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SEND Policy

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The best available evidence indicates that great teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve pupil attainment. Ensuring every teacher is supported in delivering high-quality teaching is essential to achieving the best outcomes for all pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged among them.

It is important that schools consider how children learn, how they develop knowledge and skills, and how they can be supported to lay firm foundations for later learning. Teaching approaches that ensure long-term retention of knowledge, fluency in key skills, and confident use of metacognitive strategies are crucial. These are fundamental to learning and are the ​'bread and butter' of effective teaching:

Cognitive strategies include subject-specific strategies or memorisation techniques such as methods to solve problems in maths.

Metacognitive strategies are what we use to monitor or control our cognition, for example checking whether our approach to solving a mathematics problem worked or considering which cognitive strategy is the best fit for a task.

The explicit teaching of cognitive and metacognitive strategies is integral to high-quality teaching and learning, and these strategies are best taught within a subject and phase specific context. Approaches such as explicit instruction, scaffolding and flexible grouping are all key components of high-quality teaching and learning for pupils.

Teachers should be mindful of the differing needs within their classes - it is just as important to avoid over-scaffolding as it is to ensure all pupils are adequately supported. Similarly, we know that retrieval practice supports knowledge retention, but it is important to think carefully about how that is implemented in individual subjects across the curriculum to ensure it supports learning.

It is also important to take account of the prior knowledge that children bring to lessons and to help them to build upon this understanding. Additionally, anticipating common misconceptions, and using diagnostic assessment to uncover them, is an important way to support pupils.

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Evidence indicates that great teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve outcomes for their pupils.

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Special Educational Needs & Disability Local Offer

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Our Local Offer has been developed and will be updated regularly to help you find information about local services, support, activities and events for children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

We have separated the Local Offer into a number of sections below, please click on the specific area for more information.

This is our new Local Offer and we welcome feedback to improve the site.

If you need this content in an alternative format or if you have a specific query you can contact us by:

Email: local.offer@newham.gov.uk

Telephone: 0203 373 2051, Mon - Fri , 10am - 2pm

We will try to respond to emails or voicemails within 2 working days.
Related Information Feedback from families and our plans to respond. Complaints, comments and compliments

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Our Local Offer has been developed and will be updated regularly to help you find information about local services, support, activities and events for children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We have separated the Local Offer into a number of sections below, please click on the specific area for more information.

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We are a registered children's charity delivering vital mental health and emotional wellbeing services in schools across Essex and East London.

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Brentwood Catholic Children's Society - supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people
Read more

Who we are

We are a registered children's charity delivering vital mental health and emotional wellbeing services in schools across Essex and East London.
Read more

How we help

We provide one-to-one counselling and in-depth training programmes to children, parents and staff in schools and direct therapeutic support to children and families in house.
Read more

Our stories

Read about how our work is helping children, young people and their families to feel less overwhelmed and burdened.
Read more

Our latest newsletter

Read updates about our work, community news, challenges and events in our supporter newsletter here.
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Our professional newsletter

Mind Matters is our professional newsletter giving details of our training courses and support services in schools.
View PDF

Registered charity number RCN: 1000661

© 2023 Brentwood Catholic Children's Society

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BCCS is a registered children's charity delivering vital mental health and emotional wellbeing services in schools across Essex and East London.

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Learning Talking (Speech and Language Therapy)

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Learning Talking (Speech and Language Therapy)

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At learning talking we are passionate about providing high quality speech and language therapy to children.

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Learning Talking | Speech and language therapy for children

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At learning talking we are passionate about providing high quality speech and language therapy to children. We pride ourselves in offering effective intervention that enables children to reach their potential.

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Newham Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

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Newham Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

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We are a multi-agency specialist mental health service for children and young people with complex, severe or persistent emotional, behavioral or developmental problems.

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Newham Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) | East London NHS Foundation Trust

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Newham CAMHS is a multi-agency specialist mental health service for children and young people with complex, severe or persistent emotional, behavioural or developmental problems. We accept referrals from birth to their 18th birthday.

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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Once a child or young person has an , the local authority (LA) must ensure the support set out in the plan is made for them.

Normally, the LA will do this by providing the necessary funding to your child's school or college, in order for them to deliver the educational support needed, and by arranging any external therapies or other provision that may be specified. However, it is also possible for the LA to consider making a payment to the parent, the young person, or another nominated person so that you can organise the provision yourself. This is called a direct payment. In order for you to request a direct payment, the LA must first identify a personal budget.

Remember, the purpose of a personal budget or direct payment is to allow you to arrange provision that is specified in Section F of the EHC plan yourself. It is not a pot of money for 'extras' like home tuition, after-school activities, additional therapies or anything else that is not specified in Section F.

What is a personal budget?

The personal budget is the notional amount of money that would be needed to cover the cost of making the special educational provision specified in the EHC plan. You cannot have a personal budget for education unless you have an EHC plan. Information about the availability of personal budgets must be contained in your LA's local offer .

Your LA must consider identifying a personal budget for educational provision if you request it when your LA issues a draft EHC plan following an EHC needs assessment or when it is reviewing an EHC plan . It is not legally required to consider identifying a personal budget for educational provision at other times.

Sometimes, your LA can refuse to identify a personal budget. It may do so when the special educational provision is being provided as part of a larger budget (for example, a contract with the NHS to provide all speech and language therapy or occupational therapy) and the LA can't separate out or 'disaggregate' the personal budget for your child from that overall larger budget.

How can I get a direct payment?

If you do request a personal budget from your LA, you can at the same time ask it to identify which elements or parts of the personal budget you could then receive as a direct payment. This is an actual amount of money that you would receive so that you could commission or arrange the provision in the EHC plan yourself. The direct payment must be enough to cover the cost of arranging the provision.

Your LA can refuse to make a direct payment if it thinks the person receiving the payments would not be capable of managing the money, or if it thinks the money would be used in an inappropriate way. It can also refuse to make a direct payment where this would negatively impact other services provided by the LA, or if it would not be an efficient use of resources.

Where the provision proposed to be replaced by a direct payment takes place in a school or college setting, the consent of the head teacher or principal is required. If they do not consent then the LA will be unable to make a direct payment.

If the LA refuses to identify a personal budget or make a direct payment, you cannot appeal against that decision but you can ask for it to be reviewed.

Where can I find out more?

Detailed information about personal budgets and direct payments are contained in Chapter 9 of the SEN and Disability Code of Practice. The law relating to direct payments and personal budgets is set out in the Special Educational Needs (Personal Budgets) Regulations 2014, as amended by the Special Educational Needs (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2014.

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Once a child or young person has an EHC plan, the local authority must ensure the support set out in the plan is made for the child or young person

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SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service.

It’s a free, impartial, and confidential service offering information to young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and to their parents and carers.

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About SENDIASS SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service. It’s a free, impartial, and confidential service offering information to young people with special educational…

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Empowering Families
Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and support Service, SENDIASS Newham(formerly Parent Partnership Services), is a statutory service designed to support parent/carers, children and young people 0-25, with issues relating to their special educational needs and disability (SEND) rights and provision. The support offered is free, impartial and confidential, as the service works at arms-length from the local authority (LA). Support is given electronically, telephone and face to face meetings. SENDIASS will not share parent, carer, or young persons information with other professionals, unless we have explicit consent or there is a safeguarding issue.
How do SENDIASS help?

Knowledge, advice and support based on SEND statutory process and duties

Advice and support around SEN Support and all aspects of the education, health and care plan (EHCP).

Exclusions (where the pupil has an SEN).

SEND Tribunal cases

Meeting support.

