Guidance for quality first teaching and SEND support: provision expected at SEND support (Thurrock)

Thurrock Council Guidance for Quality First Teaching and SEND Support

Provision expected at SEND Support

September 2021

This guidance has been co-produced by primary, secondary and post 16 SENDCOs including SENDCOS from resource bases, Sensory impairment specialists, Educational Psychologists and members of the special educational needs team in Thurrock Local Authority (LA). It has been produced as a source of advice and support for all teachers within Thurrock LA, to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). All teachers are teachers of pupils with SEND.

For the purpose of this document we refer to children and young people as pupils; we will refer to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities as pupils with SEND. These are the terms described in the Code of Practice.

In Thurrock we are committed to ensuring that our Pupils with SEND are well supported, have their rights and needs met and achieve their goals and aspirations.

We want Pupils with SEND and their families to have positive experiences at settings and school and to feel well supported through access to the right support, in the right place, at the right time. We know that for most children they are best served by attending their local school with other children from their community. To achieve this for the majority of children and young people in our borough, all schools must have a core offer that meets the needs of all children including those with SEND and additional needs.

In keeping with our statutory duty, this guidance has been written to set out the core provision that we, as the council, expect to be made available for all Pupils with SEND. Support given should be in line with the pupil’s needs and not dependent on a diagnosis.

Contents

• Introduction 6
• What is Quality First Teaching (QFT) and SEND Support 7
• What is SEND Support? 7
• The Graduated Approach 8
• Teacher’s Guide to identifying SEND. 10
• Person Centred Planning 10
• Funding related to support 11
• Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) 11
• SEND Budget 11
• Early Years Inclusion Fund 11
• Disability Access Fund (DAF) 11
• Equipment and SEND training 12
• Areas of Need as defined in the Code of Practice 13
• Quality First Teaching 14
• Inclusive practice expectations of all settings 15
• It is an expectation that support is in place for routine transitions when required. Transitions include: 15
• Preparing for adulthood 16
• Provision Guidance 17
• Provision Guidance for Attention and Listening Difficulties 18
• Provision Guidance for Social Communication Difficulties 20
• Provision Guidance for Difficulties Understanding Language 24
• Provision Guidance for Difficulties in Using Language 27
• Provision Guidance for Difficulties in Word Finding and Vocabulary 30
• Provision Guidance for Reluctant Speakers/Selective Mutism 32
• Provision Guidance for Difficulties with Cognition and Learning 34
• Provision Guidance for Memory and Retention Difficulties 36
• Provision Guidance for Social, Emotional and Mental Health 38
• Provision Guidance for Motor Skill Difficulties 42
• Provision Guidance for Sensory Difficulties 46
• Provision Guidance for Difficulties in Visual Impairment (VI) 48
• Provision Guidance for Difficulties in Hearing Impairment (HI) 51
• Provision Guidance for Difficulties in Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI) 54
• Board’s (including Governors and Trustees) Responsibilities 56
• Headteacher’s/ Principal’s/Leader’s Responsibilities 58
• Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator’s (SENDCo) Responsibilities 61
• Early Years 61
• Schools 62
• Post 16 providers responsibilities 63
• Teachers’ responsibilities 63
• List of Abbreviations 64

Introduction

This document sets out the provision that Thurrock Council expects to be made available to support Pupils identified as needing SEND Support. This offer should be made available in all mainstream schools and settings in Thurrock as part of the core offer, including academies, free schools, early years’ settings and post 16 educational establishments. In this document the term ‘settings’ will be used to refer to all of the aforementioned educational establishments unless stated otherwise.

All settings must have due regard for:  Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of PR factice 0-25 years (SEND CoP)  Children and Families Act 2014  The Human Rights Act 1998  The Care Act 2014  Equality Act 2010  Mental Capacity Act 2007  The UN Convention: The rights of the child In relation to these documents this guidance is to support settings with ensuring a consistent approach when identifying pupils barriers to learning and SEND to ensure:  ‘High quality teaching that is differentiated and personalised will meet the individual needs of the majority of children and young people. (SENDCoP 2015 P25)  “recognise the right of children to education” and “should take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child’s human dignity (Articles 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child)  The development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential. Respect of Human right and fundamental freedoms; respect for the child’s parents, cultural identity, language and values; and preparation for responsible life in free society (Articles 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child) What is Quality First Teaching (QFT) and SEND Support Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff. Most pupils will have their needs met through high quality teaching. High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEND. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching (COP 6.37). Some pupils may be just behind the average level of their peer group, but would be making some progress. These pupils should make good progress with quality first teaching and effective classroom practice and may need teacher directed class-based interventions.

Responsibility: Class teacher and class support staff

What is SEND Support?

Where good quality first teaching is not meeting the pupil’s educational needs and the pupil requires additional or different support beyond classroom practice available to pupils of the same age. Where a pupil is identified as having SEND, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place (COP 6.44). This SEND support should take the form of a four-part cycle involving the process of assess, plan, do, review (pg 8)

Responsibility: Class Teacher, SENDCO and Senior leadership team Thurrock Council expects settings to be able to identify pupils with emerging SEND at an early stage. A teacher and SENDCO should consider all the information gathered from within the setting about the pupil’s progress. This should include high quality and accurate formative and summative assessment, using effective tools and early assessment materials. Settings should have access to a range of diagnostics tests, observational checklists and dynamic forms of assessment which could involve: observing and recording, responses in different environments and identifying strengths and needs. Settings should engage with appropriate professionals to enable accurate assessments of need and/or barriers to learning. It is essential that settings put effective special educational provision in place. It is particularly important that there is no delay in making any necessary special educational provision and settings must work in partnership with parents/carers to establish the support and early intervention that the child or young person needs to access provision and make progress.

Parents/carers must be formally informed that special educational provision is being made. The child or young person and their parents/carers voices must be listened to and be instrumental in the development of SEND Support to ensure that their aspirations, desired outcomes and views are taken into account. Co-production through person centred planning with the pupil and their parents/carers is an essential element of SEND Support. Effective collaboration between families and settings is a must.

The Graduated Approach

Settings should adopt a graduated approach with four stages of action: assess, plan, do and review to ensure that a child’s or young person’s needs are fully understood.

