1
Special
Educational Needs
and Disabilities –
A Parent’s Guide to
the Code of Practice
0 – 19 years
Summer 2019
Summer 2019
FEBRUARY 2024 - THIS DOCUMENT IS
CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
2
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definitions
3. Principles of the Parent Code of Practice
4. Information, Advice and Support
5. SEND Support
Early Years Providers
Schools
Further Education
Preparing for adulthood from the earliest years
Children and young people in specific circumstances
6. Exceptional Action assessments and Records of Needs
7. Challenging or disagreeing with decisions
Appendix 1 – Glossary
Appendix 2 – Frequently Asked Questions
Appendix 3 – The Role of the SENCo
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
3
Introduction
A parent’s guide to the code of practice
This guide is for parents and carers of children
and young people aged 0-19 years who have
special educational needs and/or a disability
(SEND).
This guide is written for parents. It covers:
• What SEND means
• The principles of the system that supports
children and young people with SEND
• What the law is and what your rights are
• How the system should work
• What early years settings, schools, colleges and other educational providers
must do, or should do, to support you and your child
• Guidance on SEND support
• Clear and comprehensive information on the Exceptional Action and Record
of Needs processes
What the guide is for
This is a publication for parents explaining how to understand and use the
SEND Code of Practice to support children and young people with SEND. It
gives advice about the Jersey SEND Code of Practice (2017) and works from
the premise that parents know their children best. It makes it clear that children,
young people and their families should be involved in decision making at every
step of the process.
When the guide should be used
You may find it useful to use this guide if you think your child or you have been
told by someone, such as your child’s teacher, that they think he or she has
SEND. If you know that your child has SEND and you want to know more about
how the system works and what to expect, you can use this guide to help you.
You might want to use it in meetings with professionals, or to prepare for them.
The Law:
Education (Jersey) Law 1999 Revised Edition (1 January 2019)
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
4
The Education (Jersey) Law 1999, (as amended, referred to as “The Law") is
the primary legislation governing the legal requirements and duties for all areas
of Jersey education, including Special Educational Needs. Part 1, Article 4 of
the Law defines the term “special educational needs” in Jersey, as well as the
defined meaning of “learning difficulty”, “special educational provision” and
“special school”.
(1) For the purposes of this Law, a child has “special educational needs” if the child
has a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for the
child.
(2) For the purposes of this Law, subject to paragraph (3), a child has a “learning
difficulty” if –
(a) the child has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of
children of the child’s age;
(b) the child has a disability which either prevents or hinders the child from
making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of
the child’s age in provided schools; or
(c) the child is below compulsory school age and is, or would be, if special
educational provision were not made for the child, likely to fall within sub-
paragraph (a) or (b) when the child is of compulsory school age.
(3) A child is not to be taken as having a learning difficulty solely because the
language (or form of the language) in which the child is, or will be, taught is different
from a language (or form of a language) which has at any time been spoken in the
child’s home.
(4) In this Law – “special educational provision” means –
(a) in relation to a child who has attained the age of 2 years, educational
provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational
provision made generally for children of the child’s age in provided schools
(other than special schools); and
(b) in relation to a child under that age, educational provision of any kind; and
“special school” means a school which is specially organized to make special
educational provision for pupils with special educational needs.
In addition, Part 5 of the Law, Articles 28 to 32, precisely define the duty of the
Education Minister in relation to a child or young person with SEN; the power of
the Education Minister to require assessment and parental/carer’s rights in
relation to SEN, and other powers. In addition, children and young people with
SEN have rights defined in other parts of the Law, for example, in accessing the
Jersey Curriculum (Article 16).
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
5
Definition of Special Educational Needs
and/or Disabilities
A child of compulsory school age (Part 1, Article 2 of the Education (Jersey)
Law 1999) 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 them from making use of facilities
of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream
schools or mainstream post 16 settings
• has SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special
educational provision to be made for them
Children and young people with SEND may need extra help because of a range
of needs including the four areas of SEND:
Communicating and interacting - for example, where children and young
people have speech, language and communication difficulties which make it
difficult for them to make sense of language or to understand how to
communicate effectively and appropriately with others.
Cognition and learning – for example, where children and young people learn
at a slower pace than others their age, have difficulty in understanding parts of
the curriculum, have difficulties with organisation, memory skill or have specific
difficulties affecting one particular part of their learning performance such as in
literacy or numeracy.
Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties – for example, where
children and young people have difficulty in managing their relationships with
other people, are withdrawn, or if they behave in ways that may hinder their and
other children’s learning or that have an impact on their health and wellbeing.
Sensory and/or Physical Needs – for example, children and young people
with visual and/or hearing needs, or a physical need that means they must have
additional ongoing support and equipment.
Some children and young people may have SEND that covers more than one of
these areas.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
6
Disabilities – many children and young people who have SEN may also have a
disability. A disability is described under the Equality Act 2010. You are disabled
under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that
has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on your ability to do normal
daily activities.
Children and young people with SEND will usually be able to get help from their
early education setting, school or college, sometimes with the help of outside
specialists. This is often where SEND are first identified. If they do identify that
your child has SEND, your school or other setting must contact you and should
discuss with you what support to offer your child. The setting must tell you if
they are making special education provision for your child.
If you think your child has SEND, you should talk to your child’s early education
setting, school, college or other provider. They will discuss any concerns you
have, tell you what they think and explain to you what will happen next. There
are other sources of advice and support you can access such as:
• Your GP or other child health services including your Health Visitor or Family
Nursing
• Other professionals, for example Speech and Language Therapists or
Occupational Therapists
• Charities and other organisations that offer information, advice and support
Here is a link to our Special Educational Needs Policy which is published on
gov.je.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
7
Principles of the Parent Code of Practice
All children and young people have a right to an
education that enables them to make progress so
that they:
• achieve their best
• become confident individuals and live fulfilling
lives
• make a successful transition in becoming an
adult whether that is into further and higher
education, training or work
The principles of the Code of Practice are designed to support:
• the participation of children, young people and their parents in decision-
making
• the early identification of children and young people’s needs and early
intervention to support them
• greater choice and control over support for young people
• collaboration between education and health and social care services to
provide support
• high quality provision
• provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND
• a focus on inclusive practice and removing barriers to learning
• successful preparation for adulthood including independent living and
employment
As a parent, you should have a say in decisions that affect your child, have
access to impartial information, advice and support and know how to challenge
decisions you disagree with.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
8
Information Advice and Support
Parents, children and young people should be involved in developing services
for children and young people with SEND, including the development of what is
on offer locally.
Parent Carer Forum Jersey
The Parent Carer Forum is a way of bringing parents and carers together to
create a strong community of families who have children with SEND. They hope
to represent all families by ensuring a diverse membership and representation
of diverse views from children and young people living with SEND and parents
and carers from all backgrounds and sectors of the community. They provide
regular communication with parents and carers, ensuring they are able to
decide whether to be involved in a piece of work or consultation that is going on.
The Parent Carer Forum Jersey is run by a committee of parents and carers
with an independent chair and up to 12 members. The group is supported by
Government Departments for Children, Young People, Education and Skills
(CYPES), Health and Community Services (HCS) and Customer and Local
Services (CLS). They will work with them to feedback other parents and carers
views about the SEND services on offer to Jersey’s children and young people.
The volunteer parents on the committee will represent other families and put
their views forward. These members will receive informal training and help, if
necessary, and will attend meetings along with representatives of the
organisations that help and support children and young people with SEND.
