Barnet Schools Offer
The Inclusion Policy
Equality Policy
SEN Report (at the bottom of this document)

What Kinds of special educational needs are catered for?

Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School is an inclusive, mainstream girls’ school located in the London Borough of Barnet. We aim to include all students with Special Educational Needs and Disability. However, the configurations of the buildings may limit what reasonable adjustments can be made and therefore there are limitations for some students with particular physical disability. We make provision for students under the categories outlined in the SEND Code of Practice 2014 as those having needs under the umbrella of cognition and learning, communication and interaction, social, emotional and mental health, sensory and physical need.

What policies are in place for identifying children and young people with SEND and assessing their need?

A variety of screeners and assessments are in place for identifying needs and we use outside agency support as provided by the local authority to assess individuals. Specific diagnostic testing used is dependent on the needs of the student, as well as any prior testing that has been undertaken for that student. The files from primary schools are transferred to us with other student information and we are made aware of provision that has previously taken place. If a young person's learning difficulty or disability calls for a provision different to or additional to that normally available to pupils the same age, they will be placed on the SEND register. If their needs can be met with ordinarily available provision ie QFT, they will be placed on the SEND Aware Register.

Relevant documents:

● Inclusion Policy

● London Borough of Barnet Schools Offer

Named person responsible for special educational needs is Mrs Ceri Matty – SENCO.

What arrangements are in place for consulting parents of children with SEND and involving them in their daughter’s education?

Parents of students with identified needs are consulted in a variety of ways at Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School. We have parent’s evenings for every year group where parents can access someone from the Inclusion team as well as classroom teachers. At transition points, the Inclusion team will provide key information to parents. Each student with a Statement of special needs/Education, Health and Care Plan will have an annual review to meet formally with parents, Senco and other supporting agencies to review progress. Those girls having interventions in school will be contacted in writing and meet with the SEN teacher and SENCO at parents’ evenings or by prior arrangement.

What arrangements are in place for consulting young people with SEND and involving them in their education?

Students with Statements/Education, Health and Care Plans are regularly consulted about their education by both Inclusion and Pastoral teams. They often have a unique knowledge of their own needs and their own views on the support they would like to help them achieve. Those students with Education Health Care Plans are encouraged to participate in planning for their needs and in the setting of clear outcomes. All students are encouraged to attend and participate in Student Voice and the School Council.

What arrangements are in place for assessing and reviewing student’s progress towards outcomes?

Student progress is monitored regularly in school and all staff are responsible for assessing and reviewing that progress. The Inclusion department has a variety of additional testing procedures in place to review progress before and after specific interventions have taken place. Parents are contacted and supported by the Inclusion team. Students who are identified as having difficulty making progress may also be assessed by outside agencies, in line with the local offer, where applicable to advise teachers on the most effective strategies for support.

What arrangements are in place for supporting young people in moving between phases of education and preparing for adulthood?

The transition from primary to secondary school is very carefully implemented for students with special educational needs. The Inclusion team visit the primary schools and meet staff to discuss each child as an individual. Where the child has special educational provision, the SENCO and/or members of the Inclusion team will attend the primary school for meetings with staff, parents and students. The SENCO will always attend or meet with representatives from the school when the student transferring has an Education and Health Care Plan.

In year 9, all students with a special educational need are supported, with their parents throughout the options process and are made aware of the full range of GCSE and vocational courses that are appropriately challenging and which meet the intended outcomes in the EHC Plan or SEND Support Plan.

Students with an EHC Plan and their parents receive a careers interview supported by a member of the Inclusion team, in Year 9.

What is the approach to teaching children and young people with SEND?

Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School provides excellent academic opportunities for all students including those with special educational needs. Students are supported in mainstream, mixed ability classes or in some subjects in sets and given targeted, structured interventions when necessary. The SENCO provides all staff with regular updates on students with SEND circulating strategies and recommendations for the ways in which students should be taught and given access to the curriculum. All staff are given CPD on particular aspects of special educational needs both from expertise within the school and from specialist professionals.

How are adaptations made to the curriculum and the learning environment of children and young people with SEND?

Adaptations are made for the curriculum where necessary. Students particular physical needs are catered for within mainstream classes and these may include seating plans for clear view, hearing needs, proximity to daylight and specialist support equipment – on-line magnification, radio hearing systems. Provision accessed by students may also include in class support with members of the Inclusion team, occasional withdrawal to work with a learning support assistant, specific and targeted interventions, off-site and vocational courses for targeted students and access arrangements for examinations.

Additional support for learning that is available for pupils with SEND.

Learning Support Assistants work in class and across subjects to support students with SEND where applicable. Some SEND students may need interventions in small groups or one-to-one for between 6 and 20 weeks in order to achieve in academic subjects or to support social and emotional development. Mentoring for SEND students is available.

How does the school evaluate the effectiveness of the provision made for children and young people with SEND?

The effectiveness of provision for students with SEND is evaluated in a variety of ways. A survey of parents at annual reviews gives feedback on the provision offered to their children. The effectiveness of interventions is evaluated through analysis of data from the baseline on entry to the intervention, formative and summative assessments. The three points of data analysis across all subjects each year is scrutinised and provision adjusted if necessary.

How are children and young people with SEND enabled to engage in activities available for with children and young people who do not have SEND?

All students at Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School are invited to take part in a variety of activities. Students with special educational needs are provided with equal access to all lessons, trips, clubs and activities. The Inclusion department offers provision for supporting students with special education needs where necessary in order to ensure these students have access to the same activities as others.

What support is in place for improving emotional and social development?

The inclusion team work closely with the pastoral teams to provide the students with a programme that supports social emotional and mental health. Students have access to mentoring which can be individual or group dependent on need and which can be accessed in the same way as other academic interventions though identification of need by staff or referred by parents. The school works with external provision and professional agencies such as BICS, CAMHS, Tavistock and links closely with the Local Authority advisory teams.

What kind of expertise and training of staff is in place to support children and young people with SEND?

The SENCO is an experienced qualified teacher who has undertaken NASENCO Award. In addition, we have in place an EAL teacher, Learning Support Assistants specialising in different areas of need, including an experienced Senior Learning Mentor who provide in class support and withdrawal groups. The Senco offers CPD as part of staff INSET to up-skill teachers in areas of special need. Bespoke resources are available to all staff under the different areas of need. These include personalised Pupil Passports and practical advice through linked department support staff.

How are equipment and facilities to support students with SEND secured?

Where equipment and facilities can be reasonably accommodated on school site, links with outside agencies ensure that those students with an identified need for specialist equipment will be given access to and training on any equipment which will remove barriers to learning.

Additional Information.

Additional information regarding the offer for those with special educational needs at Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School can be found in the schools SEND policy. Information about services available in the London Borough of Barnet can be found in the Local Offer on the Barnet website.

● London Borough of Barnet Schools Offer

For further information regarding the Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School SEND Information report, please contact:

Mrs Ceri Matty (SENCO) Email: c.matty@qegschool.org.uk