It is called the graduated approach because it may take several cycles of intervention and different strategies being tried, before it is possible to identify the strategies that work.

Person centred planning and reviewing can help support the planning and strategies that are working well to help meet the aspirations of the pupil and their families. (see Error! Reference source not found.)

An All About Me can help highlight the strengths, needs and aspirations of the young person and family.

The SEND Code of Practice highlights meeting with parents/carers at least 3 times a year (pg104)

It is expected that in almost all cases, the suggested provision guidance will have been effectively implemented and evaluated as part of the graduated approach.

Assess Plan

Action Date Who Action Date Who

Gather information about pupil’s current skills and level of attainment, and other relevant data to gain a holistic picture of need

Planning takes place with parents/carers, the SENDCo, relevant school staff and any specialist services involved to agree what needs to happen

In school assessment tools such as observations, discussions with key staff, screening and/or diagnostic tools to identify & assess needs

The individualised plan reflects priority needs specifies outcomes and is clear about how progress will be measured and reviewed and, where possible, is shared with the pupil

Assess Any relevant assessments carried out by external agencies e.g. EP, SaLT, Advisory Teachers etc.

Interventions & targeted support are outlined, including the advice of specialist professionals and the SENDCo

Plan Pupil and parent/carer views A time limit is agreed for interventions and a clear date set for review Do

Review Do

Action Date Who Action Date Who

Review A review meeting takes place which involves parents/carers, the SENDCo, relevant school staff and any specialist services that may be involved. This includes the pupil’s views.

The plan is implemented as agreed and parents/carers are kept informed using approaches such as home school diary, weekly email exchange, etc

Discussion focuses on: The SENDCo, teachers and support staff will continue to work collaboratively to ensure support is in place and progress is being made towards outcomes - What’s working? - What’s not working? - Have outcomes been achieved? - What needs to change? - What will we do next?

Continue to observe and record evidence of support and progress as part of daily assess, plan, do, review

Special interests, strengths and favourite activities are utilised to motivate and engage the pupil

Teacher’s Guide to identifying SEND.

Teachers' guide to identifying SEND copy

Please feel free to use this guide when identifying children and young people who may have SEND.

Person Centred Planning

The SEND Code of Practice (2015) recommends a person-centred planning approach is taken to working in partnership with families and ensuring children and young people’s views, wishes and feelings are considered when decisions are made about matters affecting them and their future. Person-centred planning is part of the ‘graduated approach’ and ensures plans made for a pupil are coproduced with their family, the professionals supporting them and other important people in their lives. In Thurrock, we expect person-centred planning to begin at an early stage when an additional need is first identified for a pupil. Person centred planning should (CoP P147 9.22):

 focus on the child or young person as an individual  enable children and young people and their parents to express their views, wishes and feelings  enable children and young people and their parents to be part of the decision-making process  be easy for children, young people and their parents or carers to understand, and use clear ordinary language and images rather

than professional jargon  highlight the child or young person’s strengths and capabilities  enable the child or young person, and those that know them best to say what they have done, what they are interested in and

what outcomes they are seeking in the future  tailor support to the needs of the individual  organise assessments to minimise demands on families  bring together relevant professionals to discuss and agree together the overall approach, and  deliver an outcomes-focused and co-ordinated plan for the child or young person and their parents

It is an expectation that SENDCOs will signpost parents to the Thurrock Local Offer and that this link is also on the SEND information on the setting’s/school’s/college’s website.

Funding related to support

Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)

The schools funding formula is currently the basis for funding maintained schools and academies in a local authority. It is a local formula agreed through the local authority and set in accordance with requirements laid out in statute. It gives a guaranteed unit of funding for every primary and secondary school for five to 16-year-olds. SEND Budget

Schools are required to meet the additional needs of pupils with SEND. The national expectation is that settings will do this from within their normal school budget. On top of the DSG schools are allocated additional funding to meet the special educational provision of pupils with SEND. This funding forms part of the schools ‘notional SEND budget’. Each LA determines locally how the notional SEND budget is calculated and this is agreed with Schools Forum to ensure it is a reasonable calculation. Currently, the government suggests that a school should use their notional SEND budget to fund up to £6,000 worth of special educational provision for a pupil with SEND. This is an average figure, as not all pupils with SEND require special educational provision beyond the amount of £6,000. It should heavily depend on the individual needs of each pupil with SEND.

Early Years Inclusion Fund

All local authorities are required to establish an inclusion fund in their local funding systems for 3 and 4 Year Olds with SEND in funded three and four year old places. The purpose of the fund is to support Local Authorities to work with providers to address the needs of individual children with SEND. Thurrock Council must target the fund at children with lower level or emerging SEND. Disability Access Fund (DAF)

The DAF aids access to early years places by, for example, supporting providers in making reasonable adjustments to their settings and / or helping with building capacity (be that for the child in question or for the benefit of children as a whole attending the setting). Three and four year old children will be eligible for the DAF if they meet the following criteria: the child is in receipt of child disability living allowance and the child receives funded early education. If eligible, the settings will receive a payment of £615 per year with payment only made to one provider, which is not recouped if the child leaves that setting. The Council must

issue DAF payments to providers as soon as possible when the child takes up the universal 15 hours entitlement for three and four year olds, following receipt and verification of the relevant application. Equipment and SEND training

Thurrock Council expects:  All settings to provide necessary low cost, non-customised equipment for pupils with SEND (e.g. headphones, laptop, tablet);  Mainstream schools are expected to provide the first £2000 worth of equipment required unless agreed by the SEND panel.  All settings to provide appropriate SEND training for their staff. Settings are expected to understand the needs of their children and young people and to identify how best to ensure that their staff are equipped to understand and meet their needs. The LA identifies need and provides training for SEND through the SENDCO Forums, CPD and bespoke packages for settings.

