Other SEND Resources

This Guidance has been produced by Torbay LA. This guide is designed to provide information, responsibilities and guidance for SENDCOs and support SENDCOs in understanding the EHC Team’s shared vision, structure, and daily operations from September 2025 onwards.

All educational establishments (nurseries and pre-schools, schools and colleges) must have arrangements in place to identify SEND.

The SEND Code of Practice 2015 states,

All schools should have a clear approach to identifying learners with SEN. The benefits of early identification are widely recognised – identifying need at the earliest point and then making effective provision improves long-term outcomes for the child or young person. (SEND CoP 6.14)

Parents know their children best, and it is important that all professionals listen and understand when parents/carers express concerns about their child’s development. They should also listen to and address any concerns raised by children and young people themselves. (SEND CoP 5.5 & 6.20)

Slow progress and low attainment do not necessarily mean that a child has SEN and should not automatically lead to a pupil being recorded as having SEN.  However, they may be an indicator of a range of learning difficulties or disabilities. Equally, it should not be assumed that attainment in line with chronological age means that there is no learning difficulty or disability present. Some learning difficulties and disabilities occur across the range of cognitive ability and, left unaddressed may lead to frustration, which may manifest itself as disaffection, emotional or behavioural difficulties. (SEND CoP 6.23)

This process should include: 

• Clear routes for raising of an initial concern (this may be by the class teacher, parent/carer, child or young person, SENDCo, School or relevant specialist) that ensure parents / carers are included and kept informed
• All conserns raised being recorded by the educational establishment (nursery and pre-school, school or college)
• Robust processes in place to monitor and review every child/young person’s progress over time making reasonable adjustments/adaptations where necessary

SEND Support and Provision – Graduated Response toolkits

The Graduated Response, or Graduated Approach, is the process which must be carried out when there are concerns about a possible special educational need.

Torbay’s Graduated Response toolkits have been developed to ensure all partners work together to get the “right support in the right place at the right time” by the right people for every child or young person with special educational needs and disabilities.

Find out more about the following age specific Torbay Graduated Response toolkits:

• Torbay Early Years Graduated Approach Toolkit – children below age 5
• SEND Support and Provision (Graduated Response Toolkits) – children of compulsory school age (5 – 16)
• Age 16-18 SEND Support and Provision Toolkit

A SEND Support and Provision Toolkit for young people aged 19 – 25 is currently in the process of being developed and will be coming soon.

The Torbay SEND team have created this document to help with frequently asked questions.

Our goal is to streamline communication and provide you with quicker advice and support.

The progress of all groups of children has been a prominent issue for all schools since the introduction of the 2012 Ofsted inspection framework. Parents also want to see evidence of progress.

The issue of showing progress is particularly challenging for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as they tend to make progress in very individual ways, and sometimes in very small increments. The challenge is therefore how to demonstrate both how and why progress is taking place.

Measuring progress for students with special educational needs and disabilities requires a personalised holistic and flexible approach. Traditional academic benchmarks may not always be appropriate, so alternative methods should be used to track their development effectively.

How might this be achieved?

• Individualised Education Plans (IEPs) or EHCP outcomes.
• Baseline and ongoing assessments
• Tracking Pupil Progress using tools and frameworks in Early Years
• Tracking Pupil Progress using tools and frameworks for School age children
• Tracking Pupil Progress using tools and frameworks for post 16 students
• Working in partnership with parents, children and young people

Individualised Education Plans should measure progress towards short term outcomes, and these should be reviewed on at least a termly basis. If a student is receiving SEN support or has an EHCP then they should have an IEP to measure progress against short term targets.

EHCP outcomes in most cases will be longer term outcomes that should be achievable by the end of a key stage or phase of education. Usually there will be an IEP or implementation plan that breaks down the longer-term outcomes into shorter achievable targets.

It is reasonable to expect that schools and settings should undertake baseline assessments at the start of any interventions, as this will enable staff to measure the impact of an individualised or group-based intervention.

Many schools use ongoing formative assessments, particularly in literacy and numeracy, to track progress and to provide feedback on areas of strength and need. For example, a school may track reading age and spelling age scores from year to year to measure progress.

Schools and settings may also use observations, samples of independent work and problem-solving tasks as less formal assessments measuring progress over time.

For children and young people who present with SEMH needs then schools may use questionnaires and checklists to measure development of skills. In setting assessments such as the Boxall Profile may be used to baseline and reassess each term. For specific SEMH interventions such as ELSA both teachers and parents may be asked to fill in ‘Emotional Literacy Checklists’ or ‘Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire’(SDQ) before the intervention has taken place. Following the intervention, it is good practice to reassess using the same measure to track progress.

The school or setting may seek advice from outside agencies such as Speech & Language Therapy, Educational Psychology, Hearing or Vision Impairment service,  Occupational Therapy or allied colleague from relevant health departments. The assessments, advice and recommendations given should be incorporated into the student’s IEP or to amend EHCP targets.

For post 16 students there may be a focus on functional skills assessments to support independent living skills, self- care and safety awareness.

For some children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities it can be a challenge to measure the progress they make against targets set out in the National Curriculum and so more bespoke tools and frameworks can be beneficial.

• The Portage SEND Best Practice Assessment Checklist. This assessment checklist brings together all of the developmental steps for children from birth to five years from various documents including the original Portage checklist and the Early Years Foundation Stage.   The skills are broken down into small steps so that parents and practitioners can assess and celebrate every skill that the child has achieved.  It can then act as a guide to the design of teaching activities to further promote development.
• The Derbyshire Small Steps/ Celebratory Checkpoints. These are for use with young children who have significant barriers to learning. The Celebratory Checkpoints allow the progress of all children to be celebrated.  They allow closer tracking than the checkpoints in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This means that smaller steps of progress are recognised and celebrated.

For some children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities it can be a challenge to measure the progress they make against targets set out in the National Curriculum and so more bespoke tools and frameworks can be beneficial.

• P-Scales/ PKS are used for children and young people of school age who are working below the national curriculum levels for Year 1. The use of P scales is can be used for reporting teacher assessment in English, mathematics and science. The descriptions show the range of overall performance that pupils might demonstrate. Subject-focused examples are included to illustrate some of the ways in which attainment might be identified in different subject contexts.
• The Engagement Model – The engagement model is the assessment (replacing P scales 1 to 4) for pupils working below the standard of national curriculum assessments and not engaged in subject-specific study. Teachers must use the engagement model to assess pupils working below the standard of the national curriculum assessments and not engaged in subject-specific study at key stage 2. The model has five key areas of engagement:
  • exploration
  • realisation
  • anticipation
  • persistence
  • initiation

These areas allow teachers to assess pupils’ engagement in developing new skills, knowledge and concepts in the school’s curriculum by demonstrating how pupils are achieving specific outcomes. They represent what is necessary for pupils to fully engage in their learning and reach their full potential.

• SCERTS model – Some settings may use the SCERTS model to help measure progress in social communication and emotional regulation.
• Boxall profile – assess social, emotional and behavioural development.

For some children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities it can be a challenge to measure the progress they make against targets set out in the National Curriculum and so more bespoke tools and frameworks can be beneficial.

• The Preparing for Adulthood framework for students with an EHCP – The Preparing for Adulthood process currently begins with the Year 9 Annual Review at age 14. This is when an EHC plan will be amended to incorporate the PfA outcomes which focus on the support needed to prepare for becoming an adult and what career aspirations the student is working towards. The framework considers 4 pathways:
  • Education and employment: Options like internships, apprenticeships, self-employment, volunteering, college, and university.
  • Independent living: Having choice and control over their lives, support, accommodation, and living arrangements.
  • Friends, relationships and community: Building friendships, supportive relationships, and contributing to the community, keeping safe online and in the community, local youth and afterschool clubs.
  • Good health and wellbeing: Managing health needs, health services, understanding emotional wellbeing, staying active, relationships and sexual health.

Working in partnership with parents is key to successful support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Relationships and interactions with parents should be build on mutual respect, trust and strong communication. It is vital that we keep the child or young person at the centre of the conversation so that the promotion of the learning and welfare remains paramount.

How might this be achieved?

