The Lady Amélie Jakobovits Campus

SEND

The aim of this information report is to explain how we implement our SEND (special educational needs and disability) policy. In other words, we want to show you how SEND support works in our school. 

If you want to know more about our arrangements for SEND, read our SEND policy which you can request from the school office.  

SEN, Wellbeing and Safeguarding Lead:    

Mrs Jacqui Rudolph     jrudolph@menorahhigh.com 

SENCo:   

Mrs Devora Abenson     dabenson@menorahhigh.com  

At Menorah High, we provide for pupils with a wide variety of needs, including Cognition and Learning needs, Social Emotional and Mental health needs, Communication needs and Physical and Sensory needs. 

Areas of need 

TOTAL Number of pupils (autumn term  2023)  

Cognition and Learning (including SpLD) 

29 

Social, emotional and mental health (including ADHD) 

40 

Communication and interaction needs (including Autism Spectrum Condition) 

11 

Sensory and/or physical needs 

5 

Inclusivity 

The school prides itself on its inclusive environment for pupils with SEND.  The SEN department works closely with teaching staff and the extra-curricular team to ensure that no pupil is excluded from any school or year group activity.  A member of the extra-curricular team is trained in first-aid including complex needs such as managing a tracheotomy and managing the needs of diabetic pupils.  

Pupils with SEND or with medical conditions are supported by appropriately trained adults whenever there is an activity where they might require support (in or out of school).  

Parents and pupils themselves are consulted about the types of support that will be put into place for them and appropriate risk assessments are undertaken with the support of the SEN department and the Medical Needs team.  

How pupils with SEND are identified 

  • Handover from primary schools (particularly relevant in the autumn term of year 7) with relevant details about pupils’ SEND, safeguarding concerns, medical issues and any other concerns.  
  • Subject teachers / form tutors raising concerns – this happens through staff entries on CPOMS, our recording system for concerns, where there are a variety of relevant categories to best reflect the nature of the concerns. Once an alert is made on CPOMS, this is usually followed by the form tutor, Key Stage Lead or SEN lead collecting information from a wide variety of staff who interact with this pupil.  The member of staff who is best placed to do so, will meet with the pupil to understand the pupil voice around the concerns that have been raised, ie what are the pupils thoughts about how they are doing and areas where they might be experiencing challenges. The form tutor, Key Stage Lead or SEN lead will speak to parent(s) either on the phone or during a face-to-face meeting and a support plan is drawn up together with the pupil herself, her parents, form tutor and subject teachers and/or support staff when appropriate. 
  • Flightpath Data reveals pupils who are underachieving when compared to their potential. SEN Leads, Data Officer and Key Stage Leads will discuss the pupils who are not meeting potential and, if appropriate, more information will be gathered on these pupils followed by a meeting with the pupil and her parents, as above.  
  • Sixth Form pupils.  We are acutely aware that many issues arise as a result of transfer to post 16 education as the demands on the pupils are of such a different nature when compared to in the lower school.  The Head of Sixth Form (academic) and the pastoral lead of the Sixth Form will be closely involved in the support offered to Sixth Form pupils.  

As a result of any of these methods of identification, a decision will be made by the SEN Lead/SENCO as to whether to add the pupil to the SEN register, at which level (high SEN need, SEN need or monitoring), and what provision should be put into place to support this pupil to make expected or above-expected progress.  

Consulting parents of children with SEN and involving them in their child’s education 

There is an ethos at Menorah that parents know their children best and we work alongside parents, always holding the pupil at the centre of all we do in our joint support for the young person.  

In this light, SEN staff, form tutors and Key Stage Leads work closely with parents.  This could be through face-to-face meetings, virtual meetings, telephone conversations or through parents’ evenings.  All communication with parents is recorded on CPOMS.   

Parents are informed of concerns if they arise and staff work with them to create an action plan to support the pupil.    

Consulting young people with SEN and involving them in their education 

Pupils are aware that they are able to approach their teachers, their form tutors or the SEN staff if they have concerns – the school has an open door policy for all pupils.   All pupils have one to one meetings with their form tutors through the year where specific questions are asked around pupil concerns.  

Interventions are set up with pupils in consultation with the SENCo / SEN lead or other support staff or with their form tutor.  Pupils are involved in decisions around the type of intervention, the targets they are working towards and the progress they are making. 

Measuring progress made by pupils with SEND 

The Specialist SEN admin/staff support teacher (1 day per week), together with the SEN Leads is tasked with creating Individual Support Plans for each pupil on the SEN register.   

Each Support Plan has targets for the pupil and support staff and subject teachers record the progress that the pupil is making towards meeting their targets. 

Learning Support Staff (LSAs) are supported to record progress made by pupils with whom they work.  

Termly Flightpath reports highlight progress made by pupils through the use of trend data (term by term).  Flightpath data reflects grading by subject staff.   The data around pupils on the SEN register is analysed carefully by the SEN leads and the Data Manager.  

