How is extra support allocated to children and how do they progress in their learning?

The school budget, includes money for supporting children with SEN. The Headteacher decides on the deployment of resources for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, in consultation with the school governors on the basis of needs in the school. The Head Teacher and the SENCo discuss all the information they have about SEND in the school including:

• Children getting extra support already
• Children needing extra support
• Children who have been identified as not making as much progress as would be expected.

From this information, they decide what resources/training and support is needed. The school identifies the needs of SEN pupils on a provision map. This identifies all support given within school and is reviewed regularly and changes made as needed, so that the needs of children are met, and resources are deployed as effectively as possible.

A child who has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be in receipt of School Support which is from Band A to Band C. Children beyond Band C require futher support than that usually provided by the school.

Support Intervention Band A

• Our initial concern is concern, underpinned by evidence, that despite differentiation and other arrangements, the child makes little progress due to underachievement, sensory/physical or communication/interaction difficulties
• Class teacher/SENDCo discuss, look at existing and collect additional information,
• SENDCo takes lead in further assessment and planning future support. At this point the child may be issued with a pupil passport so they have been identified as needing something extra than the QFT offer.
• Interventions are put in place which include different materials or groupings, 

Support Intervention Band B

Band B will be considered when:

• Pupils are unable to make appropriate progress despite additional intervention support provided by school.
• Expert advice is required from an external agency (e.g. SALT)
• IEP or Play Plan is created in collaboration with class teacher, SENDCo and one external agency.

Support Intervention Band C

Band C will be considered when:

• Pupils are unable to make appropriate progress despite additional intervention support provided by school
• A range of expert advice and specialist assessments are required from a variety of external agencies (Educational Psychologist, SALT, Physiotherapist etc)
• IEP or Play Plan reviewed and new targets created in collaboration with class teacher, SENDCo and a variety of external agencies. (Educational Psychologist, SALT, Physiotherapist etc)

 Children at Band C might require an application for a needs assessment if school/external agencies/parents feel this is necessary.

EHC request

Where pupils do not make sufficient progress, despite the school making purposeful and relevant interventions, in this case it may be appropriate to ask the Local Authority to carry out a statutory assessment of their needs. The LA will seek evidence from the school that any strategy or programme implemented for the child in question has been continued for a reasonable period of time without success and that alternatives have been tried. The LA will need information about the child’s progress over time, and will  also need clear documentation in relation to the child's special educational needs and  any action taken to deal with those needs, including any resources or special arrangements put in place. In preparing a request, the school will involve the parents, pupils and outside agencies and refer to Chapter 9 of the SEN Code of Practice 2014.

If a local authority (“LA”) is requested to carry out an EHC needs assessment by a parent, young person, school or college, they must consider:

• whether the child or young person has or may have special educational needs (“SEN”); and
• whether they may need special educational provision to be made through an EHC plan.

If the answer to both of these questions is yes, they must carry out an EHC needs assessment.

This test is set out in the law (section 36(8) of the Children and Families Act 2014). This means these are the only questions the LA should be asking when considering whether or not to carry out an EHC needs assessment (IPSEA).

EHC Plans

Following statutory assessment, a child can be issued with an Education, Health, Care Plan.

EHCPs are based on coordinated assessments from all of the services involved with the child or young person. The plans focus on outcomes and say how services will work together to meet the needs of the child or young person.