The SEND Graduated Response guidance is intended to be used as a tool for schools and settings and those partner agencies working with them and has been created in collaboration with SEND professionals, parents and carers and young people.

The guidance has been designed to help ensure children and young people across the County with Special Educational Needs reach their full potential. It sets out Local Authority expectations for the ways in which all schools and settings should meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.

We have worked with partners, including parents and carers, to produce an Understanding the Graduated Response document, to guide and inform parents, carers and young people.

Understanding the Graduated Response (PDF)

This Herefordshire & Worcestershire SENDIASS video explains more

All early year’s providers must have a clear approach to assessing children’s special education needs and/or disabilities (SEN/D), and this approach should be understood and followed by the whole staff team within group settings. The early years special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) within a setting should take the lead in supporting practitioners to identify children with delayed development at the earliest opportunity. This should be part of the setting’s overall approach to monitoring the progress and development of all children. The graduated response cycle should be initiated when a child is not making adequate progress despite high quality group provision planning. It is the settings approach to supporting children with SEN/D. The child and the family must be involved at all stages.

Individualised Planning Guidance https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-01/individualised_planning_guidance_2020.docx

EYFS Early Support tracking documents

The Early Years Inclusion team, in consultation with practitioners' from mainstream and specialist provisions have updated the EYFS Early Support documents to reflect the changes within the revised EYFS. 

Whilst the revised EYFS indicated that detailed tracking is not required for the majority of children meeting their milestones, tracking of children with significant delays and additional needs is still required as part of the Graduated Response Cycle. The documents include statements from the new Birth to Five Matters and Developmental Matters. We have also included the months of development within the documents as this aids parents understanding of the length of delays for the children with SEND and additional needs. The secure early support steps and stages will still be used by preschool forum and inclusion team to determine whether criteria has been met for inclusion funding and integrated assessments.

Download: Physical (Word document)

Download: Communication (Word document)

Download: PSED (Word document)

Download: Thinking (Word document)

Download: Early Support Tracking Overview - Example (PDF)

Download: Early Support Tracking Overview - Blank (PDF)

Download: Early support tracking sheet to be completed termly to chart progress over an academic year (Word document)

Download: The Full Graduated Response (PDF)

If you have any comments regarding the Graduated Response document please Email: sendimprovement@worcestershire.gov.uk

Post 16 education covers both formal education and formal training through study programmes and apprenticeships. This document is intended to be used as a tool for post 16 settings and those partner agencies working with them. It is also intended to be an information source for young people, their parents and carers to inform and guide in relation to the education of Young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Post 16 Graduated Response (PDF)

The cycle increases in detail and frequency to identify the best way of securing adequate progress for children and young people.

1. Assess Needs: All pre-school settings, schools and colleges should monitor and review the progress and development of all children and young people
   • high quality teaching, differentiated for each child or young person is the first step in meeting the needs of pupils who have or may have SEN
   • most children and young people can make progress if they are taught in this way
2. Plan: Where a child or young persons progress in an educational setting or school gives cause for concern trained staff should work in partnership with parents and carers to develop a plan to ensure make sure that children or young people with SEN or disability receive the support they need for their future learning and development
   • class and subject teachers, supported by the Senior Leadership Team should regularly assess progress for all children or young people
   • where a child or young person is falling behind or making inadequate progress (given their age and starting point) they should be given extra support
3. Do: This graduated response should be led and coordinated by the SENCO (or named person at a college who has oversight of SEND)
   • they will work with and support colleagues
   • parents and carers should be included at each stage of this cycle, so that they can say what they think and make suggestions about assessment and planning
   • parents and carers should be made aware of Intended outcomes; they should be included in any review of progress in achieving these outcomes
4. Review: A date should be agreed for reviewing the effectiveness of the support and the difference it has made to the child or young persons progress

Where a child or young person continues to make little or no progress, although support has been provided, early years providers, schools and colleges should ask outside professionals to provide help and advice. They can also help in identifying those pupils whose need for long term support is at a level where an EHC Plan might be needed.

Early Years providers, schools and colleges will need to track the difference made by any support offered to the child or young person; they will need to provide this information so that it can be used as evidence towards any EHC assessment (if needed).

These interventions are part of the support which is 'ordinarily available' through the Graduated Response. Find out what SEN support your child maybe given?

If your child or young person's school or setting can't meet their needs using the support, they usually offer to children who need extra help, the County Council may carry out a needs assessment for your child or young person. This is called an Education Health and Care Assessment or EHC assessment. When your child or young person's needs have been assessed a plan for meeting them may be drawn up. This plan is called an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).