This booklet and prospectus is written for the parents and carers of prospective students as well as for the families of those who already attend our School. It will also be of interest to visitors and others who wish to know more about the work of our school.

Catcote School Business and Enterprise College is a day secondary special school for up to 120 students aged from 11-19 years, who have a wide range of special educational needs. Increasingly we are accommodating students with a variety of special needs, some on the autistic spectrum, some with behavioural emotional and social difficulties and some with medical problems. We pride ourselves on being a truly inclusive school with the expertise to meet this wide range of needs.

As a Community Special School, we are part of Hartlepool Borough Council’s family of schools. Some of our students, however, come from neighbouring authorities as well as from Hartlepool itself.

The school is at an important stage in its development, we are currently planning for our relocation into a new building on the Brierton site which we hope will take place in September 2012.

As the newly appointed Head Teacher of the school, but having worked as a senior teacher for the past 13 years, I am honoured and excited about taking on this responsibility at this time.

Catcote is not only inclusive, it is an accessible, friendly and approachable organisation where teamwork flourishes. We are proud of our successes, whilst remaining committed to self evaluation and professional growth. We are amenable to changing how we do things where this will lead to further improvement. We believe in cooperation and partnership with all those, both in the local community and more widely, who share our commitment to improving the lives of anyone affected by learning difficulties or disabilities (LDD).

I hope that the following information provides you with some useful information about Catcote School and Services for students with LDD. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Mr Alan Chapman

Important Message for Parents of New Pupils

Included with your prospectus is a copy of Catcote School’s Home-School Agreement. This agreement sets out the basis of the partnership between families and the school. We invite you to sign it and return it to school.  You should have also received a Pupil Information Sheet, Medication Form, and Visits Consent form. Please complete the Info Sheet and Visits Consent (and if appropriate, the Medication Form) and return them to school. Most of the details are needed to ensure your child's health and safety, and some information is required for the completion of returns to Government Agencies and to the Local Education Authority. Our use of personal data is covered by the Fair Processing Notice (included in this Prospectus). If you have any comments or questions about the forms, please let us know straight away. If you have any problems completing the forms, we will be happy to help you. It is important that we have full and up to date records on all our pupils.

School Details

Aims

Our overall aim is to be an outstanding Specialist Business and Enterprise College and service for the LDD community in Hartlepool.

Vision

All young people should be valued equally and be offered every opportunity to maximise their potential. All children and young people should be entitled to educational provision that meets their individual needs and enables them to enjoy their learning, be safe and healthy and make a positive contribution to their school and wider community. All pupils should have access to a sustained, high quality educational provision regardless of race, class, gender or disability through a creative and flexible curriculum that stimulates learning and encourages engagement. Young people should have their voices heard and be listened to as major partners within the school and wider community and in return they should work to the best of their ability and take responsibility for their learning. At Catcote School, young people will have the confidence and ability to enjoy a fruitful and successful life. Services for young people will be coherent, easily accessible and responsive to individual needs.

This means that we aim to:

• provide a relevant, broad and balanced education for every individual child
• create a culture of achievement, by stimulating a desire to learn, raising aspirations, opening up a wide range of opportunities and working towards external accreditation for all our pupils
• promote health, well being, happiness, enjoyment, and independence in a stimulating yet safe, secure and caring environment
• value and respect individuals, recognising their strengths, encouraging them to develop their interests and abilities, and helping them show positive attitudes towards others
• invest in the long term quality of life of our children, by preparing them for an independent and purposeful role in society as adults, through explicit teaching of life skills and socially acceptable behaviour and by fostering confidence, self-esteem and a realistic understanding of themselves as people affected by LDD   
• prepare our pupils for the challenges and opportunities of a complex and technologically advanced society through creative, innovative and motivating approaches to teaching and learning

An Overview of the School

The children who are placed at Catcote School require a very structured approach to learning and they benefit from a high staffing ratio. We maintain a friendly, calm and purposeful atmosphere. Staff  know pupils well, and respect their individual needs. The organisation of the school, our teaching styles and our excellent staff/pupil relationships allows them to benefit fully from the educational opportunities on offer.
Catcote School was established in 1990 but since that time has been able to transform and adapt to the ever changing needs of our students. In April 2008 we were re-designated to accept students statemented with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties. In September 2008 this facility moved onto our site and into their own accommodation.
Our Post 19 provision caters for students with Profound and Multiple Learning difficulties (PMLD) and Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD). Students enrolled on this programme can access learning up to the age of 25.
We have invested heavily in recruiting and training an excellent staff team to meet the demanding educational and care needs of our students.
Our ‘Inreach’ programme allows individual students who are not coping with mainstream education to access a personalised timetable which generally focuses on vocational and life skills. We currently have 27 mainstream students accessing accredited courses in our Hospitality and Catering, Hair and Beauty and Travel and Tourism departments.
Although we work in a specialist area we do take an active part in many of the same initiatives as our mainstream partners. For example we benefit from the support of the Local Authority School Improvement Team, we have been recognised as an Investor in People, we have achieved the Silver Healthy Schools Award, and we are a Change School through Creative Partnerships.

Staffing and Organisation

Most of our teachers have significant and relevant Special Education experience. Many of our staff have attended training in the autism-specific “TEACCH” approach, which is based on structure and consistency, with extensive use of visual cues. Most of our staff have achieved Level 1 in the Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Programme (TEEP), which underpins effective teaching and learning.
The school is staffed by 23 teachers and 40 Teaching Assistants plus other admin and support colleagues, who all make a valuable contribution to the work of the school. Our Governing Body, which includes parents, staff members and representatives of the wider community, has a key role in the strategic leadership and development of the school and service. 

Working with the students at Catcote School is a rewarding job, and everyone in the school community works hard to make this a happy and successful organisation.  Our staff understand that a high level of commitment is required to secure high standards in a context where students have varied and complex Special Educational Needs. We will continue to provide access to relevant high quality professional development opportunities for our staff, both in-house and through external courses. These opportunities are made available to all staff, including those on temporary or part time contracts.

OFSTED and School Improvement Planning

Catcote School was last inspected in October 2006.
The report stated that the school “provides a good education with outstanding features” A summary of the report is available from School. We can also provide a copy of the full report, or you can view it via the OFSTED website.
The key issues for improvement identified by the inspector are to ensure that:

• Assessment is analysed consistently to help to raise achievement even further.
• The governing body plays a more active part in checking the school’s progress.

We’ve built in measures to address the above issues in our current School Improvement Plan (SIP). We have a rigorous approach to school self evaluation, including annual surveys of staff and parents and gathering student views. This helps us to have a clear view of what we are good at now and where we need to do better (see next sections). Copies of our SIP are available on request.

Security in and around the school

Everyone should appreciate the need for sensible security precautions these days. This is particularly important at a school such as Catcote, where some children would be very vulnerable if they were able to leave the building unsupervised. All entrances are securely locked, and some internal doors are fitted with security devices. All visitors should come to the main reception. This door has an entry control system. Reception staff can see the front door and will open it only for genuine visitors. Please use the bell if necessary and be patient! Once inside, please report to reception and sign in.
Staff will challenge any unaccompanied visitors in the school or grounds, so please cooperate with our system. We want everyone to be safe in school, so we hope parents will understand why we take these measures.
The site is fenced and locked when not occupied. There are notices warning trespassers of the risks of unauthorised entry, as the building is only safe to use if the proper opening procedures have been followed.

