SEND

At Sheringham High School, we believe in participation and progress for all. We want all children and young people to participate in learning and we celebrate all members of our school community and beyond. We continually strive to create an inclusive culture in our school and we aim to be ever more responsive and adaptive to the diversity of students’ backgrounds, interests, experience, knowledge and skills.

We value high quality first teaching for all students and actively monitor teaching and learning in the school.  For more information on our approach, please see our teaching and learning policy on this website.

As part of the school’s plan for continued professional development (CPD), staff are offered updated training, advice and strategies on how to meet the needs of all students. We also work with external partners who provide up to date training for any incoming or developing needs which may require specialist support.
In recent years, teaching and support staff at Sheringham High School have been offered the following SEND specific CPD:

• Dyslexia friendly teaching approaches
• Trauma informed approaches
• A focus on Adaptive Teaching techniques
• Neurodiverse classroom adjustments for ASC and ADHD
• Supporting students with low levels of literacy within the classroom
• Supporting students with low levels of numeracy within the classroom
• Managing challenging behaviour within the classroom

There is further CPD planned for the 2024/25 academic year to consider sensory regulation within the classroom.
We aim to create a learning environment, which is flexible enough to meet the needs of all members of our school community.  We monitor progress of all students, and staff continually assess to ensure that learning is taking place.  Our whole school system for monitoring progress includes regular pupil progress meetings, while form tutors undertake a mentoring and supervisory role.
At Sheringham High School, we value:

Learning for all.

At different times in their school career, a child or young person may have a special educational need.  The SEND Code of Practice (2015) defines SEND as:

“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 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

(b) or 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.”

SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

At Sheringham High, we consider a variety of factors when investigating whether a young person can be identified as having a SEND need or not. We consider a young person’s attendance, behaviour, safeguarding, past experiences, environmental/lifestyle factors, family history, academic progress, and so on. The vast majority of SEND needs are able to be met via Quality First Teaching and application of Adaptive Teaching strategies. However, if a learner is identified as having more complex SEND, we will provide provision that is ‘additional to or different from’ the normal differentiated curriculum.

Students can fall behind in school for lots of reasons.  They may have been absent from school, or they may have attended different schools and not had a consistent opportunity to learn. They may not speak English very well or at all, or they may be worried about different things that may distract them from learning.  At Sheringham High School, we are committed to ensuring that all students have access to learning opportunities, and for those who are at risk of not learning or making sufficient progress, we will intervene.  This does not mean that all vulnerable students have SEND.  Only those with a learning difficulty that requires special educational provision will be identified as having SEND.

The trends for SEND statistics, on a national scale, indicate an ever increasing cohort of children and young people are being identified with a SEND primary area of need. They four key areas of need are:

• Communication and Interaction (C&I)
• Cognition and Learning (C&L)
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH
• Physical and Sensory (P&S)

At Sheringham High School, our SEND profile for 2024-25 shows that we have 26% (186) of students identified as having a SEND profile, and 3.5% (18 students) of those have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) across key stages 3-5.

When including a child on our SEND register, we use the following terms:

• ‘E’ = a child having an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP)
• ‘K’ = a child is considered as being ‘SEN support’ and in receipt of provision over and above what can be provided within the classroom
• ‘NTBA’ = need to be aware, but where a child’s identified SEND is met by Quality First Teaching and application of Adaptive Teaching strategies within the classroom (the DfE use the term ‘monitoring’ in this instance)

Of the students on our SEND register, the below outlines the proportion per category of SEND need in accordance with their classification on the SEND register. Please be aware that the SEND register remains a working document, and the specific classifications of need numbers are therefore changeable.

^{*this figure denotes the ‘primary need’ of students, it does not include an identified secondary need}

It is every member of staff’s responsibility to assess when a child might present with a difficulty with learning.  At Sheringham High School, we ensure that assessment of educational needs directly involves the learner, their parents/carer and, of course, their teachers. The SENDCo will also support with the identification of barriers to learning.

