Information for parents – Special Educational Needs
Special Educational Needs (SEN) is a term that covers a wide range of need including a
learning difficulty in one particular area, general learning or developmental delay, physical
needs and disabilities, autistic traits, speech and language difficulties or lack of progress
at any particular time.
At Telscombe Cliffs we provide different levels of support in accordance with the SEN
Code of Practice:
School Action
School Action Plus
Statement
The Special Needs Co-ordinator is
Mrs. J. Maclaine
School Action (SA)
When a child has been identified by the class teacher and SENCo as having SEN, additional
support is provided that is over and above that usually provided as part of a
differentiated curriculum. Parents are included in discussions and kept informed of
progress by the class teacher. A letter is sent home identifying the child’s area of need
and a signed slip of acknowledgement should be returned to the SENCo, Mrs. J. Maclaine.
School Action Plus (SA+)
Some children receive support at SA+ which usually means additional involvement from
outside agencies eg speech therapy, sensory needs service, educational psychologist,
behaviour support service, language and learning support service. Referral to these
services is only made with the full consent of parents. An Individual Education Plan (IEP)
is written by the SENCo and class teacher and discussed with the child, parents and
support staff involved. This establishes targets, the amount of support and who will
provide it. There will also be suggestions on how parents can support their child at home.
All receive copies of the IEP including a ‘pupil friendly’ one for the child. An IEP is a
working document and may be changed before the review is due if the child has achieved a
target and needs a new one.
Occasionally a Pastoral Support Plan (PSP) is written instead of an IEP. This provides
mainly behavioural targets with strategies to achieve them and is reviewed more
frequently together with the parents.
Statutory Assessment leading to a Statement
This is when professionals from within school and from outside agencies provide
assessments of a child’s needs. The Local Authority may provide a Statement outlining in
detail the child’s needs and provision to be made. This is subject to an Annual Review with
parents and professionals involved. Usually an Individual Needs Assistant (INA) is
appointed to support the pupil as needed. An IEP or PSP is written as for SA+.
When a child is receiving support at any of these stages the child’s name is recorded on our SEN
Register. This is simply a list of all the children who receive support at SA, SA+ or have a Statement
and is kept by the SENCo. Children can move up or down stages and may sometimes move off the
register completely.
Should you wish for further information or guidance please contact Mrs. J. Maclaine, SENCo,
who works Monday-Wednesday and is based in the Headstart room.
For your information, our Governor with responsibility for Special Educational Needs is
Mrs Busher, employed by the school full time as an INA and nurture leader.
