The SEND System in Sutton and Key Roles and Responsibilities in Education Settings

Local authorities should ensure integration between educational, health and social care provision. By doing so, this would improve the quality of provision for disabled young people and those with SEND.

It is also vital that children's and adults' services work together to integrate care and support with health services. This helps young adults have a smooth transition from children’s to adult social care.

Local authorities and Integrated Care Boards must make joint commissioning arrangements for education, health and care provision for children and young people with SEND or disabilities (Section 26 of the Children and Families Act 2014).

Schools and colleges

Schools and Colleges include all educational settings such as early education settings, schools, colleges and sixth forms.

All educational settings must ensure that staff and students can access specialist advice, assessment and intervention from:

• specialist teachers for a range of learning needs.

• educational psychologists.

• speech and language therapy.

• occupational and physiotherapy.

• school health services.

• CAMHS.

• PRU advice and support.

• SIASS [External Link] (Sutton information, advice and support service).

Reasonable Expectations of Educational Settings for SEND Provision

Teachers and Early Years staff are:

• responsible and accountable for the progress and development of pupils in their class. This includes where support staff are involved.

• appropriately qualified and experienced.

• supported to develop skills and knowledge of areas that will improve their support of young people with SEND.

• able to access support and guidance from the SENCO in school.

• supported to access advice and training where needed.

• responsible for adapting areas of the curriculum to accommodate the needs of all pupils and students in the class.

• able to implement the assess, plan, do and review cycle effectively.

All Staff:

• are aware of the needs of the pupil or student as necessary.

• have access and are familiar with relevant documents relating to pupils' additional needs.

• have clear expectations in relation to named pupils that they are working with.

• plan to aid a pupil's progress toward their individual targets through their teaching while working with them.

Adults support learning in the classroom and Early Years settings by:

• working with the class or subject teachers to put in place targeted interventions to support pupils to reach their outcomes.

• being familiar with how the young person learns, and their individualised targets.

• assisting with pre-teaching. This includes subject vocabulary, new concepts, early experience of practical activities.

• facilitating involvement of pupil in whole or small group learning activities.

• teaching skills and concepts in fixed timetable periods. Class teachers monitor this.

• classroom presence to refocus, encourage, explain and aid responses.

• supporting targeted subject areas, being prepared for what is to be taught.

• making sure transactional supports are consistently available.

• to track the impact of any support provided.

Staff are trained in the needs of the young person and understand how to:

• communicate instructions.

• communicate new knowledge and concepts.

• provide opportunities for skills reinforcement and practice.

• recognise when a child is using behaviour to communicate.

• deliver specific programmes and interventions.

The Role of the SENCO

In maintained schools, nursery schools and academies:

• is a qualified teacher.

• holds the SENCO qualification as necessary.

• plays an important role in the development of SEND policy and provision in the school.

• has day-to-day responsibility for the operation of SEND policy.

• coordinates specific provision to support individual pupils with SEN. This includes those who have EHC plans.

• has enough time and resources to carry out these functions.

• has access to time away from teaching to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities.

• supports staff with guidance, advice and direct assistance. This includes in the assessment and interventions for young people who receive SEN support.

• advises the leadership team of what is necessary regarding staff and resources.

In Early Years settings (including a Childminder) the SENCO role involves:

• ensuring all practitioners understand their responsibilities to children and young people with SEND.

• ensuring all practitioners understand their setting's approach to identifying and meeting the needs of young children with SEND.

• advising and supporting colleagues

• ensuring close collaboration with parent/carers, and that their views inform action taken by the setting.

• liaising with external professionals

Please note there is no obligation for Early Years settings to have a named SENCO, although most do.

In Colleges of Further Education and sixth form Colleges:

• There is a named person in the college responsible for SEND provision and support. This is like the role of the SENCO in schools.

• This person should contribute to the strategic and operational management of the college.

• The College should have access to and make good use of specialist skills to support the learning of students with SEND.

• FE Colleges should be involved in transition planning between schools and college.

• All students should be asked before or at entry to declare if they have a learning need, disability or medical condition which will affect their learning.

• SEND support should be evidence based, informed by effective practice elsewhere. This should also be personalised to the students.