Special Educational Needs - ICT Services 4 Educationict.norfolk.gov.uk/content/754/files/SEN_18109.pdfRecording SEN Events 23 Adding/Editing Events 24 Deleting an Event 26 03| Managing

applicable to 7.140 onwards

Special Educational Needs

Capita SIMS, Franklin Court, Priory Business Park, Cardington, Bedfordshire MK44 3JZ Tel: 01234 838080 Fax: 01234 832036 Email: [email protected] Web: www.capita-cs.co.uk

Revision History

Version Change Description Date

7.140 - 1.0 Initial release. 04/05/2011

© Capita Business Services Ltd 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, photocopied, stored on a retrieval

system, translated or transmitted without the express written consent of the publisher. Microsoft® and Windows® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft

Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Capita Doc Ref: SS_SEN7140/HBK/180112/NR

Providing Feedback on Documentation

We always welcome comments and feedback on the quality of our documentation including online help files and handbooks. If you have any comments, feedback or

suggestions regarding the module help file, this handbook (PDF file) or any other aspect of our documentation, please email:

[email protected]

Please ensure that you include the module name, version and aspect of documentation on which you are commenting.

mailto:[email protected]�

C|Contents 01| Getting Started with Special Educational Needs ............1

Overview ........................................................................................ 1

Permissions and Licensing Requirements ....................................... 1

The Special Needs Process.............................................................. 2

The Role of the SEN Co-ordinator within SIMS................................ 2

Defining Special Needs ................................................................... 3

Specifying the Special Educational Needs Defaults ......................... 3

Selecting the Main SEN Co-ordinator ...................................... 4

Selecting the Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator ...................... 6

Setting up SEN Review Reminders .......................................... 7

Setting the Path to the IEP Writer Module .............................. 7

02| Managing Pupil/Students with Special Educational Needs........................................................................................... 9

Introduction ................................................................................... 9

Searching for a Pupil/Student ........................................................ 9

Adding an Entry to the Overview Panel......................................... 11

Deleting an Overview Entry .................................................. 12

Linking Adults and Agencies ......................................................... 12

Adding Linked Adults/Agencies to a Child............................. 13

Recording Basic SEN Details ......................................................... 14

Specifying the SEN Status..................................................... 14

Viewing a History of a Pupil/Student's SEN Status ............... 15

Adding/Editing Need Types .................................................. 16

Viewing a History of a Pupil/Student's SEN Needs................ 17

Deleting a Need Type ............................................................ 17

Adding/Editing Full Descriptions of a Need Type .................. 17

Information for Schools in Wales.................................................. 19

The Review Process ...................................................................... 19

Adding/Editing a Review ...................................................... 20

Sending Review Letters ................................................................ 23

Recording SEN Events................................................................... 23

Adding/Editing Events .......................................................... 24

Deleting an Event.................................................................. 26

03| Managing Pupil/Students with Statements and IEPs... 27

Introduction ................................................................................. 27

Adding/Editing a Statement Referral............................................ 28

Deleting a Statement ............................................................ 30

Defining SEN Provisions................................................................ 30

Adding/Editing a Provision ................................................... 30

Deleting a Provision.............................................................. 32

Overview of Individual Education Plans........................................ 33

Creating an IEP............................................................................. 33

Adding/Editing an IEP .......................................................... 33

Deleting an Existing IEP........................................................ 34

04| Recording Gifted and Talented Pupil/Students............ 35

Introduction ................................................................................. 35

Adding/Editing Gifted/Talented Details........................................ 36

Deleting Gifted/Talented Details........................................... 37

05| Additional Information ................................................ 39

Adding/Editing Linked SEN Documents ........................................ 39

Sending a Message ....................................................................... 40

SEN Pre-Defined Reports .............................................................. 43

Selecting Dates............................................................................. 43

Glossary ........................................................................... 45

Index ............................................................................... 55

01| Getting Started with Special Educational Needs

Special Educational Needs 1

01|Getting Started with Special Educational Needs

In This Chapter

Overview ......................................................................................... 1

Permissions and Licensing Requirements ........................................ 1

The Special Needs Process............................................................... 2

The Role of the SEN Co-ordinator within SIMS................................. 2

Defining Special Needs .................................................................... 3

Specifying the Special Educational Needs Defaults .......................... 3

Overview

The Special Educational Needs in SIMS handbook supports schools in following the Code of Practice for Identification and Assessment of Pupil/ students with Special Educational Needs.

The details of periodic reviews can be recorded together with the date of the next scheduled review. Provisions made for a pupil/student can be logged alongside start and finish dates.

Individual Education Plans can be kept for each pupil/student, showing the nature of their learning difficulties, the provisions that have been put in place, the targets that have been set and the named individual who is responsible for overseeing their progress.

Permissions and Licensing Requirements

You need to be a member of one or more of the following System Manager user groups to ensure you have the Permissions required to use the functionality outlined in this handbook.

Administration Assistant

Admissions Officer

Class Teacher

School Administrator

SEN Co-ordinator

Please contact your System Manager if you are unsure whether you have the applicable permissions.


2 Special Educational Needs

For more information on setting up Permissions, please refer to the System Manager handbook. For a list of the Permissions available for each release, please refer to the appropriate Permissions spreadsheet. Copies can be obtained from SupportNet (http://support.capitaes.co.uk/) by entering PERMSP in the Site Search field on the Home page.

The Special Needs Process

Once a pupil/student has been identified as having a Special Educational Need, appropriate steps must be taken to assist them in overcoming their difficulties. By informing the SEN Co-ordinator of the situation, class teachers and other related adults responsible for the pupil/student’s welfare can all become involved in monitoring and supporting the pupil/student.

Firstly, the pupil/student has a Special Need recorded against them and then a review meeting is scheduled to assess the pupil/student’s particular areas of weakness. At the review, the necessary measures to be put in place are discussed and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is created for the pupil/student detailing the Provisions that will be provided. The IEP should target areas of weakness and comprise a number of achievable and measurable goals that can be monitored for the next scheduled review. Once the initial review has taken place, a Status for Special Needs can be allocated to the pupil/student dependant on the severity of their learning difficulty. Pupil/students registered at School Action Stage or above must be furnished with an IEP.

Any Events that occur in relation to the pupil/student can be recorded to provide a full and documented history of the pupil/student’s present situation. Similarly, any correspondence received concerning the pupil/student can be recorded as a related document. The professionals involved in supporting the pupil/student with their special needs can be named, together with details of their input. If the LA Support Team has issued the pupil/student with a Statement, details of this can also be recorded. All of these details can be viewed in the SEN Overview browse.

The Role of the SEN Co-ordinator within SIMS

The SEN Co-ordinator has overall responsibility for ensuring that the records relating to a pupil/student’s Special Educational Needs are properly kept and maintained within the Special Educational Needs section of SIMS. This is essential for building a full picture of the pupil/student’s needs and ensuring that all possible provisions are being made to assist the pupil/student in achieving the targets they have been set.

If a pupil/student is referred for a statutory assessment, the LA requires full details of the school’s work with them, including the resources allocated and the special arrangements already in place. This is much easier to provide, if full and careful records have been kept.

The role also incorporates liaison with teachers, Learning Support Assistants, outside agencies, parents and the pupil/students themselves to ensure that full support is being given in the right areas.

http://support.capitaes.co.uk/�



Monitoring pupil/student progress is also a key responsibility. Whatever the pupil/student’s difficulties may be, if they are struggling to make adequate progress, additional provisions may need to be put in place. Regular reviews are essential as well as feedback and comments from class teachers and other involved parties.