• Ensure that there are open lines of communication between the parent and the setting so that initial concerns can be shared quickly enabling support and early intervention.
• Hold regular review meetings to share progress and to adapt support based on presenting needs.
• Ensure that parents have access to key documents such as IEPs so they are aware of what support is in place.
• When referrals or requests for involvement need to be made to outside agencies, ensure that you have informed consent from parents/ carers.
• When consultations with agencies and professionals takes place ensure that the parent is able to access the meeting and provide additional supports as and when necessary.
• Ensure that there is regular communication between home and school, it is reasonable to expect that parents and carers may wish to receive communications through different methods (e.g in writing via email or letter, verbally or via videocall).
• Always ensure that children and young people are included in review meetings – this may take many forms but capturing their views on their own progress, how they like to be supported and what they wish to improve in the short and long term ensures that we remain child centred at all times.

This video has been created by local Children and Young People. 

Torbay Council has worked with young people to put together this short video to explain all about our Graduated Response toolkits and how they can help young people who may need additional support.

You’ll see characters drawn by students at South Devon College and voiceovers recorded by students from the Spires College, Paignton Academy, South Devon College, Mayfield School and Mayfield Chestnut. Altogether, 26 young people were involved with the production of the video.

If you are not already accessing this from the “SEND Support and Provision – Graduated Response” home page please see SEND Support and Provision – Graduated Response – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) for more information.

There is also a series of 3 videos to help children, young people and their families understand more about Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs). 

• What is an Education, Health and Care Plan? (video for Children & Young People) – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)
• What Happens In My Annual Review (video for Children & Young People) – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)
• What is a phase transfer (video for Children & Young People) – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)

View and/or download the Introduction to Graduated Response

This is how everyone should work together make sure children get the “right support in the right place at the right time” by the right people. SEND Support and Provision – Graduated Response – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)

There is also a specific additional page for the Torbay Early Years Graduated Approach Toolkit (TEYGAT).

View and/or download the Introduction to Graduated Response

What is a Locality Model?

A Locality Model is not a new concept and many Local Areas have adopted the principles in their own locality to support solving the challenges they face SEND in their Local Area.

In the last two years 9, other Local Areas have piloted Locality principles in their Local Areas.  Their pilots had a common cause, collective moral purpose and integrated ways of working which we hope to replicate.

Torbay Locality Model.

Last year, we asked for your thoughts on plans for a locality model in Torbay. A locality model is when decisions about a child’s education are made at a more local level.

Speech, language and communication needs will be the focus of our locality trial this year.

Next year, after the trial has finished, we hope to have a plan for future working.

Our aims

In this pilot we aim to:

• Be needs led – provision without diagnosis or need to progress to an Education, Health and Care Plan
• Make localised decisions, by local stakeholders, about how children and young people’s needs can be best met, removing barriers to identification and support.
• Delivering a system which shares good practice and expertise by design across different services and providers.
• Increase consistency in provision across schools.
• Reduce bureaucracy whilst embedding effective governance; and
• Make better and more effective use of the money available and therefore develop a more financially sustainable needs led school system.

What will it mean for my child?

It could mean your child gets the help they need without a diagnosis or an EHCP.

It also means we’ll make local decisions about how children and young people’s needs can be met. We’ll also share good practice across different services and providers.

We’ll try and be more consistent in the provision we offer across schools and make more effective use of the money available.

We’ll be pooling our expertise and resources so that SEND support and services can be accessed more easily.

The trial will concentrate on a small area of SEND across a selection of Torbay schools.

Over the next few months, we’ll be co-designing this trial alongside our health, social care, Family Hubs and school partners.

We also want to work with young people and parents and carers. If you’d like to get involved, email admin@familyvoicetorbay.onmicrosoft.com.

As this pilot develops we will add information to this webpage so everyone can hear about how our pilot project is progressing.

Schools Involved:

We are pleased to announce that the primary schools who have volunteered to be involved in our Locality Pilot are:

Preston Primary School
Eden Park Primary School
Cockington Primary School
Galmpton Primary School
Collaton St Mary Primary School
Torre Academy
Brixham C of E Primary School
Sacred Heart Primary School
St Margaret Clitherow
Our Lady of the Angel
Priory School
St Marychurch Primary School
All Saints Babbacombe Primary School
Upton St James Primary School
Oldway School
Shiphay Learning Academy
Roselands Primary School
Warberry Primary School
Ilsham Primary School
Ellacombe Primary School
St Michael’s Primary School
Barton Hill Academy
Furzeham Primary School
Kings Ash Academy
Curledge Street Academy
St Margaret’s Academy
Sherwell Valley School
Watcombe Primary School
Homelands Primary School

Capital Grants given to our Primary schools in the Locality Pilot to support delivery of Speech Language and Communication Needs:

I’m pleased to announce that a total of £778,768 has been allocated to 22 providers through a successful bid process!

The funding will support a range of inclusive provisions, including sensory and intervention spaces, speech, language and communication support, nurture provision, and outdoor sensory areas. Many schools are having this work completed in the summer holidays ready for the new academic year. We hope to bring you some pictures and stories of the difference it has made once the new term starts.

One School leader commented:

“I wanted to also share how delighted we were that all of our Capital Funding bids were approved. The impact that this will have in supporting some of our most vulnerable pupils is incredible, and Heads have been sharing with me just how grateful and exited they are.

We truly see this as making a difference as we develop the physical environments and this will provide us as a Trust with a route map of what this can look like, which will no doubt impact our wider development across all of our schools, thank you!”

A full list of the primary schools receiving this special capital grant are below.

Locality Pilot – Summer update!

Over the past six months we have held more than 50 coproduction events, talked to over 100 educational colleagues, more than 20 colleagues from health and care and worked with more than 50 children, young people and their parents and carers to create the pilot project which will test the concept of working in a different way through a Locality or place-based approach.

We had an amazing evaluation day on the 4^th July, where parents and carers came together with colleagues from across the local partnership to devise our next steps.

We know from national press that this localised and collaborative way of working is a concept which is being forged across many agencies and we are proud that Torbay stakeholders have come together to embrace and trial a different way of collectively solving some challenging problems. We know that our pilot is just the start of this and we hope the package we have put together to support your school will begin to make a difference. We are keen to consider your feedback throughout the pilot process and evaluate what the next steps for this way of working could be when the pilot comes to its official end in December 2025.

Every school involved in the pilot has been sent a letter indicating which priority areas of focus from the Balanced System should be a focus for them next term.

You can see a summary of the school ‘clusters’ or groups which have the same priorities and the schools which are champions in these areas.

Below is a menu of the possible support which will be available for the schools in the pilot from September. Each school will be given their tailor-made list of support and further details after the summer break.

Below is a menu of the possible support which will be available for the schools in the pilot from September. Each school will be given their tailor-made list of support and further details after the summer break.

SEND Coffee Morning for Parents & Carers. Details to be found here:

If you would like to be involved in the Parent/Carer Focus group on this pilot, please contact our Parent Carer Forum: Contact — Family Voice Torbay   

Torbay’s Guide to the Graduated Response for Inclusion

This toolkit has been developed to acknowledge that at Post 16 education some tools are applied differently and the setting in which young people learn is also different.

Although we anticipate that many of the tools in the five main toolkits for Torbay will still be relevant for all children and young people this toolkit particularly describes the ordinarily available provision which all our young people should experience Post 16.

This toolkit has been combined into one easy-checklist guide for Post 16 parents and practitioners, with acknowledgement that they will still also use the main toolkits.

The Educational Psychology (EP) Service have developed this guide to support schools and other educational settings, working with parents and carers to support young people with EBSA. This guidance has been
planned to support early intervention for young people who may be experiencing EBSA return to
school after long absences.

These include the following documents included below:

• Emotionally Based School Avoidance: Guidance for Torbay Educational Settings
• EBSA Mental Health Presentation
• Institutional Truant – Briefing Paper

Anxiety and School (EBSA) – for parents/carers (Webinar)

Video of webinar held on November 30, 2023

Accompanying materials from webinar held on November 30, 2023

• Anxiety and School (EBSA) Presentation for Parents&Carers, Slides
• Step-by-Step Plan
• Self-Reflection- Push and Pull
• What is my child thinking and feeling
• Activity- Putting-thoughts-on-trial
• Activity- Putting Thoughts on trial 2
• Questions to reframe thinking
• Techniques to reframe thinking
• Activity- OCP Problem Solving activity
• Technique- Graduated Exposure

For further information on Torbay’s SEND support and provision – please go to SEND Support and Provision – Graduated Response – Family Hub.

