1. Raising standards, improving lives
Implications of the new Ofsted framework for support services
Janet Thompson HMI
National Adviser - SEN and Disability

2. Raising standards, improving lives
Inspection is primarily about evaluating how well individual pupils benefit from their school. It is important to test the school’s response to individual needs by observing how well it helps all pupils to make progress and fulfil their potential.

3. Ambition
Preparing students as well as possible for the future so students become as independent as possible.
A strong focus on communication, literacy, mathematics as well as independent learning, working with others and achieving meaningful qualifications that will open doors in the future.

4. In schools Ofsted expects:
accurate information about pupils’ attainment and progress
the identification of pupils who are making less than expected progress and/or are unlikely on current performance to make expected or higher attainment
arrangements to be in place for these pupils to increase their progress and raise their attainment
regular and accurate monitoring of the progress that these pupils are making 4

5. In schools Ofsted expects:
rigorous moderation of the assessment of pupils’ attainment levels and target setting
effective support arrangements to show that the rate of progress has increased and the ‘gap’ is narrowing
regular review of the quality of support arrangements with respect to pupils’ outcomes, and changes made where they are not effective. 5

6. In schools Ofsted expects:
a curriculum that is broad, balanced and meets the needs, interests of pupils, and promotes high levels of achievement, good behaviour and successful progression to the next stage of education, training or employment. (Note the prominence of reading, writing and mathematics in the schedule)
successful strategies for working with parents to the benefit of pupils, including those who find working with school difficult. 6

7. Best Practice Strong teaching and learning
Accurate assessment and identification
Close tracking
Rigorous monitoring of progress with intervention quickly put in place
A thorough evaluation of the impact of additional provision
Clear routes to gain specialist support
AMBITION

8. So what does that mean for support services?8

9. Evaluation and accountability
Extra support should be quality assured rigorously to ensure it is of at least good quality and is effective.
The senior team and the governing body should provide robust challenge to the effectiveness of any extra support.
Support services should provide challenge to the schools and the effectiveness of the everyday provision for the pupils they serve.

10. Quality and effectiveness of provision

11. Outstanding
Pupils have excellent educational experiences at school and these ensure that they are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment.

12. Outstanding
Excellent practice ensures that all pupils have high levels of literacy appropriate to their age (and capabilities).

13. Outstanding
Practice consistently reflects the highest expectations of staff and the highest aspirations for pupils.

14. Outstanding
Taking account of their different starting points, the proportions of pupils making and exceeding expected progress are high compared with national figures.

15. Strong teaching and learning

16. Strong teaching and learning
Teachers have a thorough and detailed knowledge of all students’ abilities and needs.

17. Strong teaching and learning
All teachers have consistently high expectations of all pupils. Teachers plan and teach lessons that enable pupils to learn exceptionally well across the curriculum.

18. Questions for services
Who checks the quality of your teaching?
How do you know your advice is being used consistently by all staff involved in the education of the child you support?

19. Inspectors must consider the following, do you?
work is challenging enough and meets pupils’ individual needs
pupils’ responses demonstrate sufficient gains in their knowledge, skills and understanding, including in literacy and mathematics
teachers monitor pupils’ progress in lessons and use the information well to adapt their teaching
Teachers use questioning and discussion to assess the effectiveness of their teaching and promote pupils’ learning
pupils understand well how to improve their work.

20. Inspectors must consider the following, do you?
Engagement
Collaboration
Interest
Concentration
Determination
Resilience
Independence

21. Questions for services
How do you work in partnership with others to ensure the pupil receives a balanced curriculum so they are not disadvantaged?
If lessons or parts of lessons are missed what arrangements are made so that pupils do not need to ‘catch up’ without being taught?

22. Questions for services
Are you really challenging yourselves to improve the progress of pupils?
Do you challenge schools?

23. How well does your service contribute?
Is there close tracking and monitoring of attainment and progress?
Do you know pupils’ attainments accurately?
How many are attaining below the expected levels for their age?
Do you know which pupils are not making expected progress?
Has the progress of the pupils accelerated as a result of your support? 23

24. How well does your service contribute?
Is information about the quality of support obtained from observation?
How is this used to improve provision?
Is the above information provided effectively to the senior leadership team and to Governors or others who commission your service? 24

25. Fixed or permanent exclusion The use of on-site withdrawal rooms
Do you know :
If the pupils you support are disproportionally represented in any of the following?
Poor attendees
Fixed or permanent exclusion
The use of on-site withdrawal rooms
Bullying and incident records
Pupils struggling to behave appropriately 25

26. Local offer local authorities - required to publish a
local offer of services for the wide spectrum of disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs.
To give families clear, accessible information about what support is available locally from their local authority, schools and health services, and how to access more specialist support if their child’s needs are not being met.

27. Local offer Universal adaptations Universal provision within a school
Highly specialist
Specialist provision
ST and LT
Sharing expertise
Joint commissioning
Access to outreach / services
Specialists within schools
Universal adaptations
(includes adapted curriculum AP etc.)
AWPU
8% pupils with £6000
Criteria for evidence of effectiveness of the 8% and why not worked – provision map and quality evaluation
What will you want to do with additional funding and what outcomes will be expected - EHC plans
Transference of local offer regardless of where you live
Personal budget can it purchase the same things??
You will need to think about what you will do if someone has a personal budget for x.y.z.
Universal provision within a school
Quality and effectiveness

28. Routes to specialism/Local offer
Ensure there are clear routes to gain your specialist support.
Establish clear thresholds and referral routes to specific expertise so that students with the most needs are given the most expert help.
Evaluate the impact your service has for the pupils you work with.

29. Ofsted looks beyond ‘what’, to the quality and effectiveness of what is being offered and how this is demonstrated by the achievement of pupils – do you?