You can find more about the Parent Carer forum on their website Parent Carer
Forum Jersey
“In the most successful schools the effective engagement of parents has
had a profound impact on children’s progress and the confidence between
the school and parent. Parents need to be listened to more and brought
into a partnership with statutory bodies in a more meaningful way.” Brian
Lamb
Lamb Inquiry into Parental Confidence in Special Educational Needs
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
9
Government of Jersey Website
The Government of Jersey website contains public service information including
up-to-date policies, Jersey curriculum and school term dates. You will find
additional information here regarding services and teams who provide advice,
support and training for all schools and settings in the following areas:
• Special Educational Needs
• English as an additional language
• Parenting and Family Support
• Educational Psychology
• Social and Emotional Mental Health
• Well-being
• Autism and Social Communication
• Visual Impairment
• Hearing Impairment
• Early Years
Support for Children with Special Educational Needs on gov.je.
You will also find information regarding health services including Speech and
Language Therapy, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy on this site.
Children and Families Hub
The Children and Families Hub provides information, advice and support for
Children, young people and families. The Hub’s aim is to make sure you get the
right help, at the right time. This could be some advice on the telephone, a one-
to-one consultation or putting you in touch with any services that can help and
support you. The Hub also responds to any safeguarding concerns. The online
information directory has information on over 70 services from Government and
the Community and Voluntary Sector. There is a ‘Request for Advice’ online
form. You can also call the Children and Families Hub on +44 (0) 1534 519000,
Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm and Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm or email
them at childrenandfamilieshub@gov.je.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
10
Family Nursing and Home Care (FNHC)
The Community Children’s Nurses support children with nursing and health care
needs and their families, at home and in the community. They provide nursing
care and support in children’s homes or other community settings, such as
nurseries or schools. They prevent or reduce hospital admissions for children
and young people and provide families and carers with information, resources
and support to promote independence, as far as possible.
You can find more about FNHC on their website Family Nursing and Home
Care.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
11
SEND Support
The first step to meeting your child’s needs would be high quality differentiated
teaching. This is the universal offer that is made available to all pupils. If your
child needs additional SEND Support, this is designed to provide a graduated
approach, which is timely and proportionate, based on a cycle of action that can
be revisited with increasing detail, increasing frequency and with the
involvement of parents.
Practitioners may adapt their approach, resources or the environment in order
to meet educational needs and help to overcome any barriers to learning.
Throughout the graduated approach, the practitioners, for example a keyworker
or teacher, remains responsible for working with the child on a daily basis and
implements agreed interventions. The Special Educational Needs Coordinator
(SENCo) supports individual practitioners and leads and coordinates the
graduated approach across the setting.
This graduated process helps meet the emerging additional concerns or needs
carefully through a cycle of assess, plan, do and review. This means any
support provided over and above normal differentiation could be categorized as
SEND support. The school setting will record your child’s name on an Inclusion
Register. This is to ensure that their needs are recorded and met.
The cycle can be revisited in order to identify the best way of securing good
progress.
Assess: Your child’s difficulties must be assessed so that the right support can
be provided. This might include asking parents and carers what they think,
talking to professionals who work with your child and looking at records and
other information. This may include information from other related professionals.
Plan: Your school or other setting needs to agree, with your involvement, the
outcomes that the SEND support is intended to achieve. All those involved will
have a say in deciding what support is needed and setting a date to review this.
Do: The setting will put the planned support in place and track progress to
check that the support is effective.
Review: The support your child receives should be reviewed at the agreed time
and then you can decide together if the support is having a positive impact,
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
12
whether the outcomes have been or are being achieved and if or how any
changes should be made.
Throughout the cycle, children and young people’s views can be represented by
parents and practitioners, but in order to ensure the child or young person’s
views inform the process directly, these need to be captured before any
discussion. Whether they communicate verbally or by other means, pictures and
objects of reference can be used to promote communication with younger
children about their views and their preferences, both at home and in the
setting. These views can be brought to inform discussion and decisions at each
stage.
A professional supporting your child may suggest completing a Child and Family
Assessment with you, sometimes called an Early Help assessment. This may
be because your child or your family have needs or concerns that are broader
than can be addressed by one service or setting alone. It may be because your
child’s needs are unclear, and more information is needed, or because multi-
agency support needs to be coordinated. Following the assessment, next steps
will be agreed and if a multi-agency approach is required you will be offered a
Team around the Child meeting. This will bring together the practitioners who
are already supporting your child and family. You will be a vital member of the
team around your child and your voice, and the voice of your child, will be
central.
During the meeting, the strengths and needs identified in the assessment will be
discussed and together, a child and family plan will be developed to support
your child and family with clear goals and responsibilities. A lead worker who
will be the single point of contact for you will also be agreed. This approach,
known as Jersey’s Children First, recognises that children, young people and
families are entitled to coordinated help and support when they need it. It has
the commitment of all agencies working with children and young people in
Jersey.
Related Links:
Graduated Approach
SEND Support in Schools
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
13
Early Years
Parents and carers early observations of their child are crucial to identification of
needs. Early identification health assessment and advice may be delivered by
Health Visitors through the Healthy Child Programme, Early Years Pathway or
services provided by Family Nursing and Home Care (FNHC). When an Early
Years setting or any additional health
professionals are involved and feel that a
young child has SEND, they must inform
parents and carers and provide formal
notification to the Pre-School Forum
which is chaired by the Head of SEND.
Parental consent must be obtained in
order to share any information about your
child.
The Early Years Foundation Stage
curriculum (EYFS) is taught in school nurseries, day nurseries, pre-schools and
reception class and is for children aged 3 to 5 years. It covers the years from
the beginning of nursery or pre-school to the end of the reception class in
primary school and includes ongoing observation of your child’s progress. The
Early Years Statutory Requirements is a framework that states all registered
early years settings must have arrangements in place to support children with
SEND. This includes ongoing observation of your child’s progress and a written
assessment in the summer term of reception year in school. Your child’s Health
Visitor will also offer to carry out a health check on your child when they are
about 2 to 2 ½ years old.
All early years settings have duties to prevent discrimination, to promote
equality of opportunity and to foster good relations. They must also make
reasonable adjustments for children with disabilities - such as providing auxiliary
aids (for example tactile signs) so that these children are not disadvantaged
when compared to other children. An intimate care policy is in place and applies
to all staff undertaking personal care tasks for children especially in the early
year’s foundation stage or other vulnerable groups of children who require
support with personal care due to SEND.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
14
To safeguard consistent service and commitment throughout all settings in the
early years, the Jersey Pre-School Quality Framework acts as a way of
assessing whether maintained and private sector nurseries are providing good
quality service for pre-school children by setting clear agreed standards to
ensure every child has high quality opportunities for learning and development
around four important components including relationships, organisation,
learning and achievement.
If you think your child has a SEND or you are worried about the progress they
are making, you should first talk to your early years setting. A setting may
request advice from the Early Years Inclusion Team (EYIT). You can also talk to
your GP or Health Visitor. They must tell you if they think your child has SEND
or a disability and should discuss with you what kind of support your child might
need.
A delay in learning and development in the early years may or may not indicate
that your child has SEND nor does difficult or withdrawn behaviour necessarily
mean that a child has SEND. Challenges related solely to learning English as
an additional language are not SEND.
If the setting have taken relevant and purposeful action to assess, identify and
meet the special educational needs of your child and they have still not made
expected progress, an Exceptional Action may be considered. This may lead to
increased SEND support or a Record of Needs. If your child’s SEND needs are
very complex or severe, they might need a Record of Needs. Only a small
percentage of pupils in Jersey (1-2%) possess a Record of Needs.
