION

The Governors and Staff at CCfL are committed to the inclusion of pupils with Special Educational Needs and disabilities, so every student can access a balanced curriculum during their time at CCfL.

Challenge yourself: We believe every student and adult should challenge themselves to achieve their best and fulfil their potential, even when the challenges are difficult.
Care about everyone: We believe that everyone in our school community is important and should be considered, supported and celebrated.
Focus on our future: We understand every student's starting point and plan personalised pathways that prepare them for a successful future.

Learn beyond the classroom: We teach our students to care for their community and make a positive contribution to the world.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT at CCFL

To provide high quality local education for secondary aged students who are unable to access mainstream provision.
To provide a flexible/bespoke programmes of learning to meet the full potential of all students.
To provide personalised learning opportunities, including vocational studies.
To offer a wide range of support to meet the behaviour, emotional and mental health needs of all our students.
To involve parents/carers in every aspect of their child’s education.
To identify early on, any learning needs of the student during the induction programme.

HOW WE WORK WITH OTHER SCHOOLS

We believe that it is important to work with other schools to make sure that our knowledge, expertise and skills on SEN/D issues are up to date. We also share our best practice with other schools. We undertake visits to local schools to look at aspects of their practice such as lesson planning for children with SEND and making best use of Teaching Assistants.

Our SENCO attends the Local Authority SENCO Forum, which keeps all schools up to date with national developments and local projects on inclusion.

COMMUNICATING THE LOCAL OFFER AND SEN POLICY

We have placed this information on our website. We have tried to make sure everything is clear and helpful.
You will also find our SEN policy on the website together with all our other policies. SEN Policy
You can collect a summary of our SEN Policy from our office or request that a copy is posted or emailed to you.
We want everyone to be able to read and understand our SEN Information Report - so we also provide leaflets and summaries on issues such as:
o how we identify students with SEN/D and
o how we develop personal plans;
If you want to talk to member of staff we will arrange for a member of staff to meet you and answer your questions.
Let us know if you need an interpreter or British Sign Language interpreter – we will do our best to provide this support. British Sign Language is the way in which many deaf people in the UK prefer to speak - using gestures rather than words.

WHO TO CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Executive Head is: James Hadley - james.hadley@haverstock.camden.sch.uk
Head of SEMH School is: Gabriella Thomas – Gabriella.Thomas.ccfl@camden.gov.uk
Assistant Head with SEN responsibility for SEN is Kate Churley - kate.churley.ccfl@camden.gov.uk
Our SENDCO is: Marsha Davis – Marsha.Davis.ccfl@camden.gov.uk
Our Governor with SEN responsibility is: Rachel Hermer c/o Admin.CCfL@Camden.gov.uk-

WHAT WE OFFER
We present information about our SEN offer in order to inform parents/carers about twelve important aspects of our SEN/D provision. You will find the 12 aspects and what we do to respond to these in the table below.

1. What school leaders and governors do to make sure that all students feel welcome, included and achieve their potential

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Who are the key people involved in making decisions about students with SEN/D?

The Director of CCfL, the Head of Harmood site, the Head of Agincourt site and the SENCO have joint responsibility for SEN policy and procedures.
Our SENCO manages the day-to-day provision and planning and works closely with the SEN specialist teachers and the targeted intervention co-ordinators.

Q. Who is keeping an eye on my child’s progress at CCfL?

Teaching students with SEN is everybody’s responsibility. The Code of Practice highlights that all teachers are teachers of SEN. This is a statutory requirement.
All members of staff who teach and support your child – including their Form Tutor - will be checking students’ progress every 6 weeks.
The Assistant Heads for Teaching and Learning bring all the academic attainment information together to get a clear picture of each child’s academic progress.
Those students who are under-performing will be targeted for support. Support can range from 1:1 literacy and numeracy interventions to specialist intervention from speech and language therapists, clinical psychologists, educational psychologists or occupational therapists.

Q. What funding and resources does the school have for my child with SEN/D?

We receive funding at the start of the financial year from Camden Local Authority for supporting students with SEN/D.

