Post-16 settings

Post-16 settings are required to publish information about how they provide support to students with special educational needs and disabilities.

Post-16 locations

Other specialist settings should be contacted directly.

Higher Education locations

Additional colleges and training providers are listed on the Plymouth Online Directory.

What are post-16 settings expected to provide?

The information contained in this document, produced in consultation with post-16 providers, sets out how providers are expected to use delegated budgets to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are met.

This information is significant because it can be used as a base from which to create a shared understanding between young people, families, settings and the local authority in respect of:

improving progress and securing better outcomes
clarity about what parents can expect schools to provide, for example, at SEN Support
a reference point for ensuring that requests for EHC plan needs assessments are appropriate

Identifying the particular SEN of children and young people

Best practice approaches and provision detailed below are already in place in the majority of Plymouth post-16 settings; there is an expectation that these will be in place in all Plymouth post-16 settings.

Post-16 settings will:

Monitor the progress of all students; some young people with SEN can be identified at birth. Other difficulties only become evident as young people grow and develop
Listen to the young person
Listen to parent / carers
Be able to distinguish between students who may need some support within the learning environment and within the differentiated curriculum, and students with Special Educational Needs
Identify barriers to learning using their knowledge and understanding of the four primary areas of need; the areas of need are:
- Communication and interaction
- Cognition and learning
- Social, emotional and mental health difficulties
- Sensory and/or physical
In consultation with parents / carers and the young person, decide whether SEN support is required and carry out a further assessment to identify barriers to learning and the nature of difficulties
Pay regard to advice and information from parents / carers, the student and previous settings at transition points; liaising as necessary to continue the use of successful strategies and approaches
Provide teaching and support staff with comprehensive guidance around identification processes
Have clear processes for staff, students and parents / carers to raise concerns
Refer to appropriate checklists and information around the different SEN areas of need
Use a range of appropriate screening and assessments to identify needs
Gather evidence around a young person's needs
When appropriate, seek advice from advisory services and outside agencies, for example, Educational Psychologists, CAMHS, therapists etc. in order to gain a better understanding of a student's needs
Ensure that there is a named person with oversight of SEN provision to ensure coordination of support similar to the role of SEN coordinator in schools
Ensure that the named person with oversight of SEN provision contributes to the strategic and operational management of the college
Inform students and parents / carers when they are making special educational provision and have processes in place for them to provide feedback on the provision
Inform students when they are making special educational provision for them and have processes in place for the students to provide feedback
Identify the nature of each student's SEN needs; sometimes a young person can have needs in more than one area which requires an individualised approach
Regularly review their SEND records and other processes used for identifying and making needs known

Consulting with parents of disabled children with SEN and disabled young people with SEN or disabilities

It is important that all professionals listen and understand when parents / carers express concerns about young people. They should also listen to and address any concerns raised by young people themselves.

Post-16 settings should provide regular progress updates for parents / carers and young people.

Post-16 settings will:

Make arrangements for providing parents / carers, and young people with SEN or disabilities with advice and information about matters relating to SEN and disability
Ensure decisions are informed by the insights of parents and young people themselves
Inform parents / carers and students when they are making special educational provision and have processes in place for engagement with students and their families to provide feedback on provision
Ensure students, parents / carers are fully aware of the planned support and interventions and, where appropriate, plan to seek parental / carer involvement to reinforce or contribute to progress at home
Ensure a clear date for reviewing progress is agreed and the student, parent / carer and teaching staff are clear about how expected outcomes will be reached
Be aware that parents / carers, young people and settings have specific rights to request an assessment for an EHC plan and young people and their parents /carers should feel able to tell their setting if they believe they have or may have SEN
Carry out annual reviews through an appropriate person centred processes
Identify aspirational key outcomes and secure appropriate provision to achieve those outcomes
Hold regular meetings, with the student and parent / carers, as appropriate, to discuss progress
Establish processes to facilitate feedback from all students, including those with SEN, e.g. student voice, student forums and setting councils
Develop an appropriate person-centred approach to put the young person and their family at the heart of planning and reviewing provision
Encourage the active participation of the student and their family

Securing the services, provision and equipment required by children and young people with SEN or disabilities

Best practice approaches and provision detailed below are already in place in the majority of Plymouth post-16settings; there is an expectation that these will be in place in all Plymouth post-16 settings.