Defining Special Needs

This is an excerpt from the DfE Code of Practice for Special Needs:

A child is deemed to have a special educational need if they have a learning difficulty, which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

A learning difficulty is identified if a pupil/student:

has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age.

has a disability which prevents or hinders the child making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in school within the area of the LA.

is under five and falls within the definition at a) or b) above, or would do so if special educational provision was not made for the child.

A child must not be regarded as having a learning difficulty solely because the language or medium of communication of the home is different from the language in which they will be taught.

Special Educational Provision is:

for a child of two or over, an educational provision that is additional to or otherwise different from the educational provision made generally for children of the child’s age in maintained schools, (other than special schools in the area).

for a child under two, educational provision of any kind.

Specifying the Special Educational Needs Defaults

Before using the Special Needs facility in SIMS, you must set up certain system defaults, which include the ability to specify the main named SEN Co-ordinator in the school and to set up user defined Look Up codes.



Select Tools | SEN Setup to display the SEN Setup page.

This page consists of four panels that must be completed.

Selecting the Main SEN Co-ordinator

In many cases, there may be only one SEN Co-ordinator at your school. If this is the case, selecting a default SEN Co-ordinator reduces the need to manually select the same member of staff for each review record. In other cases, there may be more than one SEN Co-ordinator at your school, so the facility exists to specify the main SEN Co-ordinator who has the overall responsibility for SEN.



1. Click the New button to display the Select Person as SEN Co-ordinator browser.

2. Enter the staff member’s Surname or specify their Role and click the Search button to locate the required member of staff.

3. Select their name from the list displayed and click the OK button to populate the SEN Co-ordinator(s) panel.

4. If this staff member is to be the main school Special Needs Co-ordinator, click the Set Main button.

Unassigning an Existing SEN Co-ordinator from the System

It may be necessary occasionally to delete a SEN Co-ordinator from the system due to a change of responsibility or job role. This does not remove the staff member from the system; it simply disassociates them from their previous role.

1. Highlight the name of the existing SEN Co-ordinator from the list displayed in the SEN Co-ordinator(s) panel.

2. Click the Delete button to disassociate the staff member with the role of SEN Co-ordinator.

3. Click the Save button to keep your changes.



Selecting the Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator

1. Click the New button to display the Select Person as Gifted/Talented Co-ordinator browser.

2. Enter the staff member’s Surname or specify their Role and click the Search button to locate the required member of staff.

3. Select their name from the list displayed and click the OK button to populate the Gifted/Talented Co-ordinator(s) panel.

4. If this staff member is to be the main school Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator, click the Set Main button.

You can only have one staff member designated as the main Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator at any one time.

Unassigning the Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator

It may be necessary to occasionally delete a Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator due to a change of responsibility or job role. The individual is not be removed from the system, simply the association with their previous role.

1. Select Tools | Setups | SEN Setup to display the SEN Setup page.

2. Highlight the name of the existing Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator from the list displayed in the Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator panel.

3. Click the Delete button to unassign the staff member from the role of Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator.



Setting up SEN Review Reminders

To help the Special Needs Co-ordinator manage pupil/student reviews and plan accordingly, the system provides the ability to set up Review Reminders. These reminders enable the SEN Co-ordinator to ensure that all relevant documents are available before the review meeting takes place and that all invited participants have replied and are attending the review. Specifying the time allowed between the date of the review occurring and the reminder appearing enables the SEN Co-ordinator to choose how much time they will need to achieve these aims.

In the SEN Reminders panel, enter the required number of days in the Review Reminder Days field.

NOTE: If zero is entered no review reminders are generated, if one is entered then review reminders include reviews that are due today and the following day.

More Information: The Review Process on page 19

Setting the Path to the IEP Writer Module

The SENCO facility in SIMS uses third party software to create Individual Education Plans for Special Educational Needs pupil/students.

To enable SEN Co-ordinators to launch IEP Writer from within SIMS it is necessary to specify the location of the software before attempting to create an IEP for a pupil/student.

1. In the IEP Writer panel, click the Browser button adjacent to the IEP Writer Path field and navigate to the location of the IEPWriterV3 executable file.

This is most likely to be located in C:\IEP but it is possible that the IEP Writer utility may have been installed to a different location.

2. Click the Save button before closing the SEN Setup page.

More Information: Adding/Editing an IEP on page 33

Defining Lookup Codes

SIMS is designed to be as flexible as possible in use and to accommodate each school’s own customisation preferences. SEN Co-ordinators are able to set up their own Lookup codes to be used in the Special Needs area of SIMS.



1. Select Tools | Lookups | Maintain to display the Find Lookups browser. The page consists of two sections. The first section lists the existing Lookup Types, the second displays the existing Lookup Values associated with each individual type.

2. Click the New button to add an additional Lookup Type.

3. Enter a Description in the Basic Details panel.

The Data Area and Mode fields default to User Defined and User Owned respectively, as soon as you indicate that you are adding a new Lookup.

4. Click the New button adjacent to the Values panel to display the Add/Edit Lookup Value dialog.

5. Enter a unique Code and Description in the relevant fields and indicate whether the Lookup can be used immediately by selecting the Active check box.

6. Click the OK button to save the details.

NOTE: All users currently logged into SIMS must log out of the system and back in again before the newly added Lookup is available for use.

02| Managing Pupil/Students with Special Educational Needs


02|Managing Pupil/Students with Special Educational Needs

In This Chapter

Introduction .................................................................................... 9

Searching for a Pupil/Student ......................................................... 9

Adding an Entry to the Overview Panel.......................................... 11

Linking Adults and Agencies .......................................................... 12

Recording Basic SEN Details .......................................................... 14

Information for Schools in Wales................................................... 19

The Review Process ....................................................................... 19

Sending Review Letters ................................................................. 23

Recording SEN Events.................................................................... 23

Introduction

To ensure that all pupil/students with Special Educational Needs are supported and monitored throughout their duration at school, they must be allocated a Special Needs Status. This enables reviews to be arranged regularly and the pupil/student’s progress to be closely monitored. Additional provisions can be instigated if they are deemed beneficial for the pupil/student.

Searching for a Pupil/Student

1. Select Focus | Pupil/Student | Special Educational Needs to display the Find SEN Pupil/Student browser.



Alternatively, click the Special Educational Needs button on the toolbar.

Special Educational Needs button

The Find SEN Pupil/Student browser contains various different fields that allow you to specify the data you require.

If you know some details of the required pupil/student, the Surname and Forename can be entered as the search criteria.

NOTE: The search fields are not case sensitive and partially entering a pupil/student’s name displays all pupil/students whose names begin with the first few letters entered. For example, entering "At" in the Surname field displays pupil/students with the surnames of Atkins, Atkinson, Attwood, etc.

The Status drop-down list allows you to change the type of pupil/student data that is displayed from Any, Current, Ever On-Roll, Guest, Leavers, or On-Roll.

The option of On-Roll or Current is required for pupil/students being added to the SEN Register for the first time. The On-Roll view allows users to access all pupil/students who are currently registered at the school.

You may only know the pupil/student’s Tier, Year Group, Reg Group or House and it is, therefore, possible to select this information from the Tier, Year Group, Reg Group and House drop-down lists.

If the pupil/student has already been allocated a SEN Status, click the drop-down list and highlight the status that has been assigned to them. This enables you to search only for pupil/students who have been allocated a particular status.

A combination of all the fields can be used to refine the search depending on the information available to you.

2. After making your search criteria selections, click the Search button to display a list of pupil/student details who match the search criteria entered.

3. Once you have identified the pupil/student to allocate a Special Educational Need to, select their name from the list displayed in the browse box, and double-click on them to display the SEN Pupil/Student Details page.