Quality First Teaching

It is an expectation that all settings provide Quality First Teaching (QFT) as part of their core offer. This should incorporate: An ethos and learning environment that:

 enables the voice of the pupil to influence decisions;  works with parents/carers through regular contact/liaison regarding their child’s needs, triggers, anxieties;  works with parents to identify appropriate strategies to support the needs of their pupil;  does not discriminate (directly or indirectly) against learners with SEND including protected characteristics;  makes reasonable adjustments and/or adaptations to ensure access to the physical environment, curriculum and information e.g.

timetabling considerations, seating arrangements, visual timetables, one-page profiles, ramps, handrails, signage, a good acoustic environment, appropriate lighting, multi-sensory approach, repetition of instructions, uncluttered environments etc.  promotes positive communication and interactions;  enables a flexible approach to learning and differentiated learning resources, techniques and strategies e.g. teach to topics of

interests, use ICT to engage; visual supports; ICT  enables learners to be supported through appropriate equipment;  promotes inclusion through planning for and risk assessing to enable full participation across the curriculum of all learners  encourages independence and promotes social inclusion;  prioritises personal care, self-help, independence and dignity;  undertakes an accessibility audit and as a result plans for accessibility

 Pupils’ views are routinely sought and are used to inform planning for adaptations that they may require  Takes into account pupils’ differences, conditions, views and aspirations Curriculum, teaching and learning that:

 follows the graduated approach of Assess-Plan-Do-Review involving pupils and parents;  uses assessments to inform planning, including summative and formative assessments;  provides regular precise feedback to the pupil and appropriate target setting including the use of small steps;  regularly monitors and tracks progress, including in the moment monitoring and interventions;  regularly reports to parent/carers on the progress of their pupil;  plans for additional support;  incorporates strategies for addressing and developing, communication, attention and listening skills, vocabulary, language

comprehension and language production, auditory processing skills, positive behaviours and sensory processing needs  incorporates adapted resources e.g. large print, writing materials, PE equipment, cutlery, covered overlays, assistive technology, laptop, tablet;  offers broad and balanced learning experiences/opportunities that are differentiated to accommodate the needs of different learners;  provides a range of communication contexts;  uses a range of questioning appropriately, giving the pupils time to respond;  makes effective use of IT resources e.g. adjustments to computer settings, mouse, background contrast/colour;  uses ICT such as word processing where pupils cannot demonstrate cognitive ability through hand written work;  transitions are comprehensive with information shared between settings to ensure that pupils progress through education with their needs well-understood and met. Inclusive practice expectations of all settings It is an expectation that support is in place for routine transitions when required. Transitions include:  moving around the setting (e.g.: from lesson to lesson)  Moving from structured to unstructured times  Moving from one activity to the next  preparing for weekends and the start of holidays and beginning of term  change of staff special events: visitors, visits, enrichment activities  Life events Settings should ensure:  That there is a safe space available within the classroom or an identified area of the setting where required.  That there are visual timetables to support transitions.  Strategies such as timers are used to show pupils how long they have to work/how long to finish.  Opportunities for respite are provided when required.  Plans are made for unstructured times: safe spaces, structured alternatives such as use of the library, games club, and a known key adult.  Procedures are in place to ensure smooth progression through settings, particularly during all transition phases  Information is actively sought and shared to support successful transitions.

 Staff are aware of pupils who need additional support, and ensure plans are in place to ensure a smooth transition (e.g.: additional visits to a new setting).  Teachers work together between schools to plan and support the transfer or transition between schools of vulnerable learners.

 Plans are drawn up involving parents and the child or young person, making good use of examples of successful practice including resources developed to support transition, for example https://www.sendgateway.org.uk

Preparing for adulthood

Being supported towards greater independence and employability can be life-transforming for pupils with SEND. This support needs to start early, and should centre around the pupil’s aspirations, interests and needs. All professionals working with them should share high aspirations and have a good understanding of what support is effective in enabling pupils to achieve their ambitions.

All those who work with pupils with SEND or disabilities should support them to prepare for adult life from their earliest years so they achieve the best outcomes in:

Higher education and/ or employment – including exploring different employment options, such as support for becoming self-employed and help from supported employment agencies

Independent living – enabling people to have choice and control over their lives and the support they receive, their accommodation and living arrangements, including supported living

Health – being as healthy as possible in adult life

Community participation – including having friends and supportive relationships and participating in, and contributing to , the local community. Early years providers and schools should support pupils so that they are included in social groups and develop friendships. This is particularly important when pupils are transferring from one phase to another. Early years providers and schools must ensure that, subject to certain conditions, pupils with SEND engage in the activities of the setting or school together with those who do not have SEND, and are encouraged to participate fully in the the life of the setting or school and in any wider community. All professionals working with families should look to enable children and young people to make choices for themselves from an early age

and support them in making friends and staying safe and healthy. As children grow older, and from year 9 in school at the latest, preparing for adult life should be an explicit element of conversations with children and their families.

Provision Guidance

Purpose The purpose of the guidance is to support school staff in the process of building on current good practice and to help schools to develop systems, skills and structures for responding to pupils’ needs. The following are examples of ways the Provision Guidance can be used.

 As a self-help guide for practitioners when considering provision.

 Providing a point of reference for school staff when deciding which level of the graduated response pupils are working at.

 As an audit tool for individual pupils or for school practice, so that staff can check that they are providing appropriate and purposeful support for pupils at different levels. It may identify gaps in provision or new ideas for working with individual pupils.

 Partnership with parents and carers as a way of providing clarity and transparency when explaining provision the school is making for their child.

 Use by the Local Authority to determine whether schools are making appropriate provision to meet the needs of all pupils and to help determine whether schools have taken sufficient, relevant and purposeful action before requesting additional resources.

