André Imich, SEN and Disability Professional Adviser, DfE Delivering Sensory Impaired Services within a Changing Context - The Emerging Picture Heads of Sensory Support Services 10th Annual National Conference; 18 June 2013 University of Birmingham André Imich, SEN and Disability Professional Adviser, DfE 1

The Changing Context Children and Families Bill National Curriculum Educational Provision

Children and Families Bill - Vision Children’s SEN are picked up early and support is routinely put in place quickly; Staff have the knowledge, understanding and skills to provide the right support for CYP who have SEN or are disabled; Parents know what they can reasonably expect their local school, college, LA & local services to provide, without having to fight for it; Aspirations for CYP is raised through an increased focus on life outcomes For more complex needs, an integrated assessment and a single Education, Health and Care Plan from birth to 25; and There is greater control for parents and young people over the services they and their family use.

Children and Families Bill - Key Highlights 1. Involvement of children, young people and parents at the heart of legislation, including assessments and local offers. 4

Children and Families Bill - Key Highlights 1. Involvement of children, young people and parents at the heart of legislation, including assessments and local offers. 2. More streamlined assessment process, which integrates education, health and care services, and involves CYP and their parents. New 0-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, replacing Statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments, which reflects the child or young person’s aspirations for the future, as well as current needs. 5

Assessment and Planning/ EHCPs - Principles of emerging practice On-going process, regular person-centred reviews. A ‘tell us once’ approach to sharing information CYP and families at centre; involved in making decisions throughout. Effective co-ordination between education, health and care services. Practitioners engaged and committed to single assessment and planning. Keyworking approaches to provide a single point of contact. EHCPs – Person centred, focussed on outcomes, specific about provision. Clear, concise, readable and accessible Fulfil statutory duties and support portability across areas. Support preparation for key transition points - “forward looking” Specify other types of support where needed e.g. to secure paid employment and independent living.

Children and Families Bill - Key Highlights 1. Involvement of children, young people and parents at the heart of legislation, including assessments and local offers. 2. More streamlined assessment process, which integrates education, health and care services, and involves CYP and their parents. New 0-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, replacing Statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments, which reflects the child or young person’s aspirations for the future, as well as current needs. 3. New requirement for LA, health and care services to commission services jointly re meeting the needs of CYP with SEN & disabilities. 7

Children and Families Bill - Key Highlights 1. Involvement of children, young people and parents at the heart of legislation, including assessments and local offers. 2. More streamlined assessment process, which integrates education, health and care services, and involves CYP and their parents. New 0-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, replacing Statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments, which reflects the child or young person’s aspirations for the future, as well as current needs. 3. New requirement for LA, health and care services to commission services jointly re meeting the needs of CYP with SEN & disabilities. 4. LAs to publish a clear, transparent ‘local offer’ of services for all CYP with SEN, so parents can understand what is available. 8

Local Offer – key principles of emerging good practice from pathfinders The Local Offer should: be co-produced with parents and young people fully involve services in its development and review (including schools and colleges, CCGs, the VCS and local health organisations) be holistic and cover 0-25 education, training, transport, social care, health and support for employment and independent living make clear how parent, carers & young people can access support and services, clarify how decisions are made, by whom, and what to do if things go wrong be up to date, written in plain language, and available in a range of formats and locations make clear to parents what provision schools and colleges will deliver from their delegated funding and what needs additional funding

Children and Families Bill - Key Highlights 1. Involvement of children, young people and parents at the heart of legislation, including assessments and local offers. 2. More streamlined assessment process, which integrates education, health and care services, and involves CYP and their parents. New 0-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, replacing Statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments, which reflects the child or young person’s aspirations for the future, as well as current needs. 3. New requirement for LA, health and care services to commission services jointly re meeting the needs of CYP with SEN & disabilities. 4. LAs to publish a clear, transparent ‘local offer’ of services for all CYP with SEN, so parents can understand what is available. 5. New statutory protections for young people aged 16-25 in FE and a stronger focus on preparing for adulthood. 10

Children and Families Bill - Key Highlights 1. Involvement of children, young people and parents at the heart of legislation, including assessments and local offers. 2. More streamlined assessment process, which integrates education, health and care services, and involves CYP and their parents. New 0-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, replacing Statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments, which reflects the child or young person’s aspirations for the future, as well as current needs. 3. New requirement for LA, health and care services to commission services jointly re meeting the needs of CYP with SEN & disabilities. 4. LAs to publish a clear, transparent ‘local offer’ of services for all CYP with SEN, so parents can understand what is available. 5. New statutory protections for young people aged 16-25 in FE and a stronger focus on preparing for adulthood. Offer of a personal budget for families and young people with a Plan, extending choice and control over their support. 11

Personal Budgets – key principles of emerging good practice from pathfinders Personal Budgets should be based on clear, agreed outcomes be transparent and challengeable allow families and young people to manage agreed elements of the additional and individual support they need be an integral part of the planning process in order to empower creative solutions reflect the holistic nature of an EHCP, covering education, health and care as appropriate, where additional and individual support is needed come with the support needed for parents and young people to take up and manage it support and inform market development allow for local flexibility.

