Guidance descriptors: SEND support graduated response (Torbay)

Assess Clear analysis is made of the pupil’s needs based on:

• views of the pupil and their family
• teacher assessments and observations
• pupil’s current attainment
• pupil’s previous progress and attainment
• tracking of progress and comparisons with national data
• assessments by external agencies, if appropriate

Plan Following assessment, the teacher, SENCO, parent or carer and pupil, agree on a plan of action to include:

• outcomes for the pupil expressed as Smart targets
• the adjustments, support and interventions to be put in place, a date for review

Family

Review

Do The quality, effectiveness and impact of provision is evaluated by the review date:

• impact evidence is considered in conjunction with the planned outcomes
• information is shared with the pupil and their family
• everyone’s views on progress are shared

If the pupil still has an SEN the cycle then starts again at assess with the updated needs of the pupil being considered. The Smart outcomes should be agreed before planning a continuation of, or change to, ‘additional to and different from’ provision.

All the pupil’s, teachers and support staff are made aware of the plan and implement the adjustments, support and interventions. Teachers are responsible for:

• differentiating and personalising the curriculum
• delivery of ‘additional and different’ provision for a pupil with SEN
• planning, support and impact measurement of all group and one- to-one interventions delivered by support staff
• linking interventions to classroom teaching

Torbay’s Guidance and Descriptors for SEND Support (A Graduated Response)

April 2018

Contents

1. Introduction 4

• The purpose of this document 6
• How to use this document 6
• Definition of Special Educational Needs (SEN) 11
• Definition of Disability 11
• Equality Act 12
• School Access Plans 12
• Medical needs 12
• Effective, Inclusive Practice and SEND Support 13
• Inclusive Provision for SEND Pupils in Mainstream Schools 16
• Cognition and Learning – Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) 18
• Cognition and Learning – Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) 19

Communication and Interaction - Speech, Language and Communication Needs

• (SLCN) 20
• Communication and Interaction – Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 21
• Social Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH) 22
• Physical and Sensory: Hearing Impairment (HI) 23
• Physical and Sensory: Visual Impairment (VI) 24
• Physical and Sensory: Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI) 25
• Physical and Sensory: Physical Difficulty (PD) 26

3. Glossary and abbreviations 27

1. Introduction

Context

This document has been created in response to requests from schools and colleges in Torbay to assist them in providing equality of opportunity across all educational settings within the fragmented education system.

The special educational need of the majority of children and young people should be met effectively in mainstream settings through SEN Support without the local authority needing to carry out a Statutory Assessment.

Where a child or young person is identified as having SEN, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. The SEN support should take the form of a four-part cycle through which earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the child or young person’s needs and of what supports them in making good progress and securing good outcomes. This is known as a graduated approach. It draws on more detailed approaches, more frequent review and more specialist expertise in successive cycles in order to match interventions to the SEN of children and young people.

Education settings need to recognise Children and Young People’s (CYP’s) needs will change over time and provision must reflect this. The Code of Practice emphasises adequate progress as the major indicator of the success of the interventions in place. Therefore, the range, type and intensity of the interventions should be subject to regular revision and adaptation as required in the light of progress and outcomes. This should be on an individual level to reflect changing needs and provision, involving views of parents and CYP working in conjunction with the educational setting.

Consideration for an assessment will only be given if a child/young person has complex, long term and significant needs with evidence to show that appropriate progress at SEN Support has not been made despite a range of intervention and specialist advice/support. For further information relating to EHC needs assessments please see the ‘Guidance Criteria for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)’ document which is available to view online and download at: www.torbay.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/send/statutory- assessments/

“High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEN. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching. Schools should regularly and carefully review the quality of teaching for all pupils, including those at risk of underachievement. This includes reviewing and, where necessary, improving, teachers’ understanding of strategies to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their knowledge of the SEN most frequently encountered.” (Paragraph 6.37 SEND Code of Practice)

“High quality teaching that is differentiated and personalised will meet the individual needs of the majority of children and young people. Some children and young people need educational provision that is additional to or different from this. … Schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to ensure that such provision is made for those who need it. Special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less.” (Paragraph 1.24 SEND Code of Practice)

“Early years providers, schools and colleges should know precisely where children and young people with SEN are in their learning and development. They should:

• ensure decisions are informed by the insights of parents and those of children and young people themselves
• have high ambitions and set stretching targets for them
• track their progress towards these goals
• keep under review the additional or different provision that is made for them
• promote positive outcomes in the wider areas of personal and social development, and
• ensure that the approaches used are based on the best possible evidence and are having the required impact on progress.”

(Paragraph 1.25 SEND Code of Practice)

The purpose of this document

This document provides a set of minimum standards for High Quality Teaching and SEND provision. It sets out what schools/settings are expected to provide from their delegated funds (i.e., Element 1 and 2 funding) for children and young people with SEND.

This document aims to support:

• good inclusive practice
• early intervention and the graduated approach to meeting children and young people’s SEND
• consistent standards of good practice across all schools
• school to school moderation and challenge
• school senior management teams and governors, SENCOs and their school colleagues in developing and implementing good practice
• appropriate decision making to ensure effective support
• information for parents and partner agencies on schools’ inclusive practice

This document also fulfils the local authority’s duty to set out, in its Local Offer, a description of the special educational provision it expects to be available for children and young people in its area who have SEN or disabilities.

How to use this document

Each section contains the following:

• A description of the type of SEND and its associated features
• Impact on attainment
• Expected arrangements to meet needs including High Quality teaching and SEN Support

For each section, the involvement of children, their parents/carers and young people in discussions and decisions about their individual support is seen as an integral and key element in school/setting based arrangements.