At the top of the SEN Pupil/Student Details page there is a selection of hyperlink labels, clicking on any of these hyperlinks displays the individual area of the page that you have selected. For example, selecting the Provisions hyperlink displays the Provisions panel in prominence.



From each individual panel within the main page, it is possible to add New records, Open and edit existing records or Delete extraneous records. It is also possible to change the setting so that the browser remains open after a pupil/student has been selected.

The Browse button on the toolbar can be used to switch the browser off when not required. This allows the full page of the pupil/student’s Special Educational Needs information to be viewed with the pupil/student’s name displayed at the top of the page.

Adding an Entry to the Overview Panel

The Overview panel provides a brief summary of all recent entries to a pupil/student’s Special Needs record at a glance. Reviews, Events, Statements or Provisions can be added, edited or deleted from the Overview panel and any of the actions undertaken here will automatically be reflected in the relevant area of the SEN Pupil/Student Details page. For example, selecting to add a new Review here launches the Add/Edit SEN Review dialog and once the details have been entered and saved, they are available for viewing in both the Overview and Review panels.

1. Select Focus | Pupil/Student | Special Educational Needs and search for the required pupil/student.

2. Click the Overview hyperlink to display the Overview panel.

If the selected pupil/student already has a Special Educational Needs record, previous SEN entries are displayed together with the Date and the Type of entry and a one line Summary of the entry.

3. Click the New button to add a new Overview entry and select Review, Event, Statement, or Provision from the drop-down list, or highlight an existing Overview entry from the list displayed and click the Open button to edit the details. The relevant area of the SEN Pupil/Student Details page is displayed according to the entry type selected.



Deleting an Overview Entry

Care should be exercised when deleting entries, as collectively, they represent the history of the pupil/student’s Special Needs.

1. From the Overview panel, highlight the entry that you wish to delete.

2. Click the Delete button adjacent to the panel.

The entry is removed from the Overview panel and from the corresponding panel to which it relates, i.e. deleting a review removes the details from the Review panel as well as from the Overview panel.

Linking Adults and Agencies

For every child who is registered with a Special Educational Need, there is a requirement to identify adults who are involved in their development. These Linked Adults/Agencies can include parents, teachers, doctors, speech therapists, educational psychologists and social workers. These individuals may need to be contacted with updates and invitations to attend reviews, etc.

Adults who are already entered in the system as agents, contacts or staff, can be associated with a child with Special Educational Needs or new Linked Adults can be added individually where necessary.

The SEN facility in SIMS accesses existing adults and agencies previously recorded elsewhere in the system including parents, teachers, and doctors. Other adults such as educational psychologists and social workers can be added as Agents when required.

1. Select Focus | Pupil/Student | Special Educational Needs to display the Find SEN Pupil/Student browser and locate the required pupil/student.

2. Click the Linked Adults/Agencies hyperlink to display the Linked Adults/Agencies panel.



Adding Linked Adults/Agencies to a Child

There are several categories of Linked Adult, the categories entitled Contacts, Medical, Pastoral and Academic are dynamic and are populated automatically by details held elsewhere in the system. Only Linked Adults who fall into the Others category can be added or deleted here. This now includes Agents and Agencies.

1. Click the New button to display the Add/Edit SEN Linked Adults: Other dialog. The pupil/student’s Name field automatically displays the child with whom the new Linked Adult is being associated.

2. Select the Relationship Type. This can be altered by selecting from the drop-down list.

3. The Start Date field defaults to today’s date although the date can be edited, if required, by clicking on the Calendar button and selecting an alternative date.

Calendar button

4. Enter an End Date if the adult will only be associated with the pupil/student for a fixed period of time, by clicking the Calendar button and selecting the required date.

5. If an agent is being linked to the pupil/student, the SEN Link check box is automatically selected. This indicates that the agent will be providing additional SEN support for the student. If this is not the case, deselect the check box.

6. Click the Browser button adjacent to the Agent Name/Agency Name/Person Name field to display the Select Person as SEN Linked Adult: Other, Select Agent or Select Agency dialog. The dialog displayed is dependent on the type of individual being linked to the student.

7. Enter their Surname or Forename if known or click the Role drop-down list and select from the options offered to minimise the search criteria. The person who is being added as a Linked Adult may already be recorded elsewhere in the system as an Agent or Contact, etc.

Alternatively, the fields can be left blank before the Search button is clicked and all the existing adults in the system are displayed in alphabetical order.



8. Highlight the required adult from the list displayed and click OK to populate the Person Name field.

9. Click the OK button to associate the selected adult with the pupil/student.

Recording Basic SEN Details

Once a pupil/student’s Special Educational Needs have been identified, they must be recorded in the Basic SEN Details panel of the Pupil/Student Details page. Their needs can be itemised in this area and comments attached to the needs of the pupil/student to describe their specific problems, their strengths and areas of difficulty. This information can be entered under a variety of headings, e.g. moderate learning difficulty, hearing impairment, etc. It is also possible to maintain a history of changes to a pupil/student's SEN Status and their specific Needs.

Select Focus | Pupil/Student | Special Educational Needs and click the Basic SEN Details hyperlink to display the Basic SEN Details panel.

Specifying the SEN Status

1. Select the Status code that relates to the child’s Special Educational Need from the drop-down list. The Status code defines the level of severity that has been allocated to the pupil/student’s special need.

N - No Special Educational Need has been identified.

A - School/Early Years Action. Once a class or subject teacher identifies that a student has a special educational need, provisions should be put in place as soon as possible to provide specific or additional teaching techniques to concentrate on the student's specific areas of difficulty.



P - School/Early Years Action +. If the student is not making the anticipated progress even with special provisions in place, the school must consult with a relevant specialist. These might include a Doctor or an Educational Psychologist from the LA Support Team, for example.

S - Statement. The LA has reviewed the student and a statement has been issued.

2. To maintain a history of changes to the Status, it is important to select its Start Date by clicking the Calendar button then selecting the required date. If a Status has previously been set, the Start Date defaults to the start date of the previous status. If you fail to edit the Start Date for the new Status, when the record is saved a message will inform you that this will cause partial or complete removal of SEN data, i.e. removal of SEN history for the selected pupil/student.

Calendar button

NOTE: The Start Date selected cannot be in the past.

More Information: Selecting Dates on page 43

Viewing a History of a Pupil/Student's SEN Status

It is possible to maintain a history of changes to a pupil/student's SEN Status.

Click the Status History button to display the Status History dialog.

The Status History dialog displays a history of a pupil/student's SEN Status, together with their Start Date and End Date.

Click the Close button to return to the Basic SEN Details panel of the Student SEN details page.



Adding/Editing Need Types

The Need Type defines the nature of the pupil/student’s special needs, e.g. moderate learning difficulty, hearing impairment, etc.

1. To maintain a history of changes to a pupil/student's Needs, it is important to select its Start Date by clicking the Calendar button then selecting the required date.

NOTE: The Start Date selected cannot be in the past.

2. In the Needs panel, click the New button to display the Add/Edit SEN Need dialog or highlight an existing Need Type from the list displayed and click the Open button to edit the details.

3. If this is the first Need Type to be allocated to the pupil/student, the Ranking field displays the number 1. If it is an additional Need Type, the Ranking field displays the next relevant number in sequential order.

4. Click the Need Type drop-down list and select the required option.

5. Enter a brief Description of the identified Need Type in the box provided and click the OK button to save the details.