At Sheringham High School, we use data to help us in our quest to accurately assess and plan for the needs of all students with SEND. The data used is a culmination of students’ AtL (Attitude to Learning) grades, standardised reading and spelling scores as well as data produced from ‘CATs’ testing and their KS2 SATs data. This information is required to help us form a starting point, from which to intervene and then build a comprehensive picture of progress.

It is important to note that each child’s progress is measured in relation to their respective starting points. Whilst this is mostly on an academic front, we widely accept that not all progress is specifically academic. Progress for us in the SEND team is about so much more, such as a young person being able to turn take in a game of uno, or seek out a trusted adult to communicate they are unhappy about something, or to feel safe enough to attend school full-time. We treat every child as an individual and often their greatest achievements and successes go far beyond what is seen within the classroom.

For some students, we may want to seek advice from specialist teams. In our school and Trust, we have access to various specialist services. We have access to services universally provided by Norfolk County Council, which are described on the Local Offer website available here: SEND Local Offer - Norfolk County Council

Sheringham High School, as part of the Synergy Multi Academy Trust (SMAT), have also commissioned for 2024-25 support from:

• GL ready – Dyslexia Screening software
• NGRT spelling and reading screening literacy assessments
• Trust Exams Access Assesor – Jacqui Welford
• School Counsellors – Fiona MacCallum, Arianne Hoppler
• Mentoring support – Pete Skivington and Reverend Keith
• Child and Educational Psychology Services (CEPP): Aisling Gallagher-Deeks (Educational Psychologist) and Amy Barker (Specialist Teacher)
• Access to external Alternative Provision providers as required (commissioned on an individual basis)
• SEND and Inclusion Teams – Anna Harvey (allocated SEND advisor) and Samantha Jackson (allocated Inclusion advisor)
• Access Through Technology (ATT)
• Advisory Support Teachers (Hearing and Visually Impaired students)
• Mental Health Support for Schools Teams
• Schools and Communities Team, via the Family Hub: Family hubs - Norfolk County Council
• Dyslexia Outreach Service
• Schools 2 Schools referrals (advice and support from colleagues within local specialist SEND settings)
• In-trust school-to-school support from SEND colleagues via termly SENDCo network meetings

Who can request an EHC needs assessment?

• • A person acting on behalf of a place of learning. For example, a teacher, or college staff. A request should have the knowledge and agreement of the parent or young person (where possible)
• A professional or organisation. For example, a health and social care professional, a foster carer, early years practitioner, the youth offending team or probation service. Again, a request should be done with the knowledge and agreement of the parent or the young person (where possible)
• Parent carers or a family member, for a child aged 0-16 and for a young person with SEND (aged 16-25) who cannot make the referral independently or with support
• Young people with SEND (aged 16-25) who can make the request independently or with support

Should you wish to pursue or initiate an application for an EHCP you can find the Parent/Carer request for assessment via the link below.

https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/children-and-families/send-local-offer/education-and-learning/support-for-learning/education-health-and-care-ehc-plans/ehc-needs-assessment-and-plans/ehc-needs-assessment-requests

Every Teacher is required to adapt the curriculum to ensure access to learning for all students in their class.  The Teachers’ Standards detail the expectations of all Teachers, and we at Sheringham High are proud of our teachers and their development. Further information is available from the Department for Education.

Our Teachers will use various strategies to adapt access to the curriculum. If a child or young person is identified as having SEND, the SEND team will generate a profile page. This will include key and specific information about each individual identified on our SEND register, such as their barriers to learning, strengths, other relevant information, key literacy/numeracy data relevant to their key stage, and recommended teaching strategies and/or adjustments to help guide teachers within the classroom.

