Manual of Professional Practice in Meeting Special Educational Needs
KEY AREA B: PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM
Introduction to Key Area B
B1 Learning and Teaching
B2 Planning the Curriculum: Individualised Educational Programmes (IEP)
B3 Support for Learning
Introduction
Appropriate education for children and young persons with special educational needs is that which assists them to make the fullest use of their potential for learning and comprises three essential components: a well thought-out curriculum for the class/school as a whole, individualised educational programmes, and integration of the IEPs with the curriculum for the class/school (EPSEN Par 1.8)
A range of national advice exists to cover the curriculum framework for children in their pre-school year, for children aged 5-14, and for children/young persons following Standard Grade, Higher Grade and National Certificate courses. Much of this advice applies equally to children with special educational needs and there is supplementary advice available in documents such as Support for Learning: Special Educational Needs Within The 5-14 Curriculum (SCCC, 1993). The Higher Still framework will provide for children/young persons with special educational needs from 1999 onwards.
The performance indicators in How Good Is Our School? can also be used alongside the advice here for evaluating aspects of learning and teaching.
This section of the Manual focuses on the following aspects :
B1: Learning and teaching;
B2: Planning the curriculum : individualised educational programmes (IEP); and
B3: Support for learning.
B1: Learning and Teaching
The characteristics of effective learning and teaching are considered in the relevant sections of Chapters 1, 3,4 and 5 of EPSEN. Teachers are aware that the key to effective learning and teaching is differentiation and its extension in individualisation, adaptation, enhancement and elaboration, as described in EPSEN (para 1.9).
Principles
Local authorities are committed to providing for all children and young persons in their area a progressive education appropriate to their age, abilities and aptitudes which is provided in a setting where they are valued and safe.
All children and young persons have an equal opportunity to achieve excellence, to have the highest achievements set for them and to have their achievements valued in the environment which suits them best.
All children and young persons have an entitlement to a curriculum in accordance with the policy of the authority and in line with national guidance. The curriculum satisfies the principles of breadth, balance, progression, continuity and coherence.
Parents are active and informed participants in the assessment of their child's special educational needs and in the formulation and review of measures to meet those needs.
Quality services for meeting special educational needs are supported by strategic policies, effective planning and resource allocation by the local authority and other service providers, and by a structure which establishes procedures for monitoring and evaluating the services provided for children and young persons.
All children and young persons have a right, where appropriate, to participate actively in decisions about their education and welfare; those with communication difficulties are, where necessary, assisted to express their feelings and views and these are valued and respected.
Features to look for
The features of good practice (FGP) in this section are concerned with the following themes:
i Planning approaches to learning and teaching to take account of special educational needs;
ii Selecting and using teaching strategies most suited to the assessed needs of the individual in the context of the group or the class; and
iii Using information and communications technology (ICT).
FGP B1 (1) Key area: providing an appropriate curriculum Aspect: learning and teaching The role of: the local authority |
Theme i: planning approaches to learning and teaching to take account of special educational needs
The authority provides policy guidance on learning and teaching in the context of special educational needs. There is planned professional development to ensure that staff are able to identify learning difficulties, are familiar with a range of learning styles, and use appropriate teaching strategies in order to help overcome difficulties and increase pupil motivation and attainment. The authority provides planned professional development to enable teachers and specialist staff to share experience and extend their professional expertise. The authority secures the range of specialist services to provide for the special educational needs of individual children and young persons in their area. Appropriate learning and teaching resources are provided to meet the needs identified. |
Theme ii: selecting and using teaching strategies most suited to the assessed needs of the individual in the context of the group or the class
In its advice to schools the authority refers to, and makes use of, research findings about effective provision for children/young persons with special educational needs. The authority implements strategies for early identification of abilities and special educational needs and targets resources so that difficulties identified can be responded to promptly. The effectiveness of such strategies is monitored and evaluated. |
Theme iii: using information and communications technology (ICT)
The authority's policy and guidance to schools recognise the important contribution that ICT can make to the education of children and young persons with special educational needs. The authority ensures that adequate resources and staff development are available for the benefits of ICT to be realised. Resources are maintained and upgraded as necessary. |
FGP B1 (2) Key area: providing an appropriate curriculum Aspect: learning and teaching The role of : the school |