For further information about SEND Family Voice Torbay – please go to SEND Family Voice Torbay or Contact — Family Voice Torbay.

Hearing impairment, deafness, or hearing loss refers to the total or partial inability to hear sounds.

Symptoms may be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. A patient with a mild hearing impairment may have problems understanding speech, especially if there is a lot of noise around, while those with moderate deafness may need a hearing aid.

Some people are severely deaf and rely on lip-reading to communicate with others. People who are profoundly deaf can hear nothing at all and can find themselves totally reliant on lip-reading or sign language.

Understanding Hearing Impairments

There are Two main physical Types of Hearing Loss:

• Conductive Hearing Loss
• Sensorineural Hearing Loss

It is also possible to have a combination of both these types of hearing loss.

Conductive Hearing Loss

• Conductive hearing loss is when sounds can’t get from the outer ear, which is the visible part, to the eardrum and tiny bones (ossicles) of the inner ear, that usually just causes the “volume” of sounds to seem lower. It may be much harder to hear faint sounds, and loud sounds might not seem as loud.
• This might be because something is blocking the ear canal, like earwax or fluids (Glue ear), or the problem might come from allergies or illness. An ear infection or a perforated eardrum are also possible causes.

The following resources have been created and provided by the Torbay Hearing Support Service:

• Educational Implications of Hearing Loss
• Glue Ear
• Difficulties arising from a conductive hearing loss
• How to help the child with a conductive hearing loss

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss is when a problem occurs in either the cochlea (which transforms sound into signals that get sent to the brain) or the hearing nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain. Things like illness, noise exposure, genetics, and head trauma can all deteriorate these parts’ ability to function. Unfortunately, it is not reversible.

People with sensorineural hearing loss have difficulty with sound volume and clarity, especially when it comes to understanding speech. Sounds may seem muffled, and people may seem to mumble.

Although sensorineural hearing loss cannot be cured it can be effectively treated with hearing aids, which amplify and process the sounds around you so you can both hear and understand. However, if someone has severe to profound hearing loss that can’t be helped through hearing aids, they may be a candidate for cochlear implants, which provide direct electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve.

It is also possible to have a combination of both these types of hearing loss.

For further information on the development of hearing and hearing loss in children under the age of 5 you may find Physical & Sensory needs (SEND Early Years Resources) useful.

Auditory Processing Disorders

Auditory Processing Disorders do not impact on the pysical ability to hear. Auditory Processing Disorders occur when the brain has problems processing the information contained in sound, such as understanding speech and working out where sounds are coming from. It is important to note that Children with auditory processing disorders may also experience difficulties in hearing and understanding conversations over background noise or have trouble locating certain sounds and can experience difficulty learning  in a classroom environment. Auditory processing can be related to lots of other communication and interaction difficulties. For suggestions to help with auditory processing please see:

• Communication & Interaction (SEND Early Years Resources), or
• SEND Support resources for pupils/students with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)

How to help children with Hearing Impairments

The following resources have been created and provided by the Torbay Hearing Support Service:

• Helping children understand spoken language
• Helping pupils with attention and listening skills
• Modifying text and preparing worksheets
• Tips for the classroom (primary age)
• Tips for the classroom (secondary age)

Tips for communicating with friends

The following resources have been created and provided by the Torbay Hearing Support Service:

• Tips for hearing impaired pupils communicating with friends
• Tips for communicating with deaf friends

Hearing Aids and Assistive Listening Devises

The following resources have been created and provided by the Torbay Hearing Support Service:

• Hearing aids leaflet – Why do they matter?
• 10 Tips When Using A Radio Aid

The educational implications of hearing loss vary according to;

• The type and degree of hearing loss
• When the hearing loss and diagnosis occurred
• If the loss is in one ear or two
• Whether the loss is constant

A hearing loss may impact on a child’s ability to:

• Access information in a noisy classroom environment
• Hear and understand new vocabulary
• Understand new concepts particularly if they are language based
• Interact within a group discussion activity
• Develop phonic skills for literacy.
• Make friends due to difficulties with social interaction

How can you help at home

• Set up a good routine for checking and wearing hearing aids
• Talk through work at home and check your child has grasped new vocabulary and reinforce the vocabulary by using it at home.
• Read with your child in a quiet environment away from the television so they can hear more clearly –draw their attention to sounds they may not hear in a word.
• Practise spellings at home and point out visual patterns. Point out sounds they may not hear.
• Encourage your child to talk about their school day –if they are repeatedly complaining about the level of noise and being unable to hear discuss this with the class teacher or the advisory teacher from the Hearing Support Service.

You may also find Hearing Impairment Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) useful.

Many children suffer from conductive hearing loss.

This is often caused by a ‘glue-like’ fluid which collects in the middle ear (behind the eardrum) when a child has a heavy cold or catarrh.

Sounds may not be conducted to the inner ear and this problem is called a conductive hearing loss.

This hearing loss can fluctuate, changing from day to day. However, it can cause a habit of not listening very well and this might lead to frustrations and difficulties both for the child and parent/teacher.

Listening with a conductive hearing loss is like listening to the television with the sound turned too low, or trying to hold a conversation in a noisy room, or listening under water.

You may also find Hearing Impairment Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) useful.

A pupil may:

• appear dreamy, disruptive, distracted or demanding
• find it difficult to listen and attend speech
• feel insecure and confused. This may be reflected in the behaviour
• be withdrawn and wait for cues from others in the class
• give the impression of being able to “…listen when she/he wants to!”
• find it difficult to hear when there is background noise
• not hear clearly in a group situation
• have unclear speech
• have a vocabulary deficit
• have delayed language
• be experiencing difficulties acquiring phonics.

You may also find Hearing Impairment Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) useful.

• speak clearly – use a strong voice, speak naturally and at a normal rate. Use whole sentences and not single words.
• reiterate what the other pupils are saying – at a distance, the pupil with a hearing loss may not hear the comments, questions or answers.
• get close – when talking try to be as close as possible to the pupil. The pupil will need to see your face and lips.
• don’t hide your mouth – face the pupil when you are talking and try not to cover your face with your hands.
• allow the pupil to see your face and expression.
• make sure you have the pupil’s attention before starting
• give clues – cue in the pupil so that she/he knows what you are going to talk about.
• attract attention – make sure you have got the pupil’s attention before you begin to talk, or the first part of the conversation will be lost.
• include the pupil in group discussions and story time.
• keep noise levels to a minimum.
• try to make sure that only one person talks at a time.
• make constant references to the point of conversation.
• make visual as well as verbal referrals to the topic discussed.

You may also find Hearing Impairment Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) useful.

• Ensure that pupil is attending to you before you speak to him/her.
• Be aware of the complexity of the language you are using. Spoken language can be complex in terms of sentence length, structure (grammar) or vocabulary. If a pupil does not understand, consider changing the length, structure or vocabulary to make the language simpler.
• Be aware of the language demands of a whole class activity. Understanding group directions and coping with the distractions of class situations can pose particular difficulties for children with hearing problems. Firstly focus the child’s attention, then explain that this information applies to him/her too. Use appropriate language that the child can understand.
• Check that the hearing impaired child has understood the information, through reinforcement, revision and questioning techniques.
• Use a multi-sensory approach, eg. visual information, pictures, objects, real life experiences to reinforce information given to the pupil.
• If there is a sequence of commands to follow, pause between each one to allow the child time to process the information.
• Encourage pupils to develop strategies to process information. Eg. repeat what they have been asked to do; rehearse the instruction silently; identify important words in the instruction.
• Encourage the pupil to tell you if he or she has not understood. Ask the pupil to demonstrate they have understood.
• At times it can be helpful to emphasise key words by using slight stress and appropriate non-verbal communication.

You may also find Hearing Impairment Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) useful.