Statutory Duties

The Local Authority Must:

• Promote Equality of Opportunity for Disabled children and young people

• Ensure a sufficiency of provision for children and young people with SEND and review it annually (place funding)

• Publish information on SEND funding and provision

• Monitor the progress of children and young people with SEND

• Provide information, support, advice and guidance to parents and carers of

children and young people with SEND including the provision of a statutory Parent Partnership Service and Mediation Service

• Publish information about the Local Offer, i.e. what is expected to be available for children and young people (0-25 years ) with SEND
• Make arrangements for the statutory assessment of children and young people, where agreed, and maintain and review statements of SEND and/or EHC plans

Schools (including Academies and Free Schools), FE Colleges and SEN Governors Must:

• Ensure that to the best of their endeavours, the necessary provision is made for any Child/young person who has SEND
• Have due regard to the statutory guidance within the current SEND Code of

Practice when carrying out duties towards all children and young people with SEND

• Ensure inclusive teaching and support is embedded throughout the school /

college and that All teachers/lecturers understand that they are responsible for children and young people with SEND

• Ensure that a child/young person with SEND joins in the activities of the school

/college together with other children/young people, so far as is reasonably practical and compatible with the child/young person receiving the Special Educational Provision their learning needs call for, the efficient education of the children/young people with whom they are educated and the efficient use of resources

• Invest in whole school /college and targeted training for staff

• Identify children and young people with SEND and ensure provision is made in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice (2015)
• Ensure that teachers/lecturers/staff are aware of the importance of identifying and providing for children and students who have SEND
• Ensure that where the headteacher/proprietor/SENCO or a nominated

governor has been informed by the LA that a child or young person has SEND, those needs are made known to all who are likely to teach or support that child/young person

• Ensure that school/setting/college notifies parents and carers of a decision

by the school/setting/college that SEND provision is being made for their child/young person

• Know how many children/young people in the school/setting/college have SEND
• Consider pre-emptive arrangements for children and young people (present and future) with a disability
• Ensure that they have access to external specialist services and expertise

through partnerships, work with the Local Authority, and other agencies/providers and direct employment

• Ensure that they co-operate with the local authority on arrangements for students with SEN. Equally the local authority must co-operate with the College
• Appoint a SENCO (who is a qualified teacher), or equivalent, to have oversight of the SEND arrangements
• Appoint a SEND Governor to have oversight of the arrangements for SEND in the school, or college
• Know how much money the setting gets for SEND and ensure an appropriate

budget arrangement is in place to discharge its duties to arrange provision for children and young people with SEND

• Review and approve the SEND policy and other relevant policies

• Report to parents and carers on the implementation of the school/college’s policy for children and young people with SEND
• Ensure that SEND provision is integrated into the school /colleges self-assessment and improvement plans
• Provide information on school /college arrangements for SEND to parents, carers and governors
• Have a duty to admit a child/young person if the School/College is named in an EHC plan.
• Monitor the progress of children/young people with SEND and ensure that the provisions specified in statements of SEND and EHC plans are made
• Publish detailed information about their arrangements for identifying, assessing and making provision for children and young people with SEND
• Publish on the setting’s website the SEND policy and a description of the

arrangements and specialist provisions made for children and young people with SEND

Link to Teachers Standards (school age) www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-standards

The Role of the SENCO

The provision of high quality teaching for children with special educational needs and disabilities is not a matter for the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) alone; all teachers are teachers of children with additional educational needs. However, each school is required to have a nominated SENCO who must be a qualified teacher. All staff and parents must know who the nominated SENCO is.

The importance of this challenging and highly rewarding role in schools has been reiterated in the 2014 SEND Code of Practice and the Children and Families Act 2014. Whilst the day to day role will reflect the phase, type and size of the school, the key features are:

• Contributing to the strategic development of SEND provision
• Overseeing the day to day operation (and periodic review) of the school’s SEND policy
• Coordinating, tracking progress and evaluating the impact of the provision being made for pupils with SEND
• Ensuring the full inclusion of SEND pupils within in the school community and access to the school’s curriculum, facilities and extra-curricular activities
• Liaising with and advising other teachers the effective deployment and performance management of learning support staff
• Maintaining detailed records of the provision made for children and young people with SEND
• Liaising with parents and carers
• Contributing to the professional development of staff
• Liaising with external agencies; which can include involvement of specialists at any point to advise on early identification of SEN and effective support and interventions, and should include such involvement where progress is less/ continues to be less than expected despite evidence-based SEN support delivered by appropriately trained staff
• Deploying the SEND budget and reporting on how it is spent
• Reporting on the progress of children and young people with SEND

The Code of Practice envisages that the SENCO will provide professional guidance to colleagues with the aim of securing high quality teaching of pupils with SEND and that they will therefore lead teaching and learning and the coordination of provision for pupils with SEND in their school.

It is recommended that SENCOs are members of the school’s Senior Leadership Team. There is an element of bureaucracy involved in SEND coordination and access to administrative support is essential to allow the SENCO to focus on the core, and specialist, aspects of the role.

Definition of Special Educational Needs (SEN)

The SEND Code of Practice defines SEN as: “xiii. A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.

xiv. A child of compulsory school age or young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:

• has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or
• has a disability which prevents or hinders him/her from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post 16 institutions.

xv. For children aged two or more, special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children and young people of the same age by mainstream school, maintained nursery schools, mainstream post 16 institutions or by relevant early years. For a child under two years of age, special educational provision means educational provision of any kind.

xvi A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if he or she is likely to fall within the definition in paragraph xiv. above when they reach compulsory school age or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them (Section 20 Children and Families Act 2014).”

Definition of Disability

The Equality Act 2010 states that a disability is: “a physical or mental impairment which has long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day to day activities”.

The framework outlined in the Children and Families Act 2014 for meeting the needs of children and young people up to the age of 25 years, puts children and families at the centre of the process. Schools and Local Authorities must ensure that parents and carers have access to information about the support available to them through a published Local Offer, making the process more transparent and accessible. There is a strong focus on the participation of children and young people and parents in decision making at all levels. There is also a focus on identifying outcomes and co- ordinating support to meet those outcomes and on supporting young people through the transition to adulthood. Young people over the age of 16 have new rights to make decisions for themselves.

