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Ballymena Primary School
Special Educational Needs Policy

Mission Statement
Central to the ethos of Ballymena Primary School is the determination to provide an environment and an experience in which learning and the growth of expertise can take place, within a supportive, stimulating, happy and co-operative community.
Respecting each child’s unique personality, experiences, interests, strengths and weaknesses, we aim to maximise the development of our children and to work towards realising their individual potential. To this end teachers will monitor children’s progress and provide appropriate experiences and tasks to stimulate, challenge and reinforce learning. In doing so, teachers will identify both, children of exceptional ability and children who display significantly greater difficulties in learning than their peers. The provision for the special educational needs of these children will be in line with the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs (Education (NI) Order 1996) and the application of these requirements to Ballymena Primary School and its aims are as outlined in this Policy.

Definition of Special Educational Needs
Children with special educational needs may include those with learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural problems, medical conditions, speech and language difficulties, visual and aural impairments and physical disabilities.
In this context a learning difficulty is apparent when a child has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age, or when a child’s disability limits or denies the child’s use of educational facilities.
It is anticipated that about 20% of children will be considered to have special educational needs. On occasions children will be enrolled with information in existence about their needs. More often these needs will become apparent as a child progresses through the school. Whenever possible, provision for these children will be made by class teachers to ensure that those with special educational needs have access to the whole curriculum. Where learning difficulties are most serious additional teaching support will be provided. Generally, priority support will be provided in Mathematics and English.

Aims of SEN provision in Ballymena Primary School
In providing for children with special educational needs, a number of whole school aims will be addressed. These will be to:

  • Raise and maintain the self esteem of children, valued as individuals within the family of the school
  • Provide appropriate, stimulating experiences to challenge and support learning in line with the Northern Ireland Curriculum
  • Prepare children for known and unknown situations by developing a range of general skills, including bodily and manual skills, social skills, communication, expression, numeracy, observation, classification, research and investigation, recording, reasoning and the ability to evaluate evidence and opinion
  • Encourage good manners, kindness and respect towards other people and a tolerance of their cultures and beliefs
  • Nurture the innate curiosity of children, their sensitivity, creativity and sense of fun
  • Develop in children a sense of responsibility for their own learning and behaviour
  • Promote close and supportive links between the home, school and community.


Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs - The Five Stage Approach
In the Code of Practice relating to special educational needs, the procedure for assessment, planning and provision is set out in five stages. While individual children’s needs vary greatly and the provision may range from temporary and minor to permanent and major, it is hoped that many children will have their needs addressed in the short term.

Stage 1

  • The class teacher informs the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) about concerns.
  • The SENCo adds the child’s name to the Learning Support Register.
  • The class teacher gathers information and either monitors the child or provides special help within the classroom keeping a record (Action Plan) of targets and strategies set.
  • Parents are consulted and informed by the class teacher.
  • A review may see child’s name removed from register, remain at Stage 1 or move on to Stage 2.

Stage 2

  • Initial concerns may indicate need for Stage 2 support or it may be as a follow on from a Stage 1 review.
  • The class teacher liases with SENCo to prioritise provision.
  • The SENCo provides advice and support as available.
  • The class teacher and SENCo draw up an Education Plan and inform parents.
  • A review may see child revert to Stage 1, remain at Stage 2 or move on to Stage 3.

Stage 3

  • Where a child’s learning difficulties persist, the school seeks the advice and help of outside agencies in assessment and provision.
  • The SENCo, class teacher and support services draw up an Education Plan.
  • Parents are kept informed and consulted by the SENCo.
  • A review may see child revert to Stage 2 or 1, remain at Stage 3 or the Principal may request statutory assessment if child fails to make progress.

Stage 4

  • A request for statutory assessment is made to the NEELB’s Special Educational Branch.
  • Evidence will be submitted relating to the assessment and provision in stages 1, 2 and 3 and at review meetings.
  • The Special Educational Branch carries out an assessment in liaison with parents and then with the school (the Principal/SENCo and class teacher) and other agencies.
  • The school continues to be responsible during this process.

Stage 5
A statement is written by NEELB containing:

  • Details of the child
  • An outline of special educational needs (including abilities and difficulties)
  • Educational and development objectives (timescale, provision required, arrangements for setting of short term targets etc.)
  • Details of non-educational needs
  • Details of provision to address non-educational needs.


