portsmouth tsa send project

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FinalEvaluationReport

PortsmouthTSASENDProject[StrategicSchoolImprovementFund,ref.SSIF450692]

Talent4TransitionJanuary2019

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ContentsAcknowledgementsGlossaryoftermsExecutiveSummaryScopeoftheReport1.Background2.Methodology3.Findings(i)structuralcharacteristics4.Findings(ii)content&outputcharacteristics5.Implications&PotentialReferencesANNEXES1.ResearchFormat/Instruments2.Projectschools–datacapture3.ProjectWork-plan

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AcknowledgementsIwouldliketothankallthosewhohavegenerouslyprovidedinputstothisevaluation.Effectivescrutinyofourworkisoptimisedwhenthevoicesandevidenceofallparticipantsareincluded.Inconsequence,mygratitudeisextendedwidelytotheschoolsandtheirteacherswhohavebeendirectlyinvolvedinthisproject–inparticular,theSENDleadsineachsetting.Theyhaveprovided me with full access to the school-based documentation that has informed theirinputs.Moreover,theyhavebeenpatientandgenerousincommittingtimetoaccommodatemyenquiries.I’dalsowishtoexpressthankstotheteamofcoacheswhohavemadeanintegralcontributiontotheproject’sactions.Ihavebenefittedfromobservingtheworkingsoftheproject’sSteeringandAdvisoryGroupmeetingsandfromengagingdirectlywithkeyparticipantstoinformmygreaterunderstandingoftheproject’scontext,focusanddirection.Iwish toacknowledge thecontribution,as researchassistant,ofYumyZhao; shehasbeensteadfastinsupplyingqualityinsightsintotheassembleddata.Finally,SandiOttohasbeenofimmensehelpinrespondingquicklyandpositivelytomy(frequent)requestsforadministrativeassistance,makingtheevaluationprocessmorestraightforward.No-onehasbeenmentionedbynameintheseacknowledgements:butthisshouldnotdiminishthevalueoftheircontributions.Thankyou.ProfessorPhilipGarnerTalent4TransitionJanuary2019

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GlossaryoftermsAfL:AssessmentforlearningASP:AnalyseSchoolPerformanceC:CoachCPD:ContinuingprofessionaldevelopmentHEI:HigherEducationInstitutionHLTA:HigherLevelTeachingAssistantKPI:KeyPerformanceIndicatorKS:KeyStageLA:LocalAuthorityLLS:LondonLeadershipStrategyNLE:NationalLeaderinEducationOAP:OrdinarilyAvailableProvisionOfSTED:OfficeforStandardsinEducationPC:ProjectCommentatorPLC:ProfessionalLearningCommunityPEP:PortsmouthEducationPartnershipPTSA:PortsmouthTeachingSchoolAllianceSEF:SelfEvaluationFrameworkSEN:SpecialEducationalNeedsSENRG:SpecialEducationalNeedsReviewGuideSENCO:SpecialEducationalNeedsCoordinatorSEND:SpecialEducationalNeedsandDisabilitySLE:SpecialistLeaderinEducationSLT:SeniorLeadershipTeamTA:TeachingAssistant

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ExecutiveSummary

• Generalo PortsmouthTeachingSchoolAlliance(PTSA),withtheMaryRoseSchoolasnominated lead,

securedaDfEgrantin2018whichestablishedaprojectdesignedtoaddressissueshighlightedlocallyinrespectofSENDpopulationsinitsschools

o 6KPIswereidentified,basedontheperceivedneedsoftheschoolsinvolved;theagreedKPIswereintegraltotheprojectactivitiesandtoitsevaluation

o TheKPIsfocussedon:ImprovingOutcomes;Leadership;TeachingandLearning;EngagingwithFamilies;Identification,Monitoring&Tracking;andDevelopingProvision

o Anindependentevaluationexercisewasconductedwhichexaminedarangeofissueslinkedtotheproject’s(i)structuralcharacteristicsand(ii)itscontent&outputcharacteristics

o Datawereobtainedfrom4sources:SENCOs,Coaches,otherprojectstakeholdersandprojectdocumentation.

• StructuralCharacteristics

Planningo Theprojecttookfullaccountoftheneedsofparticipatingschools,asidentifiedbythe

pre-projectSENDaudit;subsequentschoolactionswerebasedonthisneedsanalysis,anapproachwhichwasrecognisedascrucialbySENCOsandschoolleaders.

o Participatingschoolswerevolunteerpartners,whohadeachexpressedastronginterestintheproject;20schoolsparticipated

o Eachpartnerschoolreceivedexplicitcommitmentfromitsschoolleader;thiswasongoingthroughoutthedurationoftheproject.

OperationalApproacho Thecoachformedthekeymediatorinprojectactions,asacatalystforpeer-led

professionallearningwithina‘communityofprofessionalpractice’;theirongoingengagementwithschoolswasregardedasvitalbytheSENCOs

o Adesignatedwork-planformedthetemplateforalltheproject’sactions;thiscomprised4phases.Keyfeaturesoftheplanincludedexpertinputs,supportforprofessionalreflection,sharedresponsibilityandleadershipdevelopmentandopportunitiestoexplorealternative‘waysofdoing’.

o Valuewasplacedonenabling‘multipleperspectivesandpractices’tobeacknowledgedandwherenecessaryadaptedforuseinpartnerschools

o TheprojectwasmanagedbyaSteeringGroupo Arudimentaryfinancialalgorithmwasdevelopedtoillustratetheoverallvalue-for-money

oftheproject

GenericExperiencesofParticipantso Participantsbelievedthatinvolvementintheprojectrepresentedhigh-qualityCPDwhich

wasongoingratherthanepisodicinnatureo SENCOsdevelopedbothgenericskills(inpeercoaching)andspecificskills/knowledge

(relatedtoSENandinclusivepractice)o Theparticipants’viewofpeercoachingwasthatitwasanessentialcomponentin

promotingaschool-wide‘communityofprofessionallearning’;mostoftheSENCOsexpressedawishthattheprocessofpeer-supportedlearningshouldbecontinued

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o Schoolparticipantsbelievedthattheprojecthadprovidedopportunitiesforthemtodevelopasmiddle/seniorleadersintheirschoolandtobemoreconfidentindecision-makinginrespectofSEN

• Contentandoutputcharacteristics:KPIs

o Allparticipatingschoolsprovidedevidenceofprogresstowardstheproject’s28KPIsinits6thematicareas;significantprogresswasreportedbymostschools.Noschoolsindicatednilprogress

o PerformanceinKPIthematicareasindicatedtwogroups:greaterprogresswasevidencedinthedatainKPIs2,3&6(relatingtoleadership,teachingandlearningandaboutfutureactionplanning)thaninKPIs1,4&5(monitoring&tracking,pupiloutcomesandengagingfamilies).Factorsinformingthisgroupingarepresented

o SENCOsandotherprojectstakeholdershighlightedthesystemicinterrelationshipbetweenthe6thematicKPIareas,therebyillustratingboththecomplexityofSENasafieldofprofessionalactivityaswellastheneedtoadoptaninterdisciplinaryresponsetothis

o ProjectactivityinKPI1indicatesthattheprogressmadeinimprovingpupils’academicoutcomescannotbefullyillustratedatthetimeofdatacollation,becauseoftheabsenceofprogressdata;SENCOspointedouttheneedforongoingmonitoringofnationally-developedstatisticaldata

o Feedbackfromparticipantssuggestedthatpupiloutcomeslinkedtoimprovementsinbehaviour/attendanceandexclusionshadsignificantlyimproved

o InKPI2therewassubstantiveevidencethatleadershipskillshadbeenenhancedasresultingfromprojectengagement–thiswasconnectedtotheempowermentofSENCOstoinstigatestructuralchangesintheorganisationanddeliveryofSENprovisionintheschools

o Theinvolvementofschoolleadersintheprojectwasidentifiedasasignificantfactorintheeffectivenessoftheprojectinaddressing/reachingitstargets

o TheprincipalfeatureofKPI3wasthatthereappearedtobeanincrementaldevelopmentofmorewidespreadwhole-schoolorientationsregardingSENprovision.Mostnotablythiswasindicatedbynarrativedatareportingagreaterinvolvementofnon-specialiststaffinSENmatters

o Agrowthinwhole-schoolcommitmenttoSENisperhapsasignalthattheprojectschoolsareatvariousstagesintheprocessofdevelopingorfurtherenhancingaprofessionallearningcommunity

o EngagingwithfamilieswasaKPIareainwhichparticipantsreportedratherlessprogressionthanothers–althoughthereweresomesignificantpracticalactionswhichwereadirectresultofpairedreflectiononprovision

o ForKPI5someparticipantsindicatedasharperandmorestrategicapproachinidentificationandmonitoring.ThiswashelpfullylinkedinadirectwaytocurriculuminterventionsforpupilswithSEND

o KPI6placedanemphasisonschoolandSENleadershipastheprincipalcatalystsfordevelopment

o Asecondalgorithmwasdevisedtoillustratetheproject’scapacitytodelivervalue-for-moneyinaddressingtheKPIsidentified.Itissuggestedthatthemeritsoftheprojectapproachareparticularlypotentatatimeoffinancialinsecurityandrestriction

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• Strengths&Challengeso Feedbackfromallparticipantsindicatesthattheorganisation,deliveryandcontentof

thisprojecthashighlightedmanymorestrengthsthanchallenges.Inpartthisisaccountedforbythesupportivemethodologyadopted,whichhasbeenechoedbycoherent,collaborativeactionswithinmanyoftheschools

o Theproject’sstrengths,resultinginacknowledgementpracticalactions,havebeendiscernibleatindividual,whole-schoolandsystem-widelevels

o Thekeystrengths,identifiedbykey-word&phraseanalysis,aredefinedinareasofongoingCPD,developmentofsharedleadershipinSEN,maximisingexistingknowledge&skillsbyusingpeer-ledcoachingandcontributingtopersonalandprofessionalwell-beingoftheparticipants

o Thecost-effectivenessoftheproject’scompositesetofactionswasnotedbymostparticipantsasastrongpositivefeature

o Relativelyfewdrawbacksorchallengeswerehighlightedinthedatagenerated.Amongstthesewereaninitialconcernoverworkload(whichwasaddressedinphase1oftheproject),andthechallengeoffocussingonmanyKPIs(approximately28)insuchashortprojectduration

• FuturePotential

o Theevaluationidentifiedpotentialforfurtherdevelopmentoftheproject’sapproachforindividualschools,MATsandatasystem-widelevel

o Significantadvantagesarehighlightedinscaling-upthemethodologyacrosscommunitiesofschools,andinaspectsofprovisiontangentialtoSEN(forexample,pupilbehaviour,mentalhealthandsocialinterventionsfor‘familiesunderstress’)

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ScopeoftheReportThisEvaluationseekstoprovideacredibleandauthenticpictureofalocalinitiativetosupportSEN in schools. Its parameters are specific, and linked directly to 2 issues of the project’soperationanddelivery:(a)thestructuralaspectsoftheproject’sactivities(encompassingitsplanning, operational approach and the ‘lived’ experiencesof theparticipants) and (b) theproject’sperformanceagainst6 keyperformance indicators (KPIs) identified in theoriginalproposaltotheStrategicSchoolImprovementFund(linkedtoimprovingoutcomes,leadership,teaching and learning, engaging with families, identification, monitoring and tracking anddevelopingprovision).Theevaluationsoughtdatadirectlyfromthosemostcloselyinvolvedinthe project (teachers in the schools and peer coaches) and from other available evidence(school-relatedperformancedata).Thus,theEvaluationprovidesaground-leveloverviewofimpact,fromtheperspectiveofitskeystakeholdergroups.

