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Home Children, families and education Somerset’s SEND Local Offer School Governors’ responsibilities

School Governors’ responsibilities

Sets out the responsibilities of school governors in identifying and meeting the needs of all children and young people

Part of
Somerset’s Graduated Response Tool: Step by step

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Part of
Somerset’s Graduated Response Tool: Step by step

The purpose of this pathway is to ensure every child and young person in a Somerset school receives the support they are entitled to

1Statutory Special Educational Needs (SEN) information

  1. Statutory Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) information

2Understanding the Graduated Response

  1. Somerset Inclusion Tool (SIT)
  2. What is the Graduated Response?
  3. The Assess, Plan, Do, Review Cycle
  4. Screening and Assessment Tools as part of the APDR process
  5. Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC plans)

3Funding

  1. Funding
  2. Available funding for SEN

4Expectations for Teachers, Governors, SENCOs and Headteachers

  1. What different people in schools should do
  2. School Governors’ responsibilities
  3. Headteachers’ responsibilities
  4. Teachers’ responsibilities
  5. SENCOs’ responsibilities

5Expectations for Whole School Inclusion

  1. Expectations for Whole School Inclusion

6Quick checkers

  1. Quick Checker – Cognition and Learning
  2. Quick Checker – Communication and Interaction
  3. Quick Checker – Sensory and Physical
  4. Quick Checker – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

7Inclusion for each Broad Area of Need

Information about the four areas of need set out in the Code of Practice

  1. Inclusion for each Broad Area of Need

8Cognition and Learning

  1. Universal – Cognition and Learning
  2. SEN support – Cognition and Learning
  3. How can I find out more? – Cognition and Learning

9Communication and Interaction

  1. Universal – Communication and Interaction
  2. SEN Support – Communication and Interaction
  3. How can I find out more? – Communication and Interaction

10Sensory and Physical

  1. Universal – Sensory and Physical
  2. SEN Support – Sensory and Physical
  3. How can I find out more? – Sensory and Physical

11Social, Emotional and Mental Health

  1. Universal – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
  2. SEN support – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
  3. How can I find out more? – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

12Graduated Response Tool – Complex Medical Needs

  1. Graduated Response Tool – Complex Medical Needs

13Supporting tools, documents and signposting

  1. Supporting tools, documents and signposting

Overview

Governors must:

  • be aware of their legal duties concerning children and young people with SENas stated in the Special Educational Needs and/or Disability Code of Practice, and Children and Families Act 2014 and have a good working understanding of these documents
  • make sure that there is a suitably qualified teacher designated as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO)
  • make sure thatSENduties are undertaken effectively across the organisation including but not limited to identification of needs, responding toSEN, a broad and balanced curriculum, record keeping ofSENprovision and engagement and participation for all children and young people
  • make sure the school’s notionalSENbudget is appropriately allocated to support children and young people withSEN
  • have a member of the board with specific oversight for the school’sSENarrangements
  • build a good working relationship with theSENCOand meet with them regularly
  • help to review the school’s policy on provision for children and young people withSENand the school’s approach to meeting their needs
  • make sure that the school website publishes the school’sSENoffer and links to The Local Offer

The governing body has the legal duty to focus on the school’s systems and processes for supporting children and young people withSENrather than provision for individual children and young people.

information

Did you know?

Any governing body that subscribes to the Support Services for Education (SSE) Governor Services package can access a toolkit on its resource page. There is also specificSENGovernor training available. For more information please visit: Education Governance Services

Last updated: March 5, 2025

Next review due: September 5, 2025

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