SEND Resources

What to do if a child is causing concern in your setting:

Assess: First discuss the child with your colleagues and the parents/carers and start some assessment / observation together

Plan: Meet together and decide what to do to help the child

Do:  Carry out the plan of action together

Review:  Then meet again to check out how well the plan is working

Keep going with the cycle of support!

At any point access further guidance and support in the following order:​

1: Free SEND training opportunities: 

• Networks and forums through Torbay ilearn Welcome to iLearn!: Log in to the site (learningpool.com);
• EYSEND Partnership training events About the EYSEND Partnership (councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk);
• Dingley’s Promise modules Training – Dingley’s Promise;
• Nasen Early Years Training Early Years | Nasen;
• Early Years South West Stronger Practice Hub Early Years South West Stronger Practice Hub | Stronger Practice Hubs

2: Torbay Early Years Graduated Approach Toolkit – Torbay Early Years Graduated Approach Toolkit – Family Hub

3: SEN Resources – small steps assessments, parent/carer advice sheets, intervention ideas, funding support SEND Resources – Family Hub

4: Contact the Home Learning Environment and Early Years (HLE & EY) Team on earlyyears@torbay.gov.uk or earlyyearssend@torbay.gov.uk to arrange a telephone call or TEAMS call with a member of the team, or call the Early Years Team on 01803 207895.

Torbay Early Years Graduated Approach Toolkit (TEYGAT) aims to provide a one-stop-shop, for all early years providers to promote inclusive practice and support the additional needs of early years children at a targeted level. For some children universal provision may not meet all of their needs. The importance of early identification and intervention with appropriate multi agency support is key to addressing young children’s needs.

The Torbay Early Years Graduated Approach Toolkit highlights the importance of a quality adaptive approach, which addresses the needs of all children. In these cases, the graduated approach of assess, plan, do, and review cycle, will be put into action. The TEYGAT can support the identification of strategies and resources documented through an Individual Learning and Development Plan (ILDP). This plan will be developed jointly with the child’s family to promote consistent support at both home and at the setting.

All the forms named in this practice guidance can be viewed and downloaded from the Torbay Family Hub, Local Offer website found here Torbay SEND Local Offer – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)

In the first instance, where there are concerns about an individual child, the setting SENDCO should act by

• Clearly identifying their needs through discussion with the parents/carers and carrying out observations and assessments
• Providing a supportive learning environment
• Working as a team of adults to provide collaborative verbal and non-verbal communication support
• Using the Early Years Graduated Approach Toolkit to help implement support strategies at the setting and at home

Where the concern about the child persists, and the SENDCo has followed the stepped Graduated Approach pathway, it might be appropriate to contact the Home Learning Environment and Early Years (HLE & EY) service in Torbay, for further support earlyyears@torbay.gov.uk or earlyyearssend@torbay.gov.uk :

“In identifying a child as needing SEN support, the Early Years practitioner, working with the setting SENCo and the child’s parents, will have carried out an analysis of the child’s needs. This initial assessment should be reviewed regularly to ensure that support is matched to need. Where there is little or no improvement in the child’s progress, more specialist assessment may be called for from specialist teachers or from health, social services or other agencies beyond the setting. Where professionals are not already working with the setting, the SENCo should contact them, with the parents’ agreement.” (SEND Code of Practice 2015)

This practice guidance aims to support all practitioners working with children in the Early Years who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

• It aims to outline the principles and requirements that are laid down in the statutory guidance, SEND Code of Practice (0-25) 2015.
• It aims to support Torbay Early Years settings in meeting the individual needs of all children in their care.
• For further support and advice, you can contact the Home Learning Environment and Early Years Team www.earlyyears@torbay.gov.uk or 01803 207895

This practice guidance aims to support all practitioners working with children in the Early Years who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

• It aims to outline the principles and requirements that are laid down in the statutory guidance, SEND Code of Practice (0-25) 2015.
• It aims to support Torbay Early Years settings in meeting the individual needs of all children in their care.
• For further support and advice, you can contact the Home Learning Environment and Early Years Team www.earlyyears@torbay.gov.uk or 01803 207895

All the forms and guidance are available on the Torbay Family Hub website SEND Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)

This is when practitioners observe and identify a child as having additional needs.  This is what is stated in the SEND Code of Practice:

“Where a child appears to be behind expected levels, or where a child’s progress gives cause for concern, practitioners should consider all the information about the child’s learning and development from within and beyond the setting, from formal checks, from practitioner observations and from any more detailed assessment of the child’s needs. From within the setting practitioners should particularly consider information on a child’s progress in communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. Where any specialist advice has been sought from beyond the setting, this should also inform decisions about whether or not a child has SEN. All the information should be brought together with the observations of parents and considered with them.” (SEND Code of Practice 2015).

Use additional small step assessments to support your observations of the child in the developmental areas of concern, particularly the prime areas of learning.  Small Step Assessments may be the Early Communication and Language Monitoring Tool or something more specific such as the Engagement Model both found here SEND Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) or the Early Years SEND Assessment tools found here Help for early years providers : SEND assessment guidance and resources

All documentation used to record the graduated approach cycle of support are identified in this document in bold italic type and found for your use here SEND Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)

Assessment and observations should be guided and coordinated by the Setting Special Needs & Disability Coordinator (SENDCo)

The Early Years SENDCO will:

• Work with the manager of the setting to regularly review the SEN and disability policy and practice within the setting and agree how it will be implemented.
• Be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the setting’s SEND policy, and for coordinating provision across the setting.
• Implement SEND support and the graduated approach of assess, plan, do, review to meet the outcomes identified for the child
• Support individual practitioners in implementing the approach for individual children.
• Meet the requirements for record-keeping in a way that supports a participative decision-making process.
• Draw on a range of sources, including the views of the child, supported by reliable evidence of effectiveness, to inform their advice and support to colleagues on different approaches to improving children’s progress.

The setting SENDCo can email the HLE & EY service and arrange an agreed telephone or video call to discuss the child of concern and the action taken so far. 

Following this consultation, the setting SENDCO can expect some written advice in an email, based on the shared discussion with the setting SENDCO/Nursery Teacher. It will be expected that the suggested recommendations will be put into action.

