Specialist education services

• Transition
• Preparation for adulthood
• Disabled Person's Railcard
• Information and support for adults
• Disability Rights UK
• Action on hearing loss
• Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB)

Our team works with parents and professionals to enable every child with a hearing impairment to achieve full potential by early intervention, ongoing advice, effective support and appropriate educational placement Teachers of the Deaf and Specialist Teaching Assistants work in partnership with parents and professionals to understand the needs of deaf and hearing impaired children and young people better. They help them develop their own skills to work with children and young people.

The Hearing Support Team works in a variety of ways to give support to schools, parents or carers and other professionals. These include:

• Consultation
• Training staff—deaf awareness, strategies for inclusion
• Deaf awareness training for children
• Group work for children and young people
• Individual work
• Assessing the needs of children and young people
• Providing advice
• Person centred planning
• Liaison with Audiology
• Management of audiological equipment.

Where parental consent is given, the Hearing Support Team becomes involved when a child/young person is identified as having a hearing loss, and the decision is made to fit hearing aids.

Children are often identified as having a hearing loss soon after birth, through the Universal Neo-natal Hearing Screening Programme. Older children/young people can be referred to Audiology through their GP or school nurse.

We have an open referral policy and accept referrals from parents and carers and from other professionals with parental consent.

Where parental consent is given, the Hearing Support Team becomes involved when a child/young person is identified as having a hearing loss and the decision is made to fit hearing aids.

Babies are often identified as having a hearing loss soon after birth, through the Neo-Natal Hearing Screening Programme.

Newborn hearing screening

Older children/young people can be referred to Audiology through their GP or school nurse.

Audiology

If you suspect that your child has a hearing loss that hasn’t been diagnosed, please do not hesitate to get in touch if you are unsure what to do next.

A Teacher of the Deaf is usually present in audiology clinics to provide an integrated service for the whole family.

Pre-school support is given in the home to the families of those children identified through the Neo-natal Hearing Screening Programme.

Individual specialist speech and language teaching and curriculum support is provided for pupils attending their local schools by a qualified Teacher of the Deaf.

Specialist Teaching Assistants help implement individual speech and language programmes and provide in-class support to ensure access to the curriculum.

Advice is given to schools on the use and management of specialist audiological equipment such as radio aids and sound field systems. Support is provided to schools, settings and other agencies.

Permanent bilateral (affecting both ears) hearing loss affects 1-4 babies per 1000 births.¹ This number is far greater if children with fluctuating conductive hearing loss (resulting from ear infections) and unilateral (one sided) hearing loss are included.

The hearing of most very young babies is routinely screened shortly after birth, usually whilst Mum and baby are still in the hospital, through the Neonatal Hearing Screening Programme. However, a very small number of children slip through this screening process and hearing loss can occasionally remain undetected until the child is older. In addition, sometimes hearing loss isn’t present from birth but can be acquired later and this is especially true of fluctuating conductive hearing loss or 'glue ear'.

It’s therefore important that parents, carers, childcare providers and school staff are aware of the signs of a possible hearing loss and know what to do if a hearing loss is suspected.

Education providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that deaf children and young people are not at a substantial disadvantage when compared with their peers (Equality Act 2010).

Learning to hear and listen

In order to better understand hearing loss, it is important to understand how a child learns to hear and listen and the communication milestones for their age.

After birth, a newborn baby’s hearing is similar to that of an adult’s, but babies must learn how to use their hearing to form the foundations of communication. They need to hear the sounds of their language repeatedly so they can associate sounds with words. They learn to listen and experience the world by associating sounds to things, whether it’s the sound of water running at bath time or a soothing lullaby when it’s time for sleep.

Localisation

One of the earliest and easiest auditory skills to observe in your baby is localisation – the ability to pinpoint the source of a sound. Because we hear through two ears, we can localise sounds with extreme accuracy.

In general, newborns will move or widen their eyes when they hear a loud sound. This is known as the “startle reflex” and many loud sounds should prompt this reaction. When your child is five or six months, you can better observe a true localisation response by making soft sounds behind or beside them while they are looking straight ahead. A soft rattle or a whisper should prompt your baby to turn his or her head toward the sound. It is very important to see how well your baby responds to soft sounds (such as the speech sound “s“).

Speech and language development milestones

• 9 months – Demonstrates an understanding of simple words such as “mummy“, “daddy“, “no“, “bye-bye“.
• 10 months – Babbling should sound “speech like,” with single syllables put together (“da-da-dada”). The first recognizable words emerge around this time.
• 1 year – Speaks one or more words.
• 18 months – Understands simple phrases, retrieves familiar objects on command (without gestures) and points to body parts. Has a spoken vocabulary of 20 to 50 words and uses short phrases (“no more“, “go out“, “mummy up“).
• 24 months – Has a spoken vocabulary of at least 150 words, coupled with the emergence of simple two-word sentences. Most speech should be understandable to adults who are not with the child daily.
• 3 to 5 years – Uses spoken language constantly to express wants, reflect emotions, convey information, and ask questions. A preschooler should understand nearly all that is said. Spoken vocabulary grows from 1,000 to 2,000 words, which are linked in complex and meaningful sentences. All speech sounds should be clear and understandable by the end of this developmental stage.

If you notice that your child is delayed in reaching any of these milestones by approximately three months, we recommend that you have your child’s hearing tested – you can request a hearing test through your family doctor or you can speak to your Health Visitor who may also be able to make a referral.

Always be alert to situations where your child is not responding to sound appropriately, as this may be a sign of hearing loss. Sometimes it is difficult to detect mild forms of hearing loss, including hearing loss in only one ear. It is important to remember that even mild forms of hearing loss can negatively impact a child’s ability to learn through hearing.

