How and why the SEND framework was set up in the way it was

[EmilyTapestrySupport]

Many settings support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The most common form of assessment for early years children uses the Development Matters document, to identify how children are making progress in their learning and development. However, practitioners and teachers have become well aware that the document is not so well suited to documenting the progress of children with SEND; the ages and stages of development simply don’t apply in many cases.

The Tapestry team were approached by several SEND schools who asked us to develop an assessment framework for children with SEND, using the best parts of the Development Matters document. So, working with three special schools and a specialist advisory teacher, we used the same statements but took out the age-bands and called them stages instead- thereby not attaching them to any age. The schools gave us many additional statements that they felt best fit within the framework, and the Tapestry SEND assessment framework was created. Early years settings and schools are now using this framework for their children with SEND, from birth, right up to Key Stages 1 and 2.

You can assess using this framework within observations and we also offer several screens from which you can track these assessments. Best of all there is no extra cost for enabling this framework on your Tapestry account!

To learn how to turn this framework on and use it within your account, you just need to follow this tutorial here.

We hope you find this framework helpful!