| 3.1 |
The Local Authority (LA) aims to develop: |
| a) |
inclusive practices as part of LA and school arrangements to
raise educational standards; |
| b) |
partnership approaches with schools, parents, agencies and
voluntary organisations; |
| c) |
systems of equitable access to resources and provision; |
| d) |
transparent systems of special educational needs (SEN)
decision-making; |
| e) |
greater accountability; |
| f) |
reduced bureaucracy; |
| g) |
a wide range of provision serving local needs. |
| 3.2 |
The LA seeks to promote: |
| a) |
entitlement that recognises equality of opportunity and access,
the rights and duties of all parties and the expectations of
schools, children and young people and parents; |
| b) |
opportunities for the involvement of all parties, e.g. parents,
children and young people, teachers and support staff, and
voluntary agencies, underpinned by effective support and guidance
from the LA to schools; |
| c) |
clear and effective communication; |
| d) |
a pro-active and preventative approach to SEN provision; |
| e) |
the development of successful independent learning in children
and young people; |
| f) |
expertise that supports good practice and development; |
| g) |
efficiency and effectiveness which delivers value for
money. |
| 3.3 |
The SEN Code of Practice (COP) provides an appropriate
framework within which provision for SEN can be made. |
| 3.4 |
The LA embraces the following principles and understandings
when meeting special educational needs: |
| a) |
for children and parents: |
| |
- the entitlement of all pupils to a broad and balanced
curriculum, which includes the National Curriculum and other high
quality educational experiences;
- a commitment to involve and support parents and pupils as
active partners of equal value in the learning process;
- the setting of high expectations for children with special
educational needs through a challenging curriculum that develops
their potential;
- the recognition and celebration of the achievements of children
with special educational needs.
|
| b) |
in partnership with providers: |
| |
- the recognition that special educational needs include mild or
temporary difficulties as well as profound and multiple
difficulties that are likely to be present throughout life;
- there should be promotion of the inclusion of children with SEN
within mainstream schooling wherever possible, recognising the
paramount importance of meeting individual children's needs;
- that children with complex or severe needs have access to
specialist provision as near to their home as possible;
- that the LA's special schools and units in mainstream schools
have a clearly defined role in supporting children with complex
needs;
- there is an effective process for making informed decisions on
the needs and provision for a child;
- that schools will be empowered, through delegation of
resources, to meet the needs of all children by:
| - |
increasing early intervention, |
| - |
focusing on pro-active prevention rather than reactive
support, |
| - |
deploying resources efficiently and effectively to groups of
children, |
| - |
establishing a monitoring and evaluation procedure to determine
the effectiveness of the use of resources and provision, the
evidence of which is open to the LA and parents; |
- There should be opportunities for professional development for
teachers and support staff where appropriate;
- that the education service is primarily responsible for needs
that affect a child's progress in the learning environment but that
there is an active partnership with health and social services to
provide a multi-agency assessment and provision where these needs
are more profound;
- increasing early intervention in pre-school and early years SEN
settings, linking to the assessment process as necessary;
- working with the Learning and Skills Council and post-16
providers to ensure the needs of post-16 students with SEN are
met.
|
| 3.5 |
The LA's policy matches national
guidelines and requirements in developing: |
| a) |
a Parent Partnership Scheme, with all
parents of children with SEN having access through the scheme to
advice from an independent parent supporter; |
| b) |
conciliation arrangements for dealing
with disputes over SEN; |
| c) |
stronger arrangements for involving
children in the SEN process; |
| d) |
more comprehensive information about
the LA's SEN policies and the relative expectations of LA and
school budgets; |
| e) |
greater accountability for SEN,
including monitoring and performance against key indicators; |
| f) |
the role of the LA's special
schools; |
| g) |
partnership in special education,
locally, regionally and nationally. |