Special Educational Rights

Why do we call Special Educational Needs, Special Educational Rights?

 

 Make every moment count… for every child!

Our vision for Norbury Manor Primary School is to provide a warm, caring and stimulating environment, which encourages positive values and celebrates diversity and excellence. 

We aim to make a difference to every child, regardless of any barriers to learning they may face. 

We want to instil a life-long love of learning in every member of the school community.  Our aim is that all pupils will have the skills necessary to become well rounded, interesting people who can make a difference to others in their lives.

 

We appreciate that some of our children require different and/ or additional provision to support them on their path to achieving the best they can and becoming independent learners. We are committed to ensuring that this provision is the best it can be and that the child’s individual needs are paramount.

We recognise the vital role of parents/carers in the identification, assessment and response to their child’s special educational needs. We work in partnership with parents valuing their views and contributions and keeping them fully involved in their child’s education. 

At Norbury Manor Primary School we are committed to equality of opportunity irrespective of race, gender, social class, status religion, language, culture or disability and will actively support initiatives which maximise the achievement of all. 

Children with SEND have learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities which make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age. They will need extra support or different help, e.g. modified tasks, additional equipment, extra time or breaks informal assessments.

Schools and other agencies can help most children overcome their difficulties relatively quickly and easily. However, a few children will need extra help for some or all of their time in school.

This means that they may have difficulty with:

 

Some or all of the work in school	Reading, writing or mathematics	Understanding information
Expressing themselves	Understanding others	Organizing themselves
Sensory perception or physical mobility	Managing their behaviour	Making friends or relating to adults

 There are 4 areas of need as defined in the SEN Code of Practice 2014 and children can have needs in one or more of these areas:

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, emotional and mental health
• Sensory and/ or physical needs

The Role of the SENCO

 

He will:

• Work with the headteacher and SER governor to determine the strategic development of the SER policy and provision in the school
• Have day-to-day responsibility for the operation of this SER policy and the co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SER, including those who have EHC plans
• Provide professional guidance to colleagues and work with staff, parents and other agencies to ensure that pupils with SER receive appropriate support and high-quality teaching 
• Advise on the graduated approach to providing SER support
• Advise on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively
• Be the point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services
• Liaise with potential next providers of education to ensure pupils and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned
• Work with the headteacher and governing board to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
• Ensure the school keeps the records of all pupils with SER up to date  

To contact the SENCO you can either email enquiries@nmp.croydon.sch.uk or complete the form below.

Please complete all fields marked (*)

Your first name *

Your last name *

Your email *

Message

 

 Identifying pupils with Special Educational Rights

The school’s particular arrangements for assessing and identifying pupils as having SEN also form a part of our published Local offer. 

The four areas identified within the SEN Code of Practice 2014 (p86) are 

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties
• Sensory and /or Physical needs

These areas exemplify the range of need for which the school is able to identify and provide support from within the school’s provision.

We recognise the importance of early identification and aim to ensure that robust measures are in place to highlight children who are falling behind or who are facing difficulties with any aspect of learning or social development at the earliest opportunity. 

This process of early identification is supported by: 

• Review of skills and attainment when pupils join the school, taking into account information from any previous settings or agencies as appropriate.
• Termly tracking of all pupils to monitor rates of progress and attainment
• Concerns raised directly by parents or other agencies
• Observations
• Assessments

We will assess each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Class teachers will make regular assessments of progress for all pupils and identify those whose progress:

• Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
• Fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
• Fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
• Widens the attainment gap 

This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs. 

Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a pupil is recorded as having SER.  

When deciding whether a special educational provision is required, we will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the pupil and their parents. We will use this to determine the support that is needed and whether we can provide it by adapting our core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed. 

In determining whether a pupil may have SERD, consideration will also be given to other factors which may be affecting achievement including; 

• Attendance and punctuality
• Health and welfare
• English as an additional language (EAL)
• Family circumstances
• Economic disadvantage

EAL children who are not achieving at expected levels are not added to the SER List until they have been in school and exposed to English for more than two years and there are other signs indicating that there is an SER need. 

The school acknowledges that consideration of these factors will be particularly important when a child is displaying challenging behaviour or becoming isolated and withdrawn. Such behaviours can often mask an unmet need and further assessments will be undertaken to determine any underlying factors affecting behaviour which may not be SER. 

Before deciding that a pupil requires additional SERD support the SENCO and class teacher will review current arrangements to meet the child’s needs within daily class teaching and consider any further modifications and adaptations that should be put in place to support good progress. These will be evidenced through the provision map.  

How we involve Pupils and Parents

 We will have an early discussion with the pupil and their parents when identifying whether they need special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that:

• Everyone develops a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty
• We take into account the parents’ concerns
• Everyone understands the agreed outcomes sought for the child
• Everyone is clear on what the next steps are

Notes of these early discussions will be added to the pupil’s record and given to their parents.  We will formally notify parents when it is decided that a pupil will receive SER support. 