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1.BackgroundIntroductionConcern regarding outcomes for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) has been aconsistentissuewithinschoolsinEnglandformanyyears.Assuchithasbeenattheforefrontof policy and intervention, resulting inmanypractical steps to address the situation– thisactivityhasbeenapparentatbothnationalandlocallevels.Thepresentprojecthasemergedas a direct result of aDepartment for Education (DfE) initiative, which has sought to addmomentumtothequesttoidentifytheapproachesthatoptimiseprovisionforpupilswithSENinschools,withthepotentialthatthesemightbemorewidelydisseminatednationally.NationalProvisionforpupilswithSENinEnglishmainstreamschoolshasrepresentedanongoingareaofactivityinbothpolicyandpractice.Ithasremainedsoforover40years,sincetheadventoftheWarnock Report (1978),which provided amajor impetus for the inclusion of childrenexperiencing learning and other challenges within primary and secondary schools.Subsequently,landmarkpolicieswereimplementedtoensurethatsuchchildrenweremoreeffectively supported. Successive governments have been instrumental in directing andresourcing further change, resulting in a contemporary national context inwhich inclusiveprovisionforpupilswithSENisviewedasthenorm.It isnottheplaceofthisevaluationtochart thesehistorical initiatives; suffice it to say that thecurrentproject representsa localexampleofschool-focusseddevelopmentwhichseekstofurtherprogresstheprogressiveandmeaningfulapproachwhichwasheraldedinthe‘Warnockera’.PortsmouthPriortotheproject’sinception,PortsmouthLocalAuthority(LA)reportedthatoutcomesforpupils with SEN were ‘extremely low’. Its schools ranked near the bottom of nationalperformancetablesinthisregardandcomparedunfavourablywithitsstatisticalneighbours.IncommonwithotherLAs,thegapinSENpupilattainmentindicatedagradualwideningfromKeyStage(KS)1to4.Gapanalysis(2016)showedthatpupilsexperiencingSENsandwhowerein receipt of SEN Support underperformed compared to similar groups nationally. In itssubmissiontoDfE,thePortsmouthTeachingSchoolAlliance(PTSA)highlightedthissituation,directly referencing the LAs gap analysis. This showed the following headline performancestatistics:KS1(ranked80of152nationally),KS2(143of152),KS4(145of152-Attainment8)andKS4(149of152-Progress8). Itadditionallyreportedthat,atKS4,Portsmouthschoolsranked11outof11comparedwithitsstatisticalneighbours.ProjectoriginsThese performance characteristics indicated a need for systemic change, with thedevelopmentofstrongseniorandmiddleleadershipforSENDbeingaprioritytopromotemoreeffective, school-basedactions to improve thequalityof learningand teaching, implementmore purposeful assessment and identification measures and to provide more effectivedeployment of support staff to ensure that interventions are better targeted and morepersonalized. In addition, there was a recognition that the most effective school-baseddevelopmentsinSENwerethoseinwhichtherewasevidenceofincreasedengagementbyall

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schoolstaff,andtheemergenceofa‘professionallearningcommunity’(PLC).ThefocusofthePTSAproposal,therefore,directlyaddressedtheseissuesandaccommodatedtheapproachestheyadvocated.AnimportantelementinthisprocesshasbeentheuseoftheSENDReviewGuide, developed by the London Leadership Strategy (LLS) in 2016. This tool has becomewidely acknowledged for its capacity to secure a reliable overviewof provision, aswell asidentifyingkeyissuesforfurtherdevelopmentbyschools(LLS,2016).


2.MethodologyIntroduction:projectoutlinePortsmouthTeachingSchoolAlliance(PTSA),withtheMaryRoseSchoolasnominatedlead,securedaDfEgrantin2018whichestablishedaprojectdesignedtoaddressissueshighlightedlocallyinrespectofSENDpopulationsinitsschools(seeabove).Theagreedworkwouldbeundertakenbetween1October2017and22March2019(18months).Theprojectcomprisedacollaborative,peer-learningapproachtoenhancingSENprovisionin20schools,allofwhichagreedtoparticipatevoluntarily.Theprojectusedaninterventionwhichhadbeensuccessfullyappliedelsewhere(SENDReviewGuide,2016).6KPIswereidentified,basedontheperceivedneedsoftheschoolsinvolved;theagreedKPIswereintegraltotheprojectactivitiesandtoitsevaluation.Participatingschoolswerepaired,withoneschoolrequiringhighlevelsofSENsupportlinkedwithaschoolwhichwasviewedashavingmoreeffectivepolicyandpractices.BothschoolsweresupportedbyanSENOutstandingLeader(coach),identifiedfromoutsidetheLAwithothersfromwithinit(whoreceivedpre-projecttrainingandorientation).Theexpectation,basedonevidence-bases,wasthatthroughtheprocessofpeer-ledmentoring,bothschoolswouldshowprogressionagainstthe6KPIs;sharingmodelsofeffectivepracticetoenhancethedevelopmentofSENDprovisioninbothlocations.Aninitialprovisionaudit,basedontheSENDReviewGuidewasconducted;thisprovidedasetofbaselinecharacteristics,personalisedforeachschoolandlinkedtotheprojectKPIs.AseriesofinputsbytheSENLeaders/coacheswasundertaken.ThesevisitsprovidedopportunitiesforSENleadersandtheschoolstointerrogatetheaudit,sharegoodpracticeandprovidesupportandchallenge.ThisprocessresultedinasetofplannedpracticalactionswhichweretodirectlyimpactSENpractice in schools, the teachingandother staff involvedand, importantly, thepupils with SEN themselves. A further feature of the projected intervention was thatcontinuous professional development was embedded via ongoing specialist support andopportunitiestoprovidesharedinputstoSENevents.Towardstheconclusionoftheseinputsafinalaudit,usingtheSENDReviewGuidetoidentifytheprogressmade,wascompleted.It is importanttorecogniseseveraldistinctivecomponentsoftheproject’sapproach,giventhat these comprise anessential dimension in the independent evaluation reported in thepresent document. Thus, the projectwas configured to operate based on (i) collaborativeworking(ii)peerreview(iii)personalisedprofessionallearning(iv)sharedknowledge-buildingand (v) dealing with ‘real world’ challenge. Each characteristic has been substantiated byevidencefromresearch(see(i)Nelson,Mehta,Sharples&Davey,2017;(ii)Bowman-Perrottet.al.,2013;(iii)Domenech,2013;(iv)CUREE,2009;(v)Ellis,Tod&Graham-Matheson,2012)EvaluationapproachTheevaluationoftheprojecthasbeenconductedinaccordancewiththeworkingprinciplesunderpinningtheLTSAproject(asdescribedabove);namely,thatitadoptsaninductiveandcollaborativeapproach.Thisinformsanevaluationexercisewhichplacesafocuson2elementsof project delivery – (i) structural characteristics (examining planning, operational, andexperiential)and(ii)content&outputcharacteristics(examiningtheextenttowhichspecified


KPIshavebeenevidencedineachofits6thematicfields–improvingoutcomes,leadership,teaching and learning, engaging with families, identification, monitoring and tracking anddevelopingSENDprovision (andtheir linkedKPIs).Thisprocessenablesprojectparticipants(boththeLAandtheparticipatingschools) todrawbenefit fromtheevaluationexperienceitself, using it as a potential means of stimulating further professional reflection andadvancement.Thisapproachtoevaluationhasbeensecurelyvalidated(Ritchie&Lewis,2003;Elliott,2005)and is now widely established as a credible way of enhancing professional practice ineducation. Notably, for example, this approach is embedded within the current guidancerelatingtotheSpecialeducationalneedsanddisabilitycodeofpractice:0-25years(DfE,2015).Theintuitive,mixed-methodsapproachtodatagenerationandanalysisthatitemphasisesisbasedoncontinuousfeedbacktothePTSAprojectSteeringGroup.Thishelpstomaximisethepotentialofanevaluationapproachwhichisdevelopmentalandmodelsthe‘communityofprofessionalpractice’methodologythatliesattheheartoftheprojectitself.DatagenerationTheEvaluationReportutilisesdatadrawnfrom4sources.Attheinceptionoftheevaluationprocesstheintentionwastoadoptamixed-methodsapproach,toprovidebothquantitativeandqualitativeevidenceoftheproject’simpact.Inaccordancewiththis,thedata-generationsourcesandinstrumentswereidentifiedtoinformresponsestoquestionslinkedtoeachKPI,asfollows:

KPI Phase1(Term1) Phase2(Terms2,3,4) Phase3(Term5)1-Improvingoutcomes

Pre-projectAudit/Schooldocuments/Informalnarratives

InterviewswithSENCoach/Schoolvisits&SENCOinterview/SENCoachReport/Schooldata

Post-projectAudit/FeedbackfromSENCoach/SchoolLeaderFeedback/Schooldata

2-Leadership




3-TeachingandLearning




4-EngagingwithFamilies




5-Identification,MonitoringandTracking




6-Developingprovision




Figure1:datagenerationsources

Evidencewasgeneratedfromall20schoolswhovolunteeredtoparticipateintheproject,withasmallersampleofschoolsbeingpurposivelyselectedtoillustrate3levelsofprojectimpact:


a.Schoolswhoseauditexerciseindicatedanincreasedscoreofatleast20%b.Schoolswhoseauditexercise indicatedan increasedscoreofbetween10-19%andc.Schoolswhoseauditshowedsomeincreaseinauditscore,howeversmall.Ifanyschoolindicatedadeclineintheirpost-projectauditscorecomparedtothatoftheirpre-audititwouldbescrutinisedseparately.WithineachlocationdataweresecuredfromthenominatedSENleadintheschool(usuallytheSENCO),fromotherstaff(includingthehead-teacher),fromthecoachesallocatedtoeachpairofschoolsandfromarangeofdocumentarysources(includingtheSENReviewGuide).AnalysisAll interviewswereprofessionally transcribed; transcriptionsalso includedanyreference tonon-verbal expression and gesture. Each narrative was interrogated using both key-word/phrasesearchesalongsidebothinductiveanddeductiveapproaches,inwhichthematiccontentwasgroupedandsimilaritiesanddifferencesnoted.Eachofthetranscriptswascodedandacodingindexwascompiledofkeyterms,theirlocationineachtranscriptbeingnoted,anapproachvalidatedasacrediblewayofsecuringreliablecommentaryregardingschool-related activities (Elliott, 2005). A research diary, noting key issues emerging in theseconversations, as well as supplementary information that emerged, was maintainedthroughoutandusedtoassistindata-interpretation;thediaryalsocontainednotesofinformaldiscussionsandanytelephoneconversationswithprojectparticipants.Finally,theinterviewtranscriptswerereadbytwopractisingschool-leaders,toprovideindependentratificationforthe themes identified during the coding process. This process allowed for additional, non-partisanprofessionalperspectivestobehighlighted,forfurtherconsideration.EthicalconsiderationsThis evaluation has been conducted according to the research/consultancy protocolsconsistentwiththatrecognisedbytheBritishEducationalResearchAssociation(BERA).Thisconforms to ethical procedures that are internationally recognised as constituting goodpractice.Forthepurposesofthisevaluation,thefollowingaspectsoftheabovepoliciesareindicativeoftheapproachtakeninthestudy:

• ArequirementtodiscloseanyconflictofinterestbetweentheevaluationteamandtheparticipantsofthePTSAproject(individualorinstitutional)

• Retainconfidentialityinrespectofalldata,inallformsbothduringandfollowingtheevaluationexercise

• Ensurethatdata (inall formats)aresecurelystoredduringandafter theevaluationexercise and disposed of securely by agreement with the PTSA project SteeringCommittee

• Obtaininformedconsentfromallparticipants(schoolsandindividuals)• Reportalldatafairlyandaccurately• Explainopenlythelimitationsoftheevaluationexercise,indicatinganyshortcomingin

datacollectionoritsveracityInthisReport,allthenamesofallparticipantsprovidingdatahavebeenanonymised.Anyrealnamesofteachers,pupils,SENleadersorothers,includinginformationwhichmightrevealaschool’slocation,havebeenchanged.Eachschoolhasbeenassignedanalphabeticalindicator


(AtoV,omitting‘I’);eachschoolinformanthasbeengivenanumericalindicatorlinkedtotheirschool(thus,A1,A2etc.,accordingtothenumberofinformantsfromeachschool);theSENleadersactingascoachesarenotifiedas‘C’ inthedatasetsandgivenanumerical indicator(thus, C1 – C10). Finally, all other informants (for example, from the local authority, theteachingschoolalliance,conference/workshopattendeeswhoarenotdirectlyinvolvedintheprojectbutneverthelessimportantstakeholders)arenotifiedas‘PC’(todenotetheirevidenceasthatofa‘projectcommentator’).Confidentialityofsources(individual/school)wasfurtherassuredbyrandomlyallocatingalphabeticalandnumericalidentifiers,ratherthansequentiallytolistsheldcentrallybyprojectadministrators.Alltranscribedorverbatimstatementsfromprojectparticipantsaregiveninitalicfont.

