At Stanborough Secondary School we recognise that every child is unique and special. 

Within our rich and varied curriculum, every child is given opportunities and support, in a safe, caring and stimulating environment, which should facilitate each child’s chance to reach the highest possible standards. All staff are committed to meeting the needs of all our children and strive to break down any barriers that are preventing children from making the progress they are capable of. As a school, we recognise the importance of not only supporting children’s academic progress but also developing their behavioural, emotional and social skills to enable them to become confident, independent learners.

We aim to: 

  • identify and monitor children’s individual needs from the earliest possible stage so that appropriate provision can be made and the child reaches their full potential. 
  • plan an effective curriculum to meet the needs of children with SEND. 
  • work in close partnership with, and involve, parents/carers of children who have SEND. 
  • ensure all working with the children are aware of the procedures for identifying their needs, supporting and teaching them. 
  • work in close partnership, where appropriate, with outside agencies to support the needs and provision for children who have SEND. 

The Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator, Mrs Gengan, has a wealth of experience and successfully co-ordinates a professional team of staff and outside agencies to ensure pupils receive the specific high quality support that they need. You can contact Mrs Gengan on kmahasingh@stanboroughpark.herts.sch.uk

How does Stanborough School know if my child needs extra help, and what should I do if I think my child has SEN? 

  • A pupil is considered to have Special Educational Needs if they have either a learning difficulty or a disability and they need special educational provision to be made for them. Special educational provision is defined as any education provision which is additional to or different from that generally made for others of the same age in mainstream school. 
  • At Stanborough, we believe that class teachers are teachers of all children. It is their responsibility to meet the needs of all pupils within their care. They do this by employing high quality teaching strategies which acknowledge the individual needs of each pupil in their class. Teachers continuously monitor the progress and attainment of every pupil in their class. When a pupil does not make adequate progress this is identified, and provision is put in place within the classroom setting to try to address this. The Code of Practice suggests that pupils are only identified as having a Special Educational Need if they continue to fail to make adequate progress once they have had all the appropriate Wave 1 interventions/adjustments and quality personalised teaching. 
  • At Stanborough, if this is the case the pupil is then identified as having a Special Educational Need. 
  • Staff may use a variety of assessments both formal and informal to help them reach judgements about your child’s individual needs. The SENDCO, in collaboration with yourselves may also facilitate a referral to specialist support services, such as Speech and Language therapy, to enable the best possible provision for your child.  
  • If you have concerns that your child may have a Special Educational Need you should speak to your child’s class teacher initially. If you still have concerns after this conversation that your child’s needs are not being met then you should approach the SENDCO and request a meeting. She will then work in collaboration with you and your child’s class teacher to ensure maximum progress for your child. 

How will Stanborough Secondary School support my child? 

Targeted support will be provided through a graduated approach, a continuum which moves from Quality First Teaching within the classroom to individualised 1:1 support for those pupils with the most complex needs. 

1. The class teacher will provide excellent targeted classroom teaching (Quality First Teaching) for your child this means that: 

  • The teacher will have the highest possible expectations for your child.
  • The teacher will plan work which builds on what your child already knows, can do and understands.
  • Teaching styles will be adapted to meet the needs of your child within the classroom.
  • Specific strategies may be in place to support your child in accessing the curriculum. (These may be outlined in a provision map for your child).
  • The teacher will have carefully checked on your child’s progress, and will have decided that your child has a gap / gaps in their learning. The teacher will then plan additional intervention / support to enable your child to make the best possible progress. This intervention may take place within the classroom or in small group withdrawal sessions.
  • Your child will be actively encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. They will be expected, where possible, to express their opinions about what they are learning and the progress they are making. They will be supported to contribute to the review process and the planning of any intervention they will be participating in.
  • Your child will be taught Learning to Learn skills, which aim to support their learning journey.

2. School Support 

If your child continues to progress at a slower rate than their peers, and attain at a lower level despite the intervention outlined above, or continue to struggle to overcome barriers to learning, the school will identify your child as having Special Educational Needs, and will place your child on the SEND list at School Support level. When your child is placed at School Support, the class teacher remains responsible for monitoring, evaluating and delivering provision for your child, in collaboration with yourselves, your child, other staff within school and the SENDCO. Typically your child will: 

  • Have a Special Educational Needs Provision Plan/Passport which identifies the needs of the pupil, the targets for progress, how these targets will be implemented, the frequency of support received by the pupil and have clear criteria for success within an agreed time frame. 
  • Have regular reviews of progress where next steps will be identified. 
  • Have some parts of curriculum planning adapted so that your child can access learning to ensure progress. 
  • Have some additional adult support, either within the classroom, or in small group withdrawal sessions. 
  • Follow evidence based intervention programmes designed to address the identified needs for your child.  

At this stage the class teacher or SENDCO may approach you to discuss seeking your permission to refer your child to a specialist service to enable us to understand your child’s needs better, and to be able to support them more effectively in school. These specialist services may include Speech and Language therapy, Occupational therapy, Educational Psychology, Jigsaw centre – Behaviour Support. 

3. Specified Individual Support 

  • This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong. This is usually provided through an Education, Health and Care Plan ( EHCP). This means your child will have been identified by professionals as needing a particularly high level of individual or small group teaching.
  • This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning which cannot be addressed simply by Quality First Teaching and intervention groups.

For your child this would mean: 

  • The school (or you) will request that the local authority carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child.
  • After the request has been made to the panel of professionals (with a lot of information about your child, including some from you), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case, they will ask you, and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with the current support.
  • After the reports have all been sent in, the panel of professionals will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong. If this is the case, they will write an EHCP. If it is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the current level of support.
  • The EHCP, once issued, will outline the additional support your child will receive; from how this support should be used to what strategies must be put in place. It will also have long and short term goals for your child. This additional support may be an additional adult to facilitate access to individualised learning or may be to fund specialist equipment/ provision.

SEND Legislation

The reforms in the Children and Families Bill 2014 affected the way children with special educational needs (SEN) are supported in schools. This new approach was implemented in September 2014 and places pupils at the centre of planning.  Building on best practice, the SEND Code of Practice 0-25 sets clear expectations on schools to deliver a whole school approach to SEND, with good quality teaching as a first response and a clear focus on outcomes. Teachers and teaching assistants are at the heart of the new SEND support system, supported by the strategic role of our SENDCO, with strong leadership from head teacher and governors. 

The key principles of this new legislation are:

  1. Young people and their families should be fully involved in discussions about the support they need, so they can share their knowledge and feedback to the school on the young person’s progress. 
  2. Education, Health and Care plans (EHC) will replace statements of special educational needs. New assessments for additional educational needs will follow the EHC guidelines from September 2014.