Following a short period of time, if the child’s needs continue to be of concern, the setting SEND Co can make further contact with the HLE & EYs professional and a visit to the setting can be arranged.  The aim of these visits is to observe the child of concern and/or discuss the impact of the interventions of support already put in place and support setting SENDCOs with further inclusive practice, including targeted support strategies. Other support for the child and family may also need to be considered such as Early Help, intervention groups at the Family Hub or a referral to health or education services.  It might be impactful for the early years setting to participate in training opportunities both locally and online.

The Early Years SENDCO has a key role in supporting colleagues and coordinating the response of the setting to children with SEND. The Early Years SENDCO role will vary depending on the size, structure and employer’s requirements in the setting. The following is an overview of the typical role. Further details can be obtained from the 0-25 Special educational needs and disability code of practice 2015:

• Ensuring all practitioners in the setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEND and the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEND
• Advising and supporting colleagues
• Ensuring parents are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting
• Liaising with professionals or agencies beyond the setting
• Continually develop own practice
• Relevant skills and knowledge

The Early Years SENDCO will:

• Support practitioners to assess their skills and competencies, identify any gaps and implement next steps in professional development &
• Ensure all practitioners in the setting understand:
  • Their responsibilities to children with SEND
  • How to work actively and effectively within the Assess Plan Do Review SEND support in Early Years cycle.
  • The setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEND
  • How the setting: responds to any cause for concern and identifies and responds to special educational needs.
  • How the setting works in partnership with parents to identify a child as having a SEND.
  • How the practitioner and the SENDCO agree, in consultation with the parent and the child, the outcomes they are seeking for the child.
• Identify and use training and other sources of support available to help explain the duties to colleagues.
• Link with others who have a role in supporting the development and delivery of training both for individual settings and on a wider basis.

The graduated approach should be led and coordinated by the setting SENCo working with and supporting individual practitioners in the setting. A case file for the child should be set up to include, a tracking log recording all the actions taken and copies of ILDPs, emotional regulation plans and reviews, letters, reports and assessments & observations.

This file will then become a clear chronological record of the Early Years setting’s SEND Support for the child and can provide good evidence for a request for further support if it is needed.

Children receiving SEN Support must be on the setting’s ‘SEND Register’.

Practitioners and parents/carers then agree a plan of action that is additional and different from that provided as part of the setting’s usual curriculum and strategies.  An ‘Individual Learning and Development Plan’ and/or ‘Emotional Regulation Plan’ is written, the child’s responses may be monitored using the ‘weekly tracking sheet’ and then reviewed on a regular basis. When the plan is reviewed with the parents/carers, the setting SENDCo will need to record the meeting using the ‘Individual Learning and Development Plan Review’ form. Parents/carers should always be sent a copy of the review meeting minutes following the meeting together.  This is what is stated in the SEND Code of Practice:

“Where it is decided to provide SEN support, and having formally notified the parents, the practitioner and the SENCo should agree, in consultation with the parent, the outcomes they are seeking, the interventions and support to be put in place, the expected impact on progress, development or behaviour, and a clear date for review. Plans should consider the views of the child. The support and intervention provided should be selected to meet the outcomes identified for the child, based on reliable evidence of effectiveness, and provided by practitioners with relevant skills and knowledge. Any related staff development needs should be identified and addressed.

Parents should be involved in planning support and, where appropriate, in reinforcing the provision or contributing to progress at home.” (SEND Code of Practice 2015)

At this stage the setting SENDCo and parents/carers should agree to include the child on the setting’s SEND Register.

All children are individuals. They will progress at different rates and need different learning opportunities to reach their full potential. A child may just need time and support to develop rather than having special educational needs. Carefully differentiated learning opportunities within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum may allow a child to progress.

When a child is experiencing difficulties, it may be necessary to offer different opportunities or use alternative approaches to learning. If the child is not making adequate progress and is identified as having special educational needs, adults supporting the child will need to follow the Graduated Approach in the SEND Code of Practice 2015.

The Graduated Approach

In addition to the early years resources found on SEND Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk), this guidance has been produced that describes  interventions considered to be good practice in supporting young children with SEND and vulnerabilities in their learning in the early years used to specifically support, identified areas of difficulty.

Setting SENDCos should refer to the Torbay Early Years Graduated Approach Toolkit SEND Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) to support them with strategy ideas of how to support the child and what interventions to put in place both at home and at the Early Years setting. There are other resources to support practitioners with strategies also found here SEND Resources – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk) This is what is stated in the SEND Code of Practice:

“The Early Years practitioner, usually the child’s key person, remains responsible for working with the child daily. With support from the SENCo, they should oversee the implementation of the interventions or programmes agreed as part of SEN support. The SENCo should support the practitioner in assessing the child’s response to the action taken, in problem solving and advising on the effective implementation of support.” (SEND Code of Practice 2015)

The Early Years SENDCO will:

• Make sure parents receive the information, advice and support that they need to participate in the SEND decision-making process.
• Ensure parents are closely involved throughout and that their insights inform action taken by the setting.
• Involve parents in the discussion of any early concerns, in identifying any SEN, and agreeing:
  • The outcomes being sought for the child
  • The interventions and support to be put in place
  • The expected impact on progress, development, behaviour
  • Date for review

Each Early Years setting must have a SEND Register.

What is a SEND Register?

The SEND register is a list of all the children in the setting who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or a disability in the four broad areas of need:  Communication and Interaction, Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Cognition and Learning and Physical and Sensory. This list makes it easier for the SENCo and staff to monitor those children who need extra help.

Which children should be placed on the SEND Register?

Any child identified as having a special educational need and/or disability and who needs more help than their peers to make progress in at least two areas of SEND need, should be placed on the SEND register.   Before a child is placed on the SEND register, this MUST be discussed with the child’s parents/carers. The parents/carers MUST also be informed in writing, usually in the Team Around the Family or ILDP review meeting minutes.

What does this mean for the child?

If a child is placed on the SEND Register, the extra help they receive should be set out in an ILDP or Emotional Regulation Plan, so that it is clear what help the child is receiving and how often.

Will the child need to stay on the SEND Register?

