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.

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

Peer relationships

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.

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, Peer relationships is worth a minute before you commit.

Whole-school factors

A short note on Whole-school factors. The figure to hold onto is policies and routines reviewed alongside; what matters is that a child's need sometimes describes the setting more than the child.

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 Whole-school factors for most readers.

The child's own view

If you are looking into The child's own view, start here: asked directly, in an age-appropriate way. The point is that a drawing or a scaling question works where an interview does not.

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 The child's own view prevents most mistakes.

Relationships with adults

Relationships with adults in one line: one trusted adult as the aim. Beyond the number, it is the single factor most consistently linked with improvement.

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, Relationships with adults is worth a minute before you commit.

EHC needs assessment

EHC needs assessment: the line most people need is requested when, the graduated approach has been tried. In practice, the request needs the evidence of cycles, not just a description of need.

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 EHC needs assessment for most readers.

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.

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

Do the cheap checks before the expensive ones. Knowing this about The graduated approach prevents most mistakes.

Reasonable adjustments

If you are looking into Reasonable adjustments, start here: written into the plan, and shared with every teacher. The point is that a plan only the SENCO knows about is not a plan.

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, Reasonable adjustments 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.

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. 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.

The full set is listed on the index of notes.