Related links:
Inclusion Policy in Schools
Support for Children with Special Educational Needs
Intimate Care Policy
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
15
Schools
All children and young people are entitled to an appropriate education, one that
is appropriate to their needs which promotes high standards and provides
fulfilment of potential. Most children of school age who have SEND will attend a
mainstream school.
If your child has a disability, whether or not they have SEN, their school must
make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids, (such as
tactile signage or induction loops) and services to prevent them being put at a
substantial disadvantage. Schools also have wider duties to prevent
discrimination, to promote equality of opportunity and to foster good relations.
If you think your child has SEND, you should talk to your school; start with the
class teacher. Every school has to have a teacher who coordinates the SEND
provision in the school called a Special Educational Needs Coordinator
(SENCo) and you might also need to talk to them.
If your child’s school thinks your child has SEND, they should talk to you to see
what you think and gather evidence such as reports about your child’s progress.
If they decide to provide your child with support for their SEND, they must tell
you.
If your child has SEND, your school needs to use its best endeavours, that
means to do its very best, to give your child the support they need. That could
include getting advice and support from specialists outside the school (such as
an Educational Psychologist, a Speech and Language Therapist or a specialist
advisory service). Children with SEND will be provided with SEND support (see
section in this guide on Support for Children and Young People with Special
Educational Needs and the related SEND support flowchart link).
The support provided is to help children achieve the outcomes or learning
objectives that have been set for them. SEND support can take many forms.
This could include:
• a special learning programme for your child
• extra help from a teacher or a teaching assistant
• making or changing materials and equipment
• working with your child in a small group
• observing your child in class or at break times and making notes
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
16
• helping your child to take part in the class activities
• making sure that your child has understood things by encouraging them to
ask questions
• supporting your child with physical or personal care difficulties, such as
eating, getting around school safely, toileting or dressing
• helping other children to work with your child, or play with them at break time
Using the SEND support, involving a graduated approach, ensures that schools
will have clear steps to identifying and responding to SEND. Schools will assess
each pupil’s current skills and levels of attainment on entry, building on
information from previous settings, parents/carers, pupils, other agencies and
key stages where appropriate. Teachers will make observations of your child to
identify if he/she is making less than expected progress given their age and
individual circumstances. The first response will be for the teacher to provide
targeted, high quality teaching.
If your child’s progress is still significantly slower, the teacher may work with the
SENCo to put in place extra teaching or interventions while they continue to
collect evidence. Parents/carers will be informed of any interventions and will
have the opportunity to share information or concerns about their child. Your
child’s response to support and interventions will also help to identify their
needs. A date will be set to review the impact of the interventions and, with
discussion including the child and parents/carers, the plans or support will be
continued or changed to meet the child’s needs.
For some children, SEND can be identified at an early age. However, for other
children, difficulties become evident only as they develop. Other circumstances
may contribute to a child’s development and may not always mean that they
have a SEND. A number of factors such as wellbeing or family or peer
circumstances such as bereavement or bullying may influence your child’s
attainment or progress.
If you are concerned, you should speak to your child’s class teacher in the first
instance. The teacher can offer advice, explore additional assessments and
provision with you or recommend other agencies where needed. In some cases,
provision need only be put in place for a pupil’s short term need to prevent
problems from escalating. Where there are long-lasting difficulties, the school
may consider if your child may have SEND.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
17
Where a setting has taken relevant and purposeful action to meet the
educational needs of your child, including securing meaningful involvement from
appropriate professionals, and they have not made expected progress, a setting
will, with the consent of parents/carers, consider requesting an Exceptional
Action Assessment which might lead to a Record of Needs (see the related links
below).You should discuss this with your child’s school through your child’s
class teacher or the school’s SENCo.
Your child’s school must provide you with an annual report on your child’s
progress. They should talk to you regularly about your child’s progress, set clear
outcomes and produce a report of these as well as the action taken and support
agreed, and you may want to ask for this to be outside of the regular parents’
evening. It is important that the views of your child are included in these
discussions.
Your child’s school must publish a SEND Information Report on their website
and keep the report up to date. The report needs to include things like:
• the kinds of SEND support the school provides
• their approach to teaching children and young people with SEND
• what arrangements they have for consulting parents/carers and involving
them in their child’s education (and also for engaging young people directly)
Your child’s school also needs to set out what arrangements they have for
admitting children with disabilities, what steps they are taking to make sure
children with disabilities are treated fairly and not discriminated against, what
facilities are provided for children with disabilities and what plans they have for
improving access in the future.
Many children with a Record of Needs will be taught in mainstream schools, but
some may be taught in special schools. Special schools only provide education
for children and young people with special educational needs which are more
severe and complex in nature.
In the same way that mainstream schools do, special schools should regularly
discuss with you your child's education and the support they offer and keep you
up to date with their progress.
Related links:
Inclusion Policy in Schools
Support for Children with Special Educational Needs
Bullying Policy
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
18
Special Educational Needs Code of Practice
Special Educational Needs Policy
Also see Chapter 6: Exceptional Action and Record of Needs
Graduated Approach
Role of SENCo
SEND Support in Schools
Parents Frequently Asked Questions
Further Education
The range of available study programmes in Jersey at post-16 education is
broad and includes A-levels; technical and vocational qualifications at all levels;
apprenticeships; traineeships; supported internships and bespoke packages of
learning. Mainstream providers include school sixth forms, a general Further
Education college and Skills Jersey, incorporating apprenticeships and a full-
time foundation apprenticeship provision.
On moving into further education, your child should have the chance to say
whether they have a SEND which may affect their learning. Colleges and post-
16 providers should then discuss and explain how they will provide support to
meet the young person’s needs.
The college or post-16 provider
should keep a record of support
up to date which will include
information about the student’s
SEND, interventions and the
support of specialists. This
information should be used as
part of regular discussions with
the student and, where
appropriate, their family about the
students’ progress, expected
outcomes and planned next steps.
Further education providers should be involved in plans for young people to
leave school and enter college and post-16 provisions, so they can be prepared
to meet their needs. They should give young people the chance, before they
enter college or post-16 provisions, to say whether they have SEND or a
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
19
disability which might affect their learning. Further Education providers should
then discuss with young people and explain how they will provide support to
meet their needs.
If your child has SEND, the college/post-16 provider needs to use its best
endeavours to give them the support they need. Support for most young people
will be provided through SEND support (see section in this guide on Support for
Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs). This might include
support from outside the college or post-16 provider setting.
At age 16, and beyond, young people will often become increasingly
independent and may want to exercise more control over the support they
receive for their SEND. Colleges/post-16 providers and others who provide
services for young people when they are over compulsory school age, are
expected to communicate directly with the young person. You should talk to
your child and agree how best you can be involved and how much support they
will need as they get older. Once you have agreed arrangements which work for
you and your child, you should let their college/post-16 provider know so that
you can receive the information and support you need as a parent/carer to
continue to give your child the support that they need from you. A college/post-
16 provider should, where they can, ensure you have access to external
specialist services and expertise. This may, for example, include Educational
Psychologists, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS),
specialist teachers and support teams, supported employment services and
other involved professionals.
