How to write an outstanding SEND Information Report & SEND Policy

This page gives advice on how to combine your SEND Information Report and SEND Policy.

The first step to writing an outstanding SEND policy and SEND Information Report (SIR) is to decide which one you want to bin? The two documents almost always duplicate each other. As the SEND Code of Practice has rules about what must be in a SIR, it is best to keep that (and just paste in any extra parts of your SEND policy that you can’t live without). Your new document is your “Combined SEND Policy & Information Report.”

Whether that idea makes you excited or leaves you cold, read on…

Can we combine our SEND Information Report and SEND Policy?

Yes. The DfE say this is OK.

Separately, The Key, a well-trusted source, also asked the DfE. In an article How to review your SEN policy and information reporrt (firewall), the Key report that:

• “The (SEND Information Report) can be included in your SEN policy, or presented as a separate document.”
• “The SEND policy doesn’t have to be published as a separate standalone document.”

If you need a document for colleagues to prove that combining these policies is allowed, click to download “Is it OK?” (an A4 briefing).

Why combine the SEND Information Report and Policy?

Yes, it does mean that the SENCo has one less job each year! Moreover, it benefits the people who need to read about SEND at your school (e.g. parents, staff). It pulls more of your SEND information into one place and, as the SENCo is now doing one document (rather than two), they can spend more time making it clear to read. This helps whether the reader is a new staff member, a parent who has reading difficulties, or a parent who speaks English as an additional language.

Three steps to an outstanding combined document?

1. Use a template (to allow you more time to fine tune)
2. Include pictures (to engage readers)
3. Write in plain English (i.e. with a high level of readability)

1. Combined SEND Information Report and Policy Templates

Writing about SEND in plain English is tricky so you can download one of these MS Word templates that do the hard work for you. The front covers are titled ‘Welcome to SEND’ and in smaller text say ‘Combined SEND information Report and Policy.’

The templates can be read by a typical 11 year old and they have a Flesch Reading Ease score of around 70. That means that they can also be easily read by almost every parent, carer and staff member.

Download a Template

2. Use Pictures in your SEND Information Report

Pictures break up text and give the reader a momentary rest. Whether it’s to show your school’s size (with a Google Earth image), or a simple fiddle toy, pictures can quickly convey useful information.

Also, pictures can signal your values – e.g. happy primary pupils playing Shark Top Trumps to signal that you know that social skills are important for autistic pupils. Smiling kids and great white sharks help to keep people reading.

It is hard to include images of SEND pupils. After all, the SEND status of a child is private. A quick-fix is to include this statement early in your document:

“Our photos of pupils are chosen regardless of whether they have SEND or not. This is inclusion.”

This then allows you to use photos of pupils from your school website or prospectus.

Alternatively, Pixabay offers thousands of free images, and you can use them without copyright worries. Their photos and illustrations, once added to your work, can quickly show the reader the topic of a page.

One excellent contributor is Peggy_Marco who provides simple bubble illustrations as well as photos and AI generated images.

If you did need even more choices, then unsplash.com also offer copyright free pictures.

3. Make your SEND Information report easily readable

The Flesch reading ease score is free to use in Microsoft Word. It is a mathematical formula that scores text out of 100, where 100 is easiest to read. To give you a feel for the scoring system, here’s a few examples:

• 100 = Cat in the Hat
• 90+ = Fantastic Mr Fox
• 80+ = Boy by Roald Dahl
• 70+ = A Barack Obama speech
• 60+ = A typical BBC news website story
• 50 ish = Stephen Hawking’s Brief History of Time (first 2500 words)
• 30 ish = Academic paper on the transmissibility of new COVID variant

When anything writing for parents, aim for a score of over 60 because this is considered plain English.

Quick Tip: When you first use the term “Special Educational Needs or Disabilities” add “(SEND)” afterwards. After that, just use “SEND” as it makes for easier reading without losing any meaning.

Useful Link: Readable

The “Readable” website also gives you the Flesh score to check the reading score of your text (0 – 100) and offers ideas on how you can improve.

It allows one free check a day. Click here to go to Readable in a new tab.

Conclusion

If a SENCo follows the three steps above, your SEND Information report will better reach and engage your parents, families and staff.

The rest of this page is information that is mentioned on our SENCo training day. If you’ve attended this training, please read on. If not, please check out this article that is a reminder of the minimum information that your SEND Info report must include.

Accessibility Plans

Another way of looking at Accessibility Plans is as a three year Action Plan for SEND. If SENDCos look at it this way, the Accessibility Plan becomes part of their normal cycle of school improvement. One section of the Accessibility Plan is improving access to written information. As you write your accessibilty plan, you should be writing it in plain English.

You can check out a example of a compliant Reader-Friendly Accessibility Policy.

SENDCo Training Handouts

(These make sense if you have been to one of our 9000Lives / Local Authority SENCo sessions).

1. Handout: SENCo Reading Quiz
2. Handout: Self Evaluation
3. Handout: Setting up your policy template
4. Handout: Divert CPOMS notifications

Four Tips to convert SEND pdfs to MS Word:

1. Drag your pdf into the opening screen of MS Word.
2. Use a simple web tool e.g. www.freepdfconvert.com
3. Via a more advanced web tool e.g. www.pdf2go.com
4. Buy a convertor (about £40 for a one off purchase)
5. Subscribe to Adobe pdf (£16 per month)

Your best option depends on what you do want to do? If you only convert pdfs occasionally, and they have no personal info, you will be fine to use a web tool. If you need to convert pdfs with personal information on (e.g. an EHCP), you must be very mindful of GDPR rules and go for option 4 or 5, (and check them against your school policy).

Converting Pdfs to Word documents can save hours. Whilst £40 might seem a large outlay, if you regularly need to convert Pdfs, it soon pays for itself because your time is not free!

Other Interesting reads

SEND Information Report: What must schools include? A Quick Guide

SEND Governor Questions: Five great tips for working with SENCos

Write accessible documents for people with dyslexia or visual impairment

• Image credit (Title): 9000 Lives with photos of schools.
• Image credit (body text): Pixabay / 9000 Lives.

Where can I get more advice or support?

Contact