This means that when a young person is aged 16 or over, their own views and opinions take precedence over those of their parents/ carers, unless the young person does not have the mental capacity, (Mental Capacity Act 2005).

Equality Act

The Equality Act 2010 and Children and Families Act 2014 reinforce the right of all children to be educated in mainstream schools. The SEND Code of Practice (CoP) states “Where a child or young person does not have an EHC plan they must be

• educated in a mainstream setting except in specific circumstances (CoP 1.27). All
• schools ”must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary

aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.” (CoP 6.9)

School Access Plans

The Equality Act 2010 also requires Local Authority and schools to develop and publish an Accessibility Strategy and Accessibility Plans that outline how they will improve the accessibility of buildings, access to education and information for disabled pupils over time.

Schools’ Access Plans should also consider access to after school activities and extended school activities if they are based on their school site. There is a requirement for maintained schools, pupil referral units (PRUs), academies and free schools to produce an Access Plan.

Medical needs The Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools and academies to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions. Individual health care plans will normally specify the type and level of support required to meet the medical needs of such pupils. Where children and young people also have SEN, their provision should be planned and delivered in a co- ordinated way.

(Statutory Guidance - Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions)

Effective, Inclusive Practice and SEND Support

Universal - Whole School:

• Quality First Teaching.
• Systems to be put in place for staff routinely to seek each pupil’s view about their strengths and difficulties and adults’ concerns.
• Systems to be in place for staff regularly to seek the views of parents/carers about their children’s needs and outcomes.
• Appropriate arrangements to be in place for assessment and planning of the environment to ensure access for all pupils.
• Clear plans for the use of support to achieve agreed outcomes.
• Effective internal communication and liaison arrangements between staff.
• Frequent consideration of pupil progress.
• Progress being recorded, tracked and judgements about whether appropriate through national curriculum and standardised assessments.
• Consideration of pupils’ access to the curriculum and the learning environment, see Torbay’s Accessibility Strategy.
• Policies of Equality of Opportunity to be in place.
• Risk assessments are undertaken as appropriate.
• Whole school ethos which facilitates the development of self-esteem, confidence and independence.

SEN Support - Additional Targeted And Specialist Support:

 The setting has strategies in place to gather the pupil’s views about their difficulties and the support approaches in place and needed.

 The setting to raise and discuss concerns with the pupil’s family and involve them in planning support approaches.

 Close home-school links, so school staff are aware of changes in home circumstances that may impact progress.

 Liaison and consultation with external professionals and support services, where appropriate see information on the SEND Local Offer.

 Where appropriate, external services contribute via consultation or specialist assessment, leading to a more specifically focussed plan.

 The Team around the Child need to agree Smart outcomes and how success will be measured.

 A range of assessments may be used as a baseline from which progress can be measured. There should be consideration of the pupil’s development in comparison to their peers and their response to previous interventions.

 Clear plans are in place for the use of support to achieve agreed outcomes.

 A date is set for review.

 Interventions used are well founded and evidence based.

 A cycle of intervention should usually last a minimum of six weeks.

 A provision map which has a range of small group interventions available for the high incidence needs. The time-limited, pre-formulated interventions will include Smart targets  Provision that is additional and different from that routinely available in school evidenced through clear, graduated plans and reviews.

 Involvement from external support services e.g. Advisory Teacher, Educational Psychologist who assist in assessment and planning.

 Very close home-school liaison, so school staff are aware of changes in home circumstances.

 For some pupils a co-ordinated multi-agency plan is required.

 Following cycles of assess – plan – do – review whether a pupil may require a statutory assessment of their SEN which may lead to an EHC plan. Some pupils continue to receive support at SEN Support level appropriately throughout their school career.

 Consistently followed guidelines being in place for handing over information regarding individualised pupil needs at time of transition between classes and for changes to classroom personnel e.g. supply cover.

2. Inclusive Provision for SEND Pupils in Mainstream Schools

We recognise that each school in Torbay has its own individual ethos and structures however, this document is to assist all schools and settings to have some consistency in their approach to supporting children/young people with SEND. Most children/young people with SEND in Torbay mainstream schools will have their needs met at SEN Support.

This document should be viewed as good practice and expectations for high quality teaching and provision at SEND Support level. It sets out what schools/settings are expected to provide from their delegated funds (i.e. Elements 1 and 2 funding) for children and young people with SEND. The school funding formula delivers funding for SEN as part of the whole school budget. This allocation is intended to contribute to the costs of providing interventions which are “additional to and different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age” (SEND Code of Practice) against assessments and priorities identified by the school or college.

In this section you will find descriptions of the type of SEND identified in the four broad areas of need. Included are the expected arrangement to meet needs through high quality teaching and SEN support. Many children and young people will have needs which will come under several sections of this guidance, and it is therefore essential to bear this in mind.

Cognition & Learning:

• SpLD - specific learning difficulties
• MLD – moderate learning difficulties

Communication & Interaction:

• SLCN – speech language and communication needs
• ASD - Aspergers/Autism

& Interaction

Social, Emotional & Mental Health

Cognition & Learning

Sensory &/or

Physical

Sensory and/or Physical: • VI – visual • HI – hearing • MSI – multi sensory • PD - physical

Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH):

Various manifest behaviours, e.g., anxiety, depression, self- harming, substance abuse, eating disorders, ADHD, attachment disorder, etc

Cognition and Learning – Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)

Identification Expected arrangements to meet needs

Specific learning difficulties (SpLD) affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions including dyslexia and dyscalculia etc. Dyslexia affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. Dyscalculia affects the skills involved in the use of number. The child presents with greater difficulty than the majority of other children of their age in the following areas:

• Phonological awareness and processing
• Verbal memory
• Verbal processing speed
• Word reading and spelling skills with consequent impact on other literacy skills
• Number skills

Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia. A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or has responded to well-founded intervention.