If a college/post-16 provider, despite its best endeavours, cannot meet a young
person’s needs, then a young person, with support from their parents, should
consider whether they need an Exceptional Action needs assessment, which
might lead to a Record of Needs (see section in this guide on Exceptional
Action and Record of Needs). If you think your child needs an assessment, you
should both discuss this with the college/post-16 provider. A request can be
made for a Record of Needs up until a young person reaches the age of 19. It
would, however, be unusual for a new Record of Needs to be considered at this
late stage unless the young person is new to the Island or is affected by a
significant event.
For more information about support for young people aged 16+ in further
education who have SEND, please refer to Chapter 7 of the Jersey 0-19
SEND Code of Practice or the Information, Advice and Support (Chapter 4)
section of this guide.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
20
Related Links:
Skills Jersey
Highlands College
Trackers Apprentice Programme
The Prince's Trust
Support for Children with Special Educational Needs
Preparing for Adulthood
This section looks at how services should work together and support you to help
your child prepare for adulthood, such as going into higher education,
independent living, being involved in their community and being as healthy as
possible in adult life.
From the age of 16, the law recognises young people have rights to take some
decisions for themselves (provided they are capable of doing so). For example,
they have a right to request a Record of Needs directly from CYPES. That does
not mean that you, as parents/carers, are excluded. CYPES, college and other
involved agencies should still continue to involve you, particularly when your
child is 16 or 17. Typically, young people of this age will still want support from
you as parents/carers and will want your advice on decisions that affect them.
As children get older and become young people and adults, it is important that
they are given opportunities to take more control over their lives. All young
people need support at this important time, from you as parents/carers, and
from professionals such as teachers, college lecturers, youth workers and
others. This is particularly important for young people with SEND.
Preparing for adulthood is about preparing for things like higher education,
independent living, being involved in the community and being as healthy as
possible in adult life. It needs to start early, Schools and other service providers
should start having discussions with young people about long-term goals,
ideally before they reach the age of 14. As parents/carers, you of course need
to be included in those discussions.
A transition pathway may be put in place with input from parents/carers and the
young person. This is a multi-agency approach to support young people with
special needs and disabilities who require multi-agency support in preparing for
adulthood. The purpose of the pathway is to raise aspirations and ensure the
young person’s goals and dreams for education and employment, health and
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
21
wellbeing, community participation and independent living inform transition
planning from the start.
Recognising the increasing independence of young people once they reach 16
and beyond, CYPES has a number of legal responsibilities such as:
• making sure information, advice and support is available directly to young
people, independent of their parents/carers if they wish. Information, advice
and support services should work sensitively with families, and explain to you
what this means for you as parents/carers
• including accessible information about preparing for adulthood and support
available to them in higher education*
• making sure that all reviews of Records of Needs for young people from age
13-14 onwards, include a focus on preparing for adulthood
• making sure services they provide, such as housing and adult social care,
help children and young people prepare for adulthood
• carrying out an adult care transition assessment for young people aged 18
and over with SEND, if they think it will benefit that young person
* Refer to Chapter 4 Information, Advice and Support Section of this guide
Children and Young People in Specific Circumstances
This section highlights particular groups of children and young people whose
specific circumstances require additional consideration by those who work with
them. CYPES have particular responsibilities for these children and should
support the educational achievement and support the educational needs
(SEND) with an effective joined up service of these children, regardless of
where they are placed.
These groups include:
• children looked after (CLA)
• children and young people with SEND and social care needs, including
children in need
• children and young people educated off-island
• children and young people with SEND who are educated other than at school
• children and young people in an alternative provision
• children and young people with chronic illness, long term illness or serious
injury
• children and young people in youth custody
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
22
If any of the circumstances above apply to your child, you will find out more by
looking at Chapter 8 in the Government of Jersey Special Educational Needs
Code of Practice.
Related Link:
Children Looked After Policy
Exceptional Action Assessments
and Record of Needs
The majority of children and young people with special educational needs
(SEND) will have their needs met within local mainstream early year’s settings,
schools or college. Some children and young people may require an
Exceptional Action assessment in order for CYPES to decide whether it is
necessary to make provision in accordance with a Record of Needs (RoN). The
purpose of a RoN is to make special educational provision to meet the SEND of
a child or young person and to help to secure the best possible outcomes for
them across education including helping to prepare them for adulthood as they
get older.
The Exceptional Action assessment would be the first step in this process and it
should follow on from planning undertaken with parents/carers, the child/young
person and the school or other providers as described in the SEND Support
section of this document. School will use the descriptors within the Ordinarily
Available document to help in making a judgment about if or when to initiate an
Exceptional Action request. As part of the request, school are required to show
that a pupil has needs that require SEND arrangements significantly beyond the
descriptors for ordinary available provision.
An Exceptional Action will not always lead to a RoN. The information gathered
during an Exceptional Action assessment may indicate ways in which the
school, college or other provider can meet the child/young person’s needs
without a RoN.
RoNs should be a comprehensive and forward-looking document that help raise
aspirations and outline the provision required to meet assessed needs to
support your child in achieving their ambitions. Parents/carers and
children/young people’s views should always form part of the RoN process.
RoNs should explain how best to achieve the outcomes for your child.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
23
If your child receives a RoN, this must be reviewed as a minimum every 12
months. Reviews should focus on your child’s progress towards achieving the
outcomes specified in the RoN. The review should also consider whether the
outcomes and supporting targets remain appropriate. Invitations for the review
will be sent by your child’s school. The review should be undertaken in
partnership with you and your child. You may want to suggest involved adults
who may attend with you, and the school will invite any professionals who have
been meaningfully involved or they may request a written report. The review is
generally held in the educational setting attended by the child/young person. As
an outcome of the review process, you will be involved and informed of any
changes or decisions regarding your child’s RoN and you will be given 10 term
time working days to comment and make representation on any proposed
changes.
There are processes and timescales that must be followed by CYPES to
conduct assessments and prepare and maintain RoNs in the most efficient way
possible, working collaboratively with children/young people and their
parents/carers. This timely process is put into place throughout the assessment,
planning and review process.
Parents/carers have the right of appeal under the Education (Jersey) Law 1999.
This differs from school admissions that are non-statutory.
The relevant extract from the Law is below:
Article 31: Parent rights in relation to special educational needs section
The parents/carers of a child/young person in relation to whom it is proposed to
make an assessment of special educational needs and special educational
provision, shall have the right to appeal against any part of the results of the
assessment.
If you have any questions about the Exceptional Action, RoN or Annual Review
process, school or other providers will explain the steps within the process and
keep you informed throughout.
You can refer to the links below to give you more information about the
Exceptional Action, RoN and Annual Review process through:
Annual Review Flowchart
Key Points of SEND Support in Schools
Requesting an Exceptional Action Assessment
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
24
SEND Support in Schools Flowchart
Graduated Approach
A detailed description of the stages of the Exceptional Action and RoN process
can be found in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
25
Challenging or Disagreeing with Decisions
Appeals Procedure
Parents and carers have the right of appeal to any part of the results of an
assessment of special educational needs and special educational provision
under the Education (Jersey) Law.
An appeal can be made to the Education Minister no later than 15 term time
days after the parents/carers are notified of the results of the assessment and
they shall be determined by the Education Minister. The Education Minister
may, by written direction, delegate the power to receive and determine any
appeal to the Group Director of Education or to a panel of persons appointed by
the Education Minister for the purpose.
If a parent/carer wishes to appeal regarding the content of the assessment or
the educational arrangements offered, they have 15 term time days in which to
make a written appeal.
