For children aged two years or older, educational or training provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from that made generally for children of their age in mainstream schools, maintained nursery schools and relevant Early Years Providers, other than special schools. For a child under two years of age, SEN means an educational provision of any kind.

High quality teaching that is differentiated and personalised will meet the individual needs of the majority of children and young people. Some children and young people need educational provision that is additional to or different from this. This is special educational provision under Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014 (SEND Code of Practice January 2015 page 25 s.1.24).

Newbridge Preparatory School will ensure that this provision will be made for those who need it.

Many children with SEN may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 – that is ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a long term2 and substantial3 adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. This includes sensory impairments (e.g. sight or hearing), and long-term health conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer). Children with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN, but there is a significant overlap. Where a disabled child requires special educational provision, they will also be covered by the SEN definition.

At Newbridge Preparatory School we accept, support and value the abilities of all our pupils. We must provide equal opportunities for every person in our care and a safe and fully equipped learning environment which caters to the needs of every child as an individual. We are committed to inclusion within the school curriculum and participation in all aspects of school life.

Newbridge Preparatory School adopts a ‘whole school approach’ to special educational needs and disability. All staff work to ensure the inclusion of all pupils. Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff (Para 6.36, page 88, SEND Code of Practice, 2015). The school is committed to using its best endeavours to ensure that the school is accessible so that no pupil will be discriminated against, and to enable pupils with special educational needs and disabilities to fulfil their potential, achieve optimal educational outcomes and contribute to the social and cultural activities of the school.

The Department of Education (DfE) has set out for schools the actions that the Government considers should be taken regarding the SEND system and in devising appropriate SEND policies. The DfE suggests that schools should:

• Identify and work with the Governor (Director) for SEND
• Consider and review how the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCo) fits into the school’s strategic management
• Agree with the LA the school’s contribution to the Local Offer (EYFS Funded pupils)
• Engage parents or carers and pupils with SEND
• Identify and deliver any training required by staff
• Record all SEND support
• Publish a SEND Information Report

This policy includes all the above.

2 ‘a year or more.’
3 ‘more than minor or trivial.’

Aims

We aim to provide every child with access to a broad and balanced education. This includes the National Curriculum in line with the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, 2015.

Our aims are:

• To ensure compliance with the requirements of the Children & Families Act, 2014 and Equality Act, 2010 as well as any other relevant statutory guidance
• To ensure that all pupils with SEND have their needs identified as early as possible to support academic progression and continued good physical and mental health and wellbeing
• To ensure that every child is protected from harm and neglect and that every effort is made to enable them to learn and grow independently
• To ensure all children can access a balanced curriculum, differentiated where appropriate
• To ensure that all pupils with SEND can fully access the curriculum by providing extra support or additional resources where appropriate through reasonable adjustments, inclusive practice and by removing their barriers to learning
• To create an environment in which all children can achieve success and find confidence in their worth by developing their strengths and supporting their weaknesses.
• To set high expectations for every pupil whatever their prior attainment.

