This summer term on the Isle of Wight, a small number of schools will be using the Valuing SEND tool and approach to help to ensure that children with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) are supported early and in the right ways.
This will be a pilot and will be evaluated ahead of the next academic year.
What is Valuing SEND?
- The Valuing SEND tool and approach has been co-developed by local authorities, parent carers and professionals, in partnership with IMPOWER, an organisation specialising in the public sector and SEND.
- The ambition of Valuing SEND is to help improve children’s long-term outcomes and inclusion and improve the experienceof families and professionals across the system.
- It does this by helping schools to explore children’s needs and creating a single, rounded picture of their needs within education and at home. This can support discussions around the readiness of their school to meet needs and what additional support they may benefit from.
How will Valuing SEND be used on the Isle of Wight this summer term?
- In June and July, nine schools will use the Valuing SEND tool: 5 primary schools, 2 secondary schools and 1 special school.
- These schools are:
- Nettlestone Primary
- Hunnyhill Primary
- Wroxhall Primary
- Gatten and Lake Primary
- Haylands Primary
- The Bay CE – secondary provision
- Carisbrooke College – secondary
- St George’s Special School
- These schools will use the tool to reflect on their overall readiness to meet SEND needs and identify areas of good practice and areas for development.
- They will also use the tool with some of their children with SEND (or suspected SEND) to help them to explore their needs and review the support they have in place to meet these needs. The engagement of parent carers in this discussion will be key. Your child or young person’s school will let you know if the Valuing SEND tool and approach is being used for your child as part of this pilot phase.
Who is being invited to this drop-in session?
- The parent carers of children with SEND (or suspected SEND) at any of the above schools are invited to attend a virtual drop-in session to learn more about the Valuing SEND tool, including:
- Where it came from
- What are its benefits, and
- How it is being used in Isle of Wight schools
- There will be two identical sessions to choose from. You do not have to attend one of these sessions, but it will be a good place to ask questions if you want to understand more. You will also hear more about how you may be involved in the delivery of the pilot and importantly – in the evaluation.
- The sessions are:
- Tuesday 20 June 19:30-20:30
- Thursday 22 June 13:30-14:30
- To register for a session, please ctrl + click on this link. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Chloe – cwilliams@impower.co.uk.