If the pupil/student has been identified with more than one Special Educational Need, continue to add Need Types as required. After entering, they can be re-arranged using the Move Up and Move Down buttons to change their priority. For example, the pupil/student may have been identified as having a Speech, Language or Communication Difficulty that is exacerbated by their Hearing Impairment. In this instance, the Hearing Impairment Need Type would be allocated the top priority order of 1 as it is the primary reason for the additional Need Type of Speech, Language or Communication Difficulty. The additional Need Type would then be allocated the priority order of 2.



Viewing a History of a Pupil/Student's SEN Needs

It is possible to maintain a history of changes to a pupil/student's SEN Needs.

Click the Needs History button to display the Needs History dialog.

The Needs History dialog displays a history of a pupil/student's SEN Needs, the date on which the need was recorded and a Summary of the need.

Click the Close button to return to the Basic SEN Details panel of the Student SEN details page.

Deleting a Need Type

If a Need Type has been entered in error or is no longer applicable, it can be deleted by highlighting the relevant entry from the list displayed in the Needs panel and clicking the Delete button.

More Information: Deleting the Full Description of a Need Type on page 18

Adding/Editing Full Descriptions of a Need Type

1. In the Full Descriptions panel, click the New button to display the Add Note/Document dialog or highlight an existing Full Description from the list displayed and click the Open button to edit the details.

2. Select the Note/Document Type from the drop-down list.

3. Enter a Summary of the document you are about to add so that you can easily identify the contents from other attached documents.

4. Enter any relevant Note(s) relating to the Note/Document that you are adding.



5. In the Attachment panel, click the Browser button to display the Add Attachment dialog.

Browser button

6. Navigate to the location of the stored Note/Document, highlight the required file name and click the OK button to associate the Note/Document with the pupil/student’s record.

7. To see details of when the attached document was Last Uploaded, click the View button or click the Open button to fully display the document.

Deleting the Full Description of a Need Type

Deleting an existing Need Type automatically removes the associated Description although, when editing a Need Type, deleting only the text from the brief description field does not remove the entire Need Type.

NOTE: Deleting an attached Full Description permanently removes the attached Word document.


2. Highlight the relevant entry from the Needs panel and click the Delete button to remove the details.



Information for Schools in Wales

Schools in Wales see four additional fields on the Basic SEN Details panel that enable them to specify the exact Level of Provision that is being provided for the pupil/student. Please refer to your LEA or WAG for further details.

The Review Process

Reviews are the key element to the entire Special Educational Needs process and without them occurring, it would be very difficult to formalise the special needs of a pupil/student.

A Review generally involves the pupil/student, their parents, a representative of the school, any other professionals involved in the pupil/student’s development, i.e. educational psychologists and a member of the LA support team (if the pupil/student has been issued with a statement). An Initial Review should be organised as soon as a child has been identified as having a Special Educational Need.

NOTE: The term ‘Statemented’ means that a legal document has been drawn up specifying the pupil/student’s needs and the extra help they should receive. This is usually only considered necessary if the school cannot provide onsite, all the resources that the pupil/student needs.

The Review process should be ongoing to monitor the progress made by existing SEN pupil/students since their last review meeting and to address any changes deemed necessary to the special educational provision that has been previously agreed to ensure the pupil/student’s continuing support and improvement.



If the review is part of the statement process, the Head Teacher must compile a summarised report of the review meeting and submit this to the LA and all other parties involved, giving a detailed outcome of the review.

All Special Education Needs pupil/students should be reviewed on a regular basis, although only those pupil/students who have been issued with a statement must have an annual review involving the LA.

Adding/Editing a Review


2. Click the Reviews hyperlink to display the Reviews panel.

3. Click the New button to display the Add/Edit SEN Review dialog. Alternatively, highlight an existing Review from the Overview panel and click the Open button to edit the details.



4. Select the Review Type from the drop-down list. For pupil/students with no previous Special Educational Needs record, the first review should be arranged as an Initial review.

5. The Review Status should be specified as Planned until the review has actually taken place.

6. Enter the Start Date and Time and the End Date and Time by clicking on the respective Calendar buttons and selecting the required dates.

7. Specify the Venue for the meeting.

Calendar button

8. Click the Browser button to display the Select SEN Co-ordinator dialog. Highlight the required member of staff from the list displayed and click the OK button.

Browser button

9. Click the New button adjacent to the People Involved panel to display the Select SEN Review People Involved dialog. Choose the names of the required SEN Linked Adults by selecting the check boxes adjacent to their names. Click the OK button to retain the details.

Once you have selected the individuals who are required at the review meeting, indicate whether they have been sent a letter of invitation by highlighting each individual in turn and selecting the Invited check box.



After the review meeting, indicate whether the individuals attended the review by highlighting each one in turn and selecting the Attended check box. If all those individuals who were invited to the review meeting were able to attend, highlight each one in turn and click the Copy I to A button.

10. Enter the Date for Pupil/Student and the Date for Parent(s) in the Consultations panel by clicking on the respective Calendar buttons and selecting the required dates.

11. Once the review meeting has taken place, record the Outcome by choosing the relevant SEN Status from the drop-down list and adding any necessary Comments.

12. Enter the details of the Next Review by specifying the Next Review Type from the drop-down list and the Next Start Date and Time, the Next End Date and Time by clicking on the respective Calendar buttons. Then enter the location for the Next Venue.

NOTE: When the Next Review section has been entered on a completed review, selecting New to record another review automatically populates the relevant fields for the new review with the dates from the Next Review section of the last review.

13. In the Notes/Documents panel, click the New button to display the Add Note/Document dialog.

14. Specify the Type of document to be attached and enter a short summary detailing what the document relates to. Enter more information in the Note field.

15. In the Attachment panel, click the Browser button to display the Add Attachment dialog.

Browser button

16. Navigate to the location of the stored document, highlight the required entry and click the Open button to attach the document.



17. The Last Uploaded field remains empty until you have saved the record, then you will be able to view the date and time of the last file upload, together with the name of the user who uploaded it. It is possible to View or Open the attached document by clicking on the respective buttons adjacent to the Last Uploaded field.

18. Click the OK button to retain the details.

19. Click the OK button at the bottom of the Add/Edit SEN Review dialog to save your changes.

Sending Review Letters

Once you have specified all the relevant details of a new review, it is possible to send the required participants a letter of invitation to the forthcoming review. Letter templates can be defined using the Reporting functionality in SIMS and then saved for future use.

NOTE: The Review record must have been saved before you are able to send a letter.

1. Click the Letter button adjacent to the Reviews panel to display the Select Report for SEN Review dialog.

Letter button

2. Expand the relevant Report Folder and select the required report to continue.

Recording SEN Events

An event is any specific and identifiable occurrence that takes place in the course of a pupil/student’s history and is associated with their Special Educational Needs.

Events may not occur with any regularity but those that do occur should be recorded to help build up and maintain a full picture of the pupil/student’s current position with regard to their Special Needs.

The Events page allows the entry of any significant events that occur during the review period, e.g. a visit from an educational psychologist or social worker, a medical examination, a phone call from a parent, anything at all that is relevant to the pupil/student’s welfare or current state of progress.



Adding/Editing Events


2. Click the Events hyperlink to display the Events panel.

3. Click the New button to display the Add/Edit SEN Event dialog. Alternatively, highlight an existing Event from the list displayed in the Overview panel and click the Open button to edit the details.

4. Select the Event Type from the drop-down list, i.e. Telephone Call or External Specialist Visit.

5. The Date defaults to today’s date but can be changed if required by clicking on the Calendar button and selecting an alternative date.

6. Enter any relevant Comments pertaining to the Event.

7. Click the New button adjacent to the People Involved panel to display the Select SEN Event People Involved dialog.



All Linked Adults who are associated with the selected pupil/student in any way are available for selection. Expand the tree structure until you locate the individuals you wish to involve in the provision.