The appeals panel will be made up of:
• Principal Educational Psychologist
• either the Education Minister or the Assistant Education Minister
• an independent member of high standing in the community
Appeals will follow the principles set out in the School Admissions Appeals
Policy.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
26
Appendix 1
Glossary
Additionally Resourced Centre (ARC): A specialist facility within a named
school for pupils with a Record of Needs (RoN) who require highly targeted
provision and resources to meet their identified need. Placement within such
centres are the responsibility of CYPES.
Annual Review: The review of a Record of Needs which schools and settings
must make as a minimum every 12 months.
Area Special Educational Needs Coordinator (Area SENCo): Area SENCos
provide advice, training and guidance to early years providers on the
development of inclusive early learning environments and will help develop the
capacity of setting and school staff to manage the operational arrangements put
in place for children identified with SEND.
Care Plan: A record of the health and/or social care services that are being
provided to a child or young person to help them manage a disability or health
condition. The Plan will be agreed with the child’s parents/carers and may be
contained within a patient’s medical record or maintained as a separate
document. Care Plans are also maintained by the Government of Jersey for
children who are looked after, in this instance, the Care Plan will contain a
Personal Education Plan (PEP) in addition to the health and social care
elements.
Childcare and Early Years’ Service (CEYS): The teams that support
regulation and development for all registered provisions under the Daycare of
Children (Jersey) Law 2002 for children from birth to 12 years of age and also
the Early Years Foundation stage within the Government of Jersey sector of
schools. This is managed by the Head of Early Years at CYPES.
Child Development and Therapy Centre: The Child Development and
Therapy Centre offers a comprehensive assessment, treatment, diagnostic and
family support service to children with complex developmental and / or health
needs from birth to 18 years of age. Professionals within the Child Development
and Therapy Centre include:
• Physiotherapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Speech and Language Therapists
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
27
• Family Care Coordinators
• Social Workers
• Community Short Break Development Officer
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS): These services
assess and treat children and young people with emotional, behavioural and/or
mental health difficulties. They range from basic pastoral care, such as
identifying mental health problems, to specialist CAMHS which provide care for
those who are severely mentally ill.
Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES): This is an umbrella
term for departments, including Children’s Service, Education, Further
Education and Skills Jersey, which provide advice, support and guidance to all
educational settings where learning opportunities take place, beginning at
nursery and continuing through statutory, further and higher education to
adulthood. This supports our commitment to encourage lifelong learning that
enables everyone to realise their potential.
Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): The foundation stage begins the year
children reach the age of 3. Many children attend an early education setting
soon after their third birthday. The foundation stage continues until the end of
the reception year and is consistent with the Jersey Curriculum.
Early Years Advisory Team (EYAT): A small team of experienced early years
teachers who work directly with the Early Years Advisory Teacher and CYPES.
Through advisory visits and training, EYAT support best practice across the
early year’s sector in all settings and schools. The team are available on
request and are seconded from their schools in order to facilitate the role.
Early Years Inclusion Team (EYIT): EYIT consists of two Early Years Special
Needs Co-coordinators and two Portage Home Visitors. The team runs as an
outreach service for both Government of Jersey maintained schools and private
pre-school settings.
Early Years Pathway: An integrated pathway from pre-birth to age 5 for
children with complex neurodevelopmental needs or complex enduring health
conditions that require multi-disciplinary support, providing coordinated “team
around the child and family” multi-agency assessment, diagnosis and support.
Early Years Provider: A provider of early education places for children under 5
years of age. This can include state-funded and private nurseries as well as
childminders.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
28
Educational Psychology Team: The Educational Psychology Team provide
psychological services and support to all education settings and schools in
Jersey to help children and young people (0-19 years) with a range of special
educational needs (SEND).
Education Law: Provision for the education of children and for special
educational needs in Jersey is determined by laws enacted by the Government
of Jersey.
Exceptional Action (Multi-agency Assessment): An assessment which will
normally arise out of extended interventions to implement Inclusion and Early
Intervention (and other appropriate agencies) advice at SEND support. It is
initiated where CYPES (rather than the school) needs to identify a pupil’s
special educational needs and arrangements to address these. The outcome
will be to issue either a Record of Needs or a Note in Lieu of a Record of
Needs.
Family Nursing and Home Care (FNHC): The Family Nursing & Home Care
Community Children’s Nurses support children with nursing and health care
needs and their families, at home and in the community. They provide nursing
care and support in children’s homes or other community settings, such as
nurseries or schools.
Further Education (FE) college: A college offering continuing education to
young people over the compulsory school age of 16. This includes general
further education college, sixth form colleges, specialist colleges and adult
education institutes.
Graduated Approach: A model of action and intervention in early education
settings, schools and colleges to help children and young people who have
special educational needs. The approach recognises that there is a continuum
of special educational needs and that, where necessary, increasing specialist
expertise should be brought to bear on the difficulties that a child/young person
may be experiencing.
Healthy Child Programme: The Healthy Child Programme covers pregnancy
and the first 5 years of a child’s life, focusing on a universal preventative service
that provides families with a programme of screening, immunisation, health and
development reviews, supplemented by advice around health, wellbeing and
parenting.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
29
Health and Community Service: The Health and Community Service aims to
enable Islanders to live longer, healthier and productive lives by ensuring the
provision of safe, sustainable, affordable and integrated health and social care
services that are delivered in partnership with others. Responsibilities include
the provision of a wide array of hospital services and health and social care
support in the community including adult social care.
Health Visiting Team: The Health Visiting Team comprises Health Visitors
(Specialist Community Public Health Nurses) and Community Nursery Nurses
who work with children and their families delivering four levels of services based
upon the Healthy Child Programme (Department of Health 2009).
High Quality Teaching (HQT): Provision that is based on clear objectives that
are shared with the children and returned to at the end of the lesson; carefully
explain new vocabulary; use lively, interactive teaching styles and make
maximum use of visual and kinesthetic as well as auditory/verbal learning.
Approaches like these are the best way to reduce, from the start, the number of
children who need extra help with their learning or behaviour.
Individual Learning Plan (ILP): This is a plan or programme designed for
children with SEND to help them to get the most out of their education. An ILP
builds or modifies the curriculum that a child with learning difficulties is following
and sets out the strategies being used to meet that child's specific needs.
Jersey Curriculum: This sets out a clear, full and statutory entitlement to
learning for all pupils, determining what should be taught and setting attainment
targets for learning. It also determines how performance will be assessed and
reported.
Jersey Child Care Trust (JCCT): A charitable organisation that is helping
families access the nurture, care and learning they need so each child can
reach their full potential. The charity provides direct services to children and
their families including support for children with SEND in their private nurseries.
Jersey’s Children First (JCF): Jersey’s Children First is a way of
working which has been adopted across services and settings in the public,
community and voluntary sectors. It is the vehicle for delivering the four
outcomes of the Children’s Plan that all children in Jersey:
• grow up safely
• live healthy lives
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
30
• learn and achieve
• are seen and heard
Agencies, services and settings working with children, young people and
families are committed to improving outcomes for them, in particular those who
are most vulnerable. The Jersey’s Children First way of working promotes
working together effectively to ensure children, young people and families can
access the right help at the right time.
Parent: Under Education (Jersey) Law 1999, the term ‘parent’, in relation to a
child, includes any person who is not the child’s parent but who has parental
responsibility for the child (within the meaning of the Children (Jersey) Law
2002) or care of the child.
Parental Responsibility: Under Children (Jersey) Law 2002, parental
responsibility is defined as:
(1) Where a child’s father and mother were married to each other at the time of
the child’s birth, they shall each have parental responsibility for the child.
