Torquay Boys' Grammar School

SEN Information

What special education provision is available at our setting?

At TBGS we make provision for a range of frequently occurring special educational needs without a Statement of Special Educational Needs / Education, Health and Care plan, for example dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, social, emotional and mental health need and other learning difficulties. In place to support these needs are the following (List is not exhaustive): 

• Student support generally is based in our student services centre, ‘The Stables’. Here students will find all Pastoral Staff including Heads of House and the SENDCo.
• Within The Stables, students can access our Sensory Room to help students who need a quiet space to regulate or rest, there is also other spaces which can be accessed by students to meet with Pastoral Staff or work/ rest quietly.
• The Pastoral structure – House system – Tutor – Head of House forms the initial tier of pastoral support.
• SENDCo (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Co-ordinator) who has completed NASENCO Award
• Qualified Counsellor to support mental health needs.
• Access to Mental Health Support Teams through self referral. Our MHST colleague works in school every Tuesday to support our students.
• Live Life to the Full online programme can be accessed by all of our students. This is an online CBT programme to promote mental wellbeing and resilience.
• Talkabout Programme to develop social skills, use of social stories/ article/ cartoon strips.
• Access to Sensory Room
• Access to Educational Psychologist & Learning Assessor under specific circumstances.
• Literacy (Accelerated Reader) and Numeracy support
• Spelling Intervention - Spellzone on referral from staff.
• Handwriting support and intervention
• Our students have access to the specialist Hearing Impaired and Visually Impaired Advisory Teachers.
• We also have a good working relationship with outside agencies, including those in Health and Social Care.
• Access to CAMHS
• PSHE programme
• Access to subject support help sessions.
• Access to student led support services.
• Advice and support from a range of health professionals, eg School Nurse, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapists under specific circumstances.

There are other kinds of special educational need which do not occur as frequently and with which the school is less familiar, but we can access training and advice so that these kinds of needs can be met. 

The school also has experience of students with a Statement of Special Educational Need / Education, Health and Care plan.

The SENDCo has overall responsibility for co-ordinating special educational needs within TBGS and reports annually to the Headteacher and Governors.

The Accessibility Plan, linked below, ensures that disabled students can access the facilities at TBGS equally and are not treated less favourably than other students.

http://www.tbgs.co.uk/policies/178.html

What criteria must be satisfied before children and young people can access this provision/service?

TBGS is an inclusive selective school, but all students on roll are supported to access a broad and balanced curriculum and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

Staff support all students at a level, and in a manner, appropriate to their need.

Differentiation is a priority in lesson planning and additional support is put in place for students who are not able to progress in relation to their peers in the school.

Prior to admission, the school seeks to discuss with parents and carers and with the students themselves what they feel are their needs and any provision put in place is reviewed frequently to ensure that individual needs are met.

Communication with students and parents or carers also means that new and changing needs are addressed.

Our admissions policy can be found at https://www.tbgs.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2022-Torquay-Boys-Grammar-School-admissions-policy.pdf 

How do we identify the particular special educational needs of a child or young person?

When students arrive at TBGS there has already been close liaison with their Primary School and relevant information is passed to the Pastoral and SEND team through the TAPS form. Pastoral and SEND staff also complete preliminary visits to Primary Schools to enable early identification of SEND.

After arrival at TBGS teachers monitor and report on the progress of all students formally at three times a year to review their academic progress, in addition to this there is also an annual Parent/ Carer- Teacher meeting. Teachers are also constantly monitoring and assessing the progress and wellbeing of students in their lessons daily and communication between teaching and pastoral staff and parents/ carers is especially good.

Where progress is not sufficient, even if a special educational need has not been identified, we put in place extra support to enable the student to catch up. This might be in the form of additional one-to-one support in lesson, differentiation of learning materials, meeting with pastoral lead or invitation to catch-up sessions to try to remedy any lack of progress.

Some students may still fail to make adequate progress, despite high-quality teaching targeted at their areas of weakness.  For these students, teachers, parents or the student can then put in a referral to the SEND team and in consultation with parents and the student, we will use a range assessment tools to determine the cause of the learning difficulty. 

Once the cause has been determined, the SEND team will decide on the necessary provision/ intervention required to support the student in school to make better progress.

Sometimes it is necessary to get external advice. For this reason we also have access to external advisors who are able to better assess the needs of the students. These external assessors might be accessed through the GP or other medical routes or through other external agencies. Within school we also employ an Educational Psychologist (EP) and Learning Assessor (LA). Access to the EP and LA is determined by there being a need identified by the teachers of the student and the SEND team together in consultation. It is not always necessary to consult external advisors as provision can be put in place within school which will support the needs of the pupil.

