Wiltshire Ordinarily Available Provision for All Learners (OPAL)

Section Two: Cognition and learning

This includes children and young people who have specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, general learning difficulties or delay, or those who have cognition and learning needs as part of another special educational need or disability. This provision should be in addition to the expectations in section one.

General expected practices

Education Endowment Foundation guidance (EEF) on SEN EEF blog: 'Five-a-day' to improve SEND outcomes (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) (opens new window) and The 'five-a-day' principle (youtube.com) (opens new window)
Follow graduated response to ASSESS/PLAN/DO/REVIEW - using the Graduated Response to SEND Support (GRSS)
Whole School SEND resources: Whole School SEND (opens new window)
Use of Metacognitive approaches - See Education Endowment Foundation guidance Metacognition and Self-regulated Learning (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) (opens new window)
Use of TAs/ scaffolding - EEF guidance Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) (opens new window)
Reasonable adjustments to support working memory - Centre for Applied Education and Research (CAER): Downloads (opens new window) (see the section 'Working Memory'
Refer to School Early Assessment Materials (SEAM) and Wiltshire Early Support for Dyslexia (WESforD) on the Right Choice: SSENS resource page (opens new window)) to find out more about individual strengths and needs
Use of multi-sensory teaching strategies across the curriculum e.g. use of practical activities or examples, and concrete resources to anchor visit Right Choice: SSENS resource page (opens new window)
Access Arrangements in place for test, exams and formative assessment should reflect usual ways of working; usual ways of working should include reasonable adjustments' see JCQ and National Curriculum tools documents: Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ): Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration (opens new window)
Key Stage 2 SATS - Access Arrangements (22-23): GOV.UK: Statutory guidance 2023 key stage 2: assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) (opens new window)
Standard hearing and vision checks should be carried out

Identified barrier and/or need	Provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustments and specific interventions expected to be made by settings according to the ages
Specific learning difficulties affecting one or more specific aspect of learning, e.g. literacy difficulties, numeracy difficulties or specific language impairment. For all areas of need any provision or support should be provided in line with the needs of the CYP and is not dependant on any formal diagnosis	assessment through teaching to identify the areas of need in consultation with the CYP or observation if more appropriate metacognition approaches - learning to learn e.g. by trying to understand the CYP's difficulty and asking them what helps recognising and celebrating success in other areas of their life appropriate adaptations made e.g. font, coloured paper, line spacing, lighting, overlays, adaptation, technology - led by the needs of the CYP and what they find helpful staff will have been informed of what strategies or approaches to use in line with advice from assessments or consultation evidence based interventions to develop skills e.g., spelling, handwriting, literacy, numeracy (Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (opens new window) or Evidence 4 Impact (opens new window))
Generalised learning difficulties, e.g. difficulties across the curriculum but with some areas of strength. CYP with an uneven profile of skills and attainment	adjustment, modification and differentiation of the curriculum, right across the board, to enable the CYP to fully access the curriculum active learning, concrete, pictorial and pragmatic approaches to learning emphasis on self-actualisation - activities designed to develop skills which will support them to become independent and resilient learners support to manage self-esteem - celebration of strengths, reinforcement of success pre-teaching of content and subject-specific vocabulary reasonable adjustments to support slow speed of processing e.g., providing, thinking time, reducing the task support for homework e.g. support for accurate recording of homework, differentiated tasks as standard for all children, lunchtime drop in sessions using school online homework portals close monitoring of attendance

Identified barrier and/or need

Provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustments and specific interventions expected to be made by settings according to the ages

Specific learning difficulties affecting one or more specific aspect of learning, e.g. literacy difficulties, numeracy difficulties or specific language impairment. For all areas of need any provision or support should be provided in line with the needs of the CYP and is not dependant on any formal diagnosis

assessment through teaching to identify the areas of need in consultation with the CYP or observation if more appropriate
metacognition approaches - learning to learn e.g. by trying to understand the CYP's difficulty and asking them what helps
recognising and celebrating success in other areas of their life
appropriate adaptations made e.g. font, coloured paper, line spacing, lighting, overlays, adaptation, technology - led by the needs of the CYP and what they find helpful
staff will have been informed of what strategies or approaches to use in line with advice from assessments or consultation
evidence based interventions to develop skills e.g., spelling, handwriting, literacy, numeracy (Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (opens new window) or Evidence 4 Impact (opens new window))

Generalised learning difficulties, e.g. difficulties across the curriculum but with some areas of strength.
CYP with an uneven profile of skills and attainment

adjustment, modification and differentiation of the curriculum, right across the board, to enable the CYP to fully access the curriculum
active learning, concrete, pictorial and pragmatic approaches to learning
emphasis on self-actualisation - activities designed to develop skills which will support them to become independent and resilient learners
support to manage self-esteem - celebration of strengths, reinforcement of success
pre-teaching of content and subject-specific vocabulary
reasonable adjustments to support slow speed of processing e.g., providing, thinking time, reducing the task
support for homework e.g. support for accurate recording of homework, differentiated tasks as standard for all children, lunchtime drop in sessions using school online homework portals
close monitoring of attendance

Sources of support

The Specialist SEN Service (SSENS): Right Choice: Specialist SEN Support Team (opens new window)
Educational Psychology Service: https://rightchoice.wiltshire.gov.uk/Page/9128 (opens new window)
SIPMS: https://rightchoice.wiltshire.gov.uk/Page/18984 (opens new window)
EMTAS: https://rightchoice.wiltshire.gov.uk/Services/4009 (opens new window)
Early Years Team Resources | Provider Profile: https://rightchoice.wiltshire.gov.uk/Page/9190 (opens new window)
Speech and Language Therapy:Wiltshire Children's Services: Speech and Language Therapy (HCRG Care Group) (opens new window)
Wiltshire Portage (opens new window)
Call Scotland Technology Information: CALL Scotland (callscotland.org.uk) (opens new window)
Additional information on technology: Assistive Technology (AT)
What Works for Literacy Difficulties- analysis of a range of interventions from Professor Greg Brooks: What works for literacy difficulties? (theschoolpsychologyservice.com) (opens new window)

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SEND Sustainability Plan

Wiltshire Ordinarily Available Provision for All Learners (OPAL)

Contents

Section Two: Cognition and learning

General expected practices

Sources of support

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SEND Sustainability Plan

Wiltshire Ordinarily Available Provision for All Learners (OPAL)

Section Two: Cognition and learning

General expected practices

Sources of support