Objectives

• Identify the needs of pupils with SEND as early as possible. This is most effectively done by gathering information from parents, education, health and care services (and feeding schools or early years settings – where applicable) before the child’s entry into the school
• Ensure that all staff are aware of identifying and making provision for all pupils with SEND
• Ensure that all staff are aware of the school’s SEND and Disability Policies and work appropriately with all SEN and disabled pupils.
• Ensure that pupils with SEN and/or disabilities join in the activities at the school together with pupils who do not. This must be reasonable, practical and compatible with the pupil receiving the provision that their learning needs call for and the needs of other pupils and resources.
• Provide appropriate information to the Local Authority for inclusion in the Local Offer
• Continually monitor the progress of all pupils to aid the identification of pupils with SEND. Continuous monitoring of those pupils with SEND by their teachers will help to ensure that they can reach their full potential
• Make appropriate provision through a graduated response system (See section 8) to overcome all barriers to learning and ensure pupils with SEND have full access to the National Curriculum. This will be coordinated by the SENDCo and Deputy Head or Headmistress and will be carefully monitored and regularly reviewed to ensure that individual targets are being met and all pupils’ needs are catered for
• Work with parents/carers to gain a better understanding of their child, create and maintain a positive partnership and involve them in all stages of their child’s education. This includes supporting them regarding understanding SEND procedures and practices (e.g. assessment, planning, provision and review), providing regular reports on their child’s progress, and providing information annually on the provisions for pupils within the school, and the effectiveness of the SEND policy and the school’s SEND work
• Work with and in support of outside agencies when the pupils’ needs cannot be met by the school alone. This includes liaison with other professionals in connection with transfer arrangements to other settings and schools.
• Create a school environment where pupils feel safe to voice their opinion of their own needs. This means providing one to one meetings between pupils and their teacher/SENDCo and will be made easier by carefully monitoring the progress of all pupils. Pupil participation is a right. This will be reflected in decision making but also encourage through broader opportunities for participation in school life (e.g. members of the School Council)
• Ensure that pastoral care and support is available for all pupils so that they may develop in all areas and build a strong sense of self- esteem.

• The person responsible for overseeing the provision for children with SEND is the Headmistress, Mrs N Burrows-Berry.
• The people responsible for monitoring and evaluating inclusive provision throughout the school, along with the delivery and reviews of progress in cooperation with the school SENDCo is the Deputy Head, Mrs H Griffiths and Assistant Deputy Head Mr J Goulding
• The people coordinating the day-to-day provision of education for pupils with SEND are the SENDCos, Mrs S. Richards (Lower School and EYFS) and Mrs R. Southall (Upper School).

The SENDCo will hold details of all SEND records, including Enhanced Support Plans (ESPs) and subject targets for individual pupils. In addition, internal profiles which evidence monitoring of pupils on an ‘Observation and Booster list, i.e. those pupils who are not currently on the SEND register but could be at risk of underachieving or of concern (See flowchart for ‘Entry onto Observation and Booster List’) will also be held.

All teaching staff have confidential class Learning Folders (White) which must be kept in a locked drawer or cupboard. These contain relevant and regularly updated information on pupils in their class identified as needing or potentially in need of additional support over and above that of their peers. It also contains a list of all current pupils in school who have been identified as needing this provision. Resources and information are also available in the Learning Enhancement Room based in the Upper School Building:

Filing Cabinet

All information is subject to the requirements as relevant to the Data Protection Act, 2018

A copy of the full SEND and ‘Observation and Booster’ lists for pupils being internally monitored.

Whole class assessment and learning Information file

Central learning Information Files are stored according to surnames on individual pupils’ Files include Enhanced Support Plans and targets set where appropriate. N.B. These contain duplicate copies of information held in secured class files by the pupil’s current class teachers.

Archived cardboard document folders for current school pupils who have been removed from the ‘Observation and Booster’ list is also included in these drawers.

This information is made accessible to all academic staff and support staff as appropriate to aid the effective coordination of the school’s SEND provision. In this way, every member of staff will have complete and up to date information about all pupils with special needs and disabilities and their requirements which will enable them to provide for the individual needs of all pupils.

All records will be updated and checked at least termly, with interim monitoring as necessary by the SENDCo.

Pupil progress will be reviewed considering class, and subject teachers’ collated evidence showing whether performance targets have been met. This evidence will then be used initially by the class and/or subject teacher in conjunction with the SENDCo to make judgements for future provision (and may be subsequently referred to the Headmistress, if appropriate), before consultation with parents and pupils.

The admission arrangements for all pupils are in accordance with the School’s Policy. This includes children with any level of SEND; those with Educational & Health Care Plans and those without if admission is compatible with and does not prejudice the efficient provision of education for the other children in the year group. Admission must not prejudice efficient use of resources.

All SEND paperwork should be passed to the SENDCo by the previous school or setting/parents/local support services as soon as possible. If the child is making a transition to or from another school, a meeting may be set up between the feeding school and the receiving school’s SENDCo to aid the smooth transition of the pupil and discuss arrangements to be made as well as any other relevant information relating to the child’s needs. Where face to face meetings are not possible, contact will be made via telephone to ensure that there is a good understanding of what type of provision is required.

