SENDCOs - Print version

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What is SEND support? 

Special educational support is educational or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for others of the same age, ie provision that goes beyond the differentiated approaches and learning arrangements normally provided as part of high-quality, personalised teaching. This is called Ordinarily Available Provision [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/5427/ordinarily_available_provision_-_early_years_school_age_and_post_16].

Four broad areas of need give an overview of the range of needs that should be planned for, not to fit a pupil into a category.      

The broad areas of need are: 

  1. Communication and interaction 
  2. Cognition and learning 
  3. Social, emotional and mental health
  4. Sensory and/or physical needs.

Children who receive SEN Support usually have a written plan or a provision map prepared for them that describes what additional or different support the school will offer, and how together parents/carers and school will help the child make progress. Our schools will work together with parents/carers to plan and monitor the impact of the SEN Support. 

SEN Support might include extra help with reading, writing and maths but might also focus on other things such as speaking and listening, visual enhancement, motor/movement or mobility skills, or social and emotional development. SEN Support can be delivered by staff from the school or from outside professionals such as specialist teachers. Even when support is delivered by these external professionals, it is the responsibility of the child’s class teacher to monitor the progress the child is making as a result of that and any other support as part of the assess, plan, do review cycle.

Where can I get support?

In Coventry we have a range of specialist inclusion teams who support children and young people aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND).

You can find information about these support services:

The EHCP process

Find out about statutory assessment [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/coventrys-special-educational-needs-disability-send-local-offer/statutory-assessment].

What is provision mapping?

You aren't required to have a provision map, but the SEND Code of Practice [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25] (see paragraph 6.76) suggests them to help you keep an overview of programmes and interventions for different groups of pupils.

Why use a provision map?

Think of your special educational needs (SEN) provision map as a tool that can help you:

  • Develop provision that meets the needs of your pupils
  • Evaluate the impact of your provision on pupil progress
  • Identify patterns of need, and areas for staff development
  • Decide which interventions are worth carrying out (whether the time and resource invested are worth the outcome) 

It does this by showing you, at a glance:

  • What interventions are taking place in your school
  • The evidence base you have for running those interventions
  • The time and resource invested in an intervention
  • How effective those interventions are
  • Your provision map should set out any provision that is additional to or different from your differentiated curriculum.
  • The SENCO should be using the provision map to monitor the level of interventions and make strategic decisions about SEN provision.
  • In some schools, the responsibility for using and maintaining the provision map sits squarely on the shoulders of the SENCO, and other members of staff rarely engage with it. It's worth challenging this assumption in your school, so your SEN provision is as effective as possible.

Further resources

Dimensions Tool

Dimensions - Home (covwarkpt.nhs.uk) [https://dimensions.covwarkpt.nhs.uk/Default.aspx]

Coventry guidance for SENCos: My Support Plans

A guide for SENCOs [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/24128/my_support_plan_-_a_guide_for_sencos.pdf]

SEN Inclusion Fund (EYFS SEND) relevant documentation

Coventry Support Services and training links

Condition-specific training – Coventry City Council [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/coventry-send-support-service/condition-specific-training]

SEND Core Training Sessions: Training and resources for Coventry schools – Coventry City Council [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/coventry-send-support-service/training-resources-coventry-schools]

Coventry School Nursing

The Coventry School Nursing Team have created several videos that they would urge schools to share with parents who are facing issues with the following:

  • Anxiety (youtube.com) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZiSutc6Ax4] This session provides information on how to best support your child if they are struggling with anxiety. It gives a brief understanding of why the child is feeling anxious and offers advice and practical strategies to help combat how they are feeling and to build emotional resilience. The session runs for just over 26 minutes and includes a relaxation story you can listen to with your child.
  • Challenges in Eating (youtube.com) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lay0LGZRdpM] Challenges with eating can be a very normal part of childhood, however can be very distressing for parents. In this session, we explore techniques and strategies to encourage your child not only to eat, but to eat the right foods and to promote their body to be healthy. The session runs for just under 20 minutes and includes other resources to help promote healthy eating with your child.
  • Sleep (youtube.com) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LEReKIeGYY] This session focuses on providing techniques to improve your child’s ability to fall asleep. It focuses on bedtime and the lead up to it and also offers information on how to help if they wake during the night. The session runs for just under 23 minutes
  • Toileting (youtube.com) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKoe_jTeSHA] This 20-minute-long session discusses all aspects of toileting. This includes daytime wetting, nightime wetting, soiling, toilet training and much more. The session is designed to lead you through the best ways to promote effective toileting with your child- these techniques are simple and easy to implement, however vital in helping children overcome these struggles. 
  • Behaviour - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRvcxt7Nx3I] When children misbehave it can be a source of considerable stress for parents. When this is constant it can make life very difficult. In this session, which runs for just over 24 minutes, we provide coping strategies and techniques to help guide children towards choosing better behaviour, we talk about how to implement them and answer some frequently asked questions to try and support you in helping your child to choose better behaviour.

These videos are also available on the www.healthforkids.co.uk [https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/Q_jhC3lkjtLlZqkUvuXuOv9wS?domain=healthforkids.co.uk] in the 'Grown-ups' section.

This is the most up to date Coventry School Nursing referral form [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7929/coventry-school-nursing-referral-form]

Coventry Speech and Language Therapy Team

Home - Childrens SSLT (coventrychildrensslt.co.uk) [https://www.coventrychildrensslt.co.uk/]

The Speech and Language Therapy Team in Coventry have created some videos sharing information and ideas around their frequently used approaches. Use the link for strategies and activity ideas: Video resources - Childrens SSLT (coventrychildrensslt.co.uk) [https://www.coventrychildrensslt.co.uk/resources/]

Details of Coventry Children's Speech and Language Therapy universal training sessions for 2024 can be found using this link: Training - Childrens SSLT (coventrychildrensslt.co.uk) [https://www.coventrychildrensslt.co.uk/professionals/training/] These sessions are free of charge for professionals working in settings within Coventry. Schools and settings can also buy in additional speech, language and communication training from the NHS from Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Partnership Trust (CWPT).

