Assess, Plan, Do, Review
According to the SEND Code of Practice 2015, all settings ‘should adopt a graduated approach with 4 stages of action’: Assess, Plan Do and Review. For most children, this cycle will show progress as children develop in line with expectations. However, for some children, this process could indicate that they may have require provision that is additional to or different from what is usually available.
Assess:
In identifying a child as needing SEN support the class or subject teacher, working with the SENCO, should carry out a clear analysis of the pupil’s needs. This should draw on the teacher’s assessment and experience of the pupil, their previous progress and attainment, as well as information from the school’s core approach to pupil progress, attainment, and behaviour.
It should also draw on other subject teachers’ assessments where relevant, the individual’s development in comparison to their peers and national data, the views and experience of parents, the pupil’s own views and, if relevant, advice from external support services. Schools should take seriously any concerns raised by a parent. These should be recorded and compared to the setting’s own assessment and information on how the pupil is developing.
This assessment should be reviewed regularly. This will help ensure that support and intervention are matched to need, barriers to learning are identified and overcome, and that a clear picture of the interventions put in place and their effect is 101 developed. For some types of SEN, the way in which a pupil responds to an intervention can be the most reliable method of developing a more accurate picture of need
Plan
Where it is decided to provide a pupil with SEN support, the parents must be formally notified.
Where additional support is needed, parents must be consulted. The Class Teacher and/or the SENDCo should work together with parents and other professionals to agree SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound) outcomes, plan the support a child will get, agree what progress will be expected and decide when it will be reviewed. This should be recorded in a SEND Support Plan. (See below for additional guidance)
Do
The class or subject teacher should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis. Where the interventions involve group or one-to-one teaching away from the main class or subject teacher, they should still retain responsibility for the pupil. They should work closely with any teaching assistants or specialist staff involved, to plan and assess the impact of support and interventions and how they can be linked to classroom teaching. The SENCO should support the class or subject teacher in the further assessment of the child’s particular strengths and weaknesses, in problem solving and advising on the effective implementation of support
Review
There should be a process of ongoing informal review of the support and interventions that have been set for individual children. This must be communicated with parents and carers. It is good practice for SEND support plans to be reviewed at least termly with parents/ carers, the class teacher, SENCo. Advice that has been given from professionals during this period should be incorporated into the plan. Education, Health and Care Plans must be reviewed annually.