• Reduce background noise and distractions where possible. Wait for the class to be quiet before starting.
• Make the pupil aware of good listening skills. Encourage the pupil to sit still and watch. Give positive feedback e.g. “…good looking”, ”… I like the way you are listening carefully”
• Remember to use an appropriate level of language. This may involve using short, simple sentences, or rephrasing or chunking information.
• Check that the information has been understood. Observe the pupils responses or ask questions that require understanding. Avoid asking, “Did you hear that?” as pupils will usually just nod in reply.
• Work for short periods of time on listening. Pupils with hearing aids are concentrating extra hard throughout the day.
• Refocus the child’s attention where necessary. Cue him/her into the subject . Use visual supports if necessary.
• Focus the pupil’s attention before giving instructions e.g. “Jack…are you ready to listen…”

Pupils with hearing difficulties often rely on clues from lip reading and need to look at whoever
is speaking as well as listening in order to understand. It is impossible therefore, for them to
look at other things at the same time. These pupils are likely, for example, to find it difficult to
watch a speaker and pay attention to text at the same time.

The following points will help:

• Point clearly to visual material while it is being discussed.
• Allow enough time for a deaf pupil to look, after you have finished speaking.
• Allow time to watch video/read instructions before commenting on them.
• Allow pupils time to absorb information before expecting a response.
• Be aware that there may be difficulties when there is a group discussion of written text. The pupil may able to locate and watch speakers at the same time as looking at text.
• Be aware with older pupils that listening, watching and taking notes at the same time is impossible. Some pupils will need a note taker to get over this problem. If there is difficulty, you can help by asking other pupils in the class to share their notes or take a photocopy of what they write down.
• Be aware that a pupil who uses sign language will need to look at the TA or teacher providing sign support/sign interpretation in order to access information about what you are saying. Allow enough time for pupils to look at any equipment or visual aids that you are referring to before you move on.
• Try to use audio visual material which have subtitles or make a written summary of the content available ahead of sessions where you are going to use material in this format. Allow pupils to have access to the material after the lesson to go through it again.

You may also find Hearing Impairment Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) useful.

All materials presented in a written form should be differentiated to take account of a pupil’s language level.

Think about the purpose of the teaching materials you are using. Is the key point to get some facts or concepts over or is the language being used itself the ‘content’ of what has to be learnt? Where appropriate, make sure that the language used on worksheets does not get in the way of the pupil understanding the key concept or learning objective for the session.

Many deaf pupils will benefit from a clear list of key words and concepts covered in the lesson and used in written follow-up materials. Some will be helped by written follow-up materials which allow them to express their understanding in a more visual/pictorial way than would be appropriate for other children.

Modify the text of books that form part of the topics or curriculum. There are many such books already available in a simplified form, ranging from Shakespeare to the modern classics. Ask for advice from the Torbay Hearing Support Service.

Preparing worksheets for hearing impaired pupils

• Think before you start about what technical or specific language is essential.
• Adjust the carrier language for content so that it is appropriate to the level of the subject matter and age/ability or the target audience.
• Reduce the complexity of the text.
• Use clear headings which give a good idea of the subject matter which follows
• Consider font size, spacing on the page and general layout.
• Use clearly labelled diagrams and pictures if they are available
• Use short simple sentences
• Present information sequentially
• Write statements first and then questions.

For primary aged pupils:

• Ensure hearing impaired pupils are seated so they can see and hear clearly.
• Remember, the child cannot look at a picture, book or whiteboard and your face at the same time.
• In a group situation, help the child to follow a conversation by indicating who is speaking or repeating group contributions.
• Facilitate the child’s understanding by ‘tuning them in’ to a topic with a lead in sentence, e.g. “I’m
• talking about…”
• Supplement your spoken language with visual materials, gesture, and facial expression.
• Regularly check a child’s understanding by eliciting information, rather than yes/no responses or repetition.
• Be aware of the language level you are using – don’t over simplify, use repetition / rephrasing to ensure information is understood.
• Keep background noise to a minimum.

For secondary aged pupils:

• Ensure hearing impaired pupils are seated so they can see and hear clearly. Please bear this in mind when making seating plans.
• Remember, the pupil cannot look at a picture, book or whiteboard and your face at the same time.
• When using DVDs remember hearing impaired pupils will struggle to take notes as every time they look down they miss information that hearing pupils can listen to.
• In a group situation, help the pupil to follow a conversation by indicating who is speaking – repeat important information.
• Regularly check a pupil understands by eliciting information, rather than yes/no responses or repetition.
• Do not assume that a pupil has a certain knowledge and vocabulary – check what they know first.
• Be aware of the language level you are using – do not over simplify, use repetition / rephrasing to ensure information is understood.
• Keep background noise to a minimum.

You may also find Hearing Impairment Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) useful.

Tips for hearing impaired pupils communicating with friends

• Be open – tell people if they don’t know you have a hearing loss.
• Ask friends to get your attention before they start to speak.
• In a group situation, ask your friends to speak one at a time.
• If you can’t hear ask your friends to slow down and repeat what they have said.
• Keep calm – ask your friends to explain again if you don’t hear.
• Be kind to yourself! No one hears correctly all of the time.

Tips for communicating with deaf friends

• Make sure you face your friend, they will need to lip read what you are saying.
• Get the attention of your deaf friend before you start to speak.
• In a group situation, try to remember to speak one at a time and indicate who is speaking.
• You may need to repeat what you have said – be patient! Repeat and rephrase what you have said.
• Try to avoid talking in really noisy places – hearing aids and cochlea implants pick up all noises – move to a quieter place
• Be kind – no one hears correctly all of the time

You may also find Hearing Impairment Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) useful.

You may also find Hearing Impairment Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) useful.

10 Tips when using a Radio Aid

• Make sure that the transmitter and receiver are working – a pupil will know whether it is working so check with them.
• Clip or hang the transmitter about 15-20cm below your mouth.
• Switch the transmitter on when talking to the whole class or a group that a deaf pupil is working with.
• Remember to switch the transmitter off when you are having a conversation that a deaf pupil does not need to hear, for example if you are talking to another teacher.
• A transmitter can pick up background noise so try not to stand in a noisy area such as next to an open window or door.
• Before you shout turn the transmitter off.
• Do not let the microphone knock against clothing or jewellery.
• During class discussions or group work pass the transmitter to the pupils who are talking. If this isn’t practical remember to summarise what has been said.
• The transmitter can be connected to equipment such as a television, computer, radio or stereo. Ask the teacher of the deaf for advice on how to do this.
• Contact the teacher of the deaf for more advice or if the radio
  is broken.

You may also find Hearing Impairment Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) useful.

Information on asthma friendly schools and parent resources to support children with asthma.

Website: Children & Young Person’s Asthma

Resources providing information for Children and Young People (CYP) and their families.

Website: Neurodiversity – Getting Advice and Getting Help

Livewell Southwest is hosting the Children, Young People and Families (CYPFS) Neurodiversity Wellbeing Team for Torbay, Plymouth and Devon.

The CYPFS Neurodiversity Wellbeing Team will be supporting families who have a child/young person who experiences challenges with their neurodiversity. This wellbeing support can focus on areas such as sleep, diet, anxiety management, school difficulties, friendships and behaviour strategies for children and young people between the ages of 0-18 years.

The team can also provide advocacy support such as connecting families to local groups, organisations and professionals, in addition to assistance with completing forms, attending workshops/support groups and contacting local services.

They provide services to all families who are registered with a GP and are facing difficulties associated with neurodiversity, such as Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), regardless of whether the young person is pre-diagnosis or post-diagnosis.

They work with families on Neurodiversity waiting lists at both the Torbay Mood, Emotions and Relationships Service (MERS), previously known as CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service), and the Child Development Centre (CDC). Their aim is to support you / your young person even if they do not have a diagnosis.

View and / or download the Children, Young People and Families Neurodiversity Wellbeing Team leaflet here:

Learning for Life covers late primary, secondary, and beyond school, focusing on the Relationships and Sexual Education curriculum. The resources are created in line with what the Down’s Syndrome community needs; teaching on personal health, emotions, relationships, and appropriate behaviour.

Current resources explore Growing Up and Keeping Safe, Emotions, Puberty and Caring Friendships. These resources are created with specialist teachers and speech and language therapists, for young people with Down’s Syndrome and other SEN. To break down barriers in SEN education, all Learning for Life recourses are completely FREE and exclusively online.

Website: Learning for Life – Free RSE Resources for Young People with Down’s syndrome and SEN (learnandthrive.org.uk)

Teach Me Too provides resources for early years and KS1. It covers Literacy, Maths, the Wider Curriculum, Exploring Language and Language through Play.

