SEND Information Report to Governors

The SEND report for Governors took a fair amount of time.  I wanted to ensure the Governors were given all the information they required as we have an impending Ofsted, I had met any recommendations laid out by the government and it was useful information for me and our senior team as well.  As there is no set format available, it was difficult to know where to start, which is where the SNIP newsletter 1 came in.  In their July edition, they listed 16 items which would be useful to include, which they had taken from recommendations from the SEND regulations 2014.  This was a great starting point and at the last governing body meeting, our governors were pleased with the information received, some of which they said they had never known about before. I also included data to show how inclusive we were as a school, and how all pupils are included in enrichment and extracurricular activities. It was comforting to know by crunching data, rather than having a focus upon, that just as many (if not more) SEND pupils accessed these kinds of activities.

Staffing

This year, we had a huge move around of staff, to eliminate the ‘velcro-effect’, help with transition in secondary schools and provide some independent skills for pupils.  I am very pleased to say this has worked very well, albeit a few teething problems. I am a strong believer that if a child spends too long with a special support assistant then they become over reliant on them.  Pupils need to work with a variety of adults within school.  This is a model they use in secondary schools, with pupils travelling from teacher to teacher but also teaching assistant to teaching assistant depending on the subject being taught. I feel it is a big enough shock to a pupil to have to negotiate a new school, and various new teachers each subject, without them having to leave their Special Support Assistant who they have worked with for up to 7 years.  Adults have skills in different areas and can be better placed in early years, key stage one or key stage two; we know this as teachers so the same applies to the teaching assistants.  Every child is different though, so when re-organising staff, the individual pupil needs to be taken into account, as change can be very difficult for some pupils.

New Code of Practice

The new Code of practice states parents should meet at least three times a year to discuss their child’s progress.  This is something I had always believed and had endeavoured to ensure happened in previous schools and my present school. As SENCO, it is impossible to ensure I meet with all parents three times a year, so had focused on the old ‘school action plus’ and pupils with statements.  With the changes of SEN Support being one category now, I needed to find a way to manage still meeting with parents whose children had significant needs and the class teacher met with the all other parents. However I also wanted to make sure children’s targets were SMART, linked to their needs and were on the SEN register because we were providing over and above what other children were receiving within the class. With 90+ children on the SEND register, I decided I would meet with the parents once per year and the class teacher did the other two meetings (after a meeting with myself), except for those children with significant needs where  all stakeholders would meet together three times a year.  In the summer term, I arranged meetings for all pupils on the SEND register, so the review and new targets would support them with transition to their next classes and their new teachers would be prepared for interventions at the start of term.  The changes to ‘assessment without levels’ has meant I have started this year doing the same,  in the two/ three weeks before half term I met with class teachers, parents and pupils to review their targets and plan new ones if necessary but also to explain in detail how the new assessment system applied to their child. I felt this was a very valuable use of my time, as knowing your child is secure at Year 1, when just starting Year 4 is much more of a stark message than being told 1a instead of 3b.  I emphasised the expectation being the same if not greater in terms of progress for their child. Most parents had attended the head teachers meetings regarding the new system and had previously discussed with me where their child was in terms of year group so all appeared to understand and take on board next steps for their children. In fact most parents liked the new system as it made it much clearer for them.

Intervention

During a recent EP meeting it was decided we would use Video Interaction Guidance (VIG)2 or Video Enhanced Reflective Practice (VERP).  It is an intervention (which requires parental consent) that aims to allow practitioners a chance to reflect on their interactions with pupils. Short video clips are taken of adults interacting / communicating with pupils, or a specific pupil.  The adult then is able to cut the clips to the most successful sections; these can be 5-10 second clips or even still shots.  On meeting the EP again the clips are reflected upon and discussed and then clear targets are set for the practitioner to work towards before the next sessions.  At least three sessions are booked with the educational psychologist to deliver this intervention.   This is the second time I have invested EP time into this intervention. The first was very successful a few years ago. We had a new pupil in Reception, who clearly had social communication difficulties but was undiagnosed and we were having difficulty getting additional support for him. A noticeable difference in his behaviours were noticed after this intervention with staff within the class, who were then able to transition him to year 1 effectively, passing on their valuable reflections on what works well. This year, we are using this intervention again for a pupil in Reception and I have high hopes for its success.

So what’s next for the remainder of the Autumn term? ……. Lots and lots as usual for all busy SENCOs.  (I’m particularly looking forward to an eye tracking session with Hector!)

Resources

1. SNIP newsletter
2. Speak to your Educational Psychologist or read about it at Video Interaction Website