Our Graduated Approach to SEND Support
At Winmarleigh, we follow the graduated approach, as outlined in the SEND Code of Practice. This is a continuous four-part cycle known as:
Assess → Plan → Do → Review
The graduated approach helps us develop a clear understanding of each child's needs, identify effective strategies and evaluate the impact of the support provided.
Assess
We identify the child's strengths, needs and any barriers to learning. This involves gathering information from classroom assessments, observations, discussions with parents and carers, pupil voice and, where appropriate, advice from external professionals.
Plan
The class teacher, working with the SENDCo, parents and the child, agrees the outcomes we want to achieve and the strategies and support needed.
Where appropriate, these are recorded in a School Support Plan, which includes personalised targets, planned provision and a review date.
Do
The agreed support is put into practice through high-quality inclusive teaching, appropriate classroom adaptations, targeted interventions and, where necessary, specialist advice or resources.
The class teacher remains responsible for the child's learning, progress and development, including when additional support is delivered by teaching assistants or other professionals.
Review
We evaluate how effectively the support has worked and consider the progress made towards agreed outcomes.
Parents, carers and children are involved in reviewing progress. We then decide whether support should continue, be adapted, increased or reduced.
This review informs the next cycle of Assess, Plan, Do and Review.
A Personalised Approach to Support
Our graduated approach begins with high-quality, inclusive teaching for every child. Teachers continually assess, plan, adapt and review their teaching to meet the needs of all learners.
Where a child requires additional support, our approach becomes increasingly personalised.
At Winmarleigh, this may include:
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Universal Support: High-quality teaching, adaptive approaches and appropriate classroom resources available to all children.
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Targeted Support: Additional interventions, small-group teaching or personalised targets to address identified needs.
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Specialist Support: More individualised provision, which may involve advice and support from external professionals such as Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists or Occupational Therapists.
For children with more complex needs, an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment may be considered in partnership with families and relevant professionals.
Support is always matched to the individual child and is regularly reviewed. Children do not have to progress through each level in a fixed order.
Our Commitment
The SEND Code of Practice makes clear that class teachers remain responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the children in their class, including pupils receiving additional SEND support.
At Winmarleigh, our class teachers work closely with our SENDCo, Headteacher, support staff, parents and external professionals to ensure that every child receives the support they need.
Through our Christian ethos and school values of Enjoy, Believe, Achieve, we aim to create a nurturing, inclusive environment where every child is valued, supported and encouraged to flourish.
