Graduated Approach (professionals - SEND)

The SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years says:

6.45. 'In identifying a child as needing SEN support the class or subject teacher, working with the SENCO, should carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This should draw on the teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil, their previous progress and attainment, as well as information from the school’s core approach to pupil progress, attainment and behaviour. It should also draw on other subject teachers’ assessments where relevant, the individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data, the views and experience of parents, the pupil’s own views and , if relevant, advice from external support services. Schools should take seriously any concerns raised by a parent. These should be recorded and compared to the setting’s own assessment and information on how the pupil is developing.'

6.46. 'This assessment should be reviewed regularly. This will help ensure that support and intervention are matched to need, barriers to learning are identified and overcome, and that a clear picture of the interventions put in place and their effect is developed.'

Evidence of Graduated Approach

To track, record progress and outcomes the SEND support plan, should include records of:

• assessment data from range of sources (relevant adults in child’s life such as SENCo, class teacher, key worker), impact of interventions and adjustments or changes to increase effectiveness
• planned outcomes for the child (Check Preparing for adulthood - aspirational goals)
• parental/carers’ views and evidence of involvement
• child’s or young person’s views and aspirations
• deployment of additional resources
• meeting minutes with parents/carers
• advice from education, and/or health, and/or social care professionals and how the how it was acted upon
• any other observations and or evidence which supports the assess, plan, do review cycle.

The SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years says:

6.48. 'Where it is decided to provide a pupil with SEN support, the parents must be formally notified, although parents should have already been involved in forming the assessment of needs The teacher and the SENCO should agree in consultation with the parent and the pupil adjustments, interventions and support to be put in place, as well as the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, along with a clear date for review.'

6.49. 'All teachers and support staff who work with the pupil should be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required.'

6.50. 'The support and intervention provided should be selected to meet the outcomes, identified for the pupil, based on reliable evidence of effectiveness, and should be provided by staff with sufficient skills and knowledge.'

6.51. 'Parents should be fully aware of the planned support and interventions and, where appropriate, plans should seek parental involvement to reinforce or contribute to progress at home.'

The SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years says:

6.52. 'The class or subject teacher should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. Where the interventions involve group or one to one teaching away from the main class or subject teacher, they should still retain responsibility for the pupil. They should work closely with any teaching assistant or specialist staff involved, to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching. The SENCO should support the class subject teacher in the further assessment of the child’s particular strengths and weaknesses, in problem solving and advising on the effective implementation of support.'

The effectiveness of the support and interventions and their impact on the pupil’s progress should be reviewed in line with the agreed date.

The impact and quality of support and interventions should be evaluated, along with the views of the pupil and their parents. This should feed back into the analysis of the pupil’s needs. The class or subject teacher, working with the SENCO, should revise the support in light of the pupil’s progress and development, deciding on any changes to the support and outcomes in consultation with the parent and pupil.

Parents should have clear information about the impact of the support and interventions, provided, enabling them to be involved in planning next steps.

• Education – what educational settings can do to help the child to make progress?
• Health – what health professionals can do to help the child to stay healthy and make progress?
• Social Care – who can help the child to stay safe?
• Home Learning Environment - what support is available for home learning environment?

Universal/Quality First Teaching (QFT) provides the appropriate learning opportunities to all children and young people, whatever their individual needs.

It is the first step of the Graduated Response when supporting children and young people who have or may have SEND.

Staff knowledge and understanding of SEND is a key factor to QFT. Knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice 2014 and the equalities Act 2010 is also essential.

QFT involves the child and young person-centred approach to address their needs.

Step 1: Learn about the child, improve inclusive practice

Assess: assess child’s learning.

Plan: from assessments.

Do:      

• use audits and review setting’s practice
• attend specialist training (for example: autism)
• draw conclusions from observations,
• as a result of observations, try inclusive strategies to meet child’s young person’s needs by:
  • making suitable adaptations
  • agreeing consistent routines and boundaries
  • having clear strategies in place to enable the child/ young person to continue to learn and develop.

Review.

No concerns: repeat assess, plan, do, review cycle at universal level.

Concerns remain: move to Targeted support.