Q. How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to students’ special educational needs?

Our SENCO consults parents/carers, the students, teachers and CCfL’s multi-agency team before making a decision about the support programme. We review with parents/carers and look at how well each student is doing and agree changes if they are needed.

Q. If a child has a very high level of need; can the school apply for additional funding?

If the level of needs is high on entry or significantly increases, parents/carers can request an assessment for an Education Health Care Plan. This will probably involve Health and Social Care teams. You can find more details about this assessment on the Camden Local Offer website: EHC Plans

2. How we develop the skills, knowledge and expertise of school staff

Q. How will you tell staff about my child?

The SEN team provides teachers and Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) with information that describes the strengths and needs of all students with SEN/D and how best to support them.
Members of the Multi Agency team discuss various needs and strategies with school staff routinely.
The SEN team attend meetings each week with professionals to discuss interventions related to the three following types of interventions:
Vocational, learning and multi-agency. During these meetings students are referred in for support, progress is discussed and possible closure of intervention, if needed, due to disengagement, meeting targets or making required progress.

Q. What are the skills and experience of new staff and what training do they receive?

All staff new to the school have an induction programme, which includes a meeting with the SENCO/SEN team.
All staff have relevant experience and are recruited carefully.
There is a programme of regular training sessions throughout the school year to inform and develop staff skills.
Staff receive support and training from specialist services to make sure that our expertise is up to date.
If a child is coming to our school with needs requiring new expertise, we make a plan to develop that expertise and provide relevant on-going training.

Q. What’s an EHC plan?

An EHC plan is a legal document, which describes a young person’s special educational needs, the support they require and the outcomes they would like to achieve. EHC plans have replaced statements of SEN.

3. The contribution that specialist services and teams make to the progress and well-being of students with SEN/D

Q. Who else works with my child?

We have a team of on-site specialists who can provide assessment, advice and interventions.
These include: clinical psychologists, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, social workers, home-school officers, Connexions workers, school nurse, Safer Schools Officers, Youth Service, Mentors and creative therapists.

Q. Will I be able to meet the specialist who is working with my child?

Yes. If your child is receiving support from any specialist in the CCFL, you will be able to meet them to discuss your child’s progress.

Q. If my child is going to be seen by a specialist how long will I have to wait?

As our specialists work on site we can easily respond to requests very quickly.
Our new referral meeting process supports us to identify need and immediately refer to appropriate team members.

Q. If my child is referred to a specialist service, how will I know what’s going on?

We will always involve you in any decisions about whether your child needs specialist support.

4. How we identify, assess and plan for students with SEN/D – working closely with parents/carers

We follow Camden’s guidance for the identification of SEN/D

You can see more details on how we identify students with SEN/D in our SEN PolicySEN policy:

Q. If I feel that my child’s needs have changed who do I speak to?

Contact the SENCO who will always listen to your concerns and agree the plan of support.

Q. How does the school decide that a student has a special educational need and goes on the SEN List? Is there criteria?

CCfL follow the guidance in the SEN Code of Practice - additionally, the school has a rigorous battery of assessments in our induction programme where students’ strengths and difficulties are highlighted; we use the results of these initial assessments along with information from previous placement and parent/carer input to determine which students have special educational needs.
A key sign of possible SEN is a lack of progress; taking into account the pupil’s age and individual circumstances. You can talk to the SENCO about this and get more information in our SEN Policy

Q. Will my child have an individual plan?

All students with SEN/D have a personal plan. When we have assessed your child’s needs we will meet with you and agree a plan and targets for progress. The objectives will focus on the most important areas of need. If a pupil’s needs become more complex we will involve specialist teams and services to create a Multi-Agency Plan (MAP).

5. How we review students’ progress

Q. How often do we talk to you

We try to talk to you every day on the phone to tell you how the day has gone
We will invite you in every six weeks to talk to you about your child’s progress.

6. How we make sure that teaching and support help students to learn and make good progress

Q. What kind of support will you be able to offer my child?

We provide a range of specialist one to one and small group support linked to students’ learning strengths and needs.
Where necessary we arrange for professionals of specialist services to work directly with students or to train staff on specialist programmes.

Q. How can I help my child with learning at home?

We can talk at the six week review about appropriate targets and how these can be supported at home.

