Reliable answers: quick notes

A few short notes on social, emotional and mental health assessment in schools, gathered from the questions readers ask most often.

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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Figure: an overview of these notes.

Confidentiality

The full set is listed on the

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.index of notes

.

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

The child's own view

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. That is the whole of Confidentiality for most readers.

A short note on The child's own view. The figure to hold onto is asked directly in an age-appropriate way; what matters is that a drawing or a scaling question works where an interview does not.

Adverse experiences

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

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.

Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. Knowing this about The child's own view prevents most mistakes.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

Learning needs

Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. Knowing this about Adverse experiences prevents most mistakes.

If you are looking into Learning needs, start here: screened as well, not assumed absent. The point is that unrecognised literacy difficulties present as behaviour more often than not.

Triggers and functions

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

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.

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. In short, Learning needs is worth a minute before you commit.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

Reviewing the plan

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. In short, Triggers and functions is worth a minute before you commit.

Reviewing the plan in one line: termly at least. Beyond the number, a plan that has not changed in a year has probably not been reviewed.

What SEMH covers

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

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.

If something changes, note the date; patterns only show up with dates on them. That is the whole of Reviewing the plan for most readers.

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

Strengths-based assessment

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.

Strengths-based assessment: the line most people need is what the child can do, as the starting point. In practice, a profile built only from difficulties gives a plan with nothing to build on.

Record keeping

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

Record keeping: the line most people need is dated, factual, brief, as the standard. In practice, a good record can be read by a stranger and understood.

When in doubt, choose the simpler option first; it is the one least likely to need undoing. Knowing this about Strengths-based assessment prevents most mistakes.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

Emotional literacy

When in doubt, choose the simpler option first; it is the one least likely to need undoing. Knowing this about Record keeping prevents most mistakes.

A short note on Emotional literacy. The figure to hold onto is named feelings as a measurable skill; what matters is that a child who can name a feeling can usually be taught to manage it.

Reasonable adjustments

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

A short note on Reasonable adjustments. The figure to hold onto is written into the plan and shared with every teacher; what matters is that a plan only the SENCO knows about is not a plan.

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. In short, Emotional literacy is worth a minute before you commit.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

Measuring progress

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. In short, Reasonable adjustments is worth a minute before you commit.

If you are looking into Measuring progress, start here: the baseline chart repeated, after the support. The point is that the comparison, not the impression, decides the next cycle.

Who assesses

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

If you are looking into Who assesses, start here: the class teacher first, with the SENCO. The point is that external specialists come in when the school's own graduated approach has not worked.

Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. That is the whole of Measuring progress for most readers.

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

EHC needs assessment

Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. That is the whole of Who assesses for most readers.

EHC needs assessment in one line: requested when the graduated approach has been tried. Beyond the number, the request needs the evidence of cycles, not just a description of need.

Whole-school factors

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

Whole-school factors in one line: policies and routines reviewed alongside. Beyond the number, a child's need sometimes describes the setting more than the child.

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. Knowing this about EHC needs assessment prevents most mistakes.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

Peer relationships

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. Knowing this about Whole-school factors prevents most mistakes.

Peer relationships: the line most people need is assessed as part of the picture, not separately. In practice, isolation and conflict are both SEMH markers.

Figures are general guidance; the primary source takes precedence.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

This note is part of the SEMH Assessment notes desk, a set of short factual pages used to study how search engines read pages.

If something changes, note the date; patterns only show up with dates on them. In short, Peer relationships is worth a minute before you commit.

See also: another short noteFigures 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.