SEN Report

All pupils at Oaklands have an Education Healthcare Plan (EHCP)  indicating a severe learning difficulty, a profound and multiple learning difficulty or autism with severe learning difficulties

In 2020-21 in our New Oaks primary provision  caters for nursery aged and reception aged children in our Little Oaks unit, and for children in year 1-4. Year 5 will open in 2022 and year 6 in 2023.

High Oaks Secondary caters for students aged 11-19.

All pupils at Oaklands School do have special needs as identified in their EHCP. Parents can contact school with any concern at any time. Formal opportunities are provided at parent’s evenings and through the annual review process.

Each pupil has an Individual Learning Plan which indicates the support and approaches needed by each child. Additionally, many pupils have personal care plans, medical care plans, manual handling plans, Personal evacuation plans, behaviour plans and/or risk assessments and programmes designed by occupational, physiotherapy and speech and language therapists. Some pupils have advice plans provided by educational psychology where that advice has been sought by the school. Staff support pupils as indicated in all of the plans and programmes that are relevant to that pupil.

The class teacher and subject teachers plan work for children in consultation with classroom teams, therapists and parents.

The planning and review process is ongoing. Curriculum planning takes place in termly or half termly modules. Individual Education Plans are reviewed termly with the involvement of parents, and, where appropriate, the child.  Therapy reports indicate the frequency of programme review and quantify the direct input each pupil needs.  Requests for the Local Authority to update EHCPs accordingly are made at annual review meetings.

The class teacher is the main point of contact for parents. The Assistant Heads also play a central role in family liaison, especially where families need or request more support.

Oaklands curriculum is designed to meet the curriculum needs and entitlement according to the National Curriculum, and the identified needs of young people with learning difficulties I preparing for adult life. Details of our curriculum content are available in our prospectus and on our website. Curriculum themes are published termly.

Each pupil is a member of a class group formed of pupils in the correct key stage of compatible peers. All learning at Oaklands is planned individually for pupils with individual targets. A range of strategies and approaches are used to enable individuals to access the curriculum. Oaklands cannot however produce a different curriculum delivered separately for an individual pupil. All pupils are part of a class group which they attend.

The School and parent will know how a child is progressing through; ongoing continuous assessment and evidence collection recorded on SOLAR software and compared with similar schools using the Government’s  progression guidance. Formal reporting to parent is undertaken at parent’s evenings and annual review reports and meetings. There is more regular (at least weekly) contact in home communication books and, if needed, by telephone.

In addition to liaison with class teams Oaklands provides a parent support service including training events for parents.

At parents evenings, at review meetings and by appointment with class teachers.

Children are given feedback on their progress in every lesson. They receive merit cards throughout the year when they make significant progress. There are “good work” assemblies regularly. Children are also included in their review meetings and within their ability take part by giving a presentation showing their progress and report on their favourite activities and what they would like to learn next. Where children are not able to express their own opinions their preferences are taken into account in planning for them.

Pupils are taught in very small class groups of between 8 and 10 pupils, depending on the needs of pupils. Each class has a teacher and either 2 or 3 assistants who provide very close support and personal care to pupils. If the usual class pupil staff ratio is not adequate for an individual pupil and application will be made to the Local Authority for additional funding to provide 1:1 support from an appropriately skilled member of staff.

The school is allocated a full time healthcare assistant who are commissioned by Hounslow to provide care to pupils on the CCG caseload. If a pupil with continuing care needs from another Local Authority is place at Oaklands a commissioning arrangements between health authority will be needed. The school itself does not employ medical staff. A qualified nurse for the CCG team attend when they feel it is required, and are on call if support is needed.

Some medical care may be delivered by classroom support staff where this limits the need for them to miss classroom learning. If medical care is delivered by classroom staff they will have received appropriate training from health staff and there is always a member of the health team on site.

