In Beyond Boundaries: Leading Great SEND Provision Across a Trust (2024) edited by Natalie Packer and David Bartram[1] I set out my approach to provision mapping, why I think it is at the heart for good SEND provision and why, when got right, it is a school improvement initiative that leaders in other domains would do well to learn about. Provision Mapping it is so much more than just buying a bit of software, or even worse something done to secure an EHCP Needs Assessment. It is at the heart of an approach to Inclusion. When done right it ensures provision is targeted to need and impactful. As a consultant- after a few weeks of working with a school, supporting the team to implement a holistic approach to provision mapping well, meaningfully and sustainably, it usually forms the bulk of my work.
For SENDCos to meaningfully implement an initiative like this in amongst all their other competing priorities, the process had to be carefully planned. The EEF implementation guidance is a really helpful framing for this . The guidance recommends you treat implementation as a process rather than a one-time event This begins by identifying that a problem is amenable to change and understanding the fit and feasibility for an individual context (ibid). A common problem I find is that where Provision Mapping is used consistently (which isn’t every school) is use usually just used to map provision rather than as a live diagnostic tool or a way to evaluate impact.
I’ve written previously about the benefits of doing change a little slower in order to ensure sustainability, what I term ‘leading mindfully’. For me this meant knowing the schools well, not only the pupil needs, but also the leaderships capacity and appetite for change. Building consensus around the direction of travel through lots of modelling and one-to-one conversations and crucially bringing on board the expertise and guidance of your data lead and ensuring whoever is administering SEND is upskilled. They are both critical pieces in the puzzle, they do huge amount of the heavy lifting when it comes to developing the spreadsheets (or whatever tool you use) and so much rests on their buy in and organisation. If you’re a SENDCo and you don’t have access to SEND admin support speak up!
Whilst it important to be realistic about lead in and implementation times, keeping momentum is also key. Judging when to press, introducing urgency without stress and keeping colleagues focused on the strategic- when the day to day operational is so consuming- can be a challenge. Good relationships and good communication are key to this. It is much easier to hold people account (and know when to loosen) when you know their context well and they trust you.
Peer modelling is very powerful. I am lucky to have worked with a number of SENDCos on this, many of whom have positive experiences of sharing their approach to provision mapping with inspectors under their belt. They can demonstrate how impactful the approach is thousand times better than an explanation from me ever could.
Once we’ve set out the vision and modelled it explicitly. I have regular check ins. In this space we can troubleshoot, provide support for and hold colleagues to account with small step goals and deadlines and remind people of the vision and purpose if they started to lose momentum.
So how are our whole school provision maps being used in our schools? I advocate using a simple Excel sheet, with data for every single pupil in the school on there (whether they are on the SEND register or not[2]). There are fancy programmes out there but I don’t personally think they add enough value to be worth the money. I share a template with common headings (see an example list below) but always remind colleagues that important thing is they do the thinking about what is necessary to record rather than complete every box on my proforma.
I have some rules around data input that support the functionality of Excel, having all the key data on one tab and hiding the collum’s you don’t need all the time for example. This makes it easier on the eye and allows for the production of pivot tables (a form of data visualisation) very easily. If you want to have a live link to your MIS (possible) then there are also have some rules around how data is entered and refreshed.
However, the key thing I always emphasise is thinking hard about the success criteria of interventions. Both in terms of what progress looks like within the intervention and wider impact or stickiness. I ask them, what is the reason that a child is in the intervention in the first place (for example they are repeatedly suspended) and draw the outcome measure from that. We usually convert this into a simple Red, Amber, Green, Blue mark scheme, that acts like a key. This is so that when leaders are reviewing progress they can get a quick snap shot of progress visually and then follow multiple lines of enquiry.
Example collum headings:
Baseline score , Start date , Mid intervention review, Review date , Exit score , Exit date , Day/ time/ lesson withdrawn from , Staff member leading intervention , Staff member reviewing , Cost per minute , No. minutes per week, No. weeks, Total cost for provision
This tool has to come alongside a robust approach to Assess, Plan, Do, Review. One of the biggest leavers you can pull to improve SEND provision (second only to getting High Quality Teaching right perhaps) is to focusing on assessment and identification. The provision mapping approach I have outlined above can be used track gaps in outcomes (behaviour, attendance, attainment, access to extra-curricular etc) and to store information from screening tools that often forms the baseline data for interventions. Most importantly it should also be used as a tool to report on and evaluate these interventions. It allows colleagues to track progress in different areas (again this is both the small step progress within an intervention and the more generalised impact measures, such as behaviour metrics, attendance or wider attainment or equalities measures). Ultimately it helps leaders to make decisions about how we spend that (all too limited) notional fund. By costing everything out (right to the cost per minute) the tool also supports colleagues with requests for High Needs Funding in a fuss free-way.
One of my favourite things about this approach is that once it is well established it enables leaders in the school to work in a much more data informed and joined up way. For example, a pupil premium lead and a SENDCo might sit down together and look at the impact of cross over provision. A Head of Year in a meeting with a parent about a student’s behaviour has at their fingertips all the SEND interventions. The power of using a spreadsheet for this approach is you can see everything as an overview as well as being able to filter and drill down. With timestamped saving on The Cloud now, we can be much less precious about version control and so allow more stakeholders to use and contribute to the tool. Another really significant thing is the capacity to create pivot tables that bring the data to life. This supports SEND leaders with their reporting, whether that be internally, to parents, to governors or to Ofsted. They have all the data they need to access in one place.
I mentioned at the start of this post the importance of sustainable change, the EEFs implementation framework is helpful again here, with its focus on the ‘stabilisation of approach’, to ensure it can be maintained over time. For me this means upskilling Senior Leaders so that they can regularly shouting out good practice. As well as establishing mechanisms for SEND leaders across the schools and the wider trust (where relevant) to build this into their ways of working (including quality assurance). In my previous post I shared some questions for those who line manage SEND that can help everyone stay on this path. The EEF urge us not to see implementation as an event, that can be finished but an ongoing process. So, whilst my support may taper off a little as things become more embedded, keeping Provision Mapping on people’s agenda remains a priority.
If you’d like to hear more about the implementation of this approach or how I can support your school or Trust do get in touch.
[1] I’d highly recommend this book full of wisdom and practical guidance from a wide range of MAT SEND leaders.
[2] I do this because any child may need support at any point in their school journey and it allows the SEND register to be seen as something more fluid. It also allows leaders to drill down into gaps between pupils with SEND and those with out.
streamlinedsendco.com 