What we’re good at now

• Autism-specific approaches to teaching and organisation – in 2007, OFSTED said “The quality of teaching and learning is good, typically enthusiastic with high expectations and pupils achieve well”.
• Working with parents and the community – IEPs, reviews, home-school books, events, Catcote Parents and Friends involved in fundraising.
• Teamwork – very committed staff with good opportunities for professional development. Good relationships and communication between staff (e.g. morning briefings).
• 16-19 education – separate classes, distinctive curriculum with support for independence, college links and work-related learning. We have extended the quality and the range of accreditation available to include GCSE, Entry Level qualifications and ASDAN modules
• Support for inclusion, through awareness raising and training, and advice on individual pupils. Some Catcote students access mainstream lessons and some have transferred full time to mainstream after phased programmes. We also support pupils in their existing mainstream placements, they don’t need to come onto our roll. Support can be accessed initially through an informal request, but is then monitored and managed by a panel to ensure that resources are allocated fairly and have an impact. We also have students that access external educational facilities and Hartlepool College of Further Education
• Partnership co-operation with a variety of agencies to explore additional support needs for targeted pupils.
• Vocational education allowing students to access learning in Hospitality and Catering, Hair and Beauty, Horticulture, Care and Enterprise.
• The positive impact of Specialist status has been felt across the school: By revising the KS3 and KS4 curriculum with a B&E focus, we have contributed to whole school improvement by developing innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Economic and business understanding, enterprise activities and opportunities for students to follow a wider range of work related opportunities have been made possible with improved business partnerships.
• We have embedded the Enterprise Curriculum further by engaging all the students in an annual specialised Enterprise project (2007 - Slide into summer, 2008 - Around the world in 20 days).
• An Enterprise curriculum was introduced in September 2007 for KS3 & 4 MLD students (written by school staff) leading to accreditation in Life Skills.
• The curriculum is effectively matched to the needs of the learners which is reflected in their statement of SEN. KS3 is broad, balanced and relevant. KS4 learners engage in an option system allowing for an element of guided choice. KS5 allows learners to concentrate on particular curriculum areas and interests if they wish to follow chosen pathways either to employment or College preparing them for employment which will allow them to become effective members of their local community and make a positive contribution to society in general.
• We offer a range of accredited courses which enable students to be very well prepared for future economic well being.  Accreditation at the end of Key Stage 5 has steadily increased over the last five years with a record number of entrants for national accreditation in summer 2007.
• The 14-19 curriculum is outstandingly good and provides an exceptionally broad range of Work-related learning experience and students enjoy a variety of work placements.  Parents say that they are very impressed with this aspect of the school’s work. The students make well-informed choices from, for example, the school’s hair and beauty Salon, horticulture and a parent-and-toddler group. The school’s coffee shop is a resounding success. The extended school programme gives all students the chance to learn new skills and a ‘healthy options’ afternoon gives students great opportunities to experience a wide range of physical activities (OFSTED 2006).
• Vocational areas have been dramatically improved. This provides opportunities for inclusion students from Hartlepool’s secondary schools and the wider community, whilst also benefiting our own students.   Specialist subjects have impacted on the raising of standards of attainment in partner schools by greater uptake from students in partner school accessing learning in the specialist areas. 
• Our Key Stage 4 &5 students had a successful week of Work Experience which resulted in over 90% accessing an extended work placement. This resulted in two students going in to full-time employment.
• Over 80% of students have been offered and accepted places on residential outward bound courses and this is set to rise further. Our aim is to provide a residential experience for 100% of our students over the next two years.
• Assessment is carried out on a number of levels e.g. PIVATS (11-16), NC, Target Setting, teacher moderation, scrutiny of work and Assessment for Learning.
• We have developed a culture that values achievement on an individual and school-wide basis.  This is evidenced by numerous awards received – School Curriculum Award, Basis Skills Quality Mark, IIP, National Healthy Schools Award, Sports Mark Gold, Arts Mark Gold, Bronze Eco Award and Young Enterprise Award.  The school also has a successful reward system.
• Students develop independence, confidence and maturity e.g. by serving on the student council, or as a prefect or through work related learning.
• ICT is an integral part of the school and is a vital contributor to improvements in Teaching and Learning, engaging and motivating students. £250,000 has been invested in the school building with emphasis on ICT.
• School Improvement Plan working parties focus on Every Child Matters agenda.  They meet termly and include members of the Governing Body, teachers and support staff.
• CPD is a key driver in school improvement.  To support innovation in the classroom and to take the teaching and learning agenda forward staff have attended training for Teacher Enhancement Effectiveness Programme (TEEP). A positive impact has been noted through classroom observations.
• All teachers have been trained in TEACCH methods and this is significantly improving the performance of students with ASD and Complex Needs.
• Innovative independent travel has been introduced within school.  6 post 16 students have successfully completed the training.  We have introduced travel training to post 14 students who will in turn have the opportunity to take part in the Independent Travel Training programme as they progress.
• School actively promotes a healthy lifestyle, embracing the Healthy Schools agenda, pioneering ‘healthy living’ afternoons and regularly gaining eco-schools awards.  The school has an annual healthy school week in the summer term.
• We see links with the community as a vital aspect of our work at Catcote, for the ultimate benefit of our students. We are recognised as being pro-active and innovative within the community, which will continue in the future.
• We have very good International links with schools in South Africa and Australia.  The students have raised money for Harding School in South Africa which has helped to buy further sport and ICT equipment.
• We have created an ethos in school where carers feel welcome and comfortable in the knowledge that they will be listened to and supported. Parents and carers are encouraged to attend meetings during school time to discuss issues surrounding Care and to share information organised through school. These have included sessions on benefit entitlement and direct payments.
• Catcote is a registered IAG provider, specifically aimed at giving information, advice and guidance to the targeted group.
• Underpinning the current success of the school is a highly effective and experienced leadership team who provide good role models for management and teaching. (OFSTED 2006).

BESD

• The Council has been instrumental in introducing a number of positive measures including having carpets laid in the main teaching areas. Other observations made by the Student Council include the significant decrease in damage and vandalism in the B.E.S.D. area and also positive comments regarding the decline in the number of bullying incidents. These improvements are reflected in a major decrease in fixed term exclusions, there have been none since the end of the summer term 07.The Council were also a leading voice in requesting their own I.C.T. suite which has been installed and also the introduction of interactive whiteboards into a number of the BESD classrooms.
• The staff working with the B.E.S.D. pupils have been making a concerted effort to improve home school relationships and engage parents in their children’s’ education and social development. They are striving to achieve a strong partnership with parents and carers in order to involve them more in their child’s learning and help to improve behaviour and attendance. This has involved staff making home visits, more frequent telephone calls regarding positive behaviours, home school diaries and good behaviour post cards. These have all contributed to the developing ethos of rewarding positive behaviours and fostering trusting relationships between home and school.
• The P.E. and Outdoor Education programme has been particularly successful in engaging the more disaffected BESD students. This programme needs to be expanded and developed further to meet the enjoy and achieve aspects of ECM. The programme develops social skills for our students which are transferable to the world of work, and life beyond school.
• An “On Task” reward system has been introduced to encourage students to be more positive during lessons. Short, medium and long term rewards are available to be earned by all students.
• Another new and exciting area for development is the schools effort to forge links with European schools through the Comenius project and they are also investigating the possibility of setting up a communication link with schools in Nigeria and Ghana. Two teachers have already visited a school in Transylvania and a reciprocal visit is being planned.

Future Developments will include

• Further improvements to the curriculum – to make sure we teach “Life Skills” effectively,  continue to give the best possible opportunities for work-related learning and academic progress (e.g. GCSE where appropriate), further develop links with mainstream schools and colleges, and continue to extend the range of facilities to meet the needs of those children who have very complex difficulties. We have the widest ability range you could imagine!
• Implement the initiatives in Business and Enterprise accruing from gaining Specialist School status  to underpin our role as a centre of excellence and a Specialist Business and Enterprise College
• Implementing the “extended schools” concept by working in partnership with other agencies and community groups.
• Develop our Community Cohesion programme to include Family Learning and community use of facilities.

