[senco-forum] Role of IEPs and Provision mapping -

I feel we need provision maps AND IEPs.in primary. I cannot see how Provision maps could replace IEPs. Provision maps are just that, a list of the provision a child is receiving. Very useful for whole school planning, but they say nothing about how effective this provision is and what it is aiming to do in detail. Nor is this an individual approach. It fits children into available provision rather than identifying needs and then looking for ways to meet those needs. At our school some years ago this led to a number of children doing ALS with no aim other than to complete the modules. 
I'm not saying IEPS are ideal. I think the most valuable part is the review process itself. Sufficient time given to reviews with an experienced SENCo and parents present can gradually impact on the implementation of the IEP, if resources, times and places are pinned down. We struggle with IEPs in the context of whole school targets setting, and an overburdened curriculum.We have tried a variety of approaches, none of which really work. We find that whole school targets setting does not take sufficient account of the priorities for many of our SEN children. eg multiplication may be class target, can be differentiated down, but number bonds may be priority for Fred. In Literacy, if basic phonic skills are not in place when will these be covered if they are not on an IEP? 
In our school the most effective IEPS are those which clearly identify who , how and when  work on target x will happen with Fred, this is often me withdrawing a group of children for a parallel (or lower set)  Literacy hour. I constantly say to teachers "don't put a target on the IEP unless you can identify when you are going to work on it",as a result I have steadily reduced the number of targets on IEPs except for those with statements. 
I'd be interested to hear other views on this,as I think all sencos are haunted by pristine IEPs which spend all their time in the teacher's SEN file!
Kate

----- Original Message ----
From: "lucy.jeffreys2 at ntlworld.com" <lucy.jeffreys2 at ntlworld.com>
To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Sent: Monday, 7 January, 2008 12:30:32 PM
Subject: [senco-forum] Role of IEPs and Provision mapping -

I haven't been on the forum for some months, so apologies if I've missed a thread.  

My primary school is adopting a 'provision mapping' model which is working well, but I'm still struggling to find a useful way of incorporating IEPs into this model.  I'm increasingly finding that IEP targets are not incorporated into class teacher's planning (formal or informal) and therefore become meaningless documents.  With whole class and group targets set in class, lesson objectives/success criteria, and targets that are integral or within  specific intervention programmes, I am coming to the conclusion that IEPs may only be necessary for those with Statements, or who's needs are complex and may well lead to a request for Statutory assessment.

WIthin our authority, SEN funding has been devolved to schools for all SEN needs except the most severe and complex.  The number of statements issued are less.

I've experimented with all kinds of approaches, IEPs for SA+ and Statements only, IEPs for all. I've tried class teacher's writing them themselves, me writing them all. etc etc.  

None of it feels satisfactory.  

I'd be really interested to here other people's experiences & practices.

Thanks

Lucy Jeffreys
Inclusion Coordinator

-----------------------------------------
Email sent from www.virginmedia.com/email
Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software and scanned for spam