Identification of Special Educational Needs in Ballymena Primary School
Formal testing will take place each September and will be used to screen and assess all the children. Children will be tested again in June to evaluate progress. Relevant testing will also be carried out during the year, when necessary.
In identifying children with special educational needs, information will also be gathered from various sources and these may include:

  • Responses to general class work and homework
  • Class tests, exams etc.
  • Overview of reports and comments from previous years
  • Observation of class behaviour – informally or using a checklist
  • Talking to parents about health, routines, perceptions of the child etc.
  • Standardised tests
  • Outside agency reports

Teachers who have concerns about a child’s learning or who identify a child as having special educational needs will inform the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) of their concerns as early as possible. A Record of Concern sheet will be completed and the SENCo will add the child’s name to the Learning Support Register at the appropriate Stage. The SENCo will notify the parents. Depending on the nature of the difficulty, the teacher and/or SENCo/Special Needs teacher will prepare an Action or Education plan, outlining specific short-term targets and the planned action to address these. A copy of the plan will be given to the SENCo termly.


Planning and Review of Special Educational Needs in Ballymena Primary School
The on-going task of providing learning experiences for a class involves monitoring the achievements, abilities and difficulties of each child. Teachers will employ both formal and informal methods of evaluating individuals to ensure suitable differentiation of provision.
In order to give children time to become established in school they will not normally receive special needs provision before February in Primary One, unless previously identified as having special needs pre-school. However, all children will be monitored and concerns registered.
At Stage 1
If a child is having specific difficulty with the curriculum, then the class teacher in consultation with the SENCo will either monitor the child’s progress in class or draw up an action plan with a more specified plan of work for the child. Progress will be reviewed regularly against targets outlined in the action plan. Where concerns persist the SENCo will consider placing the child at a different stage and, subject to the availability of resources, additional help.
If there are a significant number of children requiring additional help, it may be necessary to apply selection criteria. This will normally be done during September, drawing on the previous class teacher’s experience of the child and the result of tests.
At Stage 2
According to the hours available and the nature of the individuals’ needs, the SENCo and SEN teacher will draw up a timetable for the support of teachers in class or for withdrawal of pairs and small groups of children with similar difficulties and ages. The SEN teacher, in consultation with the classroom teacher, will complete an Education plan for each child. A copy will be filed by the SENCo for reference.
At Stage 3
It is our intention that difficulties experienced by children will be addressed and many children who once had special educational needs will be removed from the register, but it is possible that a number of children will require continuing and/or additional action. After consultation of principal, parents, class teacher, SENCo and any other relevant party, any children with persistent learning difficulties will be referred to the Psychology Department of NEELB for additional advice.

Addressing Individual Requirements
In attempting to meet the needs of individual children, a range of teaching strategies and classroom management styles may be required. These will be noted in the action plans or group education programmes and their effectiveness considered at times of review.
In general, teachers will ensure that:

  • Activities are provided to encourage children to work at their own levels in groups or as individuals – neither so difficult as to frustrate or so easy as to bore; skills and knowledge will be introduced in small amounts and in a logical order; concepts will be established slowly through the varied revisiting and practice of knowledge and skills.
  • Sensitivity will be shown towards children whose limitation in talking and listening, reading, writing and number work influence their learning in other areas of the curriculum; appropriate help will be given to overcome such weaknesses.
  • Tasks will be as stimulating as possible and a variety of resources will be used including white boards, magnetic letters, sand trays to provide for different learning styles and to motivate.
  • Children with specific hearing or sights problems will be carefully positioned in the room.
  • Whenever possible, children will be made aware of expectations in terms of time, behaviour, work etc. and be encouraged to share the responsibility for their progress.
  • Whenever possible progress will be celebrated/rewarded; one to one tuition will be given when possible.
  • Children with behavioural problems will be carefully positioned in the room to enable all members of the class to progress; if this requires isolation, it will be short term and with the clear goal of integration as reward for acceptable behaviour.
  • Children with behavioural problems, including disciplinary and motivational, may be given a daily progress chart tailored to their difficulties and providing opportunities to record progress, to offer praise and to inform parents.