Q. What happens if my child is not making progress in reading, for example? Is there any extra support?

We provide additional support through effective one to one and small group teaching sessions

7. How we make sure that students with SEN/D enjoy a broad, accessible and balanced curriculum

Q. What will my child’s timetable look like?

Harmood Site:

Within the special school and KS3 PRU timetable at Harmood site, there is a mix of core curriculum, English, Maths and Science, plus non-core subjects like Numeracy and Literacy intervention, Humanities subjects, PSHE, ASDAN and Social Skills (mainly timetabled in the mornings). There is a broad range of activities offered in the afternoons including: Drama; Boxing; Health and Fitness; Trampolining; plus a range of 1:1 options for our most complex learners, including Dance and Music Production.
In years 10 and 11, there are a range of half day or whole day release vocational options including Engineering; Bike Mechanics; Hair and Beauty.

Agincourt Site:

Students have the opportunity to study and qualify in a range of core, foundation and vocational learning. All students take Mathematics,
English, Science and computing. They then opt to study three more subjects, giving them the opportunity to leave with seven qualifications. All qualifications range from entry level to GCSE. In addition to this some students are studying for vocational qualifications in engineering, sports leadership and animal care. We are doing these in partnership with Kentish Town City Farm, Talacre Sports Centre and the Avalon Centre for construction and engineering skills.

Q. Are there any activities offered at lunch times or after school?

There are sports activities daily with football and table tennis being very popular at break and lunchtimes.
The CCfL youth worker and partnership organisations sometimes offer lunchtime activities e.g. Girl’s Group
Tutor groups can earn a reward lunch for meeting their social target and will then eat together in their class as a social reward.
The CCfL Safer Schools Officers have introduced Policy Academy at the Harmood Site and they offer a weekly Football Tournament at the Agincourt Site

8. How we make sure that our school and classrooms are safe, accessible and stimulating curriculum

Q. Will my child be safe in school?

There is an initial risk assessment for all new students and safety plans are created for students who have high risk assessment outcomes to keep them safe and supported.
There are high staff ratios
There are secure buildings
All staff are trained in how to reduce and respond to different types of behaviours and receive regular training in de-escalation
Students have a safety check each morning

Q. What if my child needs special resources or equipment?

We will discuss all requirements and requests with you and do our best to make sure your child’s needs are met.

Q. Is the school safe and secure?

The new CCfL school sites have been designed to make sure that all students and staff are safe.
The new buildings are beautifully designed to provide a welcoming, safe, accessible and attractive environment.

9. How we work in partnership with parents and carers

Q. Who do I talk to in the school if I have questions about my child’s SEN?

In the first instance you would contact the SENCO.
The SENCO will listen carefully to your concerns, explain the different ways in which the school supports your child and when possible and appropriate come to an agreement about changes to provision and/or support.

Q. How do we make sure that your views are heard?

We review every student’s progress every 6 weeks and we will invite you to come to the school to discuss your child’s progress.
We make every effort to make sure that communication between home and school is clear and helps to meet the needs of your child.

Q. How else does CCFL work with parents and carers?

Our SEN Policy is on the school’s website SEN Policy
We will ask you to fill out questionnaires to gain your views about how we are doing and how you think your child is doing.
We provide opportunities for parents/carers to meet together, to support each other and discuss important issues.
We have staff who specifically offer support for parents/carers and families.
You will also find lots of information about how different services in Camden provide help and support to students with SEN/D and their parents - on the Camden Local Authority website

For additional information see also:

Q. How can you help me to help my child at home?

We provide practical tips, support and advice to parents/carers around how to support children’s learning, behaviour, relationships, communication and other concerns that you might have.

Q. Is there a special service in Camden that supports and advises parents about issues such as statutory assessment and provision?

Yes. It’s called the SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service). It is funded by Camden Local Authority, but is totally independent in terms of giving advice. You will find information on the SENDIASS website
The person in charge of the service is Julie Bidgway Email - Julie.Bidgway@camden.gov.uk. Tel number: 0207-974-2569.

