Chapter 4: Targeted Monitoring

Chapter 4: Targeted Monitoring

Planning for the best use of your time is key to a strategic approach which in turn will have an impact upon the school you’re supporting.

The first step in your monitoring plan is to think about a rolling programme for across the academic year. What will you do in each term, what might the focus be and how will you do this? Below is an example of a 2-year rolling programme for the monitoring, review, and evaluation of SEND with a link to a downloadable version which can be adapted.

Example of a SEND Governor Rolling Programme of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Review 2022/23

Term 1 & 2 Term 3 & 4 Term 5 & 6

Mainstream core standard focus in monitoring meetings: statutory compliance, families, staff, teaching & learning, transition

Reconfirm visits for the year and complete governor event calendar

Annual update of the SEND policy, accessibility policy and equality plan.

Agenda on governing body: Reflect on Mainstream core standard focus in monitoring meetings: Assessment, Teaching & learning, resources

Review the IDSR and ASP date re SEND (attainment, progress and SEND) with the SENCO

Discuss effectiveness of established interventions

Visit classrooms to develop understanding Mainstream core standard focus in monitoring meetings: Pastoral, Transition, staff

Discuss the school SEND profile: high needs funding, number of EHCP and SEND on roll. Number of statutory assessments in progress. Discuss movement on and from the SEND register

Secondary: confirm Y8-Y13 are in receipt

progress towards SEND information report: successes and next steps

Reflect on School SEND profile: numbers of EHCP, K code SEND support and learners across categories i.e., SEND and PP

Consider SENCO workload: ensure link with teaching and learning & capacity to strategically lead SEND – statutory, working with families, staff support, CPD etc…

Consider parent satisfaction evidence and work with families

Identify what KCC project the school has signed up to (free funded via the local offer)

Agenda for meeting: written of verbal SEND report to governors of how needs of SEND learners are met

Note staff training has taken place and what needs to be planned

Discuss a selection of provision plans and SEND case studies (anonymous) including working with families & other stakeholders

Be aware of the allocation of funds across the academic year and how it will be used for most impact (high needs funding)

Discuss any local authority reports (from allocated SEND adviser previously PEO)

Discuss SEND annual report and arrange as an agenda item at governor meeting

Agenda for meeting: written of verbal SEND report to governors of independent careers advice and that the SENCO is liaising with careers lead & inviting to EHCP meetings

Discuss SEND profile on the school improvement plan –discuss any concerns i.e., resources, budget, staffing, time.

Discuss transition plans in process (see

new framework for

transitions): how the school is managing the post 16 transitions and planning for new year 7 cohort

Discuss any local authority reports (from allocated SEND adviser previously PEO)

Identify possible registration for KCC SEND projects for the next academic year (free funded via the local offer)

Agenda for meeting: written of verbal SEND report to governors

SEND Governor: Rolling Programme of Monitoring (Example) – Download PDF

Once you have a clear vision for the academic year; you can then think about planning for your monitoring meetings with the SENCO and leaders.

During your time in school, you will meet the SENCO many times and the best meetings are had when each individual feels valued, knowledgeable and well informed on what will happen. Think carefully about how to plan for these meetings so that they are productive, valuable, and targeted whilst retaining a positive working relationship with all involved.

Some key considerations in organising the SEND monitoring meetings:

• At the beginning of an academic year, in collaboration with the

SENCO, allocate diary times well in advance for every term. This way you will both be well prepared in advance and have key slots to aim for when preparing for the effective use of time. • Try where possible to stick to these meeting times and have a clear agreement on how long they will last • To focus the meetings and avoid digression, have a brief set agenda for each of the meetings which can be followed up with a key focus or key questions you wish to discuss. This will allow the

SENCO to prepare and have everything to hand to share with you • Keep to this allocated agenda but make a note of other topic areas that arise and plan to address this outside of the meeting informally or add to the next agenda if needed. • Record what is said in the meetings, what outcomes have arisen, what actions are needed and who will be doing these / when / how. You will see an example of this in the sections below to help you

• Always have a point to the meeting – follow up any discussions with an email or create a platform for discussion/ action i.e., an agenda item on a governors meeting.

Every SEND department will have an action or development plan and during the monitoring meetings it may also be a good idea to have a standing agenda item to catch up on where things are:

Action- Do you have an action plan (or similar)? What have you put in place for each target and how do you know they're working?

