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Oakfield School
SEND Reforms

SEND Reforms

Special educational needs and disability code of practice:  0 to 25 years.

Statutory guidance for organisations who work with and support children and young people

with special educational needs and disabilities.

In June 2014 the Government brought into law the new Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years. This new code of practice is the biggest change in special needs education in over 30 Years.

SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015

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But why are things changing?

—“A statement is not enough” Ofsted 2010

“In some schools inspectors met pupils who were provided with significant additional hours whose needs could and should have been met appropriately by differentiated teaching”

“too often is was assumed that children with SEN could not work with their peers because it was assumed they should work with adult assistance”

“Inspectors saw schools that identified pupils as having Special Educational Needs when in fact their needs were no different from those of most other pupils.”

“Children are underachieving but this was sometimes simply because the school’s mainstream teaching provision was not good enough and expectations of pupils were too low”

 

What is the Code of Practice?

It is statutory guidance on duties, policies and procedures relating to Part 3 of the Children and Families Bill.

New SEN Code of Practice

♦ A Family Centred System

♦ Integration, Joint Commissioning & Co-operation

♦ The Local Offer

♦ Early Years, Schools, Colleges etc

♦ Identifying Needs (including Additional SEN Support)

♦ Assessments & EHC Plans (including Personal Budgets)

♦ Resolving Disputes

 

What are the changes important to schools and Parents?

Changes in SEN

SEN Reforms 2014 – five things we need to know

♦ —School action and school action plus are to become a single category
♦ —Education, Health and Care Plans to replace statements (0-25 years) – improved working between health and education
—♦ Pupils and families to have more of a say
—♦ Optional personal budgets
♦ —Teachers must make sure that every pupil makes progress, even those supported by specialist staff. Linked to PM targets – can you identify SEN and support those with additional needs?

New Code of practice 2014

Parents know their child best…there is an expectation that LA’s place parents and young people at the heart of the processes and decisions.

—♦ There is a huge focus on Early Identification of children so support can be given swiftly “schools should plan their staff training, development and support so that all teachers are able to do this”

♦ “the benefits of early identification are widely recognised;  identifying need at the earliest point that a physical, sensory, learning or mental health need presents itself, and then providing good interventions, improves long term outcomes for the child”

—♦ Local offer – Local Authorities and Schools need to sell themselves and inform parents of what they do to support children with SEN.
—♦ “Many of the children who are not progressing as expected, or are falling behind their peers  can be supported, and have their needs met, through normal teaching and learning strategies, modification to teaching approaches and to classroom organisation, or through provision of ancillary equipment and aids.”
—♦ Before providing a child or young person with the Additional SEN Support, a rigorous assessment of SEN should be undertaken by the school using all available evidence/data sources, such as attainment and historical data, the child or young person’s development in comparison to their peers, information from parents and, if relevant, advice from external support services.
—♦ —ASSESS – PLAN – DO – REVIEW
—♦  —“Schools must ensure that children who receive additional SEN support and have an identified SEN have not had their progress hampered by weak teaching or poor attendance”

“When you change how you see the world, your whole world changes.” (Aman Motwane, 2000)

Where can I find more information.

Hull City Council Education Authority has created a website based resource to allow parents, carers, young people and professionals to locate appropriate provisions and information.
Oakfield School – SEN Information Pack.