For year 11 and year 13, the mock grades are also used to monitor progress in January of each year so that additional interventions can be put into place, if required, as the pupils move towards their final examinations. 

Supporting children and young people moving between phases of education and in preparing for adulthood  

Sixth Form pupils are monitored very closely by the Academic Head of Sixth Form, and any academic issues are dealt with promptly together with the young people themselves, their parents and SEN Leads when appropriate.   Regular testing including mock examinations are useful guides for monitoring progress and picking up concerns.  

Form tutors and Pastoral Head of Sixth Form will also be involved if the SEN concerns are of a pastoral or SEMH nature.   

Support is offered to Sixth Form pupils by subject teachers, SEN staff (as guided by subject teachers) and outside therapists when appropriate.  Support at this level is especially collaborative between subject and support staff. 

How we adapt our curriculum and the learning environment 

All pupils have access to Quality First Teaching. This is a style of teaching that emphasises high quality, inclusive teaching for all pupils in a class. Quality first teaching includes a variety of strategies to support SEN pupils' learning in class including differentiated learning or scaffolding for pupils.  There is on-going formative assessment which informs strategies moving forward.  

As part of Quality First Teaching, teachers adapt their lessons using scaffolding techniques. Scaffolding refers to a method where teachers offer a particular kind of support to pupils as they learn and develop a new concept or skill eg. a teacher may share new information or demonstrate how to solve a problem. The teacher then gradually steps back and lets pupils practice on their own until the pupil is proficient in the skill.   

Teachers adapt their expectations of outcomes for different pupils when appropriate.  An example of this might be asking some pupils to write a shorter piece of work or complete a test that is better able to measure the progress they have made.   

Teachers strive to use multi-sensory teaching techniques – including using visual aids and a “show as well as tell” model.   Some pupils benefit from instructions being repeated, homework being recorded for them, printed handouts of slides, over-teaching and revision of material.  

Some lessons have the benefit of additional staff including learning support assistants who support all pupils in the lessons with a particular focus on specific pupils with SEND.   

 Subject leads work together with SEN support staff to plan adaptions to the curriculum that meet the needs of pupils with SEND.   

 Some pupils are offered additional out of class support from support staff, including support teachers and learning support assistants.  These are in small groups or on a one to one basis.   Planning for these sessions is shared by subject teachers and SEN staff when appropriate.   

 A small number of pupils in Key Stage 4 are offered Entry level courses in place of GCSEs.  This is taught by both subject and SEN staff.  Some pupils are offered a smaller number of courses across all key stages to enable them to access support, have a timetable that is manageable for them, to be able to access therapeutic input when required (including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, counselling, psychotherapy etc).    

 Additional or Different Support for Young People with SEND 

Some pupils require additional or different support focused on meeting their individual need.   

Interventions and support offered to pupils include (not an exhaustive list):  

  • In-class support for individual pupils and for groups of pupils to support them to access the content being offered by the subject teacher.  
  • Specialist literacy programmes 
  • Specialist Maths programmes 
  • Pre-teaching and/or consolidation of classwork including a focus on specific vocabulary and skills in small groups or one-to-one  
  • Mentoring and emotional regulation support 
  • Entry level subjects taught be SEN support staff 
  • BTEC taught by a member of the SEN support staff in the Sixth Form 
  • Hebrew reading programmes and Hebrew skills support  
  • Organisation and study skills support 
  • Executive Function coaching 
  • Emotional Literacy and social skills support  
  • Life skills interventions including 1:1 cooking / art / supported work experience in the crèche / independent road sense and travel skills  
  • Typing tuition  
  • Cued reading and spelling programmes 
  • Occupational therapy programmes set by Barnet therapist 
  • Physiotherapy programmes set by Barnet therapist 
  • Speech and Language therapy programmes set by Barnet therapist 
  • Speech and Language direct interventions (peripatetic SALT attached to the school)  
  • Art therapy (peripatetic art therapist attached to the school)  
  • Counselling sessions (with school counsellor/ attached child and adolescent therapist) 
  • Access arrangements for GCSEs and A levels (Mrs Rudolph is an accredited assessor)  

Evaluating the effectiveness of the provision made 

Flightpath data for each pupil on the SEN register is analysed each term looking at progress against their personal targets and trend data over time.   Separate analysis is performed for pupils with Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs), those with High Level SEN needs and those with SEN needs.  

For each pupil who works with SEN staff in a 1:1 or small group intervention, their progress towards their personal targets is tracked by the SEN department on a regular basis through the Assess – Plan – Do – Review cycle.   This is recorded as part of their support plan.  

