Following the summer break, we’d like to remind parents and carers of the Isles of Scilly Graduated Approach, our two-part guide to education provision for the islands’ children.
The Isles of Scilly Graduated Approach was developed with Five Islands Academy and Cherry Blossom Childcare, and incorporates feedback from the Parent Carer Forum and individual families. It sets out what we mean by inclusion in education and highlights the support available when a child experiences learning difficulties. You can read in full at the link below.
| READ THE ISLES OF SCILLY GRADUATED APPROACH GUIDE |
The first section of the Graduated Approach describes the provision that parents can expect to be in place for all children in an education setting. The second section outlines the approaches and provision that education settings should make available when a child experiences learning difficulties.
The aim of the guidance is to clearly set out the provision the Council expects to be made available for all Isles of Scilly children and young people, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, in early years settings, school and colleges. Early Years settings and education establishments will have detailed guidance and strategies in place to support their staff in delivering the Graduated Approach, in line with this overarching guidance.
Parents and carers may also find it helpful to refer to the Graduated Approach when discussing their child’s Special Educational Needs (SEN) and support with the setting.
Myth Busting
Common myth: “Inclusion is about children with special educational needs”
Fact: Inclusion is for everyone. We can all experience feeling out of place or excluded from something at different times in our lives.
What do we mean by inclusion in education?
All children have the right to education, and every child has unique characteristics, interests, abilities and learning needs. An inclusive approach to education means that each individual child and young person’s needs are taken into account, and that every child is helped to participate and succeed in their early years, school or further education setting. This matters because learning can be enriching and joyful, and because children who succeed in school are much more likely to go on to lead happy and healthy lives.
Inclusion starts with the whole education setting - early years, school and college leaders promoting an inclusive culture and ethos that focuses on how to transform existing systems for the benefit of all, rather than on how some learners can be integrated into rigid structures. Inclusion is about promoting and delivering education systems that are based on gender equality, that respect diverse needs, abilities and characteristics and eliminate all forms of discrimination in the learning environment.
Inclusive teaching is about attending to elements of everyday, ordinarily available provision that benefit all pupils. Doing so is an invaluable contribution that every classroom teacher can make.
What does ordinarily available (universal) provision look like?
- Quality first teaching with curriculum designed for all learners;
- evidence-based support prioritising early intervention;
- accessible and enriching provision beyond the classroom;
- a safe and respectful culture supporting the learning, wellbeing and safety needs of all children, so that they belong, achieve and thrive;
- strong partnerships with families and wider services; and
- inclusive environments with continuous improvements to accessibility.
Common myth: “My child needs an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to get the support described in the second section of the Graduated Approach”
Fact: Every element described in the Graduated Approach should be made available to support a child’s additional and special educational needs without the need for an EHCP.
What do we mean by a graduated approach to meeting individual needs?
In England, improving outcomes for children with additional needs is a government priority. There is widespread recognition that too many pupils with additional needs are not getting the support they need to thrive. All teachers should continue to deepen their understanding of effective inclusive practice throughout their careers, and for some this will include the development of specialist expertise.
Where a pupil is identified as having additional or special educational needs, education settings should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. This SEN Support should take the form of a four-part cycle:
- assessing the child’s needs;
- setting out a plan to meet those needs;
- putting that plan into effect;
- reviewing the difference the plan has made at regular intervals and adjusting it where necessary.
In this way, earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what supports the pupil in making good progress and securing good outcomes. This is known as the Graduated Approach (sometimes known as the graduated response).
In other words, where a child or young person has been identified as having a learning difficulty (this does NOT need to be an official diagnosis), the education setting should be looking at what those barriers to learning are and then putting support in place to remove them. This should be an ongoing cycle of reviewing and adjusting the support until the outcomes have been achieved.
The education setting should only consider applying for an EHCP when the child is observed as having persistent and significant difficulties with the areas within targeted support, even when strategies and interventions have been implemented.
Further information
You can learn more about our local approach on our Inclusion and our Graduated Approach webpage.
The SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years contains national guidance for practitioners.
Government also provides some useful advice (including videos) on the implementation of a Graduated Approach, for those working in educational settings.