Curriculum

• Although the school has a system in place for Moderation this needs to be integrated fully into the schools yearly timetable.
• Develop data analysis within school in order to raise achievement for all with careful monitoring through effective moderation of all NC levels from P scales upwards using PIVATS for data analysis in English, Mathematics, Science and I.C.T. Use Assessment Manager and Local Authority Data Team for data analysis to support recording and analysis of this to inform IEP target setting.
• Continue to develop Assessment for Learning especially in conjunction with TEEP.
• Embed and develop appropriate specialised curriculum e.g. TEACCH, Enterprise, ASDAN XL etc.  Staff need to continue to re-write curriculum content through the academic year 07/08 to ensure compatibility with the changing needs of students based on the ECM agenda.
• Alternative curriculum provision will be expanded for Years 10 & 11 within BESD. The aforementioned enterprise curriculum will be introduced for Year 9 students from September, 2008. Both key stages will access their core entitlement through ICT by utilising lessons accessed through ACIPPIO (on-line provider).
• Introduce 3 specialised 14-19 diplomas from September 09 (Land Use, Catering and Hair & Beauty)
• Introduce Functional Skills.
• Create life long learners by accepting human diversity in our classrooms.  Use Learner needs analysis to personalise the curriculum and the environment for students (in particular disaffected students).
• Continue to embed TEEP cycle and principles across the school and continue with CPD to ensure sustainability across the whole school.
• Raise achievement of Looked After Children.  Continue to use Personal Educational Plans and develop use of personal portfolios for these students.
• Continue to review accreditation across the school to ensure compatibility with the changing needs of students based on the ECM agenda.
• Further develop enrichment activities outside school hours.

Resources

• School structure:  Specialist responsibilities clearly identified – e.g. ASD, PMLD, augmentative communication and curriculum.
• Crete further opportunities for ASD CPD.
• Develop specialist ICT access and provision across the school.
• Further embed Learning Platforms across the school.
• Develop Staff ICT competency through ongoing CPD.
• Accept human diversity within our classrooms and use Learner needs analysis to personalise resources for the students.
• Develop monitoring of specialist school status.
• Create resource base for staff.
• Enhance opportunities for ‘student voice’ within school.  Create fully equipped meeting room.  Create space on learning platform for Student Council.
• Develop independent travel scheme and with the introduction of the specialist diplomas it will be necessary to become involved in the town-wide movement of students in order to access the diplomas at the different centres.
• Develop links with the wider community especially in the area of accreditation and adult learning. Continue to work alongside our established partners to meet the needs of the wide range of needs.
• Continue to develop and strengthen our International links with schools in South Africa, Australia and in the ports involved in the Tall Ships race of 2010.
• In build into the timetable 2hrs a week for ‘Eco-Creativity’.
• Develop and strengthen business links to meet the demands of the specialist diplomas.
• Improve home school relationships for BESD students.

Environment

• Develop Sensory areas within school.  Create wireless creative sensory theatre, hydrotherapy pool, IT controlled sensory garden, specialist movement and therapy room.
• Develop ASD provision and create specific ASD class at KS4. 
• Develop vocational areas within school.  Create a distinct vocational centre – horticulture (with Market Garden), Hair & Beauty salon, Leisure & Tourism, Coffee shop, Retail Outlet and Crèche.  Retail outlet and sales front of other vocational areas to be located within ‘mall’ type environment.  Start up business units to be housed within vocation al centre and to have external fronts.
• Accept human diversity within our classrooms and use Learner needs analysis to personalise environment for the students.  All areas to be flexible in design so some areas can be informal whilst others may be more formal.  All areas to be teacher controlled.
• Create and develop outdoor areas for learning & recreation. Create specialised outdoor learning spaces for each of the ‘home’ classrooms.  Have 2 communal yards.  Create landscaped woodland walk.
• Develop Post 19 provision.  It is important that we continue the dialogue with the LSC in order to achieve best provision for this important element of our school.
• Create a space devoted to working with parents and carers, specialist facilities with appropriate access to ICT for viewing student information, provide crèche facilities to enable parents to access basic skills & B&E
• Gain the Silver award as an Eco School.  Our targets in this area include reducing our carbon footprint and achieving a sustainable environment.

E-Safety

Use of the Internet and other E-Technologies by schools is growing rapidly and by using this at Catcote School, the information landscape used by the students will be altered by opening classrooms to a broader spectrum of resources.  Although we feel that the benefits of such use exceed any disadvantages, we are still aware of the problems and issues that have been highlighted by the media.  Whilst some of it is exaggerated, there is real cause for concern and it is important that we consider the issues carefully before allowing students access, supervised or unsupervised, to the Internet.
As a school we have a comprehensive E Safety Policy.  This Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) has been created by our school governors and senior managers and approved by the whole school community through a process of consultation. The purpose of this policy is to ensure the school network is operated safely and all users of ICT are safe and stands alongside other school policies such as our bullying policy, mobile phone policy and ICT policy.  It also contributes to the Every Child Matters: Change for Children - Stay safe outcome; Safe from bullying and discrimination; Safe from crime and anti-social behaviour in and out of school

This AUP refers to our school ICT network and to the use of mobile technologies within it. It explains the behaviours, which are acceptable and unacceptable, with regard to use of ICT within our school. This policy combines and works in conjunction with the Northern Grid for Learning Acceptable Use Policy to which our school adheres.

Our AUP applies to:

• All employees in our school;
• Students;
• Parents;
• Governors;
• Visitors;
• Outside agencies.

All users of the school network are asked to sign an agreement form which states that they have read the AUP policy and will compile with it at all times.  All users of the school network should note that it is monitored on a regular basis.  Any person who is found to have misused the school system or not followed our AUP could face the following consequences:

• Temporary or permanent withdrawal from the school system
• Suspension or exclusion from the school
• Disciplinary action
• In the most serious cases legal action may also be taken.

This policy is reviewed annually by the E-Safety Policy Team and under guidance from the LA and Northern Grid for Learning. The policy may also be reviewed in response to technological advances and in the event of the need to change procedures and practices within the policy.
In order to educate the students about E Safety all students will experience an appropriate E- Safety unit of work.  This will be taught at an appropriate level and stage to the individual.

Publicity: Use of photographs

You will notice that there are photos of pupils in this prospectus and also incorporated in displays and teaching resources around school. The use of photos taken by staff and students supports communication, provides evidence for accreditation and also helps to improve self-esteem.
We are proud of what our pupils achieve, and we try to publicise their successes as widely as possible. We also want to help educate the wider public about Learning Difficulties and Disabilities and the needs of our pupils. If you have any problems with pictures of your son or daughter appearing around school, in publicity or training materials, or in the local press and other media, please tell us. We won’t use names or give any personal details without your specific permission.
We use photos on our website too. We want to make this interesting and informative, by including pupils’ work, along with photos of school activities. But we know about the risks of putting personal details on the internet, and we want to respect your privacy. Our usual policy will be that photos can appear, as long as there is no information to identify individual pupils. If we do want to give a pupil’s name, for example with some of their work, then we will ask your specific permission.  If you prefer us not to use your child’s photo at all, please contact the school.
We recognise that pupils, parents and other visitors may bring cameras into school, particularly now that many mobile phones incorporate cameras. We don’t want privacy and security to be compromised, so we ask that specific permission is obtained from staff before any kind of photography, videoing or sound recording takes place.

Data Protection Act

To meet the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, schools must issue a "Fair Processing Notice" to all pupils and/or parents. This details the information held about pupils, why it is held and the third parties to whom it may be passed on.

Schools are required to issue Fair Processing notices to all pupils aged 12 and over and to their parents and to the parents of all current pupils under the age of 12 as soon as possible. The notice covers processing carried out by LAs, DCSF [Department for Children, Schools and Families, QCA, Ofsted, DOH, PCT's and the LSC as well as by the school. The notice also covers the introduction of collecting pupils full address data in Spring Census 2007.

Schools are required to issue the same notice to new pupils and/or their parents as part of the enrolment process. The notice must also be reissued to pupils at age 16 (because the right under the Learning and Skills Act to opt out from the passing on of information over and above name and address of pupil and parent to those providing Connexions services passes from the parent to the pupil at that age).

The document below is the suggested text that DCSF has provided for the Fair Processing notice, and replaces previously issued notices.

Fair processing notice

Schools, Local Authorities (LAs), the Department for Children, Schools and  Families (DCSF), the government department which deals with education, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), Ofsted and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC)  all process information on pupils in order to run the education system and Department of Health (DH) and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) process information on pupils in order to tackle the year on year rise in obesity among children, and in doing so have to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. This means, among other things, that the data held about pupils must only be used for specific purposes allowed by law. We are therefore writing to tell you about the types of data held, why that data is held, and to whom it may be passed on.

