News, Updates and Networks

SENCo Networks

Tuesday 27^th January 2026 click on  SENCo Network - Live TEAMS

Tuesday 12^th May 2026  click on https://skills4bradford.co.uk/Event/277476

Link to Sept 25 recording Educational Psychology led Courses | Bradford Schools Online

EHCP Top Up Funding from April 2025

Notional SEND Funding 2025-26

Specialist Provision in Bradford 2022 -23

Please see attached list

Best Practice in using External Professional Advice for Children with SEND

There has been a lack of clarity about the role of external professionals in relation working with children with SEND and making requests for EHCA. This briefing has previously been agreed with Senior Managers within SEN and Inclusion and aims to provide a definitive guide to ensure a shared understanding of the role of external professionals in relation to children with SEND.

Work is ongoing to consider it further and will be updated in due course.

1. The aim of involving an external professional is to clarify the nature of a young person’s needs and to access specialist advice on evidence based interventions and strategies that can be put in place to improve outcomes.
2. Any agreed plan should then be implemented and reviewed by school based staff over an agreed period of time. The review should highlight progress towards the identified outcomes and any amendments or extensions to the identified intervention. The review will sometimes involve the professional involved but this is not essential.
3. My Support Plan is a highly effective way of bringing all of this together and the expectation is that schools use this as a model of intervention through at least two cycles prior to any request for additional support via an Education Health and Care Plan.
4. In making a decision as to whether to progress a request for an Education Health and Care Assessment the SEND panel will interrogate evidence in relation to two legal tests: might the CYP have SEND and do the identified SEN require provision over and above that normally available at School Support. Alongside this they will consider the expectation for schools and education providers to take all reasonable and purposeful action prior to making a request for an EHC Assessment.

5. In making a request for an EHCA, it is incumbent on the referrer to ensure they provide sufficient evidence in relation to both of those tests. The Bradford Matrix of Need indicates the types of evidence that should be provided for example:

1. School Core Offer detailing Quality First Teaching
2. Information from health regarding diagnosis
3. Bradford Engagement Tool
4. EYFS / NC / 16+ levels / Developmental Journal Levels
5. SEN Progress Grid
6. SEN Support Grid
7. Evidence of involvement from external professionals;
8. My Support Plan document

6. Evidence of involvement from external professionals can take many forms including handwritten notes from a meeting, contribution to a My Support Plan, follow up notes from the professional or a formal written report.  This evidence should be no more than 18 months old.
7. It is not a requirement for the external professional to confirm or otherwise whether the CYP requires provision at a certain level. The evidence provided by school in their EHCA referral should detail what provision is being put in place.
8. Requests for change of placement should only be made following either an EHC Assess ment or following an annual review of an EHCP. The evidence provided by school should be drawn from the same sources listed previously and is not contingent on a report from an external support agency, stating that needs cannot be met.