If a young person has medical care needs but are not on the continuing care caseload parents will need to provide the school with a medical care plan giving the school instructions for what care staff should provide, and how to respond to an emergency. In most cases the plan provided by parents to school should be signed by a medical professional. If a medical care professional will not provide a signed care plan we will discuss this on an individual basis.

Our PSHCE curriculum addresses topics relevant to pupils’ social and emotional development.

Where families are experiencing particular difficulties outside school Oaklands has a member of staff who provides advice and support to families through a drop in and family support service.

Where this service is not enough to support the pupil we can make referrals to either the Local Authority educational psychology service, to social care or, if required, to CAMHS.

Specialist therapy services are commissioned to the school by the Local Authority. In 2021-22 the quantity of therapy being provided to Oaklands has been recognised as falling short of the identified need in both SALT (83% short) and Occupational Therapy (74% short) The shortfall has increased this academic year.

For speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy pupils should receive a service if the need is indicated in their Education Healthcare Plan. Most pupils with therapies in their plan receive a full assessment and a programme which will be delivered mainly by class teams. Therapists themselves assess when direct therapy is needed and for how long. In 2021-22 students will not receive the quantity of therapy in their EHCP.

The shortfall in the quantity of therapy is monitored by the Head Teacher and reported to the Commissioners.

Oaklands also employs the following specialist staff and trainers;

TEACCH trainer on staff

2 Makaton trainers on staff

3 Team Teach trainers on staff

3 manual handling trainers on staff

A music therapist 2 days per week

A personal fitness trainer 1 day per week

Our trainers are able to deliver a higher level of expertise in these interventions and ensure that all staff receive regular guidance.

3 trained job coaches

Our job coaches set up work experience placements for sixth form who are ready for employer based work. They accompany pupils to work, training them to travel and in the workplace. Pupils are allocated this service through annual review meetings in discussion with parents.

Visits made by peripatetic teachers for visual and hearing impairments

All pupils with these services indicated in their Education Healthcare Plan will receive this service.

Educational psychology by referral if required

Specialist health visitor for continence by referral (there is currently a waiting list)

All teachers are fully qualified, or be on a supported teacher training programme. All teaching assistants have a level 3 qualification in learning support or similar, all Learning Support Assistants have level 2 in learning support or similar.

All staff receive an induction programme which gives an introduction to the approaches used in school.

All staff receive in depth training in a range of learning strategies over time through our INSET training programme including; TEACCH, PECS, Intensive Interaction, sensory curriculum, Team Teach, Makaton

All pupils have a weekly outing or community life skills programme. Some activities use community based facilities. The school has 5 minibuses and 3 people carriers which can be used to transport pupils. Older pupils may be engaged in travel preparation programmes through their community visits, some are referred to the LA travel buddy service or to a service provided through Ealing Mencap to be trained and accompanied while learning to travel independently to school or college.

The school building is fully accessible; 9 hoisted classrooms, one of the sensory environments and the small pool, as well as adapted toilet areas are fully hoisted for physically disabled pupils. The doors to hoisted facilities are width and a half to enable wider chairs and physiotherapy beds to move easily, and doors in these areas are power assisted. First floor facilities are accessed via two lifts; a third is available for emergency evacuation. The full building has handrails to support students with limited mobility in moving around the building. There are accessible outdoor facilities including 3 sensory gardens, a main playground, MUGA and running track which is surfaced to be suitable for wheelchairs. Covered awnings protect student arriving in buses from inclement weather.

We run prospective parents mornings so that parents can see the school and ask questions. Each weekly morning has an age range focus.

We attend parents’ events on invitation at Lindon Bennett school.

Where we receive an application for a school place at Oaklands school we invite parents to bring their child for an assessment visit where suitability of placement is explored. If it is not possible to bring applicants to school a visit to their current placement might be made instead. Assessment is made through reading application documents, observing the young person and by doing some assessment tasks with them to explore suitability for an SLD school. Once placements are agreed teachers visit pupils in their previous schools to prepare for receiving them at Oaklands.

