Pupil Support
The Graduated Response
A graduated response is important in fulling the school’s mission of excellence, equity and faith. This is because it helps children to secure better outcomes, gives children what they need to experience success and helps them to develop as a whole person.
When children and young people experience barriers to learning and progress, it is essential that the adults in their life (at home and at school) seek to support them. Often, parents and carers are best placed to help their children because they know them better than anyone. The school will also go ‘above and beyond’ to help children overcome barriers to learning and progress or to seek the support of other organisations who can help.
We cannot avoid the reality that the school’s resources are limited. Therefore, it is important that resources are directed to the children and young people with most need. A graduated response ensures that the support available to children and young people matches their level of need.
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
Barriers to learning
Barriers to learning prevent young people from doing as well as they can at school and can slow or stop them from making progress. Children and young people can experience many different barriers to learning and progress. These might include, for example:
- A medical condition
- Low mood or poor emotional health
- A specific learning need
- Difficulty in managing behaviour
- A physical disability
- Poor attendance or punctuality
- Childhood trauma
- Abuse
- Bullying
- Problems with friendships
- Language difficulties
Some children will have one barrier to learning and progress. Others will experience multiple barriers to learning and progress.
How does a graduated response help?
A graduated response helps children and young people by ensuring they receive the help they need. A panel of senior staff, known as the ‘Wellbeing and Inclusion Panel’, carefully consider each case and match children and young people to the appropriate support. The stages of the graduated response are:
Children at the Universal Stage are not experiencing atypical barriers to learning and progress. They engage with a mainstream curriculum, receive guidance from the Wellbeing Team and may also access support such as social skills, counselling, lunch club or work with a member of the clergy.
Children at Stage A are beginning to experience mild barriers to learning and progress that are expected to be temporary. They continue to receive support from the school but will also receive a daily ‘check in’ with a Befriender or Youth Worker.
Children at Stage B are experiencing mild barriers to learning and progress that are beginning to become habitual. They may require a change of class or a ‘time out’ pass and will likely need daily contact with their Youth Worker or Achievement Leader.
Children at Stage C are experiencing moderate barriers to learning and progress. They may benefit from closer monitoring and are likely to need a programme of support from a Youth Worker. Children at Stage C may need signposting to another support agency.
Children at Stage D are continuing to experience moderate barriers to learning and progress that are beginning to become habitual. They may require direct work with a Specialist Teacher and are likely to benefit from a modified curriculum. Special arrangements may be needed to phase children back into school or to undertake examinations and assessments.
Children at Stage E are experiencing significant barriers to learning and progress. They are likely to benefit from support from the local authority’s wellbeing and inclusion teams and may need more considerable modifications to their curriculum. Some children may need a reduced timetable and an assessment of Additional Learning Needs.
Children at Stage F are continuing to experience significant barriers to learning and progress that are beginning to become habitual. They may benefit from an alternative provision to school and may be eligible for an Individual Development Plan. It is likely that a number of professionals from other organisations will be needed to provide support.
Children at Stage G will be invited, with their parent or carer, to meet with the Headteacher. The purpose of this meeting is to set out what needs to be done to prevent the child from moving to the next stage of the graduated response.
Children at Stage H will require specialist educational provision, if eligible, or may meet the threshold for permanent exclusion from school. The school will always do everything within its power to avoid this.
What is the Wellbeing and Inclusion Panel?
The Wellbeing and Inclusion Panel is a group of senior school staff (and sometimes our professional partners) who will consider the needs of children and match support to help address barriers to learning and progress. The panel will consider:
- What support has been offered so far?
- What has worked well?
- What are we still worried about?
- What needs to happen next?
The Wellbeing and Inclusion Panel make decisions about the resources that need to be directed to support children and young people. The panel will pay particular attention to the views of children and their parents or carers. They will hear about these views from the Achievement Leader who is the primary point of contact for children and their parents or carers. Parents and carers are always kept updated about the support their child is receiving.