(2) Where a child’s father and mother were not married to each other at the time
of the child’s birth –
(a) the mother shall have parental responsibility for the child; and
(b) the father shall not have responsibility for the child, unless he acquires it in
accordance with the provisions of this Law.
(3) The rules of Law that –
(a) where a child is legitimate, the child’s father has sole custody of the child;
and
(b) where a child is illegitimate and the child’s mother marries, her husband
(whether or not he is the father) has sole custody of the child
(4) More than one person may have parental responsibility of the same child at
the same time.
(5) A person who has parental responsibility for a child at any time shall not
cease to have that responsibility solely because some other person
subsequently acquires parental responsibility for that child.
(6) Where more than one person has parental responsibility for a child, each of
them may act alone and without the other (or others) in meeting that
responsibility; but nothing in this Part shall be taken to affect the operation of
any enactment which requires the consent of more than one person in a matter
affecting the child.
(7) The fact that a person has parental responsibility for a child shall not entitle
the person to act in any way which would be incompatible with any order made
with respect to the child under this Law.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
31
(8) A person who has parental responsibility for a child may not surrender or
transfer any part of that responsibility to another but may arrange for some or all
of it to be met by one or more persons acting on his or her behalf.
(9) The person with whom any such arrangement is made may be a person who
already has responsibility for the child concerned.
(10) The making of any such arrangement shall not affect any liability of the
person making it which may arise from any failure to meet any part of his or her
parental responsibility for the child concerned.
Parent Carer Forum Jersey: The Parent Carer Forum Jersey is a group of
parents and carers of disabled children who work with local authorities,
education, health and other providers to make sure the services they plan and
deliver meet the needs of children with SEND and their families.
Person Centred Approach: Person centred approaches are part of a broader
approach originating from work in North America in the 1960s with disabled
adults which promoted individualization or personalization known as Person
Centred Planning (PCP). PCP is a methodology which is focused on self-
determination in terms of what is important to a person from their own
perspective and which contributes to their full inclusion in society. Person
centred thinking tools are essentially methodical ways to ensure that education
is meeting the needs of each child and young person, recognising that each has
a unique style of learning, communicating, building relationships and making
decisions.
Personal Education Plan: An element of a Care Plan in respect of a child that
is looked after, which sets out the education needs of the child. If a child who is
looked after has a RoN, the regular reviews should, where possible, coincide
with reviews of the Personal Education Plan.
Pre-School Forum: A forum to support the coordination and involvement of key
local professionals and agencies with pre-school children who may require
close monitoring.
Provision Mapping: Provision mapping takes into account the full scope of
provision, including high quality whole class teaching, guided and group work
and individual interventions in order to identify and overcome potential barriers
to learning and meet the needs of all pupils within and beyond the school
setting. A provision map is a management tool providing an 'at a glance' way of
documenting and showing the range of provision, additional staffing and support
that a school makes available to its pupils.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
32
Record of Needs (RoN): A document drawn up where Exceptional Action
assessment indicates that CYPES (rather than the school) needs to specify a
child’s special educational needs and arrangements to address these. A Record
of Needs is subject to Annual Review.
Safeguarding Partnership Board (SPB): A team who coordinate work locally
which will safeguard children and adults and monitors and challenges the
effectiveness of Jersey’s safeguarding arrangements.
Skills Jersey: Skills Jersey is a centre of excellence that links Education and
Industry, through 3 business streams, to provide an all age, independent service
on Jersey. It incorporates the previous teams of Careers Jersey, Trackers,
Trident and Student Finance.
Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND): A child/young person has
SEND if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special
educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or
a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they have a significantly
greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a
disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational
facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream
schools or mainstream post-16 institutions.
Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo): A qualified teacher in a
school or maintained nursery school who has responsibility for coordinating
SEND provision. In a small school, the head teacher or deputy may take on this
role. In larger schools there may be a team of SENCos. Other early years
settings in group provision arrangements are expected to identify an individual
to perform the role of SENCo and childminders are encouraged to do so,
possibly sharing the role between them where they are registered with an
agency.
Special Educational Needs Panel: A decision making forum that can:
• effectively ensure that all Exceptional Action requests received are
considered in accordance with appropriate evidence, Jersey Code of
Practice and relevant legislation
• consider recommendations from Annual Reviews where there is a proposal
for changes of arrangements with budgetary implications beyond the schools’
delegated resources, the deployment of centrally maintained staff/resources
or consideration for more specialist provision
• consider recommendations from Annual Reviews where there is a proposal
to ‘cease to maintain’ a Record of Needs.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
33
Special Educational Provision: Special Educational Provision is provision that
is different from or additional to that normally available to pupils or students of
the same age, which is designed to help children/young people with SEND to
access the National Curriculum at school or to study at college.
Special school: A school which is specifically organised to make special
educational provision for pupils with SEND.
Speech and Language Therapy: Speech and Language Therapy is a health
care profession, the role and aim of which is to enable children, young people
and adults with speech, language and communication difficulties (and
associated difficulties with eating/swallowing) to reach their maximum
communication potential and achieve independence in all aspects of life.
Team Around a Child/Family (TAC/F): An individualised and evolving team of
the few practitioners who see the child and family on a regular basis to provide
practical, coordinated support in education, therapy and treatment. Its purpose
is to provide a more coordinated, thorough and consistent approach to
supporting a child and their family.
Transition Pathway: A multi-agency approach to support young people with
special needs and disabilities who require multi-agency support in preparing for
adulthood. The purpose of the pathway is to raise aspirations and ensure the
young person’s goals and dreams for education and employment, health and
wellbeing, community participation and independent living inform transition
planning from the start.
Young Person: Under Education (Jersey) Law 1999, a ‘young person’ means a
child who is over compulsory school age.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
34
Appendix 2
Parent’s Guide to the Code of Practice
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) mean?
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND): A pupil has SEND
where their learning difficulty and or disability calls for special educational
provision, namely provision that is different from or additional to that
normally available to pupils of the same age.
Disability: A child or young person may have a disability stated under the
Equality Act 2010 as a “physical or mental impairment which has a long-term
and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day
activities.
An explanation of SEND support and a Record of Needs is as follows:
SEND support: Extra or different help is given from that provided as part of
the school’s usual curriculum. The class teacher and special educational
needs co-ordinator (SENCo) may receive advice or support from outside
specialists.
Record of Needs (RoN): A pupil is said to have a Record of Needs when a
formal assessment of SEND has been made. A document is in place that
sets out the child’s needs and the extra help they should receive.
2. Where do I go for support?
(4.1)*Every school is required to identify and address the SEND of the pupils
that they support, including those that are in alternative provision. It is best to
share any concerns or questions initially with your child’s teacher. The first
response to pupils making less than expected progress should be a whole
school approach to SEND and high quality teaching. If your child’s progress
seems to be significantly slower or if you or the teacher believe that your
child may have SEND they may take advice or make a plan for you to meet
with the SENCo.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
35
You should expect clear and consistent communication within school. If you
or school feel that further advice or a referral is needed from other services
this should be discussed.
(4.60)* Schools should work closely with the department for Children, Young
People, Education and Skills (CYPES) and other providers when making
requests for specialist services. If you have further concerns that you feel
have not been addressed through your interactions with the teacher and
SENCo you may want to speak with the Head teacher.