Parents are invited to attend an induction morning at which they can discuss their child’s personal care needs with classroom staff and provide detailed contact and medical information. Parents are provided with a parents induction pack.

All pupils have an opportunity to attend a transition day. (Transition visits were suspended during the Covid pandemic, we hope they can resume in the summer of 2022) All pupils receive a transition book including details of their new class group and staff. A member of the leadership team attends year 6 annual reviews when we are invited.

Our Connexions Officer attends and becomes involved in planning with pupils and families during their last year in school.

Pupils who intend to apply for local Colleges at the age of 19 attend college links. They receive careful preparation by their tutor to prepare them for leaving.

Oaklands is funded on a fixed average per pupil cost. Staff resources are closely matched to pupil funding ensuring that the staff ratio is as high as can be provided within that funding.

A wide range of resources are available and, if a pupil has particular needs equipment is purchased as identified in individual programmes by therapists or teachers. Particularly specialist or high value equipment may need to be identified in Education Healthcare Plans ad purchased for them by their Local Authority. Oaklands funding is not adequate to purchase of physiotherapy equipment nor specialist seating.

Where a child has additional disabilities  which are not covered by the SEN Framework, the school will take reasonable steps to make the relevant facilities or equipment available to the child in accordance with its duties un the Equalities Act 2010.

All pupils are in a small class groups supported by a teacher and either 2 or 3 support staff. Staff support is planned according to the pupils needs.

Some pupils require full time one to one support all of the time. If this is the case this is identified either at initial assessment of placement or during an annual review. Where the need for one to one support is identified in a Statement or Education Healthcare Plan the funding will be agreed by the Local Authority. From 2021 for the first time Hounslow has allocated a fixed funding sum to cover the costs of one to one staffing, equivalent to providing 8 pupils in school with 1:1 support. We are exploring what needs to be done if the number of pupils needing additional support exceeds 8.

Pupils progress is regularly monitored and, if a pupil is not making expected progress then additional support will be allocated to enable them to progress.

Parents are expected to take part in daily communication in a home communication book where ever this is possible.

Parents are invited to parents’ evenings and annual reviews, drop in mornings and regular training events. There is a support service for families who need support.

Parents have access to the school website and also receive a half termly newsletter. They are invited to some school events such as the Christmas service, Sports day and school performances.

Parents are encouraged to consider becoming a parent Governor on our Governing Body.

Parents can contact the Head Teacher, the relevant Head ofSchool, or the Assistant Head Teachers in charge of their child’s department or the class teacher.

The school administration team will provide information about day to day issues such as uniforms, transport and school meals service.

Concerns may be raised with the Chair of Governors, who can be contacted through school.

The school complaint policy can be found on our school website at www.oaklands.hounslow.sch.uk

Pupils are provided with opportunities to make choices every day.

Pupils attend their own annual review meetings and are involved in planning where this is appropriate. Where pupils cannot give an opinion in a complex setting staff take their known expressed preferences into account.

The school holds more formal meetings with groups of pupils where there are decisions to be made; for instance about the development of the playground.

Where children are able to understand their own special educational needs they are involved in decisions about the support they receive. This is done through tutorial work with the child and through annual review meetings.

Governors are provided with performance data regularly at both committee meetings and full Governing Body meetings.

Governors make regular visits to school and carry out lesson observations every term. Governors give regular feedback following their visits or scrutiny of school information. They make suggestions which are actioned and they check on progress and changes made.

Applications for Oaklands School are made to the Local Authority. The formal panel process is changing during 2021-22, having been delayed a result of Covid. We understand that panel meetings will take place half termly throughout the year.

In Year applications are responded to on a case by case basis depending on whether an appropriate vacancy is available in an appropriate class group.

Oaklands School is a community special school which makes provision for children with severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties and autistic young people whose learning difficulties are severe.