- Observe – allows the SENCo to gather information about the young person’s abilities, strengths, and areas of difficulty in different contexts and activities. The SENCo can identify patterns and make informed decisions about supporting young people’s learning and development.
- Consider other factors impacting learning:
- Safeguarding – a young person may struggle to concentrate or feel anxious in school. A young person may also be absent from school due to safeguarding concerns. Additionally, the emotional and psychological impact of safeguarding concerns can affect a young person’s mental health and wellbeing, impacting their ability to learn and succeed in school.
A temporary change in the home situation can affect a young person’s learning by causing stress, anxiety, disruption to their routine and access to resources. - Underlying health issues.Mental health issues can affect a young person’s learning by causing attention, concentration, memory, motivation, and emotional regulation difficulties.
- Sensory needs can affect a young person’s learning by either under or overstimulating their senses, leading to difficulties with attention, processing information, and regulating emotions.
- Seek training opportunities (e.g., through the Educational Psychology service).
- Conduct assessments (e.g., Dyslexia screener or British Picture Vocabulary Scale).
- Work with staff on how progress is being assessed and recorded.
- Provide and organise training for staff on specific topics if required (e.g. specific learning difficulties, memory etc.).
- If needed, keep evidence for Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) processes and get further advice/assessment.
Resources:
Specific Toolkits for SENDCos:
View and/or download the full Cognition and Learning Needs Toolkit