Monitoring and Evaluating Special Educational Needs Provision

  • The SENCo and SEN teacher will be in regular informal liaison with class teachers as necessary. Teachers will use observational assessment sheets, when appropriate, to make informal notes on the children in their class who are on the Learning Support Register. Action/education plans and reviews will be kept up-to-date by the class teacher and copies sent to the SENCo.
  • Formal meetings for staff will be held during each term to monitor SEN provision and discuss issues arising.
  • Parent interviews will be held each term for parents with children on the SEN register.
  • The Senior Management team and Board of Governors will be kept informed of the SEN provision on a regular basis.
  • Liaison with outside agencies will be maintained.

Record Keeping

  • Records of Concern will be kept by the SENCO.
  • A register, known as the Learning Support Register, will be kept detailing, in year group order, those children who have special educational needs and their stage of progression of the Code. Teachers will keep the originals of action plans and/or education plans and reviews and send a copy of each to the SENCo for reference.
  • Class teachers and the SENCo will keep records of their own testing through informal assessments, exams, AU’s, standardised or diagnostic tests.
  • Copies of all letters, referrals, reports and correspondence will be kept by the SENCo.

Organisation and Management
Depending on priorities and the time available, the SEN teacher may work to support individuals or groups of children within their own classes or may withdraw individuals or small groups to concentrate on particular difficulties.

Resources and Additional Support
A variety of resource material including ICT packages will be used to supplement the differentiated class work provided by the teacher. For example

  • Magnetic boards and letters
  • White boards and markers
  • Writing books with practice pages
  • Hampshire high frequency spelling lists and booklets
  • Reading schemes including Sunshine Spirals, Oxford Reading Tree, Storyworld 9 and Big Books.
  • Learning Material and Easylearn resources
  • ICT packages eg. Animated Alphabet, Clicker Grids, Talking Writeaway and other relevant material from the C2K software bundle.

Reading Recovery
An accelerated learning programme known as Reading Recovery is offered to children, within the ages of 5.9 and 6.3 years, who have been identified by the class teacher as experiencing or having potential reading difficulties after one year of instruction at primary school. The programme lasts between 16 – 20 weeks and the child has an individual 30-minute lesson every day. Regular attendance by the child and full support from his/her parents is a vital element of the programme.
When the child is discontinued from the programme, a careful programme of monitoring continues over the following months. The child is tested three months and six months after discontinuing, in order to ensure progress is maintained.
All children receiving Reading Recovery will be included at Stage 2 on the Learning Support Register.

English as an Additional Language
An EAL teacher will provide support for children for whom English is a second or additional language, following an assessment. The language development approach is one of ‘scaffolding’ of language and of learning. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are all monitored. Support is provided for an average of 2/3 years and is given to parents, as well as teachers, where this is helpful or appropriate.
All children having EAL will be included on the Learning Support Register.

Gifted and Talented
At Ballymena Primary School we are committed to an ethos of high expectation for all and we aim to develop the full potential of each child. As with other special needs, we will identify individual strengths as well as weaknesses through ongoing observation, testing, professional judgement, collation of evidence and discussion with parents and child. We will aim to provide quality learning experiences for our more able pupils which encourage them to develop as confident, independent thinkers and learners. The main provider of opportunities for able pupils will be the class teacher through differentiation of task or outcome. Opportunities to challenge the more able pupil will also be provided through additional extension activities in a variety of curricular areas.

The Role of the Coordinator (SENCo)
It will be the duty of the SENCo to ensure that the policy relating to Special Educational Needs is adhered to within Ballymena Primary School and in particular, the principles of prompt assessment and appropriate provision. The SENCo will inform staff of any changes to requirements and advice which may be of benefit to their teaching and their children’s learning. The policy and procedures will be monitored and evaluated regularly, including informally once per year. Issues of concern to teachers will be used as the focus of staff development.

Partnership with Parents

  • At all stages of the Code of Practice parents will be kept informed and encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s learning.
  • Parents will be notified by letter when their child’s name is added to the Learning Support Register and thereafter kept informed of their child’s progress and any movement to a different stage on the register will also be notified by letter.
  • The class teacher and SENCo will inform the parents about the concerns, targets and action taken, and discuss ways in which they might co-operate in partnership for the child’s benefit.
  • Parents will be encouraged to contact the school at any time to clarify or follow-up any SEN queries.
  • Parents will have the opportunity to speak with teachers at parent interviews regarding their child’s progress and may be invited to additional interviews to discuss specific SEN issues.
  • Workshops will be held to guide parents as they support their child’s learning and to develop a partnership with school.
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