Template for taking targeted notes in meetings

Targeted notes template – Download

School Header

Meeting Date Staff:

Agenda: Link to agenda

Previous Meeting Action completed:

Discussion point / Questions

1.

2.

3.

4. AOB Notes from meeting Actions required Staff & Date

School Event Calendar

There will be some key events across the academic year that benefit from your attendance as a governor, and as a SEND lead governor. It is always best for you to be aware of these in advance so that you can plan your diary but also feel prepared for any involvement you may have.

It is great to see governors involved with parent events by having a presence at forums and SEND consultation sessions; this really supports a school’s inclusive vision and communicates a key message to stake holders: that this school really cares about the development of our inclusive practice and caring for our young people

Example Event planner

SEND Governor Event Calendar (Template): Download

Term Event Governor participation

Autumn Spring Summer Completed / outcomes

Now for the most important and hopefully helpful part of this section: what should I ask?

Initially, there seem to be a minefield of questions but it is about targeting these carefully and thinking about what information you will need, the when’s and how’s.

The most important question through all of your meetings needs to be, as previously mentioned, ‘how do you know this is the case?’

Questions in Line with the MCS

When thinking about asking the right questions to seek useful information, reflect on the mainstream core standards where possible

so that you have a clear idea as to what extent the school is meeting the different areas. This allows a leadership and SEND team to be reflective on current processes and enables them to focus on the improvements that need to be implemented to fully support the whole child, holistically, on a consistent basis.

Monitoring Meeting Template

Monitoring Meeting (Template) – Download PDF

Key Question: How do you know?

Core Standard

Assessment

Teaching and Learning Question Notes / Actions

What does the progress and attainment of pupils with SEND compared to that of their peers? How many pupils are on the SEND register? How is this monitored? What are the identification and assessments processes and are these having an impact? What support do you need from the Governing Body to help pupils with SEND make better progress? How support and intervention strategies are being monitored and evaluated and what the evidence suggests?

How are you liaising with the teaching & leading lead to support QFT for all? (link with curriculum)

What is the quality of teaching like for pupils with SEN across the school? (link with curriculum) How are the needs of pupils with SEND communicated to teachers? Are these needs met within the classroom? Does feedback from SEND learning walks feed into targeted Teaching and learning CPD? How do you know the mainstream core standards are being implemented in the classroom?

Environment (physical & virtual)

Resources

How well are reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils being made? How inclusive is your school? How do you know? What information has been published on the school website? Is it accurate? Does it reflect the school’s ethos? Is the school’s SEND information report engaging and reflective of in school support?

Are resources in the department effective in meeting the needs of learners? If not, what further resource do you require and why? What links have been made with external agencies? Are these effective? What funding does the school receive for SEN? Have High

needs funding applications been completed where necessary? Kent council have a variety of free projects on offer to improve inclusion; what are you involved in?

Staff

Transition

Do you know the SENCO? What training have staff had on SEND? To the SENCO: Is there training you need to help you fulfil your role? Is there enough time to manage the role? How are teaching assistants deployed and with what impact? Is there a process for staff to be able to seek support easily when working with SEND pupils?

What transition arrangements are in place for pupils with SEN? What links have been made with primary / Secondary for transition? Is there a strong link between the SEND team and careers for post 16 transition? Reflect on the new SEND transition charter - is the school meeting deadlines and do they have a robust system in place?

Kent Transition Charter

Families

How are children, young people and parents/carers of pupils with SEND involved in the processes?

What parent/carer feedback do you have regarding SEND provision in the school? What do SEND learners say about their experiences in school? How effectively parents/carers are being engaged and communicated with? Is there a forum for families? Have parents/carers been considered when designing documents such as the information report? Reader friendly, accessible, consultations?

Pastoral

How do the attendance rates for pupils with SEND compare to their peers? What are the exclusion rates for pupils with and without SEN? Are young people with SEND fully involved with the school community? Do pupils with SEND access a wide range of extra-curricular activities? Do pupils with SEND feel safe in the school environment? (Link for safeguarding)

Top Tips for Visiting Lessons

As part of your role, in terms 3 & 4, you will visit lessons to look at the inclusivity of the classroom environment and teaching approach.

• Think about the environment.

• OFSTED will focus on the lowest 20% - look at books, think about adaptations being made and speak to the learners. • Ask key questions: What are you learning? What did you do before? How do you know you are making progress?