Sheffield SEND Manifesto
Learn Sheffield has been commissioned by SCC to support improvement in SEND in the city.
This commission includes both leading the development of the strategic approach and the delivery of some specific activities and reforms.
Content from this project will be added to this page as it becomes available – please use the links below to access the content that you are interested in.
Re-engineered graduated approach
Work to re-engineer the graduated approach began in January 2025, initially involving the Learn Sheffield SEND team. To help us improve our understanding of how it is working we have developed a description of the features of an effective graduated approach [see below].
We are confident that the graduated approach is understood as the repeated process of assess, plan, do, review as set out in the SEND code of Practice 2015. However, we want to know more about how it works in reality; does our approach support continuous cycles of reflection and planning that help us to identify, assess and meet needs well, or does it operate as a series of activities and processes that are unhelpful in helping us to work out how best to support children and improve their experiences and outcomes.
We are also exploring the general and unique differences model as a way of helping us to better identify, assess and meet children’s needs using a graduated approach. This model was shared with school leaders in January and we are using it to develop our thinking about future provision, and our overall approach for children who need something additional or different. This is an important feature of ‘getting it right’ for more children so that they have positive experiences and learn with without additional or different provision as well making a difference for those who do.
In March we will be using our initial work on the graduated approach to re-design important school, locality and city-wide systems and processes, as well as developing new approaches to workforce development, and the resourcing and commissioning of targeted and specialist services.
We plan to discuss a phased test and learn approach this term, as part of the development above, with the intention of completing this in the summer term so that it informs the next iteration of the SEND manifesto.
| Features of an effective graduated approach |
| An ambitious vision for children with SEND. |
| An inclusive culture and embedded person-centred values and practices. |
| Strong system leadership and the conditions for highly effective multi-agency practice. Strong and inclusive school and locality leadership [including sufficient SENCo capacity].
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| Effective networks for developing capacity and practice [within and between disciplines].
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| Strong governance and shared accountability.
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| An accurate understanding of children’s view, experiences, strengths and needs.
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| Effective arrangements for commissioning and providing universal, targeted and specialist education, health and care services with strong governance and oversight of sufficiency, quality and performance.
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| A continuum of targeted and specialist provision that matches the continuum of children’s needs.
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| High-quality universal education, health and care provision and effective arrangements for groups of children who need something additional or different.
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| A strong commitment to working collaboratively to identify, assess and meet children’s needs. Highly effective multi-agency working across education, health and care services.
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| Effective systems for decision making and communication based on dialogic principles [including co-production with children and families].
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