Effective Inclusive Practice Guide 2023 (Large Font)

Issued: May 2023

Edition 1

Collated by Rory Abbott

Chapter 1: Introduction - How to Use This Good Practice Guide

Welcome to your guide – a collection of case studies taken from across Kent and beyond. A question that we are often asked when delivering training to teachers, middle leaders, senior leaders and governors is, “do you have any examples or case studies?2. There is so much inclusive practice going on across our county that we want to share with you all. We hope that the information within this document will help your school to develop its own inclusive practices even further.

As such we have created this resource, the Effective Inclusive Practice Guide, which we will update throughout this year 2022/23 with new case studies and new examples that we hope will help you to contextualise your training and learning. The case studies range from primary to secondary schools, from academy trusts to maintained schools. We have examples from Specialist Resource Provision settings and very soon we will have case studies from Early Years settings too.

The guide starts here with a range of seven case studies with further examples being added throughout the year. We will update you via the Countywide SENCo Forum, the KentMatters newsletter, the Governor Services newsletter, via our Headteacher networks and any other way that we can, when new case studies are added.

The guide is an online resource and so you are always welcome to use this link to see if anything new has been added. If you have a resource or some good practice that you’d like to share with colleagues in other schools, then get in touch with Rory Abbott (Rory.Abbott@theeducationpeople.org) and let us know.

Welcome to Your Guide

(Lisa McDonald - SEND Lead Specialist, The Education People)

Linking the Guide to the Mainstream Core Standards

The mainstream core standards document sets out what needs to be done to increase inclusivity within educational settings. But how do we put these standards into practice in the best way possible for our children and our school? We hope that you will find some answers to this question within this guide. We encourage you to borrow ideas from these examples, adapt them, change them and use them to support inclusivity within your school. You may find that something that is being done on a larger scale as part of a school Trust approach could be adapted and subsequently evolve into a model that you can apply to a maintained rural primary school, or vice versa. We hope that the examples contained here can be useful to as many settings and schools as possible.

If you have your own examples that you would like to share, then please get in touch with Rory Abbott (Rory.Abbott@theeducationpeople.org).

For your reference, we have included a link to the Mainstream Core Standards

Chapter 2: Primary School Case Studies

Case Study: Auditing and Reviewing School Inclusion Against the Mainstream Core Standards

School Name: Littlebourne CE Primary School

Phase (secondary/primary): Primary

Number of pupils: 99

Academy/Maintained: Maintained

District: Canterbury

EHCP %: 3% (Below national average 4% 2022)

SEND Register: 20 % (Above national average 12.6% 2022)

Key area of need: Communication and Interaction

How Was the Concern Identified?

Ahead of the Mainstream Core Standards being launched the SENCo at Littlebourne Church of England Primary School devised a SEND audit tool which related to the SEN COP. The audit identified significant gaps in awareness and knowledge of the most up to date approaches

to SEND and the provision available across the school. These gaps led to a full updating of practice across the school in line with the SEN Code of Practice (DfE/DoH, 2015). With the Mainstream Core Standards being launched a matter of months later, the SENCo used them as a way of measuring and charting the progress and development of the school’s approaches to support pupils with SEND.A thorough audit related to statements extracted from the MCS school document was also carried out. The statements were RAG rated to identify if the statement had been met, or was being worked towards, i.e., still embedding or not yet in place. Any progress or actions required to fulfil the statement were also identified in this audit process.

This process was completed for both Section 1 and Section 2.

Initial Audit Summary – Section 2; Additional Support – May 2020

As the MCS covers such a huge range of need across all 4 areas of the SEN Code of Practice (SEN COP), it was important that we prioritised the areas of need that were currently most relevant for our setting. We delayed addressing Physical & Sensory for Year 1 and 2 as it is not required immediately for our children. Whereas the other identified areas met our identified needs more effectively. However, if we had a child who was to start in the next two years, we would have altered this approach. We aim to cover P&S in year 3 of this strategy.

How Did You Implement the Provision to Support the Concern Identified?

Mainstream Core Standards (MCS) training and updated knowledge and training on SEN COP and SMART Targets including the introduction of new purposeful class provision maps reinforcing and

building upon updated knowledge and areas of need from the above training.

MCS was identified as a key area on our SIP in “2. Wisdom Knowledge and Skills – (Quality of Education) Key Priority 1: Embed quality first teaching through the application of the MCS (2.1, 2.2, 2.3)”.

Main activity that took place for section 2 – C & I ASC was the SENCo attending the STLS run ASC Champions offer. This comprised of 9 sessions ran by two of our specialist teachers with significant experience in the field. This enabled the SENCo to disseminate this specific training to all staff members.

Additional areas were also picked out as focus points as they arose via QFT monitoring by the SENCo and Headteacher. For example, a training push was invested into visual timetables as a key strategy for meeting all children’s needs and as a jumping off point to meet children with additional needs via intensification of this approach via personalisation and additional means such as Now and Next boards

and personal prompts. The training reinforced the purpose of the strategies for all pupils and those with additional needs as well as encouraging all to reflect upon their own practice and how to improve and build upon this. Some non-negotiables were also identified to ensure effective implementation following monitored by SLT.

Sample slides representing one of these training sessions.

SEMH and the MCS was also identified as another significant strand for our school improvement journey and featured on our SIP in two priorities. It featured in “4. Community and living well together (Personal development) Key Priority 1 To promote a proactive culture for all to

identify and manage personal challenge and wellbeing” and in “4. Community and living well together (Personal development) Key Priority

2-Mainstream Core Standard 2.4 supports and drives SEMH difficulties for pupils within the school”.

September Data: MCS 2.4 Red 6/6

Impact - How do you know what you did worked?

The clear shift in the number of standards being met and embedded into practice across the school in Section 2 of the MCS including C&I ASC, C&I Speech and Language and C&L.

MCS audit overview: number of statements met, still embedding or not met.

September 2021 July 2022

0% 35.7% 0% 57.1% 100% 7.1%

Implications

Some of the sub strands are not being fully met across the whole school therefore, they remain within the Amber band. The picture is much stronger. Training will continue next year and the focus will switch to cognition and learning as this is the main area that is yet to be embedded. We will continue to imbed the other strands across the school.” (Reviewed SIP, 2021/2022: 11).

Specific update audits for each area of need addressed identify the following progress and identified next steps:

Section 2 – Communication and Interaction ASC

SIP strand 4 “Community and living well together (Personal development) – Key Priority 1: To promote a proactive culture for all to identify and manage personal challenge and wellbeing

SIP strand 4 “Community and living well together (Personal development) Key Priority 2: Mainstream Core Standard 2.4 supports and drives SEMH difficulties for pupils within the school”.