High Quality Teaching:

• Differentiation of literacy and numeracy tasks to support learning outcomes, e.g., listening and discussing rather than reading and writing, use of assistive technology, etc.
• Alternative multi-sensory activities to enhance and support learning, e.g., visual and practical
• A variety of alternative ways to present and record learning, oral, photographic, video, highlighting/cutting and pasting text, flow charts, mindmaps, bullet points, etc.
• Use of classroom learning aids (e.g., subject specific word mats, word lists coloured coded by category, writing frames, spellcheckers, specialist dictionaries, number lines, Dienes apparatus, Numicon, ICT, etc.)
• Use of reading texts matched to age and interest as well as reading level across the curriculum
• Careful consideration of accessibility of learning materials in terms of readability, density of text, size and choice of font, layout, overlays, coloured paper, appropriate use of illustrations etc.
• Enhance attention skills by reducing background noise and distractions
• Support to sequence tasks and instructions within class
• Giving extra time for thinking/ processing, speaking and listening
• Support for homework and arrangements to ensure that tasks are clearly recorded including use of ICT
• Use of relevant High Quality Teaching to support learning as per SLCN and MLD sections

SEN support – will include individual teaching/ teaching assistant support (or a mix of the two as appropriate) and/or the provision of equipment that is not normally available for:

• An assessment of child’s SpLD leading to an appropriately targeted intervention programme planned in partnership with the child and their family and as advised by an outside agency where involved
• Individual/small group programmes reinforced by appropriate ICT on phonological awareness, phonics including letter sounds and blending, sight vocabulary, reading strategies, comprehension and inference skills, letter formation, handwriting, spelling, sentence formation, grammar, writing/composition skills, study skills, etc. as appropriate and using evidence based interventions programmes
• Classroom support to develop literacy and numeracy skills and generalisation of skills taught as part of individual/small group programmes
• Child’s baselines and subsequent progress accurately monitored and provision regularly reviewed and adjusted in line with their progress over a sustained period (i.e., at least 2 terms).

Attainment SpLD likely to lead to uneven attainment with learning mediated by literacy and/or numeracy skills adversely affected compared to stronger attainment in other curriculum areas.

Cognition and Learning – Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)

Identification Expected arrangements to meet needs

A child with greater difficulties than the majority of other children of their age in making progress across all areas of the curriculum despite effective teaching which is not due to factors such as:

• Learning English as an Additional Language (EAL)
• Social deprivation
• Sensory impairment
• Emotional disturbance

The child may present with difficulties in understanding, thinking, problem solving and retaining information, concepts and skills as well as difficulties in:

• Attention and listening
• Concentration and on task behaviour
• Literacy and numeracy skills
• Self-organisation
• Making links between different areas of learning and generalising to everyday experience
• Visual, practical and spatial/physical learning

High Quality Teaching:

• Differentiated lesson planning/delivery modified in terms of:
• level (i.e., focusing on key learning outcomes and drawing on earlier programmes of study as appropriate with learning targets broken down into smaller achievable steps)
• pace (i.e., extra time for responses to questions, contributing to class discussions and to complete activities)
• approach (i.e., multi-sensory, related to the child’s everyday experience, emphasis on direct experience and practical activities including appropriate use of ICT)
• output (i.e., alternative ways to record learning, e.g., oral, photographic, video, highlighting text, mindmaps, etc.)
• Cueing and reinforcing children’s listening/attention
• Checking understanding and reinforcing as required through repetition, rephrasing, explaining & demonstration
• Demonstrating tasks (what the finished product looks like)
• Opportunities for pre-teaching, overlearning and reinforcement
• Use of classroom learning aids (e.g., subject specific word mats, writing frames, number lines, ICT, etc.)
• Use of topic maps to link current learning to previous learning
• Explicit teaching to support generalisation of skills
• Use of peer support
• Visual cues to support understanding including the use of objects, pictures, signs, symbols, models, examples, ICT
• Modelling and teaching study skills (e.g., having a plan to complete the task, problem solving skills, etc.)
• Supporting personal organisation (e.g., using resources, organising equipment, etc.)
• Physical environment that is organised and well-defined and labelled using written and visual cues

Attainment Children with MLD will have attainments well below expected levels across all areas of the curriculum, despite appropriate interventions. They will have much greater difficulty than their peers in acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills and in understanding concepts. They may also have associated speech and language delay, low self-esteem, low levels of concentration and underdeveloped social skills.

SEN support – will include individual teaching/ teaching assistant support (or a mix of the two as appropriate) and/or the provision of equipment that is not normally available for:

• Assessment of child’s learning skills leading to an appropriately targeted intervention programme planned in partnership with the child and their family and as advised by an outside agency where involved
• Individual/small group programmes reinforced by appropriate ICT for language, literacy and numeracy skills, pre- teaching and reinforcing curriculum learning, study skills, etc., as appropriate
• Classroom support to prompt and generalise skills taught as part of individual/small group programmes
• Differentiated work

Child’s baselines and subsequent progress accurately monitored and provision regularly reviewed and adjusted in line with their progress over a sustained period (i.e., at least 2 terms)

Communication and Interaction - Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)

Identification Expected arrangements to meet needs

A child with delayed and/or disordered SLCN development that is not due to factors such as:

• Learning English as an Additional

Language (EAL)

• Social deprivation and impoverished

language experience

• Sensory impairment
• The child presents with greater difficulty

than the majority of other children of their age in speech and language and communication:

• Communicating their basic needs

appropriate to their developmental level

• Understanding and using vocabulary,

sentences (grammar and syntax) and concepts as part of curriculum learning

• Understanding and participating in

group discussions and age appropriate social interaction

• Speech impairments (e.g., phonological

disorder) that makes their spoken language difficult to understand except for those who are familiar with the child’s speech

• SLCN may also impact upon social &

emotional development (and behaviour)