The school holds information on pupils in order to support their teaching and learning, to monitor and report on their progress, to provide appropriate pastoral care, and to assess how well the school as awhole is doing. This information includes contact details, national curriculum assessment results, attendance information, characteristics such as ethnic group, special educational needs and any relevant medical information. From time to time schools are required to pass on some of this data to LAs, the DCSF and to agencies that are prescribed by law, such as QCA, Ofsted, LSC, DH and PCTs.

The Local Authority uses information about children for whom it provides services to carry out specific functions for which it is responsible, such as the assessment of any special educational needs the child may have.  It also uses the information to derive statistics to inform decisions on (for example) the funding of schools, and to assess the performance of schools and set targets for them. The statistics are used in such a way that individual children cannot be identified from them.  LAs have a duty under the Children Act 2004 to cooperate with their partners in health and youth justice to improve the well-being of children in their areas.  As part of this duty they will be required to maintain the accuracy of the information held on the Information Sharing (IS) Index about children and young people in their area (see IS Index under Department for Education and Skills).

The Joint Strategy Unit (JSU) process information on behalf of the LA and provides estimates of pupil numbers, planning information and also to inform bids for National and European Funding.

Further / Higher Education Establishments and training providers use the information in order to plan effective services, set targets and inform decisions.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority uses information about pupils to administer national curriculum assessments throughout Key Stages 1 to 3. This includes both assessments required by statute and those that are optional.  The results of these are passed on to DCSF to compile statistics on trends and patterns in levels of achievement.  The QCA uses the information to evaluate the effectiveness of the national curriculum and the associated assessment arrangements, and to ensure that these are continually improved.

Ofsted uses information about the progress and performance of pupils to help inspectors evaluate the work of schools, to assist schools in their self-evaluation, and as part of Ofsted’s assessment of the effectiveness of education initiatives and policy.  Inspection reports do not identify individual pupils.

The Learning and Skills Council uses information about pupils for statistical purposes, to evaluate and develop education policy and to monitor the performance of the education service as a whole. The statistics (including those based on information provided by the QCA) are used in such a way that individual pupils cannot be identified from them.  On occasion information may be shared with other Government departments or agencies strictly for statistical or research purposes only.  The LSC or its partners may wish to contact learners from time to time about courses, or learning opportunities relevant to them.
The Department of Health uses aggregate information (at school year group level) about pupils' height and weight for research and statistical purposes, to inform, influence and improve health policy and to monitor the performance of the health service as a whole. The DH will base performance management discussions with Strategic Health Authorities on aggregate information about pupils attending schools in the PCT areas to help focus local resources and deliver the Public Service Agreement target to halt the year on year rise in obesity among children under 11 by 2010, in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole. The Department of Health will also provide aggregate PCT level data to the Healthcare Commission for performance assessment of the health service.
Primary Care Trusts use information about pupils for research and statistical purposes, to monitor the performance of local health services and to evaluate and develop them. The statistics are used in such a way that individual pupils cannot be identified from them.  Information on the height and weight of individual pupils may however be provided to the child and its parents and this will require the PCTs to maintain details of pupils’ names for this purpose.  PCTs may also provide individual schools and LAs with aggregate information on pupils’ height and weight.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families uses information about pupils for research and statistical purposes, to inform, influence and improve education policy and to monitor the performance of the education service as a whole. The DCSF will feed back to LAs and schools information about their pupils for a variety of purposes that will include data checking exercises, use in self-evaluation analyses and where information is missing because it was not passed on by a former school.
The Children Act 2004 provides for the Secretary of State to issue Regulations requiring the “governing body of a maintained school in England” to disclose information for inclusion on the Information Sharing (IS) Index. 
The purposes of the index are to:

• help practitioners working with children quickly identify a child with whom they have contact;
• determine whether that child is getting the universal services (education, primary health care) to which he or she is entitled; and
• enable earlier identification of needs and earlier, more effective action to address these needs by providing a tool to help practitioners identify which other practitioners are involved with a particular child; and
• encourage better communication and closer working between practitioners.

The index will hold for each child or young person in England:

• basic identifying information: name, address, gender, date of birth and a unique identifying number based on the existing Unique Identifying Number/National Insurance Number;
• basic identifying information about the child’s parent or carer;
• contact details for services involved with the child: as a minimum school and GP Practice but also other services where appropriate; and
• the facility for practitioners to indicate to others that they have information to share, are taking action or have undertaken a common assessment in relation to a child.

The index will NOT record statements of a child’s needs, academic performance, attendance or clinical observations about a child.
All practitioners and system support staff (in LAs who will be responsible for maintaining the data) will have to have relevant training and to have undergone rigorous checks and appropriate security clearance procedures.  To ensure high standards of accuracy, information on the IS Index will be drawn from a number of sources including the termly School Census from which, from January 2007, pupils’ home address will be collected.

The DCSF will also provide Ofsted with pupil data for use in school inspection. Where relevant, pupil information may also be shared with post 16 learning institutions to minimise the administrative burden on application for a course and to aid the preparation of learning plans.
Pupil information may be matched with other data sources that the Department holds in order to model and monitor pupils’ educational progression; and to provide comprehensive information back to LAs and learning institutions to support their day to day business. The DCSF may also use contact details from these sources to obtain samples for statistical surveys: these surveys may be carried out by research agencies working under contract to the Department and participation in such surveys is usually voluntary. The Department may also match data from these sources to data obtained from statistical surveys.
Pupil data may also be shared with other Government Departments and Agencies (including the Office for National Statistics) for statistical or research purposes only. In all these cases the matching will require that individualised data is used in the processing operation, but that data will not be processed in such a way that it supports measures or decisions relating to particular individuals or identifies individuals in any results. This data sharing will be approved and controlled by the Department’s Chief Statistician.
The DCSF may also disclose individual pupil information to independent researchers into the educational achievements of pupils who have a legitimate need for it for their research, but each case will be determined on its merits and subject to the approval of the Department’s Chief Statistician
Pupils, as data subjects, have certain rights under the Data Protection Act, including a general right of access to personal data held on them. If you wish to access your personal data, or you wish your parents to do so on your behalf, then please contact the relevant organisation in writing:

• the school at Catcote School, Catcote Road, Hartlepool. TS25 4EZ


• the LA’s Data Protection Officer at Civic Centre, Victoria Road, Hartlepool. TS24 8AY


• the QCA’s Data Protection Officer at QCA, 83 Piccadilly, LONDON, W1J 8QA;


• Ofsted’s Data Protection Officer at Alexandra House, 33 Kingsway, London WC2B 6SE;


• LSC’s Data Protection Officer at Cheylesmore House, Quinton Road, Coventry, Warwickshire CV1 2WT;


• the DCSF’s Data Protection Officer at DCSF, Caxton House, Tothill Street, LONDON, SW1H 9NA;


• the DH’s Data Protection Officer at Skipton House 80 London Road London SE1 6LH;


• your local PCT.

In order to fulfil their responsibilities under the Act the organisation may, before responding to this request, seek proof of the requestor’s identity and any further information required to locate the personal data requested.

Providing information to Connexions services providers and the right to opt out
Connexions is the government's support service for all young people aged 13 to 19 in England.  It also provides support up to the age of 25 for young people who have learning difficulties or disabilities (or both).

Connexions brings together all the services and support young people need during their teenage years offering differentiated and integrated support to young people through Personal Advisers (PAs).  For some young people this may be just for careers advice, for others it may involve more in-depth support to help identify barriers to learning and find solutions brokering access to more specialist support, eg drug abuse, sexual health and homelessness. PAs work in a range of settings including schools, colleges, one-stop shops community centres and on an out-reach basis.
For pupils of 13 years and over, the school is legally required to pass on certain information to Connexions services providers on request.  This information includes the name and address of the pupil and parent, and any further information relevant to the Connexions services’ role.  However parents, or the pupils themselves if aged 16 or over, can ask that no information beyond name and address (for pupil and parent) be passed on to Connexions. If as a parent, or as a pupil aged 16 or over, you do not want Connexions to receive from the school information beyond name and address, then please contact the school within 28 days of receiving this note.  If you do not notify the school that you wish to exercise your right to opt out after the 28 day period has elapsed information will be passed to Connexions providers upon request.

