SEND
Special Education Needs and Disabilities
Lancashire’s local offer makes it easier for families to find out about the support that is available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND). All schools and academies in Lancashire are expected to identify and support students with Special Educational Needs.
More information on Lancashire’s local offer can be found at:
The family of a child with SEND has the right to request for their child to be educated in a mainstream setting. Lancashire schools are supported to be inclusive. Schools have a duty to publish SEND information on their website which is updated annually. Outlined below are frequently asked questions in regard to how children with Special Educational Needs are supported at Southland’s High School:
Southland’s provides for children with SEND in line with the Equality Act 2010. This would be if they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of their peers or have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.
There are four types of Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) as described in the SEN Code of Practice 2015:
- Communication and interaction
- Cognition and learning
- Social, mental and emotional health difficulties
- Sensory and/or physical needs
If a student is identified as having SEND, then their needs will fit into one or more of these categories. Students with medical conditions will have Individual Health Care Plans (IHCP) which specify the type and level of support required to meet their medical needs.
When deciding whether to make special educational provision, the teachers and Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinator (SENDCo) would consider all of the information gathered from within the school about a child, alongside national data and expectations of progress. This should include high quality and accurate formative assessment, using effective tools and early assessment materials. For students with higher levels of need, school would have arrangements in place to draw on more specialised assessments from external agencies and professionals.
This information gathering should include an early discussion with the student and their parents. These discussions should be structured in such a way that they develop a good understanding of the student’s areas of strength and difficulty, the parent’s concerns, the agreed outcomes sought for the child and the next steps.
If parents have any concerns regarding their child, they are encouraged to discuss this with the school’s SENDCo.
Please contact the SENDCo to arrange a meeting, or alternatively, you may discuss any concerns about their progress with their Year Manager who will refer them to the SENDCo if necessary.
For those pupils with SEND, in addition to normal reporting arrangements, there are opportunities for parents to discuss progress with teachers, Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), Lead Learning Support Assistants (LLSAs) and the SENDCo. If there are any concerns or questions the SEND team is always available for consultation by appointment.
For all students with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP), annual reviews with the young person, parents and staff supporting the student are arranged as part of statutory procedure.
All students are able to access support from the Learner Experience team to offer extra support if necessary.
All SEND pupils are assigned a key worker. A key worker involves the young person in their education by meeting with them at regular intervals throughout the year. Where necessary, communication with parents is also part of this process. This is to allow dialogue between home and school, and to allow parents to have an input into their child’s education and progress.
All subject teachers are responsible for the outcomes of students in their lessons. They are responsible for making the curriculum accessible to all through Quality First Teaching and will receive ongoing training about additional learning requirements.
Learning Support Assistants are attached to key core faculty areas and therefore become experts in their subject areas that they support. LSAs can then ensure that learning is supported better in the classroom and if gaps are there can aid plugging the knowledge gaps ensuring that students can keep up with their peers.
There might be times when your child will have small group or individual withdrawal sessions that take place in the Learning Hub. Students here will benefit from bespoke phonics instruction, Thrive SEMH support, PNECET mentor support, and other learning needs development sessions bespoke to their individual needs.
Intervention may also come in the form of working with external agencies such as services provided by Educational Pyscologists, Speech and Language Therapy and other provision sourced locally and supported via the Local Offer.
We have a dedicated transition lead and a very extensive and comprehensive transition programme which starts in March and runs through to October half term of year 7. This includes additional days in school during the summer term, a summer school invite, breaks and lunches as a year group until the time comes to join the rest of the school.
We also have an Assistant Headteacher who oversees internal transitions between year groups and key stages ensuring that all students are supported when they move through their school journey.
The school is across two sites. The PE facilities are accessible by crossing the road from exit points in the main building. The main building has two storeys and there is a lift for access. All areas can be reached via permanent ramps which means that the ground floor of the building is accessible for wheelchair users or those with impaired mobility. The site has disabled toilets on the ground floor.
Southland’s is a fully accessible school so all pupils are able to participate in all activities. Appropriate differentiation through Quality First Teaching is provided in all lessons and arrangements are made for inclusion on all trips.