Support for Improving Emotional and Social Development  

One of the major strengths of the school is the pastoral care offered to each pupil. Each form has a form tutor who sees the pupils weekly for a form time session and engages in one to one meetings through the school year with each pupil in their form.   Form tutors focus closely on emotional and social development for all pupils (including pupils with SEN) both through form time and through their meetings.   

There is a clear policy of open door access for all pupils to a variety of adults in the school, particularly their form tutor but including all adults including members of the Senior Leadership Team.    

All concerns are recorded on CPOMS allowing a variety of staff to access the information quickly and accurately (on a need to know basis through the CPOMS system).  

If there are form tutor concerns about a pupil, each key stage is managed by a Pastoral Lead who will support the form tutor to support the pupil.  The form tutors/ key stage pastoral leads will also liaise with the SEN team for a pupil on the SEND register. Members of the Senior Leadership Team offer additional support when necessary.  

SEN and pastoral staff act as mentors for a number of pupils with SEMH needs.   One of the SEN rooms is a designated sensory room where pupils are offered a variety of strategies to self-regulate or to regulate with support from an adult.  

There are 4 members of staff trained in Child and Adolescent Mental Health First Aid. One LSA has trained as an ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) who is able to focus on building resilience and self-esteem. managing emotions including anger and anxiety. social and friendship skills. 

Mrs Rudolph has additional training in Emotionally Based School Avoidance.  

Staff Training (Autumn 2023 – Spring 2024) 

Training for all school staff  

  • SEN and Safeguarding session for all staff in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023 
  • Using CPOMS to raise concerns  
  • All staff given time to complete online training in Safeguarding to be compliant with KCSIE 
  • A Practical Session on Meeting the Needs of Pupils with Autism in the classroom  
  • Supporting Pupils with Mental Health Difficulties in the Classroom  
  • Departmental Focus on Meeting the Needs of the most Disadvantaged Pupils including those with SEND leading to department action plans. 

  Training for SEN support staff:  

  • Vocabulary Training – supporting pupils with SEND to learn new subject vocabulary 
  • Tracheostomy Awareness Training (Respirational Training Development) 
  • Differentiating the Curriculum for students with Downs Syndrome 
  • Language support for pupils with Downs Syndrome 
  • Useful Websites and other resources– virtual trainings offered by Barnet and open to all support staff 
  • Manual handling and Evac-chair training 
  • Emotional Learning Support Assistant Training programme 
  • Executive Function Skills training for LSAs 

Training undertaken by SEN Leads: (2022-24)  

  • Barnet Senior Mental Health Leads Conference at Northgate School  
  • Understanding the proposed changes to KCSIE 2023 – The National College 
  • Certification in the Prevent Duty – The National College 
  • Suicide Prevention – Explore, Ask, Keep-Safe (SP-EAK) training  
  • A Practical Guide to Scaffolding to support Disadvantaged Pupils – The National College 
  • Local offer SEND Conference – Barnet Education Learning Service and regular attendance at Barnet SEN Forum  
  • Online Safety Training lead liaising with ECP training provider  
  • Emotional Wellbeing and Energy Accounting Training (Mala Perera, Barnet Autism Team) 
  • Regular attendance at ACE Forum, autism championship group. 
  • Local offer SEND Conference – Barnet Education Learning Service 
  • Ongoing training from Downs Syndrome specialist support  
  • Managing attendance for pupils with mental health challenges 
  • Preparing for Ofsted for SENCos. 

Working with External Agencies 

Barnet Support:  

  • Gina Mime, Complex Medical and Physical Needs advisor 
  • Mala Perera, Lead Advisory Teacher for Autistic Children and Young People 
  • Julia O’Dwyer , Primary/Secondary Autism Advisory Teacher 
  • Parameswaran, Ghowrigah, Educational Psychologist  
  • Debora Tetstill, Teacher of the Deaf 
  • Anita Bonner, Early Help Coordinator  
  • Pam Mitcham, Specialist Nurse, Barnet Children's Continuing Care Team 
  • Noa Girls 
  • Barnet CAMHS  
  • Barnet MASH  
  • Gateways  
  • Kisharon Special School 

A wide variety of professionals providing support for our pupils including (but not exclusively)  

  • Psychotherapists 
  • Psychologists / Counsellors  
  • Psychiatrists 
  • Art therapist 
  • Instrumental enrichment teacher 
  • Occupational therapists 
  • Speech and language therapists 
  • Physiotherapists  
  • SEN Consultant for Down Syndrome  

Complaints around Pupils with SEND  

Any complaints from parents of children with SEN about the provision at the school should be made to Mrs Jacqui Rudolph.  Our Complaints Procedure can be found on the School website.  

Publications and links to further information:  

The Barnet Local Offer  https://www.barnetlocaloffer.org.uk/     This website helps children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities and their families find the information and support they are looking for, from across the Barnet local area. 

The SEND Code of Practice   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25  Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014. 

 

Last Review: March 2024

Next Review: March 2025