Co-producing SMART Targets for Children with SEND Capturing the Authentic Voice of Children, Young People and their Caregivers

This accessible guide supports school and education settings in co-producing SMART targets for education health and care plans, SEN support plans and Personal Education Plans. The book encourages educators to collaborate with children, young people and their caregivers to gain an in-depth understanding of their views, aspirations, strengths and areas of challenge, and to write purposeful, specific, measurable and achievable targets. Each chapter offers successful approaches to capture authentic voice, with a variety of contributors sharing their journey to improve child and family leadership by developing child-centred approaches in their contexts. The book includes case studies and reflective activities to further support the reader with creative and innovative approaches to SMART targets that are underpinned by the child's perspective. With contributions from a range of schools, and across age phases, this book encourages and enables collaboration with children, young people and their caregivers, and will be essential reading for SENCOs, designated leads for safeguarding, teachers and senior leaders in both mainstream and specialist settings.

Introduction Chapter 1 The legal and regulatory context – Sarah Martin-Denham Chapter 2 Creative approaches to capturing child voice - Sarah Martin-Denham and Wendy Thorley Chapter 3 A virtual school head perspective – Jane Pickthall Chapter 4 Battling to be heard: The impact on families – Catherine Landucci Chapter 5 Co-producing SMART targets in the early years – Faye Waterhouse Chapter 6 Co-production through mindfulness – Donna Walker Chapter 7 Re-engaging children and young people through forest school approach – Donna Walker Chapter 8 Engaging and re-engaging children through a managed move or following a school exclusion - Sarah Martin-Denham, Denise Taylor and Donna Walker Chapter 9 Co-production with children and young people and their caregivers in alternative provision - Kerrie Whelan and Dominick Gray Chapter 10 Co-producing SMART targets for children with social, emotional, and mental health needs – Johanna Butler Chapter 11 Moving from non-SMART towards SMART targets in a mainstream secondary school – Danny Kilkenny Chapter 12 Co-producing SMART transitions into further education – Peter Monaghan

Sarah Martin-Denham is Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland and Programme Leader for the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination on-campus route. In addition, she leads externally funded research for a range of organisations on school exclusion, childhood adversities and service evaluations in children’s social care. Sarah’s passion for child and caregiver voice comes from her experiences as a mother and teacher. This book forms part of Sarah’s ambition to ensure children and their caregivers are given agency in decisions regarding their education and care.