Nasen Connect - March 2023 - Issue 38

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ISSN 2631-5696

HELPIN H HE ELP LPIN ING EVER EV ERY YO ONE ACHIEVE MARCH 2023 / ISSUE 38

Support for care leavers in FE and HE

Statistics and options available for young people and those who support them

Peer mentoring A look at one school’s approach to mentoring

Employability Supporting learners with SEND to build skills for independent living

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EMAIL US: education@nasen.org.uk

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Welcome

By Annamarie Hassall MBE, Chief Executive, nasen

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#38

elcome to the March edition of nasen Connect.

This has been a tough term for our sector. Against the backdrop of a challenging period, our workforce delivered education in schools, colleges, settings and, of course, remotely. Teachers, teaching assistants and leaders have been giving their all.

The discretionary extra effort goes on, addressing wider social issues, such as food and fuel poverty and marshalling resources for at-home learning.

With nasen membership standing at over 80,000, our phones are busier than ever.

We receive calls from SENCOs and practitioners who want to mobilise the right resources to support children and young people with SEND or talk over the pressure points in leading on SEND provision for their setting. Our membership has broadened too, with increasing numbers joining from local authorities and early years settings.

I want to thank you all for your dedication and your continued quest for practical and strategic solutions. Above all, I want to say how much you are valued, appreciated and how necessary you all are.

The newly published SEND and AP Improvement Plan heralds a step-change for

Tel: 01827 311500 Fax: 01827 313005 Email: education@nasen.org.uk Published by nasen nasen nasen House 4/5 Amber Business Village Amber Close Amington Tamworth Staffordshire B77 4RP

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improvement at a time when it is vitally needed. It outlines the principle of right support, right place and right time, for placing the voice of experience at the heart of the improvements and committing to coproduction for the work to come. It calls for the detail on National Standards, on funding and on important processes such as digitisation of EHC plans. Most of all, the strategic commitment to inclusion stands out. Look out for our short digests on what the SENDAP improvement plan says, and why it matters.

What do you think? Tell us at welcome@nasen.org.uk The March edition of Connect magazine includes highlights on the nasen Northern Ireland Advisory Group, employability and SEMH. Look out for the launch of the annual nasen Awards, open to nominations from across the sector.

Do share nasen Connect magazine across your networks by using the following link, https://nasen.org.uk/nasen-connect, and encourage them to sign up for free nasen membership, which is funded through our sponsors and charitable efforts.

Advertising enquiries: nasen House Tel: 01827 311500 Email: sales@nasen.org.uk

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Editorial enquiries: nasen House Tel: 01827 311500 Email: education@nasen.org.uk

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Education

Leaders in SEND Recruitment

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I want to thank you all for your dedication and your continued quest for practical and strategic solutions.

The views herein are not necessarily those of the editor or nasen.

Acceptance of advertisements does not imply recommendation by nasen.

Not all photographs in nasen depict children with special educational needs. Many of the photographs are taken in integrated classes. nasen would like to thank all those who have contributed photographs.

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INSIDE

Contents MARCH 2023 / ISSUE 38

18

REGULARS

7 / Membership Focus

13/ Sector update

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47 / Ask the team

Have your say

10/ nasen Live 2023

48 / Reviews

11/ nasen Awards

50 / Events diary

FEATURES

18 / NI Update

What support is there for teachers, SENCOs, schools and families in Northern Ireland?

22 / Reaching full potential

SENCO Jenny Byford shares tips to increase pupil confidence and independence.

25 / Inclusion =

avoidance of exclusion + voluntary participation Miriam Walker explores the concept of inclusion and how we can make it more attainable.

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28 / Social, emotional, mental health on a shoestring

Beccie Hawes from Cadmus Inclusive, outlines how a ‘shoestring approach’ to supporting pupils with SEMH needs made an impact.

32 / Higher education:

Supporting students with SEND

Nicola Turner from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, examines the help that is out there for young people.

35 / Employability skills for independent living

Matthew Jones outlines how a specialist college supports learners with SEND to build their employability skills.

39 / Support for care leavers in FE and HE

Jade Ward looks at some statistics and outlines options available for young people and those who support them.

43 / Peer mentoring

SENDCO Paul Willis, outlines his school’s approach to mentoring, and discusses the impact of a new initiative that the school students have taken as their own.

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SECTOR UPDATE

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Welcome to March’s Membership Focus e start this month by thanking you for completing the latest membership survey. We plan to publish the results very soon. This month’s big announcement is that the nasen Awards 2023 have officially launched! Each year we receive inspirational submissions from people nominating organisations and individuals who champion those within the SEND sector. Nominations are now officially open, so make sure you submit your nominees to us at the following link: www.nasen.org.uk/awards

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We would also like to remind all members about our online bank of resources.