Provision Guidance for Attention and Listening Difficulties

Provision Guidance for Social Communication Difficulties

Barriers to Learning

 Difficulty using language in social interactions  Difficulties understanding the rules of conversation  Difficulties in maintaining a topic of conversation  Difficulty responding appropriately to non-literal language, irony and jokes  Difficulty with the social use of language, requiring some direct teaching – eye contact, initiating conversations,

attention, taking the listener’s perspective (empathy)  Difficulty understanding visual and written inference (reading between the lines) e.g. they all laughed at the man

with the red boots and the red nose  Uneven learning profile (may have particular strengths and difficulties)  Noticeable gap between attainment and ability  Difficulty in making connections, generalising skills and responding to adult direction  Poor understanding of social conventions (e.g. personal space) and expectations, leading to possible social

isolation  Difficulty showing empathy, predicting own response and those of others  Resistance to change and exhibits sign of distress (this is could be due to Sensory overload e.g. being

overwhelmed by visual, auditory and/or physical stimulation), intense special interests and obsessive behaviours

Good Quality First Teaching

 Pupils’ views are routinely sought and are used to inform planning for adaptations that they may require.  Use visual timetables for daily routines. The use of Now/Next early on to build up to a whole day. The use of

choices board.  Use literal language; avoid idioms, sarcasm and figures of speech.  Collect the pupil’s voice: what are their special interests/motivators?  Multisensory approach to teaching  Use visual aids as much as possible; objects, pictures, symbols to aid understanding. Be clear about what it is you

want from the pupil and not about what you don’t want!  Examples of “What a good one looks like” (WAGOLL) to help model work  Speak to parents/carers. Remember that how a child represents in school is not always indicative of how the child is

coping. Signs of anxiety of challenging behaviours may only be evident at home.  Contact books: develop a collaborative relationship with the parents/ carers. Working together is the most positive

and beneficial way of supporting the pupil across both settings.  Use positive re-direction rather than negative: ‘Put the pens on the table’ rather than ‘Don’t throw the pens.’  Praise the pupil when they show a desired behaviour e.g. “good listening, well done” likewise make sure you let them

know what you are pleased with.  Targeted questioning to pupils  Use of technology where appropriate to support access  Sensory regulation aids. For example, fidget toys etc.  Backwards chaining to help develop independency skills

Good Quality First Teaching combined with Good Quality SEND Support

 Support in development of communication. Teaching joint attention, PECS, Signalong/BSL and other specific speech and language programmes  Trialling Adult led and taught interaction. For example, short intensive interaction sessions, Identiplay  Individualised/personalised visual timetable following a personalised curriculum.  Develop understanding of cause and effect through activities where the pupil has to consider ‘what if?’ such as comic strip conversations or social stories.  Teach the pupil social skills and give opportunities to practice these skills, with adult support, in a small group setting.

For example, turn taking, how to join in a game, learning children names.  Lego Therapy to support communication and interaction with other pupils.  Circle of friends work around building and maintaining friendships.  Use role play to teach the pupil how to cope with different social situations and holding conversations  Use multi–sensory teaching techniques that are visual, auditory and tactile. Support abstract concepts with concrete

apparatus.  Personalised work station and quiet spaces for support with an adult.  TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic Communication Children) style activities (1,2,3 trays)  Reader/scribes  Adult led support to follow daily routines  Use of self-regulation strategies such as traffic light systems; the 5-point scale/feeling thermometers or zones of

emotional regulation. In class self-regulation activities i.e. busy box. Movement/Sensory breaks built into timetable, adult guided if required  Personalised emotional support resources and intervention (adult facilitated)  Make reasonable adjustments to enable the pupil to cope with anxiety related issues  Use lunch clubs or adult supervised structured lunch times for those children who struggle during unstructured times.  Visual checklists or prompt sheets to help specific tasks  Pre teaching and the use of mind mapping and learning journey diagrams to support retention and linking concepts

together.  Recording device i.e. Recordable cards or Talking Tins to help record ideas or instructions to play back  sensory regulation aids i.e. Ear defenders, wobble cushions, weighted blankets etc  AET progression Framework  Adult led activities to support sensory processing differences (i.e. to support where over-sensitive or under-

Provision Guidance for Difficulties Understanding Language

Barriers to Learning  Difficulty understanding age appropriate spoken instructions, abstract concepts (e.g. big, little, bravery),

everyday words, longer and more complex spoken language e.g. listening to a story or multiple instructions (choose a pencil in a colour you like, then draw round your hand really carefully on the big yellow paper), questions starting with words such as when, where, who, what, why, how, age appropriate subject specific /curriculum vocabulary  Difficulty in remembering spoken information long enough to use it  Uneven learning profile (may have particular strengths and difficulties)  Difficulty in making connections, generalising skills and responding to adult direction  Poor understanding of social conventions (e.g. personal space) and expectations, leading to possible social

isolation  Resistance to change and exhibits sign of distress (this is could be due to Sensory overload e.g. being

overwhelmed by visual, auditory and/or physical stimulation), intense special interests and obsessive behaviours.

Good Quality First Teaching

 Pupils’ views are routinely sought and are used to inform planning for adaptations that they may require.  Ensure that you have the pupil’s full auditory and visual attention before talking to them.  Simplify – break your request/instruction down into parts or make it simpler by giving 1 or 2 steps at a time.

Try to limit non-essential information, as this may overload the pupil.  Emphasise key words when giving information (e.g. get your English book and the blue pen).  Give pupils extra time to process what you have said.  Use concrete, familiar vocabulary. Speak clearly and not too quickly.  Give instructions before an activity, not during it.  Provide repetitions – exact repetitions.  Ask yes/no questions or give alternatives rather than asking open questions.  Revise and summarise stories and information.  Check a pupil’s understanding by asking them to repeat back an instruction and support pupils to recognise when

they have not understood.  Support pupils to recognise when they have not understood. Agree a strategy for them to ask for help or

clarification. Provide praise when they do this independently.  Focus on the feature – help your pupil focus on the feature they need to look at to be able to understand your

question (e.g. if you are asking how two items are alike, you can draw their attention to the relevant similarity – colour/size etc).  Use visual timetables to support daily routines.