Theme i: planning approaches to learning and teaching to take account of special educational needs
The school policy includes measures for supporting learning and teaching which take into account special educational needs and the integral role of all support services in promoting the overall achievement of the school. There is guidance to staff on a variety of teaching approaches including whole class teaching, direct teaching, the organisation of pupils into groups and the opportunity for individuals to work on their own; it encourages teachers to share experience of successful teaching strategies. Professional development is provided regularly on effective learning and teaching, including differentiation. Teachers' forward plans for the class or group build on pupils' prior learning, in and out of school; where required, pupils with special educational needs have individualised educational programmes (IEPs). The effectiveness of teaching practices, planning, guidance and support to staff is monitored and evaluated. Special educational needs are routinely taken into consideration when developing and implementing policies for the educational, social and recreational activities of the school. |
Theme ii: selecting and using teaching strategies most suited to the assessed needs of the individual in the context of the group or the class
Learning programmes are based on knowledge of the child/young person gained from observation, sampling of current and previous work, consultation with parents and advice from specialist and other staff working with the child/young person. Learning programmes are organised to take into account: - the selection and adaptation of content to reflect the strengths, prior learning, needs and interests of the child/young person; - the importance of matching tasks to particular needs or skills; - the different pace and level of learning in the group or class; - alternative modes of presentation and appropriate choice of learning resources; - alternative response methods for demonstrating learning; - the range of learning styles; - flexibility in teaching style and approaches to respond to the needs of the learner; - the role of specialist and other teachers, support staff, therapists, classroom assistants and parents in supporting learning. There is a structured planning framework at school, class, unit or group level which takes into account short and longer term learning objectives and any IEPs. Teachers are encouraged to listen to, note, and as far as possible take account of the parents' views of their child's abilities and needs. Progress in learning is reviewed regularly in consultation with parents. The school has arrangements for seeking early advice from external agencies/ specialist support services and for securing any additional specialist input to help children/young persons overcome identified difficulties as early as possible. In pre-school centres and schools, a member of staff has responsibility for monitoring progress and attainment, and for ensuring effective liaison between all staff involved in teaching and supporting a child/young person with special educational needs. This member of staff is known to the parent and child/young person with whom regular contact is maintained. |
Theme iii: using information and communications technology (IC T)
The policy on special educational needs recognises the important contribution of ICT in helping children/young persons overcome barriers to learning, gain access to the curriculum and make appropriate progress in learning. The school ensures that its ICT resources are available to children/young persons with special educational needs and that they and the staff are trained in the effective use of such technology. |
FGP B1 (3) Key area: providing an appropriate curriculum Aspect: learning and teaching The role of: support services |
Theme I: planning approaches to learning and teaching to take account of special educational needs
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Theme ii: selecting and using teaching strategies most suited to the assessed needs of the individual in the context of the group or the class
Where a child or young person has an IEP, the role and responsibility of any support staff involved with an IEP is explained to parents and child/young person. Specialist staff supporting children and young persons with a sensory or communication impairment have been given an opportunity to become competent in the use of new technologies for learning and teaching and communication, and these technologies are available to children/young persons who require them. There are guidelines and procedures for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the service in the school and in enabling children/young persons to achieve their potential. |
Theme iii: using information and communications technology (IC T)
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B2: Planning the Curriculum
In planning the curriculum for a class or group, account has to be taken of the need for structure and balance as well as meeting the specific needs of individual pupils through individualised programme planning, making use of, as required, the five key strategies, differentiation, individualisation, adaptation, enhancement and elaboration.
(HMI Report: The Education of Pupils with Language and
Communication Disorders.)
NB These strategies are described fully in the national guidance offered in Support for Learning: Special Educational Needs Within The 5-14 curriculum, pages 27-32 (SCCC, 1993).
Principles
All children and young persons have an entitlement to a curriculum in accordance with the policy of the authority and in line with national guidance. The curriculum satisfies the principles of breadth, balance, progression, continuity and coherence.
All children and young persons have an equal opportunity to achieve excellence, to have the highest expectations set for them and to have their achievements valued in the environment which suits them best.