These resources are created with specialist speech and language therapists for children with Down’s Syndrome/SEN, to be used at home, in school or at support groups.

Teach Me Too is dedicated to utilising innovation and technology to break down barriers to education and learning for every person with Down’s Syndrome, regardless of wealth, background or postcode. As a result, all the recourses can be access completely FREE and are exclusively online.

Website: Teach Me Too – Free Early Years Resources for Children with Down’s syndrome and SEN (learnandthrive.org.uk)

The Local Authority receive money from central government each year to fund schools. This is called the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). The DSG is split into three parts or ‘blocks’:

• Early years block – money used to provide 2, 3, 4 year old early years nursery entitlements and 60% of Activity Led Funding in Early Years (ALFEY) funding to provide support for children with SEND in Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) nurseries
• Schools block – money passed to schools to deliver mainstream education
• High needs block – money used to support children with special educational needs that are taught in a mainstream school, support for children in alternative provision, special schools, post-16 learners and excluded pupils

Following local area funding decisions in collaboration with the local schools forum, the Education and Skills Funding Agency and Local Authority provide this funding at the same level to all mainstream maintained schools, academies and free schools within thier local area.

This money comes from the Schools block of the Designated Schools Grant (DGS).

Schools, academies and Free schools all get money for each pupil, based on actual pupil numbers. This is called the Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) and it is part of schools’ delegated funding. This is the amount of money that is allocated to schools for every pupil on roll. This varies according to age, so primary schools get a different rate to secondary schools.

The national average AWPU funding per pupil is about £4,000, but Local Authorities (LAs) are permitted to choose different rates.

In Torbay the AWPU per pupil set for 2024-2025 is:

• primary aged pupils (key stages 1 & 2) at £3,562.00
• secondary aged pupils (key stage 3) at £5,022.00
• secondary aged pupils (key stage 4) at £5,661.00

This funding goes directly to schools, academies and free schools and is used to run the school and to provide support for all pupils (including those with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities – SEND) so that they can achieve good quality learning outcomes through Quality First Teaching (QFT).

Some of this money is for general SEND provision for example the cost of providing the Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator (SENDCO) and some other resources.

This money comes from the Schools block of the Designated Schools Grant (DGS).

Schools, academies and free schools all have an amount identified within their overall budget, called the notional SEN budget. This is an additional amount of money to the element 1 (AWPU) which is used for SEND provision that is ‘additional to and different from’ the provision made for all pupils. This money is provided directly to schools and academies alongside their AWPU money. It is referred to as ‘notional’ because it is a suggested amount and is not ring-fenced.

The formula used in Torbay is 5% of the Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) + 50% of deprivation (Free School Meals (FSM) and Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI)) budget +100% of the Low Attainment budget = Notional SEN Budget

Pupils with SEND have very varied needs therefore the amount of funding needed to meet these needs will be different for each pupil. The government has recommended schools use the notional SEN budget to pay for up to £6,000 worth of special educational provision to meet a child’s SEND, but the majority pupils at SEND support can have their needs met for much less than this.

Schools should use their SEND funding to pay for things like:

• Specialist training/equipment
• Securing external professional advice and guidance
• Additional staffing for pupils who require elements of their support within small groups or 1:1

To find out how your child’s school use their SEND money, have a look at your child’s schools SEN Information report.

A school must use its ‘best endeavours’ [do all it possibly can] to meet the needs of pupils at SEND support using element 1 and 2 funding. School provision must be based on an ‘assess, plan, do, review’ cycle implemented in partnership with the pupil and their family. Sometimes the provision may target a pupil, but often shared provision is more preferable and meets the pupil’s needs best. For example, group work is very important when developing language and social skills.

More information about the provision that schools are expected to make for pupils at SEND support can be found in the SEND Code of Practice 0-25 p 99 – 107.

Some pupils with SEND will also be eligible for additional funding from:

• Pupil premium – a grant given by the government to schools in England to decrease the attainment gap for the most disadvantaged children, whether by income or by family upheaval.

This is provided from the high needs block element of the Designated Schools Grant (DGS), and is aimed mainly, though not exclusively, at pupils with Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs).

The government expects schools, academies and free schools to have spent at least £10,000 out of their core and notional budget before this funding can be accessed.

Top-up funding is individual pupil related funding from the Local Authority from national funding called the ‘high needs block’ for children and young people with an Education Health and Care plan (EHCP) where the provision described is above the level of provision expected to be covered by Element 2 (Notional SEN Budget).

This funding is awarded on an individual basis and the amount depends on the pupil’s level and complexity of need in line with funding matrix descriptors.

An EHCP describes a pupil’s needs, agreed outcomes and required provision and the top-up funding is directly linked to these and reviewed alongside the Annual Review of the child’s EHCP.

The rest of the high needs block is used by us to fund other types of SEND support and provision. The total funding in the high needs block is spent on many different types of support. This includes:

• State funded special schools
  • Combe Pafford special school for pupils aged between 7-16 with Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)
  • Chesnut at Mayfield special school for pupils aged between 7-11 with Socal, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties
  • Mayfield special school for pupils aged between 2-16 with Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) or Multiple and Profound Learning Difficulties (MPLD)
  • Brunel School for pupils aged between 11-16 with Socal, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties
• Enhanced Provisions within mainstream schools and academies
  • Barton Speech and Language Unit for pupils aged between 5-7 with Speech Lamguage and Communication Needs (SLCN)
  • Preston Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) enhanced provision for pupils aged between 5-11 with a diagnosed Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)
  • Brixham College Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) enhanced provision for pupils aged between 11-16 with a diagnosed Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)
  • STEPS, PCSA for pupils aged between 11-14 with Socal, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties relating to anxiety
• Medical Tuition Service for pupils aged between 5-16 who are in hospital or unable to attend school due to their medical condition
• Provision for excluded pupils from the 6th day of a permenant exclusion until a new school place is allocated
• Places in alternative provision and independent schools
• Central services such as:
  • Educational Phychology & Advisory Teacher Service (statutory work to include Torbay Hearing Support Service & Torbay VI (Visual Impairments) Service)
  • 40% of Activity Led Funding in Early Years (ALFEY) funding to provide support for children with SEND in Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) nurseries
  • High Needs Funding (HNF) in post-16 education

The High Needs funding from the last 4 years has allowed us to invest in provisions and enhance inclusive opportunities for children and young people across a range of settings.

The focus was on projects that incorporated Torbay’s local area Graduated Response Framework to enable the continued improvement of existing provision for pupils and students with high needs.

A total of 8 providers were successful and allocated funding to progress their projects as detailed below:

Oldway Primary School

Lift access to Year 4 & 6 Classrooms

School Feedback – Jill Christian, Operations Manager

Sending you some pictures of our fantastic 3 floor lift at Oldway Primary. Thank you for all your help towards part funding this. It makes a huge difference for our children in wheelchairs.

Paignton Academy

Sensory Gardens at Borough Road and Waterleat Road sites, with accessible ramp at Waterleat Road.

School Feedback – Simon Dossett, LEAD SENDCo and Head of SEND

The ramp is complete and the plants that have gone in are starting to take hold! Nurture groups are ready with sunflower seeds and other smelling and vibrant plants for spring planting. It has been a great addition, and children have been accessing the area and recognising the potential.

The contractor is returning shortly to plant trees in the lower half of the garden, benches, and a living wall on the new trellis so it will change again shortly.

Over at BRC the garden is tied up with the wider build going on. Scaffolding is down, windows are going in, and the garden area is now being levelled ready for completion during Easter which is fab.

