The Inclusion Support Advisory Service began support in schools in September 2024.
Our service will actively promote the nurture, participation and achievement of all children and young people by proactively responding to their unique characteristics, strengths, needs, choices, and aspirations by:
- Championing all children and young people so they achieve, thrive, and fulfil their potential regardless of background, identity, ability, or circumstance.
- Actively removing barriers to children and young people’s participation, to ensure a high quality, meaningful learning experience and a sense of belonging that will prepare them well for their next stage in life or adulthood.
- Working together to promote high levels of equity, equality of access, opportunity and excellence whilst recognising and celebrating diversity
- Working in co-production with children, young people, and their parents / carers, so they can participate in decision making.
- Responding to individual need and valuing the contribution of all.
Key areas of focus:
The focus of the new service and delivery will be to work on a more strategic and training-based approach while allowing targeted and specialist support when necessary.
- Increase in the understanding of inclusive practice and expectations around children with SEND at a senior, strategic level, including leadership teams and governors.
- Advise and support on clarity of need and provision required.
- Increase SENDCo development and support.
- Increase in county-wide options to develop training and support for schools.
- Reduce the volume and frequency of exclusions, suspensions and part time-timetables to ensure inclusion and best outcomes for all children and young people.
This will be achieved by:
- Developing the skills and understanding of whole school teams.
- Engaging families as partners in education.
- Supporting our schools to actively promote diversity.
- Supporting the development of inclusive policy and practice.
- Engaging and linking support across other agencies.
- Strengthening and aligning offers and approaches to develop inclusive practice.
- Analysing, measuring and regularly responding to the impact of support.
Impact measures:
- Inclusion framework: The aim of this Inclusion Framework is to facilitate useful and constructive discussions to inform whole school and education setting development. The sections within this cover: leadership & management, Ethos & environment, curriculum teaching & learning, identifying need and monitoring impact, pupil voice, staff health & wellbeing, targeted & specialist support & intervention, parents & carers.
- Whole school provision mapping: Actively support schools to evaluate provision as a whole school, including planning for cohorts that are going to transition into school, impacting on effective transition processes to support children be successful.
- Targeted & Specialist referral system: When there is a concern about the inclusion of a child linked to a specific area of need (as described in the SEND Code of Practice) and where it is evident that the school has followed the Graduated Response but there has been limited impact, specialist support and/or advice may be appropriate through a referral to the Inclusion Support Advisory Service (ISAS). The issues may be leading to the child or young person struggling with their attendance at school or they may be at risk of exclusion.
- Individual and/or small group advice and strategies will be provided, by an Inclusion Support Advisory Teacher (ISAT), using a person-centred planning approach. Advice will be offered across the 3 of the 4 broad areas of need as described in the SEND Code of Practice: Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). Advice and strategies will be reviewed regularly in line with the Graduated Response but will also focus on upskilling and advising school staff on best inclusive practice.
- Inclusion Support Advisory Teachers will work in partnership with schools and settings to support in implementing inclusion in the school environment for identified children as well as how the support can increase the inclusive capacity of the school. Specialist training and professional development for school staff will be on offer.
- Inclusion response team to support complex cases, vulnerable pupils at risk of exclusion and schools that are struggling.