If you are a parent/carer, child, young person or professional in need of advice or support please call: 0203 373 0707 or email sendiass@newham.gov.uk

Please be aware that SENDIASS is a self-referral service, therefore we require service users to contact us themselves, unless there are extenuating circumstances which prevent the parent/carer or young person from accessing the service independently.
SENDIASS Information and Documents: Young People's Flyer Parent Referral Process SENDIASS Newham Working Practices SENDIASS Newham Steering Group Terms of Reference Young People's Steering Committee Terms of Reference Complaints Procedure

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Newham Families Advice and Support | SENDIASS

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Empowering Families Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and support Service, SENDIASS Newham(formerly Parent Partnership Services), is a statutory service designed to support parent/carers, children and young people 0-25, with issues relating to their special educational needs and disability (SEND) rights and provision. The...

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TACPAC draws together touch and music to create a structured half hour of sensory communication between two people. TACPAC creates sensory alignment and helps people of any age who have sensory impairment, developmental delay, complex learning difficulties, tactile defensiveness, and limited or pre-verbal levels of communication.

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Welcome to TACPAC - Communication through touch and music Parents Parent and Carer more Teachers Teacher in Special School more NHS NHS Occupational Therapist more New

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Newham's SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2023-28

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Newham's SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2023-28

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Drawing and Talking allows individuals to discover and communicate emotions through a non-directed technique, setting it apart from existing solution-focused and cognitive-based therapies and interventions

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Drawing and Talking has proved invaluable with secondary aged students who find it difficult to talk about their emotions.

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RAINBOWS BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GREAT BRITAIN is a well respected national charity having a proven, positive impact on the lives of children, young people and adults grieving a significant and often devastating loss in their lives.

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Rainbows Bereavement Support GB is a well respected national charity offering high quality training in bereavement and loss.

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The Zones of Regulation provides an easy way to think and talk about how we feel on the inside and sorts emotions into four colored Zones, all of which are expected in life.

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Teach Kids to Manage Big Feelings Through Effective Social Emotional Learning

Over 80% of U.S. public schools reported in 2022 on the negative impact of the pandemic on child well-being and self-regulation. Kids are:

Struggling to manage their feelings and mental health

More disruptive in the classroom

Needing additional social, emotional, and behavioral support

(source: National Center for Education Statistics)

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The Zones of Regulation is a complete social-emotional learning curriculum, created to teach children self-regulation and emotional control.

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Attention Autism is a learning approach that aims to develop natural and spontaneous communication skills for autistic children through the use of visually based and highly motivating activities.

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Attention Autism is a learning approach that aims to develop natural and spontaneous communication skills in children with autism through the use of visually based and highly motivating activities..

The origins of the approach are in the idea that successful communication is dynamic, engaging and joyful. People learn best when they are filled with enthusiasm, motivation and creativity. The Attention Autism approach should provide children with a learning experience that they want to communicate about.

The Aims of Attention Autism:

As well as the ultimate goal of developing natural and spontaneous communication skills in children with autism, there are several other aims that Attention Autism strives to achieve. These include:

To engage attention.

To improve joint attention.

To develop shared enjoyment in group activities.

To increase attention in adult-led activities.

To encourage spontaneous interaction in a natural group setting.

To increase non-verbal and verbal communication through commentary.

To build a wealth and depth of vocabulary.

Most importantly, to have fun in doing so!

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Attention Autism Programme - Attention Autism Ltd

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Attention Autism is a learning approach that aims to develop natural and spontaneous communication skills in children with autism through the use of visually based and highly motivating activities.. The origins of the approach are in the idea that successful communication is dynamic, engaging and joyful.

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Lego-based therapy is a type of therapy that uses Lego bricks to help people, especially children, improve their social skills and communication abilities.

It’s like playing with Lego bricks while also learning important skills for interacting with others.

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Lego-based therapy is a type of therapy that uses Lego bricks to help people, especially children, improve their social skills and communication abilities.

It's like playing with Lego bricks while also learning important skills for interacting with others.
Here's how is works:
1. Group play: Lego-based therapy usually takes place in a small group with a facilitator (adult). Each person in the group has a specific role: the Engineer (has the instructions), the Supplier (has the bricks), and the Builder (builds it).

2. Roles and teamwork: The Engineer has the building instructions, the Supplier gets the Lego bricks, and the Builder puts the pieces together to create something. Everyone works together as a team, taking turns and communicating with each other.

3. Communication skills: During the Lego building process, participants learn to communicate their ideas, ask for specific bricks they need, and give clear instructions to their team members. It's like learning how to express themselves and listen to others effectively.

4. Problem-solving: Sometimes, the Lego models can be challenging to build. Participants learn how to work together to solve problems, make decisions, and find creative solutions. It's like using their problem-solving skills to overcome obstacles.

5. Sharing and co-operation: Lego-based therapy teaches participants about sharing and co-operating with others. They learn to take turns, share resources, and work towards a common goal. It's like understanding the importance of teamwork and being considerate of others.

The goal of Lego-based therapy is to improve social interactions, collaboration, and communication skills in a fun and engaging way. By playing with Lego bricks and working together as a team, participants can develop important skills that can be applied in various aspects of their lives.
Sources:

Lego Therapy: Building Social Skills for Adolescents with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This study, published in the journal British Psychological Society in 2013, found that LEGO therapy can be an effective intervention for improving social skills in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study involved 6 adolescent males with ASD who participated in 12 weekly LEGO therapy sessions. The results showed that the participants improved their social skills, such as turn-taking, sharing, and conversation.

The Use of Lego Therapy to Improve Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study. This study, published in the journal Autism in 2016, found that LEGO therapy can be an effective intervention for improving social skills in children with ASD. The study involved 10 children with ASD who participated in 10 weekly LEGO therapy sessions. The results showed that the participants improved their social skills, such as turn-taking, sharing, and conversation.

Lego Therapy: A Creative Approach to Building Social Skills. This article, published in the journal Early Childhood Education Journal in 2017, provides an overview of LEGO therapy and its potential benefits for children with social skills challenges. The article discusses how LEGO therapy can help children to develop social skills such as turn-taking, sharing, and cooperation.

The Effectiveness of Lego Therapy for Children with Social Skills Difficulties: A Systematic Review. This study, published in the journal Child and Adolescent Mental Health in 2022, found that LEGO therapy can be an effective intervention for improving social skills in children with social skills difficulties. The study reviewed 13 studies that included a total of 353 participants. The studies found that LEGO therapy was effective in improving social skills, such as turn-taking, sharing, and conversation.

Next Steps
There are a number of ways to access this therapeutic modality, including:

Child/Young Person Sessions - If you are looking to book a session for your child or young person, please click here.

Parent/Carer Sessions - If you are looking to book a session for yourself, please click here.

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Lego-based therapy is a type of therapy that uses Lego bricks to help people, especially children, improve their social skills and

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A ready to learn circuit is a series of sensory motor activities that are organised into a circuit format. The theory behind the circuit is that by selecting the appropriate activity, it can help to establish, restore or maintain a child's organised and well-regulated nervous system.

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This programme is designed to support children
• who need to work 1:1 before starting the Attention Autism 4 stage programme.
• are too young to be working in a group e.g. younger than 2.6 years old.
• have additional complex needs and would benefit from a programme to encourage them to flourish in the earliest stages of communication, interaction and attention development.
• do not yet have the skills needed for group working.

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Curiosity Programme – Attention Autism Ltd

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This programme is for those working with or supporting any very young child or children showing some early differences with communication and social interaction.

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Dough disco involves moulding play dough in time to music and performing different actions such as rolling it into a ball, flattening it, putting each individual finger into the dough, rolling it into a sausage and squeezing it. Our books and YouTube videos have lots of examples of all the different themed moves you can do.

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Dough Disco for parents

Looking for ways to combat boredom with your children at home? Dough Disco is a great activity for children and parents. It combines learning and playful fun with loads of YouTube follow along videos to get you going from scratch up to some of our more advanced moves.