The most important sign of possible hearing loss is delayed development of speech and language. The following are other signs that a child may not be hearing normally:

• Not aware that someone who is out of view is talking, especially when there are few distractions
• Startled or surprised look when they realize their name has been called regardless of noise level
• Sitting close to the TV when the volume is sufficient for other family members to hear
• Increasing the volume of the TV or stereo to unreasonably loud levels
• Not responding to voices over the telephone and/or switching ears continually
• Not reacting to intense, loud sounds.

If your child is school aged, with even a mild hearing loss, they may exhibit attention, behavioural or social problems in the classroom.

If you are concerned that your child has a hearing loss, speak to your child’s school or nursery as they may have also noticed some of the same things as you. You can speak to your family doctor to request a hearing test or it may be possible to make a referral through the School Nurse.

If you are a childcare professional or member of school staff and have concerns about a child who may have a hearing loss, speak to the child’s parents or carers in the first instance, they may share your concerns. The child’s parents or carers will need to contact their family doctor to request referral for a hearing test or the school may be able to do this through the School Nursing Service with parental consent.

The Hearing Support Team are available to offer support and advice if your child or a child in your setting is diagnosed with a hearing loss.

Information for professionals – further information on recognising the signs of hearing loss (aimed at professionals working in early year settings and primary schools).

Most children and young people with hearing impairment in North Lincolnshire attend their local mainstream pre-school or nursery, school or college with effective support from a Teacher of the Deaf and/or Specialist Teaching Assistants. The amount of support given varies according to individual need. We use a nationally agreed moderation process and moderation of support is reviewed at least once annually. We use the NATSIP (National Sensory Impairment Partnership) Eligibility Framework to help us to decide how much support a child or young person might need.

However, for some children, local mainstream provision may not be their best placement, if they require more intensive periods of support during the school day and/or a sign system due to their degree of deafness, or have additional needs.

Westcliffe Primary School Hearing Support Base is the resourced provision for hearing impaired children of primary age in North Lincolnshire, which is part of Westcliffe Primary School. It caters for children with a severe or profound hearing loss who have an Education, Health Care Plan (EHCP).

In some circumstances, children may also be admitted on an assessment placement. The resource base consists of 2 purpose built rooms, which are carpeted and acoustically treated to ensure the optimum listening conditions for hearing impaired children. The children are first and foremost members of their mainstream classes, but need specialist teaching and support in order to develop language and fully access the curriculum. This involves a combination of 1:1 or small group work with the Teacher of the Deaf, as well as Specialist Teaching Assistant support whilst in mainstream classes. The time spent in mainstream lessons varies depending on the needs of the child and their ability to access mainstream teaching.

In the base we use a total communication approach. For us, this means that a number of modes of communication are used such as listening and spoken language, lip reading, sign language to support spoken English, and written and visual aids. The approach and types of communication we use varies depending on the particular needs and abilities of the child. The Teacher of the Deaf and some of the Teaching Assistants hold British Sign Language qualifications and have experience of working with children who use this as their primary communication mode. Our overall aim is to provide a caring, secure and supportive environment in which our children can enjoy their learning and make the best progress they can depending on their individual starting points and abilities. This is achieved through specialist teaching and appropriate support.

What do the children say?

"We love coming to Westcliffe Primary school! The adults in the Base help us to look after our hearing aids and cochlear implants. They help us in class when we need it and sometimes they help our friends too! In the Base it is quiet and we can get lots of work done! We like working in the Base and in class too. The teachers at Westcliffe are kind and they understand about hearing loss. They wear the radio aid microphones and know to stand still when they are talking! They know that we find it hard if the children get too noisy! Some of the teachers and children have learned some sign language. Twice a year we run a café in the Base. We decide on the menus and the decorations and do all the shopping and cooking. Then we invite our friends, family and teachers to come. We work very hard being waiters! We look forward to our Annual Review meetings. We take part in the meetings and get to choose what food and drink to offer our visitors."

Contact Catherine Waites for further information:

Some children and young people who have a hearing loss and additional needs may attend a local North Lincolnshire Special School:

St Luke's Primary School

St Luke's in Scunthorpe is a special day school for pupils with moderate, severe and profound multiple learning difficulties, aged from 3 – 11 years

St Hugh’s Communication and Interaction Specialist College

St Hugh's is an outstanding special school for students between the ages of 11 and 19 years, who have a range of learning difficulties, including moderate and severe learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorders, profound and complex needs.

Specialist Provision Outside the North Lincolnshire Boundary

Where a child or young person's needs cannot be met in mainstream or specialist provision within North Lincolnshire there are a number of specialist provisions outside North Lincolnshire which may offer an appropriate alternative

Doncaster Deaf Trust, Doncaster

Doncaster School for the Deaf caters for deaf children and young people aged 4-19 years of age. The school is managed by Doncaster Deaf Trust and works in partnership with Doncaster Communication Specialist College and Little Learners Day Nursery.

St John's Catholic School for the Deaf, Boston Spa, North Yorkshire

St John's Catholic School for the Deaf, Boston Spa, North Yorkshire is a day and boarding school for hearing impaired pupils aged 3 to 19. St John's is an oral school where pupils are taught by specialist teachers of hearing impaired children. There is great emphasis on supporting the development of pupils' spoken language as well as reading and writing.

Christopher Pickering Primary School, Hull

Christopher Pickering Primary School in Hull is a larger than average primary school which houses a co-located hearing impaired unit, which is managed by IPaSS (Integrated Physical and Sensory Service).

Sirius Academy West, Hull

The Hearing Impaired Resource base located at Sirius Academy is a Hull City Council, 40 place provision, under the direction of IPaSS (Integrated Physical and Sensory Service). This is a secondary provision for children aged 11-16. There is also a Post-16 department within the school.

