SEND Information Report

• Since The Children and Families Bill was introduced in September 2014 Local Authorities (LA) and schools have been required to publish and keep under review information about services they expect to be available for children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) aged 0-25. The LA refer to this as the ‘Local Offer’. The Local Offer is to improve choice and transparency for families and help parents to understand the range of services and provision in the local area. Further information and advice for Sunderland is available at: https://sunderland.fsd.org.uk/kb5/sunderland/directory/home.page
• The SEND Information Report details the SEND support we can provide for your son or daughter while they are at Kepier, we work hard to ensure that your son or daughter has the same opportunities and can participate in all areas of school life.
• It is a legal requirement that we adhere to the “Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years (2014)” which provides “Statutory guidance for organisations which work with and support children and young people who have special educational needs or disabilities.
• The Code of Practice defines a SEND learners as:
  A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.
• The school SEND Information Report can be accessed and read here.

• Information received from your child’s primary is the main way in which Kepier are made aware of a special educational need.
• Difficulties highlighted via medical diagnosis are also the other key way in which we are made aware of a child’s needs.
• Staff are very conscious of a child’s need and regularly pass on concerns to key members of staff.

• SENDCo: Mr D Kilkenny, who can be contacted on the school’s telephone number or via email (kilkennyd@kepier.com)
• Your child’s Year Manager (Yr7 to Yr11)

Tier 1 (Universal):

• Additional planning and arrangements for transition
• Breakfast/homework club
• Handwriting packs
• Medical pass
• SEND bulletin and group IEPs (a comprehensive list of all SEND learner, their need and ability).

Tier 2 (Targeted):

• Coaching intervention, individual timetable
• Individual Support Plans (ISPs)
• In class support
• Key worker
• Literacy/numeracy intervention
• Reading intervention
• Green SEND card or orange medical card
• Small groups
• Supervised break and lunch club

Tier 3 (Specialist):

• A4A (Vulnerable Inclusion provision)
• Believe (Off-site behaviour provision)
• Alternative education placements or placements
• Behaviour Support Service
• Home hospital
• Individual Behaviour Plans
• PITSTOP
• Positive handling plans
• The Link School
• Returners unit
• Home Tuition
• Strengthening Families support
• School Counsellor

• Educational Psychology Service.
• Autism Outreach Team.
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).
• Medical professionals including the school nurse service, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, ADHD nurse specialists, paediatric consultants, Children and Young Peoples Service (CYPS) and hearing service. Other medical agencies may be asked to be involved with your child during their time at Kepier depending on the nature of their SEND.
• Connexions.
• Behaviour Intervention Team, WearKids, Youth Offending Service and YDAP.

• The Inclusion department’s role is to support the class teacher in planning for children with SEND.
• The school has an annual training plan for all staff to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all children including those with a SEND. Training is always delivered by the Inclusion department or specialist outside agencies.
• Individual teachers and support staff have the flexibility to attend training courses relevant to the needs of specific children in their class.
• In addition we have staff who have specific training in:
• Dyslexia
• Social, Emotional and Behavioural Disorders
• Specialised exam access arrangements
• First aid
• Safeguarding
• Team Teach

You will be informed about your child’s progress via:

• Class Teacher
• Termly grade books
• SEN reviews involving Individual Education plans and Statement/EHCP where applicable.

As a school we use prior attainment data from Key Stage 2 to set appropriate targets for your child in the range of subjects taught at Key Stage 3 and 4.

• Pastoral staff at Kepier regularly visit the primaries in year 6 to speak with staff. The SENDCo will be involved with any SEND learners via the primary SENDCo and may attend year 6 reviews and transition meetings. Parents can contact Mrs Watson, (p.watson@kepier.com), the SENDCo, directly at Kepier to speak about any SEND issues.
• Your child’s primary school will receive information inviting your child to transition days throughout the year prior to starting Kepier. In addition, there is a two week summer school every year in the summer holidays.
• Connexions and links to college will take place at the end of year 11 to aid transition to a post-16 placement.

Kepier has a specific Equality/Accessibility Policy which aims to make reasonable adjustments as outlined by Disability Discrimination Act 1995. All classrooms and catering facilities are accessible to children with physical difficulties. Children with learning needs, sensory needs, Autistic Spectrum Disorders or communication difficulties are also catered for via this document.

Staff receive extensive ongoing training on how to adapt their teaching to the differing needs of all learners.
Learners idenified as needing additional support may be placed in ‘Fast Track’ teaching groups. These have a smaller staff to learner ratios and staff will adapt the lessons to support the learners needs and abilites.
LSA in class support may be available for EHCP learners, or for identified groups, to further support teaching and learning.

• Priority for in class support is given to children who have a Statement or EHCP, or to those who have a physical disability which requires support to comply with Health and Safety requirements.
• Learners with significant issues in literacy and numeracy may access our small fast track groups for teaching purposes.
• Year 7 learners, who are identified from primary, with a poor reading age or below expected literacy/numeracy skills will be given additional intervention by the Inclusion department.
• Following each grade collection SEND learners progress is closely monitored; if underachievement is evident then mentoring, support and intervention will be implemented.
• Other external support to differentiate the curriculum may be used depending on your child’s need.

• Breakfast club
• Homework club
• SEND break and lunch clubs
• Lunchtime Maths homework support
• Summer school (transition from year 6 to year 7)
• PE after school clubs such as trampoline, fitness rom, cricket etc. These change on a termly basis to suit the season.
• Residential

• Attending parents evenings and meetings with staff.
• Attending medical appointments and/or parent courses relating to your child’s need.
• Supporting your child with their homework.
• Writing in your child’s diary about news and activities at home.
• Providing school with information regarding appointments or medical updates.
• Further information and advice for Sunderland is available at: https://sunderland.fsd.org.uk/kb5/sunderland/directory/home.page
• You can also search for www.sunderlandservicedirectory.co.uk which will take you to the new site.

• Further information and advice for Sunderland is available at: https://sunderland.fsd.org.uk/kb5/sunderland/directory/home.page
• You can also search for www.sunderlandservicedirectory.co.uk which will take you to the new site.