Encourage creativity, develop the muscles needed for early mark making and writing and make some wonderful memories for the whole family - Dough Disco will help you with all these things!

Here are some of our "at home" Dough Disco videos that use our basic moves to get you started with your Dough Disco journey:

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Dough Disco is a popular fine motor skill exercise created by Shonette. Can be used to improve brain and muscle development.

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Is a developmental approach to early writing. Its ideally for children working in early years but it can be used as a writing intervention with children from their earliest stages of mark making and physical development right in to Year 1.

Squiggle uses neurological and physiological movements to create marks. The ‘how to Squiggle’ is beautiful in its fun and simplicity.

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Is a developmental approach to early writing. Its ideally for children working in early years but it can be used as a writing intervention with children from their earliest stages of mark making and physical development right in to Year 1.

Squiggle uses neurological and physiological movements to create marks. The 'how to Squiggle' is beautiful in its fun and simplicity.

What stages are there in the Squiggle Early Learning Programme?

1. Wiggle me into a Squiggler is the first stage and is designed for the early stages of mark making and physical development used in writing.

2. Squiggle Whilst you Wiggle is the next stage in early years child development and moves on to more advanced mark making and letter formation

3. Squiggle me into a Writer is the final stage in our Squiggle Programme taking the child through cursive mark making and letter formation.

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Is a developmental approach to early writing. Its ideally for children working in early years but it can be used as a writing intervention with children from their earliest stages of mark making and physical development right in to Year 1. Squiggle uses neurological and physiological movements to create marks.

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An education, health and care ( EHC) plan is for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support.

EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support to meet those needs.

Requesting an EHC assessment

You can ask your local authority to carry out an assessment if you think your child needs an EHC plan.

A young person can request an assessment themselves if they're aged 16 to 25.

A request can also be made by anyone else who thinks an assessment may be necessary, including doctors, health visitors, teachers, parents and family friends.

If they decide to carry out an assessment you may be asked for:

any reports from your child's school, nursery or childminder

doctors' assessments of your child

a letter from you about your child's needs

The local authority will tell you within 16 weeks whether an EHC plan is going to be made for your child.

Creating an EHC plan

1. Your local authority will create a draft EHC plan and send you a copy.

2. You have at least 15 days to comment, including if you want to ask that your child goes to a specialist needs school or specialist college.

3. Your local authority has 20 weeks from the date they receive the request for the assessment to give you the final EHC plan.

Disagreeing with a decision

You can challenge your local authority about:

their decision to not carry out an assessment

their decision to not create an EHC plan

the special educational support in the EHC plan

the school named in the EHC plan

If you cannot resolve the problem with your local authority, you can appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal.

Personal budgets

You may be able to get a personal budget for your child if they have an EHC plan or have been told that they need one.

It allows you to have a say in how to spend the money on support for your child.

There are 3 ways you can use your personal budget. You can have:

direct payments made into your account - you buy and manage services yourself

an arrangement with your local authority or school where they hold the money for you but you still decide how to spend it (sometimes called 'notional arrangements')

third-party arrangements - you choose someone else to manage the money for you

You can have a combination of all 3 options.

Independent support for children of all ages

Independent supporters can help you and your child through the new SEN assessment process, including:

replacing a statement of special educational needs with a new EHC plan

moving a child from a learning difficulty assessment (LDA) to an EHC plan

You can find out how to get local support through:

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Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

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Children with special educational needs (SEN) can get the help they need to get an education - SEN support, education, health and care plans, SEN before September 2014

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What is an EHCP?

An Educational Healthcare Plan (EHCP or EHC) is a legal document that sets out the education, healthcare and social needs of a child or a young person who requires extra support in school beyond what the school can provide. Previously, this was known as a "Statement of Special Educational Needs".

Children with an EHCP will usually be entitled to extra one-to-one support in school (though not necessarily full-time). These children will have outside agencies involved in their support, such as SEN teachers, behavioural experts or physiotherapists.

Who is an EHCP for?

An EHCP is for any child or young person with significant and complex Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND). An EHCP is required when a child's needs cannot be met by the usual support available to them in their school or setting.

Many children with special needs receive support directly from their school without an EHCP. This support is general SEN support that comes from resources already available in the school. However, some children or young people's needs may be deemed significant and complex and require an EHCP assessment by the Local Authority (LA).

An EHCP is drawn up between the LA, Health and Social Care and the child's family (or directly with the young person if aged between 16 and 25). The purpose of an EHCP is to provide clear, structured support for any difficulties that the child or young person has. The EHCP will identify what a school must implement to help the child or young person and the outcomes necessary to achieve it. The EHCP will also set a clear timeframe during which the outcomes should be achieved and when they will be next reviewed. As it is legally binding, this means the LA must fund any extra help identified as necessary.

An EHCP can be a golden ticket when it comes to school admissions. In the bunfight of applications for reception and year 7, a child with an EHCP gets a priority place ahead of many other applicants. It even allows a parent to apply to schools for which they are out of catchment or otherwise don't meet the admissions criteria if the parent can show that this school has provision for their child's needs, which their local schools lack.

How can a parent apply for an EHCP?

The new SEND Code of Practice (2014) emphasises that parents are central to helping their children thrive and succeed at school. The parents and the teachers are all on the same side and work together to support the child.

So, in theory, a parent should be in close contact about what is working, what is not, and what else could be tried. In reality, this is often far from the truth. Communication between school and parents may be sporadic; you may not feel welcome, judged, or even consider that your school is failing your child.
The process for applying for an EHCP varies according to the LA but has some general requirements:

As the parent, you will initially be asked to request an EHC needs assessment (EHCna) to see if your child's needs can be met under their current school's SEN provision or whether an EHCP is necessary. Note that not all needs assessments will result in the provision of an EHCP.

The School SEN Coordinator (SENCO) will generally start the process for you. However, if your school is not proactive or disagrees with you, you can request an EHCna for your child directly from your LA. Young people aged 16-25 can request one directly from the LA website.

To qualify for an EHCP assessment, you must supply evidence of your child's academic attainment and rate of progress, and you must provide information about the nature, extent and context of their needs.

The LA must respond to your request for an assessment within six weeks, so please note the date you submit your request.

LAs routinely turn families away at this stage, often stating that they will only assess children once they have a report from an educational psychologist or a diagnosis. They may ask you to participate in information-gathering about your child. This is your chance to collate evidence and document your child's difficulties, strengths and aspirations. There is an opportunity for parents to present their views and hopes.

A mum recently through the EHCP application advises families to "stick to their guns and, if necessary, move straight to an appeal." An appeal, despite the name, is only a paper exercise, and more than 90% of families who go on to appeal will go on to win their case. "I was being called by my son's mainstream school, on a near-daily basis, about problems they were having with his autistic behaviours, yet we were turned down when we applied for an EHCP," she says. "I thought that was the end of the line, but luckily, we got some advice and appealed, and this time they accepted it."

Once the LA has agreed to an EHC assessment, they will begin to gather information from parents and all education professionals, doctors, and therapists involved in the child's care. Before a final draft of the EHCP is agreed upon, the family will be invited to a Support and Outcomes Plan session.

Ensure that a review date is set for the EHCP and determine who is responsible for it. For young children, the EHCP may need updating every few months; for older children, most EHCPS will require an annual review.

Parents can be upset by the sometimes depressing picture that an EHCP presents of their child. "You sometimes have to grit your teeth. It can be horrible to read several professional reports describing your child in negative terms. Still, it sometimes is necessary to get the right help for them." says a father.

From the initial agreement to assess through to the final draft of the EHCP, it can take 20 weeks, though sometimes a little longer.