Impact on Pupil Wellbeing using Leuven Scale of Wellbeing as a tool to measure

End of T1 to end of T6 – Whole School

Engagement + 0.59

Involvement + 0.65

Following a visit to our school focusing on Quality First Teaching for All & every teacher a teacher of SEND Lisa McDonald fed back the following:

“I was really impressed with the processes in place and the quality assurance work in support of whole school SEND development!” (Lisa McDonald, 2022)

What is Your School Doing to Support All Staff to Embed Your Good Practice and the Mainstream Core Standards? How Has This Support Impacted Whole School Inclusion?

Threads from Section 1 of the MCS relating to expectations of all schools are threaded throughout our entire provision and SIP.

Throughout last academic year when any training took place, explicit links to the MCS document were made.

Exercises building upon inclusive practice for all the MCS knowledge and reinforcing the skills of using it as a resource were also incorporated into training sessions.

Example task of a training session activity linked to MCS

What Are Your Plans for Future Development?

With hindsight attempting to cover three key areas in Section 2 of the MCS was very ambitious. As a result, it was not possible to cover much of Cognition & Learning as an area, which as a positive has ensured that the MCS still feature as a key strand in our current SIP (2022/2023).

“2. Wisdom Knowledge and Skills – (Quality of Education) -Key Priority 3: To promote and support cognition and learning skills and techniques to support our learners at every level”.

“What will success look like in July 2023?

• The school has positively built upon the MCS for cognition and learning where adaptive teaching is used to support learning”. (SIP, 2022/2023:11).

In addition, the previous successes in SEMH continue to be built upon to develop our provision across the school to ensure the remaining strands are naturally embedded into our day-to-day practice.

SEMH again features as a key priority in our new SIP (2022/2023) under“4. Community and living well together (Personal development)Key Priority 1: To develop a consistent and progressive approach to support our pupils to recognise their wellbeing using zones of emotional regulation.

“What will success look like in July 2023?

• All children are supported to recognise and respond to their emotional wellbeing needs

• All classes support children’s wellbeing through the use of the zones of emotional regulation

• Children understand how the zones work and how to identify which zone mirrors their feelings at any given time

• Adults can support the children to make sense of their feelings

• Children can self-use tools provided to support their wellbeing

• Children have ownership over their wellbeing and understand that they need to take responsibility for this

• All adults play a role in offering support and guidance to our pupils

(SIP, 2022/2023:13-14).

Next steps following the success of the embedding of MCS Section 2C&I ASC. It was vital that the progress didn’t end with the participation of the course and that SLT and wider practice continued to build upon this effective use of MCS strategies in the future through continued monitoring and expanding the success across other stakeholders and areas identified as needing development.

All teachers are signed up to the future training being delivered by Lisa McDonald covering MCS for Teachers on Thursday 17th November 2022 and the triple sessions covering MCS for Subject/Middle Leaders. Subject leadership is also identified on our SIP and this series of sessions will help to relate this to the MCS, which is applicable across the curriculum.

Chapter 3: Secondary School Case Studies

Case Study: Embedding the Mainstream Core Standards Into a Whole School Approach

School Name: The Malling School

Phase (secondary/primary): Secondary

Number of pupils: Circa 1022 (of which 127 are linked to an SRP within the school)

Academy/Maintained: Maintained with an SRP

District: Maidstone

EHCP %: 15% of all students

SEND Register %: 26% (including SRP plus a number who are on a ‘monitoring’ register).

Key area of need:

ASC (of which, a number of these pupils present SEMH behaviours) and SLCN/DLD (which is supported through the SALT team via an SLA).

How Was the Concern Identified?

When the MCS were introduced, the Head of SRP at the Malling School met with SLT and asked them to list the school’s strengths and areas to develop in relation to the core standards. This formed the basis for how the school would develop its inclusive practice. A simple audit of not just what one person thought of the inclusivity of the school but via a whole school approach set the school on a journey to develop a shared vision of how The Malling School would move forward. Often, as a SENCo or a SEND Specialist, identifying the concern or issue is a simple process. However, inviting teachers, middle leaders and other staff to identify what they think the concerns are, is an empowering opportunity for all involved.

How Did You Implement the Provision to Support the Concern Identified?

As with the process of identifying the emerging concerns, the provision put in place to support the weaknesses identified happened as a whole school approach. The Head of SRP is also an Assistant Headteacher who is on the senior leadership team and so there is a strong voice to push this joint up approach to inclusivity. Solutions were presented at this strategic level and cascaded through to middle leaders, teachers and TAs. Explanations were given me to SLT at every stage as to why a process had been put in place or why a piece of information about a specific pupil was being asked for. By doing this and answering the question why (before it was even asked), staff were able to understand and relate to the solution and the need and therefore act upon it.

For those young people with an EHCP or on the SEND register, each has a profile which is shared with all relevant members of staff. Within this profile specific information is provided about what a child may need to deal with a certain situation, what might become a trigger for that child, what the child’s likes and dislikes are and the key strategies that will support their learning in lessons. These profiles are shown to parents so they can add anything relevant to them. Bringing parents into the process adds yet another level of inclusivity. Staff are given time during planning days at the beginning of term to look through these profiles and plan their lessons accordingly and seating plan, the layout of the room or the accessibility of the room. They will use the information to plan a scaffolded approach to their teaching to enable inclusivity within the classroom. Logistically the Malling School recognise their staffing structure as a positive aspect that allows this type of labour-intensive work to thrive. Teachers do not have to deal with incomplete homework or gate duties. These tasks are completed by other members of staff leaving teachers with the time to plan their teaching and to teach.

All staff have immediate access to information that they need, such as codes of practice and policy, the young people’s profiles themselves, resources on zones of regulation, scaffolding approaches, strategies linked to supporting those with specific needs in their classroom and EEF recommendations on how to best use the TAs in their

lessons. TAs are integral to the success that the Malling School have seen over the last few years. As such, they have also become an integral important member of the teaching team. TAs, as a team, do not sit separately of curriculum area teams and are included in CPD opportunities, planning time and development opportunities. Creating this togetherness has led to TAs delivering training to teachers and vice versa, again, enabling this team confidence and resilience.

Teachers and TAs work across the mainstream classes and the SRP classes to make sure that all pupils are benefitting from teachers with specialist knowledge. All pupils are entered into GCSEs whether they are taught via SRP classes or mainstream classes. In Key Stage 3 pupils attending SRP classes are increasingly being integrate into mainstream classes. This has developed an opportunity for learning for all. Both sets of pupils, whether they be SRP pupils or mainstream pupils benefit from this inclusive model, learning to work together and see strengths in differing approaches.

