Whole School SEND Review Trial

The Whole School SEND (WSS) Review provides a framework that enables school leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of current SEND provision through a structured self-evaluation and peer review with another school. The SEND Review Guide and peer-review process helps schools identify areas for improvement within their SEND provision, and equips schools to create and review improvement plans. This evaluation process supports schools to embed a focus on SEND as a fundamental to normal school improvement practice.

Manchester Metropolitan University (Manchester Met) will evaluate the impact of the WSS Review through a Randomised Control Trial (RCT), which will focus on improvements in academic outcomes for pupils with SEND, in addition to student well-being and behaviour outcomes such as attendance and exclusions.

SENCos from participating schools will receive a day’s SEND reviewer training, then undertake a self-evaluation in their setting. Once the self-evaluation has been completed, Whole School SEND will pair-up the intervention schools, and a peer reviewer from the paired school will work with them to identify strengths and weaknesses in the school’s existing SEND provision.

The two SENCos will then work together to devise and implement an action plan with other school staff to address weaknesses and improve SEND provision.

Please note recruitment is now closed.

To apply, schools must meet the following criteria:

• Mainstream secondary school in England (KS3 and 4)
• Since July 2016, the school has not commissioned a SEND Review of whole school provision
• Since July 2016, the SENDCo has not participated in Whole School SEND Reviewer training
• One school per MAT may apply