Step 2: Targeted support

If a child or young person has received QFT, differentiated teaching and learning experience but:

• has not made the expected progress
• requires additional support in school/ setting

targeted SEND support is offered.

Assess: assess child’s learning. Consider using more specific tests that can provide more detailed analysis of the child’s young person’s SEND.

Plan: observe the child/young person, meet with parents and review learning support plan. Consider delivery of curriculum group sizes, resources, adult support.

Do:

• draw conclusions from observations
• change environment as a result of observations
• try inclusive strategies to meet child’s young person’s needs
• meet with parents to report on progress and review LSP with pupil and family/ carers
• consider small group support, booster classes for school age children and young people, adult support during break and dinnertime.
• aAsk parents about their wishes and aspirations for the child and make a record of that.
• gain parental consent for referrals and ask parents to sign “Information sharing”.
• make appropriate referrals to outside agencies such as ISS, EP, SALT, GP.

Review: measure impact of the deployed strategies. Have they made a difference in child’s progress and development?

Progress towards outcomes made: continue at targeted and repeat assess, plan cycle.

Concerns remain: gain parental consent for referrals and ask parents to sign “Information sharing”. Consider referrals to:

• SEBDOS
• Slough Inclusion and Support Team 
• Therapies (OT, Physio)
• GP

Step 3: Targeted support +

At this stage, a child and young person will be accessing support from external professionals and specialist interventions.

Assess: assess child’s learning, draw conclusions. Consider professional advice received specifically for the child/ young person. 

Plan: observe the child, consider advice given by professionals meet with parents and agree and complete Slough SEND support plan.

Do:

• draw conclusions from observations/ reports/ assessments
• keep changing learning environment in response to professional advice
• deliver strategies suggested by professionals (ensure you have all reports from professionals in place)
• meet with parents to report on progress and review IEP/ Slough SEND support plan
• discuss with family and child/ young person and seek their opinion.

Review:

• measure impact of the deployed strategies
• have they made a difference in child’s progress and development
• what reasonable adjustments have been made to meet the child’s needs
• does the child require additional support.

Progress made carry on with the targeted support (assess, plan, do review).

No or very limited progress: move to specialist level. 

Specialist level 4

At this stage, a child and young person will be accessing everything that is available at Targeted SEND support with the involvement of external professionals and specialist interventions.

‘6.63. Where despite the school having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess, plan, do and review the SEN of the young person, the child or young person has not made expected progress, the school or parents should consider requesting an Education, Health and Care needs Assessment.’ 

Assess: assess child’s learning as previous levels.

Plan: follow the steps:

• gather all evidence of support given to the child
• setting’s evidence of their inclusive practice -impact of strategies used and changes of environment, such as impact of audits completed, training attended, Inclusion Planning Meetings discussions, any trained and tested targeted support, SEND support plan (with clear tracking of smart targets with evaluation)
• attach up to date reports and recent assessments such as progress summaries.
• if the young person has a EHCplan then the planning should be based upon the information contained within the child / young person’s EHC plan.

Do: deliver personalised provision as advised from professional reports SENDCo advice/ EHC plan.

Review: as previous levels continue reviewing progress. If they have an EHCplan this is through a formal Annual Review this should be at least annually and if under school age every 6 months. 

Progress: consider step down to Targeted support. If they have an EHCplan then inform the local Authority of progress through the EHC Annual Review.

No progress:

• request additional support / provision at the Annual Review
• invite the local authority SEND Officer to attend in person
• may need additional advice from external agencies to provide evidence.
• if attained EHC plan consider at annual review and discuss with SEND team to update targets, amend provision.

To track and record progress and outcomes the SEND support plan should include record of:

• assessment data from range of sources (relevant adults in child’s life, such as SENCO, class teacher, key worker)
• impact of interventions and adjustments or changes to increase effectiveness
• planned outcomes for the child. (Check Preparing for adulthood - aspirational goals)
• parental/carers’ views and evidence of involvement
• child’s or young person’s views and aspirations
• deployment of additional resources
• meeting minutes with parents/carers
• advice from education, and/or health, and/or social care professionals and how the how it was acted upon
• any other observations and or evidence which supports the assess, plan, do, review cycle.