Tips on applying for an EHCP

Whatever your situation, here are some guidelines that will help you get off to a good start:

Find out how your school thinks your child is doing:

First of all, you should speak to your child's headteacher and the school SENCO. Ask them what level of support the school already provides, if any, e.g. School Action or School Action Plus. Ask if your child is on the school SEN register.

Ask the school to provide you with a record of the educational and behavioural interventions they have used and comments about how they have worked or not. Find out who has delivered the intervention, if you don't already know, over what period, how the intervention has been monitored for progress and whether your child has achieved their target. Get concrete evidence that whatever has been planned has been completed. Ensure these outcomes have been achieved reliably and not just hit once on a lucky day. This will give you a better understanding of what your child is currently achieving, and you should be able to compare it with the average expected level for a child of their age.

Collect together any reports or tests your child has ever had, including exam results, school reports, referrals to Paediatricians, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, etc.

Create a file and organise all of this in chronological order. You are building up the evidence and a profile of your child because you will need to prove that they need the help you say they do.

Scan all your letters into your computer so you never lose them and you can e-mail or print them whenever you need them. Never send original documents to anyone.

Find out what levels your child should be achieving:

Your Local Authority (LA) will likely argue that just because your child is achieving below the average does not mean they have any SEN or require an EHCP.

Children in each school class have a broad spectrum of abilities and achievements according to their potential. Many children will never be top of their class, but that doesn't mean they have SEN.

So, how do you show that your child has a more significant potential than their current achievements? The obvious way is to secure an Educational Psychology assessment for them. Each LA has its register of Educational Psychologists. The new SEND Code of Practice says that external experts should be called in at an early stage when an SEN is suspected. You should ask your SENCO to arrange one so that you can, as a team, get a good idea of the current picture. ?You may also need to consider a Speech and Language assessment or an Occupational Therapy assessment if this is indicated.

If possible, building and maintaining a positive relationship with your school SENCO and class teacher is essential. If an Ed Psych assessment is not forthcoming, you could consider a private assessment, usually at great expense. However, these can be regarded with suspicion by the LA, who may feel the report is biased towards the paying parent's views.

Get a medical diagnosis for your child, if applicable:

Parents often don't like labelling their children, but a diagnosis is important if you are looking for LA support. If your son or daughter has dyslexia, dyscalculia, ASD, ADHD, or any other hidden disability, you will need to be able to evidence this, not just give your opinion.

We would advise you to take your child to your GP and ask them to refer your child to a paediatrician, child psychiatrist, or the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). A precise medical diagnosis is hard to ignore.

You can book an appointment with a paediatrician or child psychiatrist privately for a diagnosis if you can afford the significant fees.

If your child has an undiagnosed condition, then focus your case on the symptoms that they have. You may also draw parallels with general conditions for some of their symptoms, e.g., posture, visual difficulties, medication needs, attention difficulties, sensory issues, accessibility requirements etc.

Take time to prepare your case:

Once you have all the evidence and information you need, contact your LA and work through their application process, keeping all of their policies together. Make it work for you. Use evidence to demonstrate that your child isn't getting what they should be. When you send in your EHCP submission, you don't need to use their application form if you don't want to. Ensure you write all you can relevant to your case and provide reports to back them up. This will take many redrafts and a lot of time. You may feel you need help; if so, don't hesitate to ask.

Undoubtedly, this process can be stressful and often depressing, and many parents will give up along the way.

Cases are self-evident and easier to prove if your child has visible and significant needs. If your child has a hidden disability, then the issue is much more challenging to prove. In these cases, only the most determined parents will get what they want, and many families will give up during the process. Remember, you are your child's greatest asset and best advocate. Don't give up.

Get help:

Look at your Local Authority website and search under "Local Offer" for further and specific details of the process and policies set out in your region.

When you apply for an EHCP assessment, you should be offered and assigned an Independent Supporter. You don't have to use one, but they're free and should support you through the process.

What does an EHCP include?

An EHCP will include 12 sections of crucial information, which include:

(A) The views, the interests and aspirations of the child or young person

(B) The child's or young person's Special Educational Needs

(C) The health needs related to the child's or young person's SEN or disability

(D) The social care needs related to the child's or young person's SEN or disability

(E) The planned outcomes for the child or young person

(F) The provision for the needs mentioned in Section B

(G) Any health provision

(H1) Any social care provision that must be made for a child or young person

(H2) Any social care provision related to a child's SEN or a disability

(I) The name/type of school or setting

(J) Details of any personal budget

(K) Any advice and information from the EHC assessment

Note, if a young person is in or beyond Year 9, the EHCP must also set out the provision for the young person in preparing for adulthood and independent living.

How long does an EHCP last?

The EHCP will be reviewed once every year by the Local Authority. The Annual Review Meeting involves all the agencies involved with a child or young person, including the young person. This meeting will review the progress towards the outcomes in the EHCP, discuss any changes in need or new needs that may be present, and give everybody involved with the child a chance to share their views, feelings and wishes about their education, health and overall care.

An EHCP should support a child or young person from birth up to 25, helping them access school, further education, training, and further support in the workplace.

Getting the most from your EHCP's personal budget

If your child has an EHCP (or has been told they need one), you may be able to control their personal budget. This will give you much more say in how to spend the money to support your child.

There are three ways you can organise your personal budget:

You can have direct payments into your personal bank account so that you can buy and manage services yourself

You can have an arrangement with your school or LA, where they hold the money for you, but you can still decide how to spend it (called 'notional arrangements')

You can agree with a third-party arrangement where you can choose someone else to manage the money for you.

We would recommend that any parent aims to secure the first of these three options so that they can have complete control of their budget and can direct this all to their own child rather than letting a school or other provider use this to provide more general SEN support for other children in that setting.

Finding an SEN tutor

Whether you succeed or not in securing an EHCP with funding, you may wish to consider finding your own SEN tutor.

You should look for a qualified and experienced SENCO or SEN teacher who is a subject specialist and up-to-date with the latest techniques and developments in supporting learners with Special Educational Needs.

Teachers To Your Home provides qualified SEN teachers across the UK to support families seeking SEN tuition. You can view or contact relevant and available SEN teachers here:

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Educational Health Care Plan | EHCP Guide | Teachers To Your Home

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An Educational Healthcare Plan (EHCP or EHC) is a legal document that sets out the education, healthcare and social needs of a child who requires extra support in school.

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12 mins read

This advice applies in England only. Read information for families in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales.
Your local authority must review your child's Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan at least once a year. This is to look at how your child is progressing and to ensure that the plan is kept up to date. This process is known as the annual review.
What is an annual review?

Your local authority must review your child's Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan at least once a year. This is to look at how your child is progressing and to ensure that the plan is kept up to date. This process is known as the annual review.

The annual review is a formal process that must follow certain legal requirements. It includes a meeting, but this is not the only part of the process. The responsibility for carrying out annual reviews lies with the local authority, but in most cases the local authority delegates organisation of the review meeting to your child's school.

Your child's first annual review must take place within 12 months of their plan being first made. After that, each review should take place within 12 months of the previous review.

Watch an animation from our friends at the Council for Disabled Children (CDC) about EHC plan annual reviews

Understanding the annual review process

We'll look first at what happens during a review and then explain how you can prepare for the review meeting.

The annual review process can be broken down into several steps.

Local authority notifies the school

Each term, the local authority must notify schools which of their pupils' EHC plans it needs to be review in the coming term.

Invitation to the annual review meeting

The next stage is for the school to organise a meeting between people involved in your child's education.

The school must invite the following people to the meeting:

The child's parent(s) or the young person themselves if they are over 16.

The headteacher of the school.

Someone from the local authority special educational needs (SEN) department.

Someone from the local authority social services department.

A health professional.

The school may also invite other people involved in supporting your child, for example a teaching assistant, a speech and language therapist, or a specialist advisory teacher. In practice, who attends will depend very much on your child's needs and circumstances.

