The inclusion support advisory service began support in schools in September 2024.
Our service actively promotes the nurture, participation and achievement of all children and young people by proactively responding to their unique characteristics, strengths, needs, choices, and aspirations by:
- championing all children and young people so they achieve, thrive, and fulfil their potential regardless of background, identity, ability, or circumstance
- actively removing barriers to children and young people's participation, to ensure a high quality, meaningful learning experience and a sense of belonging that will prepare them well for their next stage in life or adulthood
- working together to promote high levels of equity, equality of access, opportunity and excellence, while recognising and celebrating diversity
- working in co-production with children, young people, and their parents and carers, so they can participate in decision-making
- responding to individual need and valuing the contribution of all
Key areas of focus
The focus of the new service and delivery will be to work on a more strategic and training-based approach, while allowing targeted and specialist support when necessary.
Aims
Our aims are to:
- increase understanding of inclusive practice and expectations around children with special educational needs (SEND) at a senior, strategic level, including leadership teams and governors
- advise and support on clarity of need and provision required
- increase special educational needs co-ordinator (SENDCo) development and support
- increase county-wide options to develop training and support for schools
- reduce the volume and frequency of exclusions, suspensions and part-time timetables, to ensure inclusion and best outcomes for all children and young people
How this will be achieved
This will be achieved by:
- developing the skills and understanding of whole school teams
- engaging families as partners in education
- supporting our schools to actively promote diversity
- supporting the development of inclusive policy and practice
- engaging and linking support across other agencies
- strengthening and aligning offers and approaches to develop inclusive practice
- analysing, measuring and regularly responding to the impact of support
Impact measures
Inclusion framework
The aim is to facilitate useful and constructive discussions to inform whole school and education setting development.
The sections within this cover: leadership and management; ethos and environment; curriculum teaching and learning; identifying need and monitoring impact; pupil voice; staff health and wellbeing; targeted and specialist support and intervention, and parents and carers.
Whole school provision mapping
We actively support schools to evaluate provision as a whole school, including planning for cohorts that are going to transition into school, impacting on effective transition processes to support children to be successful.
Targeted and specialist referral system
When there is a concern about the inclusion of a child linked to a specific area of need (as described in the SEND Code of Practice), and where it is evident that the school has followed the graduated response but there has been limited impact, specialist support and advice may be appropriate through a referral to the inclusion support advisory service (ISAS).
The issues may be leading to the child or young person struggling with their attendance at school, or they may be at risk of exclusion.
Individual and small group advice and strategies
These will be provided by an inclusion support advisory teacher (ISAT), using a person-centred planning approach. Advice will be offered across 3 of the 4 broad areas of need as described in the SEND Code of Practice: communication and interaction, cognition and learning, and social, emotional and mental health (SEMH).
Advice and strategies will be reviewed regularly in line with the graduated response, but will also focus on upskilling and advising school staff on best inclusive practice.
Inclusion support advisory teachers
These will work in partnership with schools and settings to support in implementing inclusion in the school environment for identified children, as well as how the support can increase the inclusive capacity of the school. Specialist training and professional development for school staff will be on offer.
Inclusion response team
To support complex cases, vulnerable pupils at risk of exclusion, and schools that are struggling.
Engagement service
The engagement service provides nurture, positive play and outdoor sports and learning.
The nurture team
The nurture team comprises a highly skilled, experienced team of teachers and specialist learning teaching assistants (SLTAs) who have all undertaken the national nurture training.
We have worked in Derbyshire schools since 1999 to set up and run nurture groups, train staff, and offer ongoing support to the most vulnerable learners.
We also offer a range of training to help schools set up and run nurture groups of their own.
Positive play support
The positive play team offer a unique early intervention programme designed to raise the self-esteem and emotional wellbeing of shy, timid, disaffected, and challenging children and young people.
Their family programme provides support for families, encouraging positive parent/child interactions through the medium of play.