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Allensbank Primary School

ALN Policy

This policy will be reviewed annually

Head teacher:

Chair of Governors:December 2017

Background

Nearly one in six children is considered to have special educational needs and successive governments have developed the statutory framework to respond to the diverse needs of individual children. Schools and early education settings have to have a written ALN policy.

The information that must be included in a policy is described fully in the ALN Code of Practice for Wales 2002:

basic information about the school’s special educational provision
the school’s policies for the identification, assessment and provision for all pupils with special educational needs
the school’s staffing policies and its policy on partnership with bodies beyond the school

Governing bodies must publish information about, and report on, the school’s policy on ALN. This must be freely available to parents. The school as a whole should be involved in the development of the policy and it should be subject to a regular cycle of monitoring, evaluation and review.

The governing body’s annual report must include information on the implementation of the governing body’s policy on pupils with special educational needs and any changes to the policy during the last year.

Definition of Special Educational Needs:

“Pupils have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.’’

“Children have a learning difficulty if they

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

b) have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making full use of the educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in school within the area of the local educational authority (LA)

In relation to EAL pupils who may also have ALN needs, the Code of Practice states:

“Children must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or form of language of their home is different from the language in which they will be taught.”

Special educational provision means:

for pupils of two or over, educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools maintained by the LA, other than special schools, in the area
for children under two, educational provision of any kind

All mainstream schools must appoint a designated teacher to be the additional learning needs co-ordinator (ALNCo), who will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the school’s ALN policy. He or she will co-ordinate provision for pupils with ALN, maintain the ALN register, and liaise with parents, staff and external agencies. Allensbank Primary School’s ALNCo is Mrs Janine Reynolds, who has overall responsibility for ALN and EAL within the school.

Introduction

The school currently has 242 pupils aged between 3-11 years, including a 32 place nursery and a 8 place Specialist Resource Base for pupils who are statemented for complex speech and language communication disorders (drawn from across the city). Around 20% of pupils have additional learning needs (ALN), including 5% of pupils with a formal statement.

Children are eligible to attend the Nursery after their third birthday and are admitted to school in the academic year in which they are five years old. The school has a policy of establishing links with both parents and children before admission. Parents of new entrants are invited to school prior to admission and children are encouraged to visit to familiarise themselves with their new environment.

The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum for all children.

Teachers identify and set suitable learning challenges and respond to children’s diverse learning needs. Teachers take account of the individual needs of all pupils and make provision, where necessary, to support individuals or groups of children and thus enable them to participate effectively in curriculum and assessment activities

Children may have additional leatning needs either throughout, or at any time during, their school career. This policy aims to ensure that curriculum planning and assessment for children with special educational needs takes account of the nature and extent of the difficulty experienced by the child.

Additional Provision

Allensbank Primary has a speech and language unit and is taught by Mrs Emma O’Malley.

All pupils have full access to the mainstream curriculum and are fully integrated into school life. Where appropriate, individual pupils will integrate into mainstream peer groups for relevant subjects.

Aims

At Allensbank Primary School we

enable every pupil to experience success/font>
promote individual confidence and a positive attitude
ensure that all pupils, whatever their additional needs, receive appropriate educational provision through a broad and balanced curriculum that is relevant and differentiated, and that demonstrates coherence and progression in learning
give pupils with ALN equal opportunities to take part in all aspects of the school’s provision, as far as is appropriate
identify, assess, record and regularly review pupils’ progress and needs
involve parents/carers in planning and supporting at all stages of their children’s development
work collaboratively with parents, other professionals and support services
eensure that the responsibility held by all staff and governors for ALN is implemented and maintained.

Relationship to other policies

This policy also relates to the policies on Learning and Teaching, Healthcare Policy, Access plan and the Equalities Policy. The Accessibility Plan is also pertinent to this policy.

Objectives

At Allensbank Primary School, staff cater fully for the learning needs of all pupils in their classes and ensure equality of opportunity in fulfilling their responsibilities as class teachers.