Provision Guidance for Difficulties in Using Language

Good Quality First Teaching combined with Good Quality SEND Support

 Extend the pupil’s sentences by adding something extra (e.g. for younger children: if the pupil says ‘there’s a bus’, you could say ‘there’s a big, red bus’. For older children: (if the pupil says ‘the man is digging’, you could say ‘the man is digging and the woman is planting’).  Encourage students to use alternative means of communicating, drawing, PECs, gestures, signing, scribing, typing.  Use of mind maps to organise thoughts.  Trial the use of specific approaches to further support the content and structure of language these may include ‘Colourful Semantics’ or ‘Shape Coding’.  Ensure speech and language care plan recommendations are put into place.  Expressive language activities e.g. ‘Blacksheep press Publications’  Twinkl this has been updated to include more resources especially for Blanks  Language link use assessment to identify gaps, Individual programmes produced that are supportive and easy for LSAs to deliver. This programme can follow the children through the school (Infant and Junior Language Link and Speech Link)  NELI Nuffield Early Language Intervention new programme  NCDS resources for children with hearing impairments looks at other needs these children may have useful for school and parents Language and communication | National Deaf Children's Society (ndcs.org.uk)  SLEP provision- ORTU Corringham Primary  AET progression Framework  School Health Services

Provision Guidance for Difficulties in Word Finding and Vocabulary

Provision Guidance for Reluctant Speakers/Selective Mutism

Provision Guidance for Difficulties with Cognition and Learning

Provision Guidance for Memory and Retention Difficulties

Provision Guidance for Social, Emotional and Mental Health

Barriers to Learning Barriers may present in a variety of ways including:

 Low self-esteem in some areas which requires support in order to raise confidence and self-belief  Displays behaviours that interfere with own learning and with the learning of others (this may be shown only

in certain areas or subjects)  May find it hard to express themselves verbally and instead communicate through their behaviour  Withdrawn and isolated – limited communication, difficulties communicating feelings  Poor concentration or difficulty maintaining their attention to one task  Engages in attention seeking behaviour and regularly seeks approval from adults and peers  Poor organisation skills  May struggle to manage change in systems and routine  Communicates failure in a task before starting or give up easily when faced with a challenge  May struggle to accept achievement and praise when more successful  Difficulties in making and sustaining relationships with adults and peers  Can be easily influenced by others or in contrast can persuade others to do something against their will.  Difficulties with sharing and turn taking  Poor attendance and/or reluctance to participate  Difficulty accepting responsibility for their own actions  Occasionally can be verbally and physically aggressive towards others  Require support to regulate emotions and appropriate responses  Sometimes engage in behaviours that pose a high risk or harm to themselves or others  At times, challenge the rules and authority  May be anxious or distress in different situations  Pupils with neurodevelopmental condition, medical conditions, physical and Sensory needs may have

particular SEMH needs  Pupils who have been in care and/adopted may have particular SEMH needs  Pupils who have experienced trauma may have particular SEMH needs

Good Quality First Teaching

 Calm consistent approach.  Take time to get to know the pupil, their interests and strengths  Understand that behaviour is a method of communication. What is the pupil trying to communicate? Can you

identify the triggers?  Instructions need to be clear and explicit. Make expectations very clear.  Buddy/peer mentoring systems. Wellbeing ambassadors: children are trained to help support others  Giving positions of responsibility to promote positive self-esteem.  Regular contact with home to establish patterns of behaviour in other environments, as well as strategies being

tried. Try to develop a collaborative relationship with the parents/ carers. Working together is the most positive and beneficial way of supporting the pupil across both settings.  Speak to parents/carers. Remember that how a child repreSENDts in school is not always indicative of how the

child is coping. Signs of anxiety of challenging behaviours may only be evident at home.  Incorporate a ‘feelings register’ when doing morning and afternoon register. Rather than just responding with

‘yes/here’ they can give a number 1-3, or word (happy, sad, lonely, amazing). If a pupil is unhappy this allows the teacher to intervene at an appropriate time within the next lesson.  Nurture based practices whole school nurture approaches. Each pupil is subject to a Boxall profile. This

leads to check ins, small group or individual mentoring  Specific opportunities for adults and supportive peers to model appropriate behaviour responses  Biscuit time – allocated time to discuss feelings/emotions/achievements etc.  Golden time – recognising needs – rewarded for using self-aware strategies for those who might struggle.

Curriculum based targeted activities.  Feelings charts

Good Quality First Teaching combined with Good Quality SEND Support

 Use of self-regulations strategies such as traffic light systems, Zones of Emotional Regulation or 5 point scale.  Develop understanding of cause and effect through activities where the pupil has to consider ‘what if?’ such as

comic strip conversations or social stories. Storyboard That: The World's Best Free Online Storyboard Creator What Is A Social Story? - Carol Gray - Social Stories (carolgraysocialstories.com)  Provide the pupil with a safe place or quiet area to seek out when needed.  Use of choices board to allow the child to have some control but still achieving the same end result.  Support from a key person on a regular basis, that the young person is able to build a relationship with.

Pastoral support or mentoring.  Check in and out daily with an adult. This helps the pupil prepare for the day ahead. Likewise have closure on

any issues that have arisen during the day.  Mental health register – accessible by relevant members of staff. This holds information including, who has

refereed, nature of needs, triggers, action plan of who will support – RAG rate – used as a working document – no overlap of support – reviewed regularly  Work to identify potential stressors/triggers through observations/pupil voice and pictures (5 point scale)  Use the Spence Anxiety Scale, Boxall Profile, Self-Image Profile or Strengths, Difficulties Questionnaire

(SDQ’s) as a holistic approach to understanding the pupil’s well-being.  Rising Stars assessments to support provision for areas such as: positivity, resilience.  Why Try? Programme  Referrals to counsellors/EWMHS/Open Door  Positive rewards systems – shared with parents and linked to specific activities and rewards trips  AET progression Framework

Provision Guidance for Motor Skill Difficulties

Barriers to Learning Barriers may present in a variety of ways including:

Gross Motor  Frequent trips and falls  Cautious on steps or stairs  Bumps into people or furniture etc regularly  Gross motor skills lack fluency and lag behind peers  Use of mobility or walking aids (e.g. wheelchair or walking frame)  May dislike PE and similar activities  Slow to change before/after PE and clothes/shoes on incorrectly  May ‘act a clown’ to hide difficulties Fine Motor  Difficulties with pencil skills or handwriting  Difficulties manipulating concrete resources  Difficulties with fine motor activities such as threading, craft, scissors Other  Progress across the curriculum may be affected by a condition or medication  Requires support to develop independence around eating dressing and toileting  Medical devices to support feeding and breathing  Concerns around social inclusion, self-esteem, confidence and emotional wellbeing

