The new Early Years SEND assessment guidance and resources, developed by the Department for Education in partnership with Dingley’s Promise, has been created to support a child-centred, strengths-based approach to assessing children’s needs and sharing their progress and learning with parents, carers and professionals.
The guidance includes practical advice on assessment, including tools and downloadable resources to support early educators in:
- Assessing what children with SEND can do.
- Capturing children's voice.
- Setting SMART targets for progress and learning.
- Achievement play plans (SAPPs) to capture a child’s long-term goals and needs.
The guidance and resources follow the SEND Code of Practice and align with Early Years Foundation Stage assessment policy. They use best practices and evidence-based methods to provide early educators with practical advice to meet the needs of children with SEND in their care.
Local Authority professionals can share this resource with their providers using this link to the HUB to help them with adopting a strengths-based, child-centred approach to SEND assessment.