Furtherinformationregardingbothresearchmethodologyandethicalmatterscanbeobtainedfromphilipgarnerassociates@outlook.com


3.Findings(i)structuralcharacteristicsEvidencetosupportthefindingshighlighted inthissectionof theReporthavebeendrawnfromthatwhichwasassembledbyacomposite rangeof instruments,bothqualitativeandquantitative.Notably,this includesanemphasisonthecommentariesofkeyparticipants intheproject.AfulllistofsourcesiscontainedinFigure1.Datapresentedherereflectstheproject’sactivitiesrelatingtostructuralaspectsofitsdelivery–this includessuchconsiderationsasprojectplanning,connectingwiththeneedsoftargetschools, training of project participants, resource allocation and a record of the ‘livedexperience’ofthoseengagedinprojectdelivery,andtheirprofessionalviewpointonitsimpactandeffectiveness.Inscopingtheseissues,3aspectsoftheprojectareconsideredinturn.PlanningTheSSIFprojectbased inPortsmouthsought to improveoutcomes forpupilswithSEND inMainstream Schools. It involved 20 schools, all of whom had signalled a willingness toparticipate.Thecoreof theprojectwasabespokepackageofsupportandtrainingusingaqualityassuredcollaborativeapproach,basedonanalreadyrecognisedprocess.Boththeseprojectfeatureshavebeensignificantinitscapacitytoretainmomentumandfocusduringtheproject(12months).Inthecaseofidentificationofschools,partnershipswithintheTeachingSchoolAlliance (TSA)were important inenablingexisting sharedpractices tocontinue; theproject’sschoolswereestablishedasaseriesofpairs,withtheadvantagethatmanySENDpractitionerswereawareofeachother’sworkviaexistingLAnetworks.Illustrativeoftheseconditions were the observations that ‘As we had already done a bit of work with______(school)itwasaneasythingforustolinkwiththemintheproject’(B1)and‘Professionaltrustandafeelingofconfidencemeantalot,sowhenwewerejoinedupwith_______(school)itfeltverysecure’(F1).Oneschoolleaderstatedthat‘Beingapartofthisworkwasstronglyconnectedtoourdevelopmentplanning…wewereverykeentoparticipate’(PC).TheworkcompletedwasalsoseenascontributingtosomeexistingLA-wideinitiatives,ratherthanbeingbolted-onasanafterthought.Forexample,oneSENCOexplainedthat(forher)theprojecthadachievedschool-basedtargetsbecause‘wesawitasanaturalextensionofthenewprovisionmap*thatwewerefamiliarwith…soitreinforcedtheworkweweredoingratherthanbeingseparatetoit’(G1).Thesubstantiveactionswithintheprojectwereplannedtotakefullaccountoftheneedsofparticipating schools. These were formally identified by the pre-project SEND Audit, andconversationswiththecoachassignedtoeachschool.Thiswasadistinguishingcharacteristicoftheproject,andsupportedbuy-inbytheschoolsaswellasensuringthattheworkbeingproposedcouldbekeptontrackbyastructuredsetofinterventions.AsecondarySENCOthusremarked that ‘Even before we did the audit we had a good idea of where the issueswere…whichwasdefinitelyconfirmed…andsobeinggivensupportthroughourcoachtoexplorethiswasthebigbonusasfarasIwasconcerned’(N1).Finally,recognitionofthevalue-addeddimensionofcoachingactivityforschoolswasprovidedbyaschoolleader:‘Thebenefittousof having_________ [name of coach] in our schoolwas felt by thewhole community – itinfluencednotjustworkwe’redoinginSEN,butgettingustothinkaboutwhetheroursystems


ingeneralneedtoberefinedinsomeareas–targetsettingforinstance,tomeetneedsmoreefficientlyandquickly’(PC) LinkswithschoolsThe inputs from theproject’s SENcoaches formed thekey linkwith schools. Thisgroupofexpertpractitionershadbeenidentifiedbasedonanappointmentprocessthatsecuredtheinvolvementof10experiencedSENleadersascoaches;severalofthesewerefromwithintheLA,othersrecruitedfromhigh-performingschoolselsewhere.Thecoacheswereanessentialcomponentinenablingtheproject’sintentiontoaddressKPIsin6thematicareas(seeabove)bypromoting‘Systemicchangeisrequiredandtheprogrammewillfocuson:the‘DevelopmentofstrongseniorandmiddleleadershiptosecureaclearvisionandcommitmenttopupilswithSEND’and‘wholeadonSEND’andpromote‘Improvedqualityof learning and teaching giving all teachers the tools to provide appropriate learningexperiencesforpupilsonSENsupport’(PortsmouthTSA,SSIFApplication,2017).Conversationswithbothschoolstaffandthecoachesillustratedthatsuchapeer-ledapproach,located within a ‘community of professional practice’ model enabled critical reflectionresulting in some clearly apparent systemic (school-wide) changes. C2, for instance,commentedthat‘Iwasabletoseesomeactualchangeinthewaythatthingswerebeingdone,actual procedures were altered to make them definitely more fitting to the needs of thepupils…soitwasencouragingandshowedthattheschoolwasincrediblyonboard’(C2)whilstaSENCOnotedher‘…beinggentlyinfluencedtoshiftthewaysthatwe’dbeentryingtoconnectwithSENfamilies,sothatweareIbelievemuchmoreparent-friendlynow’(L1).Coaches within the project have also been instrumental in growing both an in-school‘communityofprofessionalpractice’aswellasawider,moresystemicengagementamongsttheprojectschoolsasagroup.ProfessionallearningcommunitiesarenowstronglyevidencedasameansofensuringsharedeffectiveSENpracticesaswellasbeingvitaltosupportthewell-being of teachers, TAs and others. It is therefore reassuring that this was illustrated insubstantivefeedbackfromallparticipantsintheprojectsample.OneSENCOnotedthat‘Mycoachwaswonderful.Shewasprofessional,supportive,gavemeideas…andstillIfeltthatmyown skills were being recognised by her. Every school should have one’ (Q1). From theperspectiveofthecoach,‘itwasstrikingbothhowmuchthesecondarySENCOsgainedfromsharingconcernsandproblem-solvingasacommunity,andthatthiswasthefirsttimetheyhadhadthisopportunitytodoso’(C1).Anothercoachstatedthat,resultingfromthisapproachtoprofessional networking, ‘teachers and teaching assistants [were]now leading and sharinggoodpractice’(C10).Thisaspectofprojectoperationisnotableinitsalignmentwithrecentacknowledgementsthatboth peer-led coaching and communities of professional practice have visible impacts onschool culture and staff engagement, the positive development of both being vital toaddressingtheproject’sKPIs(ACER,2016;Lofthouse,Leat&Towler,2010).


WorkPlanAnanalysisof theSSIFproject’sworkplan (seeAnnex3) indicates that it has comprised4interrelatedphases,assummarisedbelow.PHASE1 Establishingcontext/Training/Self-Audit(1) ½termPHASE2 Targetsetting/Coachinginputs/QAvisit 1½termsPHASE3 Reporting/Coachinginputs/QAvisit ½termPHASE4 Self-Audit(2)/Coachinginputs/Dissemination/Evaluation ½term

Figure2:Work-planphasesTheactivitiesundertakenwithineachprojectphasehavebeenconsistentwiththosesetoutintheoriginalproposal.Importantly,theyhaveeachbeenlinkedtothe6KPIareasthathavedriven the project’s rationale. Certain attributes of thework-plan are identified by projectparticipantsasbeingofimportanceinenablingschoolstoengagewiththeoverallprocess.Keyword/phraseanalysisofthenarrativesfromSENstaffinthe20projectschoolshighlightsthefollowingcharacteristics:Work-planfeature Responsefromschoolparticipant %FrequencyExpertinputs ‘Ican’ttellyouhowstimulatingthisopportunityhasbeenforme…howmuch

moreI’velearned’(P1)85%

Supportsreflection ‘The great thing is that we’re actually able to look at our practice with adifferentlens,ifthat’sunderstandableandthatweunderstand,Ithink,thatthisisanimportantaimoftheproject’(E1)

80%

Alternativeperspectives ‘I have gained so much by being able to compare what I usually do withpracticeelsewhereasaresultofbeinginvolvedintheproject.Anditsledtosomechangestoo’(G1)

60%

Sharedresponsibility ‘For me it’s about getting the rest of the school involved, so that we allunderstandourroleandinputsinSEND’(R1)

45%

‘Roomtothink’ ‘The project has meant that I’ve set aside time to really unpack my workand…sortof…makebettersenseofit’(K1)

40%

Figure3:Work-plancharacteristicsFigure3showsthatparticipantswelcomedtheoverallformatoftheprojectandthewayinwhichitsindividualelementshadbeenstructuredanddelivered.Eachofthefeaturesishighlyrelevant both to growing leadership talent in SEND and in providing teachers and othersworking in schools with levels of supportwhichmake a value-added contribution to theirprofessionalandpersonalwell-being.Intheschoolsscrutinisedinthesample,7/10SENCOsmentioned thisaffectivedimension, illustratedwellbyoneparticipantwhobelieved that ‘Idon’t think I’veeverbeen involved inaproject that’sbeen so incredibly tightly focussedonwhat’sreallyimportanttome–makingareallyeffectiveimpactonallmypupils.That’smademefeelgreat,veryvaluedandhasremovedsuchalotoffeelingisolated…you’llgetthatfromothersaswell,becausethat’ssomethingwetalkquiteabitaboutamongstthegroup’(Q1).Thisfindingisofsignificance,giventhecurrenteducationalclimateinwhichteacherretentionisapressingissueforschoolsandsystemsandhasbeenrecognisedasachallengingissueinEngland (Worth, De Lazzari & Hillary, 2017) and has assumed perceived levels of crisis asreportedinthenationalpress(TheGuardian,2017).IdentifyingneedsInitsoriginalproposal,thePTSAindicatedthattheproject’semphasis,articulatedvia6KPIs,wastoenable‘schoolstoidentifyareasforimprovementwithinexistingSENDprovision’and


to ‘Equip those supporting school improvement to reviewand create robust improvementplans’(PTSASSIFBid,2018,p.8).Accordingly,theproject’sstructureemphasisedtheuseofthe SEND Review Guide (2016) to identify the key issues obtaining in each of the projectschools. The substantive attention was then directed to areas of need prioritised by thisprocessthroughoutthedurationoftheproject.The use of the SEND ReviewGuide’s audit was universallywelcomed by the schools, whorecogniseditasbeingeasyandnottime-consumingtoadministerandameansoffacilitatingandstructuringprofessionalconversationsleadingtoactionstoaddresstheneedsidentified.It was also viewed as a robust and credible tool, which had been subject to a rigorousdevelopmentphase,includingfield-testing.Assuchitwasareliableandeffectivetoolforpre-andpost-reviewfortheproject:itaddressedall6KPI’sandgaveparticipatingschoolsdetailedsalientinformationwithwhichtoframetheiron-goinginteractionswiththeproject.Itwasalsoaconsistenttoolthatcoachesusedtofacilitatetheirdiscussionswithschoolsfromacommonframework–sowhilecontextwasdifferent,theSENDReviewGuide’sauditframeworkgaveconsistencytothefindings–this isevident inFigure4belowespeciallywiththefirstthreefunctions.TheSENDReviewGuideprocessitselfwasalsoseenasasupportivewayofscrutinisingcurrentpractice and a potential way of structuring a response – leading to action planning incollaborationwithacoach.Afeatureoftheauditwasthatitenabledmultipleperspectivesonprovisiontobeassembled,whilstitadditionallyprovidedawayinwhichprogressagainstareasofneedmightberobustlymeasured. Auditfunction Responsefromschoolparticipant %FrequencyIdentifyneed ‘The audit work really well, and confirmed that there were 2 issues that we

neededtoworkonduringtheproject’(H1)100%

Measureprogress ‘Beingabletousetheaudittolookattheprogresswe’dmadesofarwashelpfultous,confirmingthatweweredoingthingsright’(J1)

80%

Scopecurrentpractice ‘Whatwegotwasanexcellentoverviewand showeduswhereour strengthswerewhichisoftensomethingoverlooked’(J1)

80%

Time ‘Ifounditreallyquicktouse,andofcourseyoucanbeselectivetoo’(G1) 50%Easeofuse ‘Comparedtosomeotheraudit-typetools,thiswasareallyuser-friendly’(E1) 40%Createactionplan ‘Weworkedonitwith_______[coach]todevelopouractionplanmore’(Q1) 30%Involvenon-SENstaff ‘Therewasafairamountof interestaswell fromstaffwho’dnotnormallybe

involvedinanSEN-relatedresource’(R1)30%

Figure4:SENCOviewsontheuseoftheSENAuditResourceallocation/effectiveuseofgrantLittlesubstantiveinformationwaselicitedfromprojectparticipantsregardingtheirviewsontheadequacyoffundsallocatedtoeachschooltoundertaketheactionsdescribedinthework-plan.Severalrespondentsdidhoweverprovideunsolicitedobservationswithintheirinterviewsthattheprojectwascost-effectivebecauseithadresultedinarangeofbenefitstopupils,teachersandschools.Fundingconcernsareconsistentlyattheforefrontofschoolleadersthinkingatpresent,giventhecurrentreducedfundingclimate;eventhoughthiswasnotafeatureofthefeedbacksoughtintheevaluationitwas,however,providedinseveralinstances.Evidenceofthelevelofparticipationinthefiscallytightenvironmentinwhich


schoolsoperatedemonstratesthattheadditionalfundingresourceswereusedincosteffectivemanner. Whilstthisevaluationdidnotundertakeaformalcost-benefitanalysis,itisindicativethatnoneof the participants openly expressed reservations about project funding being directed toinappropriateactivity.Onthecontrary,scrutinyoftranscripts,writtenfeedbackandreportingdocuments suggested that the actions constituted a positive value-for-money exercise; anattempttoillustratethis inmoreexplicittermsisbrieflydescribedinthissection. Firstly,asummary of project benefits, based on content analysis of participant interviews, writtenfeedbackandprojectreportingdocuments,wasassembled.Fromthesedata4thematicareaswere identified, eachwith 4 concrete areas of impact,with an estimation of the concreteactionsthathavebeenundertakenwithintheproject’sschools.ThiscalculationiscontainedinFigure4.ImpactArea ExemplarComment Actions(Practice/Content)n=PUPIL AcademicProgress(Maths) ‘WehavehighlightedprogressbyY6in