With Parents and Carers

The ‘CHSWG’ or Children’s Hearing Services Working Group is a group which meets at the Audiology Clinic of Scunthorpe General Hospital. It is made up of parents of hearing impaired children and medical and educational professionals who work within services for hearing impaired children and young people. The aim of the group is through discussion and working together to improve services and outcomes for hearing impaired children and young people.

With children and young people

We are continuing to improve our child-centred practice and believe that the voice of children and young people is key to improving services.

We work with children and young people to understand their own hearing loss and to manage their equipment and have regular conversations with them about this.

As part of the Annual Review of children and young people with a Statement of Special Educational Need or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan), hearing impaired children and young people are encouraged and supported to share their views about:

• Activities that they like to take part in out of school
• Their hopes and dreams for the future
• The support that they receive in school – likes/dislikes
• What is going well at the moment
• What isn’t going well at the moment
• Their achievements, things that they are proud of

National Deaf Children's Society is a national charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people. Membership is free to parents of a deaf or hearing impaired child (and to professionals working with a deaf or hearing impaired child). NDCS have a free phone helpline and can provide advice and support on a range of issues including benefits, education, technology, health, social care, discrimination and communication.

• 0808 800 8880
• helpline@ndcs.org.uk

Information for professionals

Further information on recognising the signs of hearing loss (aimed at professionals working in early year settings and primary schools).

Phonak UK– information on hearing loss

Connevans - on line shop for deaf and hard of hearing people

National Deaf Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (North Region) - Work with children and young people who have a severe to profound hearing loss or have deaf parents

British sign language - Courses in British Sign Language are provided through ‘Signature’ . Follow the link below and enter your postcode or area to find a class near you.

Cued Speech - information about 'Cued Speech'

To make a referral to Hearing Support, follow the link below to the online form. Referral can be made directly by parents/carers. If you are referring as a professional, please ensure that you have parental consent and ideally complete the form with parents/carers so that all sections can be completed. If you have any questions re completion of the form, please contact us using details given on this page.

Referral to Hearing Support

Support in the home can be provided for pre-school children and their families.  We delivery specialist programmes by qualified and experienced staff and we offer training for parents, siblings and other family members as appropriate.

We hold monthly support groups for parents and arrange social activities for families.

We provide Functional Visual Assessments and information regarding visual conditions and their implications for learning. We make basic recommendations regarding visual management to ensure effective and on-going access to learning for the children and young people.

We make recommendations regarding purchasing and the use of specialist equipment and we can offer advice regarding the modification of work and access to examinations.

We deliver specialist teaching sessions; including Tactile Literacy, ICT and Habilitation. We undertake Access Audits and offer support from Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired, Specialist Support Workers and Qualified Habilitation Specialists, as deemed appropriate by ourselves.

We provide habilitation assessment training, guidance and support to children and young people (0-25) with visual impairments.

Habilitation refers to the teaching of Mobility and Orientation and Independent Living Skills. The training aims to develop skills, knowledge and attitude for safer travelling and encourage greater independence for a child or young person with a visual impairment.

Visual impairments vary and the impact it may have on a child or young person accessing their physical environment will also vary. Therefore, the habilitation programme and training is developed in consultation with the child or young person and all persons who may be involved with their support, to ensure the best outcomes are achieved.

Vision impairment ranges from blindness or very low vision to an inability to see particular colours.

Some babies might have vision impairment at birth. It can also happen later as a result of injury or a medical condition.

Severe vision loss or blindness can affect your child’s development and learning. Early intervention can help your child reach their potential.

Children who have vision impairment might have normal looking eyes. Often, it will be something in a child’s behaviour or the way they use their eyes that makes you think there might be a problem with the way they see.

What to look for in babies?

Most babies start to focus on faces and objects by 4-5 weeks of age. By about 6-8 weeks, most babies will start smiling at the familiar faces and things they see. But if a baby has a vision impairment, they might not do this.

Babies older than 3 months should be able to follow or “track” an object, like a toy or ball, with their eyes as it moves across their field of vision. If your baby can’t make steady eye contact by this time or seems unable to see, let your doctor know.

Before 4 months most babies’ eyes occasionally look misaligned (known as strabismus). However, after 4 months of age inward crossing or outward drifting that occurs regularly is usually abnormal. If you notice this, let your doctor know.

Signs that a baby older than 4 months might have a vision problem are:

• eyes moving quickly from side to side (known as nystagmus) jerking or wandering randomly
• eyes not following your face or an object, or making eye contact with family or friends
• eyes not reacting to a bright light being turned on in a room
• pupils appearing white or cloudy rather than black
• eyes not appearing straight but turning towards the nose or drifting outwards

What to look for in toddlers

Vision problems such as a “lazy eye” or “squint” (known as amblyopia) may have no warning signs, and your child may not complain of vision problems. For this reason it is important to have your child’s vision checked.

Other indicators in toddlers might be:

• holding things close to their face
• complaining of tiredness
• frequent rubbing of the eyes
• turning or tilting the head or covering one eye when viewing an object up close
• getting tired after looking at things up close – eg reading, drawing, playing hand-held games
• seeming to see better during the day than at night
• seeming to have crossed or turned eyes or a squint (lazy eye)
• seeming clumsy – for example, knocking things over or tripping often.

What to look for in all children

If you notice any of the following let your doctor know immediately:

• eyes that are misaligned (look crossed, turn out, or don’t focus together)
• white or greyish-white colour in the pupil
• eyes that flutter quickly from side to side or up and down
• bulging eye(s)
• complaining of eye pain, itchiness, or discomfort
• redness in either eye that doesn’t go away in a few days
• discharge in either eye
• eyes that are always watery
• drooping eyelid(s)
• frequently screwing eyes up
• constant sensitivity to light
• any change in the eyes from how they usually look

Diagnosis

Getting a diagnosis is the first step to the right support.