Individualised Educational Programmes
Individualised Educational Programmes (IEP) are written plans outlining the steps to be taken to enable children/young persons with special educational needs to achieve specified targets. An IEP provides the planning framework which underpins the teaching and learning process by which a child's special educational needs can be addressed. The nature and scale of IEPs will vary in line with the needs of the individual. Some IEPs will be short while others will be more extensive documents. An IEP:
contains the targets to be achieved by the child/young person;
enables staff to plan for progression;
allows staff to monitor the effectiveness of teaching and learning; and
provides senior management with a tool for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of provision for special educational needs.
For IEPs to be used to maximum effect they must be drawn up with a number of points in mind.
The IEP must be based on a careful assessment of the special educational needs of the child/young person and the long-term aims agreed for him/her. It should ensure that the requirements of a Record of Needs or of a Future Needs Assessment report, where these are in place, are incorporated into teaching plans.
The child/young person should, where possible, be involved in drawing up the IEP, in agreeing learning targets, and in implementing and reviewing the Programme.
Targets set for IEPs should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timed).
Typically, a series of short-term targets would require to be overtaken before a longer term target is achieved. A particular IEP will focus on only some of the targets and more advanced targets will feature in subsequent IEPs.
As a rule of thumb, a short-term target is one which is expected to be attained in a period of 6-8 weeks. A long-term target is a target for a school session. It is generally good practice to break down short-term targets into even smaller steps or objectives for teaching and assessment purposes. Also, in some circumstances, it will be useful to have extended long-term targets to consider what a child/young person might be expected to achieve at the end of a two or three year period or longer.
A child/young person need not work towards all long-term targets throughout the whole school session. Work towards some long-term targets may commence, for example, in the latter half of a school session if there is sufficient time to overtake the target by the end of the session. This type of phasing can help to keep manageable the number of short-term targets being tackled at any one time.
The IEP should define the action to be taken to help the child/young person achieve his/her targets, identify the staff involved, the frequency, duration and nature of their input and any resources required for the staff or for the child/young person.
The IEP should identify the success criteria; that is, the criteria which will indicate when the targets (short and long-term) have been achieved.
Parents and the child/young person should, where possible, be involved in drawing up the IEP, in agreeing learning targets, and in implementing, monitoring and reviewing the programme.
Who should have IEPs?
In mainstream schools
As a general rule, IEPs will be required for those children/young persons with special educational needs who require significant, planned, intervention. It is useful to think in terms of a hierarchy of intervention. There will be some, for example those with Records of Needs, who are likely to require significant intervention. On the other hand, there will be those who are occasional recipients of learning support. The former will require IEPs, the latter will not. In between, there will be some with whom learning support (or other support staff such as visiting teachers) are frequently involved and who perhaps require tutorial support and/or co-operative teaching. These children/young persons are likely to require IEPs. Others will not need targets set for them through IEPs but class teachers need to be aware of their special educational needs and the implications for teaching and learning. For example, John is a slow writer and should not be asked to copy from the blackboard; Mary has a mild hearing impairment and should have preferential seating in the classroom.
In special schools and units
It is expected that all children/young persons in special schools and units will have IEPs.
Children under five
Children under 5 with Records of Needs or who are being supported at home by pre-school home visiting teachers will require IEPs. Children attending pre-school centres who are receiving significant individual support will also require IEPs.
In what areas of the curriculum should targets be set?
The targets set will be determined by the assessed special educational needs of the child/young person and, as such, are individualised. Targets will relate to the curriculum and to learning and teaching. For example, targets may be set for literacy or numeracy, for behaviour (e.g. staying on task), for communication (e.g. learning Makaton), for using specialised equipment or for developing independence (e.g. learning to use public transport). The type and number of targets set will depend on the needs of the individual child/young person.
Mainstream schools
It is likely that in mainstream schools targets will be set in one or more of the areas of communication and language, numeracy and personal and social development. Targets may be set to address other special educational needs. The number of targets being dealt with at any one time should be kept manageable; for most children/young persons somewhere between 4 and 8 short-term targets should be enough.
Special schools and units
Almost all children/young persons in special schools and units should be set targets in communication and language, numeracy and personal and social development. Special schools and units which follow the elaborated 5-14 curriculum will focus on targets in communication and language, understanding and relating to the environment and personal and social development. In both cases further targets may need to be set to address other special educational needs (e.g. functional movement) or other areas of the curriculum. In special schools and units it is likely that 8 to 12 short-term targets should be sufficient for the IEP.
