Is your school compliant with SEND requirements?

Prior to Ofsted calling desktop checks are made to ensure school websites comply with statutory guidance.  If you are a maintained school there is a checklist available on the Department for Education site:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online

Academies and Free Schools need to check their funding agreements to find out what they are required to publish.

A recent audit and several school inspection reports have found gaps in relation to Special Educational Needs. 

Special Educational Needs and Disability Requirements (SEND)

You must publish an SEN Information Report, which details your school’s policy for pupils with SEND.  The LA has produced a checklist to help ensure your report complies with the statutory guidance:

 In particular schools must include:

• the admission arrangements for pupils with SEND;
• the steps taken to prevent pupils with SEND from being treated less favourably than other pupils;
• details of your school’s access facilities for pupils with SEND;
• the Accessibility Plan, showing how you are planning to increase access over time for pupils with disabilities;
• the name and contact details of the SENCo;
• a link to the Local Authority’s Local Offer site: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/send
• how parents contact the SEND Information and Advice Service: https://www.family-action.org.uk/what-we-do/children-families/sendias/warwickshire-parent-partnership-service/

Our recent audit found that many Access Plans have not been reviewed and updated for several years, were not resourced and did not cover the three required areas, that is, how the school is:

• increasing the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum;
• improving the physical environment of schools to enable those with disabilities to take better advantage of education, benefits, facilities and services provided; and
• improving the availability of accessible information to those with disabilities.

For more advice and to access a Model Accessibility Plan:

http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/schoolsdisabilityequality

Including children with medical needs

Our audit also showed that some schools have not responded to the DfE guidance “Supporting pupils at School with Medical Conditions”, which came into effect from September 2014:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3

Please ensure that your school has a policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions that is reviewed regularly and there is a named person with overall responsibility for policy implementation and ensuring that sufficient staff are suitably trained.  For a summary of what is required please see:

Our Disability Equality webpage has further advice, however, you will also find the following site available with valuable advice and several model policies and templates:

http://medicalconditionsatschool.org.uk/

It is vital that Health Care Plans are in place for pupils with medical needs and that these are regularly reviewed.  Any concerns about pupils who need health care plans or reviews, please contact Warwickshire’s School Health & Well Being Service on 03300 245 204 or via warwickshireSH&WBService@compass-uk.org.