You must have at least two weeks' notice of the date of the review meeting.

The school will also ask the people they invite to send in written advice (reports) in advance. Any reports must be circulated to everyone invited at least two weeks before the meeting. This will give you time to prepare. See the section below on preparing for the review meeting

The review meeting

The purpose of the meeting is to gather everyone's opinion about how your child is being supported and to make recommendations about any changes needed to the EHC plan. The meeting must consider the following:

Progress made towards achieving the outcomes in the EHC plan.

For young people in year 9 and above, provision required to help the young person move into adulthood.

And the guidance suggests it should also consider:

The effectiveness of the special educational provision specified in the EHC plan.

The effectiveness of the health and social care provision in achieving progress towards outcomes in the EHC plan.

Whether your child still needs an EHC plan.

Any changes needed to the EHC plan, for example more or different help or a change of school.

The meeting should also set interim targets for the following year.

The review report

Following the meeting, the headteacher must compile a review report with recommendations for any changes to the EHC plan. They must send a copy of the report to the local authority within two weeks of the meeting, and to all those invited to the meeting, including the parent.

The report must include all the evidence gathered as part of the review process. That would include your parental views. As well as the headteacher's recommendation, the report should record any differences of opinion.

The local authority's decision

Within four weeks of the review meeting, the local authority must make a decision about the recommendations in the review report and notify the parent of this. The decision might be:

To cease (end) the plan.

To leave the plan as it is.

To make amendments (changes) to the plan.

If the local authority decides to make changes to the plan, it must send you a draft amended plan. This sets out the changes it proposes to make and includes any evidence it is relying on to make this decision. A recent legal case has clarified that, if the local authority decides to amend the plan, the draft amended plan must also arrive with the parent within four weeks of the meeting.

You then have 15 days to give your views on the proposed changes. If you want a change of school, you can express your preference at this point.

The local authority then has a further eight weeks to finalise the plan.

The local authority's written decision concludes the review process.

Not happy with the outcome of the annual review?

If you disagree with the local authority's decision at the final step of the review, you have a right to go to mediation and/or appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal. This may be the case if:

The local authority proposes to cease the EHC plan and you want it to continue.

The local authority is leaving the plan as it is and you want changes.

The local authority has made changes that you disagree with.

For more information on what to do next, see our page on Tribunal appeals.

Preparing for the review

It is important to prepare as well as you can. The annual review is your chance to make sure your child's EHC plan is fit for purpose. It may be that all is going well and the plan only needs minor tweaks. Or it could be that the school can no longer meet your child's needs and you are looking for a different school.

Before the meeting

Think about:

Is there anyone that you would like to come with you to the meeting or to send in a report? The school or local authority does not have to invite anyone you request, but they must take account of your wishes, views and feelings, as well those of your child.

Do you have any other reports or evidence that you would like to send in? These might be from private practitioners working with your child or from people outside the education setting, such as a youth club leader or sports coach.

How is your child going to be involved in the review? There is a duty on the local authority to consult your child. Some children and young people want to give their views in person and attend all or part of the meeting. Others find this overwhelming and would prefer to write, draw or talk to a trusted person.

Do you want anyone to go with you to take notes? This could be a partner, friend or relative or someone from the local SENDIASS service or another support organisation.

Gathering your views

The local authority or school organising the review meeting will ask you to send your views in advance. They may send you a form to fill in, but you don't have to be limited by this.

Think about the past year and what has gone well, or not so well, in your child's education. Has your child met any targets that were set at their last review? How is your child doing both academically and socially? If there have been any particular problems at school, for example, behaviour, bullying, attendance, or anxiety, describe these as well. If you need to ask any questions about your child's progress or support at school, make a note of these.

You should have received copies of any written reports that professionals have contributed to the annual review. Go through all these reports and make a note of anything you would like to discuss at the meeting. Do you agree with the views others have expressed about your child and the support they are receiving? Do the reports make any recommendations for changes to your child's support?

Next, go through your child's EHC plan carefully. Look particularly closely at the education sections B, F and I, as well as the outcomes in section E. Our page on EHC plans explains the different sections in more detail. The annual review is your chance to say if you think the EHC plan is still correct or if it needs any changes. In particular:

Section B - special educational needs.

This should be an accurate description of how your child learns and what they can and cannot do. Does it still describe your child as you know them? If not, make a list of what you think should be taken out, changed, or added to this part of the EHC Plan.

Section F - Special educational provision

This describes all the extra help your child must get, for example 1-1 support from a teaching assistant, or weekly therapy. Is it clear how much and what kind of help your child must receive? Is it clear how often this help should be given and who should be giving it? Do you think your child's needs have changed in the past year? Do you think they need more help, or a different kind of help?

Section I - education placement

Are you happy with the school placement or do you think your child should go to a different kind of school or college? If so, you can say what you would prefer.

Section E - outcomes

How is your child progressing towards the outcomes set in section E? Do these need revising because your child has met them or they are no longer appropriate?

Other sections

Depending on your child's needs, you may also want to ask for changes to the health or social care sections of the EHC plan. If that is the case, it is sensible to ask to involve relevant professionals in the review.

The annual review is also a chance to ask for a personal budget if you didn't do this when the EHC plan was first made. See our page on personal budgets for more information.

Asking for changes outside the annual review

What can you do if you have concerns about your child's EHC plan but it's a while until the next annual review?

The first step is to check the plan. You may have a good plan but the school is not providing what is specified. Alternatively the plan may be inadequate or the school no longer suitable.

Good, detailed plan but support not given

In this case the first step would be to raise your concerns through a meeting with the SENCO and give the school a chance to put things right. Be as specific as you can about what is not being provided, and put your concerns in writing. Ask to meet again in, say, another month.

If the help in the plan is still not being provided, the next step is to go back to your local authority. The local authority has a legal duty to secure the special educational provision in the EHC plan. You can make a formal complaint to the local authority if this isn't happening.

Inadequate plan or change of school needed

In this case you have a couple of different options.

Reassessment

You can ask the local authority for a full reassessment. This takes the same form as and has similar timescales to the original EHC needs assessment. This won't be a quick fix but may be worthwhile if your child's needs or circumstances have changed substantially. If you put in a request for reassessment and the local authority turns it down, you have the right to mediation and/or appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal.

Emergency/interim review

If you feel that things have reached a crisis point and the educational placement is at risk of breaking down, you can ask the local authority to arrange an emergency review. This should always be considered where a child is at risk of permanent exclusion.

Any such review is at the discretion of the local authority, and there is no legal duty on them to arrange it. It will help if you can get the school's backing, for example if it is no longer a suitable placement. If you are requesting an emergency review, ask the local authority to run it as an annual review with the same timescales. That will then trigger appeal rights if you are not happy with the outcome.

Call our helpline

Any questions about support at school? How to get an EHC plan? What kind of school is best for my child? Call our freephone helpline on 0808 808 3555 and talk to one of our education advisers.

Information for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Read our information about education in Wales.

Find out about the system of support for children with special educational needs in Northern Ireland on the NI Education Authority website or Senac (special educational needs advice centre).

In Scotland, the system of support for children with additional support needs is called additional support for learning. You can read more about it on the Enquire website.

Related information

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Your local authority must review your child's EHC plan at least once a year. This process is known as the annual review.

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Inclusion Quality Mark - Flagship School

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Inclusion Quality Mark - Flagship School

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St Helen's was re-accredited with the Flagship Inclusion Quality Mark again in September 2025.

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St. Helen’s Achieves Flagship School Status Again | IQM

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St Helen’s Catholic Primary School, London, has achieved the Inclusion Quality Mark’s Inclusive School Award with Flagship Status.

