What Do Schools Need To Know……………..?
The Numbers.....
2.8
36
8,100,000
1,530,900
18.9
9,630
30,820
64
2
Background
In 2006 the Education Select Committee described the SEN system as ‘not fit
for purpose.’ This led to five separate inquiries conducted between 2007 and
2010 including the Lamb Inquiry: special educational needs and parental
confidence.
In March 2011 the Government published the SEN Green Paper that
promised the ‘biggest reforms to SEN in 30 years.’ It was not until 15 May
2012 that the Government issued their response to the SEN Green Paper.
On 4 February 2013 the Government issued the Children and Families Bill,
Part 3 of which would cover the new legal duties for children with SEN in
England.
On 13th March 2014 the Children and Families Act gained royal assent and is
due to be implemented in September 2014.
Key principles of the Children and Families Act
The Act promotes the participation of parents in decision-making about
SEN.
The Act focuses on outcomes and improving progress for children and
young people with SEN.
The Act requires a joint approach across all agencies; education, health and
social care will be required to cooperate at a local level to meet a child’s
needs.
Changes in Assessment and Planning
Statements will be phased out from September 2014 and will be replaced
by Education, Health and Care Plans.
EHC plans will extend from birth to 25.
School Action and School Action Plus will be replaced by SEN support.
Academies will be covered by the same statutory requirements as
maintained schools.
What schools need to know
1. Identification
The C&F Act 2014 s.20 defines a child or young person as having a special educational
need when they have either a learning difficulty or disability and they need special
educational provision (SEP) to be made for them. SEP is defined as any education or
training provision that is additional to, or different from that made generally for
others of the same age in mainstream schools.
Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties has been replaced by Social, Emotional
and Mental Health.
What schools need to do
• Review the school’s current SEN register and provision.
• Ensure that all children on the register are receiving support that is additional to
or different from others nationally in mainstream schools or post 16 institutions.
SEND SA+ Profile School A
BESD 44.4%
Identification
MLD 44%
SPLD 4%
SLCN 0.6%
ASD 2%
Other 5%
SEND SA+ Profile National
BESD 33.2%
MLD 24.3%
SpLD 17.3%
SLCN 7.1%
ASD 4.9%
Other 13.2%
SENCO
teaching assistants
10
What schools need to know:
2. One single category for SEN
School Action and School Action Plus have now been removed and have been
replaced with ‘SEN Support.’ It is up to the school how it organises this support, but
the draft Code recommends a graduated approach and a cycle of action that
includes:
Assess – the child or young person’s needs.
Plan – what you need to do. What provision is needed and what will the outcome be?
Do – put the provision in place.
Review – the difference that the support has made.
What schools need to do:
•
•
•
•
Review the school’s current support and interventions.
Is there a graduated approach to support?
Do interventions follow the cycle of assess, plan, do, review?
Focus on outcomes
Best 8 inc. Eng & Maths showing spread by SEN
English
Progress by
subject
Progress of
the
individual
Progress by
SEN type
What schools need to know:
3. Targets and individual plans for students with SEN
There is no mention of IEPs (Individual Education Plans) within the draft Code of
Practice. However, schools are still required to keep clear records of a child’s SEN, the
provision put in place for them and the difference that support will make. If schools
have a successful record keeping system for students, they may choose to retain their
current format.
There is now more flexibility for schools to record support, outcomes and progress in a
way that they think would most benefit students. Progress must be reviewed at least
termly with the class teacher and parents, with support from the SENCO.
What schools need to do:
• Review your current format for record-keeping and individual plans for students with
SEN.
• Share the outcomes of support with parents at least termly.
Evidence Based Interventions
Greg Brooks, What works
for Children with Literacy
Difficulties, 4th Edition
What schools need to know:
4. The Local Offer and the SEN Information Report
There is now a duty on Local Authorities to identify, collate and disseminate information
about locally available provision which can be accessed, through a clear website, by all
stakeholders. Expertise available within a school setting should be included within the
Local Offer, to make best use of local expertise.
Under the C&F Act 2014 s.69 the governing bodies of schools and nurseries, including
academies, must publish an SEN information report. This is likely to include details of
expertise available, the school’s approach to SEN, how it accesses outside agency support
and admission arrangements for children with SEN.
What schools need to do:
• Plan the development of our SEN information report ready for posting on your
website.
• Take the opportunity to review the balance of our provision. Does it cover the four
areas of SEN?
