SEND
Developing new SEND provision
The local authority has been working with schools and colleges to develop new SEND provision within the County. This provision will better support vulnerable learners to access education in schools in their local area and to develop friendships and peer groups in their own communities and thereby support improved long term outcomes for these learners.
Three new specialist special schools have opened since 2015, creating increased in-County provision for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) & Social Emotional and Mental Health issues (SEMH):
- Discovery Academy, Nuneaton
- Quest Academy (temporarily in Nuneaton, but to move to Rugby)
- Arden Fields School, Henley
Five SEN Resourced Provision for learners with complex communication and interaction (C&I) needs have been developed at the following locations:
- Peter’s Place at Trinity High School, Leamington Spa – 8 places
- Evergreen at Water Orton Primary – 8 places
- Maple Class at Lillington Primary School, Leamington Spa – 8 places
- The Bridge at Middlemarch Junior School, Nuneaton – 8 places
- The Haven at Stockingford Primary School, Nuneaton – 8 places
We are working with other schools so that we have one secondary and two primary SEN Resourced Provisions in each area of the County. Admission to specialist settings is agreed via the County Admissions Panel for Specialist Settings.
Other developments include:
- Brooke School Partnerships at Rokeby Primary School (8 places) and Harris School (8 places) for learners with a range of SEN
- Exhall Grange Coleshill Learning Pod – 8 places for learners with acute SEMH in Key Stages 3&4
- ‘Link’ bases at Wheelwright Lane Primary School and Stockingford primary School providing short term intervention for learners with SEMH
This has already had and will increasingly have a crucial impact in reducing High Needs Block expenditure on out-of-authority provision. It will also contribute significantly to reductions in SEN transport costs.
An interview with Jordan - Life with Asperger's
Jordan is 17 years old and runs the Life with Asperger’s website. He also works as a teaching assistant and volunteers for charity in his spare time. He won the Richard Hall Memorial Award in 2016 for his volunteering work. Here he tells us more about his website and achievements:
What made you want to start the Life with Asperger's website?
I originally wrote my first post back in 2014, as I was in a mainstream school, and a lot of the time people will make fun of autism spectrum disorders, so I wrote my initial post as a way of showing awareness with my peers of what life is like.
Then in the new year of 2016, I set myself a new year resolution which was to always be the best version of myself. I had a long and hard think about what I could do, and I thought I should dedicate more time to helping others, so I volunteered to work with ILEAP charity on their drama group for children with Asperger’s which I previously attended as a ‘pupil’. I then thought about what else I could do, and after a successful first blog post, I decided to make it more of a regular thing.
What is the Richard Hall Memorial Award and how did you get it?
The Richard Hall memorial award is named after someone who worked a lot with the Integrated Disability Services (IDS) autism team. He sadly passed away. The award is a way of remembering him and given out to people on the autism spectrum every year who make massive achievements.
What’s the best part about being a teaching assistant?
I suppose it’s being able to make a difference to people’s lives, and being able to give back some of the support I got when I was at school. It’s also nice as I see how every child differs in their needs, so although it can be a challenge it is a very rewarding job.
How did you start volunteering for charity?
As I had been with ILEAP as a ‘pupil’ for a few years, I decided to give back to what they gave me, and I contacted the charity organiser, and had an interview for the role and was successful. I then had to undergo the standard procedures of DBS checks, but once that was all completed everything was ready to go.
What's been a highlight for you so far, and why?
Passing my driving test has been a massive highlight for me, as having Asperger’s syndrome and dyspraxia made it a challenge. However, it has now given me so much more independence and freedom.
Working on the ‘Act for Autism’ project, which is a teacher training course all about autism. I enjoyed having a voice in how teachers should be trained to deal with autism in the classroom, as well as giving neurological people a more in depth understanding of what an autism spectrum disorder is like.
What are your goals for the future?
I hope to start to produce resources to be downloaded to help people with autism, such as social stories, and work booklets.
I am hoping to get to work further on the Act for Autism project and perhaps support the making of more workshops.
I also hope to expand my knowledge of other autism spectrum disorders, and write an article about how life is different for everybody.