Admissions Policy and Procedures

Current Admissions Criteria

Admissions Criteria have been set down by the LA and were adopted by the Governing Body in March 1999. These define the provision at Catcote School  in the following terms.
Access to the secondary broad and balanced curriculum through significantly modified teaching arrangements and methods where this can not be achieved within the neighbourhood school.  This may include some of the following:-

1. Children and young persons with severe learning or profound and complex learning difficulties, which may include autism and challenging behaviours.

2. Children and young persons with moderate learning difficulties of a global nature, where there are also significant difficulties because of:

a) Impaired social interaction, communication or a significantly restricted repertoire of activities, interests and imaginative development.

b) Significant emotional or behavioural difficulties as indicated by difficulties in relationships with other children and adults and/or significant delay in the development of life and social skills. Students with long standing and deep rooted emotional and behavioural problems do not meet the admissions criteria.

c) Significant family and social problems which may be contributing to the child’s difficulties and school attendance problems.

d) Medical or physical problems which may be contributing to the child’s difficulties.

Statements of Special Educational Needs

Students who are to considered for admission to Catcote School will usually have a statement defining their Special Educational Needs in terms which match the admissions criteria, and naming Catcote as the appropriate school. It may exceptionally be agreed that a student should be considered for admission as part of an assessment process.

Early steps in the admissions process

Some or all of the following steps may occur at an early stage in the admissions process.

• A prospective student, his/her family and/or relevant professionals will usually make a visit or visits to look at Catcote's provision and to discuss how the school might meet the needs of the prospective student.
• Discussions with parents and professionals may take place by telephone.
• It may be helpful for Catcote staff to visit the student in his/her current school.
• Catcote staff may supply a school prospectus.
• Catcote staff may attend reviews or case conferences.
• Preliminary discussions may take place between Catcote staff and LA officers.

Catcote welcomes visitors

Catcote School welcomes visits by anyone with a genuine interest in our work. This means, for example that families may request a visit even though Catcote is just one of a number of options for their child, or that visits may be arranged by families of younger children who are looking ahead to raise their awareness of the provision available for secondary age students.

LEA responsibility for admissions decisions

At all stages in the admissions process, all concerned must be aware that Hartlepool LA is responsible for admissions decisions regarding Catcote School. Although school staff may express opinions about suitability of placement or availability of places, decisions rest with officers of the LA. Catcote school staff are not therefore in a position to offer places without the approval of LA officers. Furthermore, when another LA is involved, for example where a child is resident outside Hartlepool, families need to be made aware that placement at Catcote is subject to agreement between both LAs.

Formal request to consider admission

A formal written request to consider admission will be made by LA officers. This request will be accompanied by papers giving information about the student and his/her needs. The LA's letter will make clear reference to the issue of consultation with Governors, as required by the Education Act 1996.

Consultation

• Following receipt of this written request, there may be further visits, meetings and discussions involving the student, his/her family, Catcote staff, LA officers and other professionals.

• The Headteacher or the designated Assistant Head will consult with relevant staff on the appropriateness of the placement, the most suitable class and any special arrangements which may be considered necessary.

• The Governors have delegated their responsibility for consultation on admissions to the Chair. The Headteacher will ensure that the Chair of Governors is consulted. There is a requirement to report to the Governing Body on actions and decisions made under delegated powers. This will be covered in the Headteacher's termly reports.

• The Headteacher or the designated Assistant Head will write to the LA informing them of the outcome of the consultation process. Clarification of the student's needs or any special resourcing issues may be sought either in writing or in face to face or telephone discussions.

LA Decisions
The LA makes a decision on admissions, having regard to the outcome of the consultation process.

Making a Good Start
If admission is agreed, a date will be arranged by the school, the LA and the family. An induction process will then begin, involving further visits and the exchange of information about the student. This process is described in detail in a separate paper. It is helpful for parents to accompany the student to school on the first day. This supports the development of an effective partnership and provides an opportunity for completion of a student information sheet and the Home-School-Student Agreement. It also enables exchange of practical information on issues such as transport arrangements and school clothing. If a prospectus has not already been requested, a copy will be given to the family on admission.

Planning and Reviewing

Catcote School will provide students and their families with an early opportunity to exchange further information and to agree an individual education plan. In some cases it may be appropriate to arrange a full review of the student's SEN Statement.

Working in Partnership
We believe in partnership, and we encourage parents to have an ongoing dialogue with the school. Many children have a home-school diary for regular exchange of information, and school staff are happy to use the phone or email whenever necessary to answer questions or tell you about your child’s progress and welfare.
It is not necessary to wait for annual reviews or formal meetings to ask questions about progress or to raise any concerns. You are welcome to contact us at any time.
If you want to talk face-to-face with a member of staff, it is advisable to make an appointment if possible, so you can be sure of seeing the appropriate person when you come to school.
As for homework, our policy is straightforward.
We often ask pupils to complete some work at home, and we can provide formal homework on a regular basis by agreement. There are many ways in which parents can support and encourage their children at home. Please talk to your child's teacher if you are interested.

FAMILY SUPPORT POLICY

Introduction
Families are at the heart of society and of communities; our future depends on the success of families in bringing up children. Families play a crucial role in preparing children for adulthood and in enabling them to reach their full potential.
Catcote School with the help of other agencies aims to support families in this important task so that they can give their children the support they need to learn and succeed.
Catcote School will develop close links between schools, families and communities, so that the motivation, achievements and aspirations of young people and adults can be raised.
Catcote School will open its doors to the wider community and provide facilities to the benefit of the local community. Through activities that involve parents, pupils and other community members, such as sports and IT clubs and classes for adults and the community, children will be provided with positive role models and mentors and a learning environment will be created.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Review
Catcote School will review this policy annually and assess its implementation and effectiveness. This policy will be promoted and implemented throughout the school.

The School Day

Each day follows a similar basic pattern, although there is an assembly on Monday mornings. Classes follow a five period day i.e. 25 timetabled lesson slots per week.

Volunteer Helpers and Students on Placement

Volunteers make a real contribution to the quality of the educational experiences on offer at Catcote School. The presence of parents, students from other schools or colleges, and other members of the community, helps us to meet our pupils' needs more effectively. All volunteers help staff with the general care, welfare and education of Catcote students. Most volunteers work alongside our staff at all times and are initially given continual support and guidance. As they become more capable in their roles, then they are sometimes asked to work with selected individuals or small groups with less direct supervision from our staff. Students on professional courses (e.g. college pupils on teaching practice or trainee nurses) can be expected to take on some of the duties normally carried out by qualified and experienced staff.
We request CRB checks on any volunteers who may have unsupervised contact with children, and we monitor all placements to ensure that they are benefiting our students.

Travel to and from School

When a local authority agrees with a request for a place at Catcote School, they usually  allocate a place on door to door school transport. Vehicles usually have at least one escort, in addition to the driver. Escorts are there to help and supervise the students during the bus journey. It is important that pupils understand that good behaviour is expected on the transport. The LAs send out letters about school transport, setting out some basic rules and guidelines, and giving contact details.
PLEASE try to notify the escorts or the drivers about absence, to save unnecessary journeys. And when a pupil is ready to return after being off school, you should contact the transport again. Transport escorts' names and contact numbers are provided to all parents at the start of the school year. Please contact the Office Team if you can’t find the numbers and you need to get in touch with the escorts for any reason.
If you need to bring your child to school, or to pick them up, please remember that the school site is very busy with home-school transport around the start and finish of the school day. You will need to queue with the other vehicles and to respect all the traffic rules on the school site.
Our Independent Travel programme is proving to be a great success. Since the programme began we now have ?? students travelling to and from school either on foot or using public transport. If you would like to learn more about this programme please contact Mr Barry Currel our Independent Travel Coordinator.

