SEND local offer and information report
SEND Information Report for Academic Year 2022/2023
What is SEND? | SEN stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities |
Who has SEND? | The 2014 Code of practice says: A child or young person has SEND if they have a learning difficulty, or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. |
What would a learning difficulty or disability be? | A child or a young person has a learning difficulty if he or she:
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Which Special Educational Needs does The Promise School cater for? | The Promise School is designated as a school for students who are identified as Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs who are in receipt of an Education, Health and Care Plans, as specified by the Education Reform Act 1981. Within that designation, we cater for the needs of students who are placed by Devon County Council’s 0-25 Team as part of placement request from professionals or parents/family within the annual review process. In addition to their identified needs, students many also have transient or long-term needs in the areas of self-regulation, speech, language, and communication as well as other medical, sensory or social needs. They may also have additional co-diagnosis of conditions such as Autism, ADHD and Attachment difficulties. |
How are the individual SEMH needs of our students identified? | All of our children and young people have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which will be related to their SEMH needs. Many of our pupils/students will also have secondary needs relating to cognition and learning, communication and interaction and sensory/ physical needs. A thorough baseline assessment at the start of a student’s learning journey at The Promise School will enable us to ensure that we understand every student’s learning style and barriers to learning. We will use a variety of data and observations to assess needs and implement innovative strategies to overcome these barriers. Our SEND, Admissions and Curriculum policies include further information on this. |
How do we help our students with Special Educational Needs? | The Promise School provides children and young people with individually tailored packages of education within a safe, caring and supportive environment. The emphasis is on the development of friendly and caring relationships, where learning and living can be positive and enjoyable experiences. Our children and young people often have trouble in building and maintaining relationships with peers and adults and as a result they have struggled to engage with learning and to cope in mainstream education.
Many of our pupils/students may often feel anxious and misunderstood and need support to help them manage their emotions and therefore, their behaviour.
The Promise School’s approach is based around meeting the individual needs of each and every student, wherever possible on a personalised basis.
By working 1:1 and in small groups with our students we are able to provide positive role models and mentors that can help students develop positive relationships with staff and peers.
By focussing on the positive, having clear targets and realistic expectations our students are able to thrive and reach their goals.
The school works closely with parents/carers, social workers, staff and other professionals to provide a joined up approach to ensuring the best possible outcomes for our children and young people. The Promise School also works collaboratively with external professional agencies (e.g. Social Services, Health, CAMHS, Speech & Language Therapy Service, Educational Psychology Service, Careers South West, YOT, Police) |
How do we adapt our teaching in order to suit the needs of the students? | The Promise School provides a personalised curriculum in order to meet pupil/student’s individual educational, emotional and social needs.
These children and young people have historically had interruptions to their educational experiences which have impacted on their development and by creating a bespoke programme to include both on and off-site education curriculum; we are able to evidence impact on learning and development. This flexible approach is rooted in holistic thinking about the individual and their needs.
The Promise School offers students a broad and balanced curriculum which allows students to grow academically, vocationally, socially, physically and morally.
When a child or young person starts their learning journey at The Promise School we assess their academic, developmental and emotional needs. A learning programme will then be designed in order to help them succeed. Our learning outside the classroom, outdoor learning and entrerprise sessions encourage learning, confidence and self-esteem through practical activities and we plan activities which foster enjoyment, participation, practical and social skills. Independence is encouraged by an understanding of health and safety needs, group and individual tasks. In addition, the Outdoor Curriculum offers a therapeutic and educational programme to students who can sometimes be hard to reach and who may have experienced difficulties with a more formal approach to education and rigid timetables.
We aim to provide opportunities and experiences where children and young people can develop:
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How do you consult with parents/carers of children (with SEN) and involve them in their child’s education? | The Promise School aims to build positive and trusting relationships with parents and carers in order to provide the best possible support. We do this through
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How do you consult with children and young people and ensure they are actively involved in their own education? | All students will have 1:1 mentoring sessions with key staff in the school when they are able to talk about any issues or concerns.
As The Promise School is a small school there are regular opportunities for all students to come to together to discuss ideas.
The student voice will also be captured through:
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How do you assess and review children and young people’s progress towards outcomes? What opportunities are there to work with parents and pupil as part of this assessment and review? | Assessment is a key area in school to ensure that all students make expected progress in line with their abilities and special educational needs. This begins with baseline assessment on admission to The Promise School.
