SEN and grammar schools

[yoyo123]

The funding for SEN is within the normal budget, so the old chestnut of supposedly beefing up the SEN register to get more funding is dead.

To apply for higher needs funding, you have to cost all the provision for the child and show that despite all the interventions they are not making progress.

Still trying to get my head around the new Code of Practice.

[exam2019]

Your answer makes me feel better as I have never quite understood what qualifies a child as SEN.
The huge variation is fascinating.
It would be really interesting to know if those children were registered before or after starting secondary ie if some schools are just really good at picking things up.
A SENCo friend of mine teaches every class in year seven at some stage of the year to help identify difficulties. Not sure if that’s common practice.
Does each pupil identified increase funding for SEN or is it included in the overall budget?

There’s more of an incentive for secondary schools to identify SEN and put reasonable adjustments in place to help get the best exam results. They actively seem to screen for dyslexia while primaries don’t (in my limited experience!). Our primary tries to discourage identification of Sen as much as poss so your friend’s school sounds great

The figures don’t specify EHCP versus SEN Support. I assume that it’s a combined figure?

Up to £6000 per pupil on SEN is supposed to be covered by the general sen pot delegated to schools by the local authority. Calculated on a complicated formula which includes pupil premium and free school meals figures. After that additional funding can be drawn down from the LA on the basis of need. Usually that means an EHCP but not always.

[yoyo123]

No, higher needs funding has to be applied for if the child is not making progress despite. the allocated budget. This has to be carefully costed, support 1:1 or small group, with TA or teacher etc. To apply for EHCP you gave tomprove that even with higher needs funding it is not enough.

I my experience, Primaries do test for dyslexia and on the whole are pretty good at the sort of multi-sensory approach which benefits all children, not just those with specific learning difficulties.

[exam2019]

To apply for EHCP you gave to prove that even with higher needs funding it is not enough

That's the received wisdom, but the law is more flexible and funding is not an essential criteria - particularly for parents who apply themselves. Schools do usually have to do this tho

[hel_tcw]

Interesting read for the grammar schools in Slough - that St Bernard's had the highest percentage of kids with SEN out of the 4 grammars here.

Both of mine go to St Bernard's - my ds was diagnosed with ASD when he was 6 (he is now in year 7, gets support from the sen department, but won't be getting extra time for his year 7 exams as they want a base line of his abilities. He did get extra time for both the 11+ exam and his SATs).

My dd was diagnosed with ASD *after* she started at St Bernard's however they treated her as if she did have it until we had a diagnosis (she was on the waiting list to be diagnosed whilst from the Jan of year 5 and was diagnosed in the Nov of yr7). She has just been sitting her year 9 exams and was offered extra time in some of her subjects.

Not sure if St B's gets more SEN kids cos of the pastoral care, I just know that my 2 are being given the support that they need (more so for my DS then my DD as he needs more) to do well.

[yoyo123]

To apply for EHCP you gave to prove that even with higher needs funding it is not enough

That's the received wisdom, but the law is more flexible and funding is not an essential criteria - particularly for parents who apply themselves. Schools do usually have to do this tho

I was wrong about this, you can have HNF and no EHCP and conversely have EHCP with no HNF.