SEnd information report

Turing House School is a mainstream secondary school with students in Years 7-13. The school believes that all students and young people are entitled to an education that enables them to: 

  • achieve their best; 
  • become confident individuals living fulfilling lives; 
  • make a successful transition into adulthood, whether into employment; further or higher education; or training. 

Under section 65(3)(a) of the Students and Families Act 2014 the Governing Body is required to publish information about the Special Educational Needs policy and provision. This information is updated annually and was last updated on 17th October 2023. 

  • The kinds of special educational needs for which provision is made at the school:

We currently support students with the following Special Educational Needs, and do so in line with the 2014 Code of Practice: Specific Learning Difficulties, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, and ADHD; Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD); Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN); Physical Disabilities (PD); Visual Impairment (VI); Hearing Impairment (HI); and Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH). 

  • The school's policies for the identification and assessment of students with special educational needs:

The school’s policy for identifying students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is in line with the SEND Code of Practice 2014. The school recognises that a child or young person has SEND if they have a substantial and long-term learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. As defined in the 2014 Code of Practice, the school accepts that a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they have a significantly greater, or additional, difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or if they 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. 

Identification of special educational needs can initially be through information given to the school during the transition process from primary school and families, including information about any diagnoses or past interventions from Educational Psychologists or other therapeutic professionals. Identification can be made through analysis of early screening or can come from a teacher or any other member of staff reporting concerns to the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo). Following a report, the SENCo then: co-ordinates collections of evidence from teaching and support staff; analyses assessment and progress data; and reviews evidence gathered from any external professionals, parents, and from the student her/himself. Once need is accurately identified, strategies and reasonable adjustments are recommended to meet individual needs. When necessary, outside agencies will be contacted where the need is deemed to require support outside of the school’s expertise or resource. 

  • Information about the school’s policies for making provision for students with special educational needs whether or not students have Education Health Care Plans, including:

(a) how the school evaluates the effectiveness of its provision for such students 

The school evaluates the effectiveness of its provision for all students, regardless of SEN, through the outcomes they achieve and their progression to further stages of education. All students are set challenging progress targets for their learning achievements and the impact of teaching and additional support is measured by the school through student outcomes. Students with SEN are expected to meet or exceed their targets. The school monitors the effectiveness of its wider curriculum through the inclusion of students in additional activities. The evaluation of all aspects of provision includes input from students and parents. 

Where students with SEN have interventions and provision to meet their needs, this is recorded on an on-line tool. Provision is reviewed on this system and its effectiveness monitored. Reports are produced from the system which map provision in place for individuals. 

Teachers provide feedback and evidence on the impact of a student’s needs on their learning, progress and wellbeing. They hold evidence in their classrooms of how they are adjusting and adapting learning to support those students with SEND. The effectiveness of these strategies is reviewed at reporting times and in reviews where appropriate. 

(b) the school’s arrangements for assessing and reviewing the progress of students with special educational needs 

Whole school assessment and monitoring procedures are in place and apply to all students at all levels. SEN students are assessed in the same way as all other students. The school has a graduated response to meet needs and has an ‘assess, plan, do, review’ approach to ensure that support in place is effective and appropriate. There are structures in place to ensure on-going regular assessment of outcomes which are discussed with the child and parents, this includes formative and summative assessment of interventions. Families have at least three chances per year to meet with school staff to discuss their child’s progress and their needs. 

The school’s assessment procedures ensure that all progress is closely monitored throughout the school year, and that any concerns are rapidly raised. Support is planned and is made available through the class teacher and/or the support teacher, where appropriate, to improve progress (please refer to the SEND policy which can be found here). Parents are informed at least annually when additional learning provision is provided for their child (as per the SEND Code of Practice, section 6.39).  The SENCo works together with the rest of the Senior Leadership Team to ensure quality teaching standards are maintained across the school and that the principles of inclusion are upheld. 