Children under five
The curriculum guidelines for children in their pre-school year provide a framework for planning the learning experiences of young children. It is likely that children with special educational needs will require targets set in: emotional, personal and social development, communication and language, and knowledge and understanding of the world. Some will require targets set in another area such as physical development and movement depending on their needs. Much of what is said about planning the curriculum for children with special educational needs in special schools applies to children attending pre-school centres. The number of short-term targets should be kept manageable and, generally, no more than 8 should be set; where a child attends on a part-time basis only then a smaller number may be required. Those children not attending a pre-school centre but being visited at home by a pre-school home visiting teacher will also require to have targets set through an IEP. Where there are other professionals involved such as speech and language therapists or physiotherapists
then care should be taken to ensure that parents are not overburdened with targets set by a range of professionals. Effective multi-disciplinary co-operation will be required in these circumstances.
Features to look for
The features of good practice (FGP) in this section are concerned with the following themes:
i the Individualised Educational Programme (IEP);
ii providing a broad and balanced curricular programme which systematically promotes progression in learning and attainment; and
iii enabling children/young persons to achieve success within a learning programme appropriate to their abilities and long term needs.
FGP: B2 (1) Key Area: providing an appropriate curriculum Aspect: planning the curriculum The role of : the local authority |
Theme i: the Individualised Educational Programme (IEP)
The authority provides guidance to all schools on the development and use of IEPs. The authority provides advice to schools on the monitoring, review and evaluation of IEPs. The authority clarifies the roles of schools and specialist support services, including educational psychological services, learning support staff and pre-school home visiting teachers, in the development and review of IEPs. The authority provides advice to schools about how to involve parents and the child/young person, where appropriate, in drawing up, monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the IEP. |
Theme ii: providing a broad and balanced curricular programme which systematically promotes progression in learning and attainment
The authority's guidelines issued to all schools require that a broad, balanced curriculum, designed in accordance with national guidance, is available to all children/young persons including those with special educational needs. The guidelines allow for some flexibility in the balance of the curriculum to ensure that the child/young person has sufficient opportunities to meet the targets set out in the IEP. |
Theme iii: enabling children/young persons to achieve success within a learning programme appropriate to their abilities and long term needs
The authority ensures that specialist services, personal support and appropriate physical and technological resources, including information and communications technology, are provided to facilitate access to the curriculum. |
FGP B2 (2a) Key Area: providing an appropriate curriculum Aspect: planning the curriculum The role of: the school |
Theme I: the Individualised Educational Programme (IEP)
The school has a policy for IEPs in accordance with the advice provided by the authority and national guidance. IEPs form the basis for planning the individual's learning in the school/class/group and within the pre-5, 5-14 or 14+ curriculum. The policy states clearly the criteria for providing IEPs and the specific roles and responsibilities of individual staff involved; the policy states that, in the case of a child/young person with a Record of Needs, the IEP is planned to address the special educational needs as specified in the Record Staff have clear advice about how to set SMART targets for the child/young person. IEPs are integrated within the framework of curriculum planning in the school and class. The school has procedures for involving specialist support staff in contributing to IEPs The headteacher ensures that all children/young persons with Records of Needs have an IEP. There is a nominated member of staff with overall responsibility for drawing up, co-ordinating, monitoring and reviewing IEPs with children/young persons and parents and for evaluating the overall involvement of all professionals in helping children/young persons achieve their agreed targets. IEPs are reviewed regularly. The period of review may vary according to the special educational needs of the learner and the short-term targets set but should not exceed two months. In the case of children/young persons with social/behavioural difficulties more frequent review periods are likely to be appropriate. Long-term targets are reviewed annually. Where necessary they are adjusted in the light of progress made in achieving short-term targets, so that the child/young person achieves success and is challenged appropriately. |
Theme ii: providing a broad and balanced curricular programme which systematically promotes progression in learning and attainment