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Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This statutory code contains:

details of legal requirements that you must follow without exception

statutory guidance that you must follow by law unless there's a good reason not to

It explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

The code, which applies to England, is for:

headteachers and principals

governing bodies

school and college staff

special educational needs (SEN) co-ordinators

early years providers

other education settings

local authorities

health and social services staff

Other SEND guides are also available.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.

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Please complete this form to highlight any concerns you have regarding a child with or without SEND. A member of the SEND Team will aim to get back to you within 5 working days.

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Please fill in this form if you have a concern about a child attending St Helen’s Catholic Primary School. We will aim to respond within 5 working days. Please note, if you are a member of school staff you do not need to fill in your contact information. Best wishes, Inclusion Team

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Colourful semantics is a psycholinguistic approach that is often used to develop children's speech and writing abilities.

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What is Colourful Semantics?

Colourful semantics is a psycholinguistic approach that is often used to develop children's speech and writing abilities. The technique was developed by Alison Bryan and was first published in a case study [1997] with the child Alison was working with. Colourful Semantics has been described as "a theory that explains how people understand language". The basic idea behind colourful semantic analysis is simple: we can learn about what someone means when they use words or sentences simply by looking for patterns in their speech.

We do this because there are regularities in our own linguistic behaviour which allow us to predict what will happen next. For example, if I say something like 'I am going home now' you know that it probably means that I want to go somewhere else later on. Furthermore, these predictions are not just based on my current state of mind; rather, they reflect an understanding of the way things work generally. This kind of knowledge allows me to make sense of your utterances even though I don't have any direct experience of them myself. In fact, all human communication involves such generalised inferences.

The key point here is that although we may be able to infer meanings from individual instances of language, we cannot rely solely on those inferences.

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Who can use Colourful Semantics?

Anyone child who needs to get better at interpreting others' messages. You might think that only native speakers would benefit from learning colourfully-semantic methods. However, anyone who speaks more than one language could also gain from using CS. Why? Because most languages contain some form of colouring or structure - either through metaphor, simile or metonymy.

These forms of figurative expression provide additional information beyond literal interpretation. They help us interpret each other's statements without having to resort to explicit explanations. So, whether you're trying to communicate across cultures or within your family, Colourful Semantics offers a powerful toolkit for getting along with others.

A Colourful Semantics Resource can support language comprehension in many ways. First, it provides a framework for analysing the structure of natural language expressions. Second, it helps learners identify the kinds of inference processes involved in making sense of others' utterances. Third, it shows students how to apply these skills to their own writing. Finally, it encourages teachers to develop innovative teaching strategies that take advantage of the insights provided by CS.

A colourful semantics resource includes our innovative teaching tool, Writer's Block. This toolkit can help children spot the crucial patterns in grammatical structure. The learning strategy also supports children to take a playful approach to the learning. Collaborative approaches such as mental modelling enable children to talk about their learning and in doing so, develop a wider vocabulary.

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Why use Colourful Semantics?

Using colourful semantics as an approach to teaching grammar gives students access to a rich set of tools for thinking about language. By providing a systematic analysis of the structures underlying sentences, coloured semantic resources offer a clear explanation of why certain constructions occur together. Students learn to recognise common patterns in sentence construction and then discover how these patterns relate to real life situations. As well as helping students to become fluent communicators, this process teaches them important concepts such as:

* How words combine into phrases and clauses;

* What makes up a complete thought;

* How different types of word order affect meaning;

* How metaphors work;

* How idioms function;

* How similes and metonyms operate

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Colourful semantics helps children understand the structure of sentences. It can be used to colour code and identify grammatical structures. This approach acts as a code helping children to process the otherwise invisible details in sentences. Our block building process can be used to help children play with structure and develop complete sentences.

Because pupils are using a playful tool, the building blocks, the structure can be manipulated multiple times until the child creates the correct sentence. Our research has shown that this encourages children to try out new ideas and not be so worried about 'being wrong'. The incremental nature of using building blocks means that children can develop a three part sentence or four part sentence and gradually increase the complexity. Once children are comfortable with this new toolkit it can then be used to develop autonomous play and form the basis of an assessment of sentence comprehension.

Camouflaging assessment activities into play provides teachers with an authentic formative assessment opportunity. Getting the foundations for sentence production right using a colour coding approach builds confidence and autonomy.

The purpose of semantics is to explain what meanings are conveyed when we speak or write. In practice, however, there are two main problems associated with understanding meaning. Firstly, we often don't know exactly what someone means until they have finished speaking or written. Secondly, even if we do know what someone meant, we may not be able to tell precisely what they said because of ambiguity.

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9 Creative Ways Your School Could Use Colourful Semantics

In the realm of language learning, the use of Colourful Semantics can be a powerful tool to enhance sentence building and comprehension. Here are nine creative ways teachers can utilise this approach:

1. Storytelling: Use Colourful Semantics to break down the sentences in a story. This can help children understand the structure of sentences and how they contribute to the narrative. For example, in the story of "The Three Little Pigs", children can identify the 'who', 'what doing', 'what' and 'where' in sentences like "The pig built a house of straw."

2. Describing Pictures: Provide children with a picture and ask them to describe it using Colourful Semantics. This can help them form complex sentences and improve their descriptive language skills.

3. Creating Sentences from Words: Give children a set of words and ask them to create sentences using Colourful Semantics. This can help them understand how different words can fit together to form meaningful sentences.

4. Peer Interaction: Encourage children to use Colourful Semantics when communicating with their peers. This can help them practice their sentence-building skills in a natural setting.

5. Role Play: Incorporate Colourful Semantics into role-play activities. This can help children understand how sentences are used in real-life situations.

6. Writing Tasks: Use Colourful Semantics as a planning tool for writing tasks. This can help children structure their writing and develop their ideas in a logical way.

7. Reading Comprehension: Use Colourful Semantics to break down sentences in a text. This can help children understand the text better and improve their reading comprehension skills.

8. Grammar Lessons: Incorporate Colourful Semantics into grammar lessons. This can help children understand the function of different parts of speech in a sentence.

9. Vocabulary Building: Use Colourful Semantics to introduce new vocabulary. This can help children understand the meaning and usage of new words.

According to a study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, Colourful Semantics can be an effective strategy for improving children's language skills. It can help children understand the semantic role of each sentence's element, thereby enhancing their comprehension and expressive language skills.

Another study found that the use of Colourful Semantics via telepractice was effective for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, demonstrating the versatility of this approach.

As the renowned linguist Noam Chomsky once said, "Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed, but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied." Colourful Semantics is a testament to this, providing a structured yet flexible approach to language learning.

Statistic: According to the Department of Education, children who engage in structured language learning activities, like Colourful Semantics, are 70% more likely to achieve higher grades in English Language Arts.
Key Insights:

Colourful Semantics can be used to enhance sentence building and comprehension.

It can be incorporated into various activities, including storytelling, picture description, and writing tasks.

Studies have shown that Colourful Semantics can improve children's language skills and reading comprehension.

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How can colourful semantics develop expressive language skills?

You may well have children in your class with a developmental language disorder. Language development in children who struggle with speech sounds and/or vocabulary, is characterised by poor use of syntax and morphology, difficulty producing meaningful utterances, and difficulties comprehending others' messages. Children with phonological disorders tend to produce short, ungrammatical utterances which lack cohesion.

They also make frequent errors involving sound-symbol correspondences. These children typically show little interest in learning their native language. Language impairments in children are common. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, approximately 1% of school aged children suffer from some type of communication impairment. Of these, 10% will experience significant academic failure due to their inability to communicate effectively.

Children with specific language impairment usually display delays in acquiring basic linguistic abilities including grammar, lexis, morphosyntax, pragmatics, discourse, reading and writing. In order to succeed in school children need to develop a certain level of academic language proficiency. Children with language difficulties find it difficult to express themselves clearly and coherently. This makes them less likely to participate fully in classroom discussions and more prone to making mistakes.

