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How Valuing SEND can support school readiness for children with complex needs in Dorset

Valuing SEND (or VSEND) is a planning tool that helps schools clearly map out a child’s needs alongside the support they’ll be receiving.

Published July 2025

Overview

Wyke Regis Primary Federation in Dorset is made up of a nursery, infant and junior school, supporting 586 children. Of these, 43 have complex needs and receive support through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

SENDCo Kirsty Rogers has been in post for three years and is passionate about inclusion. She works hard to build strong relationships with families, recognising how important it is to work in partnership with parents and carers. But with so many children needing extra support, finding the time for these conversations is becoming harder.

Each year, Kirsty finds that one of the biggest challenges is identifying children’s needs early—especially when they’re transitioning from nursery to infant school. The school’s reputation for inclusion means more families with children who have additional needs are choosing Wyke Regis.

This year, Kirsty is preparing for 10 children with SEND and 7 with EHCPs to join Reception in September. All of them need extra support to help them get ready for school.

“The cohort have complex needs, but the radar helps us get organised before they start, ensuring a smoother transition.”

Kirsty Rogers, SENDCo

Here, we discover how Kirsty used Valuing SEND to enhance the transition to school for children with particularly complex needs.

What is Valuing SEND?

Valuing SEND (or VSEND) is a planning tool that helps schools clearly map out a child’s needs alongside the support they’ll be receiving. It’s designed to help schools, families and professionals work together to co-produce the right support—and helps show where extra training or resources might be needed. It’s already being used across Dorset as part of a strengthened Early Years pathway for children with SEND.

“EHCPs can be overwhelming for parents, so we annotate VSEND radars with provision. This helps us quickly see if different provision needs to be in place.”

Kirsty, SENDCo

School's Approach

Recognising the scale of need in this year’s cohort, Kirsty and her team wanted a more proactive and collaborative approach. Here’s how VSEND helped:

Mapped out individual needs early so that class teachers and support staff knew what to expect.
Used the radar as a visual planning tool, making it easy to spot areas needing extra focus.
Annotated provision directly on the radar, making the link between need and support explicit.
Involved families from the outset, making the process feel open, collaborative and child focused.

“It was reassuring to see that the school can meet my child’s needs.” – Parent at Wyke Regis

MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES

Using VSEND led to:

✅ Smoother transitions thanks to tailored plans (e.g. extra visits, phased starts)
✅ More confident staff who felt prepared to meet each child’s needs
✅ Earlier intervention for speech, sensory or emotional regulation challenges
✅ Avoiding unnecessary escalation to specialist settings by strengthening inclusive support

One child, awaiting an autism assessment, struggled with transitions. Through VSEND, the team created a personalised plan that included shorter days and clear visual prompts—making the child’s first days more manageable and successful.

“I find VSEND crucial to help determine the level of need in a particular area of the young person. This way it helps to know what area to target provision & support.” – Provision Lead

VSEND supports this, putting the child and family at the centre of the approach, ensuring plans for support in school are understood and informed by the family, who can also support at home.

“It shows the area that my child needs extra support in.” – Parent at Wyke Regis

This year, there has been a revised focus nationally on ‘school readiness’, including focussing on supporting parents/ carers to help their children prepare through support at home. VSEND supports this, putting the child and family at the centre of the approach, ensuring plans for support in school are understood by the family, who can also support at home. In Dorset, the schools and LA have developed an enhanced early years pathway, using VSEND to improve transition to school for children who need it due to their SEND. Wyke Regis is one of many settings who has children and families benefitting from this pathway.

To find out more about Valuing SEND get in touch [email protected]

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