Q&A Session

What is the relationship between the disability definition and SEN “This definition provides a relatively low threshold and includes more children than many realise: ‘long-term’ is defined as ‘a year or more’ and ‘substantial’ is defined as ‘more than minor or trivial’. This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer. Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN, but there is a significant overlap between disabled children and young people and those with SEN. Where a disabled child or young person requires special educational provision they will also be covered by the SEN definition.” CoP page 5.

What are the Schools Duties to Co-operate? Some of the main ones are; 4.14 Must co-operate in the production of the Local Offer 4.18-19 General accountability on LA and Commissioners to review services which could include schools 4.32 LA must set out what it expects to be available for Schools delegated budgets 4.34 Schools duty to publish info must also include Equality Act duties 4.61 School has duty to inform parents about impartial information 6.81 Schools should include information about the “schools contribution to the Local Offer” (CoP)

Schools Co-operation Duties “3.13 Local authorities must work to integrate educational provision and training provision with health and social care provision where they think that this would promote the wellbeing of children and young people with SEN or disabilities, or improve the quality of special educational provision. Local partners must co-operate with the local authority in this.” (CoP)

Schools Duties “All schools must publish details of what SEN provision is available through the information report and co-operate with the local authority in drawing up and reviewing the Local Offer. Schools also have duties to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children and young people, to support medical conditions and to inform parents and young people if SEN provision is made for them.” (CoP)

What are the OFSTED Inspection Criteria on Progression? “the proportions making expected progress32 and the proportions exceeding expected progress in English and in mathematics from each starting point33, compared with national figures34, for all pupils and for hose for whom the pupil premium provides support value-added indices for the school overall and for different groups of pupils and subjects Other relevant indicators, including value-added data performance measures for the sixth form, which include success rates Early Years Foundation Stage Profile data use of data below National Curriculum Level 1, including the national data analysis any analysis of robust progress data presented by the school, including information provided by external organisations pupils’ attainment in relation to national standards (where available) and compared with all schools, based on data over the last three years, noting any evidence of performance significantly above or below national averages; trends of improvement or decline; and inspection evidence of current pupils’” OFSTED Guidance

What are the SENCO Requirements in Children and Families Act? “Clause 67 SEN co-ordinators (1) This section imposes duties on the appropriate authorities of the following schools in England— (a) mainstream schools; (b) maintained nursery schools. (2) The appropriate authority must designate a member of staff at the school (to be known as the “SEN co-ordinator”) as having responsibility for co-ordinating the provision for pupils with special educational needs. (3) Regulations may— (a) require appropriate authorities which are subject to the duty imposed by subsection (2) to ensure that SEN co-ordinators have prescribed qualifications or prescribed experience (or both); (b) confer other functions relating to SEN co-ordinators on appropriate authorities which are subject to the duty imposed by subsection (2).”

SENCO Draft Regs Prescribed qualifications and experience of SENCOs 3.—(1) The appropriate authority of a relevant school must ensure that the SENCO appointed under section 62(2) of the Children and Families Act 2014 meets all of the requirements in either paragraph (2) or (3). (2) The requirements in this paragraph are that the SENCO— (a) is a qualified teacher; (b) if required to complete an induction period under regulations made under section 19 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998(a), has satisfactorily completed such an induction period; and (c) is working as a teacher at the school.

SENCO qualification contd. (4) Where a person becomes the SENCO at a relevant school after 1st September 2009, and has not previously been the SENCO at that or any other relevant school for a total period of more than twelve months, the appropriate authority of the school must ensure that, if the person is the SENCO at the school at any time after the third anniversary of the date on which that person becomes a SENCO, that person holds the qualification, mentioned in paragraph (5). (5) The qualification referred to in paragraph (4) is the qualification for the time being known as “The National Award for Special Educational Needs Co-ordination”.