Breaktimes and School Meals

Our school meals are very good. They are cooked on the premises, and served by the Kitchen Staff in our school hall or the BESD unit. There is a cafeteria system, with a choice of main courses and sweets. Vegetarian dishes are included every day, and a salad bar are available alongside traditional hot meals. The Cook is very happy to meet parents to discuss needs and preferences, and she does all she can to provide suitable food for individual children with special dietary needs.
For pupils who pay for school meals, the charge is currently £1.80. It is very helpful if families send the full amount at the start of each week. That usually means bringing in £9.00 on a Monday. If you think that your son or daughter may be entitled to free meals, please talk to the secretary and she will provide the necessary forms for you to complete. Our system for serving meals makes sure that no distinction is made between those who pay and those who get free meals.
The Cook and her staff are very approachable people, and are sensitive to the pupils' needs and preferences. They have contributed to our success in achieving our Healthy School Award to help children move towards healthier and more varied diets.
Most of the children and young people at Catcote enjoy their school meals, however, we recognise that some may not want school meals, and anyone who brings a packed lunch can sit with the other pupils in the dining area to eat their own food.

Pupils are allowed to go outside, at breaks and at lunchtime, whenever the weather is suitable. They can bring a change of shoes for playing out if you wish. In bad weather, there is usually the option of staying indoors, and we try to organise a range of lively activities and quieter alternatives every day. If you have particular reasons for wanting your son or daughter to stay inside, then please send in a clear message to their classroom staff. Staff may, of course, place restrictions on individual pupils if their behaviour causes problems at lunchtime or playtime.

Clothing, Jewellery and Valuables

All students should wear practical clothing suitable for the time of year. Please bear in mind that students may sometimes need to go outside even if it is cold or wet, so a coat will be needed.
Although uniform is not compulsory, school clothing, e.g. blue sweatshirts, polo shirts and fleeces with the school logo, can be ordered from the Secretary.
We advise that all clothing should be marked with the student's name. This reduces the risk of things getting lost.
We also advise that valuable items should not be brought to school. Although staff will take reasonable care of items handed to them, we cannot guarantee the security of items such as expensive jewellery or electronic equipment.
It can cause problems if students bring lots of toys, other personal possessions or large amounts of money. If we are concerned about what your son or daughter is bringing, we will have to ask them to leave things with their teacher, to be collected at home time.
We will let you know when special clothing is needed for any particular activities. All pupils do some form of PE or sport, and will need suitable shorts (or loose trousers) and tops.  PE shoes or clean trainers are needed for indoor games. Trainers or boots may sometimes be needed for outdoor sports. All students have some swimming sessions, hydro-therapy or Jacuzzi so swimwear and towels will sometimes be needed. Students may find it convenient to leave some of their kit in a bag at school.

Attendance: Telling School about Absences

It is important that students attend as regularly as possible, so that they can benefit from the educational activities which we plan for them. The level of attendance at Catcote School is generally good. This year it was  93.9% with very few unauthorised absences . We want to improve this further if possible, and we ask you to play your part in ensuring your son or daughter attends regularly. Good attendance really does make a difference to progress. We have a detailed policy for promoting good attendance – ask the Secretary if you want a copy.
We aim to follow up unexplained absences on the first day.  If your child is not fit for school, please try to send a message, or telephone the school, immediately. This will avoid the need for school staff or other agencies to make contact. Please let us know the reason for your child being away from school. If we do not know the reason, then we have to mark it as an "unauthorised absence". Individual pupil’s records are reported to their parents.
Parents also need to tell us in advance if an appointment, for example at the hospital, has to be in school time.
Permission may sometimes be given for families to take their children on holiday in term time if other arrangements cannot be made. We prefer it if you can avoid disruption to your child's education, but if you need a form to apply to the Headteacher for authorised absence for holidays, then please ask the office staff.

Although we want our students to attend school regularly, we will not penalise a child for authorised absence. If pupils are not well, then they should normally be kept at home. If an illness or injury causes an extended absence, then the class teacher can provide some work.

Medical Care and Emergencies

We understand that we are likely to have children with long-term medical problems at a school like Catcote. Essential medication is can be given by school staff, but it is vital that full written directions are supplied, including the name of the medication and the dosage. It’s helpful to use the Medication Form, to ensure all necessary details are provided.
The school nurse (Diane Simmons) helps to arrange any medical examinations and will collect medical details on each pupil at Catcote. Any medical conditions should also be described on the Pupil Information Sheet. Parents may also wish to discuss any complex or serious problems with their child’s teacher or with the nurse. Pupils with asthma can keep their inhalers with them around school, if they are able to look after them and use them independently. Otherwise they should be handed to staff for safe keeping. Further details of the school’s policy on asthma are available on request.
There are two designated members of staff who are responsible for co-ordinating first aid treatment. There are two other staff who also have full first aid qualifications. First aid boxes are kept in the office and in easily accessible points around the school. If there is an accident or medical emergency that requires professional attention, we will try to contact parents, but if necessary we will take the pupil directly to hospital.
It is important that we have up to date medical details and contact addresses and phone numbers. Please make sure that you complete a Pupil Information Sheet and, very importantly, that you tell us if there are any changes. This is absolutely essential – we are looking after your children, and we must always be able to contact an adult who can accept responsibility in an emergency.
We will do all we can to cope with illnesses or injuries that affect children while they are at school, and we will play our part in caring for long term medical conditions. BUT please do not expect school to provide or arrange treatment for illnesses or injuries that should be taken care of by the family

Aims and Curriculum 

• We have high expectations of the progress our students can make when given the right opportunities. Further details of our overall aims were set out in an earlier section of the prospectus.
• Our policies and planning for individual subject areas reflect these aims. These aims also inform our decisions on managing pupil behaviour, lunchtime activities, classroom organisation and everything else that affects the pupils' experience of school.

Most classes study the following subjects:

KS3, KS4, Link curriculum overview

Aims and underlying principles of the curriculum

We want students to experience Catcote School as a friendly and secure place, where they can enjoy a stimulating and rewarding environment for learning and personal development. We provide for the pastoral care needs of individual students and we offer a range of enriching experiences.  We ensure equal opportunity, whilst respecting individual needs and recognising the differing capabilities of our students.
 
The principles underpinning our curriculum are that our students should:

• develop self esteem and a sense of achievement, through experience of success;
• become able to work co-operatively with others, following social conventions and appreciating the consequences of their actions;
• be able to communicate effectively, have good numeracy skills and be able to make effective use of ICT;
• make progress in a range of academic subjects (through access to relevant elements of the National Curriculum, and through developmental approaches where appropriate);
• develop leisure activities and personal interests;
• have an awareness of employment and training opportunities together with a capacity to consider life choices and make appropriate plans;
• be aware of their rights and duties as a citizen and be prepared for an adult role in family life;
• learn to care for the environment;
• develop physically and become capable of ensuring their own well-being;
• develop a sense of enquiry and a capacity for choice, problem solving and rational decision making;
• acquire personal and social skills alongside ethical, moral and spiritual awareness, with a knowledge of their own identity and others' needs;
• develop their individual talents and their independence.

 
Our policies and planning for individual subject areas reflect these principles. These principles also inform our decisions on pastoral policies, lunchtime activities, classroom organisation and everything else which affects the students' experience of school.

Subjects and their timetable allocations
Our curriculum covers the following subjects: Maths, English, Science, Food Technology Music, Art, Humanities, PE, Healthy Living, RE, Information and Communications Technology, Business and Enterprise and Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship.

Themed Events
Students experience a variety of themed weeks/events throughout the year and take part in a number of charity fund raising events.   These have included events such as B&E Week, Independent Travel Week, Circus Day, Sri Lanka Day, Anti Bullying Day and Mental Health Day.

SEN Policy

Catcote School provides a curriculum and pattern of organisation which is designed for children and young people who have significant learning difficulties. The school is for students who require more help and support than they can get in their local mainstream schools. Their learning difficulties may be moderate, severe or profound, and may be accompanied by physical or sensory impairments. The school also caters for students with autistic spectrum disorders. Special provision for the pupils is a matter for the school as a whole.
Key documents, which inform this policy, are:

• Special Educational Needs Code of Practice  DES  November 2001
• SEN Toolkit DES 2001
• Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
• Disability Rights Commission Code of Practice for Schools 2002

Partners

Facilities and Curriculum

Catcote School provides an excellent range of facilities designed to support a broad curriculum appropriate to the full range of learning difficulties. Most teaching areas have interactive whiteboards and computers which are connected to the network. Facilities include: specialist rooms for practical subjects; two ICT suites, areas for work related learning including the Coffee Shop, Training Office, Life Skills, greenhouse and Hair and Beauty Salon; therapy areas; Jacuzzi; sensory room and sensory garden. The grounds provide for a range of curriculum support, sporting and leisure activities.