However students are assessed, findings are always with shared with parents/ carers and students, they are also put into a SEND Plan and reviewed regularly, and refined / revised if necessary. SEND Plans are then shared with teaching and pastoral staff to ensure that all those working with the student are aware of their additional needs.  At this point we will have identified that the pupil has a special educational need because the school is making special educational provision for the pupil which is additional and different to what is normally available and the child will be placed on our SEND Register.

If the student is able to make good progress using this additional and different resource (but would not be able to maintain this good progress without it) we will continue to identify the student as having a special educational need.  If the student is able to maintain good progress without the additional and different resources he or she will not be identified with special educational needs. When any change in identification of SEN is changed parents will be notified.

Sometimes a information plan is made for a student who is not on the SEND register, this is because the student has a learning need or medical need, but is making good progress but teachers need to be aware of a particular need or adjustment that they need to make to their classroom practice. These plans are called Monitoring Information Sheets or MIS.

How do we consult with parents and/or children and young people about their needs?

If a student is placed on our SEND register the parents/ carers of students at TBGS are invited to discuss the progress of their children on three occasions a year. At the start and end of the year review parents/ carers will receive written information about the review.  The students are also asked to contribute to these meetings, either by their attendance to by writing a statement sharing their views about their progress in and feelings about school. In addition, we are happy to arrange meetings outside these times.

We also consult with parents/ carers and students through other means:

• New Intake Induction Days/ Evenings
• Primary Liaison Visits
• Pastoral meetings
• SEND Review Meetings
• SEND Coffee Morning
• Parents’ Evenings
• Email and telephone communication through lead personnel
• One-to-one meetings with students
• Text number for students to use to request additional support more privately 

In addition to this, parents of students with a statement of SEN / Education, Health and Care Plan will be invited to contribute to and attend an annual review, which, wherever possible will also include other agencies involved with the student. Information will be made accessible for parents.

What is our approach to teaching children and young people with special educational needs?

The quality of teaching at TBGS was judged to be outstanding in our last Ofsted inspection and inclusivity and enabling students to achieve their potential and fostering a lifelong love of learning lie at the heart of the ethos of our school. The teaching of all students is personalised to their strengths and differences and we endeavour to ensure that no student has a barrier to their learning because of a particular special educational need or disability. Our teaching methods and strategies are diverse and aim to target, engage and stretch learners of different types.

Where a student has a special educational need there are several levels of support as we follow the graduated approach as outlined in the SEND Code of Practice, 2015. Firstly, in-class teacher led support to differentiate the delivery of the lesson to ensure full access can be achieved by all students. If a student’s SEND is still proving a barrier to their progress and enjoyment of the subject a referral can be made to the SEND team to investigate what additional provision might be required, as detailed above. Once the outcome of the referral is clear different strategies are then put in place to support specific needs; this might include one-to-one sessions to help with social awareness, additional strategies to help with literacy problems, the provision of specialist equipment or referral to an outside agency to diagnose a barrier to learning. 

The school employs some additional teaching approaches, as advised by internal and external assessments e.g. one to one tutoring / precision teaching / mentoring, small group teaching, use of ICT software learning packages.  These are delivered by SEND/ teaching staff employed through the funding provided to the school as ‘notional SEN funding’

How can we adapt our curriculum for children and young people with special educational needs?

At TBGS we adapt the curriculum and the learning environment for students with special educational needs in line with our Accessibility Plan (http://www.tbgs.co.uk/policies/178.html ).  We also incorporate the advice provided as a result of assessments, both internal and external, and the strategies described in Statements of Special Educational Needs / Education, Health and Care plans.

All curriculum related trips and activities offered to students at name of school are available to students with special educational needs either with or without a Statement of Special Educational Needs / Education, Health and Care plan.  Where it is necessary, the school will use the resources available to it to provide additional adult support to enable the safe participation of the student in the activity.

How will we ensure we get the services, provision and equipment that children and young people need?

Following assessment and in consultation with teachers, the SEND team and external advisors where there has been a recommendation for the use of equipment or facilities which the school does not have, we will look into purchase it using the notional SEN funding, or seek it by loan.  For highly specialist communication equipment the school will seek the advice and/ or apply for additional funding if required.

All clubs, trips and activities offered to pupils at TBGS are available to students with special educational needs either with or without an Education, Health and Care plan.  Where it is necessary, the school will use the resources available to it to provide additional adult support to enable the safe participation of the pupil in the activity.

How is this provision funded?

Provision for meeting the needs of students with SEND is funded by the school’s notional SEND budget. In addition, some students access Pupil Premium funding. Students with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities who have an Education Health and Care plan (EHC plan), previously a Statement of Special Educational Needs, have a personal budget monitored by the Local Authority for additional support to meet identified needs.

The SEND budget is monitored by the Headteacher and Governors and resources are allocated according to need. 

What additional learning support is available for children and young people with special educational needs and how do they access it?

