With the DfE publishing draft guidance on the Engagement Model, Pupil Asset schools may be wondering if they can use any of their existing functionality to support assessment for pupils who are working below the level of the National Curriculum and who are not engaged in subject specific learning. This blog highlights some of the tools that teachers and SENCOs may find useful, in light of the new guidance.
Collecting evidence
Effective use of the engagement model is based on regular observational assessment and reflective pedagogy. Video recordings and photographs of a pupil’s interactions at different times and in different situations can provide the qualitative evidence needed to show progress in a pupil’s responses and behaviours.
Pupil Asset users can use the free Teacher App to capture photos and videos, demonstrating the small steps in a pupil’s achievements and progress and providing assessments to reflect on in more detail, at a later stage. These can easily be annotated and retrieved and, due to Pupil Asset’s online, password protected site, can be stored securely.
Sharing progress with parents
Schools must be able to provide evidence about their pupils’ achievements and progress to parents and carers. This progress should be reported as part of pupils’ annual review, but schools may wish to provide more regular reports to parents.
Pupil Asset MIS schools (and those who have purchased the Parent Reporting features) are able to create customised pupil reports in the system, drawing on information that is already being stored. These reports can include the required qualitative narrative and can be shared via email or directly through the Parent Portal.
What’s more, as well as a free Teacher’s App, Pupil Asset MIS users can provide parents with a free Parent App allowing these reports to be shared with parents.
Understanding the child’s needs
Parents and carers can also provide essential information on the impact of SEND support outside of school and any changes in the pupil’s needs. They can provide insight about their child’s interests and development outside of school, particularly in terms of what activities the child highly engages with. This can help to inform the approach to the pupil’s assessment, personalised curriculum and pedagogy.
As well as all the usual contextual information (e.g. gender, Pupil Premium, SEN Type etc.), Pupil Asset allows users to record additional information such as interests and hobbies.
Flags can also be added to Pupils’ profiles to raise awareness of a child’s specific needs.
Working with professionals
Some forms of therapy, for example speech and language, occupational or physiotherapy, may be necessary to maintain the pupil’s physical wellbeing or the development of basic education, health or emotional needs. Other professionals’ insight can be used to improve the design of special educational provision for the pupil.
Pupil Asset users can upload scanned documents to individual Pupil Profiles ensuring that advice provided by additional professionals is kept securely and can be accessed by those who need it (restricted access can be provided as necessary).
Pupil Asset’s Pupil Log can also be used effectively as a record of visits and sessions delivered by other professionals with accompanying notes and updates being kept as a running record of intervention and insights.
If you’re interested in more information about Pupil Asset, or you’d like to request a demo, fill in our contact form and we’ll happily show you how we can help your school.