Common strategies might include using:

• Writing frames (scaffolds, sentence starters, model answers, etc.)
• Glossaries/key word lists
• Printed resources/handouts
• iPads, laptops or other alternative recording devices (where available)
• Peer buddy systems
• Positive behaviour rewards system (achievement/house points)
• Positive report cards
• Read/Write Software
• Smart board Software
• Easy grip start handwriting pens
• Fidget/fiddle’ and stress relief toys
• Coloured overlays (by external assessment only)
• Coloured paged exercise books (by external assessment only)
• Differentiated learning objectives
• Differentiated homework expectations
• Whiteboards and markers
• Adjusted seating plans
• Exit cards
• Adjusted curriculums
• Alternative spaces to change for PE
• Scripts
• Use of noise cancelling headphones/earpods
• Advice on emotion coaching techniques
• Implementation of trauma-informed approaches
• Internal alternative provision
• Key worker programme (new initiative commencing October 2024)
• SEND homework club
• Early lunch passes
• Daily check-ins with key staff
• IEPs (Individual Education Plans) – by liaison with the SENDCo
• Behaviour Plans – by liaison with the Student Management Team

Each learner identified as having SEND is entitled to support that is ‘additional to or different from’ a normal differentiated curriculum.  The type of support is dependent on the individual learning needs and is intended to enable access to learning and overcome the barrier to learning identified. There are two stages to the Code of Practice, which indicate what level a young person’s needs are considered. The first is those placed at ‘SEN support’ and those who have been awarded an EHCP. The implementation of support at the lower stage (SEN Support) is achieved using a combination of in school resources and the local offer by using a graduated approach of assess-plan-do-review, making sure provision is appropriate and effective. The assess-plan-do-review model is actioned as follows:

Step 1: Assess
The child or young person's needs are identified so that the right SEN Support is given. The assessment should include:

• Asking parents and the child or young person for their views
• Undertaking assessments and tracking progress
• Talking to professionals who work with the child or young person

Step 2: Plan

• The child or young person's place of learning and parents agree on the outcomes that the SEN Support is intended to achieve
• Everyone who is involved in the process has a say in deciding what kind of SEN Support will be provided. Together they decide a date to review the plan
• The plan will be written down. This is so that everyone is clear what different, additional support is going to be put in place

Step 3: Do

• The place of learning will put the planned SEN Support into place
• The keyworker, teacher(s) or tutor remain responsible for working with the child or young person daily
• Everyone involved working with the child or young person will work closely together

Step 4: Review

• The SEN Support will be reviewed by the time agreed in the plan
• Everyone who is involved in the process should decide together:
• Whether the SEN Support is having a positive impact
  • Whether the outcomes have been, or are being, achieved
  • Whether new outcomes need to be identified
  • Whether the support needs to continue or different support needs to be tried

The assess, plan, do, review cycle starts again.

Supporting SEND outside the classroom is sometimes required to help to close the gap in a child’s learning or help overcome a barrier to learning. This intervention style of support can take a variety of formats from a variety of different support pathways, examples of pastoral support at Sheringham High School follows, but not limited to:

• Inclusion Support – we have a Pastoral Manager (Mrs Ransome), Inclusion Manager (Sophie Shackleton) and three student managers who help students to remain in the school environment when their behaviour might otherwise prevent them from being able to cope with the demands of the classroom environment. Students are sometimes able to collect work from lessons and study in the alternative area known as the Learning Support Unit (LSU) which is overseen by Stacie Ives (LSU Manager).
• Mental Health Lead - Natasha Drury (also our Designated Safeguarding Lead) provides bespoke advice and mentoring to our students who may need guidance and support with mental well-being and anxiety management. Tash also co-ordinates the mental health and emotional support available to our children and young people.
• Pastoral Key Workers – some students take great comfort in having an adult that they can talk through their issues with and ask for help regarding a particular area of their schooling. Key Workers offer a more in-depth level of monitoring. They also facilitate links between home and school and help to communicate on the student’s behalf, to both parents and senior staff and teachers.
• Access to our SEND base – a bespoke provision offering a quieter and calmer space for students with identified SEND to access if they have an individualised curriculum and at unstructured times (break and lunch). Interventions are also delivered in this space, and there is a developing ‘sensory room’ and separate ‘dark room’ for students to use at times of emotional dysregulation and/or heightened anxiety.
• Individualised curriculum – in rare cases, it is necessary to adapt a student’s curriculum to meet their own specific needs. Any changes to a student’s curriculum are done so in consultation with parents and approved by the school’s Leadership Team
• SEND team - Sheringham High employs 9 Learning Support Assistants (LSA’s), two of whom are Higher Level LSAs, and an Assistant SENDCo (Mrs Tuck). The SEND team deliver most of the interventions we offer, as co-ordinated by our SENDCo. Some of the interventions we offer can be seen listed below; the SEND provision is subject to constant review. If you would like to contact any member of the SEND department, please do so via the SENDCo or front office.