Some children with significant needs will be on the SEND Register for the duration of their time at the setting, because they will always need additional help and support.  Other children may only need something additional for a short amount of time. If they no longer need any help above and beyond that of the usual provision, then they should be removed from the SEND Register. This MUST be in discussion with parents/carers.

Sometimes parents/carers request a place at an Early Years setting for their child who has an identified need. In this case it is important to hold a transition meeting for the parents/carers and other practitioners already involved with the child, preferably before the child starts at the setting. In this way the setting SENDCo can carefully plan and provide the most appropriate level of support for the child to be successfully included.

Setting SENDCos can use their own transition plan format or the ILDP Review meeting form.  This plan can be used when the child moves onto another Early Years setting.  It is also useful and meaningful for parents/carers, if a One Page Profile is completed about the child with SEND at regular intervals, to inform all the adults working with the child, how best to support them.

It is important to plan and arrange a transition meeting for young children with identified SEND starting school, please follow the recommendations laid out in the Early Years Transition Charter and timeline.

The Early Years SENDCO will:

• Understand the local offer, including the provision that the Local Authority expects to be available from providers of all relevant Early Years education.
• Understand the support available including:
  • education
  • health and social care services for disabled children and children with SEND
  • services assisting providers to support young children with medical conditions
  • childcare for disabled children and children with SEND
  • services providing parents and children with information, advice and support on SEND and disability
  • support groups who can support parent carers of disabled children.
• Link with the local authority to liaise over individual children and links on wider strategic issues such as securing sufficient expertise and experience on SEND and disability locally
• Understand how funding supports settings in meeting children’s SEND and disability.
• Liaise with professionals or agencies beyond the setting, including, but not limited to:
  • SEND support or learning support services including the ‘Local Offer’
  • sensory support services or specialist teachers
  • Therapies such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy
  • support available to parents to aid their child’s development at home, including such services as Portage
  • Independent Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS)
  • Local voluntary agencies that provide support to children and their families.
  • Social Care Services
  • Area SENDCO, inclusion officer, or equivalent where available

It is advisable to review individual targets set for very young children every half term or sooner.  The setting SENDCo will need to arrange a meeting with the parents. This is what is stated in the SEND Code of Practice:

“The effectiveness of the support and its impact on the child’s progress should be reviewed in line with the agreed date. The impact and quality of the support should be evaluated by the practitioner and the SENCo working with the child’s parents and considering the child’s views. They should agree any changes to the outcomes and support for the child in light of the child’s progress and development. Parents should have clear information about the impact of the support provided and be involved in planning next steps.

This cycle of action should be revisited in increasing detail and with increasing frequency, to identify the best way of securing good progress. At each stage parents should be engaged with the setting, contributing their insights to assessment and planning. Intended outcomes should be shared with parents and reviewed with them, along with action taken by the setting, at agreed times.” (SEND Code of Practice 2015)

It is advisable, where possible, to include all the relevant professionals involved with the child at planned review meetings, so that a coordinated approach is taken. At each ILDP review meeting it is important to consider if the child needs to access more support from outside agencies, such as Early Help or Family Hub services. It might be relevant to make a request for support from the Home Learning Environment and Early Years Team earlyyears@torbay.gov.uk or earlyyearssend@torbay.gov.uk

After at least one cycle of the Graduated Approach, a Setting SENDCO may want to request extra funding to support the child’s access to the setting. This can be done using the guidance and ‘Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) forms – Parts 1 and 2’ found here Early Years additional funding for children with SEND (ALFI and DAF) – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)

Effective practitioners reflect on their own practice and undertake continuous professional development. The Early Years SENDCO will:

• understand:
  • own responsibilities to children with SEND, their carers/parents
  • the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEND
  • how to determine reliability of evidence of the effectiveness of provision
• assess own skills and competencies, identify any gaps and next steps in professional development.
• identify and use training and other sources of support to address own development needs.
• keep up to date with meeting the setting’s needs.

After at least one cycle of the Graduated Approach, a Setting SENDCO may want to request extra funding to support the child’s access to the setting, Activity led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI). This can be done using the guidance and ‘Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) forms – Parts 1 and 2’ found here Early Years additional funding for children with SEND (ALFI and DAF) – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)

For young children whose parents/carers are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance, Early Years settings can apply for Disability Access Fund.  Guidance, criteria and the application form can all be found here Disability Access Fund (DAF) – Family Hub

Setting SENDCos may be asked to write a report on a child with SEND for:

• Multi-agency meetings.
• Evidence for making a request for an EHC needs assessment.
• Sharing information about children with parents and other professionals.

For each area of development describe the child’s needs and any effective strategies that you have been able to put in place.

Be clear about the type and level of support you are giving for the child to be successfully included and make the relevant progress.  For example, using picture prompts to support changes of activities; using Makaton with the child to support their understanding; giving hand under hand help to hold a cup; using a standing frame to access the water play. Describe what the child is good at and enjoys doing.  Always remain objective and factual.

There is a range of resources and advice, information and training available, for example:

• Torbay Family Hub Local Offer Torbay SEND Local Offer – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)
• Dingley’s Promise Inclusion Training, Free to Torbay Early Years Settings Training – Dingley’s Promise
• Speech and Language UK Home – Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives  supports everyone who works with children and young people in England to support their speech, language and communication.
• The Autism Education Trust Resources to Support Autistic Children and Young People (autismeducationtrust.org.uk) for children on the autism spectrum.
• National Sensory Impairment Partnership, Natsip, for children with vision impairment, hearing impairment and multi-sensory impairment.
• The Early Years SEND Partnership Programme About the EYSEND Partnership (councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk) provides learning resources to support the development of practice in relation to young children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties; autism; Sensory Processing and speech, language and communication needs.
• Nasen Early Years | Nasen hosts an online portal, of Early Years SEND Resources which provides access to information, resources and training to meet the needs of children with SEN and disabilities to support Early Years practitioners

“Where, despite the setting having taken relevant and purposeful action to identify, assess and meet the special educational needs of the child, the child has not made expected progress, the setting should consider requesting an Education, Health and Care needs assessment”. (SEND Code of Practice 2015)

It is important to seek the support and guidance from an educational psychologist when considering further support for some children, as they near a school start.   The educational psychology service can offer a consultation with the parents/carers to first discuss with them and the setting SENDCO, what support is already in place for the child; what has been effective and what the aspirations are for the child moving forward.  You will need to complete the referral form for this service found here Educational Psychology – Torbay Council  Together, a decision will be made if further intervention is needed at this time.

