We provide expert support to schools (including nursery, primary, secondary, mainstream, special schools, independent schools and academies) in meeting the needs of children and young people with specialist educational needs (SEND).
We provide expert guidance and practical support to schools (including nursery, primary, secondary, mainstream, special schools, independent schools and academies) to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs (SEND).
In addition to our diagnostic assessment services for a variety of SEND (including speech-language disorders, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit, specific learning difficulties, literacy, language and numeracy difficulties, and emotional needs), we provide support to schools in meeting the requirements and evidence to progress from Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) to Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP).
EHCP
Schools are required to justify a pupil’s need for an EHCP, and this may be a long and time-consuming process to demonstrate schools have made a comprehensive attempt to support the child.
They need to outline in a systematic fashion what has been done, by whom, for a period of time and provide measurable outcomes.
Local Authorities request evidence of APDR (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) as part of the EHCP process, although each authority has its own APDR model and format. This evidence forms part of the graduated approach, which is the precursor to being able to apply for an EHCP.
APDR
Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) is a process used in the graduated approach to supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEND). It's a four-part cycle that involves reviewing earlier actions and decisions to better understand the child's needs.
- Assess: Identify the child's needs and what additional support they require.
- Plan: Put support in place
- Do: Implement the support.
- Review: Review the support after a short period
The APDR model may be onerous for schools as they need support accessing assessments, reports, individual plans and outcome measures to meet the SEND requirements. Some schools will have to SEND provisions in place and require additional professional guidance in applying their resources and staffing for the child's needs to gain evidence.
Many schools have difficulty finding the right professionals, and special educational needs coordinators (SENDcos) are often overwhelmed by the number of pupils requiring SEN support.
Professionals at Roundway Centre
Professionals at Roundway Centre can assist practically with the SEN process, providing an initial review of best practices and identifying any potential gaps, providing staff awareness and training, suggesting practical teaching strategies and resources to underpin Quality First Teaching, and supporting Senior Leadership in developing best practices to fulfil requirements set out by OFSTED or ISI.
Support for planning and implementing best practices and measuring outcomes is available, underpinned by full diagnostic assessments, reports and plans for inclusion in EHCP applications.
Roundway Centre offers a team of expert professionals, including Specialist Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, SEN Educational Specialists, and Social/ Communication Therapists who can deliver individualised assessment and support strategies.
What support Roundway Professionals can provide
Roundway Centre can provide the best economic fit for the pupils with needs, e.g., working with existing teams within the school, supporting small study groups, and providing social skills training/intervention pods that serve the needs of children requiring school adjustment.
However, these small groups may not be specialist enough for pupils with complex needs who usually move towards an EHCP.
This intervention supports the school in applying specialist techniques even before an assessment and provides stronger evidence for the graduated approach, a recommended strategy with evidence of individual progress.
Roundway Centre offers a service to SENDCos and Headteachers to assist with this journey. We offer an initial pre-assessment intervention framework, setting our options for the APDR model and reviewing efficacy at mid-term and then at the end of the term to assist with completing the EHCP documentation.
We can assist in all of these aspects of the SEND assessment process, bringing together a comprehensive package to go to the Local Authorities Panel with clear evidence of the need for an EHCP.
We offer a three-tier support package to schools.
1. Early support, advice, and reasonable adjustment: Helping schools gain evidence to populate the APDR framework and contribute to the individual profile. In doing so, they are moving closer to gaining valuable information on the child's progress.
This can be useful evidence for the assessment/ diagnosis process and is also required for the EHCP. For example, outlining the school's reasonable adjustments moving towards specific individual provision(s) and their efficacy.
We provide a ten-week school intervention to support APDR. This can substantiate any evidence for the next step: gathering evidence for an EHCP.
2. Comprehensive assessment:
Roundway Centre can offer a ‘one-stop for all’ multidisciplinary assessment and report, triangulating education, speech and language therapy, and emotional well-being needs.
The report builds on step 1, providing a clear formulation and diagnosis with recommendations of need and support strategies suitable for inclusion in an EHCP.
We provide a full-day assessment, including an analysis of results and a comprehensive report (12 hours)
3. Intervention: We provide a range of evidence-based intervention and support strategies determined by the child's individual profile.
We support schools in implementing the support; many strategies can be embedded in the school day or teaching style.
We break down and guide the strategies and interventions contained in the report to ensure the best possible outcomes for each individual and build confidence in teaching staff and schools.
Please see our dedicated page for further information.