Read Jordan’s blog and visit his website: http://lifewithaspergers.jimdo.com/
Primary SEMH Steering Group
The Primary Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Steering Group meets termly to discuss primary school SEMH provision within Warwickshire. The group, which is chaired by Pat Tate, consists of five Primary Phase Headteachers (one from each District and Borough), as well as Local Authority representatives. Meetings focus on sharing existing good practise as well as exploring ways of strengthening the SEMH provision across Warwickshire's primary schools.
A key piece of work championed by this group are the Primary School SEMH Capacity Building Bids which provide funding of up to £10000 for groups of primary schools working together to develop their SEMH capacity. Look out in future editions of Heads Up for details of the next round of bidding launch events which will be taking place in the Spring Term.
You can read a item on sharing good Primary SEMH practice from St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Alcester and Westgate Primary School, here.
Sharing Good Practice: Primary SEMH
Many thanks to St Nicholas C of E Primary School, Alcester, and Westgate Primary School who share with us some features of their provision for pupils with SEMH needs:
St Nicholas C of E Primary School, Alcester
Current media focus has highlighted the importance of children accessing quality SEMH support quickly.
Many schools have, like St Nicholas C of E Primary School, experienced a rapid increase in the number of children requiring SEMH support. Providing this support when faced with current budgetary constraints is an area of challenge for us all.
Identifying children for early support is the key to successful outcomes for SEMH provision. This can be the difference between children accessing ‘early help’ or requiring intensive specialist mental health support later in education.
Empowering children to talk about their feelings and concerns, as well as ensuring that they understand they can ask for help, from family, staff and peers, has played a huge part in forming our current provision.
Our ‘open door’ policy enables parents to discuss concerns and allows staff to foster excellent relationships with parents who feel valued and listened to. One parent recently commented: “I feel so reassured that staff are not only great teachers but they genuinely care about the happiness of our children.”
Alongside this, all staff are vigilant ensuring that they highlight children causing concern by following clear processes. This approach is inextricably linked to our approach to safeguarding and helps senior leaders build the bigger picture.
Upon identification, children are included within our additional needs register, which ensures staff have an excellent knowledge of the range of need within their class, the support that children are receiving and the progress that they are making towards SMART targets.
A wide range of SEMH provision is accessed by our children in small groups and 1:1 sessions. These include; a nurturing focused breakfast club, forest school, drama, creative activities, LEGO therapy, yoga, mindfulness, resilience and growth mind-set sessions, and social skills.
In some cases, in order to fully support the child it is necessary to support the family through; arranging EHSAs, implementing pastoral action plans or behaviour action plans, arranging sessions with the Listening Service (counselling service) and/or involving the Parenting Project.
Through continued, regular evaluation of provision and its impact, each child’s need is assessed and their support tailored towards their next steps with the long term goal of continued progress academically and socially through outstanding universal provision.
Successful SEMH support hinges on many factors and takes time and care to embed. However, it is a key part of creating a community that is supportive, caring, tolerant and compassionate.
Laura Marshall
Inclusion Leader
St Nicholas C of E Primary School, Alcester
Westgate Primary School
At Westgate, we often have children who exhibit significantly challenging behaviours. It can be tempting to look outside the school for the answer but, over the years, we have come to realise that we have many of the answers in school and that we really can bring about meaningful change. Here are some of the strategies we use to minimise disruption for the rest of the class, to support the teaching staff, and to help avoid permanent exclusion for the child.
For individual pupils requiring support in difficult times, our SENDCo will contact parents to discuss the issues and tie them in to a weekly update, thereby encouraging shared working. We may also ask the class TA to take on a mentoring role – daily time to talk, set up counselling from TAs trained in counselling/ listening skills or put in nurturing activities on a one-to-one basis.
For children at risk of permanent exclusion, or those returning from exclusion, we make a tight Behaviour/ Pastoral Support/ Reintegration Plan involving outside agencies and parents in its regular review. This could include paring down contact time in school, beginning with one hour a day, and gradually building up time in relation to successful engagement. We use a Boxhall Profile, which is very helpful in identifying areas for targeted interventions to support need, regardless of whether or not children access our Nurture Group. We constantly adjust and refine our approach to supporting pupils with high level behavioural needs, changing provision regularly to promote a successful outcome.