Another approach that has been adopted within the school is the recruitment of Merlin, who is an accredited Dog Mentor. He greets pupils who may be nervous about coming into school and supports pupils throughout the day. The overall environment is a nurturing one which gives pupils the opportunity to feel ok about being at school. With that obstacle navigated, pupils can then get on with learning within their scaffolded classes.

Impact: How Do You Know What You Did Worked?

Behaviour across the school is recognised by external visitors as being outstanding and attainment levels have significantly improved over the past 3 years. Pupils (and their parents) report that they are leaving secondary school with a set of skills that will help their future. Pupils who have been part of an in year manage move have thrived in this new environment with one applying successfully to become an apprentice within the SRP Team.

The inclusion agenda appears throughout all SLT meetings which leads to a desire to continue to develop this inclusive environment.

What is Your School Doing to Support All Staff to Embed Your Good Practice and the Mainstream Core Standards? How Has This Support Impacted Whole School Inclusion?

The Mainstream Core Standards have provided a shared goal for staff across the school which has given rise to this inclusive ethos. The school continues to provide CPD to all staff, including weekly Metacognition training throughout this academic year. By keeping the MCS as an agenda item in SLT meetings, the Malling School are illustrating their passion to keep developing the school environment.

All pupils who have an EHCP, SEND, medical need, LAC or are on the monitoring register have an individualised profile. All teaching staff, pastoral staff and teaching assistants have an Excellence for All folder which is personalised to them. The folder contains their students’ profiles and all the supporting materials and resources required to support students with SEND.

What Are Your Plans for Future Development?

The Malling School is participating in the Kent Inclusion Leadership Programme and Assistant Headteacher/ The Head of the SRP at the Malling School is an Inclusion Leader in Education, providing support to colleagues in both primary and secondary schools who are also participating in the programme. They see the importance in using this experience to share their good practice but also to learn from what other colleagues throughout Kent.

There will be a new review of the strengths and weaknesses auditing process undertaken soon to see how the school has changed since it was first carried out. This will help to direct future developments.

The Malling School are aware of the CS training being made available to middle leaders and subject leaders, to governors and to teachers and

will be encouraging staff to attend these CPD sessions. The school are also aware of the Countywide SENCo Forums and the importance of these termly sessions and will also endeavour to send a member of staff to these sessions.

Case Study: Instilling Parent Confidence

School Name: Dover Christ Church Academy

Phase (secondary/primary): Secondary

Number of pupils: 744

Academy/Maintained: Academy

District: Dover

EHCP %: 8.7%

SEND Register %: 11.1%

Key area of need: 38.9% cognition and learning (86 students)

How Was the Concern Identified?

Dover Christ Church Academy’s journey to create a system that enables and empowers parents of pupils with SEND began around two years ago. During a local LIFT meeting the subject of parental confidence and understanding in the needs of their children was broached. The SENCo at Dover Christ Church Academy brought this back to his school and began looking at how he and his team communicated with parents of children with SEND in the school. Through feedback received the SENCo found that parents sometimes misunderstood what a mainstream school could actually do to support children with SEND. At this point the SENCo and the team around him looked at how they could provide information, advice and guidance around the knowledge gaps that existed.

How Did You Implement the Provision to Support the Concern Identified?

With the issue identified, the SENCo and his team went about creating a system whereby they could inform and educate parents, both on what the school could provide in the way of support and, also in understanding the needs of their children. The ethos that every child is entitled to a mainstream education sits at the heart of this messaging and is promoted early on in a child and parent’s engagement with the school via the transition programme that supports the children moving from primary schools.

The SENCo and his Deputy both also teach but they create time, with support from timetabling, to make themselves as accessible to parents as possible. All parents that get in touch, receive a call or email response on the same day that the enquiry is made. By instilling confidence in parents, they have found a greater confidence in the pupils.

They have developed a Parent Forum that occurs three times per academic year. These forums are an opportunity for parents to meet with other parents which helps to promote a feeling of not being the only ones experiencing anxiety about their children being taught in a mainstream setting. During these sessions, outside agencies are invited in to provide information to parents about how to support their children in the best way. Feedback from parents is also sought during these forums, which is subsequently acted on if needed or celebrated.

Through his work, the SENCo is mentored well by a member of SLT who is able to provide a wealth of experience and knowledge. One of the other strengths to the team is the range of experiences and therefore, the range of knowledge, which underpins and guides and supports the staff team across the school who are working with pupils with a special educational need or disability.

Impact - How Do You Know What You Did Worked?

Using the Parent Forums as a way of gathering feedback, DCCA have been able to measure the impact of what they have been doing. The SENCo can also measure impact via the whole school Parent Survey that is issued each academic year.

The informal feedback loops created through the SENCo and his Deputy’s level of accessibility to parents also has it’s place in measuring impact of the work that is being done.

The SENCo measures the impact of the work that he and his team are doing through qualitative feedback which provides case studies and examples that he can use to take back to SLT.

What Is Your School Doing to Support All Staff to Embed Your Good Practice and the Mainstream Core Standards? How Has This Support Impacted Whole School Inclusion?

With support from the Senior Leadership the SENCo carries out fortnightly CPD sessions for curriculum and pastoral staff. All teachers receive a copy of the school’s AEN Handbook and SEN MCS Handbook.

The school provides ‘School Passports’ for pupils who may need them which gives children themselves the chance to put in their own words what they need in place to succeed. Pupils are encouraged to say when they do not understand something and teachers are given the confidence and the tools to help them to teach in the way that is best for that pupil.

New staff are given a thorough induction so that they have the opportunity to learn the systems and processes and ultimately share the vision that the SENCo has to educate all within a mainstream setting.

What Are Your Plans for Future Development?

The SENCo has requested an independent SEND audit which will look at the strengths of what they school is doing. It will also identify where the school may need to develop skills, knowledge and processes and systems.

Embedding the MCS across the curriculum is also an agenda item for future development and accessing training that is being made available to curriculum staff, to governors and to leaders. Overall, the goal is to make a system that is even more robust than it currently is which keeps the pupils at the centre of everything. The recognition that this goal can only be achieved if all stakeholders,

including parents and pupils are on board, is a strong position to start from.

Case Study Title: Supporting Transition

School Name: Homewood School

Phase (secondary/primary): Secondary

Number of pupils: 2300

Academy/Maintained: Academy

District: Ashford

EHCP %: 2.6% (60 young people)

SEND Register %: 12% (262 young people)

Key area of need:

Cognition and learning, SEMH, ASC, ADHD (high number in year 7)

How Was the Concern Identified?

Supporting transition of pupils with SEND is something that Homewood School has done well over a number of years. Due to this success however, more families and primary schools looked upon Homewood School as a supportive place for Year 6 pupils with an SEND to study. The issue, therefore, came from the way in which the school needed to scale up the processes and systems that they had developed. Many of Homewood School’s practices are based around a person-centred approach. However, the larger the cohort of pupils with an SEND need, the more challenging this way of working could become.

