Cluster Host Preparation Meeting Autumn Term 1a Overview and Action Planning Judith Carter Senior Adviser Complex Needs/Vulnerable Learners

Welcome! Introduction and purpose of our sessions Individual reflections? Comments? Questions? The ‘first’ meeting checklist: Dates, Venue and timing, Invites, Refreshments, Seating and heating Equipment Preparation by members – bring tool kit? SEND Profile? Your preparation?

Welcome! What is the purpose of the first meeting? Using the tool kit? What do you want to achieve? How will you ‘manage’ the meeting? How will you know if this is successful? The purpose of our sessions is to support in your preparation to ‘host’ this meeting…

SEND Cluster Meeting Autumn Term 1a Overview and Action Planning

Welcome… Introduction to the Cluster and Host… Number and type of schools representing ___ children and families How many schools are represented at the meeting? Introduction of school representatives Any ‘Associate members’ of the Cluster? Why are we here? The first formal opportunity for collaborative working in this way. What do you want to achieve at this session? (Share ideas)

Four Aims of this meeting: 1.Who are we representing? Identify the SEND profile of our cluster by looking at the numbers of learners supported at School Action, School Action Plus, and those with Statements. Identify the reasons why learners are identified with SEND – what are the types of ‘barriers’ to learning? What do we currently ‘do’ to support learners?

Aims: 2. Our Financial Context Collectively review the SEND Cluster memo and explore: What percentage of the overall funding do we have for these 2 terms? How is this being allocated until April? Agree the practicalities of this What ‘infrastructure’ do we need to create to manage the increase in SEND Cluster funding expected in April?

Aims: 3. Support for Learning – meeting the needs of Learners Consider the methodology of ‘Support for Learning’ and discuss: How and when to request ‘top up’ support for learning? Who will capture the request in an individual school and who will share this? What evidence is required by the SEND Cluster in order to make a decision? How will decisions be recorded, implemented, reviewed or appealed?

Aims: 4. What next? Communication, planning and review Agree meeting dates Agree contact list(s) Request tasks eg; SENCOs create a current provision map of interventions used across the cluster Define an ‘effective’ SEND cluster – how will we know if we have achieved this? Can we create a shared vision? Communication with Parents/Carers?

1. Who are we representing? Our SEND Profile: We have _____ learners in our Cluster _____ learners are identified as having SEND Of those, _______are on School Action _______ are on School Action Plus _______ have a Statement of SEN

Who are we representing? The most common ‘barrier’ to learning for those on SA in our Cluster is ______________________________ On SA+ is _________________________________ With a Statement is __________________________ If we add all of the SEND TAs in all of the schools together, we have _______ TAs, or _______hours of support.

Making this work of ‘us’ and our Learners Group Discussion In groups discuss some of the ‘possibilities’ for collaborative working or sharing of resources that may benefit us and our learners…. Feedback ideas

2. Our Financial Context Hand out copies of the SEND Cluster memo. This represents __% of the overall SEND Cluster budget between September and April. This initial amount is to ‘top up’ learner needs linked to Statements in Reception, Year 7 and 6 th Form. Is there any money left? If yes, what are the priorities? If no, recognise that this is because it is a small percentage for only 2 terms…but what will happen in April when the fund will be much greater?

Our Financial Context In April 2013, the SEND cluster ‘top up’ will be a significant amount of funding. The LA expectation is that this will cover additional costs linked to SEND. We have 6 or 7 months, to create a financial infrastructure which will be transparent, fair and robust, which will lead to a positive impact for learners and offer accountability for decision making. But what do we need to create?

Our Financial Context Group Discussion: In groups, discuss the types of ‘streams’ or ‘pots’ of funding we may need to create? Eg: Intervention or Support for Learning fund, Change or contingency fund, Physical care needs, Initiation fund (1 st year of schooling,) Targeted Development fund, SEN CPD, Assessment resources? Consider the percentage of the overall which should be made available to each ‘pot.’ Feedback

Our Financial Context We need to re-visit this discussion in future meetings and some colleagues may wish to contribute a ‘proposal’ to the cluster before then? Immediate Priorities: Individual cases will not be discussed in this annual planning meeting, however, can Heads agree a mechanism for capturing any concerns? ? Break out meeting now? Refreshments

3. Support for Learning – meeting the needs of Learners In this session we will focus on our views on the methodology of ‘Support for Learning’ Group Discussion How and when would we request ‘top up’ support for learning? Who will capture the request in an individual school, the SENCO? The Head? The C/T? In what format will this be recorded? Do we want to trial the form in the SEND Cluster tool kit? What evidence is required by the SEND Cluster in order to make a decision? How will decisions be recorded, implemented, reviewed or appealed? Feedback

4. What next? Communication, planning and review Agree meeting dates Agree contact list(s) – Heads, SENCOs, Governor? The SENCOs will meet in Autumn Term 1b, are there specific tasks to request? eg; SENCOs create a current provision map of interventions used across the cluster or audit assessment tools? Group Discussion What do we want to achieve by April? Are our identified actions, leading us to this? Is there anything else we need to do to achieve this? Feedback

What next? Communication, planning and review Do we have any key messages to communicate with Parents/Carers? Can we do this collaboratively? Eg; joint letter, open meeting? How will we feed back key messages to other Governors? Are there any key messages that we want the ‘Host’ to feedback to the LA regarding this meeting? Any questions? Thank you for your time

How do you feel? Write your own next steps? Will you use or amend or replace this power point? Do you need to clarify any information for yourself? How do you feel about the group tasks? Think about the timing? What if you are running out of time? How to prioritise key objectives? Evaluations or feedback? Confident to start?