Like most schools, we find Early Help meetings extremely useful as a forum to support shared working and access wider expertise. Our actions from these meetings often involve our SENDCo in regular catch-ups with parents to help with strategies at home. We may also support the child through weekly or fortnightly interventions such as group/play therapy or counselling. Family Support Workers are invaluable in supporting change for children, as are colleagues in school health, who often attend our meetings.
We work closely with outside agencies such as the Specialist Teacher Service, the Educational Psychology Service (on initiatives such as the Friendship Project), or a member of the CAMHS team may attend one of our staff meetings to support teachers with a particular issue. Our SENDCo also oversees provision for social skills groups providing Lego therapy, therapeutic story writing or support with self-esteem. Universal strategies, used across the school, include circle time, class worry boxes and feelings journals, the latter being offered individually rather than generally.
As in so many areas of teaching and learning, a great deal of resilience is required to sustain the momentum of support for children with SEMH. It can be very frustrating and there are often setbacks, however, as front-line professionals we are the people best placed to make the difference which enables these children not merely to access their education but to thrive and grow as they should. The alternative to this, for the child and their future life chances, can be bleak indeed.
Lynne Daniels
Head Teacher
Westgate Primary School
Read about the Primary SEMH Steering Group here.
Would your school website pass the Ofsted test?
Prior to Ofsted calling desktop checks are made to ensure school websites comply with statutory guidance. If you are a maintained school there is a compliance checklist available on the DfE site.
Academies and Free Schools need to check their funding agreements to find out what they are required to publish.
A recent audit and several school inspection reports have found gaps in relation to Special Educational Needs.
SEN and Disability Requirements
In particular, the recent audit highlighted the following statutory requirements missing from school websites:
- The admission arrangements for pupils with SEN or disabilities – linking to the WCC Admissions’ page or detailing arrangements for pupils with statements / EHCPs is not sufficient. Schools must ensure that prospective pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including long term medical conditions are not treated less favourably or unfairly in the admissions' process.
- The steps taken to prevent pupils with SEND from being treated less favourably than other pupils.
- Details of the school’s access facilities for pupils with SEND;
- The school’s Accessibility Plan, showing how the school is planning to increase access over time for pupils with disabilities
Our recent audit found that many Access Plans had not been reviewed and updated for several years, were not resourced and did not cover the three required areas, i.e. how the school is:
- increasing the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum;
- improving the physical environment of schools to enable those with disabilities to take better advantage of education, benefits, facilities and services provided; and
- improving the availability of accessible information to those with disabilities.
For more advice and to access a Model Accessibility Plan, see our website.
School SEN Information Reports
Although our recent audit found all but one school had an SEN Information Report, very few reports met the statutory requirements. The most common gaps were:
Hopefully these are three requirements which can be fixed really quickly.
“Guidance on Special Toileting Needs in Schools and Early Years’ Settings”
Reminder to schools and settings that the Local Authority’s guidance for those learners with toileting needs can be found on the ‘Disability equality – statutory duties for schools’ webpage.
SEND – some facts and figures
- The January 2017 school census reported that of just over 80,000 pupils attending Warwickshire state-funded primary, secondary and special schools:
- 9,655 (11.3%) were receiving SEN support
- 2,636 (3.1%) had a statement or EHC plan
- giving a total of 12,291 (14.4%) pupils with an assessed SEN at any level.
- The highest recorded primary needs for SEND (inc. SEN Support) are:
- Moderate Learning Difficulty (33%)
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health (16%)
- Speech, Language and Communication Needs (14%)
- 92% of learners with statements/EHC plans attend outstanding or good schools in Warwickshire.
- 36% of new EHC plans issued within 20 weeks, including exceptions (Sept 2017).
- There has been a 10% rise in the number of EHC plans issued in Warwickshire (2016 compared with 2015). There has been an 8% rise across England.