High Quality Teaching:

• Cueing and reinforcing children’s listening/attention
• Differentiation of teacher language, i.e., use of key vocabulary, short sentences with simple grammar, chunking/ sequencing of concepts, etc.
• Differentiation of tasks, use of task planners/schedules
• Differentiated use of questions
• Schemes of work are differentiated including content from earlier years as appropriate
• Use of peer support
• Visual cues to support understanding including objects, pictures, signs, symbols, models, examples, etc.
• Using word webs, concept/ topic maps to illustrate/reinforce key language
• Modelling, prompting and reinforcing children’s language, e.g., provide a framework or model for a response
• Checking understanding and reinforcing as required through repetition, rephrasing, explaining and demonstration
• Giving the child take up time to process language and to respond
• Use of schedules and routines, support for transitions including unexpected change
• Physical environment that is organised and well-defined and labelled using written and visual cues
• Use of appropriate areas of the room to support speaking and listening skills
• Opportunities for direct experience and practical activities including use of ICT.
• Opportunities for pre-teaching, overlearning and reinforcement and generalisation of key language
• Opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills, social skills and relationships with other children
• Use relevant High Quality Teaching to support learning as per MLD section

SEN support – will include individual teaching/ teaching assistant support (or a mix of the two as appropriate) and/ or the provision of equipment that is not normally available for:

• An assessment of child’s SLCN (e.g., observation, language samples, screens and checklists) leading to an appropriately targeted intervention programme planned in partnership with the child and their family and as advised by an outside agency where involved
• Individual/small group programmes to teach attention and active listening skills, speech sounds, expressive and/ or receptive vocabulary, sentence formation, sequencing, comprehension and inference skills, study skills, social interaction skills, alternative communication skills (e.g., signing, PECS) etc.,
• Classroom support to develop speech and language skills and generalisation of skills taught as part of individual/ small group programmes
• Use of appropriate ICT to reinforce skills

Child’s baselines and subsequent progress accurately monitored and provision regularly reviewed and adjusted in line with their progress over a sustained period (i.e., at least 2 terms)

Attainment SLCN is likely to impact attainment due to difficulties with speaking and listening, access to learning, literacy attainment and social interaction. Children with SLCN can have stronger attainments in practical and visual based learning. However, SLCN can be more pervasive with levels similar to MLD.

Communication and Interaction – Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Identification Expected arrangements to meet needs

The child presents with greater difficulty than the majority of other children of their age in the following areas (the child may or may not have a diagnosis of ASD or is on the assessment pathway):

• Understanding social situations, responding to social cues and intuitively sensing other people’s feeling and intentions
• Inappropriate or limited social initiative and problems with establishing and maintaining reciprocal relationships
• Poor or inappropriate eye contact and non- verbal language for social interaction
• Impaired expressive or receptive language including unusual intonation, idiosyncratic phrases, literal interpretation, limited conversational skills
• Rigidity of thinking and a tendency to follow agendas which are not easily amenable to adult direction with an absence of awareness of the needs or emotions of others
• Difficulty in open-ended or unstructured situations and with change/transitions
• Limitations in expressive or creative ability
• Obsessive interests or repetitive activities
• High susceptibility to anxiety and stress
• High susceptibility to hyper/hypo sensory stimuli

High Quality Teaching:

• Teacher language is explicit, unambiguous and avoids non-literal language and inferred meaning
• Structured and consistent routines reinforced by visual timetable, support for transitions and for managing unpredicted changes to the routine
• Explicit teaching of comprehension, concepts, inferential understanding, perspective taking, empathetic thinking and generalisation of skills
• Explicitly naming emotions and thoughts of others and prompting appropriate social interaction skills
• Managing, supporting and differentiating collaborative learning (e.g. opportunities to work alongside/ outside of a group as appropriate)
• Providing greater structure for open ended/creative activities (e.g., choice from options instead of prediction, writing about actual experience instead of imaginative writing, etc.)
• Use reading to support understanding of characters’ emotions, thoughts, intentions and social interactions
• Opportunities of support to develop relationships and social skills with other children
• Manage behaviour difficulties by addressing possible underlying issues in relation to social anxiety and/or difficulties in understanding and/or communication
• Use of an individual work station and task planners and schedules
• Access to a planned safe haven/time out at times of heightened anxiety
• Awareness and planning to manage sensory sensitivities, issues, e.g., light, noise, texture, temperature, etc.
• Use relevant High Quality Teaching to support learning as per SLCN and MLD sections
• Visual prompts (e.g. personal visual timetables, now/next cards etc.)

SEN support – will include individual teaching/ teaching assistant support (or a mix of the two as appropriate) and/or the provision of equipment that is not normally available for:

• Assessment of the child’s communication and interaction needs leading to an appropriately targeted intervention programme planned in partnership with the child and their family and as advised by an outside agency where involved
• Individual/small group teaching on programmes to support the development of attention and active listening skills, turn taking, conversation skills, comprehension, concepts, inferential understanding, idioms, perspective taking, empathetic thinking, social understanding, social skills, emotional regulation, study skills, management of sensory needs and to provide specific interventions/approaches such as play interaction, circle of friends, TEACCH, social stories, etc.
• Use of appropriate ICT to reinforce skills
• Classroom support to develop communication and interaction skills and generalisation of skills taught as part of individual/small group programmes
• Support for unstructured parts of the day to provide routines and support for social interaction

Child’s baselines and subsequent progress accurately monitored and provision regularly reviewed and adjusted in line with their progress over a sustained period (ie, at least 2 terms)

Attainment Depending on the nature of the communication and interaction difficulties, attainment can be ‘spiky’ with some good skills for visual/ factual memory and precision/ accuracy for rote/repetitive learning compared to weaker comprehension and creative skills. Can also be more pervasive with similar levels to MLD.

