Special educational needs update

There are real challenges around special educational needs (SEN) funding; many schools have difficulties in demonstrating what they are providing and what their package of SEN support is for particular groups of children. The more support a child requires, the more detailed we have to be in describing the nature of those arrangements in school, including specific costings. So schools need to improve their ability to map out the strands of their provision. Schools which require access to top-up funding will need to provide their local authorities with this kind of evidence to access the money. If they don’t have that information ready, this will become an area of tension.

The dialogue is happening already, as the new funding arrangements have been in place since last April. Certainly from our perspective, there are some concerning anecdotal stories that schools are struggling to identify the level of provision and the costs that will enable them to make a case for access to additional funds and the necessary provision required for the child or young person.
    
Another key challenge is around curriculum reform in that we are moving towards a more content-driven curriculum. Where schools are working really hard to prompt, engage and improve access to the curriculum, this could present some real challenges for teachers in terms of enabling all the children in their setting to have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, while being really confident of the progress their pupils are making. Now that the National Curriculum levels have been removed, schools are well placed to use all the information at their disposal to inform the assessment picture for where pupils are at. It is important that schools are clear about the starting point, destination and levels of progress for all of their pupils.
    
There is a third area of challenge around the implementation of in-school SEN arrangements. With the removal of School Action and School Action Plus from September this year, many staff will feel out of their comfort zone. Schools may feel that with the loss of a familiar structure they may not be able to deliver all that they need to under the new requirements for SEN. My view is that the removal of these structures will allow schools to have more freedom in how they interpret their own arrangements to identify, assess and deliver the provision for children and young people with SEN. There is an opportunity here for schools to become very creative in demonstrating what that provision may look like by applying a graduated approach. The key to success is the core investment that settings make to their whole-school provision, then they need to look at their targeted and specialist provision. If they do this, then over time we should see a refinement of that targeted provision, as the majority of needs will be met by high-quality whole-school provision.

Finally, schools also need to understand the impact on parents, carers and families as they align provision to meet the expectations of the new Code of Practice, and ensure that they are included along the way. On a practical level, from September we will still have pupils with statements and pupils with new education, health and care plans. Schools will be running a dual system with the expectation that they will scrutinise and report back on their outcomes.

Key features make the difference
The key element is a whole-school inclusive ethos that says we welcome all children, parents, carers and families and see them as the cornerstone of our school community. We value your thoughts and opinions and will use them to drive improvement in our school offer.

School leaders need to promote a culture that says when you arrive at school in the morning, we welcome you, are pleased to see you and are privileged to work with you. This requires a workforce that is highly skilled, and this includes being sensitive to how a special educational need and/or disability has a direct impact on how a child learns.
    
We need a curriculum that is broadly balanced to meet the needs of all but highly focused so that it can be personalised where appropriate. To do this, school leaders require a long term view of where children are heading, and the school must be confident in its contribution to the children’s journey towards being independent, productive, happy and confident adults. Making the connections and understanding our contribution to the key milestones in a child’s development have to be seen hand in hand with how we support parents, carers and families in making that journey together.

CPD is ever more crucial
Clearly with the SEN reform agenda workforce development is going to be a key piece of action – not just improving the quality of provision but also supporting those professionals who need to extend their abilities to become the adaptive flexible thinkers that we need.
    
Successive governments have fostered a sense of autonomy in schools, with the freedom to make key decisions. What CPD looks like in schools is now very much down to the headteacher. The critical information around the support for the workforce is how to provide effective CPD. Nasen is exceptionally well placed to provide that practical edge and to illustrate what that looks like. For example, as a newly qualified teacher (NQT), what should I be expected to do when I may have received as little as six hours’ training in SEN in my three- or four-year initial teacher training course?
    
I will be expected to perform in a classroom and I will need to adapt the curriculum to ensure that it is accessible for all the children I am teaching. This is a huge ask of any teacher, never mind one who is new in post. If we can get that right for the NQT community, what springs from that will help to inform what we do for more experienced colleagues. We need a CPD programme that can be tailored to the needs of individuals, local settings and broader national imperatives.
    
I am not saying it is happening in all schools, but there is the potential for our most vulnerable children in school to have their needs met by the most vulnerable staff. The expectation to deliver high-quality teaching and learning cannot be seen in isolation from the need to provide high‑quality CPD for the whole school community. We will be looking to address CPD but not with a ‘top down’ model – nasen will be looking to work for schools, with schools.

The timing of nasen Live 2014 could not be better, given that we should have our definitive Code of Practice for SEN. We will clearly be preparing for an implementation phase of arrangements, and nasen Live is the first of a number of implementation events where nasen will be providing copies of the Code to delegates, along with a two-day comprehensive seminar and workshop programme built around the SEN Code, briefing sessions from the DfE, and the launch of a unique central portal for educators to access SEN resources from the leading voluntary sector organisations, the SEND Gateway.

The nasen SEN Leadership Conference also takes place the day before nasen Live, so the offer for schools and school leadership teams is incredibly strong.

Further information
www.nasen.org.uk