WELCOME The Role of the SEND Governor. Agenda What are Special Educational Needs and Disabilities? Recent changes to SEND – Children and Families Bill.

WELCOME

The Role of the SEND Governor

Agenda

• What are Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?

• Recent changes to SEND – Children and Families Bill 2014

• Child at the centre

• Role of the SENCo

• Governing Body responsibilities

• SEND Governor role

• What Questions should you be asking?

• How the governing body can support the SEND Governor

• Reports to Governors from school

• Reports to Parents / Carers from Governors

• Word of warning

What are Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (2014) states:-

A child or young person has SEN; if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

A learning difficulty or disability is defined as the child: has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools Children with SEN may also have a disability under the Equality Act 2010:- a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities

Recent changes to SEND – Children and families Bill 2014

Pupils and families at the centre•Planning and assessment more accessible•At 16 years old, young peoples views take precedence over parentsEducation, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) replace statements and LDA•From sept 2014•Transition from existing statements and LDA’s to EHCP’s will take place over 3 years, usually at point of KS transitionhttps://search3.openobjects.com/mediamanager/rbwm/fsd/files/rbwm_ehc_plan_template_final_version_doc_21-10-2014.pdf

The Local Offer•LA has to publish information about all available provision and how to access ithttp://search3.openobjects.com/kb5/rbwm/directory/localoffer.page

New single-category SEN support•School action and school action plus replaced by “SEN support”•Schools using a graduated approach and following a 4 stage cycle.•Schools using provision maps and “waves”

Child at the centre

Role of the SENCo

Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo)The SEND code of practice 2014 states:- Governing bodies must ensure that there is a qualified teacher designated as SENCO for the school. The SENCO has an important role to play with the headteacher and governing body, in determining the strategic development of SEN policy and provision in the school. The SENCO, headteacher and governing body should establish a clear picture of the resources that are available to the school. They should consider their strategic approach to meeting SEND in the context of the total resources available, including any resources targeted at particular groups, such as the pupil premium. The SENCO should work with the headteacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010) with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements .

Responsibilities of the Governing Body

Taken from the Dfe Gov handbook Jan 2015

In summary, schools have the following legal duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the governing body has a responsibility to ensure this is happening.

To establish a SEND policy which is publicly available and can be easily understood by parents. take account of the ‘SEND Code of Practice’ when carrying out their duties towards all pupils with

SEN; to ensure that the necessary special education provision is made for any pupil who has SEN; ensure that parents or young person are notified when special educational provision is being

made for their child, that the teachers in the school are aware of the importance of identifying pupils who have SEN

and of providing appropriate teaching; ensure that there is a qualified teacher designated as special educational needs co-ordinator

(SENCO) for the school and that they have the necessary SEN qualification. where a local authority or names a maintained school as the school the child will attend on an

SEN statement or Education and Health Care Plan, the governing body must admit the child to the school. Before naming a maintained school on a statement the local authority must consult the governing body of the school

To cooperate with the local authority in developing the local offer; ensure the school produce and publish online its School SEN Information Report ensure the school has arrangements in place to support children with medical conditions

The SEND Governor Role

The majority of governing bodies have delegated some of theseresponsibilities to a named SEND Governor who reports back tothe governing body on a regular basis

Table Discussion: What should the SEND Governor do and report?

The SEND Governor 

What should the SEND governor do?

Raise awareness of SEN and disability issues at GB meetings Ensure that the governing body is well informed about SEN and inclusion issues Give up to date information to the GB on quality and effectiveness of SEND provision in the school

Monitor any parts of School Development Plan relating to SEND

Ensure any budget for pupils with SEN is appropriately allocated

Help review SEND policy

Ensure school has regard to SEND code of practice

Visit the school to talk to SENCo and others about provision

Ensure school publishes “local offer”

What Questions does SEND Governor need to ask?

The sort of issues you might discuss or ask with the SENCo and other school staff will include:

current numbers on the SEND list at the different stages (but not their names);identification procedures for pupils with SEND;staffing arrangements for pupils with SEND;staff training and the impact;use of resources and the impact;how pupils with SEND are included in curriculum planning to ensure equality of access to the curriculum and equality of learning opportunities at an age and ability appropriate level;How confident are you that money for pupils with EHCP (or statement) is being used efficiently and effectively – How do you monitor this?

Handout with more detail

What skills will you need?

an interest in special educational needs;

good communication skills, with a willingness to report back verbally at meetings or to provide a brief written report;

time and availability – in particular to meet regularly with the SENCO, to visit the school and to take advantage of relevant briefing and training opportunities;

a willingness to participate in the development and review of the school’s SEND policy and reporting.

How do you start?

It is important that you develop a working relationship with the SENCo.

You are encouraged (under the SEND Code of Practice) to visit at least once a term; and in order to make the best use of these visits - plan the focus in advance.

Ask for information to be sent to you a week in advance – then you can be prepared for the conversation.

Keep notes of the meeting – these will form your report to the governing body; always agree your report with the Head and SENCo before it goes to the full governing body.

Be informed about links with other schools and agencies. Consider how the school can best communicate with parents.

How can the Governing Body support the SEND Governor?

The governing body will need to establish the responsibilities the SEND Governor should undertake and provide support for the role

take an informed interest in special educational needs issues;monitor, evaluate and review the Special Educational Needs policy on a regular basis;ensure that all the other school policies fully support the principle of inclusion for all pupils including disability discrimination provide an opportunity for any outgoing SEND Governor to pass on information and relevant paperwork;ensure appropriate time is on the governing body meeting agenda.

Reports to Governors from School

What information about SEND should governors expect to receive?

An update on the schools move to new SEND system (EHCP) How the school identifies pupils with SEND Pupil progress against outcomes agreed on EHCP or IEP

(objectives on a SEN statement) Academic attainment and progress of SEND pupils as a group

and where appropriate individually. SEND funding Staff development Work with external agencies and internal staff (Impact) How many pupils with SEND have been excluded?

Does the discipline committee take account of SEND when considering an exclusion?

Has the school policy changed as a result of such reviews?

Reports to parents / carers from governors

The SEND code of practice says governing bodies must publish information on their provisions for pupils with SEND which should be easily accessible by parents.

This should include:-Information on identifying and assessing SENDTeaching and Learning in relation to SENHealth, Emotional and social development of SEND pupilsHow to raise concerns and make complaintsArrangements for supporting looked after pupils with SENDInformation on where the Local Offer is published

The CoP says this information should be reviewed annually and any changes to the information should not wait for the review, but be updated as soon as possible.

Handout with more detail

Words of warning.........

Keep a strategic overview and do not be drawn into issues relating to any individual child

Whilst you are not responsible for the day to day management of special needs provision in the school, you may on occasion have access to sensitive information about the circumstances of individual children, particularly in smaller schools. It is essential that the SEND Governor respects the confidentiality of such information.