Selecting the highest level boxes for Contacts, Pastoral, etc. includes all individuals grouped under that heading. Single individuals can be chosen by selecting the check box next to their names.


9. Click the New button adjacent to the Notes/Documents panel to display the Add Note/Document dialog.

10. Select the Type of note or document to be added from the drop-down list.



11. Enter a brief Summary of the content of the note or document, i.e. note from doctor detailing changes to prescribed medication, etc.

12. Enter any relevant Notes relating to the note or document in the field provided.

13. To associate an Attachment with the note or document, click the adjacent Browse button to launch the Add Attachment browser. This is a standard Windows® browser.

14. Navigate to the location of the stored document and click the Open button to link the attachment to the note or document.

15. To see the details of when the attached document was Last Uploaded, click the View button or the Open button to display the document.


Deleting an Event

If an event record has accidentally been created for a particular pupil/student, you may wish to remove the details from their records.

NOTE: Extreme caution should be taken when deleting a SEN Event as the information is completely removed from the database and all links with the pupil/student are also removed.

Highlight the relevant event from either the Overview panel or the Events panel and click the Delete button.

03| Managing Pupil/Students with Statements and IEPs


03|Managing Pupil/Students with Statements and IEPs

In This Chapter

Introduction .................................................................................. 27

Adding/Editing a Statement Referral............................................. 28

Defining SEN Provisions................................................................. 30

Overview of Individual Education Plans......................................... 33

Creating an IEP.............................................................................. 33

Introduction

The statement process is primarily the responsibility of the LA. The school’s fundamental concern should be to monitor the referral of a pupil/student to the LA and to chase up, when necessary, any outstanding referrals with the LA.

A statement is only considered necessary if the school is unable to provide onsite, the special help a pupil/student requires. Only one statement per pupil/student can be in force at any one time, and remains in force for six months or until the LA ceases to maintain it any longer. As soon as the pupil/student moves onto further or higher education, the statement ceases to be applicable.

The annual Statement Review is a four-part process involving:

the collation of information relating to the pupil/student’s progress since the last review meeting.

the holding of the review meeting and subsequent discussions.

the Head Teacher sending the review report to the LA support team.

the receipt of the review report by the LA and any subsequent amendments.



Adding/Editing a Statement Referral

1. Select Focus | Pupil/Student | Special Educational Needs and locate the required pupil/student.

2. Click the Statements hyperlink to display the Statements panel.

3. Click the New button to display the Add/Edit SEN Statement dialog. Alternatively, highlight an existing Statement from the Overview panel and click the Open button to edit the details.

4. In the Request panel select the Date Requested from the LA and the Date Parent Consulted about the need for the Statement process to be implemented by clicking on the respective Calendar buttons and selecting the required dates.

Calendar button



5. If the pupil/student has been temporarily removed from normal classes until the statement has been prepared, enter the Temporary Subjects and the Permament Subjects from which they have been removed in the Disapplication from National Curriculum panel.

6. Specify the Name of the LA Officer who is dealing with the statement request by clicking the Browse button to display the Select Person as LA Officer dialog. Enter any known details and click the Search button to list individuals who match the search criteria entered. Highlight their name from the list displayed and click OK to save their details.

7. The Named LA Officer liaises with the pupil/student’s parents with regard to the statutory assessment process and when structuring statements.

8. Select the Statutory Assessment from the drop-down list and specify the Outcome from the options provided.

9. The Statutory Assessment is a very detailed examination of a pupil/student’s special educational needs and may result in a Statement being issued.

10. If the request is Subject to SEN Tribunal, select the check box to activate the Appeal Notes field.

A SEN Tribunal involves the pupil/student’s parents lodging an appeal against the LA decision to either issue or withhold a statement. The outcome of the tribunal must be adhered to by the child’s parents as well as the school involved.

11. In the Statement panel, enter the Date Finalised and Date Ceased, i.e. when the LA response was received and when the statement is due to end.



14. Enter a brief Summary of the content of the note or document, e.g. note from doctor detailing changes to prescribed medication, etc.







Deleting a Statement

A pupil/student’s SEN Statement history may include more than one statement referral as the pupil/student’s situation may have changed over a period of time. The delete process should only be used to correct errors.

NOTE: A pupil/student should only have one statement in place at any one time.

A pupil/student’s Special Educational Needs history may contain more than one statement referral because their situation may have changed over a period of time. The deletion of a statement referral should only be undertaken to correct errors.

Highlight the relevant statement from the Statement panel or the Overview panel and click the Delete button.

Defining SEN Provisions

The term Provisions covers a wide range of resources from financial help through to special equipment or the professional services of an Educational Psychologist. Schools must record details of all provisions that have been made for each pupil/student. Not only must the type of provision be identified, its use must be described in terms of frequency. Provisions are linked directly to a pupil/student’s review and represent the decisions taken at the review and an historical record is maintained.

Adding/Editing a Provision

1. Select Focus | Pupil/Student | Special Educational Needs to display the Find SEN Pupil/Student browser and search for the required pupil/student.

2. Click the Provisions hyperlink to display the Provisions panel.



3. Click the New button to display the Add/Edit SEN Provision dialog. Alternatively, highlight an existing Provision from the list displayed in the Overview panel and click the Open button to edit the details.

4. Click the drop-down arrow and select a Provision Type from the list provided, e.g. Speech Therapy.

5. The Start Date for the Provision defaults to today’s date but can be changed if necessary by clicking on the Calendar button and selecting the required dates. The End Date field should be completed in the same way to maintain the full SEN History.

6. Enter the Cost to the school for supplying this provision, e.g. 75.00. Entering a pound sign is not necessary.

7. Specify the Frequency of the Provision, e.g. Speech Therapy on a weekly basis.

8. Enter a brief description of the Provisions being made in the Comments field.

An example of a Provision comment would be: ‘Additional tutoring required to improve Jo’s confidence when speaking in class’.

9. Click the New button adjacent to the People Involved panel to display the Select SEN Provision People Involved dialog.

10. All relevant Linked Adults associated with the pupil/student are available for selection. Expand the tree structure until you locate the individuals you wish to involve with the Provisions being made.



Selecting the highest level boxes for Contacts, Pastoral, etc. includes all individuals grouped under that heading. Individuals can be selected singly by clicking in the box next to their names.




14. Enter a brief Summary of the content of the note or document, e.g. note from doctor detailing changes to prescribed medication, etc.





Deleting a Provision

Provisions should only be deleted if they have been entered against the wrong pupil/student, otherwise they should remain as part of the pupil/student’s SEN History.

Highlight the relevant Provision from either the Overview panel or the Provisions panel and click the Delete button.



Overview of Individual Education Plans

An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a structured plan of activity with specific short-term targets that address the learning difficulties of a pupil/student. A plan is produced after consultation with the pupil/student, their school teachers, parents and depending on the ‘status’, with external specialists. Individual Education Plans can be maintained for each pupil/student, showing the nature of any learning difficulties, the provision the school is making, the activities and targets set for the pupil/student and the staff involved in achieving these targets.

IEPs should only record information that is additional to, or different from, the normal curriculum provision. Ideally, they should only focus on three or four individual targets at a time. An existing IEP should be reviewed at least twice a year but preferably more frequently to enable the pupil/student’s progress in achieving their targets to be accurately monitored.

Creating an IEP

IEPs are created using third party software called IEP Writer which offers a flexible and comprehensive method of managing pupil/students’ Individual Education Plans.

IEP Writer has proved to be very popular with Special Needs Co-ordinators, Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists and professionals working in support services, schools and other educational establishments.