How Did You Implement the Provision to Support the Concern Identified?

Homewood is both part of a Trust (Tenterden Schools Trust) and a wider community of schools known as the Tenterden Rural Alliance. Through collaboration with primary schools both within the Trust and within the Alliance, relationships have been developed that allows for a joint up approach to transition. As a school who might not be part of a formal collaboration like this, this case study does not exclude you. What this case study can and will do is to illustrate how relationships and communication are the key to developing pupil and family centred systems and processes that enable and empower children as they transition from Year 6 into Year 7.

Before discussing specific transition events, it was highlighted that Homewood School have a section on their website that is full of resources and activities that pupils who are moving into Year 7 can carry out in their primary school or with their family. Pupils are encouraged to complete these activities and share them with their new school so that mapping of support and provision can begin early.

Homewood run a timetable of events, meetings and activities throughout the year so that Year 6 pupils and their families can reduce the unknown aspects of the move to secondary school. As with most secondary schools, transition visits are organised whereby pupils visit Homewood and the SEN team visit primary schools. Unlike some secondary schools, these transition visits begin in Year 5 (and for primary schools who are part of the Trust, these visits begin in Year 4).

Homewood School also see that the transition period should not only begin as early as possible but that it should also extend beyond the September in which pupils start Year 7. With a team of nearly 40 members of staff the Learning Support Team work intensively with cohorts of pupils who are on the SEND register or who have an EHCP. However, there is also a vast amount of transition support for pupils (and their families) who do not have an identified SEND. The school organises a weeklong transition event for all Year 6 pupils moving into Year 7 which provides this cohort with a chance to see where they will be learning, how they will be learning, where they’ll go to eat their lunch, where the toilets are and all the ‘small’ things that are rather big to children moving from primary to secondary school. The word that comes about whilst discussing what the Homewood School do more than any other is, ‘confidence’. By increasing a pupil’s confidence in their environment and the people around them, they are more likely to feel supported and to know where to go when they have a question.

The relationship between the feeder primary schools in the area and Homewood also breeds a confidence and a trust in what each is aiming to achieve. This confidence and trust is then translated from the Primary SENCo to the family and the pupil, meaning that the new relationship between pupil and school is beginning from a positive footing.

Homewood School provide all pupils who are either on the SEND register or who have an EHCP with an education passport in which specific needs, support strategies and targets are set out. The school also has a Vulnerable Register which allows for pupils who are vulnerable in other ways to be identified and supported within the mainstream setting.

Many of the methods by which Homewood support transition of pupils are not unique to them and have been mentioned by other schools as well. However, what Homewood are very successful at is drip feeding transition events and activities throughout the school year to create a sustained package of support. A document outlining the various events and activities are sent to all families via primary schools. This simple act, again, promotes confidence through knowledge of what is going to come.

As mentioned above, Homewood continue this transition phase into Year 7 and at the end of term 1 they invite parents and families into the school to meet key personnel and to view work that has been undertaken by their children. The team also make themselves as accessible to families by encouraging both pupils and families to email any questions they may have to members of staff. This two-way communication, again, builds confidence and reduces not known aspects of a pupil’s future.

Impact - How Do You Know What You Did Worked?

Pupils who have an EHCP or who are on the SEND Register are integrated across the school. There is no aspect of school life this

cohort of pupils are not included in. The school has Student Ambassadors who have an EHCP. Students with an EHCP or whom are on the SEND register are involved in extracurricular activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The school regularly receives positive feedback via student and parent voice mechanisms, as well as from primary schools.

One sign of the impact the school is having is the rising numbers of pupils with an EHCP who are opting to attend Homewood School. The current Year 7 cohort contains 15 pupils with an EHCP and around 40 pupils on the SEND Register. In 2015 across the whole of Homewood School, there were only around 20 pupils who had an EHCP which illustrates the growth that has occurred as this inclusive transition programme has developed.

The cohort has grown to such an extent that the school have needed to build a new centre with sensory rooms and other specific resources that support pupils to meet their potential.

What is Your School Doing to Support All Staff to Embed Your Good Practice and the Mainstream Core Standards? How Has This Support Impacted Whole School Inclusion?

The school use provision maps to share information and allow for inclusive curriculum planning to take place. The provision map is a spreadsheet that extracts info from the various school registers that the school hold on their database so that the relevant teacher can then plan a strategy that links to a specific pupil. These strategies are linked to the mainstream core standards. These strategies are reviewed within the term and, if needed adapted to fit the needs of the pupil.

The school is organised so that everyone in SLT and all of the Principal Teachers have a responsibility for SEND. With this focus on SEND at such a senior level within the school, those who are operating within the system feel supported and empowered to do all they can to make a difference to the pupils they are teaching.

What Are Your Plans for Future Development?

The school are not resting on their laurels and are continuing to develop their transition offer so that it fits seamlessly across the Trust and supports all schools within the Alliance. The school are developing cross-Trust training programmes. We talked about how building capacity isn’t the only way to make sure that pupils in the area are getting this type of Transition support and so being involved in projects like this, they are able to share their learning and good practice so that other schools can develop their own transition offers further, ergo creating capacity across Kent and not just in rural Ashford.

Case Study Title: Adapting a Curriculum - Year 6 to Year 7

Transition

School Name: Royal Harbour Academy (RHA) Phase (secondary/primary): Secondary

Number of pupils: 943

Academy/Maintained: Academy District: Thanet

EHCP %: 5.2%

SEND Register %: 30%

Key area of need: With 9% of the current Year 7 having an EHCP and 8% of the Year 8 cohort having an EHCP, the key area of need has been to broach the transition between primary school and secondary school. A large proportion of pupils with an EHCP at the RHA have been assessed as having SEMH needs. However, the RHA find that the behaviours that pupils display are often the result of other issues such as speech and language needs, ADHD or ASC.

Mainstream Core Standard Focus of Case Study: Adapting the curriculum- With a focus on the Year 7 and Year 8 Curriculum specifically. In light of the numbers of Educational Health Care Assessment requests taking place when a child is in Year 6, it seems appropriate to look at how one school has adapted the curriculum to reduce the anxiety of transition from a mainstream primary to mainstream secondary setting.

How Was the Concern Identified?

In 2020 the Royal Harbour School were visited by Ofsted and awarded a rating of ‘Requires Improvement’. This rating was the result of a huge amount of work going on within the school across the previous two years. However, the school has continued to development the way in which it has supported children coming through the school. It was identified by the Head and Executive Head early on that a more inclusive curriculum was needed. An inclusive curriculum that now sits at the heart of teaching and learning at the Royal Harbour Academy.

