SEN Information Report

When seeking a new school we understand that parents and carers will have a wide range of questions and need the relevant information to decide which school is the most appropriate for their child.

This SEND Information Report outlines information regarding ways in which we provide support for all our learners in order for them to learn and grow intellectually, emotionally and socially in a nurturing environment.

The information required to be included in the SEND Information Report is stated in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2015 Schedule 1: Information to be included in the SEND information report. This can be found at:http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1530/schedule/1/made

We fully comply with: SEND Code of Practice January 2015, Equality Act 2010 and the Children and Families Act 2014.

This page has information to answer some of the questions or concerns you may have and the rest of the website will tell you more about what is on offer to your child. Following consultation with families during our last Family Forum Event we will be adding pictures and video links to this section of our website.

Parent / carers and their children are welcome to arrange a visit to Quest to take a look around for themselves by making an appointment with the school office.

For further information about the local authority offer please click on the link below https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/send

For any other questions please contact the school by telephone or email on 01788 593112 or via quest.office@macintyreacademies.org.

Special Educational Needs provided for at Quest

Quest Academy is a specialist special school for learners aged 7-19 whose primary needs are Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH).

The school’s assessment process to establish whether learners’ needs can be met by the school as indicated below in that they:

Aged 7 – 19 yrs old
Have an EHC Plan indicating ASD, and/or SEMH and/ or in addition to these other associated difficulties such as dyslexia, speech and language needs.
Can access our modified National Curriculum Offer in small group settings.
Do not have a cognitive learning difficulty

We see each child as a unique individual and make appropriate provision for meeting their specific educational, social, emotional, physical or sensory needs identified in their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to best support them in maximising their potential.

Quest Academy lies at the heart of the community and in close working partnership with families, referring authorities and external agencies to ensure the coordination of the best possible education, care, guidance and support for its learners.

We have a belief that each child deserves a high quality holistic education that prepares them for life beyond school which means that an equal emphasis is placed on the four areas of our holistic curriculum. ( academic, skills for life, well-being and engagement)

A passionate belief in a multi-disciplinary, ‘blended’ therapy approach to meeting each learner’s needs, resulting in carefully managed groupings, including specialist intervention from a range of expert professionals to support the holistic curriculum including, for example, speech and language therapy (SALT), educational psychologists and autism specialists.

The school will very carefully undertake a wide ranging assessment of all learners during the assessment placement which will be used to help determine whether its own provision is suitable to meeting their particular needs.

During the assessment period, as appropriate to individual learners, the school may observe and assess how well learners function in a range of settings as an alternative to the classroom which may include 1:1 support and off-site provision; external advice may be drawn upon to support this process.

In addition to the above our very detailed assessment of their needs will also allow the school to determine whether:

It has the necessary staffing expertise and resources which will allow it to meet the needs of any individual learner.
There is an appropriate place available for the learner within a suitable cohort.
Any of the potential challenges presented by a learner will make the school an unsuitable placement for them due to the fragile and vulnerable nature of the learners already on roll.
Consideration needs to be given to the numbers in and the profile of the relevant year group.

Quest Academy supports the Local Authority’s Local Offer

Assessing Need

The Local Authority works closely with families in order to prevent any misunderstanding between them, special schools and the Special Educational Needs Disability Assessment and Review Service (SENDAR)
All referrals are made through SENDAR; an assessment or a place at the special school cannot be offered without consultation with the SENDAR and approval from the Admissions Panel.
SENDAR, in conjunction with the special school, will discuss the suitability of an assessment placement at an Admissions Panel.
If an assessment placement is agreed between SENDAR and Quest, it must be understood that it is for assessment in the first instance and that this is for a time limited period of twelve weeks.
Prior to any child joining Quest our Family Footings and Compassionate School coaches meet with the family and child. During this time information is gathered and key documents are created: “All about me “, individual risk assessment and a Positive Behaviour Support Plan.
During the assessment period staff use a variety of assessment tools to ascertain learner’s strengths and needs. This information is collated using our bespoke assessment system “Odyssey” and forms the basis of each learner’s Personal Development Plan.
At the end of the twelve weeks, information from the assessment placement will then be used to inform the next appropriate Admissions Panel meeting when further decisions over the placement may be made.