3. What do I do if I need more support?
It is best to maintain regular communication with school and the teacher. Be
proactive if you have concerns so that little problems do not become more
complex. Schools have a number of ways of keeping in contact through
home-school journals, email, telephone conversations and face-to-face
meetings. Keeping an open line of communication can often be sufficient to
prevent future complications. Remember teachers are often busy with
classroom commitments during the day so that in order to facilitate the most
useful and constructive conversations about your child’s progress it may be
best to make an appointment to meet with the teacher or SENCo. If you
would like to raise further concerns about your child’s educational
arrangements, you may want to arrange a meeting with the Head teacher.
Each school will have a SEND Information Report included on their website.
This will include contacts and help to determine who the best point of contact
might be.
4. I think my friend’s child has better support than mine. I don’t think all schools
can provide the same level of service or resources
To support schools in fulfilling their responsibilities, CYPES delegate all but a
small proportion of SEND monies from central budgets to school budgets.
The Ordinarily Available document is a detailed document, which outlines
how schools are expected to use its delegated SEND funds to fulfil its
delegated responsibilities in the area of SEND. On a practical level it outlines
how a school might support pupils with SEND in different areas and at
different stages of the Code of Practice.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
36
The Ordinarily Available document:
• Promotes opportunities for inclusion by supporting the development of high
quality SEND support across the island
• Promotes a shared understanding (generally) and clarifies expectations and
aspirations for parents, schools and support teams in the area of SEND
• Works towards a level playing field (for pupils, schools and parents) in
providing for pupils with SEND across the Island
• For more specific information on how individual schools provide for SEND
look at their SEND Information Reports and school SEND policy which
should be available on their school website
5. We think we need a diagnosis to get a RoN. We think that is the only way to
get support.
(7.1)* The majority of children and young people with SEND have their
needs met within a local mainstream school or setting. The first step to
meeting SEND is providing high quality teaching and provision through what
is Ordinarily Available in schools. Schools may provide evidence based
SEND support through an ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ process and
interventions. They may also seek the advice of other professionals. You
should be kept informed and involved in this process. If the school feels, in
discussion with you, that your child requires arrangements that are
significantly above those ordinarily provided, they may consider an
Exceptional Action request. A diagnosis is not required to receive SEND
support nor to begin an Exceptional Action request. However schools are
required to provide sufficient evidence that above ordinarily provided SEND
support has been implemented and regularly reviewed. (7.10, 7.11)* This
would include at least two terms of Educational Psychology involvement as
well as evidence of above ordinarily provided SEN support shown through
individual learning plans or provision maps, background information and
attainment, pupil and parents views, possible involvement by other agencies
and views about the way forward. This information is collated and submitted
to CYPES for a panel review. An Exceptional Action request does not
always lead to a RoN.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
37
6. Does my child need a diagnosis? How would he/she get one?
A diagnosis is not required in order to receive SEND provision. Schools look
at the child’s needs and plan arrangements to meet them with or without a
diagnosis.
7. How many children with SEND are educated in mainstream school
This number can vary from year to year but most children in Jersey with
SEND are educated in a mainstream setting. The total number of pupils of
statutory school age (5 -16 years) is currently approximately 12,600 of which
about 12.5% are classified as having SEND. Of these pupils about 93% of
pupils with SEND are educated in mainstream schools and approximately
7% of pupils with SEND are educated in special schools. Approximately 1-
2% of all pupils have a RoN (Record of Needs). Less than 1% of all pupils in
Jersey are educated in special schools.
8. What other provisions are available?
There are two special schools on the Island Mont a l’Abbe and La Sente and
a short stay support centre.
School
Age/Year
group
Mont a l’Abbe
Nursery to
19 years
La Sente
Key Stages 2
and 3
Years 3 to 9
La Sente
Key Stage 4
Years 10 to 11
La Passerelle
Years 7 to 11
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
38
Some pupils’ needs may be best met in an Additional Resource Centre
(ARC) within a mainstream school. These pupils still access their
mainstream school with support but some of their educational needs are met
in the ARC with more specialist resources and presentation in addition to a
higher pupil-adult ratio. All pupils in special schools and in ARCs will be in
possession of a RoN.
School
Age/Year
group
Bel Royal
Primary
Reception to
Year 6
Rouge Bouillon
Primary
Reception to
Year 6
St Clement’s
Primary
Reception to
Year 6
St Saviour’s
Primary
Reception to
Year 6
Grainville
secondary
Years 7 to 11
Haute Vallee
secondary
Years 7 to 11
Le Rocquier
secondary
Years 7 to 11
Les Quennevais
secondary
Years 7 to 11
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
39
An application cannot be made directly for an ARC or specialist placement.
Pupils who have a placement within an ARC at a mainstream school will
access the curriculum where possible within the mainstream setting. As all
pupils in ARCs have a RoN, a determination of their placement will have
been made through a statutory Exceptional Action (EA) process involving
discussions with CYPES, school and parents.
9. When do I know my child is on the Inclusion register, is that a good thing?
Before a child is placed on the Inclusion Register, school should have a
discussion with parents/carers in order to develop a good understanding of
the pupils areas of strength and difficulty, the parents’/carers’ concerns and
the agreed outcomes should be sought concerning their child’s next steps. A
short report with agreed actions for the school and for the parents/carers of
these early discussions should be added to the pupil’s record on the school
information system and a copy given to the parents/carers. All teachers and
support staff who work with the pupil should be made aware of their needs,
the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or
approaches required. Slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily
mean that a child or young person has SEND and should not automatically
lead to a pupil being recorded as having SEND. This should be regularly
recorded and updated on the school information system. School must inform
parents/carers if their child is included on the SEND register. If your child
has an identified SEND it is advantageous to have their name on the register
as it increases awareness of your child’s needs and in addition where a pupil
is identified as SEND, schools should take action to remove barriers to
learning and put effective special education provision in place.
10. What does Ordinarily Available mean?
Ordinarily Available (OA) document is a detailed document, which outlines
how schools are expected to use its delegated SEND funds to fulfil its
delegated responsibilities in the area of SEND. At a practical level it outlines
how a school might support pupils with SEND in different areas and at
different stages of the SEN Code of Practice.
11. I didn’t know my child had an ILP. What is that?
An Individual Learning Plan (ILP), sometimes known as IEP (Individual
Education Plan) is a tool to help plan, teach, monitor and evaluate a pupil’s
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
40
progress. This should be a fluid and co-produced document that is regularly
reviewed by school and parents/carers. A school may develop an ILP for
pupils who are not fulfilling their potential and who have a specific need
which might be addressed by a modified curriculum, extra resources or an
alternative learning environment. It should be a record of the pupil’s goals
and should focus on the strategies to be adopted in order to help the pupil
achieve their objectives. Goals are generally written with parents/carers and
pupil’s input and are usually reviewed on a termly basis. Many schools are
adapting the ILP format and you may find that specific needs and targets
may be recorded and shared as part of a Personal Profile or individual and
group provision maps.
12. What is a personal profile?
Many schools use a variety of methods and resources to help children and
young people to co-produce documents which identify strengths and
weaknesses as well as goals and targets. These may be used for different
purposes for example giving pupils a voice in determining their learning and
goals, sharing information with others and allowing pupils with limited
interaction to share information about themselves and how they learn.
Schools will develop these documents in a myriad of ways with photos, text
or on iPads and you may hear those called personal profiles, All About Me
templates, Communication Passports, or My Learning Pathway for example.
Schools may also use provision maps which help to best match pupils to the
resources or interventions they may need to overcome barriers to learning.