Catcote pupils are given access to the curriculum which includes the National Curriculum, adapted for the needs of the students. A 14-19 programme of personalised learning stretches and challenges the students including programmes of accreditation whenever appropriate.  All students also work on Citizenship and Personal, Social and Health Education. We have the appropriate expertise, as well as the facilities, to help those children and young people who need to follow a developmental curriculum and have trained staff to implement programmes for pupils who are on the autistic spectrum. The needs of individual students are detailed through their statements, Individual Education Plans (IEPs), and Individual Curriculum Planning (ICPs), as described later.
Our students can benefit from up to three years of extended education at Catcote. Our “Link Group” offers a range of vocational training and work experience (in and out of school), courses leading to accreditation and continuing basic skills support.

Statements and the Annual Review

Janice Wilson has been delegated the duties and functions in the Regulations regarding annual reviews. 
All students at Catcote School have a statement of special educational needs. This stipulates the educational and special provision required by the student, and lists any non-educational requirements. The statement is reviewed each year at the annual review meeting, bringing together all those who are partners in the educational process.  This considers progress made over the previous 12 months and reviews the special provision for the student. The annual review will collate and record information that the school and other professionals can use in planning their support for the student. At the meeting the statement is amended as necessary.
Early in the autumn term partner agencies are sent a list of dates for all the annual reviews to be held in the coming year. Catcote School staff contribute to a written report for the review, and the student is encouraged to complete a views form. Involved agencies are invited to contribute to the review either in a written report or by their presence at the meeting. Parents, as key partners in their child's education, have an opportunity to contribute to the review. Reports, views and advice received will be circulated two weeks before the meeting whenever possible. Where pupils are ‘looked after’ by the local authority, it is often useful to hold the SEN review and ‘looked after’ review at the same time to enable effective collaboration between agencies.
The statement contains a description of the students special educational needs in Part 2. In Part 3 (provision) long term objectives are typically: to develop academic skills, to extend social and emotional development, to become as independent as possible. However these objectives are individualised whenever appropriate. Part 4 names the placement and Part 5 and 6 lists any non-education needs and provision. The review can result in changes to the statement, and may even recommend a change of school if necessary. A particularly detailed and thorough review is carried out when each student is about fourteen years old. A ‘Transition Plan’ is drawn up which looks towards preparation for training or employment, and considers what help the young person might need as an adult. A Connexions Advisor must be present at this meeting. This is reviewed annually as part of the annual review meeting. The Transition Plan helps students and their families to plan for the future and make seamless transitions.

Planning

At Catcote School Individual Education Plans are written for every student. The IEP links the Annual Review process with curriculum planning and recording of progress. At the end of the school year (or within 40 days of a new student starting school), a new IEP is drawn up. To do this, areas of priority are agreed and recorded. The IEP usually focuses on Literacy, Numeracy and Social/Behaviour, but may include other areas of importance to particular students. Targets relating to the general goals can be set at the Annual Review or may be added later if this is more appropriate. The IEP sets targets for progress to be made over the school year and progress towards these are discussed at the review meeting.
Objectives are broken down into smaller steps on Individual Curriculum Plans for each student in each subject. These are reviewed half termly and new ones are written each term. The Individual Curriculum Plans are made available to parents at meetings or they can arrange to see them throughout the year. Students share in discussion about targets and contribute their personal goals to these where appropriate. The school also records levels achieved in each subject whenever possible which forms part of the target setting process. These are recorded each term and are included on the school report so progress can be measured.
We are always happy to discuss any issues concerning individual students at any time of year. It is not necessary for parents to wait for annual reviews or parents evenings to ask questions about progress or to raise any concerns.

SEN Files

A ring binder file is provided for the SEN records for each individual student. This contains information on the student's Special Educational Needs (Statement, Annual Review information, IEPs and Reports). This file is referred to as the student's SEN File. At the front of the SEN File there is a clear wallet containing the latest statement, and the latest Annual Review documents. Another clear wallet contains the most recent Annual Report.  Older documents are grouped at the back of the file, with a separate section for each year's documentation. The Transition Plan is kept in a separate file, to be accessible for the student and to be given to the student on leaving school.

Recognising Achievement

Whether they leave at 16 or stay with us a little longer, each student is presented with a Record of Achievement when he or she completes Year 11. This document looks back on some of the successes of the student's life so far, and contains copies of the awards and certificates gained by the student. The Record of Achievement is an important document, and certificates and reports from college or further training can be added to it later.
Organisation and Educational GroupingsStudents are usually grouped according to age and ability but all students are looked at individually to enable them to be placed in the right situation to cater for their special needs.   In Key stage 3 there are no more than ten in a class with a teacher and classroom assistant. In some situations there is enhanced staffing to give students with more complex needs access to the curriculum.
Classes have a focus on either moderate (MLD) or severe learning difficulties (SLD).  We are also developing a class for students on the autistic spectrum and have a class for students with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). These classes have a high staffing ratio and cover our full age range. However all students are given opportunities to be included with their peers and the full life of the school.

Each class is allocated time with pastoral staff, who have a special role in monitoring and fostering personal and social development. Lessons are carefully structured, to provide a balance of group and individual activities covering all the curriculum areas relevant to every student. We also offer opportunities for sporting and other leisure pastimes over lunchtime and after school clubs. Visits and residential experiences form an important part of our programme, providing support for the curriculum as well as valuable opportunities to build relationships and foster a group identity.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Review
Catcote School will review this policy annually and assess its implementation and effectiveness. This policy will be promoted and implemented throughout the school.

Appendices from the SEN Code of Practice 2001

Definition of Special Educational Needs:
‘Children have a learning difficulty if they: have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age; or have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local education authority.’

Special educational provision means ‘educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children of their age in schools maintained by the LEA, other than special schools, in the area.’
See Section 312, Education Act 1996

Roles and Responsibilities in Special Schools

1:32 Provision for the pupils is a matter for the school as a whole. In addition to the governing body, the school’s head teacher and all other members of staff have important day-to-day responsibilities. Whatever arrangements are made for meeting the needs of children with SEN in a particular special school, the statutory duties remain with the governing body rather than with the school staff.

From 1:39 Table of Roles and Responsibilities

In Maintained Special Schools

• The governing body should, in co-operation with the head teacher, determine the school’s general policy and approach to provision for all pupils, establish the appropriate staffing and funding arrangements and maintain a general oversight of the school’s work. 
• the governing body must report to parents annually on the school’s policy on SEN
• the head teacher has responsibility for the day-to-day management of all aspects of the  school’s work, and will keep the governing body informed
• All teaching and non teaching staff should be involved in the development of the school’s policy and be fully aware of the school’s procedures for making SEN provision, and monitoring and reviewing that provision in line with the guidance in the Code.

Accreditation

Pastoral Care: encouraging good behaviour and managing problems

We have invested a great deal of time and effort in trying to create a relaxed and purposeful atmosphere. The following paragraphs summarise our approaches. Detailed documents setting out our policies are available on request.
We treat students in a friendly and respectful way.  We encourage and reward good behaviour. Students know that they can raise concerns with staff, and that they will be listened to and supported. We want to resolve problems before they interfere with attendance and progress, and we are happy for parents to contact school if they think something is concerning their son or daughter. This is particularly important if you are worried that your child is being bullied at school. We teach children to treat each other with respect, and we will do our best to ensure that every child feels safe and happy at school. Our involvement with the Healthy Schools Scheme is helping us to develop even more ways of promoting pupils’ physical and emotional well-being.
Where it is clear that a student is deliberately misbehaving, we take fair and reasonable steps to prevent their actions putting others at risk or interfering with learning. However, we also consider the factors which may lie behind their actions and we work in partnership with students, families and other professionals in developing appropriate behaviours and attitudes.  It is vital that members of our community understand that they are always valued as individuals even if inappropriate behaviour is criticised. Many of our staff are very skilled at analysis of behaviour, and we can usually design appropriate programmes if problems arise.
Exclusions from school are rare at schools like Catcote. Even if there is a serious incident, parents are consulted to discuss ways in which exclusion could be avoided. If we do need to make an exclusion, then the proper legal procedure will be followed. Parents would be informed as quickly as possible, by phone or by a home visit. A letter would then follow, detailing the reasons for exclusion, the date of return and explaining about the procedures.
Please note that Catcote School staff follow the LA's agreed procedures for dealing with any suspicion of child abuse. We have to report child protection concerns directly to the designated officers.