Maths,linkedtothechanges’(A1)9

AcademicProgress(English) ‘ThesystemhasledtoanincreasedawarenessofeffectivetargetsettinginEnglish’(B1)

11

Social:exclusions ‘TherehasbeenareductioninthenumberofdaysexcludedforlearnerswithSEND’(C1)

8

Social:behaviour ‘Theschoolhassoughttore-structureitsbehavioursystemandpolicy’(E1)

6

SENCO Leadershipdevelopment ‘Theschoolisnowrecognisingandbuilding

systemstosupportdistributedresponsibilityusingEdukeysoftware’(D1)

17

SENSkills/Knowledge ‘Ilearnednewthingsaspartofmycoach’sinput–veryworthwhile’(J1)

12

Assessment/target-setting ‘Approachesforassessmentaremoremanageableandrealistic,drivenbytargets’(H1)

9

Workingwithothers ‘SENCOhasagreaterunderstandingofmanagingandgettingthebestoutofothers’(D1)

17

WHOLESCHOOL Developmentplanning ‘Thereisanimprovedstrategicoverviewof

theschool’sSENDprovision’(PC)11

Teaching&Learning ‘DuetoaregularfocusonaspecificKPI,theSENCOskeptafocusonthequalityoflearningandteaching’(PC)

15

StaffDevelopment ‘Thishasbeenabrilliantopportunitytogearsomereallysharptrainingforallstaff’(C1)

8

Staffengagement(SEN) ‘Itwasstrikinghowmuchthestaffgainedfromsharingconcerns’(PC)

16

LA/PTSA CommunityofLearning ‘BothSENCOsaskedifthisschemewas

goingtobecontinued–moreopportunitiesacrossPortsmouth’(PC)

23

Strategicplanning ‘IfeelI’minabetterplacetocontributesomethingtotheLAaboutSENprovisionforthefuture’(F1)

6

Staffwell-being ‘Severalofthoseinvolvedareexplicitlytalking…andaveryclear…aboutthewaythattheprojecthasbroughtgreaterjob-satisfaction’(PC)

9


Staffretention ‘IfeelI’minabetterplacetocontributesomethingtotheLAaboutSENprovisionforthefuture’(F1)

2

Figure5:Projectimpactareas&initiativesThepurposeoftheabove illustration istopointtoanalgorithmwhich, it issuggested,canillustrate the extent to which this SSIF project is delivering value-for-money and costeffectiveness. Whilst this calculation is generic and illustrative only of a potential way ofevaluatingfinancialeffectiveness,ithasbeengeneratedasapointofdiscussion.SENP(20)xAPC(179)=VFMunitperinitiativeperson(whereSENP=SENparticipants;APC=Actions-Practice&Content).Calculation: 20x179(£187909). This represents £52.48 per SENCO action across theparticipatingschools.Suchestimations,althoughbynomeansacomprehensiveindicationoftheintrinsicvalueandadded-value of this project, can nonetheless lead to fruitful discussions around whatconstituteseffectiveuseofrelativelyscarceprofessionaldevelopmentfundsandthewaythatsuch funds are structured. A further illustrative algorithm is provided in Part 4 of thisevaluation,linkedtotheproject’s6KPIs.OperationalManagementTheprojecthasbeenoverseenbyaSteeringGroup(SG),comprisingrepresentationfromtheparticipatingschools,PTSAandwithexternalinputs.Itissupportedbyanadministratorandhasmetattimetabledintervalsthroughouttheproject’stime-line.Detailsofbothitsagendasand confirmedminutes have beenmade available as part of the supporting documentaryevidenceavailableforthepurposesofthisevaluation.Additionally,andinkeepingwiththeformativeapproachtoprojectevaluationthathasbeenadopted,theexternalevaluatorhasparticipatedasanex-officiomemberofthisgroup.Training&ProfessionalDevelopmentInitial training for participating schools was provided by experienced trainers who hadsubstantialknowledgeofschool-basedSENDprovisionandoftheSENDReviewGuide’sAuditprocess.TheinitialSSIFproposalindicatedthattraininginputswouldbeledby‘TheinitialSSIFproposalindicatedthattraininginputswouldbeledbycurrentSENleadersas‘NLEandSLEinvolvementwashighlightedasgivingcredibility’ (PTSASSIFProposal,2017).Thisapproachwasvaluedbythoseattendingtraining:oneparticipantstatedthat‘Hearingabouttheproject’sintentionsfrompeopleIfeltspokemylanguageanddidthisfromactualexperienceinschoolswasdefinitelyabiginfluencertome’(H1).Anaddeddimensionwasthattheprojecthadbeenplanned so that local specialist leaders (SLEs)were recruited as part of the training team,furtheramplifyingthecredibilityofthetrainingexperience:‘AsIknewthatoneofthetrainerswasfromaPortsmouthschoolitmeantthatIcouldbemuchmoreconfidentthatshewasfullyawareofwhattherealsituationishere’(F1).


Thisstageintheprojectwasviewedasavitalonetoensurefullengagementbyparticipants–manyofwhomhadlittlepriorexposuretotheSENReviewGuideortoinvolvementinpeer-ledcoaching.ThisviewisamplifiedbytheobservationsoftwoSENCOs:‘WhenIfirstattendedIwasquiteexpectantbutalsoprettyunsureasIthinkyoucanbephasedbyexpertswhotellyouhowtorunthings.Butitturnedouttobeagreatexperienceforme,andIfeltthatifI’djustreceivedthat[training]it’dhavebeenworthwhile.Butthewholeprojecthasbeenarevelationforme’(C1);‘Thetrainingpartatthestartwasessential,asauditingourownschoolsisvitaltogetthefocusright.Ithoughtithitthemark’(F1).AsubsequentneedtoreinforceanyofthecontentcoveredinthePhase1trainingwasnotapparentinparticipantfeedback,althoughonecoachmentionedthat‘ItwasusefultobeabletorunthroughcertainbitsoftheAuditwith[SENCOname]…Ithinkgivingspacetothatwasappreciatedandallowedustosharpenupwhatwewantedtoworkon’(C6).Elsewhere,theimportanceofthetraininglinkedtotheSENAuditwashighlighted,asitwasessentialthateachschoolSENCOcouldrecognise itsuseas theprincipalanalysis toolwhichwould informthepeer-coachingapproachbeingadopted:‘Nowthattheprojectisalmostfinished,IrealisethattheaudithasbeenagreatwayofmakingsureIhavekeptontrack–Ididkeepgoingbacktoitasadouble-check’(H1).Finally,thetrainingenabledschoolparticipantstoobtainaclearerpictureofthepeer-coachingmethodology,usedthroughouttheproject.Veryfewrespondents indicatedthattheywerecompletely unaware of this approach, although not many had formally engaged in peercoaching as part of their professional development: ‘Being supported by a skilled andexperiencedpractitionerwassomethingofanewexperienceforme,thoughI’dreadenoughaboutittobefamiliarwithit’(N1);‘Ithinkwewereallexcitedatthechanceofworkingwithexperiencedpeopleinthewaythatithadbeendescribed’(P1).Subsequentresponsestothepeer-coachingutilisedintheproject(seebelow)confirmedthepositiveexpectationsofthisgroupofSENCOs.PeerCoachingAswas indicated in theoriginalproposal, theproject’s actionswereextensively structuredaround inputs from specially selected coaches. Feedback from the SENCOs and from thecoachesthemselvesindicatesthatbothgroupsregardedtheprocessitselfassuccessful,asitledtorecognisableandconcreteprogressacrosstheKPIseachoftheprojectschools.Theuseofpeer-supportusingexperiencedSENpractitionersasthekeysupportmethodologyintheprojectrequiredconsiderableplanningonthepartoftheSG.Thiswasbecauseitenshrinedseveralessentialcharacteristicsoftheprojectcontentitself.Analysisofthenarrativesobtainedfrom participants highlighted the importance of 5 of these – shared/sharing practices;exemplifying effective SEN pedagogy; support and challenge; promoting leadershipopportunityandbuildingconfidencethroughskills/knowledgedevelopment.PeerCoachingFeature EvidencefromSENCO(S)&Coach(C)Shared/sharingpractices S ‘IfeltIwasanequalpartner,eventhoughIknewthat[Coach]wasvastlymoreexperienced

thanIwas’(B1)

C ‘It'sanaturallyoccurringrelationship,sothatitisalmostlikediscussingandsharinganSENissuewithateacherinmyownschool’(C3)

S ‘WhatwasgreatwasthatIcouldactuallyseearealstrategy,notatheoreticalone…thismadeitsorelevanttomyownsituation’(H1)


ExemplifyingeffectiveSENpedagogy

C ‘Schoolshaveusedtheprojecttore-evaluateandimprovetheirschoolsystemsinplaceforsupportinglearners'withSEN/D,tobringtheminlinewiththeprinciplesoftheCodeofPractice’(C2)

Supportandchallenge S ‘ThereweredefinitelyafewcaseswhenIreallyhadtodigdeeplytofindtherightintervention,butshe[coach]madethismucheasierasIknewIcouldaskforherinput’(F1)

C ‘Wehadrobustdiscussionaboutdifferentwaystomakethedifferenceswewerewantingtomake’(C8)

Promotingleadershipopportunity

S ‘Idefinitelyfeelalotstronger,moreconfidentasanSENleadinmyschool’(Q1)

C ‘TherealworkandchangeliesaroundLeadershipdevelopment’(C4)

Buildingconfidencethroughskills/knowledge

S ‘I’velearnedsuchalotasaresult…I’vealsogotagoodideaofwheretolookfornewideas…I’dcounttheotherSENCOsintheprojectasabigresource’(R1)

C ‘They[SENCOs]haveamuch-improvedunderstandingofbothhowtointerpretwholeschooldataanditsutility,settingrealisticandimportantaimsandmeasuresforimpact’(C3)

Figure6:PositivefeaturesofpeercoachingThevalueofthecoachinginputwasalsorecognisedbyschoolleaders,whostronglyinferredthattheinputsfromthecoachoverthecourseoftheprojecthadresultedinvalue-addedgainsfortheirschool.Forexample,theresponsefromoneheadwasthatshebelievedthat‘acrossanumberofaspectsoftheworkwe’redoinghere[coach’sname]hasbeennoticeable…Ithinkthatshewasregardedasacriticalfriend,andIknowthatevensecondhand,someofthestaffwereusingherasakindofsoundingboard’(PC).Other positive features of peer coachingwere signalled alongside the 5 principal featuresidentified.One,whichhasseldomregisteredintheliteratureconcerningpeersupportinSEN,isthattherewereseveralschoolswhohadindicatedthattheyregardedpeer-coachingasawayofstimulatingdevelopmentsinotherpartsoftheschool–forexample‘I’venodoubtthatit'savaluablewayofsupportingschooldevelopmentasitenablesustoreachareasonedbutcommonunderstandingonsomequitedifficultareas’(PC);someparticipantsalsointimatedthatstaffwerekeentoseesuchasupportiveapproachbeingcontinuedbeyondthelifetimeoftheproject(‘I’dliketoseetheprojectextendedbecausewehavebenefittedsuchalotfromsharingideasandlearningfromspecialistinputs’D1).QAMonitoringSeveralmechanismswereestablishedduringtheproposal/planningstagetoensurethattheproject’sactivitiesandoutputswereappropriatelyqualityassured.ThekeystrategiessoughttooverseeQAissuesonageneric,project-widebasis(via(a)independentexternalscrutiny,ofwhichthisReportformsasubstantiveelementand(b)theformationofaprojectreferencegroup (PRG) comprising experienced senior leaders, teaching schools directors, LA andUniversityrepresentativesandthePortsmouthEducationPartnership.Theprojectproposalindicatedthat ‘Thesepartnerswillensureeffectivemonitoringofprojectmanagementandadministrationaspartofthequalityassurancerole’(PTSASSIFprojectproposal,2018).InthecaseofthePRG,littleevidencewasavailableregardingthedirectengagementofsomeofthenamedprofessionalgroups;norwasiteasytofullyrecognisethebrieftowhichthisQAbodywasworkingto.WhilsttherewasanabsenceofthePRGsvisibilityacrosstheproject,itremains the case that key deliverables have been achieved, activities and their outputsdeliveredontimeandwithinthespecifiedfundingparameters.Regardingschool-focussedQAoftheproject,thereweredistinctiveinputsfromthecoaches.Thesewerewidelywelcomedbyschoolparticipants,althoughatleastoneSENCOstatedthat


