Special Educational Needs and Inclusion at MIS
Definition
As defined by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (UK Government January 2015)
A child or young person has Special Educational Needs and Disability if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.
A child of compulsory school age, or a young person, has a learning difficulty or disability if they:
- have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age; or
- 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.
- Or are under compulsory school age and are likely to fall within either of the definitions above when they reach compulsory school age or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them.
Definition of Special Needs (Qatar Law no. 2, Article 1 – 2004)
Qatar's Law no.2 of 2004 states that “Those Who Have Special Needs" means any person with a permanent total or partial disability in any of the senses or in his or her physical ability or in his or her psychological or mental ability to such an extent that his or her opportunity to learn or to undergo rehabilitation or to earn a living is limited.
The Graduated Response to Needs approach
We use the Graduated Response to Needs approach to support pupils with special educational needs at the MIS primary and EYFS campus.
Assess
In identifying a student as needing SEND support the SENDCo will carry out an analysis of a student's SEND needs. This should draw on the SENDCo's assessment and experience of the student, their previous progress and attainment, as well as information gathered from other teachers.
The student's development in comparison to their peers and other available data should also be considered along with the parent's views and experience, the student's views and, if relevant, advice from external support services.
This assessment will be reviewed regularly to ensure support and intervention are matched to need, barriers to learning are identified and overcome so that a clear picture of the interventions put in place and their impact is developed. With some areas of SEND, the most reliable method of developing a more accurate picture of need will be the way in which the student responds to an intervention.
Plan
If it is agreed that a student requires SEND support, all relevant parties will meet and develop the Plan.
Parents, with their child, will meet with the SENDCo and the teacher to make decisions about the intervention and support to be put in place as well as the expected impact on progress and development. A review date will also be set so that the effectiveness of the intervention can be determined.
The Plan will clearly identify the areas of needs, the desired outcomes, the support and resources provided, including any teaching strategies or approaches that are required and when the plan will be reviewed.
The support and intervention provided will be selected to meet the outcomes identified for the student, based on reliable evidence of effectiveness. They will be provided by staff with appropriate skills and knowledge.
The Plan will usually involve a contribution by parents to reinforce learning at home.
Do
The class teacher remains responsible for working with the student on a daily basis and will work closely with any teaching assistants, to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching.
The SENDCo will support the class teacher in the further assessment of the student's needs, in problem solving and advising on the effective implementation of support.
The class teacher is responsible for the daily implementation of the Plan.
Review
There will be a review of the Plan on the date previously agreed. This review will evaluate the impact and quality of the support and interventions and include the views of the student and their parent.
Parents will be given information about the impact of the support and interventions provided enabling them to be involved with planning the next steps.
Where a student has complex needs, other agencies may be involved. It will depend on the student's needs and the frequency of the educational reviews as to whether external agencies attend each educational review, this will be agreed at the initial meeting.
This review will feed back into the analysis of the student's needs and the class teacher, working with the SENDCo, will revise the support in light of the student's progress and development. Decisions on any changes will made in consultation with the parent and the student.
Where there is a sustained period of insufficient or no progress, the school may decide to gain involvement and advice from other sources. The school will consult with parents before any referral to an external agency.
Who to contact if you think that your child has special educational needs
Please see the SEND Procedure in the 'About us' tab
Below are some links that you may find useful:
Dyslexia - British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk)- Dyslexia
https://www.icancharity.org.uk/ Communication and Interaction
https://www.autism.org.uk/ Autism UK
https://send.eani.org.uk/ Learning difficulties