A few short notes

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

These notes are reviewed at the start of each school term.

EHC needs assessment

A short note on EHC needs assessment. The figure to hold onto is requested when the graduated approach has been tried; what matters is that the request needs the evidence of cycles, not just a description of need.

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, EHC needs assessment is worth a minute before you commit.

The graduated approach

If you are looking into The graduated approach, start here: assess, plan, do, review, as a cycle. The point 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.

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

Reasonable adjustments

Reasonable adjustments in one line: written into the plan and shared with every teacher. Beyond the number, a plan only the SENCO knows about is not a plan.

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

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

What SEMH covers

What SEMH covers: the line most people need is social, emotional and mental health, as one of the four broad areas of need. In practice, it replaced the older BESD label in the 2015 Code of Practice.

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

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. In short, What SEMH covers is worth a minute before you commit.

Learning needs

A short note on Learning needs. The figure to hold onto is screened as well not assumed absent; what matters is that unrecognised literacy difficulties present as behaviour more often than not.

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

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

Standardised tools

If you are looking into Standardised tools, start here: published questionnaires, with age norms. The point is that they compare a child to peers; they do not explain why.

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

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. Knowing this about Standardised tools prevents most mistakes.

Parent and carer views

Parent and carer views in one line: gathered early and written down. Beyond the number, 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.

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

Measuring progress

Measuring progress: the line most people need is the baseline chart repeated, after the support. In practice, the comparison, not the impression, decides the next cycle.

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

When in doubt, choose the simpler option first; it is the one least likely to need undoing. That is the whole of Measuring progress 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.

The full set is listed on the index of notes.