Good Quality First Teaching

Gross Motor  Consider organisation of the classroom to allow free movement  Consider reasonable adjustments to equipment such a range of move and sit/wobble cushions, writing slopes.  Rest/movement breaks.  Seating position in the class. Pupils with co-ordination difficulties find it better to sit facing the board, as this makes copying and tracking easier for them. Also sat away from distractions i.e. windows and doors  Check the seating height to ensure that the pupils feet are on the floor and desk at elbow height Fine Motor  Consider reasonable adjustments to equipment such a range of pencil grips, chunky pens, writing slopes, handed rulers, looped and left handed scissors.  Ensure left handed and right hand pupils are not sat with writing hand adjacent to each other  Alternatives to handwriting such as talking tins or other voice recording apps, scribing or typing.  Encourage oral presentations as an alternative to some written work  Lined paper with spaces sufficiently wide to accommodate pupil’s handwriting.  Allow additional time to complete tasks.  If copying from the board is absolutely necessary, use different colours for each line and leave a gap between lines.  Teach sequencing skills. Cue cards may help the pupil to sequence a task e.g. 1. Clear your desk; 2. Collect the equipment you need (with visual cues) 3. Put the date at the top of the page etc.

Good Quality First Teaching combined with Good Quality SEND Support

Gross Motor  Pupils’ views are routinely sought and are used to inform planning for physical or Sensory adaptations that they may require.  Motor skills programmes, For example Gym Trail, Fizzy Programme for balance, ball skills: https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/kids/healthcare-professionals/paediatric-occupational-therapy/fizzy-programme/; Movers and Creators/Smart Moves programmes: Physical skills development in children and special educational needs (smartcc.co.uk) Fine Motor  Extra time for processing and completing work, not just in school but homework too. Could parents scribe homework for it be recorded on a talking tin on other voice recording app or typed up  Provide opportunities for learning touch typing: Dance Mat Typing - BBC Bitesize  Provide written, visual and recorded support. Use images and break long chunks of text up. When reading is a challenge, it can be helpful for a child to have recorded materials and books to listen to.  Pre-teach motor skills. If your lesson includes using scissors, folding paper, or any other task that might cause a child to struggle, provide plenty of assistance and try to introduce the student to the activity beforehand, so he or she has a chance to practice and get familiar with the physical manipulations required.  Motor skills programmes, For example Gym Trail, Write from the Start, finger gym. Fizzy Programme for balance, ball skills and fine motor skills: https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/kids/healthcare-professionals/paediatric- occupational-therapy/fizzy-programme/; Movers and Creators/Smart Moves programmes: Physical skills development in children and special educational needs (smartcc.co.uk)  All motor skills  Emotional and wellbeing support  Motor skills programmes, For example Gym Trail, Write from the Start, finger gym. Fizzy Programme for balance, ball skills and fine motor skills: https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/kids/healthcare-professionals/paediatric- occupational-therapy/fizzy-programme/; Movers and Creators/Smart Moves programmes: Physical skills

Provision Guidance for Sensory Difficulties

Provision Guidance for Difficulties in Visual Impairment (VI)

Barriers to learning Barriers may present in a variety of ways including:

 Problems with balance  Resistance to visual activities e.g. reading  Poor spatial awareness  Remote viewing (pupil looking in a different direction to that which is expected)  Poor colour differentiation  Unexplained tiredness and headaches  Poor hand-eye co-ordination  Reduced visual acuity (clarity) and/or field loss in one or both eyes, which affects learning  Specialised assessments demonstrate below expected level for chronological age or is at risk of falling

behind peers  VI impacts on mobility and orientation  VI impacts on self-help and independence skills  A diagnosed eye-condition which impacts on learning and may require specialist training, resources or

equipment

Provision Guidance for Difficulties in Hearing Impairment (HI)

Barriers to learning Barriers may present in a variety of ways including:

 Poor listening skills in certain situations  Delayed speech and language  Difficulty maintaining attention  Difficulty following instructions  Diagnosed fluctuating conductive hearing loss e.g. glue ear  Diagnosed permanent hearing loss  Diagnosed unilateral (one-sided hearing) loss  Diagnosed mild or moderate loss  Diagnosed long term conductive loss (loss from the outer ear into the middle ear)  Hearing loss is impacting on learning  Specialised assessments demonstrate below expected level for chronological age or is at risk of falling behind

peers  Difficulties in making and maintaining friendships  Low self-esteem or poor emotional wellbeing

Provision Guidance for Difficulties in Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI)

Board’s (including Governors and Trustees) Responsibilities

All boards have legal duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 and must also have regard to the SEND Code of Practice: 0-25 years statutory guidance. Academies must also meet these requirements by virtue of their funding agreement.

Boards are also under a duty in the Equality Act 2010 ‘to take such steps as it is reasonable to have to take to avoid the substantial disadvantage’ to a disabled person. The reasonable adjustment duty includes the key requirements to make sure that people with disabilities are not at a substantial disadvantage:

 To make adjustments to any provision, criterion or practice,  To make alterations to physical features and  To provide auxiliary aids and services

In practice, the functions these duties require of the board can be delegated to a committee, an individual or to the executive leader, although responsibility is still with the board itself to ensure that the functions are carried out. It should decide, with the executive leader, the school’s policy and approach to meeting children and young people’s SEND requirements, including those with and without an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP).