If you’re worried about your child’s vision, you need to get their eyes checked.

Your GP can send you to a children’s eye specialist (ophthalmologist). They will do tests to find out what the problem is.

• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Call: 0303 123 9999
• Unified English Braille (UEB) online is a training programme for sighted people to learn Unified English Braille (UEB)

The Education Inclusion Service (Compliance and Case Management) undertakes the statutory and legal functions of the local authority in respect of:

• irregular school attendance
• children missing education
• elective home education
• child employment
• performance licensing

The service works with children, families and multi-agency partners to identify and overcome individual barriers to learning. And to impact positively on the life chances of all our children and young people. Including those in care and North Lincolnshire’s identified vulnerable groups. These include children and young people who are struggling with, or unable to attend mainstream school due to varying reasons.

The importance of regular school attendance

Attending school regularly is very important for children, to allow them to achieve the best they can do.

Children who frequently miss school can easily fall behind their class mates and this can cause a reason for children not wanting to go to school.

It’s been proven that children with less than 80% attendance rate will achieve fewer GCSEs in secondary school.

Regular attendance will give future employers confidence that a young person is committed and reliable. Young people who are regularly absent from school are more likely to become involved in, or be a victim of crime and anti-social behaviour.

All schools in North Lincolnshire have their own attendance policies and are responsible for keeping accurate records of pupil attendance. They will contact parents directly if they have any concerns about a child’s attendance.

Parent/Carer responsibility

All children who are aged between 5 and 16 years are entitled to an appropriate full time education (from the term after their fifth birthday until the last Friday in June of the academic year in which they become 16 years old).

Sometimes children will have to miss school because of illness or if they have long term medical issues. If this is the case, parents/carers should make contact with the school the same day to let them know the reason that their child is not in school.

If a child of compulsory school age who is registered at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, the parent is guilty of an offence. “Regularly” means in accordance with the rules prescribed by the school, which is in the school’s term time calendar.

Reducing absence from school is a key priority at both national and local level. Missing school reduces a pupil’s educational attainment chances and increases vulnerabilities and risks. If a parent fails to secure regular school attendance at school or alternative provision, they could face a Penalty Notice or prosecution in the Magistrates’ Court. If convicted. This could result in a fine of up to £2500 and/or a 3 month custodial sentence.

Should you have any concerns regarding your child’s attendance, please speak to the school so that they can look at ways of helping you.

Further information about school attendance is available on the council website.

We provide support and advice for parents of excluded children and for your child. Please contact us if you need support.

Statutory guidance on the exclusion of pupils from authority maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units guidance is available on GOV.UK.

This guidance details the legal responsibilities for those who exclude students from educational settings, including:

• headteachers
• local authorities
• governing bodies
• academy trusts
• independent review panel members
• independent review panel clerks
• special educational needs experts

A managed move is normally an agreement between two schools, a child and his parents, which is brokered by the North Lincolnshire Fair Access and Inclusion Panel (FAIP). It allows a child at risk of permanent exclusion to transfer to another school.

For further information please view the North Lincolnshire Schools and Academies' Fair Access Protocol.

A Specialist Resource Provision (SRP) is attached to a mainstream school providing specialist input and support for pupils with a specific SEND need type. Pupils access support from the Specialist Resource Provision based on their individual need whilst also having access to mainstream classes and curriculum.

The Specialist Resource Provisions will provide specialist input and support based upon their specialism and the delivery model may differ between schools.

The Local Authority will monitor and quality assure the provisions while working alongside Schools within North Lincolnshire to promote positive outcomes for children and young people accessing the Specialist Resource Provisions.

The Local Authority are currently working with North Lincolnshire schools to develop Specialist Resource Provisions based on the need and demand across the localities.

Children and young people may be offered alternative provision for a range of reasons. Intervening early to help turn pupils around before they become disengaged from education is a key focus of the work of the service.

Support is provided to schools to ensure appropriate interventions before a pupil arrives at the point where a permanent exclusion is inevitable. The service facilitates and encourages the involvement of the young person in all its work.

The local authority has a statutory duty to provide education for pupils who are permanently excluded from school, from day six of any such exclusion.

The Education Inclusion team fulfils this duty. They work with the school, pupil and family to ensure suitable, full-time education is in place for permanently excluded pupils. This includes co-ordination of multi-agency meetings where appropriate.

Officers work closely with colleagues including school staff, governing bodies, support agencies and alternative education providers to support the individual needs and aspirations of pupils and ensure each young person receives the right support.

The service also facilitates managed transfers and admissions into another mainstream school or alternative provision. They ensure that access to education is secured quickly for children and young people who have no school place.

All personalised learning programmes are carefully planned and strategies implemented. This provides every child or young person with a personalised education plan (PEP). The PEP is tailored to their individual needs and provides a relevant curriculum with clear educational and social outcomes.

The local authority commissions a range of alternative provision and ensures the best quality and value for money for vulnerable children and young people. This includes identifying providers who can adequately meet the needs of children and young people on personalised learning programmes.

The law governing child employment exists to ensure that children are protected and not exploited if they have a part-time job while still of compulsory school age. The Education Inclusion Service is responsible for monitoring this and issuing children with work permits.

Please contact us if you require any guidance. You can assist us by ensuring that your child does not undertake work unless they have a work permit. This is applicable even if they are working for the family business.

Did you know?

Employers should ensure that no child under the age of 14 is employed, except where a child of 13 may be employed in light work such as:

• the delivery of newspapers
• shop work including shelf stacking
• office work
• hairdressing salons

A child cannot work before 7am or after 7pm, whether during school term or school holidays. On a school day and on a Sunday, a child can work a maximum of two hours between these times.

