TEY-10.2

PROFESSOR ADAM BODDISON IS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF NASEN It’s time to remove the barriers FOR TOO MANY CHILDREN in our education system, they have already fallen significantly behind their peers by the time their SEN are identified. It is clear that if needs are identified earlier, then effective provision can be put in place sooner. nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs) commissioned research on identifying SEN in the early years to shine a light on the barriers to early identification. This study was led by Dr Helen Curran and considers the perspectives of SENCOs in relation to identifying SEN in early years settings as well as the resources they used and the wider support they accessed. The study makes ten recommendations grouped into five broad areas. KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS POLICY ● Guidance for identifying SEN in the early years should take into account the variance between different types of early years setting. ● Greater representation of the early years sector, and the different types of setting, when seeking views for future policy making should be ensured. The recommendations in this area essentially acknowledged the broad range of early years settings and that this should be factored into strategic thinking and decision making. The challenges and opportunities of childminders, which make up more than half of all early years providers in England, can be very different to those of maintained or PVI settings, so it is Identifying SEN in the Early Years is crucial, says AdamBoddison... no surprise that Dr Curran’s research is pushing for guidance to be more nuanced. In 2018, the government funded four mini guides supporting effective identification of SEN in the early years, which had multiple versions to reflect the breadth of the sector. Moving forwards this should be a routine expectation rather than the exception. THE SENCO ROLE ● Guidance should be developed to help determine the time allocated to the early years SENCO role in different settings. ● A job description, specific to the early years SENCO role, should be developed. ● Work should be undertaken to help develop understanding of the early years SENCO role across the education, health and care sectors. The research highlights significant levels of variation in the deployment of early years SENCOs. While the Department for Education has published a recommended job description for the early years SENCO role, this is not statutory guidance since it is not incorporated into the SEND Code of Practice. As a consequence the job description is not routinely used and the study suggests this is considered in the government SEND Review that is currently underway. Dr Curran highlights the need for early years SENCOs to have allocated time to undertake the role and for guidance on the effective deployment of SENCOs. Such guidance at a national level is essential in setting out the expectations of the sector in identifying and meeting needs, but it is important that this does not become a barrier in relation to settings being responsive to individual needs. SHARING GOOD PRACTICE ● The sharing of good practice developed by early years SENCOs, particularly in relation to developing family relationships, should be facilitated across the sector and later phases. ● Good practice demonstrated by early years SENCOs, in relation to developing inclusive environments, should be shared across phases. It may seem like common sense to say that good practice should be shared, but the findings in this study suggests this is not always common practice. Strong and meaningful relationships between families and early years practitioners can be a powerful factor in driving inclusive environments. Effective relationships are the foundation for bilateral sharing of effective practice for the benefit of children with SEN. 16 Teachearlyyears.com