TGAT SEND Governance

Header image for TGAT SEND Governance

Please see our Trust website for details of our central SEND team.

Purpose

All schools should evaluate the effectiveness of its provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The SEND Code of Practice emphasises that high quality teaching, differentiated for individual pupils, is the first step in responding to pupils who have or may have SEND. The governance of a school has legal duties regarding children with SEND under the Children and Families Act 2014. These duties include ensuring that the necessary provision is made for any pupil who has SEND and ensuring that pupils with SEND join in the everyday activities of the school.

Governance of SEND within TGAT sits with the Director of Inclusion. It is their job to provide oversight of and to quality assure SEND provision at each school across the Trust through a range of calendared activities throughout the year. They are supported in the undertaking of quality assurance activities by the Trust SEND Lead. The aim is to continually improve the quality of SEND provision and outcomes for pupils with SEND. This may include raising attainment, improving progress, ensuring inclusive practices are in place, increasing attendance, reducing suspensions and understanding the wellbeing of pupils with SEND. The quality assurance activities should assist the SENCo at each Academy in implementing effective SEND practices by evaluating measures currently in place and identifying any developments that may be required to improve provision.  

Quality Assurance Calendar

The quality assurance calendar will include the following activities for each school annually.

  • Website Compliance Check: This will be undertaken by the Director of Inclusion and Trust SEND Lead within the first month of the academic year to ensure that SEND policies, SEN Information Reports and Accessibility Plans are up to date, have been localised and are easily accessible.
  • SEND in a Nutshell: This is a method of data analysis, which helps leaders understand their school context within the regional and national picture and provides a starting point for whole school development planning. Malcolm Reeve, National Leader of Education, supported with the introduction of the nutshell to SENCos across the Trust in 2020, and since then it has proved a useful tool to focus leaders on key areas to drive improvement. It is a one-page overview of key SEND information presented in a clear and concise way that engages leaders in informed discussions around strategic priorities and supports a consistent narrative. It can also be used as an information tool for the wider staff body and is a useful summary of SEND for any external evaluator. The SENCo is responsible for completing this document, with the support of other senior leaders, at the start of the academic year, and should be updated termly.
  • SEND strategy statement and spending plan: The information and strategic priorities identified in the SEND in a Nutshell inform this plan, which focuses leaders on the details of how those priorities will be addressed. It explains each school’s use of SEND funding to help improve the attainment of learners with SEND and outlines the strategy and rationale for the coming year, as well as specifying where schools intend to spend their notional SEN funding and the effect that last year’s spending had. Costs pertinent to teaching and learning, targeted support, attendance and behaviour, and wellbeing support are mapped against strategies to overcome identified challenges that are faced by learners with SEND. The SENCo is responsible for completing and reviewing this document, with the support of other senior leaders and the finance team.
  • SEND Strategic Overview: This document is produced by the Director of Inclusion and the Executive Data Manager based on the Autumn Census and will be shared with each Academy to provide a clear overview of the current SEND profile of the Trust and of each individual school. It will allow SENCos to compare data from individual schools with other schools in the Trust, with the Trust as a whole and with national averages. There is an expectation that this document will be shared by the SENCo with the Principal and other senior leaders by the end of the autumn term and that it forms the basis of pertinent discussions at senior leader level around identification of SEND, existing provision, proportionate allocation of funding, training needs and any overlap with Pupil Premium pupils.
  • Learning Walk: Following consideration of the SEND Strategic Overview document and the identification of areas that may require further scrutiny, the learning walk focuses on a particular aspect of provision or a particular type of need to monitor the experience of learners with SEND at school. This provides a good insight into the quality of their provision and the impact of the implementation of strategies identified in previous quality assurance activities. This activity is undertaken as a peer review alongside a SENCo from another TGAT school with a view to providing a further opportunity to share learning across the Trust.
  • Pupil and Parent/Carer SEND Survey: The Trust is committed to involving parents and carers, as well as learners themselves, in quality assurance processes and seeking feedback from these key stakeholders is vital. A survey runs in alternating years for each group and provides important feedback for the SENCo to review and act upon. A Trust overview of results is also produced to identify areas of strength and development across all academies and highlight any anomalies in individual academy’s responses.
  • SEND Annual Review: Each academy undertakes a supported self-evaluation alongside the Director of Inclusion or Trust SEND Lead annually. This involves discussion and reflection on a wide range of statements relating to the leadership and management of SEND, identification and assessment and outcomes, curriculum and high quality teaching, and additional provision and partnerships. Every year we engage an external SEND consultant to undertake an in-depth review at a number of academies to provide external moderation of central governance checks.

Systems

Executive Governance: The Director of Inclusion and Trust SEND Lead will undertake the QA activities outlined above and complete a report for each. These reports will be uploaded to the Executive School Improvement Team and the Trust SENCo Team by the Director of Inclusion or Trust SEND Lead for review by the SENCo, the Principal, the Director of Standards and Trustees. 

Disadvantaged Committee Meetings: These meetings will take place twice yearly at each academy and have a governance focus, providing an opportunity for Trust leaders to evaluate the leadership and management of SEND and pupil premium within the school, ascertain whether the leadership is strategic and proactive and in-school routines are in place to monitor and evaluate provision, and ensure that there is a school-wide culture of care and support. Actions and recommendations from Trust quality assurance activities are reviewed and data analysed so that leaders are clear on the impact of SEND provision, interventions and support.

Reporting to the Trust Board: As requested, the Director of Inclusion will attend the Educational Performance Committee to present a Trust SEND overview. This may include an overview of data, areas of strength and development and any concerns, or may concentrate on a particular area of focus.

External Audits: Each year, a SEND audit will be undertaken by an external SEND consultant at two Trust schools, alongside the Director of Inclusion or Trust SEND Lead. This provides external moderation of the checks of the executive governance structure.

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