- 01752 258933 / 0800 953 1131
- pias@plymouth.gov.uk
- National Helpline
Supplying you with information, advice and support
The support your child receives will depend on their individual needs. Every child is different.
and will respond to support in a different way.
The kind of support available in school is very broad. It can range from simple things like leaving class 5 minutes before the end of a lesson to avoid busy corridors to social skills groups and on to more specialised IT support and speech and language therapy.
Plymouth has a Graduated Approach to Inclusion (GATI) which provides schools with resources to enable them to meet a child with SEN needs. Find more information at: Plymouth Graduated Approach to Inclusion (GATI)
Plymouth’s Graduated Approach to Inclusion supports learners to overcome barriers to learning and reach their full potential.
Within the Graduated Approach to Inclusion, you will see the levels of support used by schools.
These are universal, targeted and specialist support.
“Support” is sometimes called “provision.”
All children and young people with SEN receive universal support and most will receive targeted support.
Those children and young people with more complex or severe needs will also have specialist support.
Universal support is also described as “ordinarily available provision.” This is support given in all schools, in every classroom by every teacher and for all children, those with and without SEN.
The funding and expertise for universal support come from the school’s resources and is part of high-quality teaching.
Universal support focuses on differentiated learning.
The level at which your child, and others, are learning may be different to that of other children in their class. The teacher will change work to meet their needs within class. This is differentiation and teachers do this routinely for every lesson.
Universal support also includes things that all children can expect to get, such as visual support and timetables, breaking down work into small chunks and good preparation for change.
In Plymouth support for teachers, early years practitioners and all school staff is in the ordinarily available provision guidance.
There are two versions of the ordinary available provision, one for schools and one for Early Years.
These guides outline the expectations of mainstream schools, early years settings and partners to fulfil their duty by offering a fully inclusive and adaptable learning environment as a universal commitment to all pupils.
Targeted support is sometimes called targeted provision and/or targeted approach. This is support that is available in all schools and some classrooms and is for some children.
Targeted support is extra to or different from universal provision.
Targeted support offers a more intensive level of support for children, young people, and families with complex needs.
This support could be for a short period or for a longer time.
If your child is receiving targeted support, the school staff may also need to get professional advice for some areas of support.
There is funding and expertise available in schools for children who need targeted support. A child getting targeted support will have a school-based plan which will set out the support. This might be known as an individual education plan (IEP) or pupil passport. This plan should be developed jointly with the child/young person’s family.
Specialist support is sometimes called Specialist provision.
This is support that is available in all schools and some classrooms and is for a few children.
If your child or young person’s special education needs cannot be met by school, with the support they usually offer to children and young people who need extra help, the Local Authority may carry out a needs assessment for your child or young person. This is called an Education Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA).
If the Local Authority is requested to carry out an Education Health Care Needs Assessment, it must consider:
The Education Health Care Needs Assessment will determine if your child/young person requires an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP).
Please see other PIASS information sheets or contact the team for more information on this process.
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