Social Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH)

Identification Expected arrangements to meet needs

Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect:

• difficulties with learning or communication
• mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, hidden behaviours such as self- harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained
• disorders such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or attachment difficulties
• trauma, domestic violence, abuse and neglect as well as issues such as housing, family or other domestic circumstances

High Quality Teaching:

• Developing a positive relationship and connection with the child, i.e., knowing them as an individual
• Effective adult language that is appropriate to the child’s developmental stage
• Consistency of approach by all staff working with the child
• Managing the immediate environment to reduce distraction and minimise potential for conflict or disruption
• Managing inappropriate behaviour through:
• Tactical ignoring / Non-verbal signals (e.g., ‘the look’) / Moving closer
• Ask about relevant rule/routine/behavioural expectation
• Restate relevant rule/tell child what you want them to do (i.e., clear and simple statement of behaviour)
• Catch child behaving appropriately and praise
• Praise appropriate behaviour of nearby pupil (proximity praise)
• Distract onto task/away from inappropriate behaviour
• Re-explain and organise task for them/modify or change activity/ Informally move or change group setting
• Use the language of choice, remind of consequences (‘If you choose to….then…)
• Take up time, clear choices, schedules and consistent routines and boundaries
• Effective adult language, e.g., ‘I… when…. because’, ‘I am looking for…’, ‘when/then’ statements
• Modelling, prompting and reinforcing children’s positive behaviour and interactions
• Supporting personal organisation i.e. ensuring pupils have appropriate equipment
• Opportunities of support to develop relationships with other children, emotional literacy, social, co-operation and reflection skills, including activities such as emotional check-ins/ talk time/ circle time
• Nurturing practices, e.g., look for opportunities to provide care for child’s needs in and outside the classroom
• Consistent use of rewards and motivators for pupils (including rewards for positive behaviour choices)
• Use relevant High Quality Teaching to support learning (see sections on SLCN, MLD, SpLD as appropriate)

The child may present with the following difficulties:

• An inability to communicate their emotional and social needs in a way that is socially appropriate compared to their peers.
• Difficulties in making and maintaining friendships & relationships with children & adults
• Verbal and physical aggression as a result of difficulties in self-regulating emotional responses
• Refusal to comply with reasonable requests from adults and whole school expectations
• Withdrawn, depressed and uncommunicative
• Self-harming (threats or actual)
• High levels of anxious/obsessive behaviour
• Low self-esteem

SEN support – will include individual teaching/ teaching assistant support (or a mix of the two as appropriate) and/or the provision of equipment that is not normally available for:

• An assessment of child’s SEMH needs leading to an appropriately targeted intervention programme or

individualised support plan (e.g. Pastoral support Plan (PSP), Positive Handling Plan) developed in partnership with the child and their family and as advised by an outside agency where involved.

• Individual/small group programmes on attention and concentration skills, emotional literacy,

anxiety management, self-esteem, turn-taking and cooperation skills, social interaction skills, etc., according to need

• Classroom support to prompt attention and repeat and reinforce class teacher’s instructions and

routines, develop social and emotional skills and generalise skills taught as part of individual/small group teaching, support agreed opt out strategies in situations that would otherwise escalate including planned responses to undesirable behaviour, provide meet and greet arrangements, implement agreed arrangements as part of a positive behaviour programme and for unstructured parts of the day to provide routines & support for social interaction Child’s baselines and subsequent progress accurately monitored and provision regularly reviewed and adjusted in line with their progress.

Attainment SEMH is likely to impact on social interactions, access to learning, attendance and risk of exclusion which will impact attainment and social and emotional maturity leaving gaps in learning.

Physical and Sensory: Hearing Impairment (HI)

Identification Expected arrangements to meet needs

A HI is an impairment that affects a child’s ability to access auditory information. HI can be uni or bi- lateral and mild, moderate, severe or profound. A permanent or long standing HI would have an impact on a child’s attention & listening, language and communication and access to learning. A hearing loss is significant when a child:

• Has hearing loss which is not aided
• Has a fluctuating hearing loss
• Requires audiological equipment to support their listening e.g. hearing aid/s, cochlear implant, FM systems, etc.
• Has difficulty adapting to environments with high levels of background noise.
• Misses out on incidental learning
• Has a delay in acquiring and maintaining language and communication skills at an age- appropriate level.
• Has difficulty with social interaction

High Quality Teaching:

• Use of audiological equipment in the classroom.
• Differentiated lesson planning/delivery modified in terms of:
• Use of visual resources.
• Modifying language and scaffolding of subject-specific vocabulary.
• Approach (i.e., multi-sensory, related to the child’s everyday experience, ICT etc.)
• Pace (i.e., extra time for responses to questions, contributing to class discussions and activities)
• Cueing and reinforcing children’s listening/attention
• Management of turn taking in classroom discussions with repetition of key points made by others.
• Checking understanding and reinforcing by repetition, rephrasing, explanation/ demonstration
• Opportunities for pre-teaching and consolidation of language and social interaction
• Good role models of language from adults and other children
• Visual aids to support understanding including objects, pictures, gesture, signs, symbols, models, examples, ICT, demonstrations, use of subtitles or transcripts, visual/written instructions for homework etc.
• Physical environment: background noise is reduced, good room acoustics and seating plan is used to optimise listening and visual access to lip patterns.
• Use additional support staff and note takers to give equal access to learning if appropriate.

SEN support – will include individual teaching/ teaching assistant support (or a mix of the two as appropriate) and/or the provision of equipment that is not normally available for:

• Regular liaison with a qualified Teacher of the Deaf to support student and school staff to understand hearing loss and promote independent use of audiological equipment through training, regular checks and monitoring.
• Assess and advise on the impact of the child’s hearing loss on language & learning.
• To support child’s personal understanding of their HI and develop their confidence and independence into adulthood.
• Support and advice on child’s language and social emotional needs and access to the curriculum.
• Range of support offered to school through planned group work, in class support and 1:1 support in accordance with National guidelines (National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP) Eligibility Criteria); ranging from annual, termly, weekly and multiple weekly visits.
• Individual/small group programmes reinforced by appropriate language activities, literacy and numeracy skills, pre- teaching and reinforcing curriculum learning, study skills, etc.
• Use language assessments to inform an annual report and provide input into statutory assessment and subsequent review meetings as appropriate.
• Where appropriate set targets in partnership with the school staff, child and family and outside agencies.
• Advice to school on room acoustics in accordance to the HI Child’s audiological needs.