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Children with semantic deficits are unable to recognise the relationships between different parts of sentences. For example, they might say: "I like my dog" rather than "My dog likes me". An expressive language disorder such as dyslexia affects both receptive and productive aspects of language processing.

The term ' dyspraxic' refers to those individuals whose motor control system does not work properly. Dyspraxia is one of several terms used to describe a group of conditions affecting movement coordination. Language therapists are often used in schools to provide extra support in enabling children to develop expressive language skills.

‍ Language development is a key part of literacy and its importance cannot be underestimated. The earlier a developmental language disorder can be diagnosed and treated the more chance a child has of having a positive school experience.

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Using Writer's Block for Colourful Semantics

For some children, building sentences is hard work. Adopting a playful and colourful semantics approach might provide a more engaging experience. As a classroom resource, some schools use colourful semantics sentence strips. These however, can get blown around the classroom and we all want to save paper.

Writers block comes with miniature whiteboards that can be wiped clean. They slot into the building blocks providing just enough room for children to write one word. The colour of the blocks can be used to identify the word classes, for example verbs could be read. This process enables children to explore the structure of sentences playfully. Starting with a simple three part sentence, a child can connect new words and try out different types of sentence structure.

Very quickly, a learner can realise that an adverb can go in more than one place. This type of approach for children builds autonomy in the classroom. In one of our research schools, we have seen how this type of approach has helped children with autism. It's not just for Special Schools, we think that a colourful semantics teaching approach brings a lot to mainstream classrooms.

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Colourful Semantics Teaching Resources

There are many different resource types available in the education market. Many schools create their own DIY solutions using the usual classroom materials such as laminated paper and post it notes. Writers block is a comprehensive resource pack that can be used to put colourful semantics into action.

There are lots of resources available on our website that support the use of this teaching approach. As always, if your school is interested in exploring this approach please do get in touch and we would be more than happy to explain the concept further.

School-aged children can benefit greatly from learning colour-based semantics. Since the concepts are implemented through play, it allows for a non-threatening environment in which students can experiment with new words and ways of expressing themselves. Schools can create activities that involve different coloured post it notes to help students recognize how emotions can be expressed through colour or find the right words to express their thoughts. By implementing the use of colour, semantic understanding becomes not only visual, but enjoyable as well.

Colorful Semantics is also a great approach to therapy. Therapists can use the colour-based learning method as an opportunity for students to explore both language and feelings in a safe environment. This allows students to become more comfortable with identifying their own emotions and understanding how colour can be used as an expression of self. By using this approach, they will gain a greater sense of self and the ability to express themselves more clearly.

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Using visuals to support children with speech problems

We have been researching how the block building methodology can be used to act as a stimulus for speech. As children build and make connections they engage in a continuous speech of explanation. This verbal reasoning enables pupils to adopt a wide range of vocabulary. Many of the early adopters use the miniature whiteboards for recording the core vocabulary from the topic. The child's role was to find the conceptual connections.

As groups of children explained their understanding to one another the grammatical content flowed naturally into the dialogue. We used the term 'thinking first'. The block building areas were essentially an extension of the child's mind. They were free to play with the content and organise their ideas before they committed pen to paper. The teaching staff were able to guide the class with their vocabulary selection. This meant that everyone had had an opportunity to rehearse their explanations orally.

For those children who were having difficulty accessing the language we were able to adopt a dual coding approach and incorporate visuals into the blocks. The pictures acted as a prompt for all members of the class. Presenting the core vocabulary alongside the picture bank helped the encoding process for everyone. The blocks were also organised with a colour scheme that everyone had access to on colourful classroom wall displays. The pictures were carefully chosen from a website called the noun project. We were also successful in finding images to reinforce the verbs.

As a classroom teacher, you can use Colorful Semantics to improve your students' language skills and help them to better understand sentence structure.

Here is a guide on how to use Colorful Semantics in the classroom:

Before starting with Colorful Semantics, it is important to explain the concept to your students. You can start by discussing how sentences are made up of different parts, such as the subject, verb, and object. You can also explain how different words have different meanings and how they are related to each other within a sentence.

To help your students understand the different parts of a sentence, you can use visual aids such as charts and diagrams. You can create a color-coded chart that represents the different parts of a sentence. For example, use red for the subject, green for the verb, and blue for the object. This will help your students to identify the different parts of a sentence and understand how they are related to each other.

When using Colorful Semantics, it is important to start with simple sentences. Start with short, basic sentences that are easy for your students to understand. For example, "The cat sat on the mat." Use the color-coded chart to help your students identify the different parts of the sentence. Ask them to point to the subject (red), the verb (green), and the object (blue).

Once your students have a good understanding of the basic sentence structure, you can start to build up to more complex sentences. You can gradually introduce more complex sentence structures, such as sentences with more than one verb or sentences with embedded clauses. Use the color-coded chart to help your students identify the different parts of the sentence and understand how they are related to each other.

Sentence builders are a great way to reinforce the concept of Colorful Semantics. You can create sentence builders using cards with different words on them. Your students can use these cards to create their own sentences, using the color-coded chart to help them identify the different parts of the sentence. This is a great way to encourage your students to practice their language skills in a fun and interactive way.

Like any language skill, the key to success with Colorful Semantics is practice. Encourage your students to practice using Colorful Semantics every day. You can use a variety of activities to reinforce the concept, such as sentence building games, role-playing activities, and writing exercises. The more your students practice, the more confident they will become in their language skills.

Finally, it is important to provide feedback to your students. As they practice using Colorful Semantics, provide feedback on their progress and offer guidance on how they can improve. Encourage your students to ask questions and seek clarification when they are unsure. With regular practice and feedback, your students will develop strong language skills and a deep understanding of sentence structure.

In conclusion, Colorful Semantics is a powerful language intervention strategy that can help your students to improve their language skills and understand sentence structure. By using visual aids, starting with simple sentences, and gradually building up to more complex structures, you can help your students to develop strong language skills that will serve them well throughout their academic careers. With regular practice and feedback, your students will become confident and proficient in their use of language, setting them up for success in the classroom and beyond.

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Reflective Questions about Colourful Semantics

1. What is colourful semantics?

2. Which members of your class might benefit from this concept?

3. Why should I consider adopting this approach?

4. Where can I find information about this topic?

5. Are there any examples of where this approach has worked well or failed?

6. Is this something that my school needs to adopt?

7. Can you recommend any books/resources that will help us learn more about this topic?

Key takeaways for Teachers

1. A good understanding of the cognitive processes involved in learning will help teachers make better decisions about what they teach.

2. Children learn best when they feel engaged and challenged.

3. Teachers need to know which strategies are most effective for each individual student.

4. Different approaches may suit different students.

5. Some learners find writing difficult but others enjoy the process.

6. Using visual supports helps children who struggle with reading.

7. Playfulness encourages creativity and imagination.

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A teacher's guide to Colourful Semantics: how can teachers use this instructional strategy to promote language development in the classroom?

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Today over 100,000 children and adults use Makaton symbols and signs, either as their main method of communication or as a way to support speech.

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We would like to announce that The Makaton Charity has successfully acquired the intellectual property rights of Special iApps, a renowned creator of award-winning educational apps. These apps are specially designed to provide support to children with special educational needs, fostering language and communication development.

With Special iApps, users can effortlessly create personalised learning resources in minutes, making it easier for children to access the educational tools they need.

We are excited to continue the legacy of Special iApps and further enhance the impact these remarkable apps have on individual's learning journeys.

Next steps

Our goal is to enhance and modernise the existing Special iApps functionality through updated technology and advancements. We are aiming to relaunch the apps by Summer 2024.