(c) the school’s approach to teaching students with special educational needs 

Students with SEN are expected to be able to work within mainstream classes. They are given high quality teaching and work which is adapted to support their progress and self-directed learning. All teachers use a range of quality teaching strategies which make lessons accessible to those with SEND.  

Specific and evidence-based additional intervention may be made available for timed, structured support to improve progress where there is a clear indication that this would be the right course of action for a student. 

(d) how the school adapts the curriculum and learning environment for students with special educational needs 

The school makes reasonable adjustments to the learning environment to ensure students have opportunity, wherever possible, to meet expected outcomes and participate fully in all aspects of school life. The school seeks to understand students’ differences, recognising that students are likely to learn at different rates and to require different levels and types of support from teachers to succeed.  

The school has strong pastoral support which supports those with an SEMH need. 

Students are included in thinking around curriculum building, including for KS4 subjects which they can choose. There are alternatives to GCSEs, and there are vocational subjects offered which can support those who are less likely to achieve in highly academic subjects. 

(e) additional support for learning that is available to students with special educational needs 

Students with Special Educational Needs make the best progress in their full timetable of lessons. Teachers adapt lessons, whilst maintaining high expectations for all, so that all students have the opportunity to meet expectations. They balance input of new content taught so that students master important concepts. Where there is a Support Teacher working in a class, effective practice is embedded to maximise the impact of that support. This is reviewed and updated regularly. Students with special educational needs have a profile of history of needs and a range of strategies and reasonable adjustments that teaching and support staff draw on to ensure these students make expected or better than expected progress. An intended outcome is to develop self-directed independent learning in all students. 

Further support may be provided through short-term targeted interventions which may be in class, during form time, or, on more rare occasions, require withdrawal from some lessons. This additional support is planned as a result of assessment, and students are included only if the school judges it to be an appropriate intervention. The withdrawal interventions include structured literacy programmes, social/communication groups, speech and language therapy work and emotional support.  

(f) activities that are available for students with special educational needs in addition to those available in accordance with the curriculum 

All students are expected to be involved in the full range of school activities. Should a particular SEND mean that any activity is less accessible to a student who wishes to take part in it, then the school will use its best endeavours to make reasonable adjustments to enable participation.  Where it is not possible to adapt the activity to enable the student to take part, then the school will provide an alternative activity and engage the student in determining and planning this. 

(g) support that is available for improving the emotional and social development of students with special educational needs 

The school’s pastoral system supports all students with close focus on their social, emotional, moral and citizenship development. Where necessary, the school will refer to external support services who can provide intervention, advice and training. 
The school has an anti-bullying policy which applies to all students and operates in line with the school’s Character Education approach to behaviour management and can be found here.  
The school has links to health and social care professionals through the local authorities and can refer to these external agencies for students with higher or more complex need. 

  • The name and contact details of the school’s SEN Co-ordinator

The School’s SENCo is Mrs Louise Harper, who can be contacted using the main contact details for the school which are available here. 

  • Information about the expertise and training of staff in relation to students and young people with special educational needs and about how specialist expertise will be secured

The school goes out of its way to employ outstanding teachers to ensure that all students receive the highest possible quality of education. All recent research has shown that progress is made in direct relationship to the quality of teaching. Support staff, including Learning Support Assistants and pastoral team staff are given opportunities for professional development and training to enable students to make expected or better than expected progress, and to ensure all programmes of support are tailored to specific need. All staff receive induction and regular update training on supporting students with SEND. All use evidence-based strategies and adjustments; and resources which the students can understand and access. Where appropriate, specialist expertise is sought through the Local Authority, Russell Education Trust and other relevant agencies (e.g. hearing impairment specialists).   

  • Information about how equipment and facilities to support students and young people with special educational needs will be secured

Specialist equipment to support individual needs is secured on a case by case basis with the advice, where appropriate, of external specialist agencies. It should, however, be noted that in some cases the building cannot be modified to meet some very specialist needs. 

