1. Implementing and Managing the Code of Practice
Graduate Diploma
Implementing and Managing the Code of Practice
Day 5
Thursday 17th February 2011

2. Special Educational Needs Code of Practice for Wales 2002
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3. Children have a learning difficulty if they:
EDUCATION DIRECTORATE
What do we mean by SEN?
Children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them
Children have a learning difficulty if they:
have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age
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4. What do we mean by SEN?
Or:
have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local educational authority
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5. What do we mean by SEN?
Or:
are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition at a) or b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them
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6. Key principles Schools must have due regard to the Code
Provision for SEN is a whole school issue
All teachers are teachers of SEN
Children should be offered access to an appropriate curriculum
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7. Key principles A child with SEN should have their needs met
These needs will normally be met in a mainstream setting
A child’s view should be sought
Parents have a vital role to play
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8. SEN Code of Practice Early Identification is seen as critical
The Graduated response: -
Early Years or
School Action
- Early Years or
School Action Plus
- Statement
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9. Categories of Need
There are no hard and fast categories but most pupils will fall into one of these main areas:
communication and interaction
cognition and learning
behaviour, emotional and social development
sensory and/or physical
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10. Complete sheet
‘Categories of need’

11. Categories of Need Communication and Interaction may include:
speech and language delay, impairments or disorders
specific learning difficulties (e.g dyslexia, dyspraxia)
hearing impairment
autistic spectrum disorder
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12. Some pupils may also have:
Categories of Need
Some pupils may also have:
moderate, severe or profound learning difficulties
language and communication difficulties as a result of permanent sensory or physical impairment
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13. Categories of Need Cognition and Learning may include: Moderate Severe
EDUCATION DIRECTORATE
Categories of Need
Cognition and Learning may include:
Moderate
Severe
Profound learning difficulties
Some pupils may also have:
specific learning difficulties
physical and sensory impairments
autistic spectrum disorder 1

14. Some of these children may also have: Sensory Physical
Categories of Need
Some of these children may also have:
Sensory
Physical
Behavioural difficulties
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15. Categories of Need Behaviour, emotional and social
development may include those who are:
disruptive and disturbing
hyperactive and lacking concentration
withdrawn or isolated 1

16. Some of these pupils may also have:
Categories of Need
Some of these pupils may also have:
immature social skills
challenging behaviours arising from other complex special needs 1

17. Categories of Need profound and permanent deafness visual impairment
There is a wide spectrum of sensory, multi-sensory and physical difficulties. The sensory range includes:
profound and permanent deafness
visual impairment
lesser levels of loss, which may only be temporary 1

18. Categories of Need
Physical impairments may arise from physical, neurological or metabolic causes
Others may lead to more complex learning and social needs
A few children will have multi-sensory difficulties, some with associated physical difficulties 1

19. Defining SEN Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Or
Additional Educational Needs (AEN)
is becoming more widely used to encompass those with SEN and with other disabilities that may impact on their ability to access the curriculum 1

20. Some issues pupils may have in common: Low self-esteem
The Impact of SEN
Some issues pupils may have in common:
Low self-esteem
Difficulty co-operating with peers
Difficulty working independently 1

21. The Impact of SEN Some issues pupils may have in common: (continued)
Difficulty staying on task
Difficulty completing tasks
Poor communication skills
Poor motivation

22. Individual Education Plans

23. Individual Education Plans
a useful way of focusing on a child’s needs and how to meet them, or just another bureaucratic chore?

24. Why do we have IEP’s?
Task
Purpose of IEP

25. IEPs
The idea behind individual plans for children with special needs, is a good one: when a pupil is experiencing difficulties, identify what they are; decide on some appropriate action; do it, then review it
BUT a whole industry has grown up around designing templates, creating targets, measuring progress – and stressing over the whole business. SENCOs have literally made themselves ill in the process

26. IEPs
The test of how well IEPs are used is whether a teacher knows about a pupil’s difficulties, plans accordingly and differentiates effectively in the classroom, science lab, studio, gym, etc, rather than the IEP being used only by the TA running a small group intervention.

27. Questions to consider What should they include?
Should they all be the same
Primary, Secondary?

28. IEPs
Individual plans still play an important role however, especially for children with significant difficulties. For these pupils, a ‘bespoke’ approach may be needed and the important thing is that thought is given to the individual.
Part of the reason for IEPs gaining such a bad reputation was that many tended to be generic, with a tendency to only ‘change the name’ sometimes; another reason is that they often didn’t see the light of day – kept neatly in the teacher’s desk drawer, or a filing cabinet, ready for when an inspector called!

29. IEPs
An individual plan should be a working document, useful to all staff working with the pupil and constantly at hand: its design should allow for regular updates and comments (scribbled notes) by TAs, teachers and parents. In some schools, an extra sheet is attached to the IEP for daily/weekly updates, rather than waiting for the scheduled review – this makes much more sense in many ways.

30. Make sure that:
targets are achievable, short-term and specific, so that everyone can see when each one has been met
the pupil is involved in the setting of targets whenever possible
targets are described in jargon-free language and clear to all concerned – not least the pupil himself/herself, who should be able to say ‘Today I hit one of my targets… I sat on the carpet for the whole story/spelled three new target words correctly/asked a question in class…’
teaching/behaviour management strategies are described with details of who will deliver them, when and where
necessary resources are listed
there is a date for review, and the names of people involved in reviewing.

31. IEPs
Involving pupils in decisions about their IEPs and types of support provided is something that everyone acknowledges as a ‘good thing’, but in practice, is not always well done. It may not always be appropriate for a child to attend review meetings, but a one-to-one with the SENCO or TA/mentor beforehand can provide useful information and insight into how a child is responding to the support on offer.

32. Individual Education Plans
EDUCATION DIRECTORATE
Individual Education Plans
Should only contain what is additional to and different from the school’s differentiated curriculum planning for all pupils
3 or 4 SMART short term targets set through discussion with the pupil and parents.
A description of the child’s strengths and areas for development
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33. Individual Education Plans
EDUCATION DIRECTORATE
Individual Education Plans
Targets should be:
SPECIFIC
MEASURABLE
ATTAINABLE
RELEVANT
TIME CONSTRAINED
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34. Individual Education Plans
Look at some IEP’s
Are the targets SMART?

35. IEPs
there have been moves to minimise the number of IEPs and many schools have used ‘provision mapping’ as a way of allocating different types of support to individuals. Pupils identified for ‘school action’ can certainly fit well into this type of planning and management of interventions.

36. Can provision maps replace IEPs?
Provision maps can support schools in reducing bureaucracy
In England they are being used as an alternative to writing large numbers of individual education plans for students with low level needs that can be met through wave 3 literacy and numeracy interventions
Some schools believe they will replace IEPs, however this could only happen if certain provision is in place 1

37. Can provision maps replace IEPs?
Some schools believe they will replace IEPs, however this could only happen if certain provision is in place
These include:
Whole school target setting systems that incorporate individual targets for all vulnerable groups/ students which are reviewed at least twice a year
Rigorous self evaluation of SEN provision which ensures all students are making good progress
Systems for working in full partnership with parents
Systems which take account of the views of students 1

38. Look at some provision maps