Adding/Editing an IEP


2. Click the IEPs hyperlink to display the IEPs panel.

3. Click the New button to launch the IEP Writer software.

4. The Pupil/Student Details page is displayed. Various elements of data are carried over into IEP Writer from SIMS.

The specified pupil/student’s name, year and reg. group, admission number, DOB, Date of Arrival, Ethnicity, Language, religion, reg. tutor’s name, etc.

Their SEN status, SEN Category, date of last review, date of next review, name of SEN co-ordinator, names of support staff and external specialists and specified assessment results.

For more information on the creation of Individual Education plans, please refer to the Using IEP Writer with SIMS handbook.



Deleting an Existing IEP


2. Click the IEPs hyperlink to display the IEPs panel.

3. Highlight the relevant IEP from the list displayed and click the Delete button to remove it.

04| Recording Gifted and Talented Pupil/Students


04|Recording Gifted and Talented Pupil/Students

In This Chapter

Introduction .................................................................................. 35

Adding/Editing Gifted/Talented Details......................................... 36

Introduction

Schools have been asked by the DfE to identify the number of pupil/students in each year group who are classed as ‘Gifted and Talented’. It is expected that between five and ten percent of each year group fall into this category.

The term ‘Gifted’ is attributed to children who show a particular ability in one or more academic subjects of the National Curriculum. ‘Talented’ children are defined as having an aptitude for Art and Design, Music, Performing Arts including Dance and Drama or a specific sporting ability.

Some students are classed as ‘all rounders' and have a range of academic ability and additional talents. The guidance laid down to schools states that at least two- thirds of the ‘Gifted and Talented’ group will have academic ability or be ‘all rounders’while the remaining third of the group will be either ‘Gifted’ or ‘Talented’.

It is recognised that this group of pupil/students have specific needs that need to be addressed in a similar way to children with learning difficulties. It is possible that this group of children are underachieving due to lack of stimulus or boredom in class. This often leads to disruption and behavioural problems which may benefit from a visit by the Educational Psychologist. Because of this parallel, children in the 'Gifted and Talented' group should have their needs recorded as a Special Educational Need.

More Information: Selecting the Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator on page 6



Adding/Editing Gifted/Talented Details

1. Select Focus | Student | Special Educational Needs to display the Find SEN Student page.

2. After searching for a pupil/student to record as Gifted and Talented, click the Gifted/Talented hyperlink to display the Gifted/Talented panel.

3. Select the Is Gifted/Talented check box to activate the Start Date field. The date defaults to today’s date but can be changed by clicking on the Calendar button and selecting a date in the past. It is not possible to select a date in the future.

4. Click the New button to display the Add/Edit Gift/Talent dialog.

5. Select the Subject in which the child has shown exceptional promise, from the drop-down list. It is possible to record more than one subject in which the student excels. The different subjects must be entered individually.

6. Enter any Notes to explain why the pupil/student is gifted/talented in this particular subject.


More Information: Adding/Editing a Provision on page 30 Adding/Editing Events on page 24



Deleting Gifted/Talented Details


2. After searching for a student to delete one of their Gifted/Talented entries, click the Gifted/Talented hyperlink to display the Gifted/Talented panel.

3. Highlight the Gifted/Talented entry you wish to delete and click the Delete button to remove it.



05| Additional Information


05|Additional Information

In This Chapter

Adding/Editing Linked SEN Documents ......................................... 39

Sending a Message ........................................................................ 40

SEN Pre-Defined Reports ............................................................... 43

Selecting Dates.............................................................................. 43

Adding/Editing Linked SEN Documents

The ability to attach specific Special Needs related documents to students is now available.


2. After searching for a student to add a document to their SEN record, click the Linked SEN Documents hyperlink to display the Linked SEN Documents panel.

3. Click the New button to display the Add Note/Document dialog.

4. The note/document Type defaults to SEN Document.

5. Enter a Summary for the note/document and any relevant Notes to identify the contents of the document.

6. To associate an Attachment with a note or document, click the Open button and browse to the location of a previously stored file. Documents that have been sent or received outside of SIMS, can be scanned into the system, relevant paragraphs can also be entered for future reference.

Any Quick Letters that have been sent from within the system, can be attached to the relevant individuals involved, by this method.

7. Highlight the required document and click the Open button to attach it to the record.



The Last Uploaded field remains empty until you have saved the record, then you are able to view the date and time of the last file upload, together with the name of the user who uploaded it. It is possible to View or Open the attached document by clicking on the respective buttons adjacent to the Last Uploaded field. The View button enables users with insufficient permissions to simply read the contents of the attachment. These users cannot amend or edit attachments.

The Open button enables users with sufficient permissions to read, amend and edit attachments.

8. Click the OK button to save the note/document details.

Sending a Message

It is possible to send messages to other staff members from a variety of different pupil/student related screens: EMA Student Details, SEN Student Details, Pupil/Student Details, Exclusions, Behaviour Management and Student History.

This facility does not aim to replace standard email packages but to enable the exchange of information relating to pupil/students to be rapid and secure from one staff member to another.



1. Click the Send Message hyperlink from the Links panel on the far right-hand side of the page. The Send Message dialog is displayed.

In the Student panel, the pupil/student’s Name, Gender, Year Group and Class/Reg Group is populated automatically from details held elsewhere in the system.



2. Click the Add button in the Recipient panel to display the Select Recipients browser.

3. Search for, and then select the required recipient (multiple recipients can be selected by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking the required names).

4. Click the Add button to add each person (or group of people).

5. When you have added the necessary members of staff, click the OK button. The selected members of staff are displayed in the Recipient panel.

NOTE: To remove a member of staff, highlight them in the Recipient panel and click the Remove button.

6. In the Message panel, the Type field defaults to reflect whichever of the pupil/student details pages you are currently accessing the Send Message dialog from. Click the drop-down list and select an alternative type, if required.

7. In the Message panel, select the Priority from the drop-down list. High priority messages are displayed in a pop-up window on the bottom right-hand corner of the recipient’s screen (if this setting has been activated). For more information, please refer to the Using the Home Page chapter of the Managing Pupil/Students in SIMS handbook.

The Date field is populated from a combination of the system date and time.



8. The Subject field displays a summary of the information contained in the Student panel. It is possible to over-type these details and change the subject to one of your choice, if preferred.

9. Enter the main Message text and click the Send button to deliver the message to the selected recipient(s).

SEN Pre-Defined Reports

There are a number of pre-defined Special Educational Needs reports that are available for use from within Reporting in SIMS. To access and run these reports, please refer to the Reporting in SIMS handbook.

For a list and preview of these reports, please refer to the SIMS Pre-Defined Reports Catalogue.

Selecting Dates

The Calendar button featured in many SIMS windows allows you to specify the date on which the requested data is based. It is possible to view data from previous years, e.g. the classes a pupil/student attended in the last academic year. The Calendar date always defaults to today's date unless otherwise specified. It can be changed as follows:

1. Click the Calendar button to display the current month with today’s date highlighted.

Calendar button

2. Click the Forward or Back arrows to change the month as required, then click the specific date. Alternatively, click the month displayed to select a different month from the drop-down list.

3. Click the Year to display up and down arrows allowing you to move between other years as necessary.

4. Double-click the chosen date to populate the Date field with your selected date.



G| Glossary


Glossary

Annual Review

The review meeting for a child who has a statement. This meeting is held once a year and the success and failures of the provisions are discussed, together with any changes that need to be made to the document.

ASD

Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

BESD

Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulty.

