Behaviour and Discipline in Schools – January 2016 – DfE

This is departmental advice for school leaders and school staff on developing a school behaviour policy. It has been updated  to reflect that, from January 2016, schools no longer have an obligation to use home-school agreements.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-and-discipline-in-schools

Keeping Children Safe in Schools – December 2015 – DfE

On 22nd December the DfE launched a consultation on proposals to change the Keeping Children Safe in Schools guidance. The DfE is seeking feedback on their plans to change parts 1 and 2 of the ‘Keeping children safe in education’ guidance. This consultation closes on 16 February 2016

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/keeping-children-safe-in-education-proposed-changes

Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions – November 2015 – DfE

This statutory guidance about how schools should support pupils with medical conditions has been updated to include clarifying around the distinction between statutory and non-statutory guidance and adding references to the SEND code of practice.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions–3

Rochford Review: interim recommendations for children working below the standard of national curriculum tests– December 2015 – DfE

This report provides guidance to schools about how to report statutory assessment outcomes for pupils working below the standard of the national curriculum tests at key stages 1 and 2.

This report:

• follows the same principles as the interim teacher assessment frameworks
• provides an interim solution for reporting outcomes in 2016
• defines interim pre-key stage standards

It is really important that SENCOs read this document as it gives important information about the statements that will need to be used for those pupils who have not completed the relevant programme of study but have reached the chronological age that requires a statutory assessment outcome to be reported.

At KS1 there is one additional standard and at KS2 there are three additional standards.

The Rochford Review did not have time to consider the P scales in their review prior to Christmas but they will continue to meet in order to consider if the P scales remain fit for purpose in the context of the new national curriculum and will make recommendations later this year.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rochford-review-interim-recommendations

Ofsted News

School Inspection Newsletter – January 2016

The first Ofsted Newsletter of 2016 was published on 4th January. This newsletter provides inspectors and stakeholders with information and guidance about Ofsted’s inspection work in schools.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-newsletter-2015-to-2016

Other News

The DfE answers your Top 10 questions on the changes in SEN and disability education.

Special Needs Jungle (SNJ) asked its followers to submit their Top Ten questions for the DfE about their experiences of the new SEND system. SNJ then collated the questions under 10 themes. These questions were answered by Stuart Miller, Deputy Director of SEND at the DfE. You can read all of the answers by visiting the SNJ website.

http://www.specialneedsjungle.com/

Information for SENCOs

The revised Governance Handbook was published in November 2015 and has a section on the responsibilities of the governing body with regard to SEND.

6.4.1 – 6.4.5 covers all of the aspects of SEN that a governing body has responsibility for.

Paragraph 38 states:

In summary, maintained schools and academy trusts have the following legal duties under the Children and Families Act 2014. Academies must also meet these requirements by virtue of their funding agreement.

They must:

• use best endeavours in exercising their functions to ensure that the necessary special education provision is made for any pupil who has SEN;
• ensure that parents or young person are notified by the school when special educational provision is being made for their child, because it is considered that he or she has SEN;
• make sure that the responsible person makes all staff likely to teach the pupil aware of the pupil’s SEN;
• make sure that the teachers in the school are aware of the importance of identifying pupils who have SEN and of providing appropriate teaching;
• ensure that there is a qualified teacher designated as special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) for the school. A newly appointed SENCO must be a qualified teacher and, where they have not previously been the SENCO at that or any other relevant school for a total period of more than twelve months, they must achieve a National Award in Special Educational Needs Co-ordination within three years of appointment;
• consult the local authority and the boards of other schools when it seems necessary to co-ordinate special educational teaching in the area;
• ensure that pupils with SEN join in the everyday activities of the school together with children without SEN, as far as is compatible with them receiving the necessary special educational provision; the provision of efficient education for all other pupils; and the efficient use of resources;
• take account of the ‘SEN and Disability Code of Practice’ when carrying out their duties towards all pupils with SEN;
• where a local authority or the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) names a maintained school as the school the child will attend on an SEN statement or Education and Health Care Plan, the board must admit the child to the school. Before naming a maintained school on a statement, the local authority must consult the board of the school (see below);
• cooperate with the local authority in developing the local offer;
• ensure the school produce and publish online its School SEN Information Report in accordance with section 69 of the Children and Families Act 2014; and
• ensure the school has arrangements in place to support children with medical conditions (section 100 Children and Families Act 2014).

Every SENCO should hold frequent meetings (at least three times per year) with their SEN Governor to discuss SEND provision in the school.