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SEN

The rationale of the Student Support Department is to identify special educational needs, implement strategies and tailored programmes to increase learning outcomes.  We also support students one to one or in small groups, depending on their needs.  We liaise with teaching staff on effective strategies to support the needs of SEN students and communicate with parents and outside agencies to enhance high quality provision.

SENCO – Amanda Erasmus (aerasmus@uhs.org.uk / 01895 234060)

SEN Information Report 2021

1. How does Uxbridge High School know if a student needs extra help?

Students are regularly assessed by their subject teachers. We use the data from the students' progress tracker, as well as our own internal assessments, to identify if a student is performing below age expected outcomes. Ongoing literacy and numeracy assessments throughout years 7-9 inform our intervention programmes.

When a child transfers to Uxbridge High School (UHS) from their primary school, transition visits by staff from UHS are made during the summer term to meet with the new students. If there are any concerns about a student who has SEND, the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) or deputy SEND manager from UHS will contact the primary school SENCO.

Uxbridge High School also has an induction day for students transferring and an induction parents' evening where parents can meet the SENCO and other staff to raise any concerns they might have.

On entry to school all year 7 students are screened using the Lucid Exact screening tool from GL Assessment.  Years 7 and 8 complete the Accelerated Reader test termly.

We look into concerns raised by class teachers, parents, teaching associates and students themselves.

Where a student has an EHCP (Education and Health Care Plan), we follow the requirements of that plan and liaise with outside agencies as necessary.

Some students may have a health diagnosis that presents a barrier to learning and in these instances, we liaise with the relevant agency directly.

Our policy outlines further details of how we identify students with SEN and follows the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 years 2014

2. What should parents do if they have a concern about their child? 

If a parent has any concerns about their child, they can contact the school at any time to speak to the form tutor, subject teacher or deputy SEND manager. They will communicate your concerns to the relevant staff and where necessary will involve the SENCO. If there are concerns, a meeting will be arranged to discuss these further and appropriate action will be taken. The action can include an assessment, monitoring or involvement of an outside agency.

3. How will parents know if we are supporting their child? 

The school will always send letters to parents to let them know if we are proposing to offer a child additional support, which is different to what all mainstream students already receive.

Parents’ evenings are an opportunity to discuss a child’s progress with their parent and to find out about support options. Parents are always welcome to contact the school if they have any concerns or require more information.

For those students with EHC plans and who are SEN support, support will be in place to meet their needs. Parents will also receive termly updates on the extra intervention their child receives.

4. How will the curriculum be adapted? 

All staff have been trained to deliver high quality teaching. Lesson plans are adapted to meet the needs of all students in the class, to ensure that all students have access to the curriculum through appropriate support and intervention. Teaching associates are present in all curriculum areas and some classes to support high quality teaching. Teachers have access to the SEN one-page profiles for students who have specific needs, to work collaboratively with specialist staff to make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum for those students.

5. What specialist services and expertise are available at or assessed by Uxbridge High School? 

We have a head of year and an assistant head of year for each year group.  There are also guidance leaders for each house group.  They work closely with the staff in the Flexible Learning Centre to support all 4 areas of SEN needs.

We also have links with the following external agencies: LEA/SEN service; Educational Psychology service; SAS Team; Education Welfare Service; social services; health services; Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS); Speech and Language service (SALT); Occupational Therapy Service (OTS); Child Development Centre (CDC); Language Advisory Team; SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS); and Hearing Impairment and Visual Impairment.

6. How are resources allocated at Uxbridge High school to match student needs? 

The school ensures that the needs of all children with SEND are met to the best of its ability with the available funds. A team of learning support assistants are funded from the SEN budget to deliver support to groups of students (not 1:1 support). Resources are purchased to support learning and develop our skills programmes. The budget is allocated on a needs basis and the students with most complex needs are given the most support.

7. How is a decision made about what support and how much support a student will receive?

Uxbridge High School provides support for the four broad areas of need set out in the SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years (2014), although we have no specialist provision:

1. Communication and Interaction Needs

2. Cognition and Learning

3. Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties

4. Sensory/Physical Needs.

We take into account the identified needs in any statement or EHCP and support is dependent on objectives and provision as set out in these documents.  For students on SEN support, we will assess needs continually by tracking their progress and through the review process (involving parent and student input).  The amount of support is subject therefore to continuous change following constant re-assessment of progress and literacy skills through the Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle.

8. What support will there be for my child’s overall wellbeing? 

The school will have access to medical intervention by the school welfare officer, school attendance support officer or key members of staff; opportunities for vaccinations, health checks and staff training where appropriate and access to the school nurse service. Guidance leaders are also available to support students’ social and emotional wellbeing and will liaise with parents/carers. There may be referral to appropriate outside agencies.

9. What training have the staff who are supporting children and young people with SEND had or are having? 

The school has an ongoing programme of continuing professional development opportunities, both in and out of the school for all staff. In addition, your child’s teachers and support staff will have access to a designated SENCO.

10. How will you help me to support my child’s learning? 

We believe that regular and effective engagement with parents by schools often leads to improved student outcomes, attendance and behaviour. Where a student is receiving support, we talk to parents regularly to set clear outcomes and review progress towards them; discuss the activities and support that will help achieve them; and identify the responsibilities of the parent, the student and the school. 

Regular communication is through parent’s evenings, normal reporting procedures, contact with form tutors, subject teachers, head of year and/or the deputy SEND manager/SENCO/Flexible Learning Centre.

11. How will I be involved in discussions about and planning for my child’s education? 

All the contacts mentioned in section 8 above will provide you with an opportunity to discuss plans for your child's education.

In addition, students receiving SEND support will follow the graduated response ‘assess, plan, do and review’ as recommended by the SEND Code of Practice, 2015.

12. How will my child be included in activities outside the classroom including school trips? 

All reasonable adjustments will be made in order that your child is given the opportunity to participate in activities outside the classroom including school trips.

13. Who can I contact for further information? 

Your first point of contact in the school will be your son or daughter’s form tutor or head of year who may liaise with the SENCO/deputy SEND manager or the Flexible Learning Centre (see section 2 above).

14. How can I find information about the local authority’s local offer of services and provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disability in Hillingdon?