To ensure all needs are identified and supported, schools must use a graduated approach. It is called a graduated approach because there may be many different cycles of intervention and strategies before support needs are understood and met.

‘Where a pupil is identified as having SEND, early years’ settings, schools and colleges should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place’ (DfE, SEND Code of Practice, 2015, p.100). The SEND Code of Practice promotes the use of the ‘Assess-Plan-Do-Review’ Cycle to support this process. This works by revisiting, refining and revising our understanding of a child’s needs and what works to support them.

This means our understanding of the child’s needs should become clearer over time and build a better picture of the provision they need to make progress. Building a picture over time is especially helpful in the early years when considering longer term planning and the provision needed to make a successful transition to school. A good SENDCo will support a family through cycles of Assess-Plan-Do-Review and will try to understand any differences in opinion or experiences a child has across different environments and make sense of them to inform the child’s needs and support plan.

Tameside’s Graduated Response for Inclusion in Education

Education is about supporting children to achieve their full potential.

Adults work to identify barriers to learning and provide the tools to overcome those barriers. All Children and Young People (CYP) can learn and make progress if adults provide this.
The graduated response descriptors support all education leaders to quality assure practice within their setting. It is a way of describing what we mean by the right level of support at the right time for each child or young person.

It is split into 4 tiers of support. Children might move up and down the Graduated Response continuum at different stages of their lives depending on how factors such as time, environment and their personal characteristics interact with what happens in classrooms and settings

Tier 1

Universal Provision. The Values and practices for all children

Tier 2

Universal Provision Plus Internal.

Additional interventions in schools designed to meet identified needs. Examples could be occasional support from another adult, extra input in reason

Tier 3

Universal Provision Plus External.

Additional intervention from staff outside the schoo/setting to meet need. Examples could be speech and language therapy, mental health support

Tier 4

Universal provision provided within a specialist setting. This is when CYP are placed with a specialist setting. This might be a special school or a resource provision, which is a specialist setting within a mainstream school

What happens in classrooms and settings to help all CYP make progress in key knowledge and skills is the most important part of the graduated response. The aim is for all children to increase their understanding and independence. We have a lot of evidence in education about how to do this and schools and settings should be using this to plan for progress. For example, we know that the thing that makes the most difference in schools is being taught by a well-qualified teacher alongside their peers in a classroom. Things that happen outside the classroom (in tier 2 and 3) matter too but not as much as what happens in the classroom. Another example is the use of additional adults such as Teaching Assistants (TAs). We know TAs can make a huge difference to CYP when they run interventions targeted at key  areas and when they support teachers within the classroom by working with all children, but we also know that have a TA attached to a pupil full time on a one to one basis over a long period holds back the progress of CYP because their independence reduces and they become reliant on the adult (this does not include the need for full time TA support for CYP with personal care needs). This can sound counter-intuitive but all adults should work with all children and evidence shows us that we should plan on short term goals that reduce adult support over time in the areas we are trying to develop in CYP. You can read more about this research here

The list below sets out the principles of the Graduated Response for all children in all settings and has been produced by Tameside Schools, Colleges and Early years Settings. This means what can be expected whether your child has an EHCP, is waiting for an EHCP, has been identified as Send Support or has no identified needs at all.

Tier one. Universal provision for all children at all times and in all settings

The following Core Values underpins work with children and young people with SEND at whatever level in the educational system in Tameside. They represent a common approach to working together with children, young people and families to ensure the best outcomes for all.
1. All teachers/practitioners are teachers/practitioners of send. This is a core value and way of working for all practitioners in every setting who work with children and young people in Tameside.
2. The voice of the child/young person and their family is heard and valued in making decisions and evaluating outcomes
3. Senior leaders in all settings, including Governors and Trustees where applicable, demonstrate a clear commitment to SEND. It should be a golden thread through all provision and planning demonstrating the highest aspirations for all children and young people
4. Leaders of SEND should be suitably qualified and be supported to continue to develop their specialist knowledge and understanding
5. Practitioners should be supported to develop their knowledge and practice of supporting SEND learners through high quality, research informed, regular professional development
6. Early identification through the use of diagnostic assessments is a core embedded principle of working with all children and young people using the assess, plan, do, review cycle alongside collaborative working.
7. Interventions are evidence based and chosen with care
8. Quality assurance processes of provision and intervention are used to assess impact and outcomes within settings

In practice, to get the right support at the right time schools and settings use the Assess, Plan, Do, Review process which you can see below

Assess-Plan-Do-Review Cycle

Assess:

Clear and comprehensive assessment of the child’s needs by key educational professionals, SENDCo, parents/carer and child, based on a combination of:
• Discussions to gather the views and aspirations ofthe child and their family.
• Universal and targeted assessments and observations carried out by a range of setting staff.
• Child’s current attainment and progress.
• Tracking of data and comparisons with national data.
• Any relevant assessment information provided by external agencies e.g. Health, Educational Psychology (EP), and Social Care.

Plan:

Following the assessment phase, key educational professionals, SENDCo and parent/carer, meet and agree a plan of action. This plan should be outcome focused (e.g. improve, develop, and achieve) and should include:
1. SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based) targets.
2. Details of the adjustments, equipment, support, and interventions that need to be put into place to fulfil the plan.
3. Details of who will be running the programme and when.
4. Details of success criteria, including how progress will be measured, when and by whom.
5. A date for review, typically 6-8 weeks.

The plan should be recorded and circulated to all relevant parties before it begins. Any training needs should be identified and addressed prior to the start of the ‘do’ phase

Do:

In this phase the plan is put into action.

The SEND Code of Practice makes it clear that it is the responsibility of all setting staff to implement the plan on a day-to-day basis. This should be supported by the SENDCo. The ‘do’ phase should involve adults:
• Implementing any adjustments, specific strategies, interventions, or approaches that have been identified within the ‘plan’ phase.
• Continually assessing and monitoring the child’s progress and making any necessary adjustments.
• Communicating how things are going with the child’s family and the SENDCo.

Robust information should be gathered during this phase so that the following can be discussed at review:
• How the intervention/adjustment has been implemented e.g. whether there have been any absences or delays.
• How the child has responded to the strategies and interventions.
• What changes have been seen and what progress towards the success criteria has occurred.

Review :

Following the plan phase, key educational professionals, SENDCo, parent/ carer should meet to review the plan. The review should include:
• Evidence of the impact of the plan, both in terms of the desired outcomes and the success criteria.
• Everyone’s views on progress and impact, including the child themselves.
• A plan for next steps. Does there need to be another cycle of ‘assess-plan-do-review’? Does a referral need to be made to another service?
• A written record.

If it is agreed that the child would benefit from further
support, then a second round of ‘assess-plan-doreview’ should begin.

For further information on our graduated response, please visit our SEND Matching Provision to Need page here

Tameside Graduated Response Values

This document details our core values which underpin work with children and young people with SEND at whatever level in the educational system in Tameside. They represent a common approach to working together with children, young people and families to ensure the best outcomes for all.

SEN Support in Schools

Universal Support – Support available to all children within a school setting.

Targeted (SEN) Support – children may require targeted SEN support if they are not making expected progress after the school has already made reasonable adjustments to their learning.

Specialist Support – some children & young people have severe to complex needs and require more help than the school can provide using SEN support. It may be necessary to request an Education, Health and Care Plan. More information can be found below.

The purpose of SEN support is to help children with special educational needs to achieve outcomes or learning objectives set for them by the school.

If you think your child may need SEN support, please speak to your child’s teacher or Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENDCO).