At Icknield School we have consulted with governors and parents in writing this report. It tells you about our school and how we can meet the Special Educational Needs of our pupils. If you would like more information about our school, please contact us and you will be very welcome to come along for a visit.

 

The kinds of Special Educational Needs for which provision is made at Icknield School.

Icknield School is a special school which takes pupils aged 3 – 19 years old who have severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple difficulties. All our pupils have an Education, Health and Care plan although some of our youngest pupils are in the process of being assessed when they start with us.

Our pupils have a wide range of needs, some are autistic, some are wheelchair users but all have developmental delays which mean they do not progress at the same rate as mainstream pupils.

 

Information about the identification and assessment of our pupils’ special educational needs.

We are contacted by the Hampshire Special Educational Needs Department when they have information about a pupil who has educational needs that they assess could be met at our school. Information is sent to the Head Teacher who considers whether we could meet the needs of the pupil. The decision to offer a pupil a place at our school is made by Hampshire SEN department after consultation with the Head Teacher.

If your child’s needs could possibly be met at our school, you and your family will be invited to visit our school in order for you and the school to confirm whether it would be an appropriate placement for your child.

If your child is offered a place, the teacher will read the information about your child and consult with you to prepare for your child to start. The teacher will carry out assessments on your child to identify how best to meet his or her educational needs.

 

How will both you and I know how my child is doing and how will you help me to support my child’s learning?

All pupils are assessed to identify the level they are working at in all aspects of the curriculum eg speaking and listening; reading; writing; number; attention; independence; social interaction. Ongoing assessment takes place all day, every day by all members of staff; this informs the staff on how well a pupil has progressed and allows the staff to plan the next step in the pupil’s learning.

Staff will communicate with you through our Class Dojo app but also by telephone when appropriate. You are invited to consultation afternoons and evenings; ‘get to know the class’ afternoons; drama productions; sports days; and many other events. Currently all parents are invited to the Annual Review of EHCP meetings where the pupil’s progress in discussed with parents, staff and other professionals. Parents are encouraged to identify specific targets for pupils. Staff share targets for each individual pupil’s learning. Where needed Individual Pupil Behaviour Plans are shared with parents and other staff.

 

The Head Teacher meets with class teachers to identify barriers to learning/ or successful strategies for learning. Resources and staffing are then deployed to support each pupil appropriately. This includes using Pupil Premium funding and other funding streams. Progress data is shared with the Governing Body who monitor pupil progress and ensure resources are used to best support their learning.

Your child will be taught in a class of between 7 and 12 pupils with one teacher and 4 or 5 learning support assistants. This high number of staff allows pupils to be taught through highly differentiated teaching, using a wide range of resources. Staff liaise closely with other professionals including Speech and Language therapists, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists to ensure the holistic needs of pupils are met.

 

The younger pupils follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum; pupils aged 5 – 16 follow the National Curriculum broken down into small steps to meet their learning needs.

There is a whole school communication strategy with supports all pupils to develop their communication skills with the aim of them becoming as independent as possible in the future.

Pupils use the local wider community to further develop their skills outside of the school environment. The high number of staff support all pupils to access off-site learning activities.

Our 16 – 19 year old students are based off-site in the community where they focus on developing their independence skills, including shopping, cooking and where appropriate using public transport. Most older students access the ASDAN accreditation system; work related learning; residential educational visits; college placements.

 

A representative from each class attends the School Council, they make suggestions about how to improve the school and they are involved with teacher interviews.

The last Ofsted inspection assessed the behaviour of our pupils as ‘outstanding.’ A variety of strategies are used to support pupils to learn to manage their behaviour successfully. We have achieved Gold level in the Unicef Rights Respecting award which has established an ethos where  everyone respects others and takes responsibility for their own choices.

 

We have achieved the Healthy Schools Award and learning to make healthy choices is a high priority.

 

Who to contact to discuss how SEN are met at Icknield School.

Head Teacher – Sean Cannon; 01264 365297; headteacher@icknield.hants.sch.uk

 

What training have staff had?

All staff receive induction training when they join the school, this includes basic training on how best to support pupils with severe learning difficulties. Further training is identified through the Performance Management procedures.

Most staff access the following training: Moving and Handling;  Water Safety Award; Team Teach (positive behaviour management); Child Protection training; Fire Safety; Health and Safety; Makaton; using symbols.

Some staff access : Picture Exchange Communication Strategy; PAATHS (autism training); Sensory Curriculum; SLD core training; Elklan communication training; administration of specific medication; Food Hygiene; Midas (mini-bus driving).

Speech and Language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists work closely with school staff to set up and review therapy programmes to support individual pupils’ needs.

Advice from the support teachers for visual and hearing impaired pupils is implemented in school.

 

How accessible is the school both indoors and outdoors?

Our school is fully wheelchair accessible.

There are disabled changing and toilet facilities.

We have a number of mini-buses, two of which are able to transport pupils in wheelchairs.