- Referrals for EHC plans has risen by 43% (196 received in Q1 2017)
- As of 31 October 2017, 73% of statements had been converted to EHC plans
- 8.6 % of school age learners with EHC plans are educated in independent specialist providers (Sept 2017)
- 3% of SEN pupils with a statement or EHC plan achieving a 'good level of development' at foundation stage (2015/16)
- Warwickshire recorded higher than national average scores for both Attainment 8 and Progress 8 for learners with SEND
Funding for learners with SEND
For most learners in mainstream schools, including those with special needs, money is allocated to them through the school budget. Within this, there are two resources available to the school to meet the needs of all its pupils.
Element 1 funding
This is money provided for a school according to how many pupils there are in the school and what ages they are; this is known as the Basic Per Pupil Entitlement or the Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU). This funding is intended to pay for a Quality First, differentiated curriculum which meets the needs of all children in the school and a proportion of this should be spent on support for special educational needs (SEN). It’s from this core budget that things such as the SENCo’s salary should be paid from. The current values are as follows:
- Primary: £2,764.25
- Key Stage 3: £3,708.09
- Key Stage 4: £4,945.60
Element 2 funding
The amount a school receives in this element depends on:
- anticipated levels of social deprivation; and
- lower than expected levels of attainment in English and Maths.
The majority of support for SEN in schools comes from these two sources of funding. This funding enables schools to offer targeted support for all pupils with SEN&D, including teaching support in small groups and individual work with those pupils who need it.
These resources are available to all children with special needs in mainstream classes whether or not they have Education, Health and Care Plans or Statements of SEN.
This element is referred to as SEN Notional funding. Schools are expected to fund up to the first £6,000 of a pupil’s individual SEND provision from this funding.
The funding is not “ring fenced”; it is part of their general revenue funding. However schools have statutory duties which require them to:
- “identify and address the SEN of the pupils they support”;
- “use their best endeavours to make sure that a child with SEN gets the support they need – this means doing everything they can to meet children and young people’s SEN” (6.2 Code of Practice);
- “make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage” (6.9 Code of Practice).
Element 3 funding for Children & Young People with Education, Health & Care Plans - High Needs’ Funding
There will always be a small number of children whose needs are so complex that money to support them can only be allocated on an individual basis. In these cases the school can apply for Element 3, High Needs’ funding. This funding provides for children in mainstream schools with the most complex needs.
Which children should receive this funding, how much they should receive and for how long is decided by a range of professionals with experience and expertise in SEN working together in the best interests of the child. Head Teachers and SEN Coordinators who would like to volunteer to be on the High Needs’ Funding Panel rota should email sen@warwickshire.gov.uk.
Before making a request, schools are asked to demonstrate how they have used their delegated resources –elements 1&2- to make appropriate, targeted provision and that they have sought external specialist input over time to monitor that support.
The LA, in collaboration with schools and health, has published the SEND Provision Matrix, a tool to outline what schools should be providing as part of their universal and targeted offer: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/sendocs
Schools are advised to use this Matrix as a prompt when reviewing their SEND Information Report, to make clear what they are providing as part of their own universal and targeted provision. Schools are also asked to reference the Matrix, showing how they have used their own resources, before applying to the Local Authority for High Needs’ Funding.
SEND Local Offer and email news
Warwickshire SEND Local Offer website brings together a range of information regarding SEND. In the last year, we have changed a number of aspects of the Local Offer following feedback from young people and parents.
We are continuing to develop the Local Offer and hope to make it a tool that parent, young people and professionals can use together. Feedback from SENCOs is feeding into the next update of the website.
The Local Offer is also be used as a means for communication about SEND, including the use of Facebook and Twitter, email alerts and a six-monthly newsletter called SEND Voice.
We would encourage all schools to visit the Local Offer, sign up for email alerts on the ‘Keep Me Posted’ button, and publish a link on their website: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/send
SEND Panels
In the last 18 months a number of panels have been established to ensure that decision-making for SEND is consistent and robust.