  • The arrangements for consulting and involving parents of students with special educational needs regarding the education of their child

Parents of students identified as having SEND are given at least three opportunities each academic year to consult with the school, for example, at parents’ evenings and tutor evenings. Students with Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs) will have an annual review. Parents of all other students with SEND students will be able to consult with a member of Learning Support staff or the SENCo to specifically discuss their child’s needs. 

  • The arrangements for consulting and involving young people with special educational needs regarding their education

Wherever possible and advisable, students with EHCPs are involved in the review process and that of setting outcomes on their plan. All SEND students have One Page Profiles in which they can express what is important to them and for them both in and out of school, for their present and future. The school believes that young people have a right to be involved in making decisions and exercising choices. They have a right to receive and impart information, to express an opinion, and to have that opinion taken into account in any matters affecting them. Consequently, the school is committed to working in partnership with the child, parents, carers and outside agencies to identify needs. 

  • Any arrangements made by the governing body or the proprietor relating to the treatment of complaints from parents of students with special educational needs concerning the provision made at the school

In the event that a parent or carer is concerned about the progress that their child is making at school, they should follow our school contact protocol here. They should speak to subject departments, year teams, learning support and pastoral team (PLUS) in the first instance. If the child has SEND and the concern is not resolved at this level, then the SENCo should be contacted. If the parent or carer remains unhappy about the outcome, the Headteacher should be contacted. These are the first stages of the school’s complaints policy which is available in full on the website. Further steps in the school’s complaints policy can also be followed – which can be found here. 

If the issue remains unresolved then a complaint can be made to the local authority or to the Education Funding Agency instead of the local authority if your complaint is not about an EHCP. There’s a different process if you disagree with a decision your local authority has made about an EHCP. 

  • How the governing body involves other bodies, including health and social services bodies, local authority support services and voluntary organisations, in meeting the needs of students with special educational needs and in supporting the families of such students

Where a student with SEND is not making appropriate progress and we feel that advice and support is needed from external professionals, we will discuss such a need with parents. If it is felt appropriate, we will then refer a student to an external agency and/or professionals for diagnosis, support or advice. Following such a referral, we will work with the external agency to support the student, using agency support and advice. We use the Local Authority Educational Psychology Service to make referrals and Educational Psychologists for significant, high and complex cases. We can also refer to Local Authority Advisory Support Teachers. We also work with other external agencies such as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). 

  • Contact details of support services for the parents of students including those with special educational needs:

Speech and Language Therapy - Students (Richmond) 

  • Telephone: 020 8614 5333 

Independent Support Partnership (ISP) 

Music Therapy 

SMILE - a parents and students' group for students with additional needs 

SOS! Special Educational Needs 

SEND Family Voices (SFV) 

School Health Service (Richmond) 

Specialist Health Visitor for Students with Special Needs: 0–19 (Hounslow and Richmond) 

Emotional Health Service 

RELATE Counselling 

WelCare (Kingston and District) 

Me too & Co 

  • Email: info@metooandco.org.uk 
  • Telephone: 07946 646033 
  • Website: Me too & Co 

NAS Kingston (SWAPS) 

Paediatric Audiology (Hounslow and Richmond) 

SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) in Richmond 

Richmond Family Hubs 

 

  • The school’s arrangements for supporting students with special educational needs in transferring between phases of education or in preparing for adulthood and independent living.

The school works closely with all students as they approach times of transition. There is close co-ordination with all feeder primary schools to ensure smooth transition from KS2 to KS3, which includes visits to the primary schools concerned and a range of induction visits for new students. At the end of KS3, meetings will be focussed on transition to KS4 and ensuring the right pathways are established and clearly understood by a child and their parents/carers. 

The Provider Access Policy can be found here 

  • Information on where the local authority’s local offer is published

The local authority’s local offer is published on its website: AfC Info website - Kingston and Richmond :: SEND Local Offer