‘Iwasabitworriedatfirstbecauseitwaslike…powerfulpeopleexaminingmypracticeandIthink I feltquiteexposed’ (G1).Suchsentimentswerenotapparentelsewhereamongstthecohort,andindeedweresoonreplacedbyamoreconfidentstance:‘Icametoregardthemasfellowprofessionalswhocouldreallybetrustedtogivemenon-judgementalfeedback’(G1).ExternalinputTheprojecthasbenefitedfromreceivingkeycontributionsfromseveralexternalsources.NotablytheseoccurredduringtheinitialtraininginputsandsubstantivelyintheconcludingRegionalSENDCPDevent,plannedasastructuredcomponentoftheprojectinPhase5.Bothexternalinputswereviewedpositivelybytheschoolparticipants,forseveralreasons.First,therewasawidespreadsensethatexpert,high-profileinputsbroughtcredibilityandstatustotheprojectandgavetheseSENCOsafeelingthattheywererecognisedas‘…beingworthquality,nationally-recognisedtrainerswhohadpresenceontheSENandinclusionsceneandwhoareregardedasgivinggood,groundedadvice’(K1).ExperientialThissectionofPart3isintendedtoprovideevidenceoftheextenttowhichthemainprojectstakeholdersfeltengagedwithandincludedwithin,thewholeproject.Assuchitofferssomesnapshotfeedbackregardingtheiroverallsenseofpersonalandprofessional‘well-being’askeyactorswithintheinitiative.Thedatausedareagainabstractedfrominterviewtranscripts,informalconversations(asnotedintheresearchdiary–seePart2,Methodology)andprojectdocuments.TheyprovideillustrationsofthegenericexperienceofSENCOs,Coaches,SchoolLeadersandExternalContributorsandcanbeviewedasreinforcingthesubstantiallypositiveremarks expressed by these groups regarding specific project components, as discussedelsewhereinthisPartoftheEvaluationaswellassubsequently,whenprojectcontentswithineachKPIareaareinterrogated.Ultimately,theyarepresentedasavalidationoftheoverallefficacy of the methodological approach adopted, the mode of delivery and theappropriateness of the project focus as seen through the differential lenses of thestakeholders.TheSENCOperspectivewasexclusivelypositive,andisbestcapturedintworemarks–onefromaPrimary-phasesetting,theotherfromaSecondaryschool.Theformerreflectedonthe‘LevelofpersonalachievementIhaveobtainedbyjustbeingassociatedwiththiswork’ (J1),whilst the latter suggested that ‘Ithasbeenagrowthperiod forme…Igeta feeling that inprofessionaltermsIhavebeenthroughaprettyintenselearningencounter’(B1).Thecoachesgavesimilarfeedback,inrecognisingpersonalgainsresultingfromtheirprojectinvolvement.Oneintimatedthat‘Imustaddthatithasbeenapleasuretobeinvolvedintheprojectfromaprofessionalandimprovementperspective’(C2);anothercoachstatedthat‘Aswithotherexperiencesasacoach,thishasbeenatwo-waylearningexchange...Ihavecertainlycomeawayfromtheseexchangesbeingmoreknowledgeable’(C7).From the perspective of school leaders and CEOs ofMATs, further confirmation of thesefeelingsofprofessionalwell-beingwasmadeavailable,includingtherecognitionbyoneschoolleaderthat ‘…ithasbeenenrichingforeverybodyIthinkandI’dsaypersonallythat it istheclosestI’vebeeninmanyyearstoaprojectthathasdonewhatitsaidandachievedsuchalotofgoodthingsofdirectrelevancetoallofusinvolved’(PC).


Finally, oneof theexternal contributorsprovideda summative, generic andpowerful viewwhichappearstoreprisetheevidencederivedfromtheproject’skeystakeholders:‘I’vebeeninvolved in a fair number of training and development events…(and) fromwhat I’ve heardduringthedayitsoundslikethere’sbeenjustabout100%engagement…I’dlovetoconnectwithsomeoftheseSENCOsinthefuturetoseejusthowmuchthishasinfluencedtheirdevelopment.QuitealotI’dexpect’(PC).4.Findings(ii)content&outputcharacteristicsParticipatingschoolsdemonstratedprogressagainsteachoftheKPIsidentified,evidencedbythemetrics available via the onlineAudit tool (www.spiritcrm.co.uk). This section seeks toprovideanoverviewoftheseresults,bothinrespectoftheprojectschools’themselvesandbyexaminingthe6individualthemesandtheirconstituentKPIs.Inundertakingthistask,becauseofsomeinternalchangeswithinthecohortofparticipatingschools,ithasbeennecessarytoadapt data reports from the audit. A full explanation of the rationale for this process iscontained in the final part of this section, where the challenges and limitations of datagenerationandcollationarebrieflyconsidered. Thesubstantivecontentinthisfinalreportingsectioninthisevaluationexaminestheextenttowhichprogresshasbeenmade inachieving theKPIsestablishedat the inceptionof theproject.Eachofthe6thematicKPIareasbeingaddressedbytheprojecthadasetof28agreedKPIs,identifiedbytheprojectteamintheoriginalproposal.ThesearesummarisedintheFigurebelow.KPI1Improvingoutcomes(8)HighlevelsofpupilengagementAppropriate&motivatinglearningopportunitiesClearandmeasurablelearningintentionsandoutcomesHighlevelsofdifferentiation.ResourcesmeetingindividualneedsEffectiveuseofadultsupport.Supporttoensurepupilsareresilient.Pupilworkdemonstratingclearinyear-progressKPI2Leadership(4)LogsrecordingengagementofseniorandmiddleLevelofresourcingprovided(e.g.CPD,staffrelease)Leadersunderstanding&commitmenttopupilswithSENDSENDissueswereonagendaforallSLTmeetings

KPI3TeachingandLearning(4)Non-specialistteachersmorereflectiveaboutclassroompracticeSubjectteachersareawareofSENDpracticeandcurriculumdifferentiation.WiderawarenessofthevalueofpupilprogressdataanditsfutureuseincurriculumplanningEffectivenessofinterventionsintroduced(evidenceofin-yearprogress)KPI4Engagingwithfamilies(4)FrequencyofopportunitiesofferedtofamiliestoengagewiththeschoolQualityofinterventionsLeveloftakeupby‘SENDfamilies’LevelofsatisfactionbyfamiliesKPI5Identification,MonitoringandTracking(5)RobustidentificationprocessesProvisionmapsPersonalisedprogrammesStrengthenassessmentsystemsMonitoringandevaluationprocesses


KPI6Developingprovision(3)Detailedactionplaninplacewithagreedoutcomes/actions/successcriteria.MonitoredRobustlymonitoringbyschoolSLT,SENCOandSENleaderCommitmentoftheschoolleadershipteamtoprovideimprovedprovisionforSEND

Figure7:DescriptionofKPIthematicareas&AnalysisofeachKPIareawasundertakenusingdataobtainedusingtheinstrumentslistedinFigure 1. These provided a global, composite view which took account of (a) theexperiences/viewpointsoftheSENCOs,thoseofthecoachesand(b)thedataaccessiblefromthe Audit tool. Key-word/phrase narrative analysiswas undertaken to isolate performanceevidence in each of the KPI areas, and scrutiny of interview data from schools as well asinformal/verbatimfeedbackfromotherprojectparticipantswasusedtoillustratetheprogressmade.Theseareeachexploredinturn.Priortothat,however,itisimportanttore-emphasisetheglobalpictureinrespectofprogresstowardstheKPI targetsacross theentirecohortofschools involved in theproject.ThoughtherearesomeschoolswherelessdevelopmenthasoccurredinaKPIarea(althoughnevermorethanin2persetting),suchinstancesareverymuchinaminority,astheAuditmappingdemonstrates.Toreflectthepositiveprogressmadeinsome/alloftheKPIareasthisevaluationhasuseddatafromtheaudit,interviewsandprojectdocumentstoarriveatanoverviewofschoolengagementandprogress inthe6aspectsofSENbeingexamined. Ithasadopteda‘RAG’analysistoprovideagraphicalillustrationofthecurrentsituation;inthis,Red=progressmadeinatleast50%ofKPIareas;Amber=progressmadeinatleast75%ofKPIareas;Green=progressmadeinallKPIareas.Theoverview,usingthisapproach,iscapturedinFigure8,below.

SCHOOL KPI1 KPI2 KPI3 KPI4 KPI5 KPI6A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T U

Figure8:SchoolProgressinKPIAreas:compositedataoverview


Whilstthispresentationofdatashouldbeaccompaniedbyamethodological‘health-warning’,insofarasitusesanincompletedatasetfromthespecifiedsources(forexample,auditreportswereunavailablefrom5schools),itneverthelessrevealssomeimportantdimensionsoftheproject’s actions in the participating schools. Firstly, the RAG analysis suggests that whilstoverall progress across all KPIs has been accomplished, KPIs 2, 3 and 6 infer morecomprehensiveprogressagainsttheindividualdescriptors–ascomparedtoperformanceinKPIs1,4and5.Byallocatingnominalscorestoeachcolourcode(viz.Red=1;amber=2;green= 3) the KPIs can be prioritised in approximate order of progressmade: this rudimentaryprocessillustratesthetwogroupsandtherankorderingoftheKPIsintotal(seebelow).KPI Score Rank6 57 12 56 23 55 35 53 41 52 54 48 6

Figure9:2groupsofKPIperformance

SomegenericcommentscanbemaderegardingthetwogroupingsofKPIssuggestedabove.ThoseKPIsinthefirstgrouping(relatingtoleadership,teachingandlearningandaboutfutureactionplanning)appeartobethoseelementswhichpractitionersinschoolsaremoreabletohaveadirectandmoreimmediateinfluenceon.Theyaremoresusceptibletochangeresultingfromconcertedactiononthepartofaprofessionallearningcommunity,beinglessreliantonexternalfactors.ThesecondgroupofKPIsinvolvesaspectsofprofessionalpracticewhicharemore systemic in the impactofexternal factors–engaging familiesandpupilprogressarecasesinpoint,andbothhavebeenidentifiedintheinterviewsconductedasbeingworthyofmorelongitudinalinputs(andconsequentlymeasurement).Suchananalysis is illustratedbyextractsfromtheinterviewnarratives:theseillustratethatparticipants encountered greater professional challenge in evidencing progress in pupilachievement,provisionmappingand,notablyforthiscohort,theiractionstosecuregreaterengagementwith families. It should be added, however, that this analysis is explicitly notindicatingthatprojectimpactintheseareashasnottakenplace–morethatteachershaveencountered greater professional challenge within them, in a climate where progress ismeasuredquantitativelyinlimitedtime-frames.Forexample,itwasstatedthat‘Thefocusherehasbeeningettingrightdowntopupil-levelachievement–askingdeepquestionssothatweunderstandthedriversmore;butweknowthatthisisastagedprocess,whereawarenessandtrainingplayabigpartinitially’(D1).ThiscommentisalsorevealinginthatitimpliesthateachKPI area is not free-standing, and global progression can only develop where there isconsistency of focus across all 6 KPI thematic areas. Hence, this analysis – whatever itsshortcomings – reveals a significant awareness of this systemic interdependence. ThiswasneatlyarticulatedbyoneSENCO,whofeltthat‘Wherewe’retryingtogettoisasituationwheremultipleactionsaretakingplacewhichareallaimingatoneend-pointandthat'sthepupilwhois having learning challenges’ (F1). In a further comment, acknowledging thedifficulties ofengagingwithfamilies(KP4),itwasfeltthat‘Theschool,allschoolsreally,aretryingtomake


groundinthisareabutitismaybethemosthardtoshiftofalltheissueswefaceinSEN,becausesomanyotherexternalthingsareinvolvedandwedon’thavemuchcontroloverthem’(L1).Finally,priortoconsideringeachKPIthematicareaindividually,itisimportanttore-emphasisethatthe6KPIsaresystemicallylinked,andthatthisisanissuewhichtheprojectparticipantsrecognisedasafactorinensuringthatitsaimswerebeingmoreeffectivelymet.Itwasstated,forinstance,that‘…needingtoworkacrosseverypartoftheprojectisagoodwayofshowinghowcomplicatedandinter-connectedSENactuallyis,andthattherearen’tquick-fixes…itneedsabigeffortoneverything’(H1),whilstacoachnotedthat‘IhopetocontinuesupportingtheseschoolsinunpackingfurtherlinkagesbetweenpupilachievementandthevariouspartsofSENprovisionintheschools’(C7)TheremainderofthissectioncomprisesbriefcommentariesanddataillustrationsregardingeachoftheKPIthematicareasandtheindicatorsofprogresswithinthem.Theyareconsideredinnumericalsequence,ratherthaninorderofperceivedimportanceasevidencedinthedataconsidered.KPI1:ImprovingoutcomesPerformanceindicatorsrelatingto‘ImprovingOutcomes’(KPI1)provedtobeoneelementofprojectactionaboutwhichparticipantsexpressedcaution in theirclaimsthatprogresshadbeenmadeinall8oftheindividualKPIdescriptors.Stakeholderswerekeentoemphasisethatthis aspectof impact isbetter assessed in amore longitudinalway,over time.One schoolleader, for example, optimistically stated that ‘I would…expect staggered improvements inoutcomes for SEN learnersover time,becomingmorediscernibleover thenext year (2019-2020)’(PC).Elsewheretherewerefrequentcommentsregardingmeasuringpupilprogressandtheneedtoadoptalinearapproach,whichtookaccountof(forexample)ASPdata(previouslyRAISEonline)whichbecameavailablebeyondtheproject’stime-line.Nevertheless,numerouscommentswereforthcomingwhichpointedtomoreimmediatelearninggainsbypupils.Forexample,onecoachobserved that ‘settingsare seeinganupward trend in current ratesofprogressinreadingandwritingacrossKS1and2.Mathematicsinonesetting,remainsapriorityforimprovement.Partnerschooltosharegoodpracticeaspartofsubstantiverelationship’(C4). One notable aspect of pupil outcome data were the high numbers of comments from allprojectstakeholdersregardingpupilswhoseSENswerelinkedtobehaviour.Theseprovidedastrongbodyofevidencethatsomeofthefocussedactionstakenconcerningthishaveresultedinconcrete,positiveprogress.Thisiswell-illustratedbydatafrominterviews:‘Aspartoftheprojectbothschools re-examinedandhavesought toprogressively re-structurebehaviouralsystems, towards a tiered approach supporting learners at risk of exclusion, with strategicreintegrationintolessonsandwholeschoolstructures’(C3)and‘Weareseeingalotmorein-classactionsbysubjectteacherstominimisetheriskofexclusion–effectiveandwell-thoughtthrough teaching plays a big part in this’ (G1) are two indicative examples of this widelyexpressedsentiment.Asinotheranalysesofthecompositedataassembled,it isusefultohighlighttheemphasisplacedonspecificKPIdescriptorswhichareemployedintheprojecttodemonstrateimpactonpupiloutcomes (seeFigure10,below).These reveal that therehavebeenground-level


actionsintheschoolsintheprojectcohortwhichareacknowledgedbythepractitionersmostcloselyinvolvedwithitsdelivery.