Our Policy on Physical Intervention
Physical punishment is prohibited by law. However, if pupils are injuring themselves, causing serious damage to property, or there is danger to other pupils or staff, then physical intervention may be needed.
Working with officers of the LA, we have identified an approach to physical intervention that is consistent with our philosophy that non-confrontational strategies can and should be used wherever possible. These approaches, good relationships between staff and pupils, and the relaxed and purposeful atmosphere, mean that physical measures will rarely be required. This belief is shared by the authors of the training package which we use (Team Teach).
If staff make a judgement that it is necessary to handle pupils to minimise risks of injury or serious damage, then they use accepted techniques, applying the minimum of force and releasing the pupil as soon as it is safe to do so. Staff make every effort to apply the least restrictive of the techniques they have been taught. This type of intervention is very clearly not intended to be a punishment. Staff know that they will be expected to explain their actions, and that details of incidents must be recorded. Parents are informed as soon as possible after any serious incident when physical intervention has been required.
Staff are aware that they must always consider their own personal safety alongside all the other factors involved, and should try to summon assistance as quickly as possible when a potentially dangerous situation arises.
There may be other occasions when physical contact is needed, for example in assisting, guiding or comforting pupils. These things are a natural part of the work in a school such as Catcote. Staff always take care to avoid hurting or upsetting children, and we hope the reasons for our actions will always be properly understood.

Rewarding Good Work and Good Behaviour
We know it is important to reward good work and behaviour.  Much of this is done in the course of everyday activities, but we also give merit points, certificates and special group and individual rewards.
Our ‘Points make Prizes’ scheme allow students to save their points awarded in class and around school to purchase a variety of items or treats.

Policies
Our Policy on Behaviour and Physical Intervention, and the policy about Handling and Relationships, are both available on request.

Sex Education and Education about Drugs

We want our students to develop as happy and confident individuals, who respect others and who want to look after themselves. However, we know that teaching about issues such as drug abuse, alcohol and sex is particularly difficult in a school such as Catcote. We look for opportunities to discuss relationships and attitudes throughout the school, and have introduced structured programmes with some of our secondary age pupils. Our work on the Healthy Schools Scheme has provided a focus for developing relevant approaches, and we have valuable support from the School Nurse and specialist colleagues from other agencies.

RE and Collective Worship

Religious Education is based on the Local  Authority’s Agreed Syllabus and is taught as a separate subject.  Our approach is non-denominational and covers Christianity and other major world religions.
Parents of a pupil at a community, foundation or voluntary school have a right to withdraw their children from religious education (RE) and collective worship. If a parent asks for their child to be wholly or partly excused from attending any RE or collective worship at the school the school must comply unless the request is withdrawn.
Catcote School remains responsible for the supervision of any child withdrawn from RE or collective worship, unless the child is lawfully receiving religious education, or taking part in collective worship elsewhere.
Parents do not need to explain their reasons for seeking withdrawal. However, to avoid misunderstanding, a head teacher may wish to clarify with any parent wanting to withdraw:

• the religious issues about which the parent would object their child being taught
• the practical implications of withdrawal
• the circumstances in which it would be reasonable to accommodate parents wishes if a parent will require any advanced notice of such issue in the future and if so, how much.

Any staff wishing to withdraw from RE and Collective worship can do so within national guidelines.

Visits and Other Activities Out of School

We support work in the classroom with a variety of visits and activities out of school. Every class spends some time studying the local environment or using facilities in the community. This is important in academic subjects, and vital for Life Skills. Because Life Skills is about becoming as independent as possible, and learning to be involved in society, it has to involve real-life experiences, such as shopping and using leisure facilities.

We have the use of our own minibuses but also hire vehicles when necessary. Pupils often go out of school during the school day. We ask parents to complete one consent form to cover all the routine visits which form part of our educational programme. Whenever we plan an activity that continues beyond the times of the school day, then we will inform parents in advance. This gives you the chance to let us know if you object to your son or daughter joining in. If it might be felt that an activity involves an extra degree of risk, then we will ask for specific consent.

We also organise residential trips for groups of pupils. Recent expeditions to The Calvert Trust, Centre Parcs, Lanehead and Bendrig have been very successful. Parents are kept fully briefed during the planning of residential trips, and there are always consent and information forms to be completed.
The school operates agreed policies to ensure Visits and Out of School Activities are properly planned and as safe as possible. Information on these policies is available on request.
The provisions of the Education Act 1996 (Section 457) will be followed.
In addition to free provision of education during the school day, pupils whose parents are in receipt of income support or family credit will not be charged board and lodging where otherwise applicable to residential activities.

Charges
Charges may be made for the following activities:

1. Board and lodging on residential visits.
2. The proportionate costs for an individual child of activities wholly or mainly outside school hours (‘optional extras’) to meet the costs for:           
   1. Travel
   2. Materials and equipment
   3. Non-teaching staff costs
   4. Entrance fees
   5. Insurance costs.
3. Deliberate damage to the school building or resources.

Leaving School
Young people with special educational needs are entitled to stay at schools such as Catcote for up to 3 years of extended education.

Health and Safety

Staff and Governors take seriously their responsibility to provide a healthy and safe working environment at Catcote School. Governors have endorsed the Local Authority’s Policies and Procedures relating to Health and Safety. Details are available on request.
The entire school site, including the grounds and car park, is a no smoking area. This policy applies to everyone - pupils, staff, parents and visitors. Pupils must not bring any smoking materials, matches or lighters into school.

The Work of the Governing Body

The governing body has a wide range of duties and responsibilities with regard to the management and direction of the school. Governors have to make decisions on how the budget available to the school is used (see attached financial statement), on the appointment of staff and on many other important issues. They have full meetings at least once a term, with committees and working groups coming together more frequently. Governors take an active interest in what is taught and in the quality of teaching and learning, monitoring, evaluating and improving the work of the school .

Minutes of all Governors meetings are available for inspection at school. Four governors are elected by parents whose children attend the school: the election is by ballot forms distributed through the school for pupils to take home. Other governors are appointed by the LA, elected by staff or selected by other Governors. The Headteacher is also a governor. This Prospectus has been endorsed by the Governing Body.

Complaints Procedures

We listen carefully to the views of our pupils, and we welcome parents' comments about the school. Please contact the Headteacher, Deputy or Assistant Heads, or the staff in your child’s class if you want any information or if you have any concerns. By paying attention to constructive criticism (and to any compliments we may receive) we hope that we can discover more ways to make Catcote into a happy and effective school. Governors have adopted a complaints policy, as stated in the following message.

Statement Regarding the Education Reform Act
(complaints about the school curriculum and other related matters)

The Local Authority and the School have procedures for considering complaints from parents. It is hoped that parents would raise any concern they might have with the Headteacher in the first instance. If parents wish to make a formal complaint, however, details of the procedures available can be obtained from the Headteacher, from the Chair of Governors or from the Local Authority.

Membership of the Governing Body as at 1st  December 2008

Up to date list                                               
The Chair of Governors (Mr Keith Tabram) can be contacted in writing via
Catcote School, Catcote Road, Hartlepool. TS25 4EZ
The Clerk to the Governing Body is Ann Turner,
Civic Centre, Victoria Road, Hartlepool. TS24 8AY

Parent Governors
Mr G.Kell
Mr G.Henderson
Mr G.Jones

Local Authorty Governors
Dr M.Banim
Mr D.Mills

Staff Governors
Mr A.Chapman
Mr M.Slimmings
Ms V.Mawson

Community Governors
Mr C.Ferguson
Mrs H.Gordon

Associate Member
Mrs P.Holbrook

School Calendar Dates