SEND
All Devon Local Authority (LA) maintained schools have a similar approach to meeting the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and are supported by the LA to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their specific needs, make the best possible progress in school. All schools are supported to be as inclusive as possible, with the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities being met in a mainstream setting wherever possible. The four broad ‘areas of need’ are Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning, Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties, and Sensory and Physical Needs.
What is the Local Offer?
The Children and Families Bill will become enacted in 2014. From this date, Local Authorities and schools are required to publish and keep under review information about services they expect to be available for the children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) aged 0-25. The DCC Local Offer can be found at https://new.devon.gov.uk/send/
The intention of the Local Offer is to improve choice and transparency for families. It will also be an important resource for parents in understanding the range of services and provision in the local area.
The school SEN information report utilises the LA Local Offer to meet the needs of SEN pupils as determined by school policy, and the provision that the school is able to meet.
What can we offer you at Appledore School?
Appledore School Graduated Response
For children with additional needs, Appledore School adopts a graduated response. The steps within the graduated response, often referred to as Wave 1, 2 and 3, begin with teaching provision that is available to all, followed by more targeted support and then specialist provision. The level of support a child receives depends on their level of need and cannot always be categorised solely within one of the steps of the graduated response. Most needs are met within Wave 1.
Wave 1 – Ordinarily Available Inclusive Practice (OAIP) is what high quality, inclusive teaching practice should look like for all children and young people in all schools and settings. Making ordinarily available inclusive provision available to all children and young people means that fewer children and young people will require additional targeted support. This is also sometimes referred to as ‘Wave 1’. Where OAIP is not meeting the child or young person’s educational needs, and support is required that is ‘additional to and different from’ support which is available to other children of the same age, then a child or young person is identified as having special educational needs.
Wave 2 – Ordinarily Available Targeted Support (OATS) is the enhanced adaptations, provisions and targeted interventions that may be put in place to support children who may have additional needs that can’t be met through OAIP. Children requiring this targeted support are often identified as having special educational needs (SEND). The SEND four areas of need are: Communication and Interaction; Cognition and Learning; Social, Emotional and Mental Health and Sensory and/or Physical Needs. A child with SEND can have more than one area of need. This level of support can sometimes be referred to as Wave 2.
Wave 3 – Specialist Provision is the targeted provision for a minority of children where it is necessary to provide highly tailored intervention and support, typically detailed in a MyPlan or EHCP (Education, Health & Care Plan), to support children to achieve their potential.
Our SEND flowchart to explain the process
Contacts and useful links
Appledore School SENDco (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Coordinator) Kathryn Mitchell 01237 474365 admin@appledoreprimary.co.uk
Devon County Council SEND Team 01392 380434 specialeducation@devon.gov.uk
https://www.devon.gov.uk/children-families-education/send-local-offer Devon’s Local Offer to find out about the support services available in Devon and how to access them.
https://childrenandfamilyhealthdevon.nhs.uk Children and Family Health Devon provides health services for children, young people and families with SEND
https://devonias.org.uk DiAS (Devon Information Advice and Support) gives free and impartial information and support for young people with SEND.