Throughout the school there are fixed and mobile hoists to transfer non-weight baring pupils to access available resources.

There is a hydro-therapy pool which is used to implement hydro-therapy programmes for pupils.

Pupils attend sports activities off-site including swimming and horse riding for the disabled.

There is a wide range of resources to meet individual learning needs including a sensory room, a soft play room, a wheel-chair swing and a wheelchair roundabout, an outside sensory learning environment.

We use ICT to meet pupils learning needs such as simple switches, an interactive magic carpet, interactive white boards, an opti-beam and iPads.

 

How are parents, carers, young people currently involved in your educational setting?

Parents are invited to Parents Evenings/Afternoons to discuss the progress/needs of their child. In addition you are always welcome to contact the Head Teacher or class teacher to discuss any issues.
There is a Parent’s group that meets regularly to provide support and share knowledge and experiences of caring for children with special needs.

Parents and staff run the ‘Friends of Icknield’ which is a charity that organises fund raising and social events for anyone associated with our school.

There is a Family Support Practitioner who provides practical advice to families regarding any issues they identify including sleep problems, behaviour problems, feeding. She helps share strategies that are effectively used at school for use at home.

Staff liaise with social care and health to support the holistic needs of pupils. The educational psychologist provides advice about how best to meet pupils’ needs.

 

How are our pupils involved in their education?

There are ‘sibling days’ where brothers and sisters of our pupils can spend a day in school to find out more about their sibling’s school.

The whole school communication strategy supports all pupils to have a voice and express their opinions about their school and their learning, using switches, objects of reference, photographs, symbols, music and touch cues.

Pupils are supported to assess whether they have achieved their learning targets.

Pupils are given choices within their learning and encouraged to make the most of the learning opportunities available at school.

There is a celebration assembly every week where individual pupil achievements are recognised. The School Council votes for ‘The Super Star of the Week,’ which is an achievement valued by everyone during the celebration assembly.

 

What steps should I take if I have a concern about the school’s Special Educational Needs provision?

If you have a concern about your child, contact the class teacher in the first instance. If it is not resolved then contact the Head Teacher, Sean Cannon. If you continue to have concerns that are not addressed contact the Chair of Governors, Louise Silke at louise.en.silke@gmail.com                                                                                                   

What specialist services are available at or accessed by the school?

The hearing and visual impairment support teachers advise school staff in order to meet the pupils’ sensory needs.

The Speech and Language Therapists work closely with teachers to identify needs and set up appropriate programmes.

The Physiotherapists advise on appropriate physio and hydro-therapy programmes.

The Educational Psychologist works with teachers to meet pupils’ learning needs.

The Family Support Practitioner can support families with sleep issues and with The Positive Parenting Programme.

 

Who should parents contact if they are considering whether their child should join our school?

The Principle Special Needs Officer for our school is Nick Mann based in Winchester. He can be contacted by email at nicholas.mann@hants.gov.uk

For a visit to the school contact the Head Teacher, Sean Cannon on 01264 365297

 

How will the school prepare and support my child/young person to join the school, transfer to a new school or transition to the next stage of life?

When a new child is admitted to our school we invite them with their parents for an initial visit when they are shown around our school. They are given information about the organisation of our school, the curriculum, school uniform, school lunches and transport. They are encouraged to look at our web-site to find out lots of other things about our school.

Parents also meet with the class teacher to discuss any issues relevant to their child, such as medication, toileting, feeding etc. If possible the child is invited to spend some time in school before their start date to become familiar with our school. Again, if there is time before the start date, the child will be given a transition booklet, with photos of the school and class mates, for them to have at home and to look at before they start school.

We discuss with parents exactly what is best to help their child successfully start at our school; this may be a gradual introduction starting part-time and slowly increasing or not but we will continually assess and consult with parents to make sure each child has an enjoyable introduction to our school.

If a pupil moves to another school, we will liaise with the new school to ensure that the transfer to the new school is as smooth as possible. Staff from the new school are very welcome to visit us to support the transfer to their school.

Most students leave our school when they are 19 years old. We prepare them for this transition throughout their last three years at school. They learn to become as independent as possible by learning to use public transport, where possible; they may attend a local college for one day a week; they learn to make use of many local facilities. Most students take part in work related learning experience and spend time on residential trips to further develop their social and living skills. We hold meetings with the parents and young person to support them to identify where the young person’s needs will be best met, when they leave school. We support students to visit post-19 provision and discuss possible options with them and their parents. When a placement has been found, the staff are invited to visit the student at our school; we will support the student to visit the provision and set up a transition plan to make sure they have a successful transition to their new setting.

Many of our students move on to local day colleges where they continue to develop their independence skills. Some students move on to supported living in the community.

 

Where can I get further information about services for my child/young person?

This report gives information about the SEN provision at Icknield School, Andover, and is part of The Local Offer.  Information about other provision throughout Hampshire is available on the Hampshire Local Offer site: https://fish.hants.gov.uk/kb5/hampshire/directory/localoffer.page