Q:

Interventions in section F - should the intervention and the assessment methods be described? Example: "Daily 1:1 mathematics booster planned by a teacher and delivered by TA. Effectiveness will be assessed in line with the National Curriculum framework and measured in year groups."

Most interventions within reports do not mention how to measure outcomes - should schools default to the National Curriculum descriptors in such cases? I am confused how the 1:1 ordinary available provision and the EHCP provision differ? If a child received a certain ordinary available provision and then an EHCP was issued, do they continue to receive the ordinary provision? The ordinary provision was more specific and clear than the EHCP provision.

TR

The Raven
N/A
11 Jan 2025

A: SenseCheck

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  • 14 Jan 2025
  • No

    Simple

    Should the intervention and assessment methods be described

    As far as I know, there's no law saying that assessment methods, such as the ones you've described, need to be included in an EHCP. Generally, they are not. There may be some exceptions but these are few and far between.

    Start with why would you want them in? How will it improve your child's life chances? If you can't answer that, you don't really need to read on.

    The SEND Code of Practice says: “EHC plans should be clear, concise, understandable and accessible to… children and young people…” (paragraph 9.61). So, I'd avoid adding detail that makes it harder for children to understand and that makes it less concise.

    Whether your child can read it will need to be interpreted reasonably. If they have profound learning difficulties, it's unlikely that they'll ever read it. If they are more cognitively able, they may be able to access some by the end of primary. Either way, I'd suggest avoiding unnecessary detail in an EHCP as it risks making extra words that do not improve a child's life chances - but do crowd out more important information and make it harder to digest for front line staff.

     

    Should schools default to the National Curriculum descriptors in such cases?

    Assuming it’s a maths or English intervention in a mainstream school, then yes. However, schools will often have tools that break down the National Curriculum into smaller steps. These are super useful for helping to identify what to teach next and also to show that the child has made progress even if it's smaller steps (think about children who have severe learning difficulties who might leave primary school being able to read 50 words - they may have made lots of progress but the NC descriptors may not be sensitive enough to capture that child's success).

    Furthermore, for some areas there are no National Curriculum descriptors. For example:

    • A child who visual impairment who has an outcome about safely finding her way around her local community.
    • A child who has social emotional health needs who is learning to find pro-social ways to manage anger.
    • A child who has autism who is learning to take turns with a peer.

    In these cases, the National Curriculum has no answers and you'd need something else (e.g. a social communication monitoring booklet)

     

    If a child received a certain ordinary available provision and then an EHCP was issued, do they continue to receive the ordinary provision?

    Yes - Unless there are reasons not to (e.g. the EHCP provision better meets needs than the ordinary provision, the ordinary provision is no longer suitable).

     

    If you want more info on what the SEND Code of Practice says, go to https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf and look up paragraph 9.69.

     

     

     

    Aaron King

    Aaron King
    9000 Lives SEND Consultancy