Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium
The literacy and numeracy catch-up premium gives schools additional funding to support year 7 pupils who did not achieve at least level 4 in reading or maths at the end of key stage 2. Schools receive £500 for each eligible pupil in year 7. Schools should assess the individual needs of each of the pupils who attract the year 7 catch-up premium to decide the best way to use the funding. Schools should only select programmes and approaches that you know are effective.
For example, you could use the funding to pay for:
- individual tuition
- intensive small-group tuition
- external services and materials
- summer schools that help students catch up over a short period of time
Examples of effective approaches and programmes can be found here.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/year-7-literacy-and-numeracy-catch-up-premium-guide-for-schools#history
Statistics: special educational needs (SEN)
The DfE have brought together all their statistics (since 2010) on pupils with SEN, including information on educational attainment, destinations, absence, exclusions, and characteristics. They can all now be found on one page of the DfE website.
SEN: analysis and summary of data sources
This document provides a combination of analysis and links to the key data sources on children and young people with special educational needs (SEN).
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sen-analysis-and-summary-of-data-sources
Children of the new century – Mental health findings from the Millennium Cohort Study
This report looks at the mental health of 11-year-old children living in the UK. The report finds that about one in ten (10.3 per cent) 11-year-olds in the UK has a mental health problem according to parents – or eight percent as reported by teachers, with symptoms including hyperactivity, conduct problems and peer problems as well as emotional problems.
http://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/children-of-the-new-century
Professional Standards for Teaching Assistants
In October Schools Week announced that the Standards for teaching assistants drawn up seven months ago by frontline volunteers had been ignored by ministers and they had refused to publish the document. The standards were never meant to be statutory but they would have supported schools in the effective deployment of their support staff. The draft standards can be found on the Schools Week website.
http://schoolsweek.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/TA-Standards-for-publication.pdf
Ofsted News
Reminder: Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission ( CQC) have launched a consultation on SEND inspection. The consultation outlines their proposals for inspecting how local areas are meeting their responsibilities to disabled children and young people, and those with special educational needs (SEND). The consultation will close on 4th January 2016 and the new inspection framework is expected to be in place by May 2016.
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-area-send-consultation
Ofsted Annual Report 2014/15
This Annual Report 2014/15 from Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw covers schools and the further education and skills sectors. It is underpinned by the findings of over 5,000 inspections of schools, colleges and providers of further education and skills.
Sir Michael said there is much to celebrate about England’s schools. More children are currently in good and outstanding schools than ever before. Primary schools in particular are excelling, with 85% now rated good or outstanding, up from 82% last year.
However, the report notes that while secondary schools have improved slightly, the gap between primaries and secondaries has not narrowed. More worryingly it reveals that underperforming secondary schools are concentrated in the North and Midlands, where 410,000 children attend a secondary school that isn’t good enough.
Find the full report here.
Other News
Book Trust School Library Pack School Library Pack
More than 40 great books free for your school library! The School Library Pack is available free to any secondary school or education provider in England with Year 7 students. Register on line here.
Information for SENCOs
Involving Specialists
The SEND Code of Practice 2015 (6.58) states that where a pupil continues to make less than expected progress, despite evidence-based support and interventions that are matched to the pupil’s need, the school should consider involving specialists, including those secured by the school itself or outside agencies.
This means that a school can commission a specialist that does not work for the LA or NH Trust to undertake assessments and provide reports outlining a child’s needs. As this is being commissioned by the school for children and young people receiving SEN Support the cost of this would have to be found from the notional SEN budget. A school will then use the assessment and report to ensure the child receives the appropriate provision.
Any such report can be used as part of the school’s evidence when applying for an EHC needs assessment but the local authority, whilst they have to accept the report, may choose not to include the recommendations in a final EHC Plan especially if they indicate costly support that could be provided more economically from a LA specialist.
Once a LA has agreed to carry out an EHC needs assessment they must seek further advice from a number of different sources (unless it is agreed that no further assessments are required – see section 9.47). At this point, specialists like Educational Psychologists, will normally be employed by or commissioned by the local authority but they must consult with any other psychologists known to be involved with the child. The duty for an assessment at this point falls on the local authority.
Written by Lorraine Petersen on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services