For a few children, it may be appropriate to make a request for an EHC needs assessment. Guidance and information about this can be found here Education, Health & Care (EHC) needs assessments and Education, Health & Care plans (EHCPs) – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)

The Early Years Advisory Teachers / Portage Service will also support the setting SENDCo, giving guidance about the process.  Deciding to make a request for an EHCP needs to be done in consultation with the parents/carers and educational psychologist and a referral to this service should be the done before requesting an EHCP. 

The Early Years Advisory Teacher for Inclusion will work in close partnership with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Co-ordinators (SENDCos) in Early Years Settings to enable them to follow the ‘Graduated Approach’ set out in the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and this will include.

• Supporting setting SENDCos with early identification of concerns and assessment of need through virtual discussion support, visits to the SENDCO or observing children at play.
• Supporting setting SENDCos to plan and implement appropriate intervention and support for individual children in consultation with parents/carers.
• Supporting setting SENDCos to explain to parents/carers how any early intervention and support put in place will benefit their children and help them to reach their full potential.
• Reinforcing the need for setting SENDCos to consult with parents/carers at each step and reassure them that confidentiality between parents/carers, the setting and other agencies will be respected at all times.
• Supporting setting SENDCos with referral to other agencies e.g. educational psychology, health services and signposting parents/carers to universal support services including Early Help.
• Informing setting SENDCos about the importance of working with local impartial information, advice and support services, to promote effective work with parents of children in the Early Years such as SENDIASS SENDIASS Torbay – Torbay Council
• Supporting setting SENDCos to plan for children with SEND to transfer between Early Years provision and schools by following the Torbay Transition Charter and timelines.
• Supporting the setting SENDCos with requesting an EHC Plan for individual children and writing reports as part of this process
• Supporting setting SENDCos to develop links with existing SENDCo networks such as the Torbay Early Years SENDCO Forum.
• Strengthening the links between the settings, parents, schools, social care and health services
• Developing and disseminating good practice
• Supporting the development and delivery of training both for individual settings and on a wider basis

Individual Learning and Development Plans (ILDPs) aim to identify small step targets to support children’s learning and development. They identify how children learn and what support is needed that is additional or different to the typical provision. Having Individual Learning Development Plans are crucial to evidencing the Graduated Approach cycle of support (SEND Code of Practice 2015). It is anticipated that all children with SEND have ILDPs in place.

Purpose and Benefits of using ILDPs:

• Designed to support children’s learning and development.
• Provides a personalised approach, recognising that each child progresses at their own pace.
• Help practitioners understand where a child is in their development and facilitate progress tracking.
• Developed jointly with the child’s family to promote consistent support at both home and at the setting. 
• Are useful in evidencing of how practitioners identify and plan for children’s next steps when Ofsed visits.

Individual Learning and Development Plan Reviews

Individual Learning and Development Plan Reviews should take place every 6-8 weeks. Meetings should always include the parents/carers. Other key professionals involved, which may include a Portage Home Visitors, Health Visitor or other identified key health practitioners, Social Care practitioners, who may be included from time to time. Other key professionals need notice of at least 2 weeks, in order to attend the meeting. The setting SENCO will need to set aside a private space for a meeting and invite the attendees. It is the responsibility of the setting SENCO to prepare the paperwork beforehand, write up the meeting and distribute it to the those that attended. The aim of the meeting is to work collaboratively through sharing updated information about the child both at home and at the setting and to plan future targets together. Individual Learning and Development Plan Reviews are crucial to evidencing the Graduated Approach cycle of support (SEND Code of Practice 2015).

ILDP templates

• Download Individual Learning Development Plan (updated Dec 2024)
• Download Individual Learning and Development Plan with guidance (updated Dec 2024)
• Download On Going Diary of Individual Learning and Development Plan Targets
• Download Individual Learning and Development Plan Review (updated Dec 2024)
• Download Individual Learning and Development Plan Review with guidance (updated Dec 2024)

Writing small step targets are integral to the Graduated Approach response for children with SEND.

SMART targets are small step targets that are:

S – specific, not open to interpretation

M – measurable, with clear language to describe observed learning and development

A – achievable, because they are fail safe in their approach.

R – relevant to the child and their family

T – Time Bound, using time, duration and frequency measures for success

The Four Elements to include in a Small Step SMART Target

It helps when writing a SMART target to do so on 4 different lines like below, to get all 4 elements
included.

1. Who – name of child
2. Does What – what the child is observed doing (clear language using verbs)
3. Under What Conditions – consider prompts, materials, instructions, context.
4. To what Degree of Success – time, frequency and duration

Always start the ‘Does What’ with ‘will’ and the ‘Under What Conditions’ with ‘when’.

Assessment summaries are useful for sharing information about children with other professionals.

• Download SEND Assessment Summary form
• Download SEND Assessment Summary form with guidance

Open Ended Play means that children are allowed the time and space to play with resources, following their own creative ideas and interests. This Open Ended Play activity sheet can be useful to note observations and achievements during Open Ended Play.

Download Open Ended activity sheet

Children receiving SEN Support must be on the setting’s ‘SEND Register’.

Download Special Educational Needs and Disability Register Template

This risk assessment template will help you identify potential risks in your setting.

Download the Risk Assessment template

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) often find change difficult. As part of transition, schools, educational settings and families must work together to create a plan. The plan should be in place to help with any specific needs, strengths, interests and potential anxieties and learning styles.

The move should be part of a process, rather than a one-off event, allowing children to feel confident and happy when the time comes.

• Download Enhanced Transition Timeline for Pre-school Children with SEND (MS Word)
• Download Enhanced Transition Plan for Pre-school Children with SEND (MS Word)

Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) is additional funding provided to Early Years education providers (School-based nurseries, PVI (Private, Voluntary and Independent) settings and Childminders) to deliver support for individual children with identified Special Education Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND).

