the educator mag Jan 26 - Flipbook - Page 50
New progress
framework
revolutionises
SEND assessment
and support
Dr Rebecca Lawton, OFG - The framework is designed to
holistically track pupil progress
A groundbreaking blueprint for tracking
progress for pupils with SEND has been
developed and launched by Outcomes
First Group (OFG) - the UK’s largest
provider of specialist provision. The new
framework - ‘Progress X’ - is designed to
transform SEND assessment and support
– an area the Department for Education
(DfE) identified as challenging but
essential in the recent Curriculum and
Assessment Review.
‘Supporting the needs and abilities of all
children and young people with special
educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
must be underpinned by an
accountability system that
captures and celebrates the
progress of all of them and
so incentivises schools to
provide an inclusive
curriculum.’ Professor Becky
Francis CBE, Review Chair.
It would also positively recognise the
myriad of talents and achievements of
pupils with SEND.
‘Traditional academic measures like SATs
and Progress 8 don’t reflect the progress
of many pupils with complex needs.
These tools often overlook vital areas
of development such as independence,
creativity, and sporting achievement.
Many of our children simply cannot
access formal testing, and these metrics
risk demotivating pupils, families, and
staff.
The launch of Progress X
comes at a pivotal time
ahead of the publication of
the Schools White Paper, as
mainstream settings gear
up towards becoming more
inclusive.
Commenting on the launch, Dr Rebecca
Lawton, Quality and Compliance
Director, at OFG, explained, ‘Schools
must be supported and incentivised, to
enable them to reintegrate SEND pupils
successfully. Reducing the often hyper
focus onhigh-stakes exams, and
resenting SEND performance data
separately, would encourage greater
engagement without fear of negatively
impacting overall school performance.
‘Determined to set high aspirations while
recognising the unpredictable nature
of progress, the Progress X framework
provides a personalised approach to
tracking pupil development. EHCP
targets are used to create tailored
learning goals, reviewed every half term
by multidisciplinary teams. Progress is
assessed using a developmental
scale - emerging, developing, secure,
mastery - allowing for flexible, responsive
support.
‘A centralised dashboard enables analysis
of pupil progress by school, region,
diagnosis, gender or other key factors.
It tracks pupil destinations after leaving
school, compares performance to
national data where it is available, and
where none is available, our extensive
data set can create a new benchmark.
‘The dashboard allows rapid responses
to queries and provides unprecedented
insight into SEND pupil progress.
The framework standardises assessment
across different school types, ages, and
local authorities, allowing
meaningful comparisons
and informed
decision-making. Going
forward, we believe
Progress X has the
potential to shape
sector-wide standards and
are sharing our learning
with policymakers to
ensure every pupil’s
progress is recognised and
celebrated.’
For this academic year
alone, Progress X has
enabled Outcomes First
Group to monitor progress for 2,100
pupils, tracking over 21,000 personalised
targets aligned with EHCP goals. The
data is helping the Group build a rich
picture of pupil progress with the first
full Group-wide data set
expected in Summer 2026.
For more information please visit
https://www.outcomesfirstgroup.co.uk/
blog/2025/11/28/2025-impact-report/