Post-16 settings will:

Promote the health and well-being of each young person by supporting them to enrichment activities
Use their best endeavours to make sure that a student with SEN gets the support they need from within the setting's own resources
Carry out their duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010
Review attendance and exclusion data for SEN students
Understand the processes that govern access to external support services and agencies and access the training and support that they can offer their staff
Where appropriate, seek further advice from advisory services and outside agencies about removing barriers to learning linked to different areas of need
Pay regard to the criteria, and understand the processes, for accessing additional funding held by the Local Authority in its High Needs block to provide additional support for young people with an exceptional level of need

Supporting disabled children and young people and those with SEN in moving between phases of education and preparing for adulthood and independent living

Post-16 settings will:

Pay regard to advice and information from parents / carers and previous settings at transition points, liaising as necessary to continue the use of successful strategies and approaches
Provide young people with SEN or disabilities and their parents / carers with relevant advice and information
Develop an appropriate person-centred approach to all transitions from schools / settings, phases; the young person and family should be at the heart of the planning process
Engage with the local transition processes as appropriate
Begin transition planning as early as is required
Establish clear links with receiving and feeder schools or settings
Monitor the on-going transition process, building on previous assessments and reviews
Carry out annual reviews through appropriate person-centred processes
Identify aspirational key outcomes and secure appropriate provision to achieve those

Approaches to teaching, adaptations to the curriculum and the learning environment for children and young people with SEN or disabilities and additional learning support for those with SEN

Every post-16 setting is required to meet the SEND of the children or young people that they support

Post-16 settings will:

Ensure all students access good quality teaching which takes account of students' differing needs
Ensure a bespoke, tailored and personalised approach for individuals with complex needs
Use their best endeavours to secure the special educational provision called for by the young person's needs
Make appropriate use of the resources in their delegated budgets to support young people with additional needs
Recognise a young person's lack of adequate progress and review their needs. Some students may only need modifications to teaching approaches, classroom organisation or provision of ancillary equipment or resources as part of the differentiated curriculum
Differentiate lessons to match the student's level of learning
Have a consistent graduated approach to meeting student need by reviewing class teaching, access strategies and removing barriers to learning before developing a more personalised approach
Use their knowledge and understanding of the four primary areas of need to plan provision and to focus on interventions that are relevant and evidence-based
Refer to the comprehensive range of examples of best practice within Local Authority / relevant guidance documents. Tailor provision to provide an individualised support programme for more complex students
Where and when needed, seek further advice from advisory services and outside agencies about removing barriers to learning linked to different areas of need

Enabling available facilities to be accessed by disabled children and young people and those with SEN (this should include ancillary aids and assistive technology, including Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC))

Make appropriate use of the resources in their delegated budgets to support young people with additional needs
Use their best endeavours to make sure that a student with SEND gets the support they need
Carry out their duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010
Pay regard to the criteria and understand the processes for accessing the additional funding that the Local Authority holds in its High Needs block to provide additional support for students with an exceptional level of need

Assessing and reviewing pupils' and students' progress towards outcomes, including how schools work with parents and young people in doing so

Post-16 settings will:

Ensure that they have procedures in place for consulting and working with parents / carers and young people
Track and monitor student progress on a regular basis
Set up / review 'additional to' or 'different from' provision in the light of the information gathered
Identify aspirational key outcomes to achieve and steps to achieve these
Ensure robust use of setting data to identify and monitor progress of students with SEND
Ensure that every teacher / tutor is responsible for student progress in their own teaching group and feeds into wider setting processes that monitor student progress
Ensure that appropriate rates of progress are made in-line with the Common Inspection Framework and all staff are clear about what is expected and adjust practice accordingly
Have clear monitoring and assessment processes in place to support individual need
Evaluate the impact of interventions through pre- and post- assessment data analysis
Gather student feedback as part of the process to review interventions and provision
Hold regular parent / carer meetings, with the young person, as appropriate, to discuss progress
Regularly evaluate progress towards personalised targets with the young person
Regularly review and evaluate the impact of SEN provision on the progress, attainment and well-being of students with SEND
Track the progress of different student groups and cohorts - e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), dyslexic pupils, Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) etc.

