King Edward VI Five Ways School
Scotland Lane, Bartley Green,
Birmingham, B32 4BT
Tel: 0121 475 3535
SEND
Inclusion Contact
Mr Jack Webb is Five Ways’ SENDCo, with responsibility in managing the provision for students with special educational needs.
Parents can contact Mr Jack Webb via email (j.webb@fws.kevibham.org) or by telephone (0121 475 3535).
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) FAQ
SEND at KEFW
What is SEND?
Children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities have learning difficulties or disabilities that might make it harder for them to learn, in comparison to other children or young people of the same age.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities fall under four broad areas:
Communication and interaction (including Autism)
Cognition and learning
Social, mental and emotional health
Sensory and/or physical
Further information can be found in the SEND Code of Practice 2015 (Section 6.15)
What does SEND look like at Five Ways?
All of our students, regardless of need, are able to access the curriculum and all of the opportunities that our school offers. We reject the notion of deficit thinking and celebrate all of our students as individuals.
Our students have a range of needs, with Autism our most common. Although we can categorise students’ needs, we adapt the levels of support to suit the individual, not the diagnosis.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at KEFW:
Autism (ASC)
Physical Disability
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Processing
Speech and Language
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Colour blindness
Visual Impairment (VI)
Dyslexia
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)
Hearing Impairment (HI)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
‘We’re all different; this is just my thing.’
(KEFW Year 13 student)
Who do I speak to if I have a concern about my child?
If your concern is related to a particularly subject, then please contact your child’s class teacher.
If your concern is related to your child’s wellbeing or pastoral care, then please contact your child’s form tutor.
Our SENDCo is Mr J Webb. Mr J Webb is responsible for coordinating support for students with additional needs. If you have concerns about your child in relation to their additional needs or if you suspect your child needs support, please contact Mrs Tyrie:
Email: j.webb@fws.kevibham.org Telephone: 0121 475 3535 ext. 229
Who are the SEND team?
All teachers at Five Ways are teachers of Special Educational Needs. They are supported by the SEND team: Mrs Tyrie and Mrs Power who will offer guidance as to how best to meet the needs of the students inside, and outside their classrooms.
What happens if a member of staff has concerns about my child?
If the concerns relate to a possible SEND, the SEND team will begin to create a holistic view of the student. This will involve contacting parents, other staff and observing students in lesson and their work. We may contact external agencies for advice to ensure that we are providing the best support. A meeting may be arranged to determine a plan of support.
How do staff know how best to support my child?
Every student on the SEND register has an Individual Support Plan (ISP). This ISP is a constant ‘working document’ that is updated and amended to reflect the student’s current needs. These are shared with staff who implement the strategies into their teaching. The availability of the ISPs through ClassCharts also ensure that all staff are aware should they meet the student.
How do you know what best reflects my child’s needs?
ISPs are revisited termly (or more often if required) with the student. It is important that the ISP reflects what works well for the individual and they are often best placed to comment on that. We also input feedback from parents, as well as more generic yet successful strategies from our external agencies.
What should I do if I don’t think the support is suitable?
We value parent feedback and involvement in supporting our students. If you have any concerns regarding the support your child is receiving then please contact the SEND team either by phone (0121 475 3535 ext. 229) or by email (j.webb@fws.kevibham.org; jpower@fws.kevibham.org).
Curriculum
How does the school adapt the curriculum to suit the needs of students?
First and foremost, we support students by delivering High Quality Teaching. Our lesson content is broad and all departments offer a knowledge rich curriculum. Classroom teachers will differentiate their lessons, whether that be by changing the pace, revisiting content or providing pre-teaching material for students to access. In addition, subjects offer lunchtime workshops to provide further support for students to meet 1-to-1 with a subject specialist and discuss the topics covered in class.
All staff have access to students’ Individual Support Plans (ISPs) and are encouraged to share good practice and strategies that have been particularly effective in encouraging students to access the curriculum.
As a school we encourage ongoing observations of students in lessons, as well as regular assessment points and feedback to inform the support that we put into place for students. This graduated approach is essential in ensuring that the right support is in the right place, at the right time.
Intervention may include:
Academic mentoring from staff or a sixth form mentor.
Regular SEND meetings to address barriers to learning such as organisation.
Access to external agencies.
Access to the school nurse and/or open-door counsellor.
Adjustments to resources and materials.
What external agencies do the school work with?
Services that Five Ways use include (but are not limited to):
Educational Psychologist (EP)
Communication and Autism Team (CAT)
Sensory Support team – Hearing and Visual Impairment
Physical Disabilities Support Service (PDSS)
Pupil and School Support (PSS)
Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Information Advice & Support Service (SENDIAS)
Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH)
Early Help Services
Access Arrangements and Examinations
What are Access Arrangements?
Access Arrangements allow students with special educational needs, disabilities or temporary injuries to access assessments and examinations without changing the demands of the paper. For adjustments to be made, a considerable amount of evidence needs to be collated and certain criteria must be met.
If you have any questions related to Access Arrangements that your child has in place then please contact the SEND team either by phone (0121 475 3535 ext. 229) or by email (j.webb@fws.kevibham.org; j.power@fws.kevibham.org).
If my child is on the SEND register do they get extra time in exams?
Not necessarily. Extra time in examinations is given to students that without it, would be disadvantaged in relation to their peers. We are governed by the Joint Council of Qualifications (JCQ) who provide guidelines as to what students are eligible of. The SEND team will work with our Examination Officer to ensure that everything is in place for your child. We will also work with students to ensure they fully understand what arrangements are in place and what to expect.
If you have any questions related to Access Arrangements that your child has in place then please contact the SEND team either by phone (0121 475 3535 ext. 229) or by email (j.webb@fws.kevibham.org; j.power@fws.kevibham.org).
SEND Information Report
Our SEND Information Report, which can be accessed here, details our provision in more detail. You will find our designated SEND policy here.
In addition, our Disabilities policy can be found in the policies section, which also details accessibility.
Birmingham’s Local Offer can be accessed here and provides an overview of the local authorities approach to supporting students with special educational needs.
For impartial and accessible advice, you can access SENDIASS:
Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)