Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

If you have a question or concern about your child, please contact the class teacher through the school office.

Tel: 0121 7441339

Email: office@shirley-heath.solihull.sch.uk

Mrs A. Mills, Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) 

Tel: 0121 7441339

Email: s46amills@shirley-heath.solihull.sch.uk

Mr. M.Taylor, Deputy Headteacher & Inclusion Manager

Tel: 0121 7441339

Email: s46mtaylor@shirley-heath.solihull.sch.uk

SEN Team

Mr M Taylor (Inclusion Manager and Deputy Head Teacher)

Mrs A Mills (SENDCo)

Mrs M Carter (Autism Lead)

Plus a team of Teaching Assistants working both 1:1 and with small groups of children across the whole school

The SEN Team is led by Mrs A. Mills, who is SENCo. She leads a team of staff who support pupils throughout the school day. 

In addition to her teaching qualifications, Mrs A Mills has a Post Graduate Certificate in Education in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion, and The National Award for SEN co-ordination (NASENCo), both from the University of Wolverhampton.

Graduated Approach

1. Barriers to learning (which impact on progress) are identified by teacher.

2. Adaptations and reasonable adjustments are made by the teacher in the classroom.

3. SENCo observes the child and offers the teacher (and parents) advice and guidance. Teacher supported by SEN staff.

4. Impact of support monitored.

Does the child have a Special Educational Need?

‘A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

• has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age

• has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions’

SEN Code of Practice (2013) page 15

5. Child added to SEN Register – parents informed

6. Plan of Support written and put in place -  Pupil Profile and Individual Education Plan (IEP)

7. IEP and overall progress monitored termly – meeting with class teacher, SENCo and parents

8. If the child is not making enough progress, is thought to have specific needs or concerns persist, advice from external professionals is sought

Pupil Profiles

All children on the SEN Register have a Pupil Profile. This is an overview document for staff and parents – details the child’s Special Educational Needs, provision needed, professional advice (where applicable) and assessment information.

Pupil Profiles also now include the voice of the child and their parents.

Individual Education Plans

All children on the SEN Register have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). IEPs are written by the child’s class teacher, with the support of the SENCo; they include targets and provision for the term. Progress is carefully monitored and reviewed during termly meetings with parents, the class teacher and SENCo.

Needs Based Plan

Children who have a diagnosis of Autism will have a Needs Based plan linked to their identified areas of need. This is written by the school ASD Lead.

Professional advice

We work very closely with SENTAA (Special Educational Needs Teaching Assessment and Advice) who offer a variety of assessments and professional advice, as requested by school. This can include informal observations, monitoring of progress or focussed assessments.  

Further information about SENTAA can be found via their website: http://www.sentaa.co.uk

Shirley Heath also seeks advice from the Solihull Community Educational Psychology Service (CEPS) and Specialist Inclusion Support Service (SISS):

• Autism Team
• Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Team
• Sensory and Physical Impairment Team

In consultation with parents, the SENCo will make referrals to appropriate NHS services as follows:

• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• ADHD Nurse (Assessment and Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
• Specialist Assessment Service (Assessment and Diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder)
• SOLAR (Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Services)

Further information can be found via the Solihull Local Offer: https://socialsolihull.org.uk/localoffer