These are some examples of where children are prohibited to work:

• cinemas
• discotheques
• night clubs
• selling or delivering alcohol except in sealed containers
• delivering milk
• telephone sales or canvassing
• slaughterhouses or commercial kitchens

Those who involve children in performances such as:

• theatres
• dance schools (professional or amateur)
• paid sport
• paid modelling

have a legal obligation to apply for a performance or activities licence when one is required.

The licensing system is designed to provide a check that suitable and sufficient arrangements have been made to safeguard the child involved.

The Education Inclusion Service will make the necessary checks and issue a child performance licence if applicable.

A child taking part in:

• a performance
• an activity under a licence
• a rehearsal during the licensing period

must be supervised at all times during the performance, activity or rehearsal by a:

• chaperone that has been approved by the licensing authority
• unless they are under the direct supervision of their parent
• or a person who has parental responsibility for the child
• or their teacher

A chaperone’s first priority is always to the child’s best interest and well-being.

For further information please visit the National Network for Child Employment and Entertainment.

Children and young people who are in the care of the local authority must be the primary focus for the resources and accountability of all agencies because we have accepted a parenting responsibility for them. We collectively provide the support and guidance that would normally be provided by parents.

The Virtual School

The Virtual School Headteacher ensures there are effective arrangements in place to work with a range of professionals who play a role in supporting the education of children in care, previously in care and those with a social worker. We believe that leaders of all agencies can play a crucial role in establishing a culture where every child is able to make progress. Our ambition is to transform the lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged by establishing shared priorities to help in driving change for our children.

As a Virtual School we collectively monitor school attendance, check the progress and attainment of our children to ensure they have the best opportunities to be successful in their adult lives. We work with the school, carers and social workers to develop a termly personal education plan, to support high aspirations for our looked after children.

All schools must appoint a designated teacher who has the responsibility to promote the educational achievement of children in care and previously in care, including those aged between 16 and 18 who are registered pupils at the school.

For enquiries relating to children in care, please contact the Virtual School Email: laceducation@northlincs.gov.uk or telephone 01724 297502

Bespoke support is available for post 16 children in care, care experienced young people or previously in care (adopted/special guardianship orders).

For enquiries relating to Post 16 children in care, please contact Laura Stamp. Email laura.stamp@northlincs.gov.uk or call 01724 297809

For enquiries relating to care experienced young people or previously in care (adopted/ special guardianship orders), please contact Christine Boulton. Email christine.boulton@northlincs.gov.uk or call 01724 298524.

Education is a fundamental right for every child and we recognise that parents have the right to choose to educate their child at home rather than at school. If a parent chooses to home educate their child, they are responsible for ensuring they receive suitable education. Under Section 437(1) of the Education Act 1996, local authorities shall intervene if it appears that parents are not providing a suitable education.

Where a child is registered at a mainstream school, parents must notify the school in writing of their intent to withdraw their child for the purpose of EHE. It is the responsibility of the school to inform the local authority. Once we have received this notification we will post to you the Elective Home Education Policy.

Elective Home Education Policy [273KB] PDF

We want any home educated child to have a positive experience and feel this is best achieved where parents and the local authorities work together effectively, recognising each other's rights and responsibilities.

Elective Home Education Hub

Supporting Home Education In 2025, John Leggott College took an important step in supporting our local community by welcoming home educated students to sit their examinations with us for the first time. To meet the increasing need, JLC has developed a dedicated Elective Home Education (EHE) Hub, located at the main John Leggott campus to provide a safe and structed environment where learners can access tuition, gain qualifications and participate in supportive pastoral activities.

Our vision is simple, to provide every home educated student with the support, confidence and opportunities they need to success and achieve their aspirations. To apply or for further information please click here or email ehehub@leggot.ac.uk.

Children Missing Education (CME) are children of compulsory school age who are:

• not registered pupils at a school
• not receiving education otherwise than at school

As a local authority we wish to ensure that all children of compulsory school age are safe and receiving suitable education.

In order to avoid concerns regarding the whereabouts of a child, parents should keep the school well informed if the child is moving to a different area or country, or any other reason which would cause a child to be absent from the school where he/she is registered.

As a parent, please ensure the school has details of the new address and proposed school. If you are moving into the area please contact the North Lincolnshire School Admissions Team or complete an online admissions form, where your application will be processed. Should you require any further advice on this process please do not hesitate to contact us.

Children Missing From Education Policy [222KB] PDF

If you would like to speak to a member of the team to gain advice please contact us on 01724 297502. We are also open during school holidays.

In order to avoid concerns regarding the whereabouts of a child, parents should keep the school well informed if the child is moving to a different area or country, or any other reason which would cause a child to be absent from the school where he/she is registered.

As a parent, please ensure the school has details of the new address and proposed school. If you are moving into the area please contact the North Lincolnshire School Admissions Team or complete an online admissions form, where your application will be processed. Should you require any further advice on this process please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you would like to speak to a member of the team to gain advice please contact us on 01724 297502. We are also open during school holidays.

• School Attendance
• School Admissions
• Alternate Provision
• Exclusion
• Children Missing from Education
• DfE Attendance Toolkit
• Travel & Transport Assistance
• Medical Needs In Schools
• Families Information Service

The Local Authority is committed to promoting high standards of early years education and childcare that meets the needs of parents and children in North Lincolnshire. All Ofsted registered early years providers, including nurseries, childminders, pre-schools and reception classes in schools must meet the requirements of the SEND Code of Practice 2014 (0-25 years), the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Early Years Foundation Stage framework

This gives disabled children and children with special educational needs, greater support, choice and opportunities. Providers must:

• Involve you and your child in decision making and ensure you receive the information and support you require.
• Respond effectively to your child’s emerging needs.
• Work together with professionals and services to have a coordinated approach to ensure positive outcomes for your child.
• Demonstrate an approach to caring that enables all children to fully participate in learning activities.