KPI1 IndividualKPIdescriptor N=1 Clearandmeasurablelearningintentionsandoutcomes 14

2 Highlevelsofdifferentiation. 11

3 Highlevelsofpupilengagement 10

4 Effectiveuseofadultsupport. 8

5 Appropriate&motivatinglearningopportunities 6

6 Pupilworkdemonstratingclearinyear-progress 4

7 Supporttoensurepupilsareresilient. 3

8 Resourcesmeetingindividualneeds 2

Figure10:RankingofKPIcharacteristics(KPI1)KPI2:LeadershipDatafromallsourceshasindicatedthattheprojecthasimpactedpositivelyonprofessionalgrowthofSENCOsandothersinschoolswhohavehadanassociationwiththeproject.TheworkundertakenhashaddiscernibleeffectatvariouslevelsofschoolorganisationofSENinalltheschoolswhohaveparticipated.EvidenceofleadershipchangeismostapparentintheextenttowhichSENCOsareacknowledgingpersonalefficacyandempowermentby‘FeelingthatIcanhaveamuchbiggerinfluenceonmakingchangestowhatwe’vebeendoingforyearsinSENDasaresultoffeelingthatmyideasareechoedelsewhereintheAuthority’(J1).Schoolleadershavebeenquicktohighlightthisshiftinorientation,inwhichtheSENCOisbeingmore‘self-actualised’ and confident: thus, one school leader indicated that ‘SENCOs have beenrecognisedasleaders.FeedbackfromoneoftheSENCOsinmygroupwasthatshehadbeenthrough 2 Ofsted visits in autumn term 2018 and that because of her engagement in thisproject, she was confident to discuss outcomes and progress with inspectors and felt herexpertisehasgrownoverthecourseoftheprojectduetothechallengeandregularvisits’(PC).An indication that professional development for leadershipwas an ongoing feature in theproject can also be drawn from a wide acknowledgement that school leadership teamsthemselveswerehighlightedashavingbeenfullyengagedinaninstitutionalchangeprocesswhichplacedSENandinclusionissuesclosetothecentreofprofessionaldiscussion(seeFigure11).Evidencefromtheprojectcoachessuggestedthatthiswasanessentialfeatureindrivingtheemergenceofalearningcommunitywhichwasmorecloselygearedtopupils’needsandoutcomes.Hence, itwasremarkedthat ‘Systemdevelopmenthas ledtoan improvement intarget-settingforlearnerswithSEN/D,andraisedexpectationsforQualityFirstTeaching’(C2),whilstoneSENCOobservedexpansivelythat‘WeliveandbreatheSENDforthefirsttime,fromthetoptothebottom:it’severywhere’(E1)

KPI2 IndividualKPIdescriptor N=1 Leadersunderstanding&commitmenttopupilswithSEND 34

2 Logsrecordingengagementofseniorandmiddleleaders 19

3 Levelofresourcingprovided(e.g.CPD,staffrelease) 16

4 SENDissueswereonagendaforallSLTmeetings 11

Figure11:RankingofKPIcharacteristics(KPI2)OneencouragingaspecttobedrawnfromthenarrativeevidencesecuredisthatSENCOsandcoacheswereconfirmingintheirfeedbackthatschool-levelactionsweremorevisibletothe


wholecommunity,exemplifiedbytherecognitioninmanyschoolstheSENCOsareintegraltoSLTs. It was further noted that school leader commitment to this project was resulting ingreaterpotentialtodevelopasustainabilityplantoassistinmaintainingthemomentumthattheprojecthaddeveloped:thispotentialwasacknowledgedbyseveralSENCOs,asexemplifiedbytheremarkthat‘Wearethinkingandworking1or2yearsaheadinsomeaspectsofourprovision…sketchingoutwhatmightbegoodscenariostoaimfor’(H1) KPI3TeachingandLearningThe project schools provided some solid evidence that there were dynamic and ongoingchangesinthewaythatteachingandlearningwasbeingthoughtaboutbynon-specialistSENteachersandbythosewhoregardedthemselvesas‘subjectspecialists’.Boththesegroupsareidentified in research studies as viewing SEN as part of provision that is usually addressedelsewhereintheschool;duringthelifetimeofthisproject,forexample,thecurrentSecretaryofStatewarnedthat‘SENDpupilsarenotsomeoneelse’sproblem.EveryschoolisaschoolforpupilswithSEND;andeveryteacherisateacherofSENDpupils’(Hinds,2018).ItisreassuringthattwoKPI3descriptorswithintheprojecthighlightedthattheseschoolsplacedsignificantemphasis on ‘whole school’ responsibility, as is illustrated by the frequency of commentsregardingthisissue(seeFigure12,below).

KPI3 IndividualKPIdescriptor N=1 Non-specialistteachersmorereflective 29

2 Sub.teachersawareofSENpractice/curric.differentiation 24

3 Widerawarenessofthevalueofpupilprogressdata 14

4 SENDissueswereonagendaforallSLTmeetings 11

Figure12:RankingofKPIcharacteristics(KPI3)

OwnershipofteachingandlearningplanningandinterventionsrelatingtoSENwasconsistentlyvoicedasafactorintheproject’sperceivedsuccess.OneSENCOarguedthat,inherschool,‘Everysinglememberofstaffhasboughtintoit’(T1),whilstanothercommentedthat‘StaffhereseemmorecomfortableinengagingwithmeaboutwhatneedstobehappeningtomoveSENlearningforwardsforSENpupils…thisformeisveryencouraging,asitshowsthatwe’recomingoutoftheboxwe’vebeenin’(L1). Infact,thewidespreadacceptancethatSENDissuesare‘wholestaff’concernsareperhapsanacidtestofthesuccessoftheproject’sdesiretocreate‘professionallearningcommunities’,inwhichacorporatesenseofownershipofhitherto‘difficult’orintractableproblemsinschoolswasvisiblybeingdemonstrated. KPI4EngagingwithfamiliesWhilst progress was made in all aspects of KPI 4 it remained one of the project’s mostchallenging thematic areas. As has been intimated, this is not because of within-projectshortcomings,butasadirectconsequenceofexternalfactorsbeyondtheimmediatecontrolofschools.Thesehavebeenwell-rehearsedelsewhere(Parsons&Platt,2013).Moreover,itproveddifficult,withinthetime-frameandmethodologicalparametersofthisevaluation,tosecuredatarelatingtothelevelofacceptanceofnewinitiativesortolevelofsatisfactionbyfamilies,resultinginthemodestresponsesregardingtheimpactofinterventionsonfamilies


(seeFigure13).Inconsequence,itissuggestedthatprojectschools,whoarebetterplacedtointeractpurposefullywithfamilieswhereSENissuesprevail,maintainthisKPIasanagendaitemintheirpost-projectsustainabilityplanning.

KPI4 IndividualKPIdescriptor N=1 Frequencyofopportunitiesofferedtofamilies 23

2 Qualityofinterventions 16

3 Leveloftakeupby‘SENDfamilies 12

4 Levelofsatisfactionbyfamilies 4

Figure13:RankingofKPIcharacteristics(KPI4)Irrespectiveof the reservations regardingdata shortcomings,whatevidence thathasbeenforthcomingissufficienttohighlightwhatonecoachintheprojectreferredtoas‘greenshootsofadevelopingengagementwithfamilies’(C5).Itisnoticeable,insupportofthisview,thattheworkundertakenaroundKPI4resultedinawiderrangeofopportunitiesforfamiliestoengagewithschoolsonmattersrelatingdirectlytoSEN.Theproject’sSENCOswereexplicitinnoting this as both an important activity area, but also as onewhere they requiredmorepersistent and multi-professional support. Responding directly to questions regardinginterventions,SENCOsindicatedawiderangeofpracticalstepshademerged–oftenresultingfrompaired school visits, inputs from their coach,or fromdiscussionwithcolleagues fromotherschoolsintheproject.Includedamongsttheideasweresuchthingsasa‘parentsspace’,the nomination of an SEN ‘representative’ for parents and families, school-homemessagebooks which highlighted achievements or positive behaviour, and more pro-active home-schoolvisitswheretheschooltooktheleadinplanningandcommunicating.OneSENCOstatedthatwhilst‘…we’vestillgotsomewaytogo,Ithinkthatwe’vemovedforwardsinmanywaysandIcanfeelthatsomeofourhard-to-reachfamiliesarenowonourradar’(J1).KPI5Identification,MonitoringandTrackingParticipantsintheprojectexplainedthattheyhadbenefittedfromsharinginSENidentificationandmonitoringapproachesfromtheinceptionoftheproject.TheSENReviewGuideprovidedaneffectiveandprovenstartingpointinthisrespect;itwasthereforeacknowledgedasatoolthatevokedfeelingsofconfidenceamongstthoseutilisingit.TheSENCOsbelievedittobeaviablemeansofexaminingschool-wideprovision,asitsapplicationwasstraightforwardandnottime-consuming.ThisperceptionaccountsinpartforthesubstantialreferencemadetotheSENReviewGuideintheinterviewnarratives(seeFigure14,below).

KPI5 IndividualKPIdescriptor N=1 Robustidentificationprocesses 28

2 Strengthenassessmentsystems 17

3 Monitoringandevaluationprocesses 15

4 Personalisedprogrammes 9

5 Provisionmaps 5

Figure14:RankingofKPIcharacteristics(KPI5)TheSENCOsinterviewedinferredthattheprojecthadenabledthemtopurposefullyexamineexisting process for identifying the needs of learners in their school and to make anyrefinements or adaptations to their system. The opportunity to engage in a structuredprofessionaldiscussionwithacoachorwithanSENleaderinapartnerschoolwaswelcomedasaneffectivewayofenablingthis.Forexample,oneSENCOstatedthat‘Iwasabletofully


explorethewaysthatweorganiseourSENteaching,rightfromthestageofprioritisingtheneedsofourchildren’(D1),withthisobservationbeingconfirmedbyasecondview,that‘Ihavetakenitasanopportunitytoreflectonhowwedothis(identification)andthathasbeenreallygoodasitsmeantthatI’vebeenabletomakesometweakstothings…andIthinkwe’vegotabettersystemasaresult’(M1).KPI6DevelopingprovisionResponsesregardingemergingideasandmoreformalplansacrossaspectsofSENprovisionintheschoolswasthemostfrequentlyidentifiedKPIareamentionedbyprojectparticipants.Inmany respects the KPI indicators in this thematic field demonstrate the interest andcommitmentof the schools tooverall sustainability. Key elementsof this,whichhadbeenfirmlyestablishedascoreaimsintheoriginalproposal,weretheemphasisonleadershipandtheemergenceofexplicitactionplanstoensurethattheresultsofthepeer-leddialoguesandcollaborationswithpartnerschoolsledtoconcretestepstomaintaintheworkoftheproject.Thus,Figure15(below)signalstheextenttowhichthesepreoccupationscharacterisedtheinterviewfeedbackandthedocumentaryevidencesecured.