ALFI may be available for individual children by completing the relevant ALFI forms. There are separate forms for:

• School-based nurseries
• PVI (Private, Voluntary and Independent) settings
• Childminders

All ALFI applications are considered by the Local Authority (LA) termly ALFI Board meetings in line with the ALFI Board terms of reference and ALFI criteria, and funding is then allocated on the basis of individual children’s presentation of SEND.

If sending in multiple applications please ensure to submit separate emails for each individual child.

ALFI Board Dates:

ALFI Criteria

PVI (Private, Voluntary and Independent) Early Years settings are invited to apply for Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) to help support individual children with needs by completing the relevant forms below.

PVI settings ALFI application forms:

• Download Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) for PVI settings form – Part 1 (setting information)(MS word)
• Download Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) for PVI settings form – Part 2 (child information)(MS word) (updated Dec 2024)
• Download Change of hours for PVI settings form (MS word)

ALFI Board Dates:

Having first considered the criteria and checklist (below), you can make a request for Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) for supporting individual children by downloading and completing the Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) parts 1 and 2 forms (above) and sending them to earlyyearssend@torbay.gov.uk. [If sending in multiple applications please ensure to submit separate emails for each individual child.]

Supporting checklist and criteria:

• Download Checklist for PVI settings (MS Word)

• Download ALFI Criteria (MS Word version)

School-based nurseries are invited to apply for Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) to help support individual children with needs by completing the relevant forms below.

School based nurseries ALFI application forms:

• Download Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) for School-based nurseries form – Part 1 (setting information)(MS word)
• Download Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) for School-based nurseries form – Part 2 (child information)(MS word)
• Download Change of hours for School-based nurseries form (MS word)

ALFI Board Dates:

Having first considered the criteria and checklist (below), you can make a request for Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) for supporting individual children by downloading and completing the Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) parts 1 and 2 forms (above) and sending them to earlyyearssend@torbay.gov.uk. [If sending in multiple applications please ensure to submit separate emails for each individual child.]

Supporting checklist and criteria:

• Download Checklist for School-based nurseries (MS Word)

• Download ALFI Criteria (MS Word version)

Childminders are invited to apply for Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) to help support individual children with needs by completing the relevant forms below.

Childminders’ ALFI application forms:

• Download Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) for Childminders’ form – Part 1 (setting information)(MS word)
• Download Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) for Childminders’ form – Part 2 (child information)(MS word)
• Download Change of hours for Childminders’ form (MS word)

ALFI Board Dates:

Having first considered the criteria and checklist (below), you can make a request for Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) for supporting individual children by downloading and completing the Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI) parts 1 and 2 forms (above) and sending them to earlyyearssend@torbay.gov.uk. [If sending in multiple applications please ensure to submit separate emails for each individual child.]

Supporting checklist and criteria:

• Download Checklist for Childminders’ (MS Word)

• Download ALFI Criteria (MS Word version)

In addition to Activity Led Funding for Inclusion (ALFI), Early Years settings may be able to receive DAF for eligible children attending their setting. The Disability Access Fund is money that is available for eligible children to a nominated childcare provider once per year to aid access to Early Years places for children with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities.

Eligible children are:

• aged two (from April 2024), three or four years old;
• in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA);
• receiving the Early Years Entitlement at a childcare provider in Torbay.

This funding is NOT available:

• for four year olds in maintained, academy or free school reception classes;
• to any childcare provider who is not claiming any Early Years Entitlement for the child.

Children will be eligible where they take-up any period of free entitlement. Eligible children do not need to take up all of their 570 Early Years Entitlement hours to be able to access the Disability Access Fund.

Funding is paid at £910 per year to one childcare provider nominated by the parent. Parents whose children attend more than one provider need to be aware that only one payment can be made, and they must nominate which provider that should be.

It is up to the childcare provider how the Disability Access Fund is spent. It cannot be used to pay for additional hours.

Early Years providers are responsible for identifying eligible children. Parents of children qualifying for Disability Living Allowance are required to provide the letter from the Department for Work and Pensions which proves the award of DLA as evidence of entitlement. Providers need to take a copy of this evidence to include alongside applications.

Once funding for the year is paid, it will not be reclaimed even if the child leaves the setting. If the child then moves to a different setting, the new setting will not be able to receive any Disability Access Fund payment until the following financial year. Where a child lives in one authority area but attends a provider in a different local authority, the provider’s local authority is responsible for funding the Disability Access Fund for the child and eligibility checking.

To apply for the Disability Access Fund, please complete the application form.

Download Disability Access Fund Form

The Makaton Friendly places scheme recognises places that strive to make their services accessible for people who use Makaton to support their communication. For more information about the scheme, including frequently asked questions visit the Makaton Friendly section on the Makaton Charity website. The Let’s talk Makaton Youtube Channel provides lots of video clips on useful individual Makaton signs and symbols.

The National Portage Association (NPA) Stamp of Approval Scheme is an award given to early year’s settings who have demonstrated they deliver inclusive early years education based upon Portage Principles. There are lots of other useful resources available on the Portage Support Hub, some are free and some require membership (£35 per year) to download.

The I CAN website has a range of freely downloadable resources that will help adults to support young children’s communication and interaction, including resources developed by The Communication Trust.

The Autism Education Trust Early Years Programme offers training and resources for professionals working in various early years settings for children up to 5 years.

The AET has developed outstanding, evidence-based resources to support you in your practice. Specific tools, research articles, films, strategies and more.

Nasen offers a range of training opportunities and resources specifically for leaders and practitioners, working in the Early Years (EY).

These SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletins were produced between May 2020 and November 2022. They have been included here because they contain some useful information. However, please be aware that links within these bulletins may be out-of-date.