How Did You Implement the Provision to Support the Concern Identified?

The current year 11 cohort at the Royal Harbour Academy are the first to have received their full secondary education via this adapted approach so it is timely for this case study to be written. Though an adapted curriculum has been employed throughout the school, the case study here, will focus on the Year 7 and Year 8 curriculum as per the outline above.

The curriculum is in place for all Year 7 and Year 8 pupils, including those pupils with an EHCP or those who are on the school’s

register. In essence, RHA refer to their Year 7 and 8 curriculum as delivering a secondary curriculum using a primary model. This does not mean that the work is carried out on a project basis as it is more defined than this. In Year 7 and 8, pupils are taught largely by two core teachers. One of these teachers delivers literacy via English, Guided Reading, History and Ethics lessons and the second core teacher delivers the STEM programme, namely Maths, Science and Geography. As mentioned, in spite of these lessons being taught by just two teachers, each lesson is defined clearly by its subject content. Continuing this theme of consistent teaching styles and relationship building, one of the core teachers is also allocated as a form tutor. This means that pupils see their two core teachers every day. As mentioned, this brings with it consistency for the pupils, the opportunity to build relationships and allows for sessions to be needs focussed. It has resulted in better behaviour, as teachers get to know the pupils and so consequence and sanctions for behaviours are also more consistent.

Though the core part of the curriculum is delivered in this way, the remaining subjects such as the technologies, drama, Spanish and PE are all taught by specialist teachers. This means that pupils still get a feel for the secondary school curriculum that will come into place for them in Year 9. However, this introduction is achieved in a controlled

and managed way that allows the pupils to develop into their secondary school world.

The RHA also deliver the Nurture UK programme within the school which has supported the development of the school’s curriculum. Planning of the curriculum across the school is reviewed and developed collaboratively during weekly year group, subject team meetings. These meetings also give staff the opportunity to moderate marking, develop new resources and discuss support that might be needed.

A ‘mastery’ approach is used in maths whereby 80% of the class need to be able to have mastered a certain topic before the group moves on to the next level. And in literacy, the ‘talk for writing’ approach is used. Within all subject areas, lessons are scaffolded to enable learning to happen at an appropriate level.

The RHA also utilise the school’s team of 22 TAs well. Of these, 11 are based within the Lower School (Year 7 and Year 8). 5 of the 11 work within nurture groups whilst the other 6 deliver specific, specialist interventions. The RHA benefit from having a trained ELSA TA, a trained ASC Champion, speech and language specialist TAs, a trained mental health lead who delivers CBT for those identified as benefiting from it and finally a specialist TA who mentors pupils with ADHD. Thanks to the RHA’s use of CPD, the TA team is one of the assets of the school.

With a concentration of new EHC assessment requests coming from parents of children in Year 6, the RHA has endeavoured to get the message of an adapted curriculum out to parents, primary schools and children as early as possible. As such, the SENCo visits all feeder schools during term 1 ahead of the transition year. Open evenings are offered and during term 1 and 2, open tours are offered to any parents to look around the school during the school day. This transparency offers parents the opportunity for reassurance and early collaboration for support of any pupils transitioning into Year 7. Engagement with

parents continues throughout a pupil’s journey through secondary school via informal coffee afternoons.

Impact - How Do You Know What You Did Worked?

A culture of celebration and reflection means that pupils both recognise and are recognised for their own achievements. Positive feedback has been received from a variety of visitors to the school, including from parents, pupils, primary school Headteachers and inspectors. Since this approach has come into place, there has been a significant reduction in the numbers of suspensions, the quality of work has increased and there has been progress of attainment at the end of Key Stage 3. This year the RHA was oversubscribed. And finally, in January 2020, only two years after being rated as an Inadequate school by Ofsted, the RHA achieved a Requires Improvement rating.

What is Your School Doing to Support All Staff to Embed Your Good Practice and the Mainstream Core Standards? How Has This Support Impacted Whole School Inclusion?

The RHA have embedded a range of Core Practice Standards within the school, including, Task management boards, visual prompts on every slide and resource and a push of key vocabulary.

CPD for staff is ongoing and is delivered in a similar vein to the maths teaching within the school. Using a ‘mastery’ approach, school staff are given the opportunity to learn and develop their knowledge and skills in a way that keeps what they are learning focussed on how they can use this knowledge and these skills in the classroom.

At SLT level, the Mainstream Core Standards were audited and RAG rated against practice within the school. An action plan was created which became the basis for the whole school approach that has been adopted.

As such, every staff member is provided with an SEN Toolkit which contains the MCS, seating plans for each class and relevant class

data. Every pupil on the SEND register at the school, has a pupil passport which lists things they like, their areas of need, their aspirations and three strategies that outline the best ways of supporting that pupil.

All of this work is quality assured on a termly basis by the Senior Leadership Team via class drop ins and observations.

What Are Your Plans for Future Development?

With so many years of developing the inclusion strategy via this adapted curriculum approach the RHA is now looking to embed these strategies further and reflect on and review what has been achieved. With ongoing quality assurance, the school are able to adapt and develop delivery so that it can remain inclusive of any young person starting at the RHA.

Case Study Title: Adapting a Curriculum

School Name: Dover Christ Church Academy- SRP (Specialist Resource Provision)

Phase (secondary/primary): Secondary

Number of pupils: 61

Academy/Maintained: Academy

District: Dover

EHCP %: 61 (100%)

SEND Register %: N/A

Key area of need: PSN

How Was the Concern Identified?

Aspen has existed in a number of guises in the past. Though an SRP, Aspen 2 functions more as a Special School does. The needs of the pupils attending Aspen 2 have a range of profound needs that have been assessed as needing this specialist provision. Though those attending Aspen 2 have this profound level of need, it was identified by the Head of school that the pupils would benefit from a curriculum that would run parallel to that taught in the mainstream provision. This would offer some sort of parity across the school and support pupils at Aspen 2 to work towards relevant qualifications that could support their transition to mainstream post 16 learning.

How Did You Implement the Provision to Support the Concern Identified?

Three pathways of curriculum have been created within the SRP, a formal Key Stage 3 Curriculum, a formal Key Stage 4/5 Curriculum and a semi formal Key Stage 4/5 Curriculum (there are no pupils identified as needing an informal Key Stage 3 Curriculum).