Shiphay Learning Academy

Creation of sensory space in Year 4 and outdoor courtyard/sensory garden in Year 3

School Feedback – Kathryn Waterson, SENDCo

A huge thank you to the High Needs Funding Bid Capital Team from Shiphay Learning Academy! Last Summer Term, we requested support with creating an extension onto a classroom to provide a calm sensory space from the class. Our contracted builders worked hard over the summer holidays to complete the work. An untidy and unused cupboard was transformed into a calmer sensory space for 4 EHCP children. Shiphay also requested funding to create a wonderful small garden space for our high need’s children. Unfortunately, the courtyard has yet to be improved due to more building work needed to ensure it is a safe zone for children. We did not anticipate the scale of clearing the courtyard. However, we still used the funding to buy the outdoor resources we requested – we received a green house, planters and a water/sand tray. These have been utilized around the school to support our pupils with EHCPs while we begin the huge task of clearing the courtyard – watch this space! We used the planter to celebrate World Down Syndrome Month and grew sunflowers across the school. Our sunflowers were presented at the front of the building, and you can spot our little star on the World Down Syndrome Day Posters! The greenhouse has been beneficial to 3 pupils with EHCPs in reception. These pupils are currently working within the engagement model and have been growing a wide range of vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers and peas! All have been used in their sensory activities and the children have enjoyed including them within their cooking sessions! The sand and water trays have been used for children who are currently accessing the Attention Autism program (a provision stated on their EHCPs) so they can get as messy as needed! We have invested in a wide range of Widgit resources for communication and a range of toys to enhance our smaller sensory spaces further. We are extremely grateful for the High Needs Funding Bid!

South Devon College

Sensory room refurbishment

College Feedback – Sarah Al-Humaidi, Projects Coordinator

The sensory room is currently used by at least 20 students. Frequent users include a student with Downs Syndrome who loves the interactive wall panel. The sensory room also provides a student with narcolepsy with a pleasant environment to sleep.  We have a couple of wheelchair users who use the space. Many students use it to calm and regulate or if they are feeling unwell. The upper and lower LED and UV lights evoke a sense of calm to the body aiding those with autism or sensory processing disorders. The many interactive features enable students to personalize their experience in the room such as playing their own music or choosing lights and projector settings.

The refurbishment of the sensory room has enriched the Colleges provision for SEND learners. Ofsted inspectors commended the facility during a recent evaluation of South Devon College. We have a large cohort starting in September and have a couple of students that have regular seizures who will be supported by use the sensory room.

St Marychurch Primary School

Extension/refurbishment of current nurture provision

Barton Academy

Development of the Outdoor Learning Environment

School Feedback – Stephen Eccles SENDCo

The work has had a massive impact on the high needs children that access the learning environment and we’re already seeing the children engaging together in more positive social interactions in the outdoor space!

Sacred Heart

Outdoor nurture provision

School Feedback – Nichola Day, Headteacher

The area has been a great success and is having a firm impact on the breaktimes of many of our SEND pupils and as an outdoor learning space throughout the day. 

Sherwell Valley Primary School

Creation of 2 sensory spaces

Local authorities must ensure there are sufficient good school places for all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and disabilities.

In April 2021, the Government committed £280 million of capital funding nationally (2021-2022) to support local authorities to create new places and improve existing provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision (AP) via the High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA). This is in addition to the total of £365 million of SEND Special Provision capital funding nationally (2018-2020) to help local authorities create new school places and improve existing facilities for children and young people with SEN and disabilities, in consultation with parents and providers.

The High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA) (2021-2022) for Torbay is £530,150. The funding is intended to address the need for places for academic year 2022/23 but it is not time-bound, and is up to the local authority to determine how to best use this funding, in line with national guidence, to meet local priorities.

The Local Authority has been allocated an additional £2,670,554 for 2022 – 2024 and work is currently underway to identify the need and scope of potential projects.  It has been agreed, as in previous years that a portion of the funding be utilised to give schools the opportunity to think creatively as to what could be done to support the children and young people to access provisions locally and help us to relieve some of the pressures on the High Needs Block, by meeting needs without recourse to Out of Area placements.

The SEND Special Provision allocation for Torbay (2018-2020) was a total of £848,837, which was split into 3 equal payments for each of the years 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21. (£500,000 initially allocated plus £116,279 allocated in May 2018 and £232,558 allocated in December 2018).  

This funding was:

• intended for the children and young people with education, health and care (EHC) plans for whom the local authority is responsible.
• to support local authorities to invest in provision for children and young people with SEN and disabilities aged 0-25 to improve the quality and range of provision available to the local authority.
• Torbay aspires to create a well-planned continuum of provision from birth to age 25 that meets the needs of children and young people with Special Educational needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families as set out in our SEND Strategy.

Children and young people in Torbay may attend mainstream early years settings, schools or colleges or specialist provision such as mainstream schools with enhanced resource provision or special schools. In a diverse provider landscape the local area must exercise a range of roles and remain committed to the inclusion of children and young people.

In addition to mainstream provision the LA has developed a number of enhanced resource provisions that are delivered by mainstream providers. These include the following:-

• Barton Academy (Speech & Language Therapy)
• Preston Primary School (Autistic Spectrum Condition)
• Brixham College (Autistic Spectrum Condition)
• Paignton Academy (Social, Emotional and Mental Health (anxiety) – newly created via SEN Capital Funding 2018)

The number of children presenting with additional needs is increasing both locally and nationally. Torbay has taken action to commission additional placements with existing schools, colleges and special schools within the local area. The current capacity of providers to expand the offer further is limited; this is compounded by the demographical demand to create more provision at all phases.

The SEND reforms have required Post 16 provision to be developed further. Additional needs which require enhanced provisions are around students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Emotional, Social and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH).

The SEND Strategy provides the framework within which services can develop in an affordable and sustainable manner in the interests of Torbay children.

Participation is a key theme within the SEND Strategy, which also identifies Co-Production as a Priority area. We will ensure that parents, children and young people are involved in discussions and decisions about every aspect of planning, including making provision to meet local needs.

The conditions and timeline of this funding were:

Expressions of interest were sought from schools prior to allocations being awarded for these accessibility funds.

For 2023 a total of £100,000 was available for schools to bid for, with a focus on projects that incorporate Torbay’s new local area Graduated Response Framework to enable the continued improvement of existing provision for pupils and students with high needs.

Below are summary details of the projects that were successful in improving inclusion within mainstream via the Accessibility Funding in 2018-19. Where supplied by schools, there are also comments from the successful schools with images of the work completed.

Torre C of E Academy

Creation of sensory area within the Reception Unit – safe, calming and sensory stimulating room within the Reception Unit to allow SEN children to develop and engage in sensory experiences without feeling frightened or overwhelmed.  Resourced with lights, projections, cushions, tactile toys, calming music, soft play equipment and safety items e.g. plug covers etc.

“The money we received to go towards setting up the sensory room had provided the children of Torre Academy C of E with a fully equipped indoor sensory room with strobes, sensory mats, soft areas and plenty of resources to meet the needs of several children. In our outdoor area, we were able to develop it with a range of outdoor equipment to enhance their learning. The impact this has on our SEN children is evident for all that visit to see. Our children with sensory needs often self-regulate using this room and it has become a fantastic safe space to allow them to meet sensory seeking needs”

St Cuthbert Mayne

The provision of blinds to improve access to the learning environment for those with visual impairment.

Muddy Wellies Nursery (YMCA)

Creation of a sensory room for children to access, to include specialist sensory walls, flooring, lighting, projectors, bubble tubes, seating, bean bags, sounds and textures.  All children benefit from having a secure and safe space to relax and engage emotional thinking to help promote learning, but naturally, for children with additional needs and disabilities it can play a crucial part in their development and progress.

“The children absolutely love the new sensory room, we have found that all of them are benefitting from the holistic, calming atmosphere it is providing, it is particularly helpful for our 1:1 children too. Thank you so much for the funding, we couldn’t have achieved this without it!”

Churston Ferrers Grammar School

Conversion of a functional room into a calm, sensory room with soft chairs, weighted blankets, lowered ceiling, soft lighting with carpet and calming wall coverings. Provision of a safe and calming room will accelerate the process of helping young persons to re-engage with school life and their learning It is hoped that the room will play a significant role in helping to reduce school and/or lesson absence due to anxiety and that the room will enable the school to work towards significantly improved life chances for their most vulnerable students.

“The old storage/nurses room now has a much lower ceiling, making it feel a much cosier room.  The colour on the wall and the dimmable lighting has helped create a soothing space and removing the large sink and shelves give much more sitting space.  The new smaller sink placed in the toilet makes the toilet still useable. In the mornings before school and during breaks and lunches up to 3 students at any one time use the room.  Most of these are EHCP students but other highly anxious autistic students also use the room on a daily basis. The room is also used frequently during the day for students to spend time regulating themselves, or during their dropped lessons to complete work.  We keep some lego, puzzles and calming items in the room so that it much more of the student’s room, rather than a multi-use meeting room and they feel very much that it is their space.  They have named it the ‘chill out room’ and created a sign for the door. At present the walls are bare to create a calm space with no distractions, but we will liaise with the key students to discuss if they would like anything else in there.  It has been a much needed addition to enable us to cater for our higher needs students who require 1:1 TAs at all times, particularly for 2 of our new yr 7 EHCP students and a highly anxious yr 9 student who has recently been diagnosed with autism.”