We are delighted to announce that as part of their membership package, all Makaton Members will have exclusive access to the apps. This means that Makaton Members will be able to benefit from the incredible features and educational resources offered by Special iApps, further enriching their membership experience.

Previous Special iApps customers

The apps will also be made available free of charge to previous Special iApps customers for a period of six months. During this time, we encourage users to provide feedback on the development and usability of the apps. This valuable input will help us further improve and refine the apps.

Sharing your data

If you were a previous Special iApps customer and you would rather not have your personal data stored with The Makaton Charity, please email vicki.partridge@makaton.org and we'll ensure it is removed from our database.

More information regarding these exciting developments will be released later in the year. Makaton has worked closely with the Founders of Special iApps and is committed to continuing and expanding upon the remarkable work they have accomplished.

Stay tuned for more updates on how we will be taking this important work forward!

The Makaton Charity

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Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. It supports the development of essential communication skills such as attention and listening, comprehension, memory, recall and organisation

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We use widgets with all children for classbased visual timetables as well with targetted approaches within the classroom too.

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Create, print, share and translate symbol materials online

Create simple cloud-based symbol materials

Sign up now and join 1000s of teachers, parents and professionals around the world who use Widgit Online to support learning and communication.

Cloud Based Flexibility

Create and open your symbol materials from any PC, Mac or iPad with an internet connection.
No installation needed.

Support EAL and MFL with 80 different language translations

Our Dual Language Feature Pack is already included in Standard, Plus and Pro plans, or can be added at additional cost to Home and Basic plans.

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Create, print, share and translate symbol materials online Sign up now and join 1000s of teachers, parents and professionals around the world who use Widgit Online to support learning and communication. Cloud Based Flexibility Create and open your symbol materials from any PC, Mac or iPad with an internet connection.

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If you would like to highlight an initial concern with the SEND Team please use the Concern Referral Form. For other enquiries please use senco@st-helens.olog.org.uk

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Who should parents/carers contact if they have a complaint about the SEN provision?

If a parent has any concerns about their child’s learning they should initially speak to the class teacher who will meet with them to discuss their concerns. The SENDCo or a member of the Senior Leadership Team may be invited to this meeting.

If a parent is dissatisfied with the opportunities available to their child or progress being made an appointment should be made to speak to the SENCo who will help with any issues raised.

Most concerns can be resolved within the school but if the issue is not concluded to a parent’s satisfaction they should follow the school’s complaints procedure.

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Early Language Conversation Project and ShREC 

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Early Language Conversation Project and ShREC 

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Many years ago, I remember observing a child deeply engrossed in playing with a set of small world cows. She was ordering the cows according to their size.

A well-intentioned staff member noticed her play; she was interested and wanted to use this opportunity to engage. She rushed in, looming over ​"Oh, wow, how many cows have you got there?" She was met with a curt, ​"I don't care!" and the child walked off, abandoning her play.

Many of us will have experienced similar situations before, in which we have enthusiastically instigated opportunities to interact with young children, only to be left feeling confused and somewhat demoralised by the child's response.

So, what can we do to make sure that all our attempts to initiate high-quality interactions are successful?

As highlighted in the EEF guidance report Preparing for Literacy: ​"When done well, high quality interactions often look effortless but they are not easy to do well and professional development is likely to be beneficial."

The aim of the ShREC approach is to provide early years professionals with a simple and memorable set of specific evidence informed strategies that can be embedded into everyday practice.

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i remember observing a child deeply engrossed in playing with a set of small world cows. she was ordering the cows according to their size.    a well-intentioned staff member noticed her play; she was interested and wanted to use this opportunity to engage. she rushed in

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how many cows have you got there?” she was met with a curt

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“i don’t care!” and the child walked off

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abandoning her play.   many of us will have experienced similar situations before

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in which we have enthusiastically instigated opportunities to interact with young children

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only to be left feeling confused and somewhat demoralised by the child’s response.    so

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what can we do to make sure that all our attempts to initiate high-quality interactions are successful?   the shrec approach   as highlighted in the eef guidance report preparing for literacy : “when done well

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high quality interactions often look effortless but they are not easy to do well and professional development is likely to be beneficial.”  the aim of the shrec approach is to provide early years professionals with a simple and memorable set of specific evidence informed strategies that can be embedded into everyday practice.  the 'shrec' approach to high quality interactions in the early years  so

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what does shrec describe:    sh are attention  showing genuine interest in what a young child is focused on is a powerful way to establish a connection. it lets them know that you value them and want to spend time with them. by getting down to their level and engaging in their choice of activity

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you can tune in and crucially pay attention to what they look at

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and what they say. sensitively joining in with a child’s play motivates children to communicate with you.  r espond  how we respond to a child once we have established joint engagement is dependent on our knowledge of them as a unique individual. sensitive

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supportive and stimulating responses need to be adaptive and informed by our understanding of the child’s development.  what might an attuned response look like? responding involves noticing how the child communicates and acknowledging these verbal or non-verbal communications warmly. it involves being aware of your body language.  responses can involve making appropriate eye contact

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an attuned response could be narrating their activity

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a relevant comment that describes what the child can see

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feel or articulating the link between their activity and previous learning or experiences.  e xpand  once the ‘back and forth’ rally of engagement is getting underway: the adult and child are sharing attention

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the adult is responsively following the child’s lead.  this is where modelling and scaffolding begins with the adult pitching their language just above the level of the child. for example

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if a child gives a one-word response such as ‘dog’ the adult should expand on what they say by repeating and building on this utterance by adding a few more words. this helps children to use more complex utterances: ‘yes

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it’s a dog. a big/small/friendly/brown dog!’. your knowledge of the child will inform what key word/s may be helpful to model.  c onversation  sustained back and forth conversations that involve many turns are the goal. the beauty and power of conversation is that it offers children an opportunity to practise talking and to receive feedback from an adult. to encourage rich back and forth conversations

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question less.  it is important to note that questions can be useful in helping children to cue turn-taking in conversation. consider how to use questions sparingly so they are most effective. ‘wh’ and open questions are the most useful as they invite children to elaborate. as children’s conversational skills develop

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adults can sensitively challenge children

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shaping the conversation to incorporate more abstract topics that are removed from the here and now.   featured resources   high quality interactions in the early years: the ‘shrec’ approach

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EEF blog: The ShREC approach - 4 evidence-informed strategies to...

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The EEF's Fliss James explains how practitioners can use the 'ShREC' approach to support high quality interactions.

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NELI Language Interventions in Reception

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NELI Language Interventions in Reception

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The NELI programme provides schools with a way of identifying early language difficulties and is proven to improve children's language skills and behaviour in school.

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Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI)

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The NELI Programme, provided by OxEd and Assessment, is an integrated programme, for 4-5 year olds, that is proven to improve language and behaviour. The Programme consists of:

LanguageScreen, an assessment to select children for intervention and monitor individual and whole-class progress,

CPD certified training with mentor support,

a 20-week intervention delivered by TAs or teachers. The printed resource pack includes full session plans and materials to make delivery of the intervention as easy as possible.

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Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI)

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The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) is an integrated programme, for 4-5-year-olds, proven to improve language and behaviour.

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David was a member of the Department for Education’s SEND Review steering group and an expert advisor to the Timpson Review on school exclusions.

David is author of the SEND Review Guide, a national framework funded by the DfE. In 2018 he edited Great Expectations, Leading an Effective SEND Strategy in School, published by John Catt Educational.

He was Director of SEND at the London Leadership Strategy and an advisor to the Mayor of London’s education team. As part of his international work he has supported the development of Inclusion policy in a number of countries

David was awarded an OBE for Services to Special Education in the 2016 New Year’s Honours list.

He audited St Helen's provision in April 2026 please see attached for his report.