The Key Stage 3 formal curriculum includes subjects and topics that are taught on the main site but are heavily modified but the SRP Lead. This includes core subjects which are taught by one of the six teachers that Aspen 2 employs. Other more practical subjects are taught by their

specialist teachers from the main site. To support these teachers to deliver these lessons effectively, they are offered a range of CPD opportunities that increase knowledge and understanding. All teachers use the same resources, visuals and structures when teaching pupils in Aspen 2 but within a differentiated and appropriate curriculum. The focus is very much on how pupils can use what they learn once they have finished their education at Aspen 2. The formal Key Stage 4/5 curriculum works in a similar way but is currently focussed on supporting pupils to achieve Entry Level qualifications. However, this has been identified as an area that needs to be changed. With the reduction in the numbers of Level 1 and Entry Level courses post 16, Aspen 2 are having to change their curriculum and support pupils to achieve Level 1 qualifications ahead of leaving DCCA. Within this cohort, pupils who are academically more able are entered in to sit GCSEs.

The semi formal Key Stage 4/5 curriculum has been written to support the seven students with the most profound needs. This also offers accreditation but links to life skills as well as English, Maths and ICT.

The curriculum is supported in other ways too. Aspen 2 have begun a trial year using an interventionalist approach whereby TAs are responsible for specific interventions that will support pupils learning. Interventions such as discussing how a pupil might approach sitting a test or linking learning to colour. Interventions run by TAs also include social group activities. All of these interventions are their to build confidence and support pupils to learn in ways that suit them.

Year 12 and 13 pupils also have the opportunity to complete work experience placements at appropriate times for them. However, this is something that Aspen 2 are looking to embed further, along with a wider careers programme based on the Gatsby Benchmarks.

Impact - How Do You Know What You Did Worked?

It is reported that a high percentage of pupils attending Aspen 2 were making progress at an expected level or at a level beyond where they should be. This progress relates not just to academic attainment but also within the pupil’s EHCP outcome targets. As with the need for curriculums to be altered, targets are also adapted so that they are relevant, challenging and achievable for individual pupils.

What is Your School Doing to Support All Staff to Embed Your Good Practice and the Mainstream Core Standards? How Has This Support Impacted Whole School Inclusion?

As previously mentioned, Aspen 2 include specialist (main site) teachers in their CPD programme to make sure that all staff working with pupils from the SRP are supported in a consistent manner.

This journey of matching and tracking similar topics to those learnt through the mainstream curriculum has been lead by the SLT and the Head of school. Therefore, messaging and training to allow this to happen has been built in to the school’s ethos from the very top of the structure. This strategic planning is supported by the fact that the Joint Leads of Aspen 2 sit on the SLT.

And it is not just work that is being done to develop understanding and knowledge and skills within the staff population at DCCA. The Joint Leads at Aspen 2 have run disability awareness assemblies with pupils from the main site. This type of learning is invaluable and allows pupils across the school to learn skills and knowledge that will help them to become community minded individuals.

What Are Your Plans for Future Development?

The interventionalist work will continue and be monitored at the end of year one to see if it is an approach worth investing in. In addition, staff at Aspen 2 are looking at how they can support their cohort of pupils to achieve the levels they need to enable them to transition post year 11 or year 13 into mainstream education, employment or training.

Work is ongoing with the school’s Think Forward ambassador who has begun to work with pupils at Aspen 2, to look at future aspirations.

And finally, there is an appetite to look at cross school moderation and how Aspen 2 staff and mainstream staff can work together to moderate and plan across the whole school.

Case Study: Changing Perceptions

School Name: Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys

Phase (secondary/primary): Secondary Selective

Number of pupils: 1245

Academy/Maintained: Maintained

District: Kent

EHCP %: 3.3%

SEND Register %: 3.9%

Key area of need: ASC

How Was the Concern Identified?

There was a distance between the students in the SRP and the rest of the school. Students were seen as belonging to ‘base’ and referred to as ‘our kids’, as opposed to the other students in the class. We realised we needed to help other students and staff better understand autism.

How Did You Implement the Provision to Support the Concern Identified?

Through a course of CPD for staff, where we raised greater awareness for ASC traits and struggles. This included a refresher course on ASC and their main needs and challenges in a school environment. Part of the source for this CPD was the LSAs and students in the SRP. The CPD was divided into different subjects to ensure relevance for all staff.

There was further discussion around group work and the expectations that students within the SRP should be placed in groups with other students, not just those with autism or the LSA. This enables them to develop more social skills and feel more included within the lessons.

Through CPD and teacher discussion we have tried to remove the ‘fear’ of the unpredictability of behaviour and ensure staff have a range of strategies and ideas to help support and engage with the students. Teachers, LSAs, parents and the SENCos liaised with each other to

help get to know the individual and their needs, thus enable the best support in place. The LSAs have been instrumental in this change as they have advocated for the students and helped teachers to get to know them.

The Lead Teacher of the SRP lead a number of assemblies for students in year 7 to explain ‘differences’ for students. This included understanding of physical and emotional differences. This was to help students to have a greater understanding and empathy for those who face challenges and barriers in school. HOYs and form tutors understood the social challenges students with ASC could face and helped support and encourage social interactions with peers.

Impact: How Do You Know What You Did Worked?

This was not a change which happened instantly, but there was a shift towards a more inclusive discussion around the students and a more openness to engage with the students.

Group work was being managed differently and LSAs were not always being defaulted to in lessons. We could see some students’ reactions to lessons changing and there was an engagement in the wider activities. Successes included students joining in with musical groups in the school, competing in poetry competitions, leaving base during some of the free lessons, increase in lesson attendance.

This is an ongoing area of work; new challenges are presented with each cohort. However, there has been a clear and positive move forward.

What is Your School Doing to Support All Staff to Embed Your Good Practice and the Mainstream Core Standards? How Has This Support Impacted Whole School Inclusion?

Yearly CPD ensures staff are aware of the needs of our students and constantly refreshed. There is continuous dialogue between the LSAs and staff, alongside the standard paperwork, to help the students best

navigate the school and lessons. Staff are aware that getting to know the boys is imperative in supporting the students and their needs.

The SRP communicates constantly with parents. This communication is imperative with supporting he needs of the students. It is especially important as they have communication difficulties and can mask a lot of the difficulties throughout the day. Without the trust of the parents and students, we would not be able to support the students as much as we do.

We have started to focus on more proactive support for the EHCP targets of the boys and make them clear at the top of the form. Some staff are now informing us of when the students have taken a positive step towards this target. This helps students and staff feel more accountable for the support and progress of these students.

What Are Your Plans for Future Development?

We have recently expanded into a new space, due to the high number of students have joined our SRP. The new space will be for KS4 students. This expansion allows the KS3 base to become a place of calm again and offer them a lunchroom and study rooms. It allows us to offer other students who are struggling the space to come and settle.

For the KS4 space, it will allow students to develop in maturity and start to gain independence. They will have a study room and a more social space. As part of the development of maturity and inclusion the social space will be open to a range of KS4 students.