① Communication and Interaction
② Cognition and Learning
③ Social, Emotional and Mental Health,
④ Sensory and/or Physical needs
Balanced Provision
Autistic
Spectrum
Disorders
Dyslexia
Communication &
Interaction
Cognition & Learning
Dyscalculia
Attachment
Disorders
Social, Emotional
& Mental Health
OCD
Four Key
Areas of
SEN
Speech, Language
and Communication
Needs
Hearing
Impairment
Sensory & Physical
Visual
Impairment
SEND SA+ National Profile Secondary Schools
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
SEND SA+ National Profile
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
BESD 31.7% MLD 23.3% SpLD 17.3% SLCN 8%
ASD 5.8%
PD 2.6%
HI/VI 3.9% Other 7.1
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Provision in Reality
Cognition & Learning
Communication
& Interaction
Four Key
Areas of
SEN
Sensory &
Physical
Social, Emotional
& Mental Health
OCD
Balanced Provision
Speech and
Language
Therapist
Dyslexia
Teacher
Communication &
Interaction
Cognition & Learning
Primary Trained
Teacher
Counselor
Social, Emotional
& Mental Health
Clinical
Psychologist
Four Key
Areas of
SEN
SLCN TA
Occupational
Therapist
Sensory & Physical
PD Teaching
Assistant
Balanced Provision
Individual
Dyslexia
Cognition & Learning
Moderate
Learning
Difficulties
Group
Classroom
What schools need to know:
5. Leadership of SEN
“Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the
students in their class, even where students access support from teaching assistants or
specialist staff.” (Draft CoP 6.5)
The draft Code of Practice places responsibility for SEN in the hands of class teachers.
The draft Code says that SENCOs are particularly effective when they are a member of
the school’s leadership team, although there is no legal duty on schools to place the
SENCO on SLT.
Under the C&F ACT 2014 s.66 governing bodies of schools must use their ‘best
endeavours’ to secure that special educational provision (SEP) is made for a student that
needs it. This is a direct legal duty on them as a body.
What schools need to do:
• Ensure governing bodies are aware of their legal duties.
• Provide training for staff on the Code of Practice and ensure they are aware of their
responsibilities for students with SEN.
• Ensure SENCOs work strategically, alongside teachers and departments to improve
outcomes for students with SEN.
The UK Spectrum of SEN…
5 key SEND categories for
mainstream teachers:
•
•
•
•
autism spectrum disorders (ASD);
dyslexia or specific learning difficulties (SpLD);
speech, language and communication needs (SLCN);
Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (SEMH
from Sept 2014);
• moderate learning difficulties (MLD).
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Matching Exercise
SEN Type
Can find it
difficult to…
26
It can help
to…
SEN
Can find it difficult to:
It can help to:
Speech, Language & Communication Needs
(SLCN)
• Communicate with others
• Understand what is said to them
• Form words and construct sentences
• Explain words that are ambiguous
• Enable pupils to see what you say
• Offer scaffolding e.g. sentence starters
Specific Learning Difficulties such as Dyslexia
(SpLD)
• Hear and analyse the sounds within words
• Recall verbal instructions
• Process verbal information
• Keep instructions clear, short and simple
• Display key subject vocabulary and refer to
it
• Limit copying from the board
• Engage with others and make friends
• Engage in imaginative play & activities
• Understand jokes, sarcasm and body
language
• Build tools for routine such as timetables,
signals for change
• Use noise reduction techniques such as
visual volume systems
• Take care with pupil grouping
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
(SEMH)
• Overcome issues of trust with peers and
adults
• Manage high levels of anxiety effectively
• Function in group situations
• Plan well-paced tightly focused lessons
• Use a seating plan
• Ensure behaviour policies are transparent,
frim and fair
Moderate Learning Difficulties
(MLD)
• Mix with their regular peer group
• Acquire basic skills in reading, writing and
numeracy
• Apply their learning to new situations
• Keep written tasks short and structured
• Keep instructions clear and simple
• Provide a multi-sensory approach to
learning
Autistic Spectrum Disorders
(ASD)
27
Additional Considerations for Governors
• We are seeing an increase in children with physical and sensory needs
attending the school. These include children requiring 1-1 due to
health and safety.
• LPA is taking on increased responsibility and has also contributed
significantly to the work of the wider school system.
• TEK and SHA reduced days.
• DB £18,000 statement on top of notional funding requires 1-1 upport.
• Replacement of DP rejected.
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