Introduction and Commitment
At Gloucester House, inclusion is not an optional principle but the foundation of our practice. Every pupil here has an Education, Health and Care Plan, and each brings a complex range of needs shaped by disrupted early experiences at home and at school. Our responsibility is to work together, across disciplines, to meet those needs with compassion, rigour, and ambition.
This policy is guided by the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEND Code of Practice (2015), the Equality Act 2010, and the expectations of the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework. It also sits alongside our Safeguarding Policy, Behaviour Policy, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, and Assessment, Recording & Reporting Policy, recognising that SEND provision is inseparable from safeguarding, wellbeing, and the promotion of British Values.
We believe that every pupil has the right to flourish in a safe, inclusive environment where their individuality is valued and their potential is nurtured.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Headteacher holds overall responsibility for ensuring that the needs outlined in each EHCP are met, that statutory deadlines are honoured, and that provision is monitored and reported to the Steering Committee. Working closely with the SENDCO, the Headteacher ensures that Annual Reviews are convened with the right mix of professionals, parents, and carers, and that the voice of the pupil is heard.
The SENDCO leads on the day‑to‑day coordination of SEND provision, maintaining records, liaising with the Local Authority, and ensuring that resources, interventions, and staff training are in place. They work alongside therapists, care coordinators, and teachers to monitor progress, review learning and behaviour, and support transitions to new placements.
Class teachers are central to the process. They know the individual needs of their pupils, plan and deliver differentiated lessons, and set targets in literacy, numeracy, and behaviour in partnership with pupils and parents. They assess progress continuously, contribute to Annual Reviews, and ensure that EHCP outcomes are woven into daily practice.
Progress Support Workers play a vital role in carrying out programmes directed by teachers, observing pupils closely, and alerting staff to emerging concerns. Care Coordinators act as bridges between home and school, supporting parents to understand their child’s needs and ensuring that concerns are shared promptly with the SENDCO.
The Educational Psychology Service provides specialist assessment and advice, working with staff, parents, and carers to refine programmes and monitor impact.
Curriculum and Planning
The curriculum at Gloucester House is designed not simply to deliver knowledge but to open doors for children who have faced significant barriers to learning. Every lesson is planned with the understanding that our pupils learn differently: some need repeated exposure, others require multisensory reinforcement, and all benefit from teaching that is responsive, flexible, and compassionate.
Maths and English form the backbone of our provision, often taught through carousel structures that allow pupils to move between oral work, independent tasks, practical activities, and computing. This variety ensures that learning is accessible to pupils with diverse styles and needs, while also maintaining engagement and pace.
Topics are chosen to be broad and balanced, aligned with the National Curriculum, and enriched by pupil voice. We recognise and nurture talent wherever it emerges, supporting pupils who excel through extension activities and encouraging parents to share in this process.
Our curriculum is not only academic but also developmental. It promotes social, moral, spiritual, and cultural growth, embedding British Values and preparing pupils for life in modern Britain.
Procedures
Every pupil’s journey begins with careful listening and thorough assessment. Before admission, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires are completed as part of the initial evaluation. On arrival, members of the multidisciplinary team carry out a series of assessments, drawing together perspectives from education, care, and therapy. These findings are woven into an Integrated Care Plan, created in partnership with case coordinators, parent workers, class teachers, and referrers.
During the first six to ten weeks, academic assessments in literacy, numeracy, and behaviour are undertaken. The results are shared at the review meeting, where staff, parents, and carers come together to reflect on progress and set priorities. Targets are agreed collaboratively, written with full knowledge of the objectives outlined in each pupil’s EHCP, and revisited regularly.
Assessment continues throughout the year, blending formative observations with summative measures. Teachers and Progress Support Workers monitor progress closely, adjusting provision to ensure that learning is reinforced and embedded. Where pupils make sufficient progress with their emotional and behavioural needs, integration programmes into mainstream settings are explored, reflecting our commitment to reintegration wherever possible.
Monitoring and Review
Monitoring is not a bureaucratic exercise but a continuous cycle of reflection, evidence, and improvement. Each pupil’s progress is tracked through carefully co‑constructed targets, agreed with parents, carers, and pupils themselves. Assessment is both formative and summative, blending daily observation with standardised measures. The Steering Committee receives termly reports on this analysis, enabling them to hold leaders to account for the impact of SEND provision.
Annual Reviews form the cornerstone of our statutory responsibilities. Convened by the SENDCO, these meetings bring together parents, carers, pupils, teachers, therapists, psychologists, and social workers. Reports are prepared in advance, drawing on both quantitative data and qualitative evidence of progress. The voice of the pupil is central: their reflections on learning, wellbeing, and aspirations shape the outcomes set for the year ahead.
Monitoring extends beyond the Annual Review. Progress is revisited in core team meetings, whole‑school reviews, and multidisciplinary forums, creating a culture of continuous reflection. HONOSCA and CGAS measures are incorporated to provide clinical perspectives, while pupil voice and parent feedback ensure that the human experience of learning is never lost in the data.
Compliance and Impact
Compliance at Gloucester House is not treated as a checklist but as a living commitment to our pupils and their families. Targets are visible in classrooms and books, serving both as a guide for teaching and as a daily reminder of progress and aspiration. Teachers and Progress Support Workers monitor these targets continuously, celebrating achievement and adapting provision where gaps remain.
Annual Reviews provide a formal anchor for compliance, ensuring statutory deadlines are met and Local Authority reporting formats are followed. Reports are shared with families in good time, and meetings remain collaborative, respectful, and child‑centred. The Steering Committee receives regular updates, combining attainment data, attendance figures, reintegration outcomes, and evidence from the Assessment, Recording & Reporting Policy, ensuring oversight is robust and transparent.
Impact is evidenced through progress data, reintegration rates, attendance, pupil voice, and parent feedback. Through this cycle of target‑setting, assessment, review, and reflection, Gloucester House demonstrates impact: pupils consolidate learning, develop resilience, and achieve outcomes that prepare them for reintegration into mainstream education or for the next stage of their journey. Compliance, in this sense, is not simply about meeting statutory deadlines: it is about ensuring that every pupil is safeguarded, supported, and given the best chance to succeed.