KPI6 IndividualKPIdescriptor N=1 Commitmentoftheschoolleadershipteam 36

2 RobustlymonitoringbyschoolSLT,SENCOandSENleader 27

3 Detailedactionplaninplace 19

Figure15:RankingofKPIcharacteristics(KPI6)Verbatim evidence gathered from some school leaders supports this general picture. Oneindicatedthat‘…feedbackisthattheywillbecontinuingthisfocusonensuringthe‘ordinarilyavailableprovision’isinplace’(PC),anotherthat‘StrategicplanningincludingregulardeliveryforCPDinSENisnowbuiltintoourstrategy’(PC).TheSENCOsalsohighlightedapositiveviewoflikelyfutureactions;inoneschool,forexample,itwasstatedthat‘AsSENCOswearealreadythinkingof thebestwaysthat theworkwe’vedonecanbecontinued’ (E1).Finally,acoachindicatedthathehadseenSENCOs‘developintoaregularanddedicatedspaceforreflection,share more openly, provide complimentary space, and become more aware of their ownexpertiseandhowtheycouldsupporteachothergoingforward(theyhavebothresolvedtocontinuethevisitcyclethisyear)’(C2),acknowledgingboththecomplexnatureofchangeinSEN as well as the need to underwrite efforts in this area with a time and resourcecommitment.Value-for-Money:aKPIillustrationPreviouslyinthisEvaluationReportavalue-for-moneydimensionoftheproject’sactivitieshasbeen suggested, in respect of the generic impactof theproject’s activities.At this point asimilar illustration,withaccompanyingprovisos, canbeprovided.This representsa furtherindication of the extent to which this SSIF project is delivering value-for-money and costeffectiveness.Thus,thealgorithmusedisasfollows:(20sxPDI)=VFMunitperschool(wherePDI=professionaldevelopmentinput).ThePDIiscalculatedasfollows:3xcoachinginputs(notional,4.5days);2xmonitoringinputs(notional.5day);audittrainingactivity(.5day);projectplanningevent(.5day);regionalconference(1day)=7days.VFM=(20x7)=140(£187909)=£1342.20perschool.


Torestate,suchanestimationprovidesonlyacrudeheadlineindicatorofthebenefitsaccruedbyschoolsresultingfromengagementinworkacross6KPIareasthatmostwouldregardasvitalaspectsofeffectiveSENprovision.Thishasprovided179identifiedpracticalchangesinSENworkorganisationanddelivery(anditsassociatedpractices)intheschoolsinvolved.Itisarguedthattheglobalsumperschoolrepresentsasubstantivelymorecost-effectivedirectionofscarcepublicfunds.Themodeladopted,therefore,iswellworthfurtherinterrogationandlonger-term scrutiny todetermine its capacity todeliver sustainable impact in eachof thetargetedKPIareas.Strengths&ChallengesTheevidencepresentedinthisEvaluationReporthighlightssignificantlearninggainsineachof theKPI thematic areas integral to theproject. Thispenultimate section summarises thestrengthsoftheapproachtaken,fromtheperspectiveofindividual,schoolandsystem-widestakeholders.Italsodealswiththechallengesencounteredinsecuringappropriateevidenceforthejudgementsmadeandtheprovisostobeconsideredwhenconsideringtheanalysesandinterpretationsmade.Thissummationadoptsaninterpretativestyle,itssuggestedareasofstrengthbeingdistilledfromtheevidencebaseutilisedelsewhereintheprojectevaluation.Inmappingtheapparentstrengthsandchallengesinthiswayitisimportanttorecognisethatan overwhelming body of data-led evidence suggested that the project’s strengths faroutweighedanyperceivedweaknesses.StrengthsIndividualSupportingprofessionaldevelopment–a featureof thisaspectofprojectorganisationandfunctioningisthatteachersfeltthatsupportavailabletothemwasconsistent,highqualityanddirectedtowardstheneedsthattheyhadbeenabletoself-identify.RefiningSENskills/practices–theteachersbelievedthattheyhadacquiredfurtherskillsandinsightsregardingtheirownSENpracticewhichwasalreadyinstrumentalinenablingchangesinprovisionandimpactsonpupilswithSENEnhancingreflectivepractices–thegrowthofawarenessregardingthepracticaluseofpeer-drivenreflectivepracticeisenablingtheseteacherstomovebeyond‘headlines’andtothinkmoredeeplyabout(forexample)moretargetedassessmentsinSEN,linkedtoasubsequentteachingintervention.Inputs&engagementwithallKPIs–enabledfurtherconsiderationofthesystemicnatureofSEN, and that – in keeping with theoretical and evidence-based models that inform thisthinking–teachersboughtintoawork-planwhichaddressed6interrelatedKPIs.Practising & modelling peer support – engagement with a coach in a supportive and yetchallengingmanner provided a model of practice which could be grown within individualschoolswiththedevelopmentofpersonallyacquiredcoachingskills.


Developingcollaborative/sharedpractice–allprojectschoolsillustratedawillingnesstoshareemergingeffectivepracticewithina ‘communityofprofessional learning’,directedtowardsSEN issues but (importantly) with value-added benefits to teaching and learning acrosscurriculumsubjects/specialistareas.Growing leadership skills – the school SENCOs in this project were unequivocal inacknowledging professional growth as middle and/or senior leaders in their schools; inrecognising this these teachers mentioned empowerment and professional confidenceresultingfromheightenedawarenessandskill/knowledgelevelsasunderpinningfactors.Well-being–theparticipantsrecognisedthatinvolvementinthevariousactivitieshasgiventhemasenseofgreatersatisfactionintheirwork,andforsomethiswasnotedasresultinginlesswork-relatedstressSchoolDevelopingcommunityofprofessionallearning–thiswasamajorimpactfeatureoftheprojectandwasconsistentlyhighlightedbyallthestakeholders.Further,itwasviewedasanimportantfactorinensuringresilienceandsustainabilityofexistingactivitiesinthefuture.Linkingtoschooldevelopmentplanning–therewasanotableinferencethattheprojectwas,in many schools, firmly linked to existing school improvement intentions and to futuredevelopmentplanning.TheroleofSENCOinmakinginputstothesewasrecognised.Enhancingwell-being&linkstoretention–theproject’sfocusona‘communityoflearning’enabledasupportiveprofessionalenvironmenttoberecognised,grownorenhancedintheprojectschoolswhichmayhaveaninferentialimpactonteacher-retentionbeyondSENSupportedpractices indistributed leadership– severalprojectparticipants recognised thatawarenessandskilldevelopmentrelatingtoSENprovidedacatalysttogreaterengagementindecision-makingprocessesand considerationof shared responsibility for this across schoolstaffs.Whole-schoolSENdevelopment–illustratedbytherecognitionthatnon-SENspecialistclassteachers (Primary) and subject-teachers (Secondary) were an important contributor toprovisionandkeyplayersinsupportingindividualpupilprogress.Cost effectiveness – a high number of participants commented that the project activitiesrepresentedpractical,evidence informedopportunitieswhichbroughtconcretebenefits toschooldeliveryofSENprovisionwithfarlessnegativeimpactontheirtimeorperformanceoftheirregularlyassignedduties.Potentialforsustainableactions–therewasaconsistentacknowledgementthatwholeschoolswould commit to taking forward the project’s collaborative, cluster-based and/or peer-ledapproachesinthefuture,inrespectofbothSENandmorewidelyinotheraspectsofschoolprovision.


SystemEnablingprofessionaldevelopmentbasedonpaired(peer-led)practice–theprojectmodelofpeer-supported individual and whole-school development has implications for morewidespread,genericCPDacrosssystems.Itenablesnewinsightsandcommonunderstandingstobegeneratedandinhibitssilo-thinkingregardingfundamentalfeaturesofschools’deliveryofeffectiveteachingandlearningforallpupils.Costeffectiveness–atatimeofsignificantbudgetaryrestrictionandprojectedfutureshortfall,the project’s capacity to economically deliver substantive practical benefits to its partnerschoolscanprovideapositivemodelforsystem-wideadoption.Connecting to LA strategic planning – effective school-based projects need to be securelyconnectedtotheoverallvisionandstrategicplanoftheLAtoretainmomentumandfocus.ChallengesConcernoverexternaljudgements–someparticipantsexpressedinitialconcernregardingtheproject approach, and an initial circumspection regarding the merits/value of the peer-coachingthatwastobecentraltoprojectdelivery.Carefullystructuredexplanatoryinputsandtrainingonthepartoftheprojectteamlimitedtheextentofthistothefirst fewweeksofproject operation. Subsequently, following the initial visit to a school by the coach it wasevidentthatanyreluctancetoparticipateopenlyandfullywassignificantlydiminished.Teacherwork-load–therewasonlyasuperficialindicationbyparticipatingSENCOsthattheprojectwouldaddtotheirexistingworkload.Theinceptionphaseoftheprojectperformedanessentialfunctioninenablingparticipantstoobtainexamplesofthebenefitsofthepairedworktheywouldbeundertaking, so thatwhat reservationswereexpressed in this respectwereagainrestrictedtothe initialphase intheproject. Inaddition,theexternalevaluation itselfsought tobuild ina strong recognition that theproject schoolsarebusyplaces, and thoseworkingwithinthemhavepressingschedules.Itwasthereforeafeatureofthisevaluationthat(a)therewouldbenocomprehensivesurveyquestionnaire(b)allface-to-faceinterviewswiththe sample of SENCOs should be kept to amaximumof nomore that 30minutes and (c)requestsforadditionalinformation(e.g.fromschoolleadersandcoaches)shouldberestrictedtomanageableproportions.Thisapproach,whichisconsistentwithcurrentbest-practicesindatacapturefromtheprofessions,canresultingapsindatawhichcouldimpactonthequalityofevaluationinsightsprovided.Thepotentialforthisoccurringwasoffsetbyadoptingmixedmethodologyapproach,ensuringdatacapturefrommultiplecorroboratingsources.Impact assessment – some project participants expressed views that illustrated concernregarding the way that impact in certain KPI areas were to bemonitored and evaluated.Principal amongst these was that relating to pupil outcomes. Consistent with evidenceavailablefromschool-basedresearchelsewhereinEngland(seeEEF,2018),therewasaviewthatinterventioneffectinSENrequiredmonitoringoveranextendedperiodtogainareliableindication of impact – although a commonly held view was that informal and anecdotalevidencesuggestedthatpupilprogresswasbeingdemonstratedbyothermeans.


Durationoftheproject-thelengthoftheprojectandthepaceoflearningofSENDpupilsdonotlendthemselvestoshowthesignificantgainsinlearninginnationaldatacollections.Thus,greater reliance isneededonschool-based ‘assessment for learning’ rather thanexternallydirected‘assessmentoflearning’.


5.Implications&PotentialThefinalsection inthisEvaluationReportsummarisesthe implicationsandpotentialofthemodelandpracticesenshrinedwithintheoverallprojectapproachandinitsindividualactionsas specified in thework-plan. 5 areashavebeenhighlightedasoffering scope forongoingconsiderationanddevelopment.Theseareproposedfordiscussionpurposesandrepresentasetofsuggestionsratherthanrecommendations.Theyarealsothoseprojectcharacteristicswhichmaybestsupportaprocessofscaling-uptheapproachfollowed,sothatbenefitsmightaccrue for other schools/settings and geographical locations beyond the immediate stake-holdingcommunityofthepresentinitiative.MethodologyTheproject’sapproachoffersseveraladvantagestoitskeystakeholders.Itenabledafocustobe maintained on local school contexts, where an individual needs analysis using aprofessionally credible and authenticated instrument (the SEN Review Guide) was used tounderpinactionin6associatedKPIthematicareas.Eachofthesehaddistinctandmeasurabledimensions. Theengagementof school leaderswasanessential ingredient for successfullyachieving project targets and the corresponding buy-in by teachers was secured by theproject’sdemonstrationoftheground-level,practicalaspectsofSENprovisionintheschools.Theseprojectcharacteristics,allevidencedinthedatasecuredinthisevaluation,suggestthefutureinitiativesshouldbestructuredinsuchawaythatare:

o Leadershipdriveno School-based&school-ledo Builtaroundauthenticatedbaselinesenablingmonitoringofprogresso GearedtoidentifiedSENneedsofschoolso Sensitivetothe‘realworld’ofSENpractitionerso SupportivetothegrowthofacommunityofprofessionallearninginSENo Basedoncredible,expert-informedSENinputso CapableofmaximisingexistingSENskills/knowledgewithinschools/services

IndividualSchoolsParticipatingschoolswillderivethemostbenefitfromprojectactivitieswherethereiscleardirectionandseniorleadershipinvolvementforthedurationoftheproject.Theparticipatingschools should be recruited based on their expression of interest in the project theme:volunteer participation rather than externally selected by sampling. Schools will developprojectmomentumbyhavingsystematicandongoingcontactwithafacilitator(coach)whocandevelopasatrustedcolleague/discussant.Effectivepracticesarethosethathavebeenvalidatedelsewhereandhavebeensympatheticallyadaptedtoanewschoolcontext.SENstaffin school gain confidence and becomemore empowered when project actions are maderelevantbeyondexplicitlySENcontexts.Thesummativefeaturesdescribedaboveareexemplifiedinthedataobtainedinthisprojectandindicatethatschoolinvolvementinfutureprojectsshouldbe:


o Basedonself-selection/expressionofinteresto Informedbyprojecttopic&itsrelevancetoschooldevelopmentplanso Builtaroundcommitmentofschoolleaderso Structuredtomaximiseschool-to-schoolsupportandclusternetworkso Inclusiveofallstaffo Ledbyschoolso Connectedtoclearlydefinedbaselinesandoutcomemeasures

