The Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) Code of Practice 2015 states:
“Where it is decided to provide SEN support, and having formally notified the parents, the practitioner and the SENDCO should agree, in consultation with the parent, the outcomes they are seeking, the interventions and support to be put in place, the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, and a clear date for review. Plans should take into account the views of the child. The support and intervention provided should be selected to meet the outcomes identified for the child, based on reliable evidence of effectiveness, and provided by practitioners with relevant skills and knowledge.” (P86 para 5.40 SEND Code of Practice 2015)
SEN Support Plans: Good Practice
- Plan led by class teacher (with SENDCO support as appropriate)
- Holistic assessment of the child's needs (pupil profile)
- Includes tracking data over time
- Details of High-Quality and Adaptive strategies and approaches used
- The plan should be outcomes led — interventions put in place to achieve specific, measurable, achievable and realistic and time specific (SMART),
- The impact and quality of the interventions should be monitored
- Interventions specified should detail the number of sessions delivered, duration, size of group, lead in delivery etc
- Outside agencies recommendations and strategies should be included
- There must be a clear timescale for reviewing plan
- The plan should be shared with all members of staff working with the pupil
- School must engage with parents throughout process
- Pupil's view must be taken into account
Education, Health and Care Plans (Specialist Level)
Most children and young people with SEN or disabilities will have their needs met within local mainstream schools. Some children and young people may require an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment for the local authority to decide whether it is necessary for it to make provision in accordance with an EHC plan. This should be requested where the provision cannot reasonably be provided from the resources normally available to mainstream settings. In most cases the setting should have already implemented the support available from its own resources.
Further information about the Education Health Care Assessment Process can be found on Sefton’s local offer.
Key Principles of Support at Specialist/EHCP Level
- Interventions are the responsibility of the class teacher, but with oversight from the SENDCO and any other specialist agencies involved in supporting the child/young person
- Referrals are completed to relevant specialist support services and specialist assessments are completed (e.g., CAMHS, EP Service). Recommendations from support services are implemented and targeted support interventions are delivered and monitored in a timely manner
- Outcomes from specialist support services are included in the child/young person’s SEN Support Plan and are regularly reviewed
- School, together with parent/carers may seek to make a request for an Education Health Care Plan should the progress of the child/young person continue to be limited
- Schools have knowledge of and use the DfE Guidance
Once an Education Health Care Plan has been finalised, schools have a statutory duty to review the Education Health Care Plan on an annual basis.
Annual Reviews: SENDCO Guidance
- Plan Ahead
- Schedule the review well in advance to give everyone time to prepare
- Gather relevant information, including reports from professionals involved with the child, any relevant medical information, together with school progress reports
- Ensure participants have been invited to the Review Meeting at least two weeks before it takes place
- Send out information gathered to participants invited to the Review Meeting at least two weeks before the meeting has been scheduled
- Consider the child/young person’s progress
- Review outcomes to ensure they are still relevant/needed and whether learners have achieved them
- Consider their strengths and weaknesses and any areas for development
- Celebrate their achievements
- Identify areas that need further development
- Involve the child/young person and family in the process
- Encourage them to express their views and opinions about their education and support needs
- Involve the child/young person in the review meeting wherever possible
- Develop an action plan
- Based on the objectives and goals identified during the review meeting, develop an action plan
- Create specific steps and timelines for implementation
- Identify who will be responsible for key aspects of the delivery
- Set follow-up dates to review progress
- Use the Action Plan to set clear and measurable goals for the coming year
- Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable and realistic (SMART)