The school will endeavour to ensure that the necessary provisions and preparations are made prior (where possible) to the child starting school. The child will be closely monitored to ensure that all the appropriate provisions are in place.

For the current number of pupils with SEND at Newbridge Preparatory School, please refer to the list on the IT system in the SEND folder which is updated at least termly. This has coded access via the office and/or the SENDCo.

We have one member of staff, the SENDCo, who specialises in SEND provision and support.

We are committed to whole school inclusion. For more information on our provision for inclusion including our involvement in specialist programmes to aid inclusion, see section 11.

A current analysis of our learning support list for different categories of SEND can be obtained from the SENDCo on request.

See also:

• Section 6 – Facilities
• Section 7 – Allocation of resources,
• Section 15 – Links to support services,
• Section 18 – Links with other agencies,
• 2025- 2026 CURRICULUM POLICY

The school has a range of specialist SEND facilities in place. Please see also the school’s Disability Access Plan. Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must provide reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, staff and visitors. Schools must make positive efforts to remove or reduce the barriers a disabled pupil or member of staff may face in their world of school or work. A disabled individual wants the pleasure of being able to fulfil their role in the school to the best of their capabilities, and the Equality Act 2010 ensures schools are required to accommodate them to the best of their abilities.

Newbridge Preparatory School is committed to a proactive approach in meeting this duty by actively reviewing all their policies, procedures and planned access improvements to ensure disability equality is mainstreamed into all decisions and activities.

Newbridge Preparatory School has a Disability Access Plan to show how it is planning strategies to enhance access over time. This Plan shows how the school aims to ensure access to the curriculum and all aspects of school life by improving the physical environment of the school and the provision of information in a range of formats. It will be reviewed regularly through an audit (see Appendix 1) and amended accordingly to maximise accessibility.

Exam access arrangements for school-based exams are also considered for everyone in consultation with the appropriate teaching staff and the pupils and parents concerned. The SENDCo will assist in submitting collated evidence to the relevant bodies, (e.g. NATD, LAMDA, Standards and Teaching Agency) if appropriate.

N.B. Parents of SEND pupils who wish to have special considerations considered when undertaking entrance exams for secondary school places of their own choice will need to inform Newbridge of their intentions at least a term in advance, formally requesting support for the application/s if required.

The Headmistress and SENDCO will discuss the viability and need for specialist resources based on each case. The Headmistress will submit any major expenditure requests to the Board of Directors who will consider whether these constitute ‘reasonable adjustments’ or whether they will prejudice the efficient provision of education.

Provision of regular individual specialist support may be negotiated at extra cost to the parent as this is not something that the school can finance without prejudicing the efficient use of resources for all pupils.

See definition of Special Educational Needs and Disability at the start of the policy.

See also 2025 – 2026 ASSESSMENT POLICY.

Applying the requirements of the SEND Code of Practice 2015 the school promotes a cyclical and graduated approach to identifying, assessing and providing for pupils’ special educational needs. This approach is a model of action and intervention to help pupils achieve the outcomes set for them, make progress and successfully access the curriculum.

Our Phase 1 response is based on ‘Quality First Teaching’.

(a) Any pupils who are falling significantly outside of the range of expected academic achievement in line with predicted performance indicators and grade boundaries i.e. not making expected progress4 will be monitored and placed on an ‘Observation & Booster’ list.

(b) Any other pupils who may be deemed to be at risk of having issues within ‘Cognition& Learning’, ‘Communication & Interaction’, ‘Social, Emotional & Mental Health’ and ‘Sensory and/or Physical’ categories will also be monitored.

(c) Once a pupil has been identified as possibly having SEND they will be closely monitored by staff to gauge their level of learning and possible difficulties.

(d) The child’s class teacher will take steps to provide differentiated learning opportunities that will aid the pupil’s academic progression and enable the teacher to understand better the provision and teaching style that needs to be applied.

