Policy Review and Development

A SEND policy that sits on a shelf and a SEND policy that actually shapes practice are very different things. Many schools and colleges may have the former, but the goal should always be the latter. After all, Ofsted's inspection model is built around triangulating evidence to evaluate whether what's written down actually matches what's happening in classrooms, corridors, and conversations.

Schools are required by law to have a number of policies in place that relate to SEND and disability, including a SEND policy, an accessibility plan, a supporting pupils with medical conditions policy, and a SEND information report published on their website, for maintained and Academy schools alike. Each of these has specific legal requirements that many schools are not fully meeting, often without realising it.

But legal compliance is only part of the picture. The more important question is whether your policies reflect what actually happens in your classrooms and whether they give your staff the clarity they need to do the right thing for every pupil.

I review your existing policies against current legal requirements and the SEND Code of Practice, identify where there are gaps or inaccuracies, and either redraft them for you or work alongside your SENCo to develop them. I also look at whether your policies are written in plain English that families can actually understand because a policy that only lawyers can read doesn't help anyone.