How we identify and assess children with potential special educational needs
SEND may be identified if a child’s progress:
- is significantly slower than that of their peers
- fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
- fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
- widens the attainment gap
Information is gathered through the teachers’ observations and assessment, standardised assessments conducted by the SENDCo, parent/carer concerns, or by external agencies.
At Foley Park, we ensure that children’s current skills and levels of attainment and progress in all areas are assessed and monitored regularly by the class teachers and SENDCo. Furthermore, each term the SENDCo attends Pupil Progress Meetings, during which teachers share current provision and create next steps for the upcoming term.
At Foley Park Primary Academy, a range of specific, more specialised tests are used (usually by the SENDCo or Educational Psychologist) to assist in the identification of individual needs, to plan targeted support for the child and use as a benchmark for measuring the impact of subsequent interventions.
These may include:
- Salford Sentence Reading Test
- Sandwell Early Numeracy Test
- Helen Arkell Spelling Test (HAST 2)
- Boxall profiles
School is also supported by an NHS Speech and Language Therapist who visits school to assess children and provides targets for then, as well as a part-time Speech and Language TA, Mrs Thompson.
Please see the Worcestershire Graduated Response and the Assess-Plan-Do-Review link on the SEND web page for more information on provision for children.