A Day in the Life of… The SEND Department

Our day begins at 8.30am, with our team meeting in the Achievement & Inclusion (A&I) hub.  Our SENDCo, TA team and SEND admin team come together each week to share information on the progress and current needs of our SEND students and to discuss any matters which impact the team.  At Vandyke, we currently have 63 students with EHCPs and a further 89 students with SEND Support Plans, so there is always a full agenda!

At 9am, our SENDCo heads off to conduct an EHCP Annual Review meeting, with the student, parents and any other external agencies who have been invited.  Central Bedfordshire Council require an 8-week lead-up period for each review, and every one of our EHCP students must have a review in each academic year.  This 8-week period is spent gathering evidence from internal staff and any external agencies involved with the student, collating data and producing official paperwork.

At the same time, our team of TAs head out into school.  Some will be supporting students in classrooms, others will be leading Independent Supported Study (ISS) sessions in A&I, whilst others will be leading one-to-one interventions to support students with their literacy and numeracy skills.

Meanwhile, the SEND admin team are busy gathering information for external referrals. When a diagnosis for a condition such as ASD or ADHD is being sought for a student, schools are required to provide extensive feedback and evidence to external organisations such as CAMHS and the Edwin Lobo Centre.  We receive on average two to three referrals a week.

Once the Annual Review is over, our SENDCo heads straight into a TAC (Team Around The Child) meeting for one of our more vulnerable students.  A TAC meeting brings together parents, school staff and all other external services and professionals involved in supporting a child with particularly complex needs. Sometimes, the student themselves will also attend.  These meetings ensure that everyone has the same information regarding the student’s current needs, that everyone’s voice is heard, and that everyone is working together to achieve the best outcomes for the student.

This is a particularly busy time of year in the SEND department, as many TAs step out of the classroom to support exams. A growing number of students have Exam Access Arrangements which need to be supported. The process of securing Access Arrangements for students who need them is arduous, and our admin team spend a lot of time collecting extensive evidence, as required by the JCQ.

At break and lunchtimes, TAs head back to A&I to support our Nurture Group.  This is a safe space for students to come if the hustle and bustle of the outdoor areas feels too much.  Students get to practice their social skills, as they hand in their phones, engage in conversation and play board games and card games with their peers and our brilliant TAs.

Our SENDCo’s day is rounded off with a tribunal, which she attends online from her office.  This tribunal is taking place because the parents of a student are appealing against Central Bedfordshire Council’s decision not to assess their child for an EHCP.  This is a high stakes meeting which takes hours of preparation, as our SENDCo is required to complete numerous forms and legal documents, and provide substantial evidence to all parties involved.

At 3.30pm, TAs head home, while our SENDCo takes the opportunity to finally make some phonecalls and catch up with the many emails which have arrived throughout the day whilst she’s been in meetings!

There is never a dull moment in the SEND department at Vandyke, but we’re proud of our team and the outcomes we achieve for the students we support.