In the ‘assess’ stage of the graduated response approach, our class teachers gain a growing understanding of a pupil’s needs. All pupils at St. Agatha’s are continually assessed and monitored by the class teacher through formative assessment and termly summative assessments against age-related expectations and national expectations.    
  
Whole school tracking informs pupil progress meetings that take place each term between class teachers and the senior leadership team, to discuss individual need and any further support required in order to secure progression. Analysis of data - including the EYFS Profile, Standard Attainment Tests (SATs), Cognitive Ability Tests (CATs), reading ages and termly pupil assessments may indicate the cause of a child’s difficulties and suggest what might need to be done to get a pupil back on track.   
  
When a pupil is not making expected progress despite high-quality, suitably differentiated teaching and small group intervention, our class teachers will draw upon the following in order to request SENDCo involvement:   

• Their assessment and knowledge of the pupil;  
• Information on the pupil’s progress, attainment and behaviour;  
• The individual’s development in comparison with their peers;   
• The views and experience of parents; 
• The pupil’s own views.  

The class teacher and SENCOs work together to identify a pupil’s SEND and support their needs through identifying key concerns, pupil/teacher observations and information from assessments already carried out. The SENCOs may seek more specialist advice and assessments, for example from a Speech and Language Therapist or an Educational Psychologist.