SENCO and Key Contact Details

SENCO and Teacher IC LAC –Ben Makins

You can contact Ben via the school office

Senior Leadership Team:

Principal – Laura Thackaberry
Deputy Principal - Tyla Owen
Business Manager – Victoria Scranage
Assistant Principals - Ben Makins and Ryan Enlgish

Safeguarding Team - DSL:

Tyla Owen
Victoria Scranage
Ben Makins
Ryan English
Joan Goodrich
Sarah Woods
Jane Le Poideven ( LAB)
Tony Greenwood (Trust Board Member)

Assessing and Reviewing Progress

Every learner has their own Personalised Development Plan (PDPs) which highlights five key targets (Literacy and Numeracy from the Academic Curriculum, one from the Skills for Life, Engagement and Well- being sections)

Classes at the school are currently organised on the basis of lower (Years 3-7) and upper (Years 8-11) schools but flexibility can also be used here when necessary to help ensure that learners are taught according to their individual needs, the stage they are at in their learning and not just simply because of their age.
Classes typically have a maximum of ten learners or less with at least one Teaching Assistant assigned to each of them. Higher Level Teaching Assistants are employed to provide further in-class support for identified learners or 1:1 interventions as appropriate to the needs of individuals.
The school has a dedicated team of compassionate coaches who provide behaviour management support for learners both in the classroom and around the school as a whole; the school also has its own therapy team which provides individual 1:1 support for learners and also advises teachers to help them develop strategies to support learners in their learning. In addition they also provide in- class support.
All aspects of the progress of each individual learner are reviewed each term through our Quest Team Around the Child (QTAC) meetings involving the learner, their family and all relevant professionals.

Progress Targets
More than expected	Makes more progress than they have previously made before joining Quest
Expected	Makes the same level of progress as they achieved prior to attending Quest
Less than expected	Makes less progress than they previously achieved prior to attending Quest

How do we Communicate with Parents and Carers?

We place a great deal of significance on communicating effectively with all parents and carers and see this is as a critical factor in being able to meaningfully involve them in their child’s education and the wider life of the school.
Regular phone calls ensure that parents and carers are kept up-to-date with how their child is progressing; meetings also ensure that any issues can be discussed and strategies to address these put in place which will usually be through our family footings or compassionate coach teams, the class tutor or a teaching assistant.
We invite parents and carers into school for special assemblies and family celebration days at Christmas, Easter and the end of term. These occasions offer a great opportunity to ensure that everyone with a stake in a child’s learning is working together in the most effective way to support them.
Family Forum meetings take place twice a term allowing families the opportunity to be involved in the life of the school as well as receive training to help them support their child with their learning and behaviour.
Through our Extended School’s provision families have the opportunity to meet with our “blended therapy” and senior leadership team between 5.30 pm and 7.30 pm.
We send out a fortnightly Newsletter celebrating learners’ successes and providing them with information and strategies the school is using.
We understand the importance of working in partnership with parents and carers and always welcome feedback, even if it is about something they think we could improve on; more formal feedback is also important to us and so we also ask them to complete a termly satisfaction survey as well as during QTAC meetings and EHCP reviews.
In addition to the family events we hold a termly parents’ evening where teachers meet with parents and carers to discuss learners’ progress and achievements; a full school report is sent home prior to a learner’s annual review and termly reports on progress towards meeting targets are sent home at the end of each term.
Parents and carers are welcome to visit school at any time to discuss any concerns they may have and are asked to contact the school office to make sure that an appointment can be arranged with the member of staff who is best placed to deal with the concern.
If we or parents/carers suspect that there are difficulties which have not been identified in the original EHCP, we will involve other professionals, such as the Educational Psychologist, to carry out further assessment.

Involving Learners in their Education

learners feedback about their learning and progress towards the “I can statements” they are working towards at the end of each lesson and every half term through dialogue days. They are also involved in providing feedback about their learning and progress as part of our quality assurance process.

In addition learners contribute to their full written report each term and their Annual Reviews through the “Pupil View” document. This may be completed independently and or with support.

Our sense of communal pride in the achievements and successes of all learners is shared at the end of each week in their class celebration assembly.

All learners at the school regardless of their SEND are involved in the full life of the school.

Transitions and Preparing for Adulthood

When a learner is preparing to start at the school, staff will support them during the period prior to their start date and implement an appropriate transition plan for them; learners making the transition into Key Stage 4 and the Sixth Form are provided with the appropriate support and guidance to help ensure that they are able to access the most appropriate suite of qualifications to help them to meet their aspirations and realise their future plans.

Learners are also prepared for internal transitions, that is, moving from one year group into another where possible , successful pairings and groupings are continued into subsequent years so that learners are familiar with at least some of their new class. Staffing is carefully considered to provide continuity where ever possible, without creating a dependency on specific staff .

All learners have a careers Pathway and meet the external careers guidance Practitioner at least once a year. Learners in Key Stage 4 and above meet termly where appropriate.

Our approach to Curriculum, Learning and Assessment?

