Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Information Report  

Date:  2023/2024

September 2023  

Dear Parents and Carers,  

Here at Co-op Academy Belle Vue, we are committed to ensuring that all our students receive a  high-quality education. We believe that the best way we can do this is to ensure that our SEND students have access to High Quality Teaching and are removed from lessons as infrequently as possible. The majority of our intervention takes place inside the classroom as we believe that there is no better way to ensure all of our students achieve the best possible outcomes.

We build our school with our most vulnerable students in mind; with silent corridors for calm transitions, explicit rules to reduce ambiguity and high expectations for behaviour, ensuring all of our students feel safe. Our inclusive ethos ensures that all our students are challenged to achieve the best possible outcomes for them, no matter what additional barriers may exist.  

As a parent or carer of a student with Special Education Needs, you may have questions about  how we identify and monitor students who may require additional support within school. You  may also want to know what kind of resources we offer to help your child achieve their  potential. This document was created to try to address some of the questions we are often asked.  

If there are any additional comments, or questions that we have failed to answer, please do not  hesitate to get into contact with myself at nicola.griffith@coopacademies.co.uk. 

Many thanks  

Mrs N Griffith  

SENDCo

Frequently Asked Questions  

Q) What are Special Educational Needs?  

A) A student has Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) where their specific  learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different  from or additional to that normally available to students of the same age. Having a generally  low ability, or English as an additional language, does not mean that a student has SEN.  Medical conditions which impact on education are also classed as a Special Educational Need.

 Q) What Special Educational Needs are provided for by Co-op Academy Belle Vue?  

A) All efforts are made to ensure that Co-op Academy Belle Vue provides the best quality  education for all students on the SEND register. We currently educate students from across the  4 broad areas of need as set out by the Government.

These areas are :

• Cognition and Learning
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health
• Communication and Interaction
• Physical and Sensory Difficulties

Q) How does the school know if my child has additional needs?  

A) There are a number of ways that we become aware of the additional needs of our students.  

● Upon transition, information will be collected from primary schools, including any SEN  information. We will then decide whether or not this meets the threshold for addition to  our SEN register.  

● Progress is monitored termly by classroom teachers and any areas for concern are  passed on to the SENDCo who will work with the classroom teacher.  Belle Vue follows the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle to ensure that we are correctly identifying SEND needs only including students with identified needs, not thoughts with attainment gaps.

● Social and behavioural progress is monitored by Pastoral Leads. Any areas for concern are passed on to the SENDCo who will work with the Pastoral Lead and the young  person. If there are long-term concerns, we will follow the ADPR cycles to assess if there are specific needs. We will refer to external agencies if needed.

● Parental concerns are taken as seriously as any internal concern. The SENDCo will then  work with the parent and student to identify any potential additional needs.  

Q) What should I do if I think my child has additional needs or a disability?          A) Contact Mrs N Griffith on nicola.griffith@coopacadmies.co.uk  

Q) How will the school prepare and support my child when joining Co-op Academy Belle  Vue?

A) Transition from Year 6 to Year 7 for students with SEND is coordinated by the SENDCo in  liaison with the head of year 7. Transition is designed on an individualised basis and may  include early visits to the academy, visits by the support staff to the primary placement,  extra transitional time or in the exceptional cases, a reduced timetable upon starting the  secondary placement.  

For within-year transfers, the SENDCo will attend the admissions meeting of any child where  additional needs are indicated on the application form. If the SENDCo feels that our traditional  transition process is not adequate, adjustments will be made to best suit the needs of the  student.  

Q) How will I know how the school supports my child?  

A) It is important to us at Co-op Academy Belle Vue that parents and young people are  involved in the planning and reviewing of provision put in place to support any additional  needs. You will be invited to attend review meetings to discuss progress and next steps with  the SENDCo and your child. The SENDCo is also available at parent’s evenings and by email.  

Q: How will the curriculum be matched to the needs of my child?  