(e) The SENDCo will be consulted as needed for support and advice and may wish to observe the pupil in class.

(f) Through (b) and (d) it can be determined which level of provision the child will need going forward.

(g) If a pupil has recently been removed from the SEND list, they may also fall into this category as continued monitoring will be necessary.

(h) Parents will be informed fully of every stage of their child’s development and the circumstances under which they are being monitored. They are encouraged to share information and knowledge with the school.

(i) The child is formally recorded by the school as being under observation (i.e. on the internal ‘Observation & Booster list’) due to concern by parent or teacher, but this does not place the child on the SEND list. Parents are given this information. It is recorded by the school as an aid to further progression and for future reference.

(j) Pupil progress or review meetings are used to monitor and assess the progress being made by the child. The frequency of these meetings is dependent on the individual child’s needs and progress being made.

(k) There will be two copies made of all relevant documentation/evidence (e.g. Concern Sheets Review sheets, Meeting Sheets and Confidential Report to the Headmistress logs). One copy will remain securely with the class teacher in the class learning information file filed under the pupil’s name, while a second copy will be centrally filed, alphabetically, in a purple folder with the SENDCo in the learning enhancement room.

Phase 2 response

This recognises pupils who after receiving booster interventions are identified as still requiring additional and different help as well as the regular differentiated curriculum. Some pupils will automatically go on to a phase 2 response. It is at this point where a subject teacher or key practitioner will fill in a concern form and the pupil will be placed on the schools SEND register.

(a) Identification may arise from review meetings in phase 1 or the school’s ongoing assessment procedures.

(b) Identification may arise from review meetings in phase 1 or the school’s ongoing assessment procedures. Additionally, it may be in response to results from:

(c) The GL Assessment Dyslexia Screener usually undertaken once in Key Stage 1 and again in Key Stage 2, (mainly in Year 2 and Year 4 respectively) unless a child has been previously identified as having a learning difficulty of a dyslexic nature.

(d0 The school puts the provision in place without resource to regular external advice or additional resources provided by the local authority.

(e) Class/subject teachers collaborate with the SENDCo on evidence gathering and identification.

(f) Once the SENDCo has been notified she will make her assessment through reviewing the evidence of identification supplied by the teacher (e.g. from day-to-day assessment for learning in the classroom, formal or summative assessments) and possibly by observing the pupil in the classroom and/or in conjunction with further screening tests. With this knowledge, the SENDCo can help planning for future in-school support together with the class teacher’s, parental and pupil input. The action that has already been taken is reviewed and altered in line with the new findings.

(g) Concern reviews are filled in termly or as required where a judgement is made as to whether a pupil can be removed off concern, some progress has been made or no progress has been made. If no progress has been made, then a pupil may move on to phase 3 response.

(h) In this phase, enhanced support or ‘booster’ work may take the form of group tuition and/or short term 1:1 activities and/or supplementary or alternative activities. They are not primarily SEN interventions, but for children who can be expected to make progress because of intervention.

Phase 3 response

The Phase 3 response places a pupil onto an enhanced support plan.

(a) A pupil placed on an enhanced support plan if they are not responding as well as expected to strategies employed within the delivery of the first two stages of response or if a learning difficulty has been diagnosed, e.g. dyslexia

(b) An Enhanced Support plan is drawn up for pupils who are not making progress through booster sessions and quality differentiated teaching, this will detail provision and how it will be coordinated. This includes ‘Enhanced support and strategies to be used’ documentation (N.B. Current working copies of this named documentation may be held electronically in the school intranet shared staff files under the class teacher’s name if they are not being handwritten). Copies of the plans and reviews will be kept in the pupil’s school profiles with any other relevant paperwork – Again, one copy with the current class teacher and one held centrally by the SENDCo. Parents are informed and consulted at every stage and pupils are appropriately involved (e.g. discussing progress and setting new targets).

(c) Pupils on this list will require extra support, but as it is now a single category continuum, there will be a wide range of needs and school responses required within it.