The school has a teacher's forward planning format for a class/group, agreed with staff, to which IEPs relate. Staff are supported by the provision of policies defining the nature and scope of the curriculum and the school's preferred approaches to learning and teaching. The balance of the curriculum is monitored and, where necessary, adjusted to ensure that the child/young person has sufficient opportunities to meet the targets set out in the IEP. There is planned liaison with associated schools to support effective transition which takes account of prior learning in partnership with parents and children/young persons. The school establishes what a child/young person is expected to have learned in a number of key areas by the end of a school year. As a rule, in mainstream schools and many special schools/units, the key areas should include communication and language, numeracy and personal and social development; other areas will be added to meet the needs of particular children/young persons. The school shares the information about the learning goals with parents and, where appropriate, with children/young persons. Forward plans are informed by a structured system of observation, assessment, recording, reporting and evaluation. These are reviewed and adjusted on the basis of observation and assessment. The school considers the current learning achievements and needs of individuals and small groups in planning short-term goals and learning strategies and ensures that, while the special educational needs of individuals informs planning, the learner is not isolated from peers. The child/young person and parents are involved in planning, reviewing and making decisions about the IEP. The school has agreed arrangements with staff to monitor the effectiveness of the planning process and the learning it is designed to support. |
Theme iii: enabling children/young persons to achieve success within a learning programme appropriate to their abilities and long term needs
The school plans the structured involvement of specialist support where appropriate. Where the child/young person's learning involves specialist input, or more than one educational setting, there is an effective structure for joint planning, recording, reporting and evaluation. Appropriate resources are provided to enable children/young persons to access the curriculum and to support their learning. These resources may include specialist staff, physical or technological resources, including ICT, adapted learning materials and personal assistance. The social and emotional needs of the child/young person are taken into account in planning his/her learning and setting targets. Due regard is given, without discrimination, to the disability, gender, religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic backgrounds of children and young persons when planning their curriculum. |
HM Inspectors have found that the curricular programmes of many pupils become fragmented as they progress through secondary school and their learning needs are not addressed in a planned coherent way
(EPSEN)
FGP B2 (2b) Key Area: planning an appropriate curriculum Aspect: planning the curriculum The role of: the secondary school (additional key aspects) |
Planning IEPs in the secondary school needs to take account of the secondary timetable and of the number of teachers in contact with individual children/young persons.
The timetable is planned on the basis of entitlement and enables children/young persons to achieve, at each stage of secondary school, specified educational targets, leading to fulfilment of the aims of a full programme of secondary education. There is a key member of staff with a remit to oversee the planning and evaluation of IEPs and to chart and monitor the progress of individuals across the curriculum and throughout their school career. Subject and specialist teachers are involved in setting appropriate individualised educational targets and in joint working to support achievement. Subject departments are only involved in setting targets through IEPs if subject specific targets contribute significantly to meeting individuals' special educational needs and only if a subject teacher has sufficiently sustained contact with the child/young person to ensure that targets can be tackled. Careers advice is available from a careers adviser and IEPs take account of individuals' career aspirations. Clear information about an individual's special training needs is made available, either in the context of an individual's record of achievement/ progress file or through a specific report to staff in post-school provision in education, training or employment. The IEP takes account of subject choice in S2, S4 and S5, transition to post-school provision and, in the case of a child/young person with a Record of Needs, of any Future Needs Assessment. |
FGP B2 (2c) Key Area: providing an appropriat e curriculum Aspect: planning the curriculum The role of: the special school/unit (additional key aspects) |
In examining provision in a special school or unit all of the features in B2 (2a) and (2b) should be considered, in addition to the following:
In planning the curriculum, account is taken of the special educational needs the school/unit is designed to support and the entitlement of children/young persons to access a full curriculum appropriate to their age, ability and aptitude. Special schools and units which follow the elaborated 5-14 curriculum will set targets in communication and language, understanding and relating to the environment and personal and social development; other areas will be added to meet the needs of particular children/young persons. Where appropriate, there are arrangements for extending the range of learning experiences available for children/young persons, outwith the school/unit or through support from specialists. Any plans to extend curricular opportunities outwith the school/unit are discussed with the parents and child/young person and necessary support is provided. Transition to and from the school/unit, including to post-school provision, is planned in consultation with parents and, where appropriate, the child/young person. |
FGP B2 (3) Key Area: providing an appropriate curriculum Aspect: planning the curriculum The role of: suppor t services |
Theme i: the Individualised Educational Programme (IEP)
The support service has a policy for IEPs in accordance with the role ascribed to the service in the policy of the authority and in keeping with national guidance. The administration of the service takes into account the contribution of professional staff as agreed in IEPs and workloads are planned accordingly. The service helps to define appropriate learning targets for children/young persons.