How Parents can raise their concerns about their child's progress

 

He/she is responsible for:

• Adapting and refining lessons and learning activities to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils 
• Checking on the progress of your child and identifying, planning and delivery of  any additional support  required to support progress within everyday teaching

If it has been agreed that a child requires additional SER support the class teacher will also contribute and oversee the delivery of personalised learning plans.

 Depending on the outcomes of these discussions you may have a follow-up meeting with the SENCO.  Or If you are not happy that the concerns are being managed and that your child is still not making progress you should speak

You can speak to George Storey or email sen@nmp.croydon.sch.uk

 If you are still not happy you can speak to the Headteacher.

 

 

What is the Graduated Approach?

 Meeting the Needs of Pupils with Medical Conditions

 In compliance with revised statutory guidance, arrangements are in place to ensure that any pupil with a medical condition is able, as far as possible, to participate in all aspects of school life and achieve their academic potential.

These arrangements are set out in an Individual Health Care Plans (IHC). 

The IHC plans will detail the type and nature of support that will be available. The plans will be:

• Produced through collaboration with parents, pupil as appropriate, and health professionals. 
•  Shared with all relevant staff
• Reviewed at least termly or sooner to reflect changing needs and support

Where a pupil with a medical condition also has a disability or SEN the IHC plan will be closely linked to educational special provision so that there is a coordinated approach. 

Staff who have a responsibility to support a pupil with medical needs, including the administration and supervision of medication, will receive appropriate, on-going training and support so that they are competent and confident about their duties.

 

Admission Arrangements for Pupils with SER

The school’s admission arrangements are set out in the school prospectus and make it clear that the school will not discriminate or disadvantage pupils with SEND. 

The Code of Practice requires a school to admit all pupils who have an Education Health and Care Plan where it is has been requested by parents like their school preference and named by the Local Authority (LA).   

The LA must comply with this request and name the school in the EHC plan unless: 

• it would be unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or SEN of  the child  or 
• The attendance of the inclusion of the child would be incompatible with the efficient education of others at the school or the efficient use of resources. 

The LA will work closely with the school so that any decisions on placement for a pupil with an Education Health and Care Plan reflect the individual circumstances of each child and the school. This will include guidance on making any reasonable adjustments and signposting to training and guidance available, including support from the Croydon Special schools. 

The SENCO in collaboration with parents and other key agencies will ensure appropriate provision is in place to support pupils with SEN entering the school.

Transition Arrangements

For pupils joining the school in our Reception/Nursery classes, the SENCO will seek information about the nature and level of needs for pupils identified with SERD and the provision that has already been offered to overcome these barriers. 

Where there is a high level of need this may involve visits to pre-school settings and information sharing meetings with the child’s family and other key agencies supporting the child.   This may involve setting up a detailed ‘Transition Plan’ which sets out clearly how the move will be managed. This is likely to be the case where the child has a Statement or EHC plan.

For pupils moving to secondary school or to a different school, the SENCO will make contact with the new school to share relevant information. As above, where the child has significant needs or has a Statement or Education Health and Care Plan, there will be a formal transition meeting when parents, pupils, representatives from the new school and other key professionals discuss and plan support required to ensure there is continuity in the range and level of support offered

School Policies and Croydon's Local Offer

To see our latest school Offer report and SEN policy please click on the link below

SERD Information Report

Special Educational Needs and Disability Policy

Accessibility Plan

The Croydon local offer for SEN can be found by clicking here.

To see the new SEN Code of Guidance 2014, please click here.

 Locality SEND Support 

Our school is part of an exciting initiative by Croydon Council to improve support for children with special needs or disabilities (SEND) who live in Croydon.

We are working with a cluster of local schools, who together are given advice and resources to provide early intervention and better targeted help to support children and young people with SEND.  This work covers children from nursery to year 11.  It will enable our special needs staff to work closely with our partner schools and nurseries, to quickly get the necessary support and help for pupils who are beginning to demonstrate that they have additional needs, which cannot be met through our own school SEND resources.

This early help may be in the form of advice, school to school support, referral to specialist services, or additional resources, including early years special needs funding (SENIF) or Locality funding for older pupils. The support can be put in place rapidly without unnecessary delay. This is because our group of schools manage the funding between us, so we can direct this to the most suitable children in an efficient targeted way. If, despite this rapid support, it is thought that a child would still benefit from an Education and Health Care Plan, the local group will work together to ensure that the application to assess is appropriate, submitted promptly with all the relevant information including from outside professionals.

The initiative is called “Croydon Locality SEND Support” and will continue throughout this academic year. We will of course monitor the outcomes closely and we will always involve parents and carers in any decisions made and review the support regularly. Presently the scheme is only for Croydon residents and will not impact on students who already have an Education & Health Care Plan or those in Enhanced Learning Provisions or special schools. 

If you want to learn more about this scheme please contact our SENDCO or read the parent guide below.

Local SEND Support Information for Parents

Croydon SEND Strategy 2023- 2026