Categories for Special Needs

Dyslexia

Specific Learning Difficulty

Moderate Learning Difficulty

Severe Learning Difficulty

Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty

Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulty

Speech, Language or Communication Difficulty

Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Hearing Impairment

Visual Impairment

Multi-Sensory Impairment

Physical Disability

Other Difficulty/Disability

G| Glossary


Disapplied pupils

The National Curriculum assessments have been designed to make sure that as many children as possible can be assessed. There may however be a small number of pupils who are not able to take part in some or all of the assessments, even allowing for the full range of arrangements that can be made. Usually this only happens if all or part of the National Curriculum is not suitable for a pupil because he or she has certain special educational needs. The assessments are designed to cater for most pupils with special educational needs.

EP or EdPsych

Educational Psychologist.

Group IEP

Education Plans that are written for a group of pupil/students.

HI

Hearing Impairment.

IEP

Individual Education Plan. These plans are drawn up by the class teacher and/or special needs co-ordinator to provide individual support for children deemed to have needs over and above that of other children within the class either through learning difficulties or because they are considered to be exceptionally bright or gifted children.

Linked Adults

All adults who have an interest or are instrumental in the pupil’s progress. These may include parents, SEN contacts, teachers and external specialists.

MLD

Moderate Learning Difficulty.

MSI

Multi Sensory Impairment.

Named LA Officer

The person from the LA who liaises with parents regarding statutory assessment and the construction of statements. Parents are usually told the name of their Named Officer when they are informed that their child is going to receive a statutory assessment.

NC

National Curriculum.

G| Glossary


NC Modification

Pupil/students that have special educational needs quite often have the exam conditions modified in some way. This could include having more time allowed or assistance reading the exam paper, etc.

Needs Document

This is the document that the SEN Co-ordinator uses to detail a pupil/student’s special needs.

Note in Lieu

A note may be issued to the pupil/students parents and school when following a statutory assessment, the LA decide not to statement the pupil/student. The note should describe the pupil/students Special Educational Needs, explain why the LA does not think it necessary to make a statement and make recommendations about alternative, appropriate provisions for the child. All the advice received during the assessment should be attached to the note sent to the parents and with their consent, should also be sent to the child’s school.

PD

Physical Disability.

PMLD

Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty.

Pupil Incident

These are notes or messages that SEN Co-ordinators are frequently given by other staff and which help to show how well a pupil is achieving or how urgently the pupil/student needs extra help. These messages are essential for building up a full picture of the pupil’s history with regard to special needs.

Review Report

This is a record of any evidence received and comments on that evidence together with an account of the review meeting.

School Action

When a class or subject teacher identify that a pupil has a special educational need, procedures should be implemented in addition to those already provided as part of the school’s usual differentiated curriculum offer and strategies. An IEP is normally devised at this stage.

Excerpt from the DCSF Special Educational Needs – Codes of Practice document:

G| Glossary


Early Years Action Plus is characterised by the involvement of external support services who can help early education settings with advice on new IEPs and targets, provide more specialist assessments, give advice on the use of new or specialist strategies or materials, and in some cases provide support for particular activities. The kinds of advice and support available to early education settings vary according to local policies.

LEAs have the power, under section 318(3) of the Education Act 1996 to supply goods and services to assist early education settings outside the maintained sector in supporting children eligible for Government funding who have special educational needs but do not have a statement.

A request for help from external services is likely to follow a decision taken by the SENCO and colleagues, in consultation with parents, at a meeting to review the child’s IEP. The review should consider:

has progress been made?

what are the parents’ views?

is there a need for more information or advice about the child?

The triggers for referral for seeking help from outside agencies could be that, despite receiving an individualised programme and/or concentrated support, the child:

continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period

continues working at an early years curriculum substantially below that expected of children of a similar age

has emotional or behavioural difficulties which substantially and regularly interfere with the child’s own learning or that of the group, despite having an individualized behaviour management programme

has sensory or physical needs, and requires additional equipment or regular visits for direct intervention or advice by practitioners from a specialist service

has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning.

School Action Plus

When a class teacher or subject teacher and the SEN Co-ordinator are provided with advice or support from outside specialists to instigate alternative additional methods to those provided for the pupil through the school action stage. The SEN Co-ordinator usually takes the lead although day to day provision continues to be the responsibility of the class or subject teacher. A new IEP is normally compiled at this stage.

G| Glossary


Excerpt from the DCSF Special Educational Needs – Codes of Practice document:

A request for help from external services is likely to follow a decision taken by the SENCO and colleagues, in consultation with parents, at a meeting to review the child’s IEP. Schools should always consult specialists when they take action on behalf of a child through School Action Plus. The involvement of specialists need not be limited to such children. Outside specialists can play an important part in the very early identification of special educational needs and in advising schools on effective provision designed to prevent the development of more significant needs. They can act as consultants and be a source for in-service advice on learning and behaviour management strategies for all teachers.

At School Action Plus external support services, both those provided by the LEA and by outside agencies, usually see the child, in school if that is appropriate and practicable, so that they can advise teachers on new IEPs with fresh targets and accompanying strategies, provide more specialist assessments that can inform planning and the measurement of a pupil’s progress, give advice on the use of new or specialist strategies or materials, and in some cases provide support for particular activities. The kinds of advice and support available to schools varies according to local policies.

The triggers for School Action Plus could be that, despite receiving an individualized programme and/or concentrated support under School Action, the child:

continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period

continues working at National Curriculum levels substantially below that expected of children of a similar age

continues to have difficulty in developing literacy and mathematics skills

has emotional or behavioural difficulties which substantially and regularly interfere with the child’s own learning or that of the class group, despite having an individualized behaviour management programme

has sensory or physical needs, and requires additional specialist equipment or regular advice or visits by a specialist service

has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning.

SEN

Special Educational Needs. This status represents any child who has been identified as having some form of educational need either as a result of a learning difficulty or if they are deemed to be exceptionally bright or gifted children. These children should receive additional support either from within the school or from outside agencies.

G| Glossary


SEN Status

This describes the way that pupil/student special needs are categorised.

N No Special Educational Need

A School/Early Years Action

P School/Early Years Action Plus

S Statement

SEN Tribunal

An independent body for deciding appeals made by parents against LA decisions on assessments and statements. The tribunal’s decision is binding on both parties.

SENCO

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator. This member of staff is responsible for organising SEN provision in school.

SLCN

Speech, Language and Communication Difficulty.

SLD

Severe Learning Difficulty.

Special Educational Provision

The extra or different help given to children with special educational needs.

SpLD

Specific Learning Difficulty.

Statement of Special Educational Needs

A document that sets out a pupil/students needs and all the extra help they should get. A statement is only considered if the special help a pupil/student receives cannot be provided from within a school’s resources, the school refers the pupil/student to the LA to decide whether the pupil/student should receive a statement. A statement describes all the pupil/student’s Special Educational Needs. These resources could include additional money spent, staff time and any special equipment required.

G| Glossary


Status and Stages for Special Needs

Code Description

N No Special Needs.

A School Action - when a teacher identifies that a pupil/student has a special educational need, procedures should be put in place to assist the pupil/pupil/student’s development and monitor their progress. This is achieved by the creation of an IEP.

P School Action Plus - when an outside specialist has become involved in providing support for the pupil/student that can not be catered for within the school.

Q School Action Plus and Statutory Assessment.

S Statemented indicates that the LA has drawn up a legal document that sets out a pupil/pupil/student’s special needs and all the extra help they should receive.

G Gifted and Talented.

None - No Special Needs

The pupil/student selected has had no Special Needs identified at the current time, they do not appear on the SEN Register.

