SEN support and the graduated response?
All pupils and learners in schools and settings should be accessing Quality First Teaching. If a child or young person is not making expected progress, then the class teacher, working alongside the SENCo, will first assess this progress and identify where there are any concerns. A single page pupil profile should be completed and the support that the school or setting put in place at this point may include low level class based interventions, support, reasonable adjustments and modifications to the curriculum. The SENCo should also meet with parents/carers to discuss what outcomes they and the school would like the child/young person to achieve and what interventions may be used to achieve these outcomes.
Where a pupil is identified as having SEN schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. This SEN Support takes the form of a continuous four-part cycle: Assess-Plan-Do-Review, through which decisions and actions are revisited, evaluated and revised to ensure that the pupil is supported to make good progress and to secure good outcomes. Where a pupil continues to make less than expected progress, despite evidence based support and interventions, the school should consider involving specialists, including those secured by the school itself or from outside agencies. Meetings should be held with parents/carers and with the input of any other professionals involved at least three times a year to discuss progress towards meeting the identified outcomes.
The Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle should continue. If the pupil is still not making expected progress against agreed targets and remains a significant cause for concern, a Person Centred Planning (PCP) meeting should be held with parents/carers, key staff (including outside agencies) and the pupil. School should complete a My Support Plan as part of the PCP meeting and the Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycles continue.
If, even with a My Support Plan in place, the pupil is still not making expected progress and remains a significant cause for concern and it is felt that more support is needed, school and parents/carers may decide to submit a request for a statutory Education, Health and Care assessment. The My Support Plan and at least 2 cycles of Assess-Plan-Do-Review are submitted to the local authority, along with the Request for Assessment form, and the Education, Health and Care assessment process begins. (Link to EHC assessment page here)