How does the school identify and assess Special Educational Needs (SEND)?

At St Barnabas, we follow the Graduated Approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review to identify and support pupils with SEND.

Class teachers use high-quality teaching strategies and make adjustments according to individual needs. Pupils’ strengths, as well as any areas of difficulty, are assessed in order to create a tailored learning plan. This may include additional interventions. Progress is monitored closely, and any additional support is discussed with both the pupil and their parents. The SENDCO is consulted to provide further support, advice, or referrals to specialist agencies where appropriate.

When a child is formally identified as having SEND, parents are notified and invited to regular review meetings to discuss their child’s progress and next steps.

How do we assess SEND?

In school, we use a range of methods to help us identify and assess whether a child has SEND. These include:

• Classroom observations

• Analysis of school data

• Information shared by parents

• The child’s own views and experiences

• Specialist assessments from external agencies

• Information from previous schools or early years settings

• Results from end of key stage assessments

• Professional discussions with adults who work closely with the child

• Tracking small steps of progress using the Birmingham Continuums

• Tracking progress using the Development Matters Framework

What is SEND?

A child has Special Educational Needs (SEN) if they have a learning difficulty or disability that requires special educational provision to be made for them.

According to the SEND Code of Practice (2014), a child of compulsory school age has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

• Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age

• Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities ordinarily available to others of the same age in mainstream schools

Our approach

If a pupil is identified as having additional needs, we provide provision that is additional to or different from the usual differentiated curriculum to remove barriers to learning.

We use an ongoing four-part assessment cycle: Assess, Plan, Do, Review, to monitor individual progress and outcomes. Parents are an important part of this process. Their insights are valued and incorporated into the teaching and learning cycle.