The needs of pupils will be met through a Graduated Response to provision for all pupils identified as having Additional Learning Needs.

Class teachers will differentiate classroom tasks, resources and materials and match work to pupil need. This is reflected in all levels of planning.

All pupils, where appropriate, participate fully in Assessment for Learning (AfL) through self assessment and personal target setting.

IEPs/IBPs are in place to support individual needs and provide attainable targets for children with ALN. /font>

Effective support will be provided by named Teaching Assistants (TAs). All staff are provided with opportunities to access training to develop the skills required to promote effective learning.

TThis policy aims to outline the procedures and strategies used to identify, assess, monitor and review ALN pupils in the school. It aims to ensure that:

every child is provided with opportunities to help them achieve their full potential in a pleasurable, happy and supportive environment
an environment is created that meets the additional learning needs of each child
that the additional learning needs of children are identified, assessed and provided for
the expectations of all partners in the process – staff, parents or carers, external agencies and the child are made clear
the roles and the responsibilities of staff in providing for children’s additional learning need are clearly defined
all children are enabled to have full access to all elements of the school curriculum
differentiation in the classroom takes into account the individual pupil’s ALN in relation to grouping, pace of work, clear teaching and effective learning
targets and resources adopt a ‘small steps ‘ approach where appropriate which is reflected in the Schemes of Work and all levels of planning
parents are regularly informed of their child’s level of attainment and advised how to support at home
resources associated with ALN are developed and audited as appropriate
liaison with ALNCo and Primary Cluster Schools is developed
reports and/or records received and maintained from previous settings and external professionals are considered

Additional Learning Needs

Children with additional learning needs have learning difficulties that impact on effective learning and call for special provision to be made. All children may have special needs at some time in their lives. Schools are statutorily instructed to distinguish between the different stages of assessment. The revised Code of Practice (2002) has identified School Action (Early Years Action) as the school based stage and School Action Plus (Early Years Action Plus) and Statement as multi professional assessment stages which require the support and expertise of outside agencies.

Roles and Responsibilities of Headteacher, Staff and Governors

Provision for children with additional learning needs is a matter for the school as a whole. It is each teacher’s responsibility to provide for pupils with ALN in her/his class, and to be aware that these needs may be apparent in different learning situations. All staff are responsible for helping to meet an individual’s additional learning needs and for following the school’s procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision to meet those needs./font>

TThe Governing Body, in co-operation with the headteacher, has a legal responsibility for determining the policy and provision for pupils with ALN. It maintains a general overview and has appointed a representative governor, the ALN Governor, who takes particular interest in this aspect of the school.

The Headteacher has responsibility for

the management of all aspects of the school’s work, including provision for pupils with ALN/font>
informing the Governing body about ALN issues
working closely with the ALN personnel within the school
eensuring that the implementation of this policy and the effects of inclusion policies on the school as a whole are monitored and reported to governors.

The b>Governing Body must ensure that:

the necessary provision is made for any pupil with ALN
all staff are aware of the need to identify and provide for pupils with ALN
pupils with ALN join in school activities alongside other pupils, as far as is reasonably practical and compatible with their needs and the efficient education of other pupils
they report to parents on the implementation of the school’s ALN policy through the annual report to parents
they have regard to the requirements of the ALN Revised Code of Practice (2002)
parents are notified if the school decides to make special educational provision for their child
they are fully informed about ALN issues, so that they can play a major part in school self-review
they set up appropriate staffing and funding arrangements, and oversee the school’s work for pupils with ALN
they, and the school as a whole, are involved in the development and monitoring of this policy
ALN provision is an integral part of the school improvement plan
the quality of ALN provision is regularly monitored.

TThe named governor for ALN and Inclusion is Mr Kevin Jacobs, who liaises regularly with the Headteacher and the ALNCo.