• SEND VC Forum Bulletin No 15 November 2022 – Updates and news for Early Years setting SENDCOs, SEMH and SLC Leads in Torbay Early Years settings
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Bulletin No 14 – September 2022 – Updates and news for Early Years setting SENDCOs, SEMH and SLC Leads in Torbay Early Years settings
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 13 – May 2022 – Updates and news for Early Years setting SENDCOs, SEMH and SLC Leads in Torbay Early Years settings
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 12 – March 2022 – Updates and news for Early Years setting SENDCOs, SEMH and SLC Leads in Torbay Early Years settings
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 11 – January 2022 – Updates and news for Early Years setting SENDCOs, SEMH and SLC Leads in Torbay Early Years settings
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 10 – November 2021 – Updates and news for Early Years setting SENDCOs, SEMH and SLC Leads in Torbay Early Years settings
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 9 – September 2021 – This edition of the SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Bulletin focuses on welcoming young children with SEND back into their settings.
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 8 – July 2021 – Updates and news for Early Years setting SENDCOs, PSED and SLC Leads in Torbay Early Years settings
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 7 – April 2021 – This edition of the SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Bulletin focuses on transitions for our young children with SEND, starting school in September 2021
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 6 – March 2021 0 The latest edition of the SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Bulletin
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 5 – January 2021 – The latest edition of the SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Bulletin
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 4 – November 2020 – This edition of SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Bulletin offers some tips and reminders for you from a local perspective as well as national developments in SEND
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 3 – September 2020 – This edition of the SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Bulletin focuses on welcoming young children with SEND back into their settings.
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 2 – July 2020 – This edition of the SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Bulletin is focusing on the support available to help you welcome the children with SEND back into your settings.
• SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum Bulletin 1 – May 2020 – This bulletin will replace the SEND and Vulnerable Children’s Forum planned for 21 May 2020.

This resource pack will assist with the identification of possible difficulties and support the implementation of strategies.

The Autism Sensory Assessment Checklist is embeded below in pdf format and the word version can be downloaded by the following link:

• Austism-sensory-assessment.docx

View Guidance for using STAR Charts for Behaviour and then download the blank template for use.

Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

• Tracking language delelopment of children learning EAL – exemplar – pdf
• Practical Strategies to support children with EAL – pdf
• Child observation sheet for Early Years EAL – word document

This tool outlines key milestones in speech, language and communication development to support identification of children’s needs in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

The purpose of this tool is to help assess a child’s level of development in order to make informed decisions about what the child needs to learn and be able to do next. The tool can help practitioners to notice whether a child is at risk of falling behind in their development and supports early identification of the need for referral for specialist support.

The purpose of the observation profiles are to enhance the teacher’s ability to assess the young child’s progress in developing skills and understanding in those areas which are typically impaired in autism.

The following Autism Observation Profiles are embeded below in pdf format and word versions can be downloaded by the following links:

• Autism-Observation-Profile-Play-and-Imagination-1.docx
• Autism-Observation-Profile-Play-and-Imagination-2.docx
• Autism-Observation-Profile-Communication-1.docx
• Autism-Observation-Profile-Social-Interaction-1.docx
• Autism-Observation-Profile-Social-Interaction-2.docx
• Autism-Observation-Profile-Social-Interaction-3.docx

These Autism Observation Profiles work well alongside the Autism Education Trust Early Years Competency Framework. This framework sets out the skills, knowledge and understandings that staff require to work effectively with children with autism.

A one-page profile captures the essence of the child’s character and needs, and acts as a starting point in getting to know them. It isn’t designed to replace the reports written by health and educational professionals, but should be a representation of the child’s own thoughts and views. A profile needs to be included when requesting an EHCP needs assessment for a child.

Strategies that support children with SEND can often be beneficial to their friends and peers as well. To be more inclusive, you may want to consider doing One Page Profiles with all children on transition into your setting, and review them when things change, or as an ongoing discussion forum with the family/child that’s updated regularly.

The following YouTube clip explains the benefit and value of using One Page Profiles from the points of view of children and staff members’

One page profile – examplar

Resources (sheffkids.co.uk) is a really usefull place to find a wide range of one page profile templates including but not limiteed to Pepa pig, In the Night Garden, Paw Patrol, Waybuloo, Mr Tumble etc.

Talking Mats is an interactive communication resource that uses picture symbols to help children express their feelings and views.

Engagement is crucial before targeted learning can happen. The engagement model aims to provide a ‘better fit’ way of noticing and acknowledging children’s responses to their world when other ways of doing this are not working well. For further information, guidance, blank template and exemplars please see the following documents in the downloads section on the right hand side of this webpage:

• The Engagement Model – guidance notes
• Appendix 1
  • Engagement Profile – example N
  • Engagement Profile – example T
• Appendix 2
  • Blank engagement profile – pdf version 
  • Blank engagement profile – word version
• Appendix 3
  • Engagement Scale – example N
  • Engagement Scale – example T

Statutory guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25.

Sibs exists to support people who grow up with or have grown up with a disabled brother or sister. It is the only UK charity representing the needs of over half a million young siblings and over one and a half million adult siblings.

Please see our website www.sibs.org.uk for information and advice.
Or contact us at info@sibs.org.uk

Advice for early years providers that are funded by the local authority.

A guide for parents and carerson the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25.

Statutory guidance for governing bodies of maintained schools and proprietors of academies in England.

What Early Years providers need to know and do, including responsibilities to disabled children under the Children and Families Act 2014.

Get your free Guide to the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in England and Wales.

Watch this video of tips for making play accessible for all and visit their website for more information.

Useful videos illustrating examples of ‘good practice’ support for children with SEND and their families with SEND and other resources.

• A guide to inclusive childcare for childcare providers
• Not just child’s play – Supporting your child’s learning and development at home for childcare providers
• Learning and play – giving your child the best start in life

Learn how you can help children with autism develop their play skills. Kay talks us through a step-by-step approach, based on Vygotsky’s ‘zone of proximal development’. This article originally appeared in the nasen magazine ‘Special’ in March 2016.

Attention Autism is a 4 stage step-by-step series of practical attention development activities that enables parents and professionals to get children to engage with them, so they can introduce them to new experiences and progress their learning. Please see embeded documents below that explain the 4 stages in more detail.

Attention development

The ability to focus and sustain attention on an activity of our own choosing is an early stage in attention development. At this level, the child rejects any attempts to intervene because they can only process one thing at once and they don’t want to stop what they are doing.

Typically developing children eventually progress to the stage of being able to do two things simultaneously in a distracting environment, but it’s a gradual process that happens over time. Without appropriate intervention, children with autism seem to get stuck at the early stages and this makes learning really difficult.

Attention Autism is a step-by-step series of practical activities that enables parents and professionals to get children to engage with them, so they can introduce them to new experiences and progress their learning.