A) All classroom staff have access to details of the needs of the students in the class. This means that all our students have access to High Quality Teaching which is specifically designed to reduce their individual barriers to learning. It also allows our teaching staff to match academic interventions to the student.

We do stream our learning sets and the Low Prior Attainer sets are supported by Learning Coaches.

Q: How will I know how my child is doing?  

A) You will be kept informed through reports home and parent’s evenings. If your child has a  specific intervention you will be informed of progress by either a letter or a face to face meeting.

Q) How will you make sure that the support in place is the right support?  

A) Any intervention, or support which is put in place, is only put there because evidence  suggests that it will work. Termly monitoring is in place to check the support is effective, by  using evidence from either our internal data system or standardised testing. It is important to  note that any intervention that withdraws a student from a classroom will only be put in place  for a short period of time. Our interventions are designed to close an attainment gap and are  not intended to replace the high quality teaching all students should be accessing within our  building.

Q) What support will there be for my child’s emotional well-being?  

A) The SENDCo works alongside the Pastoral Lead to monitor the emotional well-being of the  learners within Year 7. If it is felt that your child needs more intensive, specialised support, we  may ask your permission to refer to an outside agency such as CAHMS or MTHRIVE.

We recognise that national statistics suggest that students with SEND are often targeted by other students. Here at Belle Vue, we take incidents of bullying seriously. If bullying does occur, the Pastoral Lead will ensure that it is resolved and that you are kept informed of the resolution.  

Q: What training on SEN is provided for staff?  

A) NQT’s and new staff are given SEN training during their first week of employment. This  training is on the SEND legislation and where to access the SEND information stored within  school. We have an inclusion portal where we highlight particular training which staff can access upon request.

Compulsory whole staff SEND training is also provided when required. Our Learning Coaches from the SEND team receive regular training and several attend specialist training in order to  develop particular areas of expertise.  

All of our staff have regular training around Teach Like A Champion teaching strategies (TLAC) to ensure that our students receive the best possible lessons. All of these training session have case studies around specific SEND students and their barriers to ensure that staff know how to leverage all our learning routines for the best possible outcomes for our SEND students.  

Q) How will my child be included outside the classroom including school trips?  

A) All school visits are offered to ALL students. Forward planning between the SENDCo and the  visit organiser ensures that visits are appropriately staffed and that transport arrangements are  suitable.  

Q) How accessible is the school environment?  

A) Our school is a fully accessible site. The first floor and second floor are accessible by lift. In case of an emergency, we have sufficient EVAC trained staff to ensure that the students can exit safely.

All of our outside space is accessible.

We also have disabled access toilets on each floor with one room fitted with a hoist and changing table.

Q) How will the school prepare my child for transferring into further education?  

A) Transition from Year 11 to Year 12 can be particularly distressing for some students. All  college providers are invited to the Transition Reviews for students with Education, Health  Revised and Care Plans (EHCP). These are held in the Autumn Term (between September and  December). We also liaise with colleges for the students on the SEND register and arrange  transition visits if we feel they will be of benefit.

Q) How are the school’s resources allocated and matched to student’s special educational  needs?  

A) The school receives two allocations of funding in order to meet its responsibilities for special  educational needs provision:  

1. The first allocation is targeted at students with Statements of SEN/Education, Health and  Care Plans. Each student receives funding according to their needs and provision as set  out in their Statement/EHC Plan. This allocation is spent on interventions which best  enable the student to meet the targets within the EHC Plan.  

2. The second allocation of funding is based on the number of students receiving free  school meals within the school and on the attainment levels of students transferring from  primary schools. This funding is primarily used to provide specialist staff to manage  student support across the school and run appropriate interventions.  

Q) What is the complaints procedure?  

A) In the first instance, contact the SENDCo via email at nicola.griffith@coopacademies.co.uk.  

If you do not receive a satisfactory response within 10 working days, it is your right to contact the  Headteacher.