After over 30 years working in education there is one thing I can say with any certainty; it’s never boring!

Faced with a multitude of changes in policy and practice this autumn, including the implementation of the new Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (CoP), it must sometimes feel overwhelming for teachers and schools.

At Blue Hills we offer schools a web service, Provision Map Writer (PMW), for managing their additional  SEND provision and tracking Pupil Premium spending that will always reflect the latest DoE policy and take away that worry of ‘Is it up to date?’

Provision Mapping gets a specific mention in the CoP and is the preferred method for recording, tracking and managing all those additional interventions and provision that take place in school over and above the differentiated curriculum. It is now widely accepted as a preferable option to IEPs as it is a strategic management tool that allows SENCOs and other managers to analyse outcomes for interventions and show how they are raising attainment and providing value for money.

If you, or your school, are considering implementing Provision Mapping here are some key ways that PMW can help.

1. Show OFSTED you have a clear insight into Pupil Premium spending and effectiveness.
Pupil Premium data is imported from SIMS into PMW so that schools can monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of additional provision for those pupils specifically. We are a SIMS Commercial and Technical Partner and our link with SIMS provides scheduled automatic pupil and staff data updates from SIMS to PMW.

2. Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
The CoP proposes a graduated approach to SEN support in schools that equates with the cycle of Audit, Map, Track which is the basis of PMW.

3. Show evidence of the additional support that is in place for pupils.
PMW enables schools to plan, record and review additional support and produce a wide range of reports, evaluating the effectiveness of the support, as evidence for Ofsted, school management, governors and parents.

4. Produce Provision Maps showing all the additional provision your school makes.
“The use of provision maps helps SENCOs to maintain an overview of the collective programmes of individual children …and provides a basis for monitoring the levels of intervention and assessing their impact on progress.” (CoP).

5.  Produce an Individual Provision Map for every pupil.                                                             
PMW shows details of interventions, outcomes and reviews for each individual. For every pupil, PMW can produce a complete history of additional support since admission, by academic year, showing outcomes and costs with academic year sub-totals and a grand total for the whole of a pupil’s school life.

6. Ensure that all those who teach or support children with SEN are aware of their needs.
PMW has a read only login that enables SENCOs to share relevant information with class or subject teachers by giving access to pupils’ Individual Provision Map and Pupil Profile.

We also offer training in implementing provision management in your school using PMW and we are happy to talk to you and answer questions about any aspects of Provision Mapping.

Learn more: Provision Map Writer