The list below is not exhaustive:

• Tutor/Head of House intervention
• Informal therapeutic listening
• One-to-one subject support
• Access to ‘The Stables’ Student Support.
• Lunchtime and after school clubs and societies
• Specialist equipment e.g. laptops, overlays, handwriting equipment.
• Access to Educational Psychologist and other professional services
• Peer Mentoring
• Literacy Support, eg Accelerated Reader and Spellzone.
• Numeracy Support
• Access to Mental Health Support Teams and Well Being Practitioners.
• Where possible, access to the School Nursing Team 

Accessed through referral to the SEND/ Pastoral Support Team or Head of House or Head of Department. Referrals can be made by students, teachers and parents, contact the SENDCo for more specific information.

How do we support and improve the emotional and social development of children and young people with special educational needs?

At TBGS we understand that an important feature of the school is to enable all students to develop emotional resilience and social skills, both through direct teaching for instance through PSHE days, tutor time and indirectly with every conversation adults have with students throughout the day.  Staff receive mental health training and all safeguarding concerns are dealt with through the School’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. 

For some students with the most need for help in this area we also can provide the following: Access to Mental Health Support Teams and Well Being Practitioners, we are also undergoing trials of using Boxall profiling this year. Mentor time with member of senior leadership team, external referral to CAMHs, time-out space for students, access to Sensory Room, Q Club and ‘The Stables’ quiet area. 

All clubs, trips and activities offered to students at TBGS are available to students with special educational needs either with or without an Education, Health and Care plan.  

How do we support children and young people with special educational needs moving between phases of education and preparing for adulthood?

At TBGS we work closely with the educational settings used by the students before they transfer to us in order to seek the information that will make the transfer is a seamless as possible.  We use the following methods to enable a successful transition:

• Primary Liaison visits by Pastoral and SEND team
• Liaison with SENDCOs from previous schools.
• Completion of TAPS (Primary liaison) forms
• Completion of new VIth Form entry information forms
• Induction days
• Individual familiarisation days
• Transition booklets with photographs and key information personalised to student needs
• Options Evenings
• Careers Advice Service
• One-to-one meetings with Pastoral leads and SENDCO.

We also contribute information to a students’ onward destination by providing information to the next setting. 

What other support is available for children and young people with special educational needs and how can they access it?

If a need is identified by a tutor, teacher or parent, they can liaise with the SENDCo who will support and signpost to engage with additional support.

SENDIASS Torbay provides free, impartial, confidential, advice, support and options around educational issues for parents who have children with special educational needs or disabilities (0-25).  They empower parents to play an active and informed role in their child’s education.  They can be contacted on:

Office: 01803 212 371

E-mail: info@sendiasstorbay.org.uk

Website: http://sendiasstorbay.org.uk/

Torbay authority’s local offer is published at www.fis.gov.uk and parents without internet access should make an appointment with the SENCO for support to gain the information they require

Devon authority’s local offer is published at https://new.devon.gov.uk/educationandfamilies/special-educational-needs-and-disability-send-local-offer and parents without internet access should make an appointment with the SENCO for support to gain the information they require

What extra-curricular activities are available for children and young people with special educational needs?

At TBGS we offer a huge range of extra-curricular clubs and societies. Students are made aware of those on offer through the daily tutor bulletin and the start of year clubs and societies event. Information can also be found on the school website.

All clubs, trips and activities offered to pupils at TBGS are available to pupils with special educational needs either with or without an Education, Health and Care plan. 

How do we assess and review progress towards agreed outcomes, and how are parents, children and young people involved in this process?

Heads of House track progress in terms of attendance, achievement and behaviour every fortnight and every term they track the attainment, behaviour and progress of their students through the Monitor- Plan – Do- Review cycle. This enables a constant monitoring of students, which helps with early identification of needs. Students and parents are involved in the process through the SIMS parent app, which gives daily updates of information regarding these issues. Students are also involved through the reward and sanction system in school.

All SEND students’ progress towards agreed outcomes is discussed SEND review meetings, where tracking of data is key to the discussion of progress and feedback from teachers is used to contextualise the data if there are anomalies. An analysis of progress against national data in relation to their peer group is used to assess progress in particular subjects. If a student has an EHC Plan reviewing progress is completed against EHCP outcomes at the Annual review.

It is important to note that class teachers are constantly monitoring and assessing individual progress daily and will report directly to parents/ carers and the respective pastoral/ SEND staff if they have concerns prior to a scheduled formal assessment date.

Evaluation of interventions is done through a variety of methods as well as through data analysis for example self-evaluation, assessment of impact by teachers, parents/ carers and students, before and after assessments using scaled and measurable tests/ questions. Each intervention is different therefore a range of methods for evaluation is necessary.

Feedback can be given via communication to the SEND Governor, Head teacher, senior leaders, SENDCo staff members.

How do we assess the effectiveness of our special needs provision and how are parents, children and young people involved in this assessment?