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Theme ii: providing a broad and balanced curricular programme whichsystematically promotes progression in learning and attainment
Services support teaching and learning within the context of a planning framework developed in consultation with schools and in accordance with the policies of the authority. There is a system of documentation to support planning, assessment, recording and reporting which informs the contribution the service makes to the planning of IEPs and review of Records of Needs.
Pre-school home visiting teachers plan IEPs taking into account the needs of the individual child/young person and parents, the curriculum framework for pre-school year, or other curricular framework as appropriate, and the range of professionals involved in setting targets. |
Theme iii: enabling children/young persons to achieve success within a learning programme appropriate to their abilities and long term needs
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B3: Support for Learning
Support for learning encompasses the range of approaches and services which promote effective learning and teaching. It refers not only to support provided to the child/young person with special educational needs, and their parents, but also to the support provided to teachers and other staff to enable them to fulfil their roles effectively.
In addition to provision in special schools and units, the range of support services can include:
Learning support and network support teachers
Pre-school home visiting teachers
Specialist teachers including specialists in sensory impairments
Psychological Services
Bilingual or EAL services and interpretive services
Advisory Services
Health Services (speech and language therapy,
occupational therapy, physiotherapy, etc.)
Social Services
Specialist careers services
Principles
All children and young persons have an entitlement to a curriculum in accordance with the policy of the authority and in line with national guidance. The curriculum satisfies the principles of breadth, balance, progression, continuity and coherence.
All children and young persons have an equal opportunity to achieve excellence, to have the highest expectations set for them and to have their achievements valued in the environment which suits them best.
Quality provision for meeting special educational needs is best achieved within the context of a positive ethos of partnership between parents and schools, local authorities, education support services, and other agencies working with children and young persons.
Features to look for
The features of good practice (FGP) in this section are concerned with the following themes:
i ensuring a holistic approach to meeting the needs of children and young persons with special educational needs;
ii support for teaching; and
iii improving attainment.
FGP B3 (1) Key area: providing an appropriate curriculum Aspect: support for learning The role of: the local authority |
Theme i: ensuring an holistic approach to meeting the needs of children and young persons with special educational needs
The provision of services pays due regard, without discrimination, to the disabilities, gender, religious persuasion, racial origins, and cultural and linguistic background of the child/young person and parents. The authority's policy identifies the range of specialist support services available to support children/young persons with special educational needs. This will include services provided by other authorities or agencies, including the voluntary and private sectors. Services have their own policies and procedures which are developed in consultation with the authority, schools and parents. These detail service levels, indicate how support can be accessed and the nature and scope of support the school, the parents, and the child/young person can expect. Where services are not provided directly by the authority there are clear agreements indicating the nature, level and scope of the service and joint working practices. Procedures for accessing the service are specified. Policies for the provision of support for learning state the requirement for collaboration and co-operation among all services and between services and schools. Joint and shared training of teachers and staff of specialist support services (including staff in services managed by other agencies) is organised to extend collaborative working, develop a shared understanding of children's needs and an appreciation of the roles of the different professionals. Clear and accessible information on the services available to support learning is available to parents. The authority monitors and evaluates the provision of support for learning, including the provision of information and communications technology, in collaboration with schools, parents, children/young persons and with the participation of the services involved. The authority ensures that adequate resources and staff development are available for the benefits of ICT to be realised. Resources are maintained and upgraded as necessary. |
Theme ii: support for teaching
Physical and technical resources are provided promptly to meet the identified needs of children/young persons. Professional development and in-service training are provided for all staff working directly with children/young persons with special educational needs. The authority's plan for professional development recognises the need to provide and maintain specialist teaching in areas identified by the authority as required (e.g. teaching pupils with sensory impairment, with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties). Plans for the provision of support for learning are developed in consultation with schools and detail the nature, level and scope of support available and procedures for access. |
Theme iii: improving attainment
In its advice to schools the authority refers to, and makes use of, research findings about effective provision for children/young persons with special educational needs. The authority monitors and evaluates the role of the schools and services for which it is responsible in improving the attainment of children/young persons with special educational needs. |