Securing expertise among teachers, lecturers or other professionals to support children and young people with SEN or disabilities - this should include professional development to secure expertise at different levels; awareness, enhanced, specialist

Post-16 settings will:

Regularly audit and review staff training needs and provide relevant training
Use their best endeavours to secure the special educational provision called for by the young person's needs
Provide staff with information about effective strategies to use within their teaching group
Work to the principle that 'all teachers are teachers of students with special educational needs' to ensure that all teachers and staff will be equipped to deal with a diverse range of needs
Acknowledge the key role of the of the named person in the college with oversight of SEN provisioning providing professional guidance to colleagues and contributing to professional development
Ensure that the named person in the college / setting with oversight of SEN provision has designated time to fulfil their role adequately
Ensure all staff (both teaching and non-teaching) have had training to develop knowledge of the four areas of need and the nature of the difficulties linked to each area, including online training materials such as the Advanced Training Materials
Have clear systems in place for evaluating provision by reviewing staff expertise through methods such as audits of training needs and student observations

Assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of the education and training provision the local authority makes for children and young people with SEN or disabilities

Post-16 settings will:

Have clear systems in place for evaluating provision by reviewing staff expertise through classroom observations, and student progress.
Regularly review and evaluate the impact of SEN provision on the progress, attainment and well-being of SEN students
Review attendance and exclusion data for SEN students
Track the progress of different student groups and cohorts - e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), dyslexic pupils, Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD) etc.
Monitor the impact and success of specific interventions through comparison of pre- and post- intervention data
Maintain a dialogue with the Local Authority in order to inform evaluation of provision

The Local Authority will, through quality assurance, ensure that the processes described above are in place. This will include:

Supporting post-16 settings in assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of education and training provision
Ensuring annual reviews for students with EHC Plans take place and are of high quality
Supporting post-16 settings in developing effective SEN provision
Offering central and setting-based training
Responding to feedback from training and support to further enhance practice

Activities that are available to disabled children and young people and those with SEN, including physical activities and extra-curricular activities

Post-16 settings will:

Carry out their duties under the Equality Act 2010
Promote positive outcomes in the wider areas of personal and social development and ensure that the approaches used are based on the best possible evidence and are having the required impact
Promote the health and well-being of each young person by supporting them to access enrichment activities
Monitor SEN students' engagement with enrichment activities
Review accessibility plans regularly
Ensure that young people with SEND engage in the activities of the setting alongside students who do not have SEND

Supporting the emotional, mental and social development of disabled children and young people and those with SEN (this should include extra pastoral support arrangements for listening to the views of pupils and students with SEN and measures to prevent bullying)

Post-16 settings will:

Promote the health and well-being of each young person by supporting them to access enrichment activities
Regularly review and evaluate the impact of SEN provision on the progress, attainment and well-being of SEN students
Review attendance and exclusion data for SEN students
Provide a safe environment for young people and recognise that the well-being of all students includes physical, mental and emotional well-being as well as protection from abuse
Be aware that students may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest in many ways and have clear processes to support these needs
Be alert to other events such as bereavement and bullying which can lead to learning and / or mental health difficulties and have clear processes to support these needs
Assess students displaying disruptive or withdrawn behaviours to determine any underlying learning, communication or mental health difficulties
Ensure appropriate provision is in place, such as additional pastoral support for those students identified with social, emotional and mental health difficulties
Have in place clear processes to support young people, including how they will manage the effect of any disruptive behaviour, so it does not adversely affect other students
Regularly review their anti-bullying and behaviour policies
Establish processes to facilitate feedback from all students, including students with SEND, e.g. student voice
Have student forums, setting councils, student feedback processes in place as appropriate to the age of the young people
Where appropriate seek further advice from advisory services and outside agencies about removing barriers to learning linked to emotional, mental and social development

Plymouth's Local Offer is organised into four main categories covering the following age ranges:

Plymouth Local Offer homepage

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