• Mathswatch
• Catch up literacy (small group)
• FreshStart literacy
• Catch up numeracy (small group)
• Small group or 1:1 spelling intervention
• Reading buddies via the Reading Challenge
• Read/Write training (Exams Access software)
• Functional skills (Literacy and Numeracy)
• EdClass, online learning platform
• Seneca, online learning platform
• ELSA sessions
• SEMH interventions
• Motivational mentoring
• Exam Access Arrangements (EAA)
• Peer mentoring
• Time with our resident PAT dog, Simba
• Decompression time in our Sensory Room
• Supported study
• Designated key worker meetings on a (minimum) half-termly basis
• Parent/carer SEND cafes and focused SEND forum groups
• Coming soon: ELKLAN (Speech, Language and Communication interventions)
• Coming soon: TimeToTalk social/communication interventions

At Sheringham High School, we make our best endeavours to meet the needs of all students within the resources we have available. We use a variety of data to support us to identify potential SEND such as attendance, behaviour, academic, etc. The Pastoral and SEND teams work very closely with each other when co-ordinating and managing a young person’s provision, and we will seek the guidance and expertise from more specialised colleagues and professionals as part of this process. We will follow the ADPR model as outlined in an earlier section of the School Information Report. However, there are times when a young person’s SEND needs are unable to be met, and they require provision deemed over and above the provision expected at the level of SEND support (Provision expected at SEN support (PEaSS) - Norfolk Schools and Learning Providers - Norfolk County Council), it is at this point where we would consider submitting an Education, Health and Care plan needs assessment referral to the Local Authority.

Who can request an EHC needs assessment?

• A person acting on behalf of a place of learning. For example, a teacher, or college staff. A request should have the knowledge and agreement of the parent or young person (where possible)
• A professional or organisation. For example, a health and social care professional, a foster carer, early years practitioner, the youth offending team or probation service. Again, a request should be done with the knowledge and agreement of the parent or the young person (where possible)
• Parent carers or a family member, for a child aged 0-16 and for a young person with SEND (aged 16-25) who cannot make the referral independently or with support
• Young people with SEND (aged 16-25) who can make the request independently or with support

Should you wish to pursue or initiate an application for an EHCP you can find further information here: EHC needs assessment requests - Introduction - Norfolk County Council
The form required for a parent/carer to submit an application can be found here: EHC needs assessment requests - EHC needs assessment forms - Norfolk County Council
Should you wish to pursue submitting an EHC needs assessment request, please liaise with Mrs Harding (rharding@sheringhamhigh.org.uk) in the first instance.

If you feel your child shows signs or traits of having a neurodiverse condition, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), please contact Rachael Harding on rharding@sheringhamhigh.org.uk to discuss this further.

If a child or young person is on roll and attending a maintained education setting, the referrals to the Neurodevelopmental Service are submitted by the school SENDCo.

Sheringham High School receives funding directly to the school from the Local Authority to support the needs of students with SEND. This is described in a SEND memorandum. The initial amount of ‘notional’ funding we are due to receive for the 2024-25 academic year is £191,693. Further details about specific school funding can be found here: Childrens Services ICT Solutions (norfolk.gov.uk).

Monitoring progress is an integral part of teaching and learning within Sheringham High School. Parents/carers, students and staff are involved in reviewing the impact of interventions for students with SEND. We follow the ‘assess, plan, do, review’ model and ensure that parents/carers and students are involved in each step. Before any additional provision is selected to help a student child, the SENDCo, Teacher, student, and parent/carer, agree what they expect to be different following this intervention. Specific baseline data will usually be recorded, which can be used to compare the impact of the provision.

