Getting Strategic Provision Management in Schools

Why Provision Management? Background and Context

Changing Times! Drivers Under-achievement or SEN? Over-identification SEN as an excuse for poor progress Inconsistency Equity Low expectations Poor outcomes

Key Changes The changes in the way in which schools are funded from April 2013 The Local Offer An expectation that the majority of CYP will have their individual needs met through high quality teaching, differentiated for different pupils. A single category to replace SA and SA+ - SEN Support.

Consider The increase in the number of pupils with SEN/Individual needs placed in mainstream schools. The majority of pupils placed in mainstream schools have common high incidence needs in the areas of language and communication, literacy, numeracy and social, emotional and behavioural development needs. Research has provided information about what interventions are most effective. Therefore, it makes sense to focus on early identification and providing quality interventions for the majority of pupils with SEN/individual needs and track the progress and achievement of pupils in receipt of these interventions. This would leave a smaller number of pupils with significant needs who would require a more individualised programme.

Overview: Reform of high needs funding Element 1: Core education funding Element 2: Additional support funding Element 3: Top-up funding Mainstream settings Pre-16 SEN and AP Specialist settingsAll settings Post-16 SEN and LDD “Top-up” funding from the commissioner to meet the needs of each pupil or student placed in the institution Mainstream per-pupil funding (AWPU) Contribution of £6,000 to additional support required by a pupil with high needs, from the notional SEN budget Base funding of £10,000 for SEN and £8,000 for AP placements, which is roughly equivalent to the level up to which a mainstream provider would have contributed to the additional support provision of a high needs pupil. Base funding is provided on the basis of planned places. Mainstream per-student funding (as calculated by the national funding system) Contribution of £6,000 to additional support required by a student with high needs This diagram appeared as Figure 1 (p.43) of School funding reform: Next steps towards a fairer system.

School Funding Reform: Next steps towards a fairer system DfE, March 2012 Low cost, high incidence SEN Notional SEN budgets for mainstream schools Funding to be distributed to pupils based on a formula using deprivation and prior attainment. Primary – Early Years Foundation Profile – pupils not achieving 78 points. Secondary – KS2 results – pupils attaining at Level 3 or below in both English and mathematics

School Funding Reform High needs pupils and students Funded on a mixture of a place and a pupil-led basis called ‘place plus’. High needs funding will comprise 3 elements, which can be applied across all provision for high needs pupils and students Element 1 – core education funding (AWPU) Element 2 – additional support funding – a budget for additional support for high needs pupils up to an agreed level. Element 3 – top-up funding above elements 1 and 2 to meet the total cost of the education provision required by an individual

SEND CoP Provision maps are an efficient way of showing all the provision that the school makes which is additional to and different from that which is offered through the school’s curriculum. The use of provision maps can help SENCOs to maintain an overview of the programmes and interventions used with different groups of pupils and provide a basis for monitoring the levels of intervention. 6.76

SEND CoP Provision management can be used strategically to develop special educational provision to match the assessed needs of pupils across the school, and to evaluate the impact of that provision on pupil progress. Used in this way provision management can also contribute to school improvement by identifying particular patterns of need and potential areas of development for teaching staff. It can help the school to develop the use of interventions that are effective and to remove those that are less so. It can support schools to improve their core offer for all pupils as the most effective approaches are adopted more widely across the school. 6.77

Provision Mapping or Provision Management? A few of the local authorities and schools visited used provision mapping to improve provision and outcomes for CYP with additional needs. The best provision mapping observed did not simply list what was available; it also showed which interventions were particularly effective. This contributed to efficient planning to meet the needs of individuals or groups, kept pupils and their parents up to date with progress following an intervention, and helped a school or LA to evaluate its overall effectiveness. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Review, A Statement is not enough, Ofsted 2010

Provision Management or Provision Mapping? A provision map is a record of the ‘additional to’ and ‘different from’ provision that a school is currently providing for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. Provision Management is a strategic management approach which enables schools to identify the provision necessary to meet the needs of their pupils, record and cost their provision and review and evaluate its effectiveness in terms of pupil progress outcomes.

Definition of Special Educational Provision For children aged two or more, special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools, maintained nursery schools, mainstream Post-16 institutions or by relevant early years providers. For a child under two years of age, special educational provision means educational provision of any kind.

The Special Educational Needs and Disability Review, A Statement is not enough, Ofsted 2010 The Code of Practice states that when pupils are identified as having SENs, they should receive ‘interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the school’s usual differentiated curriculum offer and strategies’. However, nearly one fifth of the schools visited suggested that they provided many interventions that they considered ‘additional’ and ‘different’ when, in other schools, such provision was regarded as the norm.

Key areas for review in the light of the SEND CoP The use of outcomes. Clear identification of what the pupil needs in terms of special provision to meet their outcomes Planning high quality, evidence based provision to meet the needs and achieve the outcomes Monitoring and evaluating progress and achievement to indicate the effectiveness of the school’s provision.

Key areas for review in the light of the SEND CoP Strategic planning for efficient and effective allocation of your resources Clear ‘costing’ of special provision to: Demonstrate the need for additional funding Provide evidence to support a request for an EHC Plan referral Provide evidence that the school’s allocation of resources represents ‘best value’

Clear identification of what the pupil needs in terms of special provision to meet their outcomes A child with autism who has difficulties with social communication needs: Speech and language therapy To learn a range of communication strategies to use in social situations Access to positive peer role models Opportunities to use strategies for social communication with other children – in pairs/groups independently.

Clear identification of what the pupil needs in terms of special provision to meet their outcomes A child with autism who has difficulties with social communication doesn’t need: 1:1 support from an adult TA To get better at social communication with known and trusted adults To be isolated from positive peer role models To learn strategies for social communication but never have an opportunity to use them in working independently with other pupils in pairs or small groups.