In addition, providers have a duty placed on them by the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for children with SEND.

Section 5.1 of the Act states

"5.10 All early years providers have duties under the Equality Act 2010. In particular, they must not discriminate against, harass or victimise disabled children, and they must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at substantial disadvantage. This duty is anticipatory – it requires thought to be given in advance to what disabled children and young people might require and what adjustments might need to be made to prevent that disadvantage. All publicly funded early years providers must promote equality of opportunity for disabled children."

Research evidence shows that regular, high quality early education has lasting benefits, providing a valuable experience for your child. It helps them learn and develop and prepares them for transition in to school. As part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), all providers must provide a broad range of experiences which promote children’s learning and development through play, exploration and communication within a fun, safe and nurturing environment. Your childminder, pre-school, nursery or reception class will be able to give your more information about this.

All early years education and childcare practitioners work in partnership with parents and other professionals to use a range of strategies to promote children’s development throughout their early years. Parents are a key partner and are kept informed about their children’s developmental progress at all times, through daily contact and regular updates.

You can find out more about the EYFS and how you can support your child’s learning in the What to expect in the EYFS – A guide for parents

If you are not happy with the care and education your child is receiving at their early years setting or school, you can find details of the steps you need to take to make a complaint in the handbook under section 2.10.

Your child may be entitled to 15 hours a week funded childcare from the term following their second birthday. This is for 38 weeks a year, but may be stretched over more weeks.

How do I apply for Two Year Old Funding?

For information on how to apply for funding, please visit North Lincolnshire Council’s two-year old funding webpage.

Free Early Education for Three and Four Year Olds

All three and four year olds are entitled to up to 15 hours of funded early education for 38 weeks of the year. Working families of three and four year olds may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours per week of funded early education and childcare for 38 weeks of the year. Families may choose to stretch the funded hours over more weeks of the year.

Children are eligible the school term after their third birthday (autumn, spring and summer terms).

The funding provides a valuable educational opportunity for children, encouraged by a carer to learn through play. They will have fun in a safe and nurturing environment whilst making friends and preparing for school.

To access the universal 15 hours of early education funding contact your child’s existing carer or contact the local early years education and childcare settings on 01724 296629

To access the extended 15 hours for working families you must meet an eligibility criteria and apply via the Childcare Choices website.

For more information about three and four year old early education funding please visit the North Lincolnshire Council three and four year old funding webpage.

Disability Access Fund

What is the disability access fund?

The disability access fund (DAF) has been set up to help your child to access a place in an Early Years setting from three years of age. It is a one off payment of £881 per financial year paid to the setting your child attends.

Where a child attends more than one setting, you nominate which setting you would like to receive the funding. If a child receiving DAF moves from one setting to another within a financial year, the money will remain with the original setting. The new setting is not eligible to receive DAF funding for your child within the same financial year.

Children do not have to take up their full entitlement of early education per year in order to receive the DAF.

This funding is to help the setting to provide an accessible environment which will mean your child can access their early education in an inclusive environment.

Eligibility

Three and four year olds are eligible for the DAF if they are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance and access a funded early education place.

How to apply

If your child is eligible, you will need to complete a parent agreement form. This is given to you by your chosen setting. There will be a box for you to tick if your child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance. It is important that that this is ticked to ensure the setting receives this one-off payment. You will also need to submit a copy of your child’s Disability Living Allowance award.

Inclusive Funding

At times, Early Years settings including schools, pre-schools, nurseries and childminders may require additional funding to meet the needs of a child with identified Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

In such circumstances, the childcare provider may submit an “inclusion funding” application for additional monies to enhance their provision to meet the needs of the child. This is likely to be funding to increase the staff to child ratios to ensure that they can fully meet the needs of the child and undertake any interventions recommended by external agencies. Where a childcare provider decides to apply for the inclusion funding, the application will be discussed with parents prior to submission of an application form.

All applications will be considered by the Early Years Inclusion Funding panel on a termly basis. Decisions are reached through a panel discussion of the information/evidence provided. Parents will be advised of the Inclusion Panels decision by their childcare setting.

What is the Graduated Approach?

The Graduated Approach is the way early years settings, schools and post-16 providers support children and young people who have Special Educational Needs.

The Graduated Approach begins with the expectation that all children receive high quality teaching. This is called Universal Support.

Some children will need support which is additional and different. It will be targeted to meet more specific needs and is called SEN Support.

A small number of children may continue to need additional and different support which is specialist and may require an assessment of their Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs. This may result in them having an Education Health and Care Plan (EHC plan).

Actions taken within the Graduated Approach - SEN Support

When a pupil is identified as having special educational needs the school must take immediate action. Staff must put effective special educational needs provision in place and ensure that all barriers to learning are removed.

As soon as a pupil is identified as having special educational needs their family must be informed. The school must then work in partnership with parents/carers, listening to their views and proactively involving them in decision making and planning.

The Graduated Approach Assess, Plan, Do, Review Cycle

Staff in early years’ settings, schools and colleges must use a graduated approach based on a four step process. These steps are:

• Assess – analyse the child or young person’s special educational needs
• Plan – identify the additional and different support needed
• Do – put the support in place
• Review – regularly check how well it is working so that they can change the amount or kind of support if needed.

If the child or young person continues to have special educational needs, the cycle starts again at assess with the updated needs of the child or young person being considered.

The Graduated Approach HTML

What is an EHC needs assessment?

An EHC needs assessment, sometimes called a statutory assessment, is a detailed assessment to find out exactly what a child or young person’s special educational needs are and the support they may need in order to learn, progress and achieve. At every stage, the child and their parents and or the young person in involved fully and their views and wishes taken into account.

The purpose of an EHC needs assessment is to see whether an Education Health and Care Plan is necessary to make the special educational provision that a child or young person needs. Local authorities are responsible for carrying out EHC needs assessments.

The education setting must always consider their Graduated Approach and show evidence of interventions over time, before they consider that it may be necessary for an EHC assessment to take place. For further information please see the Ordinarily Available Education Provision guidance.

SEN support can be provided in many different ways and should be individual to each child or young person.

SEN support could include:

• individually designed interventions or programmes
• focused support with the class teacher, member of the Support Staff, specialist teacher or the SENCO
• small group intervention work
• helping the child or young person to actively participate in class activities
• helping the child or young person to play or socially interact with other children or young people
• additional materials and equipment
• supporting a child or young person’s personal or physical care
• advice and support from external professionals such as educational psychologists, therapists and specialist teachers/advisors

Special educational needs provision should be reviewed at least termly and all reviews must involve the pupil and their family.

It may be decided that advice from a specialist professional is required in order to meet the needs of a pupil. Information regarding the external support available is published on the SEND Local Offer site.

What if my child does not make progress at SEN Support?

A very small number of children and young people may not make progress despite the interventions and strategies put in place at SEN support. If your child does not make progress at SEN Support, an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment might be appropriate. This is a detailed assessment of a child or young person’s special educational needs and the support they may need in order to learn.

What is SEN Support?

Every child with special educational needs should have SEN support. This means help that is additional to or different from the support generally given to most of the other children of the same age.

The purpose of SEN support is to help children and young people achieve the outcomes or learning objectives set for them by the school in conjunction with parents and pupils themselves.

Every school must publish an SEN information report about the SEN provision the school makes. You can find this on the school’s website. You can also ask your child’s teacher or the school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) for information on the SEN provision made by the school.

The Local Offer published by North Lincolnshire Council also sets out what support it expects early years settings, schools and colleges to make for all children and young people with SEN or disabilities.

SEN support can take many forms, including:

• a special learning programme for your child
• extra help from a teacher or a learning support assistant
• making or changing materials and equipment
• working with your child in a small group
• observing your child in class or at break and keeping records
• helping your child to take part in the class activities
• making sure your child has understood things by encouraging
• them to ask questions and to try something they find difficult
• helping other children work with your child, or play with them at break time
• supporting your child with physical or personal care, such as eating, getting around school safely, toileting or dressing
• advice and/or extra help from specialists such as specialist teachers, educational psychologists and therapists.

When schools want to call in specialists, they should discuss and agree this with parents.

SEN support for children under 5 includes:

• a written progress check when your child is 2 years old
• a child health visitor carrying out a health check for your child if they’re aged 2 to 3
• a written assessment in the summer term of your child’s first year of primary school
• making reasonable adjustments for disabled children, like providing aids like tactile signs.

Nurseries, playgroups and childminders registered with Ofsted follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. The framework makes sure that there’s support in place for children with SEND.

Talk to a doctor or health adviser if you think your child has SEND but they do not go to a nursery, playgroup or childminder. They’ll tell you what support options are available.

Talk to the teacher or the SEN co-ordinator (SENCO) if you think your child needs:

• a special learning programme
• extra help from a teacher or assistant
• to work in a smaller group
• observation in class or at break
• help taking part in class activities
• extra encouragement in their learning, for example to ask questions or to try something they find difficult
• help communicating with other children
• support with physical or personal care difficulties, for example eating, getting around school safely or using the toilet.

Contact the college before your child starts further education to make sure that they can meet your child’s needs.

The college and your local authority will talk to your child about the support they need.

School governors are responsible for the school’s policy on SEN. The headteacher and the SENCO ensure that the policy is put into practice. The SENCO organises support for individual children, but every teacher is responsible for making sure that your child’s special educational needs are met in the classroom.

The SEN Information Report on the school’s website tells you more about the arrangements for SEN support and how to contact the SENCO.

The first step is to talk with your child’s teacher or the SENCO. This may be at a parents’ evening, a support plan meeting or a review. You can ask for a written copy of any support plan in place for your child.

If your child has an Education, Health and Care plan (or Statement of Special Educational Need) it must set out the support and resources that must be provided.

Look for the SEN Information Report on the school website.

This website is a good place to find out about services available locally and the arrangements that schools and others are expected to make for children and young people with SEN.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Support Service (SENDIASS) can also give you:

• more information about SEN support and funding
• advice about what to do if you are not happy with the support your school is providing
• information about other organisations, support groups and services that could help
• information and advice about your rights to request an EHC needs assessment if your child might need more than the school can provide.

Please visit the Health and Wellbeing page for information.

An Education, Health and Care Plan is:

• for children and young people (aged up to 25)
• who need more support than is available through special educational needs support

The Local Offer will ensure that families and practitioners are able to locate what services are available and where these can be accessed so the best level of support can be offered to their child. This allows everyone to make the most of services offered in schools and in the community.

The majority of children and young people with special educational needs can engage, develop and progress with the support from:

• The education provider – schools have designated staff to support children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• What is ‘ordinarily available provision’ in school – this is the provision that schools need to make for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Local Authority support services – teams who specialise in providing support around specific needs.
• The community – support which comes from family, friends and community engagement.

Where provision cannot reasonably be provided through services that are normally available, it may be necessary to apply for an EHC Needs Assessment.

Before a request is made, the first port of contact should be the school SENDCO who is usually best placed to offer support and guidance around what provision is currently in place to support the child or young person and whether they require/may require anything further to allow them to fully engage and develop. Further information can be offered from any other education provider currently working with your child as well as any professional currently involved with the family. Education providers and professionals who are familiar with the family should be able to help to decide whether an assessment is needed.