The information from this allows staff at The Promise School to determine a learning flight path for each student. Progress is then measured from this baseline starting point on a termly basis. Staff also regularly take assessment for learning opportunities and mark students work on a regular basis in accordance with our standard marking policy using ‘formative’ approaches to help students to understand what they need to do to improve. Parents and Carers receive a weekly report which highlights student successes and achievements as well as considering their next steps, attendance and attitude to learning. Further to this, parents and carers receive a termly report which includes progress and attendance data for each subject. |
How do you support students with transition at the end of Year 11? | The Promise School’s enrichment and life skills programmes facilitate young people in taking responsibility for themselves, by preparing them for their future roles as responsible adults.
Through our Enterprise lessons, we offer children and young people the opportunity to develop understanding of creativity, time management, communication, running a business etc and access to work related experiences, a course in personal finance which aims to help young people to understand where money comes from, how to budget and live independently and understand the financial implications of personal life choices.
We have weekly cookery lessons which teach students to cook sweet and savoury recipes from around the world and students are encouraged to think about healthy food choices and how to budget for food and ingredients.
Experiences of life outside school, home and care are a very important part of the education we offer and we maintain links with outside agencies such as careers advisors, colleges, and police and youth services in order to widen the curriculum and provide motivation. Students have opportunities to complete a work experience placement as well as attending college taster days.
Our Learning outside of the Classroom and Outdoor Education programmes also contribute towards broadening student aspirations and cultural capital.
Each student has access to a full programme of careers education and guidance and the school is supported by our local careers service.
The Promise School ensures that the curriculum helps to prepare all Year 11 students for the next positive steps in their lives. This includes:
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What expertise and training do your staff have? How do you secure additional specialist expertise? | All teaching and support staff are appropriately qualified (or undergoing training) to fulfil their designated duties.
Many have had many years of experience in education, especially in SEMH.
Staff training and development is given high priority across the whole school and Trust as a whole and there is a continuous CPD programme for all staff which reflects new developments in our specialism. All staff receive on-going training in SEMH related aspects of professional development to help them to understand and meet students’ needs, particularly in areas around attachment, mental health and ASC. Recommendations from Educational Psychologists and our therapy team will also help to inform strategies that are implemented in order support our students. This will allow staff to help students maximise their personal and academic potential. The Thrive approach towards the assessment and progression of emotional and social development is firmly embedded throughout the curriculum.
TEACHH and SCERTS approaches are used by al staff, as are Trauma Informed Practices.
All school staff receive regular awareness raising / training in:
All staff can access on-going support advice and guidance through the Academy's SENDCO. Ms Claire Upston, (SENDCO) and works closely with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that a range of training opportunities and resources are available to both teaching and support staff throughout the year. |
How do you evaluate the effectiveness of the provision made for children and young people with SEN? | Pupil/student progress and school data is regularly analysed by senior leaders and trustees and feedback from staff, students and parents/carers is regularly sought. The impact of interventions is regularly reviewed by all staff and also the Local Stakeholder Board. |
How will you support me as a parent / carer to share my views / concerns and work with you? | Parents/carers views and concerns are very important. You are entrusting us with your child, whom you know better than anyone. Good two-way communication with you will be crucial for your child to succeed. You will have access to communicate through the school comms system, and be able to see the support, behaviour, achievement and homework through a system called Class Charts which has a parent Portal linked to the school system. Equally you could also Email any of your child’s teachers to make contact about any subject specific concerns, make contact with the Pastoral Leader or contact the SENDCO. All of their details are available on the website or by phoning reception. We will support and listen to you. We want the same thing as you, for your child to be happy and succeed at school. |
What arrangements are in place for handling complaints from parents of children with SEN about the provision made at school? | The Promise School welcomes the views of students, parents and carers and we will always listen to views which will help us to improve. All concerns and complaints will be dealt with honestly and with integrity and will be investigated swiftly, thoroughly and fairly. Where possible, complaints will be considered on an informal basis in order that we can resolve the situation quickly and effectively with an explanation or an apology where we have got things wrong or information on any action taken.
Please let the SENDCO know if you are unhappy. Together we will look at the problem and work together to resolve it. If you are still unhappy after this then please contact the Principal, Mrs Ashton. The school’s complaint procedure can be found on the Trust website. |
Who will be the person responsible for my child with SEND? How do I contact them or arrange to meet with them? | The SEND coordinator is Ms Claire Upston. You can contact her through Main Reception or email her at: cupston@dmatschools.org.uk She will reply directly to you or forward your request to the appropriate member of her team. You can also contact the Office Manager, Ms Gill Tremaine, who will be able to assist. Email is: gtremaine@dmatschools.org.uk All parents/carers are welcome to contact the Principal directly and she can be contacted on tashton@dmatschools.org.uk
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What support services or groups can I contact to provide additional advice and support for my family? | DIAS (Devon Independent Advice Service): DIAS SEND Code of Practice: SEND CoP (DfE)
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Where can I find information about the local authority / local offer for children and young people with SEN and their families. | Devon County Council: Local Offer
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