Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Policy 2024/25

1. Aims

Hull Training and Adult Education SEND Policy and Information Report aims to -

  • Set out how Hull Training and Adult Education will support and make provision for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
  • Explain the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in providing for learners with SEND

We value all learners equally and support their differences in abilities and behaviours. We aim to meet their individual needs and provide opportunities for all to make outstanding progress, fulfil their potential and progress on to appropriate destinations at post 16 and 18.

This policy and information report is based on the statutory Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice and the following legislation -

2. Definitions

A learner has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

They have a learning difficulty or disability if they have -

  • A significantly greater difficulty in learning than most others of the same age, or
  • A disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream training provision

Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for other young people or adults of the same age by mainstream training provision.

3. Roles and responsibilities

3.1 The Equality and Diversity Officer is responsible for -

  • Working with the Head of Service to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision within Hull Training and Adult Education
  • Supporting key staff with overall responsibility for the provision and progress of learners with SEND and/or a disability
  • Day-to-day responsibility for the operation of this SEND policy and the co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual learners with SEND, including those who have EHC plans
  • Providing professional guidance to colleagues and work with staff, parent/carer, and other agencies to ensure that learners with SEND receive appropriate support and high-quality teaching
  • Advising on the graduated approach to providing SEND support
  • Being the point of contact for external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services
  • Liaising with potential next providers of education to ensure learners and their parent/carer are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned
  • Working with the governing board to ensure that the Hull Training and Adult Education meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements
  • Ensure that Hull Training and Adult Education keeps the records of all learners with SEND up to date

3.2 The Equality and Diversity Officer - EHCP

The Equality and Diversity Officer is responsible for -

  • Co-ordinating provision for learners with EHCPs, including the annual review process
  • Over-seeing transition arrangements into and from Hull Training and Adult Education for learners with EHCP
  • Maintaining records on CPOMS for learners with EHCP
  • Offering guidance to support the managers/leads/exams team with administering assessments for Access Arrangements for exams in compliance with JCQ guidelines

3.3 Hull Training and Adult Education’s Executive Advisory Board are responsible for -

  • Helping to raise awareness of SEND issues at EAB meetings
  • Monitoring the quality and effectiveness of SEND and disability provision within the Hull Training and Adult Education
  • Working with the Head of Service to determine the strategic development of the SEND policy and provision in Hull Training and Adult Education

4. SEND

4.1 The kinds of SEND that are provided for Hull Training and Adult Education currently provides additional and/or different provision for a range of needs, including -

  • Communication and interaction, for example, autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, speech, and language difficulties
  • Cognition and learning, for example, dyslexia, dyspraxia
  • Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties, epilepsy
  • Moderate/severe/profound and multiple learning difficulties

4.2 Identifying learners with SEND and assessing their needs

Tutors will assess each learner’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, which will build on previous settings and Key Stages, where appropriate. Tutors will make regular assessments of progress for all learners and identify those whose progress -

  • Is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
  • Fails to match or better the learner’s previous rate of progress
  • Fails to close the attainment gap between the learner and their peers
  • Widens the attainment gap

Tutors will ensure monitoring of differentiation for individual learners, which includes working closely with assigned classroom assistants to ensure resources and methods for individual learning plans are current and working.

Classroom assistants will evaluate after each session when assigned to a learner and liaise closely with the learner’s tutor in addressing any concerns and adapting support to meet the needs of the learner.

Tutor makes changes where necessary by taking advice from E&D officer for guidance and additional resources for over and above classroom management.

The Tutor has overall responsibility of ensuring resources are fit for purpose for the individual learner and changing resources to ensure a positive outcome when identified change is required.

This may include progress in areas other than attainment, for example, social needs. Slow progress and low attainment will not automatically mean a learner is recorded as having SEND.

When deciding whether special educational provision is required, The Tutor will start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment, and the views and the wishes of the learner and their parent/carer. The Tutor will use this information to determine the support that is needed and whether support can be provided by adapting Hull Training and Adult Education core offer, or whether something different or additional is needed.

4.3 Consulting and involving learners and parent/carer

The Tutor will have an early discussion with the learner and their parent/carer when identifying whether a learner needs special educational provision. These conversations will make sure that -

  • Key workers develop a good understanding of the learner’s areas of strength and difficulty
  • Consider the parent/carer’ concerns
  • Assigned key workers understand the agreed outcomes sought for the learner
  • Key workers are clear on what the next steps are

4.4 Assessing and reviewing learners' progress towards outcomes

Key workers will follow the graduated approach and the four-part cycle of assess, plan, do, review.

The Tutor will carry out a clear analysis of the learner’s needs. This will draw on -

  • The Tutor’s assessment and experience of the learner
  • Learners previous progress and attainment and behaviour
  • Other tutor’s assessments, where relevant
  • The individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data
  • The views and experience of parent/carer
  • The learner’s own views
  • Advice from external support services, the assessment will be reviewed regularly by the Tutor, including requesting evidence from assigned classroom assistants

All tutors and key workers who work with the learner will be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided, and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. The Tutor will regularly review the effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the learner’s progress. Ensuring differentiation is captured and monitored.