The b>Additional Learning Co-ordinator (ALNCo) is responsible for:

overseeing the day-to-day operation of this policy
co-ordinating the provision for and managing the responses to children’s additional learning needs
ensuring that an agreed, consistent approach is adopted
liaising with and advising other staff
working in partnership with class teachers to identify and support pupils with ALN
contributing to the development of joint and detailed assessments and observations of pupils with specific learning problems
managing the records of all children with additional learning needs
supporting class teachers in devising strategies, drawing up Individual Education Plans (IEPs/IBPs), setting targets appropriate to the needs of the pupils, and advising on appropriate resources and materials for use with pupils with ALN and on the effective use of materials and personnel in the classroom
liaising closely with parents of pupils with ALN, so that they are aware of the strategies that are being used and are involved as partners in the process
liaising with outside agencies, arranging meetings, completing documentation and providing a link between these agencies, class teachers and parents
maintaining the school’s ALN register and records
assisting in the monitoring and evaluation of progress of pupils with ALN through the use of existing school assessment information, e.g. class-based assessments/records, end of year teacher assessments and standardised tests
contributing to the in-service training of staff and presentations to governors
managing learning support staff/teaching assistants
ensuring that midday supervisors are given any necessary information relating to the supervision of pupils at lunchtime and supporting them in relation to behaviour management and other issues for particular pupils
lliaising with the ALNCos in the feeder High School and cluster feeder primary schools to ensure high quality transition arrangements

Class teachers are responsible for:

including pupils with ALN in the classroom, and for providing an appropriately differentiated curriculum. They can draw on the ALNCo for advice on assessment and strategies to support inclusion
making themselves aware of this policy and procedures for identification, monitoring and supporting pupils with ALN/font>
ggiving feedback to parents of pupils with ALN

ALN issues are regularly discussed at staff meetings as it is recognised that the responsibility of children with ALN is that of i>all sstaff.

Teachers and the ALNCo meet regularly to determine appropriate planning and provision. IEPs/IBPs are written by class teachers, with support from the ALNCo, using advice from other agencies, as appropriate. Copies of individual IEPs/ IBPs are shared with parents/ carers, with a signed copy being held by the school. The targets are then discussed with parents/ carers at an arranged review meeting.

Teaching Assistants (who provide support for ALN pupils) are responsible for:/b>

ensuring that they are fully aware of this policy and the procedures for identifying, assessing and making provision for pupils with ALN
using the school’s procedures for giving feedback to teachers about pupils’ responses to tasks and strategies
supporting children with additional learning needs in all areas of the curriculum
supporting a pupil with a specific difficulty to enable him or her to access the curriculum
working with individual children under the direction of the teacher
working with groups of children under the direction of the teacher
aassisting in the production of differentiated materials

Admission Arrangements

Admission arrangements for pupils with ALN are the same as for all other pupils.

Allocation of resources

Provision is mapped and costed to ensure efficient and effective use of resources.

The ALNCo is responsible for the operational management of the specified and agreed resourcing for additional learning needs provision within the school, including coordinating the provision for children with statements of special educational needs.

The Headteacher consults with the governing body of how the funding is best deployed to support additional learning needs.

Appropriate resources for children with additional learning needs support all areas of the curriculum.

Assessment

Early identification is vital. The class teacher informs the parents at the earliest opportunity to alert them to concerns and enlist their active help and participation to support learning. The class teacher and the ALNCo assess and monitor the children’s progress in line with existing school practices.

The ALNCo works closely with parents and teachers, TAs and external professionals (as appropriate) to plan a programme of intervention and support.

The assessment of children reflects as far as possible their participation in the whole curriculum of the school. The class teacher and the ALNCo can break down the assessment and learning into smaller steps in order to aid progress and provide detailed and accurate indicators.