Baselines and subsequent progress accurately monitored and provision regularly reviewed and adjusted in line with progress over a sustained period (i.e., at least 2 terms)

A child/ young person with a hearing impairment may have difficulties with:

• Attention and listening
• Language and communication
• Literacy and numeracy skills
• Making links across areas of learning and generalising learning to everyday experience
• Developing reciprocal relationships.
• Participating in class discussions
• Understanding subject specific language
• Learning new concepts
• Clarity of speech

Attainment Hearing impairment can significantly impact attainment due to difficulties of accessing learning. However, with the right support (including audiology aid) attainment should be age appropriate.

Physical and Sensory: Visual Impairment (VI)

Identification Expected arrangements to meet needs

A Visual Impairment (VI) is an impairment of sight, which cannot be fully corrected, and is likely to have an impact on the child’s development and means of access to learning. VI refers to medical conditions that result in reduced vision through to blindness and can be temporary or permanent, occurring from birth or at any time. Patching or monocular vision is not deemed a visual impairment. The VI is significant when:

• written learning materials need to be adapted or inclusive technology is essential to access the curriculum.
• independent travel and the immediate environment need active monitoring.
• incidental learning does not occur, needs direct teaching and additional pre-teaching or revision of skills is necessary.
• the child is unable to read facial or body cues
• access to social situations/groupings without a facilitator is difficult for the child.

High Quality Teaching:

• Class/subject teachers to take responsibility for acting upon personalised educational advice supplied by Vi/Msi Qualified Teacher around individual child’s needs.
• A procedure for contact lens wearers, patched pupils and implementing the wearing of glasses.
• All staff and supply staff, visiting speakers, sport, drama groups etc. are informed of child’s Vi/Msi visual and auditory needs at the planning stage of activities.
• Support for inclusion with extra-curricular activities, modified homework resources and newsletters.
• A range of multi-sensory tasks, teaching styles and support for the alternative ways of recording work.
• Provision of recommended generic specialist assistive technology such as: iPad/ tablet/ laptop/ eReader/ scanner and specialist software. e.g., screen sharing packages and magnification.
• Clear classroom routines supported by cues, e.g., objects of reference, signs, symbols, gestures, signing to support language, photographs, visual timetables.
• Careful consideration of accessibility of learning materials in terms of readability, density of text, size and choice of font, layout, overlays, coloured paper, appropriate use of illustrations, clutter free diagrams, all modified resources onto A4 paper only.
• Provision of consumables, e.g., specialist paper, matt laminates. Appropriate black fibre tipped pens/ dark leaded pencils, exemption from learning a cursive script. Use of a sloping desk or board.
• Teacher verbalising work on the board, recorded in black ink, plain font style on a white uncluttered background.
• Seating at close proximity to interactive white board/learning facilitator/ point of learning.
• Adaptation of teaching and learning environment to take account of sources of light and sound, glare and reverberation, visual and auditory clutter and contrast, as well as the subtleties of the tactile environment.
• Clear and tidy classroom with good organisation and labelling of resources.
• Visual fatigue rest breaks built into the school day and a shaded outdoor area as appropriate.

A child with a VI may have difficulties with:

• accessing learning at the same pace as other children of their age.
• linking different areas of learning and generalising learning to everyday experience.
• physical tiredness.
• making and maintaining relationships.
• managing their equipment and physical safety.
• reading and writing skills.
• general self-confidence and self-advocacy.

SEN support – will include individual teaching/ teaching assistant support (or a mix of the two as appropriate) and/or the provision of equipment that is not normally available for:

• Consideration of timetabling and location of rooms for those with sensory needs and appropriate work station for 1:1 instruction.
• Sufficient curriculum time allocated for the pre-teaching/revision of skills, completion of task, and teaching the additional curriculum e.g., touch typing, lip reading, independent living skills, mobility, social skills
• Planning shared with Vision Support team to enable resources to be obtained/ modified in time for the lesson, differentiation both in quantity and level of work, delivery method through ICT, sign, lip reading, modified worksheets, practical activities.
• Range of support offered to school through training, planned group work, in class and 1:1 support ranging from annual, termly, weekly and multiple weekly visits.
• Baselines and subsequent progress accurately monitored and provision regularly reviewed and adjusted in line with progress over a sustained period (i.e., at least 2 terms)

Attainment VI can significantly impact attainment due to difficulties of accessing learning. However, with the right support, attainment should be age appropriate.

Physical and Sensory: Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI)

Identification Expected arrangements to meet needs

Multi-sensory impairment (MSI) refers to combined visual and hearing impairments which cause difficulties with communication, access to information and mobility.

