Short notes for the year
A few short notes on social, emotional and mental health assessment in schools, gathered from the questions readers ask most often.
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Parent and carer views
Parent and carer views: the line most people need is gathered early, and written down. In practice, home and school seeing the same pattern is itself a finding.
Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.
Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. In short, Parent and carer views is worth a minute before you commit.
The graduated approach
A short note on The graduated approach. The figure to hold onto is assess, plan, do, review as a cycle; what matters is that each cycle is usually a term long and the review decides whether to change the plan.
The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.
Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. That is the whole of The graduated approach for most readers.
Regulation strategies
If you are looking into Regulation strategies, start here: taught, not expected, before they are needed. The point is that a calm-down space only works if the child has practised using it.
That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.
If something changes, note the date; patterns only show up with dates on them. Knowing this about Regulation strategies prevents most mistakes.
Language
Language in one line: a speech and language check for younger pupils. Beyond the number, a child who cannot say what is wrong shows it instead.
Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.
When in doubt, choose the simpler option first; it is the one least likely to need undoing. In short, Language is worth a minute before you commit.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality: the line most people need is shared on a need-to-know basis, within the staff team. In practice, written records follow the school's data policy.
The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.
Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. That is the whole of Confidentiality for most readers.
Adverse experiences
A short note on Adverse experiences. The figure to hold onto is noted, not diagnosed by the school; what matters is that the school's job is to adjust the environment, not to treat.
That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.
Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. Knowing this about Adverse experiences prevents most mistakes.
Triggers and functions
If you are looking into Triggers and functions, start here: what happens before and after, a behaviour. The point is that the function (escape, attention, sensory, tangible) points to the support.
Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.
Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. In short, Triggers and functions is worth a minute before you commit.
What SEMH covers
What SEMH covers in one line: social, emotional and mental health as one of the four broad areas of need. Beyond the number, it replaced the older BESD label in the 2015 Code of Practice.
The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.
If something changes, note the date; patterns only show up with dates on them. That is the whole of What SEMH covers for most readers.
Figures are general guidance; the primary source takes precedence.
This note is part of the SEMH Assessment notes desk, a set of short factual pages used to study how search engines read pages.
See also: another short note.