MATS&schoolclustersTheopportunitiesforscaling-upthebenefitsderivedfromthisSSIFprojectrepresentanotablevalue-addedaspectoftheaccomplishmentsthusfar.CertainfeaturesappearlikelytoprovideMATs and other clusters of more loosely affiliated schools with the necessary projectcomponents toenableaneffective initiative tobedevelopedanddelivered. Severalusefullessons,drawnfromtheexperiencesofpartners involved inthisSSIFprojectcanassistthisprocess.Amongsttheseare:

o Engagement&commitmentatexecutivelevelo Nominatedandresourcedresearchleado Agreedpractice-basedresearchprotocolforallstaff–includingterminologyo Developsystematicandaccessiblemixedmodesofinformationsharingo IdentifyleadschoolsfordesignatedSENskills/knowledgeo PromoteSEN-basedMATinitiativestogenericteachingaudienceso GenerateSEN&InclusiveEducationdevelopmentplanbasedoncurrentaudit

LAs&OrganisationsAparallelseriesofopportunitiestothosehighlightedabove(forMATs)areavailabletosystem-widegroups(whetherLAsororganisationswithacommonthematicinterest).Again,effectiveproject delivery is likely to be driven by commitment from leaders and a willingness todemonstrateasharedapproachtodecision-makingandresponsibility.Forsuchorganisations,italsoappearsessentialthataconnectionismaintainedbetweentheleadpartner’smotivationand the realities experienced by school-based practitioners. These needs to be articulatedthroughoutthedurationoftheproject.Summarycharacteristicsofpotentialatsystem-widelevelinclude:

o Connectiontoexistingandanticipateddevelopmentplan(s)o Directinvolvementoforganisationleader(ship)o FacilitatingknowledgeandpracticeexchangeinSENo Specialistinputsvialocal/regionalSENnetworkso Commitmenttosustainabilityplanning

Dissemination&sustainabilityA feature of project delivery that is sometimes overshadowed or at best included as anafterthoughtisthemechanismtoensureappropriatedisseminationandsustainabilityoftheproject’s actions/resources and results. The following features appear to be relevantunderpinningsforthemosteffectiveattributes:

o MaximisinguseofallSENnetworks(e.g.nasen)


o Extendreachtowidereducationalnetworkso Agreeddissemination&sustainabilitystrategy&plan(withindicators)o Nominateleadpartner/individualtosupportdissemination&sustainabilityplanningo StrategicallytargetkeySENevents(inc.conferences)o Identifyappropriatemedia(includingwww)o ConnecttokeyinfluencersinSEN


ReferencesAustralianCouncilforEducationalResearch(2016)AGuidetoSupportCoachingandMentoringforSchoolImprovement.Camberwell,Vic:ACERBERA(2018)EthicalGuidelinesforEducationalResearch(4thEdition).Availableathttps://www.bera.ac.uk/researchers-resources/publications/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018[Accessed9January2019]Bowman-Perrott,L.&Davis,H.,Vannest,K.,Williams,L.,Greenwood,C.&Parker,R.(2013).AcademicBenefitsofPeerTutoring:AMeta-AnalyticReviewofSingle-CaseResearch.SchoolPsychologyReview.42.39-55.CUREE(2009)Schoolleadershipandstudentoutcomes:IdentifyingwhatworksandwhyAvailableat:http://www.curee.co.uk/files/publication/1260453707/Robinson%20Summary%20Extended%20Version.pdf[Accessed9January2019]DepartmentforEducation(2015)SpecialeducationalneedsanddisabilityCodeofPractice:0-25years.London:DfEEducationEndowmentFund(2018)AssessingandMonitoringPupilProgress.Availableathttps://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/assessing-and-monitoring-pupil-progress/measuring-impact/[Accessed8January,2019]Elliott,J.(2005)UsingNarrativeinSocialResearch.London:SagePublicationsEllis,S.,Tod,J.&Graham-Matheson,L.(2012)Reflection,RenewalandReality:Teachers’ExperienceofSpecialEducationalNeedsandInclusion.Rednal:NASUWT.TheGuardian(2017)SecretTeacher:fundingcutsleaveusunabletohelpSENchildreninschool’.2December.Availableathttps://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2017/dec/02/secret-teacher-funding-cuts-leave-us-unable-to-help-sen-children-at-school[Accessed10January2019]Hinds,D.(2018)SpeechtotheAssociationofDirectorsofChildren’sServices,Manchester5July.Lofthouse,R.,Leat,D.&Towler,C.(2010)Coachingforteachingandlearning:apracticalguideforschools.Reading:CfBT.LondonLeadershipStrategy(2016)TheSENDReviewGuide.Availableonlineathttp://londonleadershipstrategy.com/content/send-review-guide[Accessed5January2019]Nelson,J.,P.Mehta,J.SharplesandC.Davey.(2017).MeasuringTeachers’ResearchEngagement:FindingsfromaPilotStudy.London:EducationEndowmentFoundation.


Availableat:https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/our-work/resources-centre/research-use-survey/.[Accessed9January2019]Parsons,S.andPlatt,L.(2013)Disabilityamongyoungchildren:Prevalence,heterogeneityandsocio-economicdisadvantage.CLSWorkingPaper2013/11.London:CentreforLongitudinalStudiesRitchie,J.&Lewis,J.(2003)QualitativeResearchPractice.London:SagePublicationsLtdWarnock,M.(1978)SpecialEducationalNeeds.ReportoftheCommitteeofEnquiryintotheEducationofHandicappedChildrenandYoungPeople.London:HMSOWorth,J.,DeLazzari,G.&Hillary,J.(2017)TeacherRetentionandTurnoverResearch:InterimReport.Slough:NFER.


Annexes1.ResearchFormat/Instruments(i)SENCO/SENLeadersemi-structuredquestionnaireDISCUSSIONSCHEDULE/INFORMATIONONPROCESSIhopetovisitasampleofschoolsinvolvedintheproject.Myvisitisintendednottobeonerous:hopefullyitwillallowopportunityforfurtherhelpfulreflectionontheprogressmade.Iamnotvisitingto‘inspect’or‘evaluate’teachersorschools:mypurposeistoobtaininsightsonthewaythattheprojectisoperating,withanemphasisonitssuccesses.Iwouldliketospendabout30-40minutesinconversationwiththeSENCO,ornominatedparticipant.TheconversationwillfocusonSIXkeyareashighlightedbelowandseekyourviewsonaspectsofeach.Alltheinformationcollectedwillbestrictlyconfidential,anditsusewillguaranteetheanonymityofallparticipants.Icanbecontactedeitherbyemailormobilephoneifanyqueriesariseinrelationtothisprocess.ContentareasIMPROVINGOUTCOMES(Keysuccesses?Areasfordevelopment?Exemplarsofeffectivepractice?)LEADERSHIP(ChangesinSENDorientation?MiddleleadershipdevelopmentinSEND?Sharedleadershipskills?)TEACHING&LEARNING(Keyinitiativesundertaken?Associatedtraining?TargetedapproachesinSEND?)ENGAGINGWITHFAMILIES(Effectiveengagementstrategies?Dealingwith‘barriers’?Concreteexamples?EFFECTIVENESSOFASSESSMENT/IDENTIFICATION/INTERVENTIONETC(Focusseduseofpupildata?AfL?)WHOLE-SCHOOLSENDPROVISION&SUSTAINABILITY/KNOWLEDGETRANSFER(Promoting‘buyin’?Impact?)(ii)Correspondence–coaches&school/MATleadersAsampleofcoachesandschoolleadersandMATCEOswasidentifiedtoprovideanoverviewpictureoftheproject’sactivities,fromtheirperspectiveofexecutiveresponsibilityforwholeschools/groupsofschools.Recognisingtheheavywork-loadexperiencedbythesegroups,thisrequestforinformationwasrestrictedtoarequesttoprovidefeedbackon2aspectsofprojectdelivery,asindicatedinthefollowingcorrespondenceextract:IaspartoftheexternalevaluationofthePortsmouthTSASENDprojectIwouldbeGratefulifyoucouldprovideabriefresponsetothefollowing2questions-fromyourperspectiveasSchoolLeader:Hastheprojecthadadiscernibleimpactonpupilattainment(social&academic)?WhatotherpracticalbenefitshaveresultedsofarfromtheprojectI'dbehappytogiveyouashortphonecall,oralternativelyyoumayprefertorespondinwriting.Allresponsesaretreatedinstrictconfidence&anonymity


2.ProjectSchools–summaryofevidencesourcesSchool Phase SENCO

feedbackCoachFeedback

SchoolVisit

AUDIT

A S Y YB S Y YC S Y Y YD P Y Y YE P Y Y Y YF P Y YG P Y YH P Y YJ P Y Y YK P YL P Y YM P Y Y YN P/S YO S Y YP P Y YQ P Y YR P Y Y YS P Y Y YT P YU P Y Y Y


Annex3.ProjectWorkPlanTerm Date Activity Action SENLeaders

HalfT

erm1

Friday12.01.18Allday

SENDReviewerTraining.TLC LedbyDavidBartram,AlisonRobb-Webb

Friday26.01.188.00am–9.00am

BreakfastBriefingforHeadteachersandChairsofGovernors

Friday26.01.18.00am–12.00pm

SENCOTrainingforparticipatingschools AttendtrainingforSENCOs

29thJanto9thFeb Schoolsconductselfevaluation:SENaudit

CompletedbySENCO+SLTInputfromschoolstaff,pupils,parents

HalfT

erm2

12thFeb–23rdFeb AnalysisofSchoolAudits LedbyDavidBartram Receivecopiesofauditsofallocatedschools

ByendofFeb SchoolspairedandSENleadersallocated LedbyDavidBartramandSophieVenables

Familiarisationwithschoolsaudits,Ofsted,data,SIPetc..

ByendofSpringTerm Schoolsvisitone(fullday).Coachesvisiteachschoolseparatelytoreviewselfevaluationandcreateasharedvisionofplannedlongtermoutcomesbytheendofthevisit.ToincludeidentificationofanyCPDneeds,additionalsupport(SLE/PSENSP)

Coachescompletevisitlog:summaryandimpactofvisit,keypointsfortheschooltoaddress

LeadvisitSummarytoDavidBartram

HalfT

erm3

FirsthalfofSummerTerm QAactivitycommences(LesleyCox/DavidBartram)

VisittoeachschoolwithSENCO+SLTmemberminimum

FirsthalfofSummerTerm Schoolsvisittwo(halfday).Coachesvisiteachschoolseparatelytoreviewprogressandagreeshorttermactions/identifyanyCPDneeds

Coachescompletevisitlog:summaryandimpactofvisit,keypointsfortheschooltoaddress

LeadvisitSummarytoDavidBartram

23rdApril2pm–4pm

NetworkingforSENLeaders1hour+1hourseparatefollowonsessionwithSENCOs

Coachesproblemsolvetogether.SENCOsessiontofocusonsharing/planningjointprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesetc..

DavidBartramtochairfirstsessionSENLeaderstoleadPart2sessionwithSENCOS

HalfT

erm4 4thJune–8thJune Schoolsvisitthree(halfday).Coaches

visiteachschoolseparatelytoreviewprogressandagreeshorttermactions/identifyanyCPDneeds

Coachesvisiteachschoolseparatelytoreviewprogressandagreeshorttermactions/identifyanyCPDneeds


SecondhalfofSummerTerm

QAvisitstoschools(LesleyCox/DavidBartram)


HalfT

erm5

FirsthalfofAutumnTerm Schoolsvisitfour(fullday)Coachesvisiteachschoolseparatelytoreviewprogressandagreeshorttermactions/identifyanyCPDneeds

Coachesvisiteachschoolseparatelytoreviewprogressandagreeshorttermactions/identifyanyCPDneeds

September2018Datetbc

NetworkingforSENLeaders1hour+1hourseparatefollowonsessionwithSENCOs

Coachesproblemsolvetogether.SENCOsessiontofocusonsharing/planningjointprofessionaldevelopmentactivitiesetc..

SENLeaderstoleadbothpartsofthesession

September/earlyOctoberDatetbc

ProjectleadbringsschoolsandSENLeaderstogethertoQAprogressandlearningsofarandtoplancarouselsforSENRegionalEvent

LedbyDavidBartram/SophieVenables

SENLeadersattend

3rdSept–20thOct ProjectEvaluatorschools Involvesschoolstaff,pupils,parents,otherrelevantagencies

HalfT

erm6

Thursday8thNovallday RegionalSENDCPDEvent.CompulsoryforallparticipatingschoolsandSENLeaders

Participatingschoolspresentingincarouselformat

SENLeadersattendingandsomepresenting

SecondhalfofAutumnTerm

Schoolsvisitfive(fullday)Coachesvisiteachschoolseparatelytoreviewandevaluateprogressandidentifynextsteps

Coachesvisiteachschoolseparatelytoreviewprogressandagreenextsteps

SecondhalfofAutumnTerm

QAvisitstoschools(LesleyCox/DavidBartram)


portsmouth tsa send project

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