Q. What if I am unhappy about my child’s progress in school?

We always work hard to make sure that our parents/carers are happy with what we provide for their child. However, we will address worries, concerns and complaints as soon as possible through face to face meetings where we will listen carefully to your concerns and work together on a way forward.
If you feel that we have not been able to address your concerns satisfactorily, we have a Complaints Policy and Procedure that you will find on our website or from our office.

10. How we listen and respond to young people with SEN/D

Q. Who can my child talk to if s/he is worried about something?

Our work with our students depends on building good relationships as we know how important it is for our students to trust the adults working with them.
Staff members (Form Tutors, Support Assistants, Heads of Year, Head of School and Director) are always available to talk to your child at any point during the school day.
All staff members are trained in ways to help prevent and resolve conflicts within school.
Some students are also allocated mentors who work closely with young people to support their academic, social, emotional and mental health needs.
Some students are also supported by clinical psychologists.

Q. What should I do if my child says that they do not want to come to school?

Let us know as soon as you can.
Talk to your child about any worries or concerns they may have.
We understand that there may be many reasons why a child may not want to come to school and we will work with you and your child to understand the reason and agree the next steps.

Q. What will happen if my child says that they are being bullied?

We do our best to create a school atmosphere that reduces the risk of bullying.
When we are aware that a child is being bullied we will find out what is happening and work to resolve the situation with everyone involved including parents/carers.
For more information see our CCfL Equality Diversity and Inclusion Policy.Equality policy

Q. How do you listen to my child’s views about their learning?

We constantly encourage all students to give us their views of their learning, formerly through Student Questionnaires and informally in class every day. Your child’s views are very important to us and are used to help us agree the best plan for their learning. They might not always be able to verbalise their views on their learning, however, we track and monitor their progress daily.
Your child will be invited to attend their review meetings and think about what’s important to them and what we can do to support them.

11. How we support students joining our school, leaving our school and making transitions

Q How does my child get a place at CCfL?

Children on the special school roll come to CCfL through a referral from Camden’s SEN team
Children on the PRU roll come to CCfL from mainstream school if they have been manage moved or permanently excluded.
Some children receive a lot of support in preparation for their move to CCfL that has been agreed in advance.
All children and parents/carers have an induction meeting at school to meet the Head Teachers and/or other staff.

Q. What happens when my child leaves CCfL?

Some children return to mainstream school after a period of time at CCfL. This happens very gradually, needing agreement with you and the Headteacher. This is explained fully at induction and/or transition meetings.
Other children leave CCfL to take up places at college, training, apprenticeships, further education or employment.
Our Connexions workers and other staff will support you to understand the range of options and choices available to you.

Q. What if my child’s place at CCfL is not successful?

We will discuss all the options with you and your child.
CCfL offers a range of programmes for students on the special school roll
In some cases CCfL may not be the best place for your child. You will be involved in discussing other options.

Q. What happens to my child after 16?

Children leave CCfL to take up places at college, training, apprenticeships, further education or employment.
Children with EHC plans are entitled to support from Connexions workers until they are 25 years old.

12. How we support students’ health and general well-being – including their safety, attendance and positive behaviour:

Q. How can I get hold of these policies?

All of our policies are on the school website.
You can also get paper copies from the school office.
Staff will always take the time to discuss these policies with you.

Q. My child has specific medical needs, what will the school do to support them?

Our school nurse provides training to all staff.
Our school nurse will work with you and school staff to agree a health care plan.
There will always be staff on site trained in first aid.

Q. I have a question or concern about my child’s emotional well-being or mental health. What can you offer?

All CCfL staff are trained to understand the emotional needs of young people.
We also have mental health professionals on site as part of the CCfL staff team.
If you have a question or concern we will arrange for you to see the most relevant member of staff as soon as possible to discuss this.

Camden Local Authority also publishes on its website a Camden Local Offer, setting out a wide range of information about the specialist services, schools, colleges and organisations that can provide support and information for families of children and young people with SEND. It explains the procedures for requesting an assessment for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which has replaced the SEN statement. You can see this on the Camden Local Offer You will also find information there about:

Where to go for advice and guidance on SEN and Disability matters
Leisure activities for children with SEN/D
Arrangements for resolving disagreements and mediation