Our Lady Of The Angels

Creation of a level path with suitable surface, wide enough for an electric wheelchair. The outcome would be increased inclusivity in PE and sports for wheelchair users.

“The camber on this entrance meant that our child who uses a wheelchair felt very unsafe accessing the playing field. The child now gets down there in safety and, weather permitting, plays on the field and joins in with sporting events with the other children”.

Paignton Community & Sports Academy

Alterations required to accommodate two students moving from the Waterleat Road Site to the Borough Road Site.  To include altered access on site for powered wheelchairs.  Improve physical access to classrooms and specialist equipment.

Sherwell Valley Primary School

Works to extend current pastoral room to create a large, more open and dedicated area for all social, emotional and mental health interventions. The space will be redecorated and equipped with calming resources and comfortable seating.

Churston Ferrers Grammar School

The conversion of an internal filing space in the Sixth form student study area into a calm sensory room with soft chairs, weighted blankets, soft lighting with carpet and calming wall coverings.

The room is next to the Sixth form office and allows for easy access by pastoral staff to the students who will be using the room.  Installation of good quality recessed speakers and a wifi audio unit to enable acoustic isolation of the room from outside distractions. CFGS experience significant success with pastoral and SEND services post 16, but are very short of the appropriate space necessary to support their most vulnerable students.  The premium on space is often felt at free association times and it is these times that can be the most challenging for students who have particular needs around anxiety and social interaction. 

Watcombe Primary School

Creation of a forest school area to allow specific children to develop and manage their SEMH in a different environment beyond the classroom.

Building a wooden bridge to gain access

Site a storage shed for equipment

Purchase equipment

Roselands Primary School

Development of nurture provision. This provision will provide an additional learning, calming and sensory space for children who are struggling to access the curriculum in a classroom environment. It will provide a calming, free environment that will allow adults to meet children’s sensory, emotional and social needs as well as allowing them to access the curriculum in a style that is more appropriate to their needs.

Quote from Hannah Dillon – Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator (SENDCo) – “This year we have had a higher number of children with more complex needs join the school. Our new nurture provision has provided many more inclusive opportunities for these children that allows them to access additional resources, a calming space to learn, explore and share experiences with others. It has also been a wonderful resource for children within the school that would benefit from sensory activities, messy play and quiet time to explore and understand their emotions. The new provision has been a fantastic addition to the school and we are very thankful for the capital bid funding we received”.

Below are summary details of the projects that were successful in improving inclusion within mainstream via the Accessibility Funding in 2019-20.

Torquay Boys Grammar School

Conversion of existing SEND meeting room into a calm sensory room with resources.

Galmpton Primary

Creation of enhanced provision unit.

Torquay Girls Grammar School

Provision of a dedicated, purpose built cabin for use with ASD students including those awaiting diagnosis and those who are transitioning back into school life. Providing a calm and private environment away from the hustle and bustle of everyday school life and provide a sanctuary for those students who can experience social isolation at break times. 

Student feedback – “It came at the perfect time for me.  I was getting quite introverted and can now start talking to people.” (Year 9 student)

Quote from Zoe Beard – Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator (SENDCo) – “Students and staff at Torquay Girls’ Grammar School are thrilled with their new ASD ‘Garden Room’. It was built as a transitional space for those returning to school after a period of absence and could potentially be used for tutoring happening elsewhere to encourage ASD students back into school. In addition, it is being used as a space for ASD students both with a diagnosis and those on the waiting list, which is currently 2+ years. The school recognised the need for these students to have dedicated space to use. Many of these students are vulnerable and most are at a loss during break times to know where to go or what to do. The ‘Garden Room’ has provided them with a safe space. It is only just up and running but in due course will be filled with games, puzzles, books, arts and crafts and other items for students to interact with. It is also manned during the majority of lessons so students can use this as a quiet zone if they feel they cannot stay in a mainstream classroom. It will also be utilised for meetings with health or care professionals and parents of ASD students. The calming experience should prove popular and with only a limited number of students being able to use the space – a real lifeline for those who are able to use it”.

Our Lady of the Angels

Creation of outdoor sensory safe space away from the busy nature of the playground. Provision to increase inclusivity for those children who struggle at break times, enhance Thrive provision and allow the children to access the curriculum in a meaningful way. 

“Our Sensory Garden was opened to the children a few weeks ago.   They have really appreciated the space. Children who really struggle during the un-timetabled parts of the day such as break times and lunchtime now have the opportunity to use our lunch club which now opens up to this beautiful space meaning they do not have to enter the large playground at all if they do not feel able to. It also means that those children do not have to be inside the whole time but can be outdoors which is even better for their mental health and well-being.”

St Margarets Academy

Development of Speech and Language Therapy room.

Quote from Marie-Claire Christie – Speech & Language Therapy Teaching Assistant – “With the increase of children with speech and language needs, our temporary SALT room has made a world of difference to our setting. We now have a quiet, space which aids the communication potential for the children at St. Margaret’s Academy. Children are seen individually or in small groups and the setting is used for formal assessment procedures, for certain interventions that are difficult to manage in a classroom setting. Most of these students need an environment that is quieter and contains less distraction than their normal classroom. Our temporary SALT room now offers an attractive, accessible environment which promotes a sense of belonging. However, although the room is accessible on 1st floor level to children with SEN and disabilities, staff and visitors and outside agencies, it is very small and we feel that the children would benefit from a larger working/meeting area with additional storage for a wide range of teaching resources. We are extremely pleased to have secured this space on a temporary basis and the benefits are already apparent”.

Eden Park Academy

Creation of Sensory Room. The designated sensory space will allow pupils to access the movement and sensory breaks necessary to enable them to engage in learning when in the classroom.   

Quote from Charlotte Griffin – Assistant SEND Co-ordinator – “Eden Park have turned a large cupboard into a sensory room using the SEND accessibility funding. It is being enjoyed by children aged 2-11, who need sensory breaks in the day, to enable them to focus better in class. Children can use the large dark tent equipped with light- up toys to relax in a calm environment. Some children find a trip through the squeeze machine or a jump on the small trampoline helps them to feel better in themselves. Other children like to watch the bubble lamp change colours or like to listen to relaxing CD’s. The room is usually used for just one or two children at a time with adult supervision, but it has also worked well for a small group of children lying or sitting still and listening to a children’s meditation CD. Children and staff report that it has helped children to sustain their concentration in class and remain calm and happy throughout the day”.

Watcombe Primary School

Creation of safe, defined areas for 3 x EHCP children in KS1 and KS2.

Hayes Primary School

Redesign and install gradual slope to reception entrance, level corner of field, resurface playground part astro/part tarmac for wheelchair user. This new ramp outside the reception class and pathway alongside the school field will allow children with disabilities and wheelchair users to be able to access the bottom playground and dinner hall.

Quote from Allison Grant – School Business Manager – “Our school received funding from Torbay Council via the SEN and Disability Grant.  This paid for a new ramp outside our reception class and pathway alongside our school field to allow children with disabilities and wheelchair users to be able to access the bottom playground and dinner hall. One pupil in reception has benefited massively from the new ramp which allows her to access the main reception playground independently.  She has a great time playing with her friends and can get in and out of the classroom freely.  Previously she had to go around the building and through other classrooms and this sometimes meant she missed some of her playtime. The access ramp along the side of the field has also made a great difference and this is used every day by pupils with disabilities, to get to the dinner hall.  Before this was installed, pupils had to walk through the whole school to get there using two stair-lifts and this took up a considerable amount of pupils’ lunch break and staff time. We are really pleased with the work that has been done.  It is great quality and has made a real positive difference to our pupils’ mobility and independence”.

Hayes Primary School

Creation of nurture base. Bean bags and games, benching, body socks for sensory areas, equipment for sensory area.

Quote from Allison Grant – School Business Manager – “We also received funding to develop a nurture room for children to feel safe and secure to develop their individual needs. The funding paid for sofas, cushions, beanbags, weighted blankets, lamps and a selection of developmental toys so the children can play games and work collaboratively”.