Chapter 4: Post-16 Settings Case Studies (COMING SOON)

We are in the process of collecting a number of case studies based in post-16 settings and they will appear here very soon. In the meantime, if you would like to share a case study with us then please get in touch with Rory Abbott (Rory.Abbott@theeducationpeople.org).

Chapter 5: Governor Case Studies

Case Study: Governor Involvement in SEND Strategic Planning

School Name: Valley Invicta Academies Trust (this case study will draw on the relationships and processes that have been developed by the VIAT. However, the themes that run through the case study are universal and not specific to what can be achieved only by an Academy Trust).

Phase (secondary/primary): Secondary and primary Key area of need: Across the nine schools within VIAT, four of the primary schools include Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs) for pupils with EHCPs and a primary need of autistic spectrum condition (ASC). Across the Trust, the key areas of SEN identified in the SEN Registers for each school are Communication and Interaction (ASC and Speech Language and Communication Needs), Social Emotional and Mental Health difficulties and moderate learning difficulties.

Mainstream Core Standard Focus of case study: Embedding governor involvement in strategic planning to develop cohesion, confidence and consistency.

How Was the Concern Identified?

SEND is a key area of focus for the Valley Invicta Academy Trust and is one the three Trust-wide priorities to ensure a close focus on this in all of the schools. To develop this further, what was needed was a way in which they could develop their governing body to support and challenge the inclusion agenda within their schools. VIAT have used their ‘School Standards and Improvements Committee’ meetings, made up of Governors and Senior Leaders to develop ways to share Case Studies and information relating to the key priority areas across the Trust, and this has included individual Case Studies relating to areas of practice and need types within the schools.

How Did You Implement the Provision to Support the Concern Identified?

As mentioned, the ‘School Standards and Improvements Committee’ was created to enable the sharing of case studies and learning across the Trust. Governors are given time to learn from one another and share their own experiences. Templates were created to allow for case studies to be created in a consistent manner and good practice shared. If your school isn’t part of an Academy Trust, this type of case study gathering and sharing could happen within your governing body. For example, the SEND Link Governor, could work with the SENCo to create a case study outlining how marking and feedback is moderated for children on the SEND Register.

To support the learning from these case studies, VIAT governors are also taking part in a CPD Pathway which has been designed to empower and build confidence. Asking the right questions and challenging in a supportive manner are two massively important skills that are developed as governors move along this pathway. Confidence often comes with knowledge of a subject and this is also central to the school’s CPD pathway for governors, providing national, countywide, trust-wide and school-wide context.

Following focused review and sharing of SEN Case Studies in the SSIC Meetings, schools organise focused Local School Board governor visit days in their own schools to help their governors to engage more directly with the information shared across the Trust and apply it to find out more about practices and ask challenging questions about the context and focus for SEN in their school. The Governor Visit days include opportunities for learning walks, observations and pupil voice interactions as well as presentations and discussion/ questions with the SENCo and SEN teams.

The Link SEN Governor will also meet with the school SENCo twice a year and use the Trust Local School Board toolkit feedback forms to help focus questions. Their reports are then shared at Local School Board meetings.

Impact - How Do You Know What You Did Worked?

The Trust have created governor feedback surveys and evaluate the training they deliver. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive thus far. Feedback from governors regarding their visits suggest that they are also getting more out of their direct interactions and observations, the information- data and reports that are shared with them in meetings is now more meaningful as they have a deeper understanding of the context and practices around SEN. The use of SEND and inclusion specific language within meetings and moderation sessions also evidences that the training that has been provided is being taken on board and providing governors with the confidence they need to use such language.

What is Your School Doing to Support All Staff to Embed Your Good Practice and the Mainstream Core Standards? How Has This Support Impacted Whole School Inclusion?

By upskilling governors of all schools across the Trust, learning and messaging is becoming more consistent. If feedback is delivered in a consistent manner, then skills gaps or knowledge gaps can also be identified consistently, allowing for a whole school, or in this case Trust, approach to delivering CPD. Strengths are also identified in a consistent manner meaning that learning can be shared from one environment to another. Consistency as a theme is not just something that fits into this Trust model but can also fit within other models too. By sharing good practice and creating an approach that supports all children’s learning, as a governing body, governors can make a strategic difference to their school.

What Are Your Plans for Future Development?

VIAT have started by providing CPD for all governors but are now looking at how their SEND specific governors can work together to support and challenge their schools. As such, the SEND governors will shortly be coming together to take part in action research projects to enable them to work together to deepen their understanding and share information about challenges that the schools across the Trust are

currently focusing on, eg the recruitment of effective support staff into specialist support roles. This proactive approach to governance is built on the CPD that has already taken place and, again, can be remodelled to fit any size of governing body.

VIAT have also spoken about how they will look to incorporate the new SEND Governor Toolkit into the work they are doing. Though the Trust has a similar document in place, they will be looking at how the local authority funded document can back up the work they are doing.

Chapter 6: Frequently Asked Questions and Further Learning

“How do I know that the mainstream core standards are being fully implemented?”

There is no countywide document to monitor the implementation and impact of the mainstream core standards although training over the next academic year will further support this. When monitoring the impact of standards consider:

• Data: attendance, pastoral, outcomes, and exclusion for SEND

• The school’s understanding of the KCC context and continuum of support

• Families feedback on SEND provision

• Feedback from the Teaching and learning lead with regards to quality first teaching for all

• Curriculum adaptations: aspirational and ambitious for all

• Identification, assessment and monitoring processes

“What is ‘Quality First Teaching’?”

This is when teaching and learning focuses on high quality, inclusive teaching for all learners in the classroom. It is about engaging all learners in an ambitious curriculum, scaffolding tasks, and having clear successful outcomes.

It is a term that is widely used to describe high quality teaching. Below is a link to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), a predecessor to the Department for Education (DfE), guide to personalised learning. The term QFT came out of this publication and, although this document is now archived, it sets out clearly the key characteristics of QFT as:

• Highly focused lesson design with sharp objectives

• High demands of pupil involvement and engagement with their learning

• High levels of interaction for all pupils

• Appropriate use of questioning, modelling and explaining on the part of the teacher.

• An emphasis on learning through dialogue, with regular opportunities for pupils to talk both individually and in groups.

• An expectation that pupils will accept responsibility for their own learning and work independently.

• Regular use of encouragement and authentic praise to engage and motivate pupils

“Are printed copies of the Mainstream Core Standards document available? Would be helpful for day-to-day reference for teachers and TA’s?”

The mainstream core standards are available as a printable PDF however, schools generally distribute these on their shared drives alongside any supportive CPD for easy access to specific parts of the standards.

“Is there anywhere we can go that helps to understand where the directives are coming from and what the difficulties are?”