(d) The school will consider each case and will adopt the most appropriate actions as follows: –

1. EYFS – Contact external professionals (in agreement with parents/carers) to make their assessments of the child and provide support in the planning of extended provision, continued assessment and revised action points. Whenever possible, pupils in receipt of Nursery Education Funding (FEF) will be referred to Wolverhampton Special Needs Early Years Service (SNEYS).
2. KS1/KS2 – SENDCo and Headmistress to meet with parents/carers to recommend an external review (parents responsible for funding the cost). Wherever possible, information on sources of independent advice and support will be provided support parents in making their own choices.

(e) The school will make every effort to ensure that any advice from the external agencies is put into practice as swiftly as possible and will keep in regular contact with parents regarding progress and targets met. (External input can involve support and intervention, for example through specialist teaching or therapy). The school will complement this, considering external professional monitoring, and feedback on the effectiveness of interventions.

(f) Paperwork for this phase will continue to be kept in the school profiles as in phases 1 and 2 – with one copy of each document (e.g. for reviews, meetings, contacts, enhanced support plans, targets and any other information) in the class file, or a separate file if required, under the pupil’s name. A second copy of each document should be kept centrally with the SENDCo in a named individual folder in the filing cabinet in the learning enhancement room.

Phase 4 response

(a) Phase 4 response is for a child with an Education & Health Care Plans (EHCPs) funded by the local authority.

(b) If a child on the SEND list has lifelong, significant difficulties and the Local Authority believes that the school has taken every step possible to support the child but is unable to provide the level of support needed alone, the decision to make a referral for an EHCP may be taken at a progress review.

The application for an Education & Health Care Plan will combine information from a variety of sources including:

• Parents
• Teachers
• SENDCO
• Headmistress
• Health professionals
• Wolverhampton SNEYS service

(c) Information will be gathered relating to the current provision provided, action points that have been taken, and the preliminary outcomes of targets set.

(d) Following Statutory Assessment, an EHCP will be provided by the Local Authority. If it is decided that the school cannot provide for the child’s needs on its own the school and the child’s parents will be consulted before the decision is made.

(e) Parents have the right to appeal against a decision either for or against an EHC plan for their child.

(f) Once the EHCP is completed, it will be kept as part of the pupil’s formal record and reviewed annually by representatives of the partnership working together as mentioned in (b) above, including the parents and the pupil. The annual review enables provision for the pupil to be evaluated and, where appropriate, for changes to be put into place, for example, reducing or increasing levels of support.

(g) There should also be a review involving the Local Authority before 15th February in the calendar year of the child’s transfer to another school (5).

(h) A pupil requiring an EHCP plan needs adding to ECLIPSE system – the Early Help System. See 2025-2026 CHILD PROTECTION POLICY.

(i) As with all phased responses, there should be two copies of all documentation completed. However, all documentation is to be kept in white files – one held securely with the class teacher and one with the SENDCo in the filing cabinet in the learning enhancement room.

(4) Less than expected progress is characterised by that which is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline, failing to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress, failing to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers or widening the attainment gap [SEN Code of Practice, 2015, para 6.17, page 95.

(5) SEND Regulations, 2015: part 2, clause18 (b).

 

Progress check at age two

All Early Year Providers are required to have arrangements in place to identify and support children with SEN and/or disabilities and to promote equality of opportunity for children in their care. These requirements are set out in the EYFS Framework. Early Years Providers and educational settings should have arrangements in place that include a clear approach to assessing SEND.

When a child is aged between two and three, practitioners will review their progress, and provide parents and/or carers with a short-written summary of their child’s development focusing on communication & language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. If there are significant emerging concerns, (or an identified SEN or disability), practitioners and the SENDCo will develop a targeted plan to support the child’s future learning and development involving other professionals for example, Wolverhampton’s LA SNEYS Special Needs Early Years’ Service as appropriate. The summary will highlight areas where: good progress is being made, some additional support might be needed; and where there is concern that a child may have a developmental delay (which may indicate SEN or disability). It will describe the activities and strategies the school intends to adapt to address any issues or concerns(6).