Enjoy a range of webcasts, webinars, guides and toolkits to help you support and champion children and young people e with SEND and learning differences.

You can access them online here: https://www.nasen.org.uk/resources

Thank you to those of you who joined the Twilight Talk with Phonak on supporting young people with hearing loss in the classroom. Keep your eyes on our social

media channels for details of the next free session or on the website here: www.nasen.org.uk/news/twilight-talks If you enjoyed the Twilight Talk, the recording is available on the website to share with colleagues, and nasen Live is not far away. If you have booked your ticket we will be delighted to see you.

If you haven’t managed to purchase your ticket just yet, there’s still time to grab one for just £99. Enjoy a variety of CPD seminars from sector-leading speakers, as well as a full SEND exhibition. www.nasen.org.uk/nasenlive-2023 If you have any further membership queries, please do not hesitate to contact the membership team directly at membership@nasen.org.uk

NS DS NOMINATIO NASEN AWAR 11 E PAGE NOW OPEN, SE

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Kind Regards,

The Membership Team

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HAVE YOUR SAY

e avsay...

Hyour education@nasen.org.uk

We would love to hear from you, so please send any comments or letters to education@nasen.org.uk In case your letter is chosen for publication, please include your name and setting.

Don’t forget, you can ‘Have Your Say’ via Facebook and Twitter too.

01827 311500

@nasen_org

@nasen.org

Have Your Say gives you, the reader, a forum to share your thoughts and opinions about current issues in the world of education and SEND. It is also the place to share your reactions to, and thoughts about, what you have read in previous editions of nasen Connect.

Research project The article on identifying SEND in the early years was much appreciated by myself and my husband. Despite both being teachers in secondary settings, we had not thoroughly understood the importance of early identification until we had our son. What we appreciated as being an individual trajectory quickly became something that nursery flagged, and they persuaded us to have early assessments.

Their intervention and understanding of SEN in the early years was definitely key in providing him with the foundations necessary to make progress.

Your article reminded us of the need for trained personnel and how beneficial this can be.

Parent, Huddersfield

Editor: It sounds like the provision your son received was an example of how crucial staff training in early years is, and how much of an impact this can have on future development and support. We have recently developed a programme to support key workers in these settings, it is currently a pilot and, following this stage, we hope to roll it out to enable more early years professionals to have the training to support more families like yours.

Neurodiversity in higher education Thank you for the article on neurodiversity in higher education.

So much of the news and focus is placed on support at the earliest opportunity that it can feel that those of us achieving highly are consequently not given support for the transition to university. I was one of the lucky ones, and my university was proactive in engaging with me as an autistic student.

They provided me with many bespoke opportunities to visit and acquaint myself with the university buildings and people, a daily self-check-in system via an app that ensured someone would contact me if there was an issue, and a place to call for a chat or support if I needed it.

It is great to see this featured and I hope more HE institutions move forward with the support I was given.

Teaching assistant, London

Editor: How fantastic that you were able to succeed in university with that support and we agree that it would be great if this was the normal way of working, not just for students with neurodiversity but for all students. We know that the transition to university can sometimes have a negative effect on students and it would be great for

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the support offered to be universal.

We also wanted to show the positive side of focusing on people’s strengths to enable them to live their best lives. Some neurodivergent learners thrive at university as they get to focus solely on the interests that they are passionate about and if they can be supported to overcome the barriers, they can go on to achieve well in their field.

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AWARDS

CO NF IRM E D E X HIBIT O RS

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Live 2023 7 July, The Vox Conference Centre, Birmingham, 09.30-16.30 Theme: SEND and Beyond ith less than four months to go until our annual SEND Conference, nasen Live, we are excited to confirm more details and information about what delegates can expect at the one day SEND conference this summer.

As always, there will be an opportunity to access leading, award-winning exhibitors, as well as attend several seminars and keynotes delivered by key figures in the sector. Some of those speakers already confirmed* include:

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Katherine Solomon (Bell Foundation) Topic: SEND and English as an additional language

Aida H Dee (Drag Queen Story Hour) Topic: Representation, reading, and lived experience of ADHD Rebecca Gonyora (Grey Court School) Topic: Inclusive secondary schools Question Time Panel Members Alison Betts (Whole School SEND) Angela Holdsworth (Whole Whole School SEND) Andre Imich (Department ment for Education) Topic: SEND and Beyond nd – What does the future hold? old? *Please note that speakerss are subject to change and all views expressed are speaker views ws only.