Curriculum and teaching methods

It is important that each class teacher creates a learning environment which is supportive to all children’s learning. In order to do this they should continually assess what they are doing by posing the following questions:-

is the process of learning interesting and rewarding?/font>
does the child understand what is required of him/her?
is the work adequately planned and matched to individual level for pace?
does the child learn by doing, i.e., opportunity for practical experience?
are the learning situations suitably varied?
does a good relationship exist between the child and the teacher which facilitates learning?
are physical conditions conducive to learning?
is independent learning being promoted?
is there a positive atmosphere with plenty of encouragement within the classroom?
is there adequate planning of the curriculum?
is there adequate differentiation which takes into account individuals needs and different levels of ability?
is expectation of each child high enough in terms of ability and progress?
are the materials/resources suitable for each child’s level of functioning?
iis learning taking place in a positive, safe, learning environment to enable all pupils to take risks?

We endeavour to support children in a manner that acknowledges their entitlement to share the same learning experiences that their peers enjoy. To maximise learning, we deliver ALN provision in a range of environments; the children work in small groups, or in a one-to-one situation outside the classroom, or in-class support is given. At all times we try to ensure that the environment chosen is that most appropriate to effective learning. Specialised programmes within the school that are used with ALN pupils include Talking Teddy, Chatterbox, NIPpers, Rapid Readers, Talkabout, Toe by Toe, Build to Express, Lego Therapy, ELSA, Language Links and Speechlink. However, the range and variety of interventions undertaken at the school will vary on an annual basis, according to the specific needs of the cohort.

Working in Partnership with Parents

“Parents hold key information and have a critical role to play in their children’s education. They have unique strengths, knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of the child’s needs, and the best ways of supporting them”. /b> ((2:2 Special Educational Needs Code of Practice for Wales 2002).

It is considered very important, therefore, by the staff and governors of Allensbank Primary School, that parents are treated as partners in their children’s education and as such are involved and informed as much as possible as soon as a special need is first identified and additional support is being considered. Parents will be invited into school to discuss the problem initially with the class teacher on an informal basis e.g. bringing the child to or collecting the child from school. When additional support is being considered, discussions may then take place between the parent, Headteacher, Class Teacher and Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator.

Any programmes, whether for learning, social or emotional reasons or behaviour, take into account the knowledge, wishes and feelings of the parent. If the child is being given behavioural support, with a structured programme, then reinforcement at home by the parents will be paramount. It is essential that parental views are represented in any assessments or reviews.

Good links with parents already exist within the school, and, therefore, parental involvement in special educational needs is seen as an extension of these links. As well as this, various schemes are organised from time to time to involve parents in the school, for example, the Family Learning Together.

The school believes it is vitally important that parents are able to express their views and have them carefully considered. Consequently, all parents of pupils with ALN have the opportunity to discuss IEPs with the Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator, or Class Teacher. Permission letters are sent to all parents of pupils needing additional ALN support. The letters also invite parents to school to discuss any concerns. Parents are asked to sign IEPs to show that they have discussed them with the class teacher or ALNCo.

The school believes that parents should have knowledge of their child’s entitlement within the ALN framework and staff are willing to advise parents.

Reporting to Parents

The Governors are required by law to include the following information in their annual report to parents:-

the success of the ALN Policy./font>
significant changes in the policy.
consultations with LA, Funding Bodies etc.
hhow resources have been allocated to and amongst children with additional learning needs over the year.

Evaluation of Special Educational Needs Policy

It is the duty of the school through the headteacher, ALNCo and nominated school governor, to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the policy and to report back to the remaining governors and to the parents annually. This evaluation will be done through the following procedures: -

Reporting on the means of identifying and assessing pupils with additional learning needs./font>

References to examples of previous and current work of additional learning needs children.
The level of attainment achieved by additional learning needs children in relation to the general level of attainment for the whole school through assessments, teacher assessment results where appropriate and records of achievement.
Periodic review of progress as detailed in this policy.
Physical, personal and social development of additional learning needs children.
The number of children who have additional learning needs provision, distinguishing between those with and without statements.
AAttendance figures.

