Provision mapping has enabled the LSAs to believe they have a clearer understanding of what they are targeting with the pupils and they all felt it was a much more effective system than using individual education plans.
Provision mapping...gives a clearer, better, judgement.... (LSA 3).
The new system it’s a lot clearer what they have got to do and the results much, much easier than IEPs.
(LSA 6).
It would appear that from the point of view of the LSAs the individual education plans have been documents that have not been actively used to inform planning of required interventions to meet the learning needs of pupils on the SEN Code of Practice. In context the provision maps are documents that are actively used by the teachers and SENCO, but also for the LSAs.
The LSAs also feel able to interpret the data they are collecting on the pupils’ learning and therefore they can use the data to inform future planning and learning, which adds credibility to the LSA’s work and also may enhance their confidence and self-esteem.
One of the LSAs also felt that the provision maps benefitted the pupils by enabling them to see how they had improved across the period of the intervention, which improved their self-esteem.
...you can show them where they are even um they could be level 2 back in the winter time...they then just move up and they can see themselves getting better...
(LSA 5).
Pupils often do not see improvements in their learning other than the number correct on a spelling or times tables test or moving up a section on a reading scheme.
Provision management allows pupils to see their progress very clearly and this may have a positive impact on their future learning.
The management team also believe that provision management has had a positive impact on how parents perceive the additional provision their children are having and that parents are happy with the change from individual education plans to provision maps.
“...Parents seem to be really happy with the provision maps as it sets out exactly what their child is to have, what programmes they are to follow and the timings...”
(Management 1).
From the management’s perspective the parents seem to be happier for their children to be on provision maps than individual education plans because they have a much clearer idea about what provision is being received, its duration and frequency, which was not always clear on an individual education plan. The provision maps also provide parents and all agencies working with a child the information to know exactly where a child is functioning at anytime in the school year.
...from the head teacher, from the SENCO, to the LSA, to the child, to the parent, to the EP, they all have got a really really specific idea and a really good understanding of where that child is at that
particular time. (Management 1)
From the management’s discourse a key benefit of provision management is the targeted support for pupils, which is made possible from undertaking the audit of need at the end of the academic year in preparation for the new academic year.
...provision mapping is certainly focussing at targeted support at the child.
(Management 2).
A key element of a good target is that it should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, and relevant/realistic, time bound). This has always been a requirement for individual education plan targets, but the management team felt that provision
mapping has allowed the staff to make the pupils’ targets a lot more SMART than was previously achieved on the individual education plan targets.
..IEP targets are a bit more woolly and not really directed um entirely at what the child was going to achieve...
(Management 2).
Ensuring that the targets were truly SMART has enabled the outcomes to be fully measurable and this information then informs the teaching and learning.
...the targets are so focussed... and they are um measurable... (Management 2).
Provision management appears to have facilitated the managements’ team approach to how they spend their delegated SEN funding and any other funding that can be utilised for SEN. The provision management appears to have enabled the management team to target support much more effectively to those pupils who genuinely require it. This ensures that the additional learning support can be costed for the whole academic year increasing the likelihood that the budget is used efficiently and can be accounted for.
..ensure that the monies that come into school are used efficiently and effectively and all children that need additional learning support will get it ...
(Management 1)
The provision management system appears to provide the management team with a whole school perspective on additional to and different from interventions and learning, which was not possible with individual education plans as they were owned generally by the teachers. Provision management has allowed transparency across the school.
From a head teacher and SENCO point of view, um we just have a much better handle on what is going on as a whole school.
(Management 1).
This in turn can facilitate good quality leadership and management and hence good quality teaching and learning.