Archive Month: May 2021

 

• Evaluation of the alternative provision innovation fund – an independent evaluation of the alternative provision innovation fund launched in March 2018 to improve outcomes for children in alternative provision.

• Commissioning models for alternative provision – report on research into responsibility-based models of decision-making, funding and commissioning for alternative provision.

• Workforce Engagement Plans – The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care

• Research and analysis – Supporting SEND – Has an excellent Executive Summary worth reading. The Summary points out overall weaknesses;

• • • gaps in external provision and training
    • lack of coordination between services
    • lack of accountability
    • weak co-production

Other general points in the research –

• • • Schools often took a pupil-centred approach when identifying needs and planning provision, but staff did not always know the pupils well enough to do this.
    • Pupils with SEND regularly spent time out of class working with teaching assistants (TAs), but there were some concerns about social exclusion and over-reliance on a single adult.
    • Occasionally, schools were teaching a curriculum to pupils that was not properly sequenced or well matched to their needs.
    • Collaboration between practitioners and families supported schools in meeting pupils’ needs more effectively.
    • Mechanisms for co-production with parents and carers were often in place but implementation was not always meaningful. This is likely to impact how far schools can tailor provision to children’s needs.
    • School SENCos were essential for mediating provision but experienced a range of challenges in carrying out their role.
    • Schools employed a range of tailored strategies to meet pupils’ needs, sometimes supported by multi-agency services.
    • Local authorities had strong ambitions for multi-agency collaboration, but this did not always translate into improved practice and positive experiences for schools and families.
    • Some pupils received support from external services, but not always to the extent they need.
    • This research raises questions about what ‘success’ looks like in terms of supporting children with SEND in mainstream schools.

 

• New legislation to help transform opportunities for all – the Government seeks to level up FE with HE and increase choice on free qualifications. There seems to be a great deal of energy from the DfE on this area and potentially more opportunity for our young people to get into training and skills which will equip them for this post-Covid-levelling-up-build-back-better-world.