Boards Must:  Co-operate with the Local Authority(LA) in reviewing the provision that is available locally and developing the local offer http://www.askthurrock.org.uk/localoffer  use their best endeavours to make sure that a child with SEND gets the support they need- this means doing everything they can to meet children and young people’s SEND  ensure that Pupil with SEND engage in the activities of the school alongside pupils who don’t have SEND  inform parents when they are making special educational provision for a child  ensure arrangements are in place in schools to support pupils at school with medical conditions  provide access to a broad and balanced curriculum  ensure that pupils from Year 8-13 are provided with independent careers advice www.thurrock.gov.uk/career-support-for-young- people/thurrock-careers  have a clear approach to identifying and responding to SEND  provide an annual report for parents on their child’s progress  record accurately and keep up-to-date the provision made for pupils with SEND  publish information on their websites about the implementation of the board’s policy for pupils with SEND, and the School SEND Information Report  publish information about the arrangements for the admission of disabled children, the steps taken to prevent disabled children being treated less favourably than others, the facilities provided to assist access of disabled children, and their accessibility plans  ensure that there is a qualified teacher designated to support the progress of pupils with SEND  determine their approach to using their resources to support the progress of pupils with SEND  Must ensure that there is a qualified teacher designated as SENDCO for the school (SENDCoP P108 6.84) In Addition:  There should be an individual on the board or a committee with specific oversight of the school’s arrangements for SEND. School leaders should review regularly how expertise and resources used to address SEND can be used to build the quality of whole school provision as part of their approach to school improvement  When considering an appeal from a parent or young person, the First-Tier Tribunal (SEND) must have regard to the SEND Code of Practice 2015. The Tribunal will expect LAs, early education settings, schools and colleges to be able to explain any departure from the Code, where it is relevant to the case it is considering.  Boards providing extended services must also consider their duties under the Equality Act 2010: in particular, whether proposed extended services affect their functions and responsibilities towards their pupils, the users of these services or their employees. When services are provided by a third party on schools’ premises, either independently of the school or on behalf of the school, boards should establish who would be regarded as the service provider with the responsibility to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ and/or access improvements for disabled users, pupils or employees.  The SEND Governance Review Guide, co-funded by the DfE and Driver Youth Trust, is now available to download. The guide, draws upon the six features of effective governance and sets out a framework for how to ensure that learners with SEND access high-quality provision. The guide will assist boards in supporting and promoting discussions with regards to outcomes for learners with SEND.

Governors Handbook 2019 The board should reassure itself that the key responsibilities of the SENDCO are drawn up and monitor the effectiveness of the w ay the responsibilities are carried out against a list of illustrative activities, as described in the SEND Code of Practice 2015 (6.84-6.94). The board should also reassure itself that the SENDCO has sufficient time and resources to carry out their role. This should include providing the SENDCO with sufficient administrative support and time away from teaching to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities in a similar way to other important strategic roles within a school.

Headteacher’s/ Principal’s/Leader’s Responsibilities

Excellent Headteachers, including Executive Leaders, Manager and Principals are expected to:  Hold and articulate clear values and moral purpose, focused on providing a world-class education for the pupils they serve  Demonstrate optimistic personal behaviour, positive relationships and attitudes towards their pupils and staff and towards parents, governors and members of the local community  Lead by example – with integrity, creativity, resilience and clarity – drawing on their own scholarship, expertise and skills and that of those around them  Sustain wide, current knowledge and understanding of education and school systems locally, nationally and globally, and pursue continuous professional development  Work with political and financial astuteness, within a clear set of principals centred on the school’s vision, ably translating local and national policy into the school’s context  Communicate compellingly the school’s vision and drive the strategic leadership, empowering all pupils and staff to excel.  Demand ambitious standards for all pupils, overcoming disadvantage and advancing equality, instilling a strong sense of accountability in staff for the impact of their work on pupils’ outcomes  Secure excellent teaching through an analytical understanding of how pupils learn and of the core features of successful classroom practice and curriculum design, leading to rich curriculum opportunities and pupils’ well-being  Establish an educational culture of ‘open classrooms’ as a basis for sharing best practice within and between schools, drawing on and conducting relevant research and robust data analysis  Create an ethos within which all staff are motivated and supported to develop their own skills and subject knowledge, and to support each other  Identify emerging talents, coaching current and aspiring leaders in a climate where excellence is the standard, leading to clear succession planning  Hold all staff to account for their professional conduct and practice  Ensure that the school’s systems, organisation and processes are well considered, efficient and fit for purpose, upholding the principles of transparency, integrity and probity  Provide a safe, calm and well-ordered environment for all pupils and staff, focused on safeguarding pupils and developing their exemplary behaviour in school and in the wider society  Establish rigorous, fair and transparent systems and measures for managing the performance of all staff, addressing any under- performance, supporting staff to improve and valuing excellent practice  Welcome strong governance and actively support the governing board to understand its role and deliver its functions effectively – in particular its functions to set school strategy and hold the headteacher to account for pupil, staff and financial performance  Create outward-facing schools which work with other schools and organisations - in a climate of mutual challenge - to champion best practice and secure excellent achievements for all pupils  Develop effective relationships with fellow professionals and colleagues in other public services to improve academic and social outcomes for all pupils  Challenge educational orthodoxies in the best interests of achieving excellence, harnessing the findings of well evidenced research to frame self-regulating and self-improving schools  Shape the current and future quality of the teaching profession through high quality training and sustained professional development for all staff  Model entrepreneurial and innovative approaches to school improvement, leadership and governance, confident of the vital contribution of internal and external accountability  Inspire and influence others - within and beyond schools - to believe in the fundamental importance of education in young people’s lives and to promote the value of education.

National standards of excellence for headteachers Departmental advice for headteachers, governing boards and aspiring headteachers Therefore we expect headteachers to:  be committed and motivated by a moral purpose that empowers all children, young people and staff to excel  be resilient leaders  understand how children and young people learn and deliver curriculums that meet all the needs of their learners  champion best practice and secure excellent achievements for all children and young people  develop effective relationships with other professionals in order to improve academic and social outcomes for all children and young people  use evidence based research to drive improvement for all learners  value Continued Professional Development (CPD) and ensure that all staff have access to regular high quality CPD Teachers and professionals have access to appropriate training opportunities to support pupils with SEND or disabilities. We would expect that : There is a planned programme of ongoing CPD in relation to SEND for the whole setting and individual teams and departments.

Staff are provided with ongoing professional development to secure expertise at different levels (as stated in SEND COP 0- 25 para: 4:32):

awareness (to give a basic awareness of a particular type of SEND, appropriate for all staff who will come into contact with a child or young person with that type of SEND)

enhanced (how to adapt teaching and learning to meet a particular type of SEND, for early years practitioners, class and subject teachers/lecturers and teaching assistants working directly with the child or young person on a regular basis), and

specialist (in-depth training about a particular type of SEND, for staff who will be advising and supporting those with enhanced-level skills and knowledge) Staff who are responsible for delivering specific interventions should have accessed the appropriate training.