13. What is a Provision Map?
A provision map is often used in school to take into account the full scope of
provision. This will include high quality teaching, guided or group work and
individual interventions. The provision map can be shared with you to show
what resources and interventions your child may be receiving at school in
order to overcome learning barriers and to meet your child’s needs. This will
be a working, fluid document which should be regularly shared and reviewed
so that you are aware of and can discuss the provision that is put in place.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
41
14. What’s the best way for me to keep the lines of communication open about
daily issues and processes?
If you have any concerns, it is always best to start by speaking to your
child’s teacher. Try not to wait until a problem becomes unmanageable as
school will be willing to work with you to determine what actions may be the
best to put into place. Sometimes it is just best to share the problem! You
can communicate with teachers in a variety of ways through informal chats,
email, letters, home-school books, and telephone. If your concern requires
more time or attention it may be best to make arrangements for a meeting
with the teacher. If you or the teacher have additional concerns about your
child’s SEND they may involve the SENCo or other relevant professionals.
The SENCo will support both you and the classroom teacher and may be
able to give more detailed information about your child’s SEND support and
how it might look in the classroom. Most SEND support concerns will be met
by your child’s teacher or the SENCo but if you feel that you require further
advice or discussion you may want to get in touch with the Head teacher.
15. Where can my child get support around wellbeing?
If you have concerns about your child’s wellbeing it is best to talk to their
teacher first. As with other support for pupils, school will use a graduated
approach to wellbeing concerns by working in partnership with you and your
child to gradually build up support through an ‘Assess, Plan, Do and Review’
process.
Many students require some form of wellbeing support at some stage in their
education and this is monitored by their teachers and other relevant
members of school staff. If you feel that your child would benefit from
someone to talk to, an emotional check-in or some other form of additional
support for their wellbeing then your first step is always to talk to a staff
member you trust at school. Whilst there are several support teams who
support schools in their wellbeing role, they all ask for guidance from the
school before they get involved so it is important that staff members are
aware of how you feel and what your thoughts are.
In addition to talking to a trusted member of school staff, the next steps to
accessing advice around wellbeing can include the following:
• Start by having a conversation with school though your child’s teacher,
SENCo, or Headteacher
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
42
• Schools have a variety of their own pastoral resources they can offer and
discuss with you, if appropriate, such as Emotional Literacy Support
Assistants (ELSAs). ELSAs are trained by the Psychology and Wellbeing
Service (PAWBS) and undergo regular supervision and professional
development on how to best support pupils in schools.
• You can contact the Educational Psychology Telephone Consultation
Line which is available to all schools, parents, carers and young people
and can offer advice and signposting
• The Wellbeing Team also offer a consultation line which is available to
anyone and is a good resource for parents who may be looking for
strategies regarding what you can do at home or want some advice
about the most appropriate services to consider
• Face to face consultations with parent/carers at Parentscope meetings
are also offered by the Educational Psychology Team and the Primary
Mental Health Team
• If your child is at secondary school then they might also have access to a
school based counsellor, to which they can usually self-refer
• Jersey is also fortunate enough to have a varied voluntary sector with
many charities set up offering well-being support e.g. Mind Jersey,
Silkworms, YES.
Related Links:
The Yes Project
You Matter
Mind Jersey
Silkworms
A referral may be made to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
(CAMHS) through school or other related professionals. CAMHS is a multi-
disciplinary team of professionals with backgrounds in psychiatry, clinical
psychology, family therapy, psychotherapy, nursing and social work. They
offer assessments and therapeutic interventions to children and young
people and their families where there are moderate to severe difficulties with
their mental health. The team’s role is to offer interventions where more
specialised help is required.
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
43
16. How is my child supported through transitions?
Children and young people regularly experience change as they are
required to work with different teachers and move between different
educational settings. Planning should be put in place for SEND pupils who
require additional support during transition times. This should be started well
in advance of the transition and parents/carers should be aware of the plan.
Transitions within school may involve activities such as visiting new classes,
meeting teachers and new classmates or sharing communication passports.
In a move from primary to secondary, schools should begin to make
arrangements for transition in the autumn term, although schools may begin
to discuss transition considerations prior to this in certain instances.
Secondary school representatives should be invited to the Year 6 Annual
Review for those pupils with a RoN. The pupil’s identified needs for a
successful transition may include for example: enhanced visits, meeting with
familiar people, timetables, photos, social stories and maps. These transition
interventions should be discussed, and plans made for an agreed
implementation.
Young people moving onto Further Education or an Adult Pathway should
be in possession of a co-produced person-centred transition plan which
takes into account their identified needs and aspirations in their new
settings.
There is a policy for Transfers and Transition for SEND pupils. There is also
a transfer and transition policy which applies to all transitions from Early
Years to Adulthood.
The AET (Autism Education Trust) Transition Toolkit includes useful
information and advice for pupils with Autism but which may also be suitable
for children with a variety of SEND needs especially during transition times.
Related Links:
SEND Transfer and Transition Policy
Transfer and Transition Policy
AET Transition Toolkit
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
44
Appendix 3
The Role of the SENCo
Mainstream schools must ensure that there is a qualified teacher designated as
the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) for the school.
The SENCo must be a qualified teacher working at the school.
The type of responsibilities a SENCo has are:
Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEND policy:
• Supporting the identification of children with special educational needs
• Co-ordinating provision for children with SEND
• Liaising with parents of children with SEND in planning and reviewing
progress
• Liaising with other providers, outside agencies, educational psychologists
and external agencies
• Requesting an Exceptional Action assessment
• Effective deployment of Teaching Assistants (TA)
• Providing professional advice to colleagues
• Leading on the access arrangements process within their centre
• Liaising with potential next providers of education to ensure a pupil and their
parent / carers are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned
• Ensuring that the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEND up to date
• Attending CPD (Continued Professional Development) relevant to the
SENCo role
• Coordinating with head teacher and senior leaders to determine the strategic
development of SEND policy and provision in the school and to ensure that
the school pays due regard to its responsibility under the Jersey
Discrimination Law with regard to reasonable adjustments and access
arrangements
• Compile the schools Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information
Report
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
45
What should I expect from my SENCo:
• You should expect commitment to working in partnership with you to provide
the best service possible for your child
• You should expect the SENCo to ensure that any plans or provision agreed
for your child are carried out by the school
• You should expect understanding and empathy for children with SEND
• You should expect honesty about your child and the provision provided
• You should expect a commitment to improving the service
How will the SENCo support my child and me?
• They should ensure that you are well-informed about the provision for your
child and that you are invited to regular review meetings where you can
discuss how things are going. In school they should advocate for your child
by understanding his or her needs and ensuring that everyone who regularly
works with your child knows how best to support them
What questions can I ask my school?
• What expertise is there in the school to support my child?
• What support is or will be in place, which is additional to or different from
what children without SEND are receiving?
• Is the support working? Is my child happy in school and making good
progress?
• It may be helpful to refer to the SEN Information Report which is published
on your school’s website. This may answer many of the questions you have
about SEN at your school.
It is important that you receive honest answers to these questions because
honesty, even if it’s not always exactly what you might want to hear, will build
your confidence and trust in the school.
Required Qualifications:
A qualified teacher working at the school.
Secondary SENCos undertake specialist training to enable them to be
competent in diagnostic assessment (The Certificate in Psychometric Testing,
Assessment and Access Arrangements - CPT3A).
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
46
Desirable:
National Award in Special Educational Needs Co-ordination
Source:
SEN Code of Practice (2017)
Joint Council for Qualifications
Children, Young People, Education & Skills
47