School Action Plus (SA+ or SAP)
Factsheet
What is School Action Plus (SA+ or SAP) or Early Years Action Plus (EYA+ or EYAP)?
If there are concerns that your child is not making enough progress with support at School Action or
Early Years Action, the SENCo will ask your permission to seek further advice and support from external
support services. They may want to ask for help from, for example, an educational psychologist, a
specialist teacher, a speech and language therapist or other health professional.
The SENCo will usually develop a new Individual Education Plan (IEP) based on this additional advice.
You will continue to be involved, and your child's progress will be regularly recorded and reviewed as it
was at School Action or Early Years Action.
In April 2013 there was a national school funding reform, which means that schools are now funded
directly to support most pupil’s special educational needs – see the PPS factsheet ‘School Funding
Changes - April 2013’. Before asking for additional money from Milton Keynes Council, the school will
have to demonstrate how they have used their direct funding – which in Milton Keynes equates to about
13.25 hours of support from a Teaching Assistant. This is to enable schools to be able to meet pupil’s
needs at an earlier stage without the time delays of having to request additional funding from the Local
Authority. This support may take many different forms and you will need to ask your school how they
intend to support your child.
School Action Plus or Early Years Action Plus will continue until it is no longer needed, or until it is
decided that your child requires more help and a request for a Statutory Assessment should be made.
If your child makes good progress at School Action Plus or Early Years Action Plus, then the level of
support may be reduced to School Action or Early Years Action.
If your child does not seem to be making as much progress as you and the school had expected, you or
the school or setting may decide to ask Milton Keynes Council to make a Statutory Assessment.
In order to agree to a statutory assessment Milton Keynes Council will require evidence that the school
has done everything it could and should do at School Action Plus or Early Years Action Plus to support
your child. This should have been implemented and reviewed over a period of time.
What triggers School Action Plus or Early Years Action Plus?
It might be decided that more help is needed if your child:
- Makes little or no progress in specific areas over a long period;
- Is working at much lower levels of the National Curriculum or early years curriculum than his or
her peers;
- Is having difficulty in developing literacy and maths skills;
- Has emotional or behaviour difficulties which "substantially and regularly interfere with the child's
own learning or that of the class group";
- Has sensory or physical needs which require additional support;
- Has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties, which are causing substantial barriers to
learning.
What provision can be made at School Action Plus or Early Years Action Plus?
The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice says that provision at School Action Plus or Early
Years Action Plus may include:
- Different teaching approaches;
- Equipment and materials;
- Advice for teachers;
- Specialist teaching for your child. Any extra help should, as far as is possible, be in the normal
classroom setting.
Parent Partnership Officer
30th April 2013
Review April 2014