Time is allocated for staff to reflect on, discuss and evaluated their practice in relation to pupils with SEND to create consistency across the setting.

All staff make a positive contribution to the progress of pupils.

There are effective links and collaboration with outside agencies and specialists. The setting knows when to refer for extra support or advice.

The setting works collaboratively with other professionals who are involved with pupils with SEND.

When needed, input and advice is sought from specialist advisory teachers for visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical difficulties or Autism.

Advice received from other professionals is used to inform teaching and learning, and to ensure best outcomes for the pupil with SEND.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator’s (SENDCo) Responsibilities

The expectation is that the SENDCos have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice 2015.

Early Years

In a Private, Voluntary and Independent settings (PVIs) the Early Years framework requires there to be arrangements in place for meeting children’s SEND. PVI settings are expected to identify a SENDCo. Childminders are encouraged to identify a person to act as a SENDCo and childminders who are registered with a child-minding agency or who are part of a network may wish to share the role between them. The role of a SENDCo in Early Years provision involves:

 ensuring all practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEND and the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting the needs of children with SEND  advising and supporting colleagues  ensuring parents are closely involved throughout and that their insight inform action taken by the setting  Ensure that the setting adopts the ‘person centred approach’ when planning for SEND  liaising with professionals or agencies beyond the setting  Seek advice from Thurrock Area SENDCo klong@thurrock.gov.uk  Ensure that timely referrals are made to the Early Support Team Thurrock Portage and Early Support Service | National Portage Association  Attend forums and training for SENDCos  Referring to services in the Local Offer to support parents/ families  Engage with the Thurrock 3 step checklist and other local processes  Ensuring they always assess, plan, do review before making requests for additional funding  Ensure they engage with the Council’s Early Year’s RAG processes and aim for a green status ensuring good SEND practice.

Schools

‘In schools the SENDCo must be a qualified teacher working at the school. It may be appropriate for a number of smaller primary schools to share a SENDCo employed to work across the individual schools.

A newly appointed SENDCO must be a qualified teacher and, where they have not previously been the SENDCO at that or any other relevant school for a total period of more than twelve months, they must achieve a National Award in Special Educational Needs Coordination within three years of appointment.

The SENDCO has day-to-day responsibility for the operation of SEND policy and coordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEND, including those who have EHC plans

The SENDCO provides professional guidance to colleagues and will work closely with staff, parents and other agencies. The SENDCO should be aware of the provision in the Local Offer and be able to work with professionals providing a support role to families to ensure that pupils with SEND receive appropriate support and high quality teaching.

The key responsibilities of the SENDCO may include:  overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEND policy  co-ordinating provision for children with SEND  liaising with the relevant Designated Teacher where a looked after pupil has SEND  advising on the graduated approach to providing SEND support  advising on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively  liaising with parents of pupils with SEND  liaising with early years providers, other schools, educational psychologists, health and social care professionals, and independent or voluntary bodies  being a key point of contact with external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services  liaising with potential next providers of education to ensure a pupil and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned  working with the headteacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010) with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements  ensuring that the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEND up to date

Post 16 providers responsibilities

Post 16 providers should ensure that there is a named person in the college with an oversight of SEND provision to ensure coordination of support, similar to the role of the SENDCO in schools. the person should contribute to the strategic and operational management of the college. Curriculum and support staff in the college should know who to go to if they need help in identifying a student’s SEND, are concerned about their progress or need further advice. (SENDCoP pp116-117) Teachers’ responsibilities

A teacher must:  Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils o establish a safe and stimulating environment for pupils, rooted in mutual respect o set goals that stretch and challenge pupils of all backgrounds, abilities and dispositions o demonstrate consistently the positive attitudes, values and behaviour which are expected of pupils.  Adapt teaching to respond to strengths and needs of all pupils o Know when and how to differentiate appropriately, using approaches which enable pupils to be taught effectively o Have a secure understanding of how a range of factors can inhibit pupils’ ability to learn, and how best to overcome these o Demonstrate an awareness of the physical, social and intellectual development of children, and know how to adapt teaching to support pupils’ education at different stages of development The Teachers Standards 2011 (updated 2013) We expect teachers to be responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff. High quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEND. Additional intervention and support cannot compensate for a lack of good quality teaching. In deciding whether to make special educational provision, the teacher and SENDCO should consider all the information gathered about the pupil’s progress. This information gathering should include an early discussion with the pupil and their parents. These early discussions with parents should be structured in such a way that they develop a good understanding of the pupil’s areas of strength and difficulty, the parents’ concerns, the agreed outcomes sought for the child and the next steps.

Consideration of whether special educational provision is required should start with the desired outcomes, including the expected progress and attainment and the views and wishes of the pupil and their parents. This should then help determine the support that is needed and whether it can be provided by adapting the setting’s core offer or whether something different or additional is required. List of Abbreviations Abbreviation

What is means

ASC/ASD Autistic Spectrum Conditions/Autistic Spectrum Disorder BATOD British Association of Teachers of the Deaf C&I Communication and Interaction C&L Cognition & Learning CAMHS Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services CCG Clinical Commissioning Group CPD Continuing Professional Development DfE Department for Education DoH Department of Health EHCP Education, Health and Care Plan EP Educational Psychologist EY Early Years FE Further Education HI Hearing Impairment IEP Individual Education Plan LA Local Authority LSA Learning Support Assistant MLD Moderate Learning Difficulties

MSI Multi-Sensory Impairment NatSIP National Sensory Impairment Partnership NDCS National Deaf Children's Society OT Occupational Therapist PD Physical Difficulty PfAL Preparing for Adult Life PMLD Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties RNIB Royal National Institute of Blind People SALT Speech and Language Therapist SEMH Social, emotional and mental health SENDCo Special Educational Needs Coordinator SEND Special Educational Needs and Disabilities SENDCo Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator SENDIST Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Tribunal SLCN Speech, Language and Communication Needs SLD Severe Learning Difficulty SpLD Specific Learning Difficulty TA Teaching Assistant ToD Teacher of the Deaf VI Visual Impairment