Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision

Tools to support assessment of SEND needs in the early years

Help for early years providers: SEND assessment guidance and resources

The Help for early years providers: SEND assessment guidance and resources from the DfE provide a suggested way of working when assessing children with SEND in the early years. Whether you are a school-based provider, group-based provider or childminder, these resources can be used to support your children with potential or known SEND. You may want to use everything, or choose which specific elements will be helpful for your setting.

The resources include:

  • four assessment tools centred around the four broad areas of need
  • examples of how to use the assessment tools in practice
  • a one page profile to capture the voice of the child
  • SMART targets sheet to set short-term targets
  • support and achievement play plans (SAPPs) to capture a child’s long-term goals and needs

Help for early years providers: assessment tools

The four assessment tools within the help for early years SEND resources reflect the four broad areas of need, with a focus on the core skills children with SEND may gain in each area. You can use them at any stage of supporting a child, and they are designed to be used individually or together, based on the needs of a child. Help for early years providers : Using the assessment tools

Other assessment tools and resources

Development Matters

Development Matters is for all early years practitioners. It offers a top-level view of how children develop and learn. It can help you to design an effective early years curriculum, building on the strengths and meeting the needs of the children you work with. Development Matters – GOV.UK

Birth to Five Matters

Birth To 5 Matters will support practitioners in all their statutory responsibilities within the EYFS areas of learning and development and educational programmes, and to help children make progress.

Early Years Developmental Journal

The Early Years Developmental Journal from the Council for Disabled Children helps to identify early development and track progress.

A Celebratory Approach to SEND Assessment in the Early Years

The booklet provides templates, interactive links and videos and is available to be accessed nationally by practitioners. A Celebratory Approach to SEND Assessment in the Early Years | Pen Green Children’s Centre

The Evidence Store

Developed to support the DfE’s Stronger Practice Hubs programme, the Evidence Store from the Education Endowment Foundation has been designed to support Stronger Practice Hubs work with early years providers, but it can be used by everyone working in the early years.

The Evidence Store includes six key themes for young children’s learning and development. As a living resource, the store will be continually updated with additional evidence, written examples, and videos.

Communication and interaction tools and resources

Language

Autism

Cognition and learning tools and resources

SEMH tools and resources

Sensory and physical tools and resources

Tools and resources for parents