Arrangements for Monitoring and Evaluation

The success of the school’s ALN policy and provision is evaluated through:/font>

mmonitoring of classroom practice by the ALNCo, subject co-ordinators and SLT
analysis of pupil tracking data and test results for individual pupils and for cohorts/font>
value-added data for pupils on the ALN register
mmeetings between ALNCo and ALN Governor
school self-evaluation/font>
the governors’ annual report to parents, which contains the required information about the implementation and success of the ALN policy
the school’s annual ALN review (TAS), which evaluates the success of the policy and sets new targets for development
the school improvement plan, which is used for monitoring provision in the school
visits from LEA personnel and ESTYN inspection arrangements
ffeedback from parents and staff, both formal and informal, following meetings to produce IEPs/IBPs and targets, revise provision and celebrate success

Complaints Procedure

If a parent is concerned about the decisions made about his/her child, or the type of support being received then the parent can express those concerns in the first place to the child’s teacher. Further concerns can be expressed to the Additional Learning Needs Co-ordinator or the Head Teacher. More serious concerns can be taken to the Chair of Governors who is also the Governor responsible for Additional Learning Needs.

In some cases, particularly those where decisions are taken by the LEA, there are other agencies who will act on behalf of the parents.

Involving the Child

“Children who are capable of forming views have a right to make known and receive information, to express an opinion , and to have that opinion taken into account in any matters affecting them. The views of the child should be given due weight according to the age, maturity and capability of the child.”/b> ((Articles 12 and 13, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child).

At Allensbank Primary School it is our policy to involve the pupil as much as possible in implementing any individual educational programme. Pupils need training and encouragement to help them participate and become involved in their own decision-making. Where practicable, children are involved in setting the targets for their IEPs so they are aware what they have to do in order to achieve them. They also set their own classroom targets. By involving children in the decision making and monitoring procedures it is possible to boost self-esteem and self-confidence as well as encourage independent learning.

Outside Agencies

The school makes full use of outside agencies to support the needs of the children within the school. Some of these outside agencies are provided by the LA Achievement Service, for example specialist teachers from NIPpers teams, BESD and Hearing Impairment. Some pupils with BESD difficulties receive support from the Fasttrack Team. The school has also consulted the EWO, Social Services, paediatric medical experts at St. David’s Hospital, speech therapists, the Early Years Forum, the School Nurse and the Health Visitor. The school will continue to consult outside agencies according to the needs of individual children.

The Educational Psychologist works in partnership in school with pupils, class teachers, ALNCo and parents. Class teachers, in conjunction with the ALNCo need to complete an ‘Educational Psychologist Consultation Request’ form prior to the visit for each pupil that advice is needed.

Links with other Schools

All pupils in year 6 are involved in transition days to their feeder High School. The ALNCos from the high schools liaise with the ALNCo from Allensbank Primary to ensure that they have all relevant information and documentation prior to transfer.

When a child with ALN transfers to another school, care is taken to ensure that the receiving school has all relevant information and documentation for that child.

Allocation of Funds via the County ‘Green Sheet’

Each year funds are delegated into the school’s budget from the LA. The Governors, together with the Head teacher and ALNCo are responsible for setting up appropriate funding arrangements. Pupils at School Action and School Action + have their costs partially met from the school’s delegated budget. The LA provides funding for pupils at School Action + Plus and for Statemented pupils. There is an expectation that the school will provide additional funding from its base budget for supporting pupils with additional learning needs.

The Additional Learning Needs policy will be reviewed on an annual basis and any amendments or additions will be made accordingly.

The adteacher is responsible for monitoring t the policy to ensure that it is applied.

The policy applies equally to all pupils in the school community regardless of gender, ethnicity, social circumstances and prior attainment.

This policy is freely available to governors, staff and parents.

Signature of ALNCO…………………………………………… Date……………

Signature of Headteacher………………………..………..… Date……………

Signature of Nominated Governor ………………………… Date……………

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