Children and Families Bill - Key Highlights 1. Involvement of children, young people and parents at the heart of legislation, including assessments and local offers. 2. More streamlined assessment process, which integrates education, health and care services, and involves CYP and their parents. New 0-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, replacing Statements and Learning Difficulty Assessments, which reflects the child or young person’s aspirations for the future, as well as current needs. 3. New requirement for LA, health and care services to commission services jointly re meeting the needs of CYP with SEN & disabilities. 4. LAs to publish a clear, transparent ‘local offer’ of services for all CYP with SEN, so parents can understand what is available. New statutory protections for young people aged 16-25 in FE and a stronger focus on preparing for adulthood. Offer of a personal budget for families and young people with a Plan, extending choice and control over their support. SEN duties will apply to Academies and Free Schools directly. A range of other institutions, including colleges, NMSS and independent specialist institutions will also have SEN duties 13

Additional SEN Support Replacing the current categories of School Action and School Action Plus (and their equivalents in early years) with a single category – Additional SEN Support. Focus on outcomes rather than processes. For those who have SEN and who require support and/or interventions that are additional to or different from those normally provided as part of the differentiated curriculum offer and strategies. New SEN Code of Practice to give clear guidance on identifying children who have SEN and on the operation of this new single category of SEN.

BESD – Identification and support 52% of respondents judged the current category of BESD to be unhelpful (too broad; a ‘catch all’) in identifying and meeting the underlying needs of children, such as those with emotional and social difficulties. Too much focus placed on poor behaviour. The new Code will describe how the BESD category will be redefined, or described in a way that helps professionals to identify what underlying emotional or social issues might be present, and ensure the right help is put in place.

Timetable for reform (Indicative) September to December 2012 – a period of pre-legislative scrutiny, led by the Education Select Committee. Allows the provisions to be informed and improved by the views and evidence of key stakeholders, and for us to continue to learn from the experience of the Pathfinders. December 2012 – Education Select Committee publishes a report of its findings. Early 2013 – Improved Bill introduced into Parliament. Spring 2014 - Royal Assent (subject to Parliamentary process) September 2014 – reforms go live (meeting original green paper commitment to have reforms in place by 2014)

Children & Families Bill – Implications for Support Teachers Outcomes/ outcomes/ outcomes Parent and child-centred EPs involved with all new assessments EPs involved in reassessments as appropriate Quality assessment/ quality advice Accounting for services in local offer New Code of Practice – Additional SEN Support Links with keyworkers Supporting transition planning Working in/ with FE provision Support families in using personal budgets

The new National Curriculum Will set out only the essential knowledge that all children should acquire; Gives schools and teachers more freedom to decide how to teach this most effectively and to design a wider school curriculum that best meets the needs of their pupils; NC levels will be removed and not replaced; Draft National Curriculum documents for primary English, mathematics and science now published.

Changes to KS1 and KS2 Assessment Statutory NC Tests at KS1 and 2 will continue. From 2016, new NC Tests will be introduced. Propose to report results using a scaled score, and compare pupils against the national cohort by decile. Measure pupils’ progress - a baseline test; report how pupils perform at KS2 compared to those with similar prior attainment. Teachers will continue to measure how well students are doing. How they do so will be for schools to decide, suited to the curriculum they teach. DfE floor standards will focus on threshold attainment measures and value-added progress measures (as proposed for secondary).

Secondary Accountability The key proposal is to replace to the existing 5 A*-C floor standard measure with: A threshold attainment measure, showing the percentage of pupils in each school achieving a ‘pass’ (currently grade C at GCSE) in English and Maths; and A progress measure based on pupils’ average scores across a suite of 8 qualifications - English, Maths, 3 further EBacc subjects, and 3 other high value qualifications – EBacc, other academic, arts or vocational.

Characteristics of new GCSEs Linear (with assessment at the end of the course). Will not force pupils to choose between higher and lower tier papers. Test extended writing in subjects such as English and history, have fewer bite-sized overly structured questions, and in mathematics and science have a greater emphasis on quantitative problem-solving. Keep controlled assessment and use of exam aids to a minimum - only where there is a compelling case to do so, e.g. practical science or speaking ability in foreign languages. Should have a new grading scale. Should provide pupils with more information directly from Awarding Organisations on their performance.

Educational Provision – A Changing Landscape Increasing range of educational provision, e.g.: Academies Alternative Provision Studio Schools UTC Special Free Schools

Delivering Specialist Support Services within the Changing Context – The Challenges Responding to the implications of Children and Families Bill Understanding the learning context for pupils Understanding the changing educational landscape Support to parents re ‘choice’ Changes to service delivery and organisation Working with others Research into effective practice Wider engagement ; new populations Diverse roles in educational settings Quality assessment quality intervention

………… Questions Comments Points of clarity Discussion

Children and Families Bill http://www.education.gov.uk/a00221161/children-families-bill