The Written Statement of Action was developed following the Local Area OFSTED/ CQC inspection in 2019. Information relating to this can be found by clicking here. In response to the Written Statement of Action, the local area has developed a SEND Improvement Programme with a significant Inclusion workstream. Information relating to this workstream, and the work ongoing can be found on KELSI by clicking here.

“I see that the Mainstream Core Standards are branded as KCC, are they also used in Medway?”

The Mainstream Core Standards (MCS) were developed for Kent mainstream schools, those within the jurisdiction of Kent County Council. Medway Council is a unitary council and therefore directives to schools and education settings are separate.

“When does a school need to apply for top up funding? Can they apply and get the top up later in the year or does it have to be applied for at the start of the year only?”

Schools can apply for High Needs Funding at any time in the academic year when the cost of special educational provision for an individual CYP exceeds £6000. The link to guidance on High Needs Funding on Kelsi is below: High Needs Funding link.

“What other projects are currently (academic year 2022/23) available for free to ALL mainstream schools?”

• Countywide SENCo forums

• Whole school Nurture project

• Inclusive leaders of education

• Autism training with the Autism Education Trust

• Kent Supported Employment (Secondary only)

• Mainstream Core Standard courses for Middle leaders and teachers

• Governor SEND training modules

• Effective practice sharing via digital case studies

In addition to these projects, there are professionals available to support the SENCo, school leaders and teachers in developing and securing their SEND offer and whole school strategic inclusion plan (see table below)

Use the KELSI website to look further into the range of support available to schools:

https://www.kelsi.org.uk/

You can also find information about the support and services available in a child’s area via the local offer:

https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/special-educationalneeds

The Education People

A one stop shops for bespoke training, SEND reviews, SENCo support and whole school SEND development via a SEND specialist lead adviser. The Education people lead the countywide SENCo forums which can be accessed via enrolment on Kent CPD Online and lead the mainstream core standards training, e learning and governor training.

SEN

Inclusion Advisers

Your school will have an SEN Inclusion Adviser who will monitor and evaluate the provision for individual children and young people with education health and care (EHC) plans and those with high needs funding to ensure that they are making appropriate progress towards meeting their identified outcomes.

STLS

The Specialist Teaching and Learning Service support schools with specific areas of need and children. They can offer advice, guidance and training to support staff development. Your SENCo will have an STLS link to liaise with. https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-andchildren/special-educational-needs/who-tocontact/specialist-teaching-and-learning-services

LIFT

The local inclusion forum teams are available for referrals from schools when despite full implementation of the mainstream ore standards a child / young person is not making progress. A school can refer to the LIFT, discuss the case at a meeting and request furthers support. https://www.kelsi.org.uk/special-educationneeds/special-educational-needs/local-inclusion-forumteams

Education Psychology Service

This team specialises in promoting learning, development, emotional wellbeing and positive outcomes for children, young people and their families through consultations, advice, assessments, research, and evaluation.

https://www.kelsi.org.uk/specialeducation-needs/educational-psychology

PACT

Parents and Carers Together is a parent forum who support parents/ carers navigating the SEND world. They work with KCC on a range of policy implementation and SEND plans whilst providing families with support, advice, and guidance. Schools can direct parents to this service via their website.

https://www.kentpact.org.uk/

IASK

The Information Advice and support Kent service give free impartial and confidential advice and support about SEND for practitioners, families, and young people.

https://www.iask.org.uk/

They also run a school SEND roadshow service that is advertised to SENCos via the SENCo forum – schools can invite the roadshow along to events to speak to families and staff about the support on offer across the county.

To summarise, there is a vast offer across the county to support schools in not only meeting the statutory compliance for SEND but to also enhance their offer fully for SEND learners.

• Are you involved with the current KCC projects?

• Are you working in collaboration with external professionals?

• What support are you accessing outside of school to develop our SEND provision?

Chapter 7: Glossary of Terms

For a quick, Kent specific glossary of terms, the table below should help you with your understanding of the SEND abbreviations used often in many discussions, official documents, and training.

SEND Special Educational needs and Disabilities

CoP Code of Practice

Statutory Guidance Sets out what schools and local authorities must do to comply with the law

SENCo/INCo Special Educational Needs Coordinator / Inclusion Coordinator

SEND Information report

A report that outlines the school’s provision for SEND and how they will implement any SEND policy

CATIE Countywide Approach to Inclusive Education

KELSI Kent Education Learning and Skills Information – a website containing all educational support services across the county

Local offer A platform to give families and young people information regarding service available in their area

IASK Information Advice and Support Kent

MCS Mainstream Core Standards

Early Help Taking action to support a child or young person as soon as a concern emerges

STLS Specialist Teacher and Learning Service

LIFT Local Inclusion Forum Teams

EHCNA Education Health Care Needs Assessment

EHCP Education Health & Care Plan

ANNUAL REVIEW Yearly review of an EHCP focusing on outcome, progress and suitability of provision

K Learners are allocated a ‘K’ code on the SEND register indicating SEND support is required

Reasonable adjustments

A change that must be made to remove or reduce a disadvantage an individual with SEND may have

SALT Speech and Language Therapy

CAMHS Children and Adults Mental Health Service

Children and Families Act

2014

An act that brings together lots of different areas of law that affect children, especially vulnerable children, and codifies how they are protected in law.

EOTAS Education Other Than At School

EHE Elective Home Education

The Graduated approach

The Assess, Plan, Do, review process for supporting young people with SEND in schools

HNF High Needs Funding

IEP Individual Education Plan

PACT Parent and Carers Together (link to website)

CLA/LAC Child looked after / Looked After Child

Must What schools must do - compliance

Transition Planning for the movement of a young person either through key stages or across significant points in school

Tribunal A hearing when parents / carers and/or young people to not agree with decisions made by the local authority

Should Recommendations for best practice in schools

Portage A home visiting educational service for preschool children

SRP Specialist Resource Provision

Chapter 8: Closing Message and Useful Links

We hope you feel that this guide is a supportive resource in developing your own inclusive practice. Training offered across this academic year will work in conjunction with this resource and further support your understanding of the role whilst giving you the opportunity to discuss any key points or raise concerns.

We value your input into ensuring this resource meets requirements and fully supports your role and so please do email the project lead on Rory.Abbott@theeducationpeople.org if you feel any additional content would be of benefit or if you have your own examples of effective practice.

Don’t forget to sign up to our FREE training offer!

Training that run alongside this guide is available across the academic year. To find out more about the dates and times you can email Rory.Abbott@theeducationpeople.org for more information.

There are also Teach Meet opportunities being planned for Autumn 2023 for all SENCos, leaders, teachers and governors (information about these will follow).