If it is decided that an EHC request is necessary to support the child or young person. when a request is made it helps those making the decision to know why the family think an assessment is needed and why it is important for the child / young person. It also helps to have good information about the journey of the child / young person so far. There are questions on the request form that help to gather this information.

Sometimes families may find it helpful to talk to Special Educational Needs and Disability, Information and Support Service (SENDIASS) or other voluntary support services when a request for an EHC Needs Assessment is being considered.

Parents and young people over 16 years have the right to request an EHC Needs Assessment independently. This can be done via the Education, Health and Care Hub.

Early years providers, schools, colleges and other bodies can also request assessments. But they can only do this with the knowledge and agreement of the parent or young person (where this is possible).

Our EHCP process diagram provides details about the assessment process and timescales. If a plan is agreed, it will be reviewed every year although parts of the plan can be reviewed more frequently.

The plan will stay in place until it is no longer needed. It can stay in place until the age of 25.

Support and advice is available throughout the process from the Special Educational Needs and Disability, Information and Support Service (SENDIASS) or the Designated Social Care Officer.

When a new Education, Health and Care Plan is required, a range of documents have been developed to gather information in the Assessment process. These will be used when writing the Plan.

The school or educational/early years provider will complete a request for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment via the Education, Health and Care Hub. This will be discussed with parents and professionals. Possibly at a person-centred review meeting before sending to the local authority. This form will include information to help the local authority decide if an Assessment is necessary. A Guidance booklet for schools and education settings gives advice on completing a referral form.

The local authority will also seek information from the local heath authority and social care services. Both will contribute to the Assessment.

On completion of the Assessment, if a decision is made to issue an EHCP, a draft Education, Health and Care Plan will be produced. The Plan can be more personalised with names/pictures/images as determined by the young person or parent.

The majority of cases will be discussed at the Special Educational Needs and Disability Panel (SENDAP). This is a multi-agency panel (with representatives invited from education, health and care).

It meets on a weekly basis to consider and make recommendations in relation to EHC needs assessment requests and outcomes.

The panel makes recommendations regarding cases. Although the local authority is responsible for decision making in relation to EHC needs assessments and outcomes.

EHC plans must be reviewed by the local authority every 12 months as a minimum. Reviews must focus on the child or young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in the EHC plan.

Following the review meeting, the local authority will notify the child’s parent or the young person of the outcome. This will be within four weeks of the review meeting.

More information on reviewing an EHC plan can be found in chapter 9 of the SEND Code of Practice.

It is important that young people start to think about their aspirations as early as possible. Local authorities must ensure that the EHC plan review at Year 9 (and every review thereafter) includes a focus on preparation for adulthood.

Transition planning must be built into the revised EHC plan. It should result in clear outcomes being agreed that are ambitious and stretching.  This should follow consideration of any further education or training that will enable young people to:

• get paid work
• or other opportunities for a positive adult life

Young people should be supported to exercise choice and control over their lives. This includes the four ‘preparing for adulthood’ outcomes:

• moving into paid employment and higher education
• independent living
• having friends and relationships and being part of their communities
• being as healthy as possible

More information on the four ‘preparing for adulthood’ outcomes can be found in chapter 8 of the SEND Code of Practice and the Preparing for Adulthood website. Take a look at the Preparing for Adulthood section of this website too.

A local authority may cease to maintain an EHC plan if it determines that:

• it is no longer necessary for the plan to be maintained
• or if it is no longer responsible for the child or young person

Where a local authority is considering ceasing to maintain an EHC Plan, it must consult with:

• the child’s parent
• or the young person
• and the school or other institution that is named in the EHC plan

In line with preparing young people for adulthood, a local authority must not cease an EHC plan simply because a young person is aged 19 or over. Young people with EHC plans may need longer in education or training to achieve their outcomes and make an effective transition into adulthood.

However, this position does not mean that there is an automatic entitlement to continued support at age 19. Or an expectation that those with an EHC plan should all remain in education until age 25.

A local authority may cease a plan for a 19 to 25-year-old if it decides that it is no longer necessary for the EHC plan to be maintained.

More information and guidance on EHCPs beyond the age of 19 can be found in the SEND 19-25 year olds entitlement to EHC plans

Young people over compulsory school age have the right to participate in decisions about the provision that is made for them.

However, some young people will not have the mental capacity to make certain decisions. Under the Children and Families Act, lacking mental capacity has the same meaning as in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. In cases where a person lacks mental capacity to make a particular decision, that decision will be taken by a representative on their behalf.

Further information can be found in the SEND Code of Practice.

If you need support or advice during these discussions, the local North Lincolnshire Special Educational Needs and Disability SENDIASS will be happy to help you.

We want to make it as easy as possible for customers to let us know their views, including how to make a complaint. Have a look at the document Your Right to Complain

North Lincolnshire’s complaints policy sets out how customers can make a complaint about council services, and how we will respond to and learn from complaints received. You can read the Policy here.

Service specific complaints should be made to the Customer Contact and Relationship Manager.

Further details on ‘How to make a complaint’ as well as the facility to make an on-line complaint about council services are available here.

Independent Service in Yorkshire and Humber

If you feel that discussions have not addressed your concerns you can contact Community Accord for mediation. This is an independent service available to help sort out SEN disagreements in Yorkshire and Humberside. The people involved in the dispute work together to reach an acceptable solution with the help of a mediator. Using the mediation service does not affect your right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). You can use mediation at any time during a disagreement.

Parents and young people can appeal to The First Tier Tribunal (SEN and Disability) about EHC needs assessments and EHC plans, following contact with a mediation adviser in most cases.