The Graduated Approach

When considering whether SEN Support is required for a child or young person it is important to make informed decisions at each stage of the process. A graduated approach to supporting learners with SEND, develops a learner’s independence by providing the least amount of support required to ensure they make progress towards the intended outcomes.

The Assess – Plan – Do – Review cycle allows for support to be implemented and its impact reviewed in a timely manner, supporting an increase in provision if progress is not being secured. The SEND Code of Practice states; the graduated approach “draws on more detailed approaches, more frequent review and more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match interventions to the SEN of children and young people.”

The SEND Code of Practice also identifies “The benefits of early identification are widely recognised – identifying need at the earliest point, and then making effective provision, improves long-term outcomes for children”, furthermore the SEND Code of practice identifies the financial benefits of the graduated approach; “In all cases, early identification and intervention can significantly reduce the use of more costly intervention at a later stage.”

 

Quality First Teaching

Schools should regularly monitor and review the quality of teaching for all learners. High quality inclusive teaching is effectively differentiated to support the progress of all learners, through appropriate assessment, planning, feedback and monitoring.

The SEND Code of Practice states “High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEN. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching.”

 

Cause for Concern

• If a teacher/other adult observes continuing difficulties in any areas of a child’s progress, the SENCO should be informed of additional support and differentiation being provided and the concerns that the staff member has. It is good practice to inform parents that these pupils are receiving additional, differentiated support from the Teacher and TAs.
• It is good practice for the SENCO to keep a record of these pupils and together with the teacher, Subject Team Leaders and Senior Leadership Team, their progress should be monitored
• Following an initial concern information should be gathered to support a decision on whether a child should be provided with special educational provision. The Code of Practice States “This information gathering should include an early discussion with the pupil and their parents. A short note of these early discussions should be added to the pupil’s record on the school information system and given to the parents. Schools should also tell children, parents and young people about the local authority’s Information, Advice and Support Service.”

Sample school based documents:           

https://hull.mylocaloffer.org/s4s/WhereILive/Council?pageId=5551

High Quality Teaching

The class teacher in consultation with SENCO identify class based strategies for support and reasonable adjustments which can be made by the class teacher and quality differentiation. These should be included on a one page profile for the student.

 

SEN School Support

Where it is decided that a pupil does have SEN, the decision should be recorded in the school records and the pupil’s parents must be formally informed that special educational provision is being made. The provision put in place should be guided by the intended outcomes. The least amount of support should be provided first.

• If the learner is not making expected progress or remains a significant cause for concern despite class based intervention/support, the class teacher should consult with the SENCO and Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycles of support and the associated interventions introduced.
• These Assess – Plan - Do - Review (APDR) cycles should follow a person centered approach (Outlined here https://hull.mylocaloffer.org/s4s/WhereILive/Council?pageId=5482) and should be recorded clearly and shared with all stakeholders.
• The desired outcomes from such meetings must be shared with parents and a meeting to discuss progress should be held termly. The interventions at this time may include targeted interventions available in school or extend to the involvement of outside agencies.
• A minimum of 2 cycles of APDR should be completed and if at this point there continues to be a lack of progress then it may be appropriate to consider an Education, health and Care Needs Assessment Request and evidence of further APDR cycles should be gathered as part of this process.

Request for Statutory Assessment

• When starting an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment Request a Person Centred Planning meeting should be held to support the completion of this. APDR cycles should continue termly in collaboration with parents and this information should be recoded clearly on the school template.
• Once complete the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment Request must be shared with the parents/carer or young person and the last page of the document singed to demonstrate their consent to share this information.

Following submission of the request for assessment the statutory assessment pathway is followed. This is outlined in the EHC Assessment and Planning Section here.