The EHC Assessment Panel involves a SENCO and Education Psychologist to decide whether a referral should go forward for assessment. Evidence is considered against the SEN Provision Matrix. Over the period October 2014 - March 2017, 36% of referrals resulted in a decision not to assess. The most common reasons for decision not to assess are that needs can be met at SEN Support level (16%) or insufficient information (11%). School leaders play a significant role in confirming expectations that provision and the assess, plan, do, review process are implemented as they should be.
The County Admissions Panel for Specialist Settings includes representatives of special schools to decide on whether a place in a specialist setting is required (Special School or SEND Resourced Provision). Further details of this process can be found at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/educationschool.
There is also school representation on High Needs Panel funding and Exceptional Funding Panel.
Many school leaders speak positively of being involved in this process and the robustness that these panels bring to decision-making in SEND.
If you are interested in becoming a school representative on a panel please email sen@warwickshire.gov.uk.
SEND Programme Update
The SEND Programme Board provides oversight on the implementation the reforms set out in the SEND Code of Practice 2015.
Based upon the areas of most concern and where most improvement is needed the following priorities are proposed for 2017/18:
- Increasing the number of supported internships and work opportunities
- Improving the percentage of EHC plans issued within 20 weeks of referral
- Further develop and promote the Local Offer website to young people, parents and professionals
- Embedding the voice of young people in SEND planning and processes
- Agree education, health and social care joint working practices for children and young people with SEND
- Improve the experience of transition through health and social care services
Across the programme we are working with parents and carers, schools and colleges, local authority services and health partners.
SENDIAS Warwickshire (formerly Parent Partnership Service)
SENDIAS provide advice, information and support on all matters relating to SEND for parents and carers.
In particular, SENDIAS provide support for parents and young people during an Education, Health & Care (EHC) assessment and support in resolving disagreement.
SENDIAS also provide advice on school based support for learners with SEND who do not have an EHC Plan, advice on SEN & disability, health & social care, and advice on exclusions.
The service provides impartial and confidential advice by telephone or email as well as through individual casework.
Please add a link to SENDIAS to your school website: www.family-action.org.uk/wias
12 Top tips to get the most out of SENDAR
1. Wherever possible encourage parents / carers who feel their child might require an EHC Plan to work with your staff rather than submit a parental referral. Parental referrals usually arrive with much less evidence than school referrals and so are frequently turned down with a request to the school for missing information. This causes frustration for parents and delays matters. It also means that the school is required to provide the same level of evidence and paperwork as they would if they were making the referral themselves but within a mere two weeks rather than two terms to do this.
2. If it is believed that a child might require a needs assessment to support transition between key stages these should be considered in the year before transfer year; that is Years 1, 5, 8 or 10. Please work with parents, carers and appropriate professionals on this.
3. As far as possible avoid sending in EHC Plan referrals in the final term of the academic year and especially the final half term of the academic year. Think of the end of March as the latest date in the academic year for a referral. Any later than that and things risk running up against the summer exception rule that puts things on hold or means we are trying to contact schools and other professionals for advice when they are on holiday. Once again this causes frustration and wastes time.
4. Please don’t submit batches of EHC Plan referrals. These lead to bottlenecks in the system and once again contribute to delays.
5. If a child or young person with a Statement or EHC Plan is at risk of exclusion please remember to call a professionals meeting inviting your SENDAR Plan Coordinator and the educational professionals working with the child before any decision is made regarding permanent exclusion.
6. If you have any concerns you should talk to the LA professionals who work in your school for guidance (EPS, STS or IDS staff) and if still in doubt contact SENDAR. Asking questions early can avoid later misunderstandings.
7. We continue to welcome volunteer Head Teachers or SENCos to attend our EHC Plan Referral Panels on Thursdays or for the County Panel which meets monthly on Monday mornings and considers requests for children and young people to move from mainstream to specialist provision. These are excellent CPD opportunities for you and help to promote consistency across the LA.
8. When submitting EHC Plan referrals please do so electronically and use Microsoft Word not PDF. Referral forms, Family Conversations, Child / My Views and SEND Provision Matrix are easier to manage if they come in as separate documents but all other documents can come in as one. If you do have to make a paper submission please send documents in single-sided on unstapled A4. This will greatly ease our administration and speed up the process.