A - School Action Status

The old Stage 2 code has been replaced by A- School Action. Once a class or subject teacher identifies that a pupil/student has a Special Educational Need, provisions should be put in place as soon as possible to provide specific or additional teaching techniques to concentrate on the pupil/student’s specific areas of difficulty.

Background information should be sought from the pupil/student’s parents and other involved parties as this may shed light on behavioural or emotional problems being displayed at school.

An Individual Education Plan should be created and tailored to address the pupil/student’s identified areas of difficulty.

It is vital that all teachers involved in the pupil/student’s development, liaise closely with the SEN Co-ordinator in devising appropriate methods of access to the curriculum.

G| Glossary


P - School Action Plus

The old Stage 3 code has been replaced by P- School Action Plus which is a more advanced stage than School Action because at this juncture, the school has sought assistance from external services. If the pupil/student is not making the anticipated progress even with special provisions in place, the school must consult with a relevant specialist. These might include a Doctor or an Educational Psychologist from the LA Support Team, for example.

Q - School Request for Statutory Assessment

The old Stage 4 code has been replaced by S- Statemented. For a minority of pupil/students, the best efforts of the school may not be sufficient to enable them to make adequate progress. Where this is the case, the school will seek a Statutory Assessment to be made by the LA.

By the time the head teacher considers requesting a statutory assessment of a pupil/student’s special educational needs, the school should be in a position to provide written evidence of their actions through School Action and School Action Plus to the LA.

The LA will need all the relevant information relating to the pupil/student’s Special Needs provisions, outcomes of the regular reviews of the pupil/students progress that have been held, together with any assessments that have been made by external specialists. This information forms the basis on which the LA will consider whether a statutory assessment is necessary.

S - Statemented

The LA has reviewed the pupil/student and a statement has been issued.

Specify whether the pupil/student has been Referred by selecting the box.

Gifted and Talented

Pupil/students who have been identified as having Special Needs in line with the Gifted and Talented category, should be identified.

Statutory Assessment

A very detailed examination of a pupil/student’s special educational needs. The assessment may lead to a statement being issued.

Excerpt from the DCSF Special Educational Needs - Codes of Practice document.

G| Glossary


Where a request for a statutory assessment is made by a school to an LA, the child will have demonstrated significant cause for concern. The LA will seek evidence from the school that any strategy or programme implemented for the child in question has been continued for a reasonable period of time without success and that alternatives have been tried, or the reasons why this has not occurred. The LA will need information about the child’s progress over time, and will also need clear documentation in relation to the child’s special educational needs and any action taken to deal with those needs, including any resources or special arrangements put in place. In some cases there will be existing reports or written advice from external agencies that should be included in the documentation, however where there is no such evidence LAs should not require it in order to decide whether an assessment is needed.

The evidence that the LA needs to examine in deciding whether to make a statutory assessment is described in Chapter Seven. The criteria, which LAs may adopt in deciding whether to issue a statement for a particular child, are set out in Chapter Eight.

Regular liaison between the LA and schools should ensure that there is clarity about the information required by the Authority when an assessment is requested.

By the time the head teacher considers asking for statutory assessment of a child’s special educational needs, the school should be able to provide written evidence of or information about:

the school’s action through School Action and School Action Plus

individual education plans for the pupil

records of regular reviews and their outcomes

the pupil’s health including the child’s medical history where relevant

National Curriculum levels

attainments in literacy and mathematics

educational and other assessments, for example from an advisory specialist support teacher or an educational psychologist

views of the parents and of the child

involvement of other professionals

any involvement by the social services or education welfare service.

The description of the child’s learning difficulty and progress together with information about the special educational provision made forms the basis on which the LA can consider whether a statutory assessment is necessary. If the LA’s support services and, in particular, the LA’s educational psychologists have already been involved in assessing the child and reviewing provision, the LA should be able to decide relatively quickly whether a statutory assessment is necessary. In the meantime – and whilst any subsequent statutory assessment is being made – the child should continue to be supported through School Action Plus.

G| Glossary


Termly Review

This is a review of the pupil/student’s special educational needs which occurs once every school term.

VI

Visual Impairment.

I| Index


Index

A

adding

documents/notes.............................. 17

events ............................................ 23

IEPs ............................................... 33

linked adults .................................... 13

need type full descriptions ................. 17

need types ...................................... 16

reviews ........................................... 20

SEN overview entries ........................ 11

SEN provisions ................................. 30

SEN statements ............................... 27

Special Educational Needs ................. 14

adults

linked to pupil/students ..................... 12

alerts

messages

sending ........................................ 40

arranging

reviews ........................................... 19

assessments

statutory ......................................... 28

B

browsing

for pupil/students ............................... 9

C

Code of Practice

for Special Needs................................ 3

D

default

SEN Coordinator .................................4

defaults

for Special Educational Needs ...............3

defining

lookup codes......................................7

Special Educational Provision................3

deleting

IEPs................................................ 34

need type full descriptions ................. 18

need types....................................... 17

overview entries ............................... 12

provisions........................................ 32

SENCoordinators ................................5

statements ...................................... 30

disapplication from National Curriculum ..28

documents/notes

adding ............................................ 17

E

editing

events............................................. 23

IEPs................................................ 33

need types....................................... 16

reviews ........................................... 20

SEN provisions ................................. 30

SEN statements................................ 27

Special Educational Needs.................. 14

events

adding/editing.................................. 23

I| Index


F

full descriptions

deleting .......................................... 18

of need types................................... 17

I

identifying

learning difficulties ............................. 3

IEPWriter

setting path ....................................... 7

Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

creating .......................................... 33

deleting .......................................... 34

initial reviews

arranging ........................................ 19

L

learning difficulties

identifying ......................................... 3

letters

reviews

sending ........................................ 23

linked adults

adding ............................................ 13

lookup codes

defining ............................................ 7

M

messages

sending

alerts ........................................... 40

N

National Curriculum

disapplication from............................ 28

need type full descriptions

adding ............................................ 17

deleting........................................... 17

need types

deleting........................................... 18

ranking ........................................... 16

specifying ........................................ 16

notes/documents

adding ............................................ 17

O

overview entries

deleting........................................... 12

P

pre-defined reports

for SEN ........................................... 43

process of special needs .........................2

provisions

adding/editing.................................. 30

deleting........................................... 32

pupil/student

browser.............................................9

pupil/students

adding Special Educational Needs........ 14

browsing for.......................................9

R

ranking

need types....................................... 16

recording

SEN events ...................................... 23

review reminders

I| Index


setting .............................................. 7

reviews

adding/editing.................................. 20

arranging ........................................ 19

initial ........................................... 19

sending letters ................................. 23

role of senco......................................... 2

S

SEN

pre-defined reports........................... 43

pupil/student browser ......................... 9

statuses ............................................ 9

tribunals ......................................... 28

SEN Coordinator

role of............................................... 2

setting the default .............................. 4

SEN Coordinators

deleting ............................................ 5

SEN events

adding/editing.................................. 23

SEN overview

adding entries.................................. 11

SEN statements

adding/editing.................................. 27

deleting .......................................... 30

SEN status

specifying........................................ 14

sending

alerts

messages ..................................... 40

review letters................................... 23

setting path to IEPWriter ........................ 7

setting up

review reminders................................7

SEN defaults ......................................3

Special Educational Needs

Code of Practice .................................3

defining defaults.................................3

recording against a pupil/student ........ 14

Special Educational Provision

defining.............................................3

special needs process.............................2

specifying

need types....................................... 16

statemented ....................................... 19

statements

adding/editing.................................. 27

deleting........................................... 30

statuses

for SEN .............................................9

specifying ........................................ 14

statutory

assessments .................................... 28

T

tribunals

for SEN ........................................... 28

U

using the browser..................................9