Contents
Introduction
Below are some top tips to help you navigate through the summer term as a SENCo. This is not an exhaustive or statutory list and every SENCo will have different priorities according to their school context. However, this may provide a focus for the summer term, alongside the many other competing activities that are part of the SENCo’s day-to-day work (some planned and many often not!). Remember to pace yourself, set out a clear plan and be kind to yourself.
1. Statutory processes
Ensure any summer term EHCP reviews are booked well in advance, including those that are due in August. Send out invitations to attendees with plenty of notice and ensure that staff and other professionals submit their contributions for the review in good time.
2. Prioritise transitions
Carefully consider the transition plans for those leaving your setting, those starting at your setting in September and those who need enhanced in-setting transitions.
What is your universal offer in place to support transition for all? Remember it won’t just be those with identified SEND that would benefit from a carefully planned transition. Building relationships with key staff will be key. How can this be achieved during the summer term?
Consider who may need more targeted support through additional visits, photo books, social stories, visits to new classrooms or playgrounds at quieter times of the day, knowing where they will put their bag, which table they will sit at etc. Some schools invite key children in during the September INSET days to help them transition back into school after the long summer holidays when it’s quieter, with focused adult support.
Liaise closely with new settings to ensure they have a full picture of the needs of a child and how these can best be supported and ensure that you understand the needs of pupils joining your setting. Where possible, invite new settings to TAF meetings. Ensure that you involve the parents and the child in the transition process, meeting with any new parents and ensuring you have gathered as much information from them as possible.
Remember that as part of the transition process, you are also expected to transfer the whole SEND file to the new setting.
Further ideas and resources to support transition can be found here:
- Transition – Support for schools and settings (devon.gov.uk)
- Supporting school transitions | Resources | YoungMinds
3. Supporting pupils to engage with and access summer term events e.g. trips, residentials, sports day
Consider what additional preparation and support is needed to ensure all students can access these different activities successfully. What reasonable adjustments can be made to ensure full inclusion? Are staff aware of the barriers some children may experience in being able to access these activities and what can be done to support with this?
Liaise closely with parents and discuss ways in which they can support with the preparation too.
4. Additional support for exams (SATS, GCSEs, end of year tests)
You should have already identified individual access arrangements for statutory tests. Do all staff know what these arrangements are? Do the children/parents know what additional support they will be getting and who will be providing this support?
Which pupils will need additional support during end of year tests? What is the purpose of these tests and how can you ensure the child achieves their best?
Work in close partnership with parents to support them to know how best to support their child at home in the run up to and during the exams. For older students this may be around how they can support with revision at home. For all pupils, it may be around what parents can do to support with exam stress and anxiety.
Consider what emotional and mental health support is needed for pupils during exam times. Many can feel highly stressed, anxious and emotional. This may impact on their behaviour, either at home or school. They may find it more difficult to come into school. What support are you able to put into place in your setting to support with this?
5. Gather the views of others
The summer term is a good time to reflect on what has worked well this year and use this to inform provision and planning for next year.
Gather parent views about how well they think the school has supported their pupil with SEND. This could be done through a questionnaire, a google form or a coffee morning. This can sometimes be hard to hear but can also provide positive feedback and help inform improvements to practice.
Gathering pupil voice is also important and can be very insightful. Find out what they like about school, what is going well for them, if they feel well supported, what else may help them. There are various ways to do this depending on the age of the pupil, from questionnaires, to pictures, to scaling tools with happy and sad faces.
6. Review the impact of interventions
What interventions have been running this year? Look at the impact data and analyse which ones have had the most impact. Talk to the staff who have been responsible for delivering the interventions and find out what has worked well, any barriers, further training needs etc. Use these reflections, along with your knowledge of the pupils needs, to plan which interventions you will offer next year. Consider whether any new interventions are needed and use evidence-based research to inform your decisions.
7. Celebrate all that has been achieved this year in terms of supporting pupils with SEND.
This year may have seemed long and perhaps a bit of a slog, but it is important to pause and reflect on all that you, and the staff team, have achieved over the year, especially in relation to supporting pupils with SEND and improving their experiences and outcomes. Don’t forget about the children’s achievements too! Take time to consider all the positives and successes from this year; perhaps do this together with the whole staff. Consider how this could be communicated with the wider school community e.g. through a newsletter or a display board. It’s important to highlight the strengths and talents that our pupils with SEND have and celebrate everything that they have achieved. Rather than doing this as SEND specific, it may become a whole school celebration of strength, talent and achievement.
8. Attend the new SEND profile tool workshop
This workshop will introduce you to the new SEND profile tool that is being launched in Devon in the Autumn term. The purpose of this tool is to provide an overview of your school’s SEND data, and guidance around how to use this to inform and develop your whole school SEND provision and practices.
9. Plan ahead for September and beyond
Consider the needs of your pupils for next year, including those with EHCPs. Review your SEND register and update it ready for September. What implications does this have for provision, staff CPD, TA deployment, resources etc?
Discuss these needs with your Head Teacher/SLT and business manager to ensure they understand what support/provision is required. Where possible, try to be involved in the decision making process around staffing structure as this will impact on pupils with SEND.
Carefully consider your priorities for the new academic year. Use the SENCo calendar to help plan your time effectively.
Carefully plan induction for new staff in September. When will this happen? What information do they need to have?
What SEND input do you need to give at the start of the new academic year?
10. Look after yourself
Remember that it is important to look after yourself. As a SENCo it can be tempting to say “yes” to everything and to want to do everything. However, this isn’t possible, nor is it your job – remember you are the SEN-CO not the SEN-DO. Make sure you establish clear working boundaries (e.g. what time you will leave school, checking emails outside of school) and stick to these as best you can. Ensure you prioritise your own wellbeing and factor in time at evenings or weekends to do the things you like doing.
Finally make sure you get a good rest over the summer holidays so that you are refreshed and ready for September!