SEND
How can schools work effectively with parents and carers?
In this month’s SEND column from Ethos Academy Trust, Director of Education ANN-MARIE OLIVER looks at how schools can manage relationships with parents or carers who are seeking guidance and additional support for their children.
SEND sufficiency is a national issue and the majority of schools (mainstream and special) are continuing to see a rise in pupil needs and a reduction in resources. The road to securing the right level and type of support, in a suitable provision tailored with the right combination of adaptations and resources, can feel like an uphill struggle on many fronts for parents and carers who suspect their children may have special needs.
In most situations, schools are the first point of contact for parents who wish to discuss concerns about their child. Parents can offer a 24/7 insight into their child’s behaviour, and how they respond to specific situations and are navigating the curriculum from an emotional and educational perspective. Parent/carer voice is invaluable. Listening to them and recognising that they know their child best of all, is often the best foundation to build upon. At Ethos we work in partnership with our families wherever we can, and keep the young person’s safety and wellbeing as our primary focus. We think it’s important that a young person’s aspirations (and those of their family) are at the beginning of the golden thread that helps us identify effective provision for their needs.
Parents/carers need to feel empowered to trust their instincts and be supported by schools to start exploring their concerns. The class teacher and school SENCO can work collaboratively with parents by listening to their observations, and discuss a route for assessments, monitoring, and what the likely timescales will be. Parents/ carers often feel thrust into an unknown world of form filling, screenings and acronyms, so it’s important that schools support them as best as they can, whether that is by sharing their experience and knowledge, breaking down some of the myths and explaining the language, or by putting them in touch with local contacts that will be able to help them on their journey.
The process of applying for an EHCP can be lengthy and frustrating as it involves consultations between multi-agencies and external experts to gather the evidence and make their assessments. During this time schools are expected to make reasonable adjustments to support children’s SEND needs. Again, it is important that there is open communication between the school and parents/carers, and immediate changes and future plans are explained in advance. All cases are different, but schools should aim to meet and discuss progress with parents/carers at least three times a year. Outcomes will always be more positive if communication and relations are strong between school and home.
The SENCO can guide and support, but importantly each authority generally has a free parental support group for parents about SEND (SENDIASS) needs. This is external support that they can access. Experts can signpost and advise if a parent feels the SENCO or school is not aligned. SENDIASS can also support parents through the EHCP application process ensuring that outcomes are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound. SENDIASS also supports EHCP annual and next phases of education reviews. All too often children who have managed well in primary education struggle with the transition to secondary school. It’s important that a plan for support is outlined in key stage 2.
Here are some top tips from our SENCO in our alternative provisions (Evolve and Enrich academies) based in Wakefield:
• Make sure parents/carers are aware that a label isn’t needed - we support the presenting need in our young people, not the label.
• We inform parents of their rights and will guide them as to where they can seek advice and support. For example, if a parent feels their child needs a plan and we do not agree we would always ensure parents/carers are fully informed of their rights.
• Transparency and trust are key. The SENDCO should be able to build a trusting relationship with parents/carers. As professionals, we should also be able to admit or reflect if we have made mistakes.
• We are flexible in our approach to meeting parents/carers where possible. We want them to feel comfortable and choose settings where they are able to express their feelings. We encourage parents/carers to bring someone in a support role to meetings if they feel it’s necessary. We always ask our parents/ carers if they would like to share any questions prior to the meeting so that we can ensure we can answer them to the best of our ability.
• Actions are taken with parental consent and parents/carers are always informed before referrals are made to outside agencies.
• We will always try to maintain positive relationships with our parents/carers so we can have open discussions regarding the referral process and the roles and responsibilities of the various agencies involved. We know that working in open and trusting partnerships with parents/carers and external agencies will always provide the best outcomes for our young people and we will do whatever we can to support this process.
For more information about Ethos Academy Trust visit
www.eat.uk.com July/August 2024
www.education-today.co.uk 27
EHCPs – can the current
system cope? In her regular SEND column this
month EMMA SANDERSON, Managing Director of Options Autism, a specialist provider of education for autistic pupils and those with complex needs, examines what the Department for Education’s (DFE’s) latest figures reveal, and questions - can the system cope?
Last month’s publication of the annual Education Health and Care plans (EHCPs) census figures from the DfE, highlight the continuing challenge faced by parents and schools, to access and provide the necessary support for the increasing number of children with EHCPs – and those children with SEND without one. With an increase of 11.4% from January 2023 to January 2024, the current number of children and young people with SEND supported through a statutory plan, has more than doubled since the launch of the SEND reforms in September 2014. Unlike the initial first few years after the reforms, where most growth was due to the expansion of post-16 ECHPs, todays growth is greatest amongst school-aged children.
Figures show the number of new EHCPs started during 2023, increased by 17,722 (26.6%) from 2022. With such stark increases, it’s obvious to see why schools are struggling, with the number of pupils with EHCPs growing faster in mainstream schools (17%) than in local authority (LA) special schools (8%). The increase in mainstream EHCPs suggests that mainstream schools are becoming more inclusive, or could be because state special schools are full to bursting, also reflected in the growth of independent specialist provision. Possibly most concerning, is the 1 in 13 – equating to a staggering 44,000 children and young people with an EHCP - without a formal education placement. It was also the third most common category for those who received an EHCP for the first time in 2023. Where are these children now? Where are they going? Are they safe?
The fastest growing sub-groups within this category were elective home education and young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET), which currently stands at 15,000 young people. Again we should be asking, where are they, and are they receiving any kind of support to secure success in their future lives? There are rumblings in the sector that suggest the numbers of EHCPs in the system is the problem. Cash- strapped LAs facing enormous financial constraints and funding issues, have been tempted to actively try to trim, cut, or slash EHCP numbers. There’s a growing proportion of LA refusals to conduct an EHC needs assessment. In many cases, the assessment process includes the additional step of initial LA refusal, followed by parental appeal, before an EHCP is granted. It’s down to a postcode lottery for parents as refusal rates between LAs vary significantly. Refusal to assess for an EHCP means that more children are not getting the support they need to succeed.
We need to urgently address this situation by reviewing SEND policy and expectations before the ticking time bomb goes off!
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