[senco-forum] Setting up SEN dept

From: "WrayJanice Wray" <jwwray14 at hotmail.com>

I am glad i am not the only one who hates SIMs, i never get around  to 
putting everything and it seems a waste of TA support for me to write it in 
longhand for them to type in.  I also keep a day book which i keep notes of 
meetings, phone calls, faxes to other agencies etc,  this has proved really 
valuable to refer to at later dates.  I suppose i should really transfer it 
to the pupils files but i never seem to have the time to do this.

Audrey

>From: "WrayJanice Wray" <jwwray14 at hotmail.com>
>To: "Kate Barnes" <kate.senrab at btinternet.com>;"June Boschen" 
><juneboschen at msn.com>
>CC: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
>Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Setting up SEN dept
>Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:16:36 +0000
>
>The problem is you never know when you are going to need some evidence etc 
>- I am afraid that I file evrything and stuff notes etc into pupils' files 
>re: phone calls, reports from teachers etc. I always file to the front and 
>get a TA or someone to put a treasury tag on the file when it gets to more 
>than 20 or so pages. I print off NC levels and sometimes school reports and 
>file those.
>You see, suddenly someone pops up as a problem and in order to access 
>outside help you have to provide evidence - a record of events etc.
>We have SIMS but I hate it and no-one uses it for behaviour and I use it 
>for a record of meetings  and SEN labels (none of which are really 
>appropriate) but not much else and I probably should use it more - I don't 
>use it for the minutes of a meeting - I write those by hand as the meeting 
>happens or sometimes type up my rough notes afterwards and pop them in the 
>file. I made a pro forma for meetings once but it never had the right boxes 
>in it. It was a good idea though and kept me focussed in the meeting - ie 
>what's gone well, what hasn't worked, what needs attention now etc
>I just keep the files in a filing cabinet - 2 drawers for School Action and 
>one for SA+. The Statemented children eachl have a level arch file - and 
>sometimes two. I am afraid that I do throw out some of the work from Year 2 
>and KS2 SATS practice papers etc that has been passed on to me etc.
>I do keep a day book - like a lawyer - and write down anything each day in 
>that - I can look back then - but that's not perfect either.
>I had a card file index and every time there was a phone call I would log 
>it on the card file for that child - sort of worked.
>I guess by the time I retire I'll have worked out a really good system - 
>but until then, I plod along like everyone else I think because at the end 
>of the day there are children and teachers who come for help and need to 
>talk and that takes priority.
>Everyone says I need a secretary but I am such a fast typist it's quicker 
>to do it myself than tell someone else what I want to say.
>I had some TA hours that I used once for admin and the TA sorted out my 
>files - put treasury tags onto large amounts of a paperwork and a label at 
>the front of each file with the pupil's address and tel number on and that 
>was useful.
>None of this helps except to say that I think a lot of us are not as 
>efficient as we might be................
>
>
>Janice Wray
>Secondary SENCO, Herts
>
>----------------------------------------
> > Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 08:29:02 +0100
> > From: kate.senrab at btinternet.com
> > To: juneboschen at msn.com
> > Subject: Re: [senco-forum] Setting up SEN dept
> > CC: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
> >
> > June Boschen wrote:
> > > As you are starting off a really simple way to organise your records
> > > is to:-
> > >  - use a card envelope file for each child
> > >  - allocate a different colour for each year group, eg Y1 pink Y2 red
> > > etc, make a list of colour codings in order to make accessing a
> > > particular file easy  - arrange in year group piles in cupboard etc
> > >  - make a brief note on the internal flap of the envelope file each
> > > time you add information, eg 29:06 phone call from mum (much easier to
> > > refer to this for general information than have to search through 
>file)
> > >
> > >
> > > Then at the end of the school year staple/paperclip all year's
> > > documentation together in each file,  change the colour coding list so
> > > that Y2 pink Y3 red etc and move the files into new year group
> > > position in the cupboard.
> > >
> > > This works and saves so much time!!
> > >
> > > Good luck - June
> > >
> > >
> > > Sounds a good system, but you may want to consider WHO is going to
> > > access these files and WHY you are keeping them.and WHAT is going in.
> > > I suspect that too many of us spend hours battling to keep up to date
> > > with record systems that are not useful. to anyoneHOW it will dovetail
> > > (or not) with computer records you are required to keep via SIMS or
> > > other is another issue. I gave up paper diaries because of having to
> > > enter reviews in SIMS and have regretted it ever since...
> > > As a garrison school we have a very high turnover so I see a lot of
> > > record systems! I am in awe of what some SENCos manage.....    but not
> > > all of it is useful to me as the receieving SENCo. I'm not saying dont
> > > keep records... Brendan will quite rightly remind us that records are
> > > crucial in applying for Statements - whatever the policy of your LEA.
> > > Most of all I think records should show progress by the child in sub
> > > levels or P levels, reading ages, or achievement of behaviour targets
> > > or whatever and what provision/strategies facilitated this, including
> > > work by outside agencies. The diary bit, wether on flap or not is 
>crucial.
> > Do you want any other staff to have access or be able to add
> > information? Keeping SEN records separately can mitigate against
> > Inclusion. Unless all information about a pupil is readily available to
> > senior staff in one place, you may find it is not used eg if a major
> > behaviour problem suddenly blows up.
> > You will need to be ruthless about only allowing that which is useful to
> > go in. How many of us receive files full of duplicate reports and
> > samples of work from 3 years ago? Decide what would be useful in your
> > situation and then make a list to remind yourself .....(there speaks the
> > voice of someone who wishes she had done this years ago!!)
> > Hope some of this is useful, back to parenting role now....
> > Kate B
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  reports, samples of work from 3 years ago etc
> >
>
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