SEND assessment tools – Measure progress without limiting potential
One assessment doesn’t fit all, but with a few practical adaptations, pupils with SEND won’t be held back…
- by Penny Whelan
- AHT, SENCo and senior mental health lead
SEND assessment tools need to be flexible, personalised and developmentally appropriate to accurately measure progress while protecting pupils’ wellbeing, explains Penny Whelan…
The curriculum can be hugely overwhelming for pupils with SEND. Teachers need to create a completely different, adapted and personalised curriculum for some children – others would benefit from only minimal additional support, whilst still others need intense intervention alongside adaptive teaching approaches in the classroom.
No two pupils are the same, whether they have SEND or not, so it makes sense that we need to employ a range of strategies to support our learners, benefitting all, not just a few.
Once you know your pupils’ needs, it is necessary to find suitable approaches to assess and measure progress. This is no easy task, but there are things you can do to make it simpler for all.
SEND formative assessment tools
Formative assessment can look different for every pupil, and when a young person has special educational needs, particular attention needs to be paid to the way in which they learn and how you monitor their progress.
One of the main approaches used to decipher what children do and don’t know through formative assessment, is questioning.
Blank Levels
Like any approach, questions need to be adapted to best suit each child, so the teacher can fully understand how they are progressing.
Some pupils will need focused questions based on their individual target areas, encouraging them to make inferences and deductions – a good scaffold for this is Blank Levels.
These are specific questions you can ask your pupils, to encourage more cognitively demanding answers. Levels include children being able to:
- talk about things that are in front of them, including non-verbal communication such as pointing (Level 1)
- tell basic stories, make predictions and define words (Level 3)
- make inferences and deduce conclusions, as well as understanding basic cause and effect (Level 4)
So, if you’re assessing to see if a child has progressed to Level 3, you may show them an incomplete series of pictures showing a particular scenario, and ask them, “What do you think happens next?”.
If you’re assessing for Level 4, you may ask them about something they can’t currently see or hear, and guide them to explain how to reach a goal, using a question such as, “What could we use to cook scrambled eggs?”
SEND summative assessment tools
Summative assessment typically takes the form of a test where you measure learning after it has happened against a benchmark.
There are various reasons why this can be tricky for pupils with SEND. Some may be academically behind their peers in terms of their development and would struggle accessing an assessment for their chronological age.
It would make sense to give them a test that is from an age group or curriculum level in line with their learning. This gives a more accurate idea of where progress lies and what pupils can achieve, and gives them opportunities for success that they otherwise might not experience.
Traits of a child’s specific special educational need may also make test situations more difficult. For others, even the knowledge that they will have to sit an assessment is enough to set off anxiety and fear that they will fail, or that they won’t do well in comparison to their peers.
Pre-key stage standards
Whilst as teachers, we are encouraged to assess children’s development according to their age, for many of our pupils, this simply doesn’t work.
Instead, it’s useful to measure them against criteria that are more appropriate for their current stage. For example, if a child is working below the level of the curriculum, you could use a different set of criteria, such as the pre-key stage KS1 standards and pre-key stage 2 standards or the engagement model.
It’s also important to keep pupils in the loop. If they feel you’re being open with them, their anxiety might lessen. Be honest with children about the expectations of an upcoming assessment, praise their efforts, and discourage them from comparing themselves to others.
Reporting to parents
When it comes to reporting a SEND pupil’s progress to their parents, there are many things to consider. Parents want to know about the progress their child is making, they want to help them achieve, and they have the right to have this reported to them in a supportive manner.
However, the language of assessment can be confusing. Make it clear and concise – avoid jargon and acronyms. Translate reports if necessary, using free tools such as Canva’s AI translation, which offers 134 languages.
It’s also best to be open and honest. For some families, navigating a special educational need or disability can be an extremely emotional and difficult process, so it can be tempting to tiptoe around the issue.
However, if you suspect a child has a special educational need, it’s best to have open and honest conversations with parents and carers, inviting their observations and opinions.
Having a special education need or disability often requires adaptations in schools, but doesn’t have to get in the way of an ambitious education.
Showing that you care and that you want their child to achieve, and will support them to do so, can put parents at ease.
Demonstrating that you aren’t limiting the progress you think they can make goes a long way – informal, regular signposts such as certificates and stickers work well, or you can include goals and achievements in reports.
SEND assessment and wellbeing
It’s important to consider the impact that assessment can have on pupils, particularly tests and summative assessment methods.
They can provoke anxiety and cause children to withdraw or refuse to participate. In some cases, their fear response can lead to extreme behaviours.
However, we know that assessment needs to happen. If you can prepare your pupils, encourage them and build their confidence, and if you can use appropriate SEND assessment tools to support them, you can make it a far less scary experience.
Penny Whelan is a primary assistant headteacher, SENCO and senior mental health lead.
