Supporting Students with SEND to Prepare for Adulthood
Over a third of special schools within the UK already use our assessment software, Connecting Steps. Steps4Life is our new framework for individuals with SEND who are working towards independent living. It is primarily designed to be used from Key Stage 4 onwards.
In England, the law states that although you can leave school at age 16, you must either remain in full time education, start an apprenticeship or traineeship or spend 20 hours or more a week working/volunteering while in part-time education or training. The new SEN code of practice extended the age councils have duty to support individuals with SEND from 19 to 25. These changes mean there are more places required for students over the age of 16. There is also a requirement for a more relevant curriculum and assessment framework to suit the needs of this growing cohort.
Curriculum and Assessment Based on Students’ Needs
The aim for Steps4Life is to provide a broad assessment framework that settings can use to prepare individuals for life. Some individuals will be working towards independent living, with employment while others will be working towards semi-independent living and others will be in supported living. The Steps4Life framework is designed to support professionals in showing progress by showing how an individual has developed existing skills, learnt new skills or has used skills in different contexts. A student may learn to tell the time within Maths, but then apply that skill within daily routines, journeys, socialising and within other areas. Some individuals can transfer skills easily, for others the transference can take longer to embed.
Connecting Steps
Connecting Steps is the most popular and effective assessment software for pupils with SEND. A wide range of frameworks that are built into Connecting Steps helps schools get up and running as quickly as possible.
Connecting Steps is the standard asssessment system for pupils with SEND across a number of authorities in the UK. The simple interface, powerful features and flexible approach to progress means it works for a wide range of pupils. Connecting Steps V5 brings even more features and now works on iPads and other tablet devices.
Assess
Connecting Steps makes recording achievements simple. As well as being able to record the skills pupils achieve, you can also record the steps as they work towards it.
Engagement
Before pupils can achieve a skill, they need to engage. Connecting Steps can show the engagement levels of pupils and show the progress as engagement increases.
Graph
Connecting Steps makes showing small steps of progress simple. Progress can be shown in lots of ways, including engagement and non-linear progress.
Great Feedback
The employability module is very useful and user friendly
“We are using the Steps 4 Life employability module with our 6th form students. We find this module very useful and user friendly. Having the specific areas such as ‘Getting a job’ or ‘Choosing your job’ helps us with focusing our termly planning. The descriptors are clear and we can easily measure students’ progress and development of skills and knowledge across the subject area.”
Hana Mortimore, Head of Sixth Form – Oak Lodge School
Want to support pupils to prepare for adulthood?
Click on the button to arrange a FREE online meeting to find out how we can support you to show progress towards preparing for adulthood.
Show Progress Towards Preparing for Adulthood
Steps4Life is our framework for pupils with SEND who are working towards independent living. It is primarily designed to be used from Key Stage 4 onwards. Some individuals will be working towards independent living and employment while others will be working towards semi-independent living and others will be in supported living.
The Steps4Life covers a wide range of areas and a wide ability range, it includes 7 levels that are the equivalent of P1 to P8 which replace the old Milestones. It then covers Entry Levels 1, 2 and 3 and RQF Level 1 and 2. The Steps 4 Life assessment content is available in 3 packs and covers the following areas:
Academic Skills Pack
English
Maths
PSD (Including Relationship & Sex Education)
Digital Skills
Life Skills Pack
Food
Independence
Self Care
Travel
Employability Skills Pack
Identifying a Job
Getting a Job
Your Rights
Workplace Routines
Workplace Skills
Using Steps4Life with Other Frameworks
Each framework has its own levelling system, often based on government guidance. The button below shows you the ability range of each framework and how they compare. Any skill that appears in multiple frameworks are linked, this simplifies transitioning between frameworks.
Evisense
Evisense is a powerful evidence for learning system. The social media style interface for staff and parents is simple to use, but extremely powerful. Our apps for iPhone, iPad, android (tablet and phone) and Kindle Fire means whatever device you are using, you can use the Evisense app.
A number of features make Evisense the most secure evidence for learning system. A number of controls ensure data is safe and evidence can only be accessed by the right people. If you use Evisense and Connecting Steps together, you can link evidence to the skills in Connecting Steps. You can then view the evidence from within Connecting Steps.
Capture
It is quick and simple to capture evidence. Use the Evisense app to capture photos, videos or audio recordings. Tag the evidence to a pupil, add your annotation and click Post.
Powerful Evidence
When you add evidence, you can link the evidence to a range of aspects like EHCP outcomes, IEP targets and more. You can then filter the evidence across the whole school.
Share
Share the evidence you collect with parents to help boost parental engagement. Schools can control parental access. It is up to you if parents can comment or add their own evidence.
Want to support pupils to prepare for adulthood?
Click on the button to arrange a FREE online meeting to find out how we can support you to show progress towards preparing for adulthood.