How does Shakespeare infant school know if children need extra help?

What are the arrangements for the admission of disabled pupils? (section 69 The Children and families act 2014)

What is SEND?

• “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 them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:

(a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or

(b) have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions. “

Reference: DFE-00205-2014

The Children & Families Act 2014 defines Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) in the following way: 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.

• The four areas of special educational need are:  communication and interaction, cognition and learning, social, mental and emotional health and sensory and or physical.

• You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.

• At Shakespeare Infant School children are identified as having SEND through a variety of ways including the following:-

- Excellent liaison and open communication with nursery school or previous school before joining Shakespeare Infant School.  This will including risk assessments, Health Care Plans, multiagency meetings with specialist teachers and health care professionals, advice around reasonable adjustments to the school environment and classroom to meet the needs of each individual and careful planning with families to ensure a good start at school.

-A multiagency approach through excellent liaison and open communication with outside agencies before joining and during your child’s time at Shakespeare Infant School. ( For example : medical services including health visitors, paediatric nurses and/or paediatricians, nurses, child psychiatrists, GPs, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, specialist teachers and occupational therapists, Portage and Inclusion.)

-Through careful monitoring of pupils who are performing below age expected levels or not fully participating in school life.

-Concerns raised by Parents or Pupils and a designated person (INCO) to act on their behalf

-Concerns raised by teachers for example when behaviour or self-esteem is affecting performance, access to the curriculum or participation in any other aspects of school life.

-Health and disability diagnosis through paediatrician and health practitioners liaising with school  

• Admission arrangements for children with a disability will be specific to their need and be led by advice from the specialist teacher advisory service. Currently the entire curriculum is accessible and available to disabled pupils with reasonable adjustments. To date all areas of the school are accessible for disabled pupils. To date all disabled pupils are able to participate in offsite activities.

To date – we do not have a hygiene room, changing plinth or hoisting equipment.