1. Completing the School Census
Guidance on completing the school census for pupils with SEN and what it can say about our schools.

2. Identification of SEN SEN Code of Practice 0 -25
Schools will have clear process for identifying SEN and not conflating it with poor progression as there will be a clear focus on high quality teaching for all (CoP 6.4)
Probable Focus of a Local Area Inspection
How effectively does the local area identify children and young people who are disabled and/or have special educational needs?

3. School Census 2015
The DFE have published a new guide to the school census which incorporates changes to census information required by the new SEN Code of Practice (2014).
SIMS has been automatically updated to take account of these changes and allow SEN provision information to be collected in accordance with the new requirements.

5. Transitional Period until April 2018
During the transitional period schools will be able to record pupils as having either ‘S’ - statement or ‘E’ - EHC plan in SIMS.
Schools may have some pupils with statements and some who have already moved to EHC plans but no individual pupil can have both

6. SEN information will be collected in the census collections for all pupils on roll on census day.
SEN provision at the time of any exclusion will also be collected in all school census collections.
(This could include SA or SAP if they were excluded before January 2015)

7. Until April 2016 Code Description N No special educational need S
Statement (until 2016) E
Education, health and care plan K
SEN support

8. Education, Health and Care Plan
After April 2016
Education, Health and Care Plan E
SEN Support K

9. K SEN Support School Action Early Years Action School Action Plus
Early Years Action Plus
SEN Support K

10. 4.5.2 Pupil SEN type ranking
A pupil’s special educational need is recorded in pupil SEN type
The most significant, or primary need, is ranked as 
Any secondary need is ranked as 
If there is more than one SEN need reported they cannot both have a ranking of 

11. Code Description SPLD Specific learning difficulty MLD
Moderate learning difficulty
SLD
Severe learning difficulty
PMLD
Profound & multiple learning difficulty
SEMH
Social, emotional and mental health
SLCN
Speech, language and communication needs HI
Hearing impairment VI
Visual impairment
MSI
Multi-sensory impairment PD
Physical disability
ASD
Autistic spectrum disorder
OTH
Other difficulty / disorder
NSA
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need

12. 4.5.5 Member of resourced provision indicator
This indicator identifies pupils who receive support for their type of SEN from a specialist resourced provision.
This data item is collected in the spring census only for all pupils on roll on census day with:
• ‘E’ (education, health and care (EHC) plan) or
• ‘S’ (statement)
• ‘K’ (SEN support)

13. MLD - definition
Pupils with MLD will have attainments well below expected levels in all or most areas of the curriculum, despite appropriate interventions. They will have much greater difficulty than their peers in acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills and in understanding concepts. They may also have associated speech and language delay, low self-esteem, low levels of concentration and underdeveloped social skills.

14. pupils with MLD may need support with
understanding instructions and the requirements of tasks
acquiring sequencing skills − for example, when following a recipe or science experiment
understanding how they affect and relate to their immediate surroundings
personal organisation over the short, medium and long term
visual and auditory memory for information, processes and instructions.
Plus careful assessment of baselines and monitoring of progress to ensure that their progress can be recognised and built upon.
These look a lot like aspects of Quality First Teaching…
so what defines a pupil as MLD in your school?

15. Pupils on the SEN register
have an identified need
receive individualised, specialist and targeted provision

16. Principles of Best Practice
Reviewing the register should be an ongoing process
It is an integral part of the assess/plan/do/review cycle and the graduated approach
Provision should be reviewed in the light of evidence gathered related to pupil progress
The register should be ‘fluid’.

17. Assess Plan Do Review Initial Concern Form Provision map
Assessment information
Individual timetable/ personalised programme
Observations
Planned long term and short term targets
Multi-agency advice
Teacher’s planning
Parents and pupil views
Support plan/statement /EHC plan Do
Review
Books or multi media evidence
School reports
Records of interventions and support
Assessments data
Feedback report/liaison between teachers and TA
IEP (or similar) reviews
Feedback from teacher to pupil
Records of pupil progress meeting
observations
Completed Annual Review papers
Progress data

18. Principles of Best Practice
A strong foundation of universal high quality teaching
Good use of notional SEN budgets and pupil premium
Should lead to a reduction in the number of pupils who need to access targeted and specialist provision

19. Assessment to identify gaps in learning or areas for development
Where pupils are receiving high quality provision but progress is still a concern….
Assessment to identify gaps in learning or areas for development
Plan evidence based interventions
Track progress
Evaluate the impact of the provision

20. SEN clearly identified through a graduated approach
SEN Support
SEN clearly identified through a graduated approach
Established/identified learning difficulty

21. Specialist individualised provision for a few
Targeted provision for some
Universal provision for all