Coventry and Warwickshire Occupational Therapy

Sensory Advice for Schools - Childrens OT [https://www.covkidsot.co.uk/resources/sensory-advice-for-schools/] : Advice in mini guides/ quick reads:  'Attention in the Classroom' and 'Movement in the Classroom'

SENCO NPQ

Special educational needs co-ordinator's national professional qualification - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/special-educational-needs-co-ordinators-national-professional-qualification]

NASEN

Whole School SEND

Whole School SEND [https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/index.php/]

SENsible SENCO

Join Thousands of Members Benefiting from SENsible SENCO [https://www.sensiblesenco.org.uk/] 

Starting in September, SENsible SENCo are introducing a series of new sessions designed specifically for SENCOs, Heads, Governors, and TAs: SENsibleSENCO [https://events.sensiblesenco.org.uk/events]

SEND Network | An online community for SEND professionals (send-network.co.uk) [https://send-network.co.uk/]

Online CPD library, collaboration spaces, SEND discussions and articles, downloadable resources to support SENCOs. Free to subscribe with access to the above- option to become a premium member at a cost for greater access to training videos and courses.

Chiltern Teaching School Hub

CPD videos [https://www.youtube.com/@ChilternTeachingSchoolHub/videos ]

Creative Education

Range of courses with a SEND focus to purchase at a reasonable cost

Special Needs Jungle

Special Needs Jungle - News, info, resources & informed opinion about Special Educational Needs, disability, children’s physical and mental health, rare disease. Campaigning to #FixSEND [https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/]

Schoot [https://schoot.co.uk/training/]

Schoot is a subscription based, online platform, designed to inspire successful educators through on-demand, high-quality training and opportunities for collaboration with other primary, special and secondary schools: Training Catalogue  [https://schoot.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Schoot-Training-Catalogue-2023-24-Dec-v5-1.pdf]

Beacon School Support: Behaviour Support for Schools, Teachers and Families (beaconschoolsupport.co.uk) [https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/]

Positive Young Minds

A place for teachers, SENCOs, parents and children to find support with inclusion, SEND, wellbeing and mental health: SENCO Resources - Positive Young Minds [https://positiveyoungmind.com/senco-resources/] 

10 characteristics of effective SEND provision:

2 minute video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk0cCYnonB8 ]

High Speed Training

SEND Group | (thesend.group) [https://thesend.group/]

 'Our mission is to be the cornerstone of support for teachers, schools and the education community in the realm of special education needs and disability. By fostering a centralised hub of knowledge and resources, we aim to uplift the entire special education community and contribute to an inclusive and empowered educational environment'.

Amazing Things Project

Short videos to share with children to help understand different needs:- 

Transition 

Curriculum 

Whole School SEND Webinar: Curriculum design: access and ambition for all: [https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/resources/webinar-how-develop-curriculum-which-ambitious-and-accessible-all-each-age-and-stage]

This webinar recording explores why it is important for all children to have access to an ambitious curriculum and how schools and colleges can ensure that their curriculum is ambitious and accessible. The training addresses why it is important for all children to have access to an ambitious curriculum, why it is important to know or master certain content and what do I really need to do, how you ensure that the curriculum is accessible and that the curriculum content prepares the CYP for the next stage. 

Inclusion 2024 Inclusive PE hub (activityalliance.org.uk) [https://education.activityalliance.org.uk/] This site has lots of support for you as teachers or school staff to review and improve your inclusive physical education and school sport delivery. It is all made possible through the Department of Education funded, Inclusion 2024 project.

Whole School SEND Webinar: Early Identification of Needs:  [https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/resources/webinar-ensuring-accurate-identification-sen-school-and-college-settings]

This webinar recording supports you in developing effective systems and processes to enable the early and accurate identification of SEN in your setting.  It offers strategies to enable you to use national SEND data to support identification systems in your own settings, and includes discussion on how the pandemic has impacted on the development of CYP, and consequently the identification of SEN in education settings 

NASEN SEND Leadership Series: [https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/resources/webinar-send-foundations-leadership]

 A chance to learn more about and reflect on leadership of SEND. Covers 1. Foundations in Leadership 2. Distributed Leadership of SEND 3. SEND: Legacy of Leadership 

Writing an EHCP

Accessing children’s ‘voices’ on what matters to them:

Twilight Talks Research Series: Accessing children’s ‘voices’ on what matters to them: An overview of the research and recommended practices | Nasen [https://nasen.org.uk/resources/twilight-talks-research-series-accessing-childrens-voices?check_logged_in=1] This session will provide a wide-ranging overview of the research evidence available on how the ‘voices’ of children are currently being captured in their Education Health and Care plans. In addition, recommended practices for accessing children and young people’s perspectives on the support that is provided to them will be presented and critically examined. At the end of this session, participants should be able to critically identify concrete strategies to enable children’s ‘voice’ for statutory and non-statutory purposes, as well as barriers and facilitators to be considered in that process.
 
Graduated Approach Prompt | Nasen [https://nasen.org.uk/resources/graduated-approach-prompt] A useful tool for EYFS, primary, secondary and post-16 settings. This resource is designed to help teachers work their way through the graduated approach for those pupils that haven’t necessarily yet been identified with SEN but for whom there are initial concerns.

Visual Timetables

Home - Inclusion Expert [https://inclusionexpert.com/]

Inclusion Expert provides targeted training, consultancy and resources to help schools achieve outstanding inclusion practice.

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