FGP B3 (2) Key area: providing an appropriate curriculum Aspect: support for learning The role of: the school |
Theme i:ensuring an holistic approach to meeting the needs of children and young persons with special educational needs
The school pays due regard, without discrimination, to the disabilities, gender, religious persuasion, racial origins, and cultural and linguistic background of the child/young person and parents. The school has policies and procedures for ensuring effective liaison with the specialist support services provided by the authority either directly or under contract with an external agency; there is a clear allocation of responsibility for co-ordinating support to an individual child/young person. The school policy states clearly that all staff have a responsibility to support children/ young persons with special educational needs. Appropriate specialist staff are involved in helping the child/young person to assess their own learning and agree future learning targets. Specialist staff are involved in co-operative teaching where appropriate. Children starting a new school are given additional support over the transition period and a review of their transition is carried out within a set time. Arrangements are in place to meet any medical or care needs. Appropriate technology, including information and communications technology, is provided to help children/young persons to access the curriculum. The school policy acknowledges the key role of parents in supporting the education of their child and the importance of developing effective partnerships with parents from the earliest stage. The policy recognises the school's key responsibility for the learning of each child/young person with special educational needs; the procedures for securing adequate and appropriate resources to support the implementation of an IEP or Record of Needs are consistently applied. |
Theme ii: support for teaching
The school development plan includes arrangements for in-service training and professional development opportunities to extend the knowledge and understanding of special educational needs amongst teachers and other staff. The learning needs of staff working with a particular child/young person with special educational needs are met and steps are taken to ensure that specialist staff are enabled to stay abreast of developments in teaching in their fields and in the use of new technologies. Senior or specialist staff within the school provide support to class teachers through co-operative teaching, professional development, working individually with children/ young persons and in sharing expertise through consultancy. The school implements transparent systems for equitable allocation of resources, taking into account the special educational needs of children/young persons and the implications of providing adequate support to all. |
Theme iii: improving attainment The ethos of the school fosters enjoyment in learning; education is provided within a framework of well thought-out curriculum support policies, teaching strategies and planning approaches which foster an ethos of achievement.
Specialist support staff share in the assessment of the child/young person and in agreeing learning targets within IEPs. They are involved in the review of progress and achievement. Where pupils with special educational needs do not have IEPs they are set clear curriculum targets, progress towards which is monitored and evaluated. Senior staff monitor, review and evaluate the progress of children/young persons with special educational needs and, in particular, the extent to which they attain the targets set. The results of the evaluation contribute to school development planning and to setting targets for improving attainment in the school. Support services monitor and evaluate their contribution to raising standards of attainment in collaboration with the school. |
FGP B3 (3) Key area: providing an appropriate curriculum Aspect: support for learning The role of: support services |
Theme i: ensuring an holistic approach to meeting the needs of children and young persons with special educational needs
The service pays due regard, without discrimination, to the disabilities, gender, religious persuasion, racial origins, and cultural and linguistic background of the child/young person and parents. The service has policies defining its role in supporting learning. The policies have been developed within the context of the local authority's policy for meeting special educational needs and in consultation with schools and parents. |
Theme ii: support for teaching
The role of the service in supporting the learning of an individual child/young person within the context of an individual educational programme and/or Record of Needs, is discussed with the parents; staff and parents work together with the school in assessing progress and achievement. There are professional development plans for services to ensure that staff are enabled to stay abreast of developments in teaching, in the curriculum and in the use of new technologies in their specialist areas. There are leaflets which explain the role of the specialist service to children/young persons. Children/young persons are helped to understand the purpose and relevance of the service's contribution to their learning. Information is provided in a form which is accessible to the child/young person. Samples of the child/young person's work are maintained, where appropriate, and progress towards targets is recorded and monitored. The service policy recognises the importance of continuity of contact with the child/young person and family and seeks to maintain this as far as possible. |
Theme iii: improving attainment
Resource allocation and staffing policies are designed to ensure that support to individual children/young persons is maintained, as a matter of priority, in accordance with the needs identified in the IEP and/or Record of Needs. Support services monitor and evaluate their contribution to raising standards of attainment in collaboration with the school. |