9. Please remember that SENDAR has no budget to provide support for school beyond that provided through the EHC Plan process.
10. If a child is undergoing a transfer to an EHC Plan and a costed IEP is enclosed, please include “Costed IEP Enclosed” in the title of the email
11. Remember, SENDAR is an extremely busy service with a heavy caseload working to tight deadlines and so might have difficulty in responding immediately to questions but all SENDAR staff are dedicated to the best interests of children and young people. Please have faith in them. They want to work with you.
12. Schools should be providing Careers Advice and Guidance for all their students from year 9 onwards. SENDAR’s Preparing for Adulthood team can support with Transition Planning for post 16 where needed. Please give them plenty of notice for any reviews you want them to attend. If any of your students are considering specialist provision beyond school it is vital that we know about this as soon as possible as there is a process for applying for high needs funding and local provision needs to be considered first. It is envisaged that the majority of leavers will transition into mainstream provision; our team can advise about support available.
Training and specialist support
Warwickshire Education Services offer a range of training and specialist support to help schools work with vulnerable learners. Training is aligned to the SEND Provision Matrix and covers a range of needs including communication and interaction, cognition and learning, and social, emotional and mental health. Further information on training opportunities can be found at https://apps.warwickshire.gov.uk/Wes/services-pupil.
Warwickshire Parent Carer Forum
Warwickshire Parent Carer Forum (previously Family Voice Warwickshire) represent families with SEND in Warwickshire. The Forum engage with parents and carers through events and social media. Members provide invaluable insight to the local authority on how families are being supported by schools and services, and help to shape change.
Please encourage parents to sign up to Facebook and Twitter feeds at
Warwickshire Parent Carer Forum can be contacted by email at warwickshireparentcarerforum@gmail.com.
Warwickshire Working Together Network (WWTN)
The WWTN is a network of groups and social media pages across Warwickshire. They all support young people to have their say. The network is about making Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services better by working with young people.
Young people can have their say about SEND service decisions that are important to them through the network. Some of the groups in the network include special school councils, Children in Care Council and college SEND groups.
The network is for children and young people aged 11 – 25 living in Warwickshire county with SEND to:
- Share views at one of the network groups.
- Share views with someone you know who is part of one of the network groups (for example, a school council member).
- You must be aged 13 or older to have your say online:
www.facebook.com/WarksCoPro
www.twitter.com/WarksCoPro
For more information, email lauramusgrave@warwickshire.gov.uk.
New SEND quality award for 0-5
Parents and nurseries have been working together to create a new 0 – 5 SEND quality award.
WIncKS shows that early years schools and childminders welcome children with special educational needs and disabilities. The name WIncKS stands for Warwickshire Inclusion Kite marking Scheme. The award recognises and celebrates high quality SEND provision in Warwickshire’s pre-school settings. Nurseries or childminders need to have a good or outstanding Ofsted rating to qualify for a WIncKS award. WIncKS also aims to raise the profile of award winners with families looking for inclusive 0 - 5 settings.
Parents and professionals took part in workshops to develop WIncKS, led by Integrated Disability Services. See photos from the workshops on the Warwickshire Working Together Facebook page.
The first round of awards was at Shire Hall, Warwick in September 2017. Eighteen pre-school settings received their WIncKS inclusion awards during the celebration.
Congratulations to:
Alcester Nursery
Merrydays and Henley Montessori School
Atherstone Nursery School
Bedworth Heath Nursery School & Early Years Teaching Centre
Claverdon Village Nursery and Pre-school
Westgate Preschool
Shipston Pre-School
Stockingford Early Years Centre and Library
Little Willows, Leamington Spa
Little Crofters, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tiny Toes, Rugby
Humpty Dumpty, Rugby
KCP, Rugby
Squirrels, Rugby
Weddington Pre-School, Nuneaton
Bizzy Tots, Clifton Rd, Rugby
St. Matthews Bloxham Nursery, Rugby
Kingsbury 1st Pre-School