The Local Authority (LA) has decided to stop using the Valuing SEND Somerset Inclusion Tool (SIT).

Over the past year, more than 220 schools used the SIT to assess how ready they are to support students with special needs. Many schools also used the tool to create individual profiles for students to better plan their support.

After considering feedback from schools and evaluating the tool’s strengths and weaknesses, the LA has decided to discontinue the SIT. The LA will work with a new digital team to create a central system that will help identify and support the needs of children and young people more effectively.

Next steps

The SIT will no longer be available after Friday, November 29, 2024. Schools should download and save any data from the SIT platform before this date, as it will be removed shortly after. You can save profiles and readiness data as PDFs to keep on your school systems.

We appreciate your use of the SIT and the feedback you provided. This has been crucial in making our decision. We look forward to working with you to develop a new system that better supports students with special needs.

If you have questions or need assistance with exporting your data, please contact the Access to Inclusion team at: accesstoinclusion@somerset.gov.uk