As a school, the success of our provision is monitored through the use of data, self-review, student, staff and parent/ carer feedback and external monitoring through independent bodies.

In addition to this, the specific effectiveness of special needs provision is managed by the SENDCo and includes:

• Analysis of the effectiveness of specific interventions
• Consultation with parents/carers and students
• Consultation with other staff
• Detailed annual reviews for EHCP students attended by parents, students and a range of professionals working with the student
• Use of student questionnaires as appropriate
• Analysis of progress against baseline and national data and in relation to their peer group

There is a Governor linked specifically with Special Educational needs who reviews provision and reports to the Governing body

Staff training (internal, local, national and via the South West Academic Trust) ensures that we are aware of best practice and share expertise.

Feedback can be given via communication to the SEND Governor, Head teacher, senior leaders, SENDCo staff members.

How do we ensure that teaching staff and other staff have the expertise needed to support children and young people with special educational needs?

TBGS is committed to the provision of high quality and on-going CPD.

• The SENDCo has completed the National SEN Qualification Award.
• Fully qualified School Counsellor.
• We have a Educational Psychologist who has worked with the school for many years.
• All staff have a wide range of qualifications and experience in working with students with a wide range of needs.
• Biennial staff audit on SEND, including training needs and views.
• Staff are aware that we all share in the task of providing support for students with SEND and there are general Inset sessions for staff relating to this provision.
• In addition, training in specific provision is delivered during the September Inset days in relation to specific needs of students on roll.
• At least one twilight inset session is also dedicated to SEND issues.
• Details of requirements for individual students are outlined the school’s SEN register or via individual SEND plans.
• A SEND Departmental Handbook is updated and issued annually to staff to give information on SEND.
• Attendance at local network meetings.
• Attendance at SWAT SENDCo meetings.
• Regular and ongoing CPD for the SEND team.
• Liaison with Local Authority lead staff and specialist service providers.

How do we keep parents informed where children and young people have special educational provision but do not have an Education Health and Care Plan?

All parents of students at TBGS are invited to discuss the progress of their children at Parents’ Evenings and receive a progress and effort report three of times per year.  In addition, we are happy to arrange meetings outside these times. As part of our normal teaching arrangements, all students will access some additional teaching to help them catch-up if the progress monitoring indicates that this is necessary; this will not imply that the pupil has a special educational need. 

Often high quality, differentiated teaching is all that is required to support a student with a special educational need. In this case the student may require a Monitoring Information Sheet (MIS) to be drawn up alongside the student and parents. This document gives information on the learning need and strategies teachers can use.

If, following adaptations to high quality teaching, improvements in progress are not seen a referral will be made to the SEND team who will contact parents to discuss the use of internal or external assessments which will help us to address these needs better.  Parents/ carers will be actively supported to contribute to assessment, planning and review and will be kept informed at all stages of the process.

How can parents, children and young people make a complaint about our provision?

The normal arrangements for the treatment of complaints at TBGS are used for complaints about provision made for special educational needs.  We encourage parents to discuss their concerns with class or subject teacher, Head of House, Head of Department, SENDCO, Deputy Heads or Headteacher to resolve the issue before making the complaint formal to the Chair of the governing body.

If the complaint is not resolved after it has been considered by the governing body, then a disagreement resolution service or mediation service may be contracted, depending on the nature of the complaint.  If it remains unresolved after this, the complainant may be able to appeal to the First–tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) if the case refers to disability discrimination or to the Secretary of State for other cases.

There are some circumstances, usually for children who have an EHC plan where there is a statutory right for parents to appeal against a decision of the Local Authority. Complaints which fall within this category cannot be investigated by the school.

How can parents, children and young people get more information about the setting?

Information about SEND provision, along with our school policy documents can be found on the school website www.tbgs.co.uk/  or please make contact direct with the school

Tel 01803 615501

Email  enquiries@tbgs.torbay.sch.uk 

We would be delighted to discuss your son or daughter and our provision with you or to arrange for you to visit the school.

How the school involves other bodies, including health and social care bodies, local authority support services and voluntary sector organisations, in meeting children and young people’s SEN and supporting their families?

TBGS has good links and working relationships with other bodies; meeting or liaising on a regular basis to support students with SEND and their families under specific circumstances, including;

• The school nursing team, hearing impaired services, occupational therapists and educational psychologist.
• Children’s Services and Social Care through Targeted Help referrals.
• Local Authority Support Services; Torbay SEN advisory team, SENDIASS, (SEND information and advisory service)

What arrangements are in place for supporting children who are looked after by the local authority and have SEN?

Students who are looked after by the local authority and have SEND have enhanced, but discrete, pastoral care. The tutor provides a daily contact point for the student. The Head of House meets with the individual student on a regular basis and communicates any concerns directly to the SENDCo.