Language is not the key to removing the obstacles that stand in their way. Instead their attention – and that of any supporting adults – is held by activities that are so compelling, they can’t tear their eyes away and they want to tell you about it. This spontaneous motivation to interact in turn helps their shared attention skills form. We aim for 20 minutes within six weeks of the intervention starting.

4 Stage approach

Stage 1 – A bucket full of surprises     

Stage 2 – The attention builder  

Stage 3 – Shifting attention and turn-taking

Stage 4 – Attention control and transitions

This checklist is useful in the observation of children’s play skills. 

Identiplay interventions help children on the autistic spectrum, and those with specific communication disorders, learn to play using a parallel copy and play model with set play scripts. View all on this page and download what you need.

Teaching Play to Children with Autism: Practical Interventions using Identiplay (Lucky Duck Books): Amazon.co.uk: Phillips, Nicky, Beavan, Liz: 9781446207666: Books

This set of simple activity sheets was created by the Torbay Early Years Advisory Teacher for Inclusion using a variety of sources. View and/or download any of the 6 sheets below and Sensory Play booklet to print.

1. A Bucket Full of Surprises
2. Simple Matching
3. Simple Sorting
4. Wow Box
5. Turn Taking
6. Exploratory Play
7. Container Play

1. A Bucket Full of Surprises

2. Simple Matching

3. Simple Sorting

4. Wow Box

5. Turn Taking

6. Exploratory Play

7. Container Play

Sensory Play Booklet

Self-evaluation tools enabling you to rate your practice and settings. Specifically written in collaboration with consultant expertise in autism and early years education. Packed full of additional resources. Select Early years on their Resources webpage

Sense is a national charity that supports people who are deafblind, have sensory impairments or complex needs, to enjoy more independent lives. Visit their website for Making Play inclucive materials and videos for both play settings and parents. Below is their Making Play inclusive tookkit for play settings

Familiar rhymes and songs with touch and movement to help engage early years children:

• Furry Squirrel
• Incey Wincey Spider

Take a look at Speech and language UK’s guide to typical stages of speech and language development in babies, children and young people.

Download this helpful booklet ‘Universally Speaking’ For children aged birth to 5 years 

Visual Communication Systems and the Symbol Ladder.

Any visual communication system using objects, pictures, photos or symbol pictures can be used to break down steps of an activity or routine throughout the day and offer choices for a child.  It is like using a diary or making a list using pictures with words to aid understanding for the child and reduce anxiety about what is happening next and to offer choices and control for the child.

Parents/carers can also use a mobile phone to create a timeline or create visual choices by taking photos of each step.  Widgit symbols and charts are available through signing up to WidgitOnline.  It is important to decide which type of symbols to use when creating visual communication systems and by using the Symbol Ladder it will help give you an idea of how symbols develop from concrete referencing to a more abstract representation of an idea.

You should read this booklet if you live or work with children and young people whose speech is difficult to understand or who have no speech.

This booklet provides information about children and young people who use a variety of different ways to communicate, how you can help support them and where to go for further information.

Makaton is a language programme aimed at supporting understanding and speaking skills. There are a range of free downloadable resources on the Makaton Website.

Torbay Council has a licenced Regional Makaton Tutor offering courses to the early years sector and families of children needing to use Makaton.

For information please contact the Early Years Advisory Teacher for Inclusion 01803 208261

The Makaton Library contains Makaton signs, symbols, video demonstrations, research papers , and free downloads  to support you with all of your Makaton needs.

Your level of access will depend on your membership type:

• Free Account: Free resources and finger spelling
• Core Member: Free resources, finger spelling, Core Vocabulary
• Founder Member: Free resources, finger spelling, Core Vocabulary, Living & Learning vocabulary
• Makaton Tutor: Tutor resources, free resources, finger spelling, Core Vocabulary, Living & Learning vocabulary

Singing Hands – for useful examples of Makaton signing in song have a look at a range of Singing Hands YouTube videos to share with children and practitioners, such as this example

Widgit Online create, save and share symbol resources and offer a free 21 day trial to support learning and communication by creating symbol documents, flashcards, activities and timetables in your web browser.

The National Autistic Society has produced a good article to explain how to use social stories. Please see both the Social Stories document and Social Story example below. 

PECS is specifically designed for children with ASD and/or significant communication difficulties.  The aim is for the child to communicate requests and intent through picture cards.  The child may have little or no spoken language.

The intervention is a specific, manualised intervention covering 6 phases.

Children are taught the approach with the aim of them giving a picture of a desired item to a communicative partner in exchange for that item as a mode of expressive communication or ‘speaking’. The child then goes on to use PECS as a way of commenting.

Children & Family Health Devon’s Toolkit is appropriate for children aged 0 – 4. This toolkit has been designed to support families, carers and professionals who have concerns about a child’s development. It provides a greater understanding of development, when to be concerned and how to help and focuses on difficulties that fall within the expertise of Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy. It includes advice sheets and videos.

Do2learn provides thousands of free pages with social skills and behavioural regulation activities and guidance, learning songs and games, communication cards, academic material, and transition guides for employment and life skills. In addition, we offer premier products including View2do, JobTIPS, FACELAND, books, and apps for purchase.

An object of reference is an object that has a particular meaning, e.g. a certain ball might represent going out to play or a bubble wand might represent coming to blow bubbles. They can be used to

• help a child understand what is happening or is about to happen, e.g. being shown a spade means the child is about to be encouraged to move to the sand tray area.
• Support a transition from place to place, your child is indoors and it’s time to go outside to the sandpit, so show them the spade to support their understanding of what is about to happen as it happens.

Please see the following documents below which can be viewed and/or downloaded:

• Objects of Reference and how they can be used
• Choice Making using objects of reference

Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

A sensory circuit is a sensory motor skills programme that helps children become more organised and
achieve the right level of alertness to help them prepare for the day’s learning. The activities promote self awareness, helping children to make connection to their senses in an active, fun, and enjoyable way.

Familiar rhymes and songs with touch and movement to help engage early years children:

• Furry Squirrel
• Incey Wincey Spider

Assessment and monitoring tools for young babies and children with hearing impairment. Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

Assessment and monitoring tools for young babies and children with visual impairment. Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

This Sensory Play booklet has been created the Torbay Early Years Advisory Teacher (EYAT) for Inclusion.