High Quality Teaching:

• Class/subject teachers to take responsibility for acting upon personalised educational advice supplied by MSI Qualified Teacher around individual child’s needs.
• A procedure for contact lens wearers, patched pupils and implementing the wearing of glasses.
• All staff and supply staff, visiting speakers, sport, drama groups etc. are informed of child’s MSI visual and auditory needs at the planning stage of activities.
• Support for inclusion with extra-curricular activities, modified homework resources and newsletters.
• A range of multi-sensory tasks, teaching styles and support for the alternative ways of recording work.
• Provision of recommended generic specialist assistive technology such as: iPad/ tablet/ laptop/ eReader/ scanner and specialist software. e.g., screen sharing packages and magnification.
• Clear classroom routines supported by cues, e.g., objects of reference, signs, symbols, gestures, signing to support language, photographs, visual timetables.
• Careful consideration of accessibility of learning materials in terms of readability, density of text, size and choice of font, layout, overlays, coloured paper, appropriate use of illustrations, clutter free diagrams, all modified resources onto A4 paper only.
• Provision of consumables, e.g., specialist paper, matt laminates. Appropriate black fibre tipped pens/ dark leaded pencils, exemption from learning a cursive script. Use of a sloping desk or board.
• Teacher verbalising work on the board, recorded in black ink, plain font style on a white uncluttered background.
• Seating at close proximity to interactive white board/learning facilitator/ point of learning.
• Adaptation of teaching and learning environment to take account of sources of light and sound, glare and reverberation, visual and auditory clutter and contrast, as well as the subtleties of the tactile environment.
• Clear and tidy classroom with good organisation and labelling of resources.
• Visual fatigue rest breaks built into the school day and a shaded outdoor area as appropriate.

A child with MSI may have difficulties with:

• accessing learning at the same pace as other children of their age.
• linking different areas of learning and generalising learning to everyday experience.
• physical tiredness.
• making and maintaining friendships.
• managing their equipment and physical safety.
• reading and writing skills.
• general self-confidence and self-advocacy.

SEN support – will include individual teaching/ teaching assistant support (or a mix of the two as appropriate) and/or the provision of equipment that is not normally available for:

• Consideration of timetabling and location of rooms for those with sensory needs and appropriate work stations for 1:1 instruction.
• Sufficient curriculum time allocated for the pre-teaching/revision of skills, completion of tasks, and teaching the additional curriculum e.g., touch typing, lip reading, independent living skills, mobility, social skills
• Planning shared with Vision and Hearing Support team to enable resources to be obtained/ modified in time for the lesson, differentiation both in quantity and level of work, delivery method through ICT, sign, lip reading, modified worksheets, practical activities.
• Range of support offered to school through training, planned group work, in class and 1:1 support ranging from annual to weekly visits.
• A child or young person with MSI requiring a trained Intervenor.
• Baselines and subsequent progress accurately monitored and provision regularly reviewed and adjusted in line with progress over a sustained period (i.e., at least 2 terms)

Attainment MSI can significantly impact attainment due to difficulties of accessing learning. However, with the right support, attainment should be age appropriate.

Physical and Sensory: Physical Difficulty (PD)

Identification Expected arrangements to meet needs

Physical impairments may arise from physical, neurological or metabolic causes that only require appropriate access to educational facilities and equipment: others may lead to more complex learning and social needs. Developmental Co- ordination Disorder/ Dyspraxia affects fine and gross motor co- ordination (DCD).

High Quality Teaching:

• Reasonable adjustments to the school environment and building adaptations including accessible toilets,

rise and fall changing beds ramps, height adjustable furniture, grab bars, door handles, lifts, etc.

• Class/subject teachers take responsibility for acting upon relevant information around individual

students including:

• Well-organised classrooms with clear route ways
• Appropriate seating arrangements in relation to the teacher/teaching focus
• Adapting and modifying classroom tasks that require sustained and/or precise fine and/or gross motor skills
• Extra time for completion of tasks
• The use of assistive ICT
• Access to medical support, if appropriate
• Teachers talking to children and young people about their optimum/preferred learning styles
• Careful consideration of timetabling and location of rooms
• Schools support the use of low-tech aids or equipment (basic word processors, communication passport)
• Rest breaks, to take account of fatigue, built in to the day and movement breaks
• Differentiation for P.E and all movement based learning, practical activities, use of equipment as

appropriate

• Pre writing skills- hand/finger/upper body strengthening exercises and preparing for writing, e.g., posture,

hand warm ups, etc.

• Alternative pens/pencils/equipment-grips,
• Enlarged lined paper/frames especially maths for laying out
• Optimal seating position including correct size furniture and additional resources such as seating wedges

and writing slopes

The child presents with greater difficulty than the majority of other children of their age in:

• Fine motor movements and poor pencil

control resulting in slow and or erratic handwriting/drawing skills

• Handling tools, e.g. scissors, rulers
• Gross motor movement; difficulties ‘planning

movement; general body movement awkward and clumsy

• Motor skills and spatial skills leading

to problems moving around the class environment

• Sitting up/sitting still due to weak core

strength, weak proprioception and balance

• Running, jumping, skipping, kicking,

throwing, catching, etc.

• Spatial awareness resulting in poor layout

of work on page

• Oral/verbal dyspraxia e.g. difficulty in eating,

dribbling, speech production, organising thought into spoken words and sentences

SEN support – will include individual teaching/ teaching assistant support (or a mix of the two as appropriate) and/or the provision of equipment that is not normally available for:

• An assessment of child’s physical needs leading to an appropriately targeted intervention programme planned in partnership with the child and their family and as advised by an outside agency where involved
• Individual programmes of physical and occupational skills as advised by relevant specialists
• Support for accessing and demonstrating learning within the classroom
• Ensuring safe movement in the classroom and around the school
• Staff trained in manual handling and position changes, e.g., from chair to standing frame, etc.
• Support for unstructured parts of the school day
• Support for wider whole school activities and social opportunities
• Providing differentiated activities for lessons involving physical skills (e.g., PE)
• Providing support for self-help, e.g., going to the toilet, dressing/undressing, lunchtimes, etc.
• Baselines and subsequent progress accurately monitored and provision regularly reviewed and adjusted in line with progress over a sustained period (i.e., at least 2 terms)

Attainment Physical impairments can significantly impact attainment due to difficulties of accessing and demonstrating learning. In the absence of other SEND and with the right support, attainment should be age appropriate.

3. Glossary and abbreviations

Special Educational Needs and Disability Services, Children’s Services 2nd Floor (Room SF 332) Electric House c/o Torbay Council Torquay Town Hall Castle Circus Torquay TQ1 3DR

160174/0516

www.torbay.gov.uk