Sherwell Valley Primary School

Creation of large nurture unit.  Two areas to be refurbished to develop a small classroom area for up to 20 pupils with small designated outdoor play space. The newly created unit will allow children to receive the care and education specifically tailored to their individual needs in an environment with a significantly higher staff per child ratio than is possible in their own classroom. The school funded over half the Capital needed to complete the project.

Sacred Heart Primary

Develop outdoor sensory area/garden.

Cockington Primary

Creation of nurture unit.

Barton Hill Academy

Conversion of existing rooms to create 2 enhanced pastoral rooms and a sensory/thrive area.

St Cuthbert Mayne

Creation of nurture base for pupils with high SEMH needs.  Development of a nurture base from an existing office space, priority use given to EHCP and nurture group students in Y7 and Y8.

Quote from Sam Banks – Lead Practitioner for MFL and Differentiation/SEND – The Nurture Classroom is where our Y7 Nurture Group students have all their lessons that do not require specialist rooming (English, Maths, History, Geography and R.E.). This has given them vastly greater consistency and continuity in their experience as they transition from Primary to Secondary, as they spend a majority of their learning time in the same classroom with the same seating plan, expectations and resources. We used the money to clear and renovate a redundant classroom, fitting it out with state-of-the-art I.T. equipment and furniture chosen to give the feel of a Primary classroom. This provision has also allowed us to make other innovative additions to their curriculum, such as using their teachers’ changeover time between certain lessons to do a dynamic MFL input that gives them their entitlement to the experience of a foreign language. As well as settling in more successfully to life at STCM than has been the case for previous high-needs students, we have been really impressed with the quality of work this group is producing and the fantastic progress they have made so far this year has been really encouraging”.

St Cuthbert Mayne

St Marychurch Primary School

Enhancement of our Nurture style provision, particularly the breakout room; creating a safe, calming and sensory regulating room within the Nurture provision to allow children who are dysregulated to have a space that they can go to without feeling frightened or overwhelmed.  Resourced with lights, blinds/window covers, projections, cushions/soft mats, tactile toys, calming music, soft play equipment and safety items e.g. plug covers etc.

St Marychurch Primary School

Redevelopment and enhancement of our currently underused environmental area into a dedicated area for specific children to develop and manage their SEMH needs in a different environment beyond the classroom.

Brixham College

Development of enhanced provision for students on the Autistic Spectrum.

Below are summary details of the projects that were successful in improving inclusion within mainstream via the Accessibility Funding in 2020-21.

All Saints Babbacombe Primary

Creation of sensory room with calming bubble wall and sensory equipment.

Brixham C of E Primary

Creation of sensory room and garden.

Homelands Primary 

Creation of sensory room with resources.

Kings Ash Academy

Creation of sensory garden

Oldway Primary

Creation of sensory room.

Our Lady of The Angels Primary

Creation of communication ‘chat shack’.

Preston Primary

Creation of purpose built communication pods outside year 5/6 classrooms.

Priory Primary

Development of sensory garden/outdoor space.

Sacred Heart Primary

Creation of SEN room – sensory provision & speech and language support.

Shiphay Learning Academy

Creation of nurture/sensory room with resources.

St Margaret’s Academy

Enhancement of SEND facilities.

Preston Community Pre-School

Creation of outdoor (undercover) sensory area.

Watcombe Primary

Classroom partition to allow flexibility to manage the classroom environment for children with EHCP. 

Watcombe Primary

Creation of 2 sensory areas.

White Rock Primary

‘We very much appreciate receiving this funding – it has made a big impact on SEND children settling into our school and are very grateful to have such an amazing space at White Rock for our children’

Statement from our SENCO Cathy MacPherson,

We are delighted to have received funding to develop a Sensory Room at White Rock Primary School. We have been using it since the beginning of the academic year primarily with four autistic children who have very little language and came into our Reception Classes with EHCPs.  We have used the room to settle children when they come into school in the morning and to provide sensory breaks throughout the school day. 

We took advice from our EP when buying resources for the room and he provided training for staff working with children accessing the room.  

Unfortunately at this time only one other child has been able to access the room on a daily basis due to Covid restrictions. In the future we will ensure the room is used by a wide range of children within the school as we know they will benefit greatly from the environment.  

Brixham College

Creation of dedicated sensory and intervention space.

St Cuthbert Mayne

Provision of outdoor gym equipment and alternative PE equipment to support an inclusive and differentiated PE curriculum.

Torquay Academy

Creation of area for visually impaired students.

Torquay Academy

Creation of sensory room.

Below are summary details of the projects that were successful.  Where supplied by schools, there are also comments from the successful schools with images of the work completed.

Chestnut at Mayfield 

Re-purposed space to create new sensory room to meet needs of pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.

Torquay Academy

Re-purposed space to create new changing/feeding/therapy room to meet pupils’ physical needs.

Warberry Academy

Creating a new nurture provision to support inclusive practice for pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.

Preston Primary

New lift to meet pupils’ physical needs.

St Margaret’s Academy

New provision of a cabin within Forest school outdoor area for small group interventions throughout the day.

Our lovely unit is now in place and works are very nearly finished. I have attached a few photos to show you what a wonderful learning space this has created – Karen Colmer.

Watcombe Primary

Re-purposed space to create a nurture provision to improve existing provision for pupils with high needs. 

Paignton Academy

Re-purpose space to create new wellbeing/sensory rooms on both school sites to support sensory and SEMH needs – to provide calming space to help alleviate anxiety and escalate intervention and therapeutic work as needed.

Paignton Academy

Disabled toilet at the Waterleat Road site to meet physical needs.

Kings Ash Academy

Re-purpose space to create new wellbeing/sensory rooms to support sensory and SEMH needs.

The children have benefited greatly from having a designated sensory area where they can go, or be taken to, to help to reduce their anxieties and regulate emotions. We have a number of pupils with Autism who access these spaces as part of their daily timetable. Other children, especially those in the Foundation Stage and in the Nurture provision have enjoyed using this space when they are feeling emotionally upset or dysregulated.

Curledge St  Academy

Re-purpose space to create new wellbeing/sensory rooms to support sensory and SEMH needs.

The funding has been used to install two sensory rooms at CSA. One is based on the Early Years site and one is based on the main site for years 1-6 to access. This has provided much needed intervention spaces for children to use to get the sensory feedback/ input they need during the school day.

STEPS enhanced provision at Paignton Academy

Re-purpose space to create new wellbeing/sensory rooms to support sensory and SEMH needs.

Sherewell Valley Primary 

Upgrade lifts on site to meet pupils’ physical needs.

Torbay Boys Grammar

Upgrade 6 external doors to have automatic openers to meet physical needs.

Eden Park Primary 

Re-purpose space to create a new sensory area to support sensory and SEMH needs.

The project was to turn a room available in school into a Respite Space, a room that we can use with some o the most high needs children who find full time in a mainstream classroom sometimes a challenge. The money allocated was used to create a wonderful space that is light and inviting, but also purposeful and safe. It included the fitting of doors that allow the children to be kept safe, cupboards that can be locked, improved IT capability, a sink area for cleaning up creative projects and the construction of a purpose build changing area for handling intimate care discretely. Some money was also used to create a hugely successful outside space and a gazebo so that the children using the space are kept dry during inclement weather. All round, we are now able to have a much more useful space, safe and clean and attached to a pre-existing sensory room that supports these children more comprehensively than was previously being managed, but providing a base for the children when not in their allocated classroom. 

South Devon College

Re-purpose space to create a nurture area.

This provision has become invaluable within the Learning Opportunities department for our learners. It is a warm, supportive and calming area for all of our learners, especially those with SEMH needs, to talk, practice Mindful Craft and Art, share problems and achievements and seek guidance and sign posting to many matters. The impact this provision has had, has been quantifiable as our learners have all responded so positively to being able to access this extra and consistent support that helps them to strive and achieve.

What some of our learners have to say about having this provision available to them –

•   “ it helps me to regulate my behaviour and emotions”
• “ it’s a great place to talk things over”  
• “ It helps to keep me calm”
• “ It helps me to process things that have happened in the past”

Shiphay Learning Academy

Re-purpose space to create a new nurture room to support sensory and SEMH needs.