Children & Family Health Devon’s Toolkit is appropriate for children aged 0 – 4. This toolkit has been designed to support families, carers and professionals who have concerns about a child’s development. It provides a greater understanding of development, when to be concerned and how to help and focuses on difficulties that fall within the expertise of Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy. It includes advice sheets and videos.

Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

Early Support Information guides on physical and sensory needs linked to specific conditions. Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

Early Support Information guides on physical and sensory needs linked to specific conditions. Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

Early Support Information guides on physical and sensory needs linked to specific conditions. Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

Sleep guide, tips beeklets and one to one sleep support service.

Cerebra offer:

• One-to-one support through thier Sleep service: advice over the phone on your child’s specific sleep problem.
• Sleep information resources: sleep guide, cards and other resources are packed full of information and advice that could help you get a good night’s sleep.

Cerebra – sleep tips booklet that covers

• Bedtime routine
• Calming time
• Moving bedtime forward
• Moving bedtime backwards
• Graduated extinction
• Graduated withdrawal
• Reducing naps
• Positive sleep associations
• Rewards
• Sleep environment

See www.pinterest.com/scopestories/sleepy-storybooks/ for ideas on stories to share with children about bed times and sleeping.

Learn about keeping a sleep diary and other useful hints and tips.

ERIC is the only charity dedicated to the bowel and bladder health of all children and teenagers in the UK. They provide several useful resources 

Children with brain conditions can sometimes find learning to use the toilet more difficult as the result of their physical, behavioural or sensory differences, as well as the learning difficulties which may also be a part of their condition. Toileting problems can have a number of different causes and as a result this guide offers a range of approaches to help manage and resolve various issues.

Visit the Cerebra website to download thier Guide for Parents

This website provides a range of useful information and ideas including:

• Swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)
• Reflux
• Tube feeding

The Infant & Toddler Forum supports families to make healthier nutritional choices and promotes good eating habits in early life, for a healthy future for generations of children. They provide a range of resources to support healthy eating, such as the ones below.

From birth, most babies are able to communicate what they want and need through a range of behaviours including crying. In the early stages of life these behaviours ensure that babies get their most basic needs met (food sleep, warmth etc.). However, failure to meet these needs will result in a distressed baby unable to focus on anything apart from having these needs met. Maslow describes these biological and physiological needs as being fundamental for the growth of other areas of development. Once these basic needs are met children seek to proceed to the next level of need with the intention of having these needs met and to then be able to move up the hierarchy. 

As practitioners, we must support children’s PSED through ensuring that their hierarchy of needs are met to enable children to be ready to play and learn. 

This simple booklet reminds us of 7 key responses for adults to put into action, when supporting young children’s social and emotional needs:  Clear rules, Choices, Countdown, Confidence, Consistency, Control and Comfort.

View Guidance for using STAR Charts for Behaviour and then download the blank template for use.

The complete  ‘Well-being and Involvement in Care – A process-oriented Self-evaluation Instrument for Care Settings (Sics)’ manual explains the importance of young children’s well-being and engagement in their play and learning.  If a child has a high level of well-being and high engagement in their environment then it follows that their social and emotional skills will be robust.  It walks practitioners through how to observe and assess well-being and engagement using the Leuvens Five Point Scale and prompts changes in the early years environment to support these skills in young children. 

The Torbay Educational Psychology and Advisory Teacher Service has created a simplified version of these resources below for ease of use. 

Although the DfE Early Support Programme is no longer currently running, all the materials remain relevant and up to date, apart from a few of the links.

Although more resources are available to buy or download free from Early Education, these two particular documents, below, offer support considerations when helping children to cope with change and with their emotional responses.

Guidance around supporting different age groups including play activity ideas from 0-1 years, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, & 4-5 years can all be viewed and/dowloaded from below.

Please see the guidance and example below and you get a Word verson of the blank template from the download button.

This is a tool to help you identify and record the specific behaviours that you observe and then consider the underlying factors that might be causing the behaviours.  By doing this you will be more equipped to change the environment or the adult responses to support the child’s emotional needs.

Please see both ‘The ‘Understanding’ Iceberg (example)’, below,  and ‘The ‘Understanding’ Iceberg (blank template)’ in the downloads section.

Emotion Coaching is a communication strategy which supports young people to self regulate and manage their stress responses.  It was originally developed in the USA by a psychologist John Gottman and is gaining ground in the UK as an effective way to nurture mental health and wellbeing in education settings. 

This short 5 minute white board animation serves as an introduction to Emotion Coaching.  It might be of interest to people who want a quick idea of what is Emotion Coaching. 

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 Garduated Approach Toolkit (TEYGAY).

View and/or download the Introduction to Graduated Response

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. But, the minimum for primary (KS1 & KS2) is £2,000 per pupil, and minimum for secondary (KS3 & KS4) is £3,000 per pupil.

In Torbay the AWPU per pupil set for 2022-2023 for:

• primary aged pupils (key stages 1 & 2) at £3,217.00
• secondary aged pupils (key stage 3) at £4,536.00
• secondary aged pupils (key stage 4) at £5,112.00

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 Special Academy 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)
  • St Margarets Hearing Impairment enhanced provision for pupils aged between 5-8 with Speech Lamguage and Communication Needs (SLCN)
  • Brixham College Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) enhanced provision for pupils aged between 11-16 with a diagnosed Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)
  • Spires Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) enhanced provision for pupils aged between 11-16 with a diagnosed Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC)
  • Spires Hearing Impairment enhanced provision for pupils aged between 11-16 with Hearing impairments (HI)
  • 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

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.

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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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

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.

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 Presetation
• Institutional Truant – Briefing Paper

Information and resources from the webinar held on November 30, 2023 (Thursday)

Anxiety and School (EBSA) – for parents/carers (Webinar) – Family Hub (torbayfamilyhub.org.uk)

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.

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.

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)
• St Margaret’s Academy (Hearing Impairment)
• The Spires College (Hearing Impairment)
• The Spires College (Autistic Spectrum Condition – newly created via SEN Capital Funding 2018)
• Brixham College (Autistic Spectrum Condition)
• Paignton Acadamy (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, Socialand 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.

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.