Support for children with SEND may include:

Class Teacher Input

Class teacher input is via excellent targeted classroom teaching (known as 'Quality First Teaching').

For your child this would mean:

• That the teacher has the highest possible expectations for your child and all pupils in their class.
• That all teaching is built on what your child already knows, can do and can understand.
• That different ways of teaching are in place, so that your child is fully involved in learning in class. This may involve things like using more practical learning.
• That specific strategies (which may be suggested by the SENDCO) are in place to support your child to learn.
• Your child’s teacher will have carefully checked on your child’s progress and will have decided that your child has a gap or gaps in their understanding/learning and needs some extra support to help them make the best possible progress.

Specific Group Work

Specific group work intervention and support may be:

• Run in the classroom or outside of class.
• Run by a teacher or a teaching assistant (TA)

Devon Assessment Framework (DAF)

You will be asked to meet with the class teacher and the SENDCO to decide what interventions and support need to be put in place for your child. This will be recorded on a DAF 2a ‘My Plan’ with a date to review the plan. The date for review will depend on the level of need present.

The My Plan will clearly identify the areas of needs, the desired outcomes, the support and resources provided, including any teaching strategies or approaches that are required and when the My Plan will be reviewed.

The My Plan will usually involve a contribution by parents/carers to reinforce learning at home.

Where appropriate, the My Plan will detail the support from other agencies and how this will support the pupil in achieving the desired outcomes.

Specialist Support offered by Outside Agencies
 

This means a pupil has been identified by the SENDCO/class teacher as needing some extra specialist support in school from a professional outside the school.

This may be from Outside Agencies such as:

• Communication & Interaction Team
• Behaviour Support Team
• SEN Support Team
• Education Psychology Service
• Speech and Language Therapy Service
• Integrated Children Services
• Occupational Therapy Service
• Children and Adolescence Mental Health Service
• School Nurse
• Parent Support Advisor

What could happen?

You may be asked to give your permission for the school to refer your child to a specialist professional, e.g. a Speech and Language Therapist or Educational Psychologist. This will help your and the school to understand your child’s particular needs better and be able to support them more effectively.

The specialist professional will work with your child to understand their needs and make recommendations as to the ways your child is given support.

Statutory Assessment of Needs (EHC)

This type of support is available for children whose learning needs are severe, complex and lifelong.

This is usually provided via an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This means your child will have been identified by professionals as needing a particularly high level of individual or small-group teaching.

This type of support is available for children with specific barriers to learning that cannot be overcome through Quality First Teaching and intervention groups.

Your child will also need specialist support in school from a professional outside the school.

For your child this would mean

• The school (or you) can request that Local Authority Services carry out a statutory assessment of your child’s needs. This is a legal process which sets out the amount of support that will be provided for your child.
• After the request has been made to the ‘Panel of Professionals’ (with a lot of information about your child, including DAF 2a “My Plan”), they will decide whether they think your child’s needs (as described in the paperwork provided), seem complex enough to need a statutory assessment. If this is the case, they will ask you and all professionals involved with your child to write a report outlining your child’s needs. If they do not think your child needs this, they will ask the school to continue with the current support.
• After the reports have all been sent in, the Panel of Professionals will decide if your child’s needs are severe, complex and lifelong. If this is the case, they will write an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). If this is not the case, they will ask the school to continue with the current level of support and also set up a meeting in school to ensure a plan is in place to ensure your child makes as much progress as possible.
• The EHC Plan will outline the number of hours of individual/small group support your child will receive from the LA and how the support should be used, and what strategies must be put in place. It will also have long- and short-term goals for your child.
• The additional adult may be used to: support your child with whole class learning or run individual programs/ small groups that include your child.