Our team of highly trained specialist teachers use the EHCP and baseline academic assessments for learners to set very challenging and ambitious progress targets for each individual as well as for the school as a whole.
A range of other assessments are also used for benchmarking learners’ communication skills, their social and emotional understanding and any sensory and physical needs that they may have.
We offer a holistic curriculum made up of four key areas: Academic, Wellbeing, Skills for Life and Engagement.
The curriculum at Quest encompasses the delivery of blended therapies by the trans-disciplinary team (range of specialists) through our tiered approach. Tier 1 – Universal Tier 2 targeted Tier 3 specialist. Learners may move up and down the levels according to their level of progress, change in need or within an agreed timescale. Additionally learners may need tiered 2 or tiered 3 intervention, even if the majority of needs can be can be met at tiered 1. For example, a learner may be at Wave 1 for numeracy but Wave 3 for literacy.
Learners have access to relevant and achievable qualifications from Entry Level 1 to level 3 linked to our holistic curriculum.
Learners work towards achieving age related expected norms regardless of their starting point. Progress is calculated on % completion of the curriculum and level of Mastery. A learner will have made expected progress if they have closed the gap from their starting point (baseline).
During all levels of provision (lessons, interventions and trips) learner work towards achieving specific “I can statements” linked to the areas they are studying. For example, I can solve problems with addition and subtraction, using mental and written methods.
Learners are set individual progress targets for each subject and area of the holistic curriculum based on their prior attainment. (Prior attainment will be based on any information the school acquires from a previous setting or through the baseline assessment process).

Making Adaptations to the Curriculum and the Learning Environment

Our school is a safe and accessible building with all safeguarding procedures and risk assessments in place and adhered to by staff. We have a range of facilities for our learners, staff and visitors throughout our school these include wide corridors, disabled toilets, hygiene and medical room, lift and assistance areas .Please see out accessibility plan.

We are fortunate to be located in a brand new building with state of the art facilities which include an immersive interactive classroom , sensory room, sensory garden, fitness suite, gym, occupational therapy room, climbing room, soft play, photography suite and green room, music and recording studio, art suite , computer suite, enterprise room, climbing room, school shop and café and specialist food technology and science rooms. All learners have access to these specialist areas linked to their learning priorities and interests.

In addition learners have access to a range of specialist staff though our Tiered support: universal, targeted and specialist in both the classroom setting and in small group and individual sessions.

Every learners’ progress is discussed each term as part of the Quest Team Around the Child meetings. In addition our clinical psychologist and Educational Therapist hold Team Learner committee meetings for specific learners.

Our Staff’s Expertise and Training

We are committed to the recruitment of and continuing professional development of a multi- disciplinary team.

Keeping our Provision Effective

Moving On from Quest

As a result of the school’s extremely rigorous assessment processes it may become apparent that it would be more suitable for a child’s further progress for them to be considered for placement in either a mainstream school or different alternative setting.

Placement in Mainstream Provision

This will apply when a detailed review of all the information about their progress indicates one or more of the following:

The child’s needs are no longer a barrier to accessing the curriculum in a mainstream setting
The child no longer requires specialist provision.
There is evidence from professionals across all of the agencies involved that the child will benefit from a placement in a mainstream school.
The child no longer requires an EHCP

Placement in a Different Alternative Provision

This will apply when a detailed review of all the information about their progress indicates one or more of the following:

The child’s special educational needs have changed to the extent that the provision offered by the school is no longer able to meet their needs and they require different specialist facilities and resources which are beyond the school’s offer
The child’s continued placement at the school is incompatible with their efficient education, that of other learners and with the efficient use of resources.
Consideration is always given to the compatibility of the provision for an individual learner with the efficient education of other children and the effective use of resources available to the school in the widest sense; for this reason the school may take the decision that it is not able to provide them the most suitable or appropriate provision when the previous points above do not apply.

Working with External Stakeholders

Quest lies at the heart of the community and values close working partnership with families, referring authorities and external agencies to ensure the coordination of the best possible education, care, guidance and support for its learners.
We work closely with a range of Stakeholders including Warwickshire County Council, Social Services, RISE and THRIVE.

Making A Complaint

Details of our complaints procedure can be found here

How We support Our Learner’s Emotional and Social Development and Promote Their Overall Wellbeing.

We passionately believe that every learner has the right to a first quality education so that they are able to achieve their aspirations and dreams and live life to the full. In order for them to achieve this it is paramount that we support our learners to develop their social and emotional well- being.

We achieve this through our:

Ethos: We use the Spanish word Querencia to describe the way we work together, creating a sense of belonging through mutual trust and connectivity.
Provision of bespoke quiet safe spaces for learners to access in line with their “All about me”profile
Tier one approach to behaviour in line with our compassionate schools and protected behaviours approach
Opportunities for our learners to be heard through their class teams and school council
Equality Champions who promote the importance of equality
Stepped approach and bullying in line with rights respecting schools charter
Quest accelerated learning approach in lessons which are highly structured and organised to support learners to become resilient and independent learners.
Curriculum that places equal emphasis on learners developing skills and knowledge linked to each of the four areas which make up the holistic curriculum.
Highly experienced and trans- disciplinary team who work with learners and their families: These include a Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Educational Psychologist , Clinical Psychologist. Play Therapist, Mental health practitioners, Family Footings and Compassionate Schools Coach terms lead by a Safeguarding and Well – being lead and Behaviour and Well – being lead respectively.
Personalised response ,including interventions, to learners needs and interests