4.5 Supporting learners moving between phases and preparing for adulthood

The Tutor will share information with the setting the learner is moving to. It will be agreed with parent/carer and learners which information will be shared as part of this. GDPR will be adhered to.

4.6 Hull Training and Adult Education approach to teaching learners with SEND

Tutors are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of all the learners in their class.

High quality teaching is our first step in responding to learners who have SEND. This is differentiated for individual learners.

4.7 Adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment

The Tutor will make the following adaptations to ensure all learners’ needs are met -

  • Differentiating our curriculum to ensure all learners can access it, for example, by grouping, 1:1 work, teaching style, content of the lesson, etc
  • Adapting resources and staffing
  • Using recommended aids, such as laptops, coloured overlays, visual timetables, larger font, etc
  • Differentiating our teaching, for example, giving longer processing times, pre-teaching of key vocabulary, reading instructions aloud, etc
  • The Equality and Diversity Officer will support with this process lead by the Functional Skills Manager/ Tutor/ Area Manager

4.8 Additional support for learning

Hull Training and Adult Education have qualified Tutor’s and Classroom Assistants, all of whom who are trained to deliver interventions where necessary.

Staff support learners on a 1:1 basis when the learner has an EHCP which stipulates that the learner requires 1:1 support.

In addition, they support learners in small groups when required, but always under the direction of a qualified tutor.

Hull Training and Adult Education Tutors/key workers will take guidance from the following agencies to provide support for learners with SEND -

  • Educational Inclusion Service - Educational Psychologist and Educational Inclusion
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
  • Speech, Language and Communication Service
  • Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Services
  • Integrated Sensory Support Service (ISSS)
  • Integrated Physical and Sensory Support Service (IPaSS)
  • Youth and Family Support Service
  • Independent Specialist Assessor Consultant

4.9 Securing equipment and facilities

Where external advisors recommend the use of equipment or facilities which Hull Training and Adult Education does not have, this is either purchased using the national SEND funding or borrowed. For highly specialist communication equipment, Hull Training and Adult Education seeks the advice of the Hull or East Riding SEND Team.

4.10 Evaluating the effectiveness of SEND provision

Hull Training and Adult Education evaluate the effectiveness of provision for learners with SEND by -

  • Tutor reviewing learners’ individual progress towards their targets each term
  • Reviewing the impact of interventions after 6 weeks (or earlier if appropriate)
  • Using learner and parent questionnaires
  • Monitoring by the Tutor, Classroom Assistants and guidance from Equality and Diversity Officer
  • Holding annual reviews for learners with EHC plans
  • Data team reviewing the destinations of SEND learners

4.11 Enabling learners with SEND to engage in activities available to those in the Hull Training and Adult Education who do not have SEND

All Hull Training and Adult Education extra-curricular activities and Hull Training and Adult Education visits are available to all our learners, including our before-and after-Hull Training and Adult Education provision.

All learners are encouraged to take part in the enrichment curriculum.

No learner is ever excluded from taking part in these activities because of their SEND or disability.

4.12 Support for improving emotional and social development

Hull Training and Adult Education provide support for learners to improve their emotional and social development in the following ways -

  • 1:1 mentoring from the Tutors/classroom assistants
  • 1:1 mentoring from external providers where applicable
  • Encouraging learners with SEND to participate fully in the enrichment curriculum to develop social and emotional skills, promote teamwork and build friendships etc
  • Training in Equality and Diversity to promote respect for and understanding of diversity, challenge prejudice and promote empathy
  • Operating a zero-tolerance approach to bullying

4.13 Admission Arrangements for learners with SEND

Decisions on the admission of learners with an EHCP are made by the Local Authority in consultation with Hull Training and Adult Education.

4.14 Complaints about SEND provision

The normal policy for complaints at Hull Training and Adult Education is used for learners with SEND - See Hull City Council’s Compliments, Comments, Concerns and Complaints Policy.

The parent/carer of learners with disabilities have the right to make disability discrimination claims to the first tier SEND tribunal if they believe that Hull Training and Adult Education has discriminated against their child. They can make a claim about alleged discrimination regarding -

  • Exclusions
  • Provision of education and associated services
  • Making reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services

4.15 Contact details of support services for parent/carer of learners with SEND

The Families’ Information Services Hub (FISH) provides free impartial, confidential information, advice and support for parent/carer/carers of children and young people (aged 0-25) with special educational needs or disabilities.

FISH SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (including Parent Partnership Service)

Families Information Service Hub (FISH)
County Hall
Beverley
HU17 9BA

4.16 The Local Authority local offer

The Local Authority’s local SEND offer is published on -

Parent/carer without internet access should make an appointment with the Equality and Diversity Officer for support to gain the information they require.

5. Monitoring arrangements

This policy and information report is reviewed by the Head of Service annually and updated if any changes to the information are made during the year.

6. Links with other policies and documents

This policy links to our policies on -

  • Accessibility plan
  • Behaviour policy
  • Safeguarding policies
  • Equal Opportunities policy
  • Complaint’s policy
  • Learning Support process
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