Students, parents/carers and teaching and support staff will be directly involved in reviewing progress wherever possible. This review can be built into the intervention itself, or it can be a formal meeting held (when requested) once a term, where we all discuss progress and next steps.  If a learner has an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the same termly review conversations take place, but the EHCP will also be formally reviewed annually.

The SENDCo collates the impact data of interventions, to ensure that we are only using interventions that work.

Progress data of all students is collated by the whole school and monitored by teachers, Senior Leaders and presentations made to the LGB (Local Governing Body). Our school and cluster data is also monitored by the Local Authority and Ofsted. Your child’s Form Tutor will be able to assist you with any queries you may have regarding understanding your child’s progress data.

All students should have the same opportunity to access extracurricular activities.  At Sheringham High School in 2024-25, we are working hard to increase these opportunities as we work with families to navigate the cost of living crisis. An extra-curricular timetable is published at the start of each term (as the offer changes) and appears on our website as well as social media platforms.

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to ensure participation for all, so please contact our SENDCo, Mrs Harding, to discuss any specific requirements.  

All staff at Sheringham High School have regular training on the Equality Act 2010.  This legislation places specific duties on schools, settings and providers, including the duty not to discriminate, harass or victimise a child or adult linked to a protected characteristic defined in the Equality Act and to make ‘reasonable adjustments’.

The Equality Act 2010’s definition of disability is:

“A person has a disability for the purposes of this Act if (s)he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to day activities.”

Section 1(1) Disability Discrimination Act 1995:

This definition of disability in the Equality Act includes students with long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer. Students and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEND, but there is a significant overlap between disabled students and young people and those with SEND. Students and young people may therefore be covered by both SEND and disability legislation.
For more information about the Equality Act, the protected characteristics or duties on public bodies, please click here.

Transition is a part of life for all students.  This can be transition to a new class in school, having a new teacher, moving on to another school or training provider, or moving into employment.  Sheringham High School is committed to working in partnership with students, families and other providers to ensure positive transitions occur.

Planning for transition is a part of our provision for all students with SEND.  Where appropriate, in addition to the SENDCo, the school's Guidance Advisor and/or Assistant SENDCo will be involved to ensure adequate support is provided. Transition to college is discussed in the summer term of Year 10, to ensure adequate time for planning and preparation. For students with an EHCP this transition work begins earlier, in Year 9.

Sheringham High School welcomes presentations from all colleges and sixth form providers to ensure a broad and suitable offer to students is made.

Sheringham High School is our community school. We can shape and develop provision for all of our students, ensuring achievement for all.  This SEND information report declares our annual offer to students with SEND, but to be effective, it needs the views of all parents/carers, students, governors and staff.  So, please engage with our annual process to ‘assess, plan, do and review’ provision for SEND at Sheringham High School.

There may be times where you, as a parent/carer, may feel that your child’s needs are not being met and you may wish to lodge a complaint to the Governors. The School’s complaints policy can be found here: Sheringham High School - Our Policies

Norfolk SENDIASS (Norfolk SEND partnership, information, advice and support services) are available to offer support and guidance for any parent/carer of a SEND child. Further information can be found here: Norfolk SENDIASS Home Page, or you can email: norfolksendiass@norfolk.gov.uk or call on 01603 704070.

For further information relating to specific policies adopted by Sheringham High School, please use the following link: Sheringham High School - Our Policies

• Just One Norfolk: Health Advice & Support for Children & Families (justonenorfolk.nhs.uk)
• Nationwide SEN mediation service: www.kids.org.uk
• Children and Special Educational Needs (SEN): www.gov.uk/children-with-special-needs
• DfE Children and Families Bill: www.gov.uk/children-and-families-bill-2013
• British Dyslexia Association: www.bdadyslexia.org.uk
• Adapted specialist daily living equipment: www.healthandcare.co.uk
• Asperger East Anglia: www.asperger.org.uk
• ASD Helping Hands: www.asdhelpinghands.org.uk
• Young Minds: www.youngminds.org.uk
• ADHD Support: www.ukadhd.com
• NHS advice and information: www.justoneNorfolk.nhs.uk
• Speech and Language Therapy: www.ecch.org