G E T YO U R T I C K E T Buy your ticket today for just £99. Ticket prices also include lunch and light refreshments throughout the day. For more information about the event, visit www.nasen.org.uk/nasenlive-2023

Ace Centre – https://acecentre.org.uk/ Action Mats – https://actionmats.co.uk/ ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity – www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/ Axcis – www.axcis.co.uk/ Beyond Words – https://booksbeyondwords.co.uk/ Careers and Enterprise Company – www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/ Century – www.century.tech/ Christie and Co – www.christie.com/ Concero Education Technology – https://concero.education/ Cosmo by Filisia – www.explorecosmo.com/ Dekko Comics – https://dekkocomics.com/ Dolphin Computer Access – https://yourdolphin.com/ Earwig Academic – https://earwigacademic.com/ Edge Hill University – www.edgehill.ac.uk/ Education & Training Foundation – www.et-foundation.co.uk/ Edwin Supply – https://theedwingroup.com/ Elklan Training – www.elklan.co.uk/ Five Minute Box – www.fiveminutebox.co.uk/ Guide Dogs – www.guidedogs.org.uk/ Hamish and Milo – https://hamishandmilo.org/ Hays Education – www.hays.co.uk/job/education-jobs ICS Funding – www.ics-funding.co.uk/ IDL Software – https://idlsgroup.com/ iTRACK iASEND – www.itrackpupils.com/itrack-iasend KAZ Type – https://kaz-type.com/ Literacy Gold – http://literacygold.co.uk/ Maths for Life – www.mathsforlife.com/ Mighty Writer Ltd – www.mightywriter.co.uk/ NAHT – www.naht.org.uk/ National Education Union – https://neu.org.uk/ Nessy Learning – www.nessy.com/en-gb Nurture International – www.nurtureinternational.co.uk/ Onyx Student Support Ltd – www.onyxstudents.com/ OrCam – www.orcam.com/en/home/ PAGS SRL – www.pagsprofile.com/ Phonic Books – www.phonicbooks.co.uk/ Rhino Sensory UK Ltd – www.rhinouk.com/ RNIB – www.rnib.org.uk/ Rockerbox News – https://myrockerbox.com/ Scanning Pens – www.scanningpens.co.uk/ SEN Books – www.senbooks.co.uk/ SEND Recruitment – www.senrecruitment.co.uk/ Special Olympics GB – www.specialolympicsgb.org.uk/ Speech and Language Link UK (ICAN) – https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/ https://speechan Speech Link Mult Multimedia Ltd – https://speechandlanguage.info/ TACPAC – https:/ https://tacpac.co.uk/ Teal Patents Ltd (Kiddiwash) – www.tealwash.com/preschool/ The Anna Freu Freud Centre - www.annafreud.org The Sleep Soc Society – www.thesleepcharity.org.uk The Speakable Method – https://thespeakablemethod.com/ TPC Therapy Thera Ltd – www.tpctherapy.co.uk/ TTS – www.tts-group.co.uk/ ww Verbo – https://verboapp.co.uk Widgit – https://widgitonline.com/en/home Young Enterprise – www.young-enterprise.org.uk/ Young Epilepsy – www.youngepilepsy.org.uk/

CO ULD YO U SPO NSO R T HE NASE N AWARD S 2023?

We have lots of powerful sponsorship opportunities available for our nasen Awards this autumn, including category and table sponsorship.

So if you’re looking to further support the SEND sector, contact a member of the team today at sales@nasen.org.uk

The nasen Awards are back!

6 October 2023, The Grand Hotel, Birmingham he nasen Awards recognise and honour outstanding individuals and organisations that have made significant contributions to promoting and advancing inclusion.

They provide an opportunity to highlight the often-unrecognised work of those who have shown a commitment to striving for, enabling and creating environments that are welcoming and supportive to all, regardless of their abilities, backgrounds or circumstances.

Join us as we celebrate the achievements of all of those across the country, and internationally, who are working to break down barriers and create more inclusive schools and communities, and to inspire others to join the movement for inclusion by design.

The awards serve as a powerful reminder that, together, we can create an education system, and world, where everyone is valued, supported and given the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Anyone can nominate an individual or organisation for an award and there are 16 awards up for grabs this year.

Nominations open today until 23 June 2023; visit www.nasen.org.uk/awards for more details.

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1.

Early Years Provision of the Year sponsored

by Nursery World

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Young Advocate of the Year (aged 17 and over) sponsored by Christie and Co

2.

Primary Provision of the Year sponsored by Axcis Education

10.

3.

Secondary Provision of the Year

Leader or Leadership Team of the Year sponsored by NEU

4.

Further Education (FE) Provision of the Year

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Support Practitioner of the Year

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Specialist Provision of the Year sponsored by The Edwin Group

Teacher of the Year sponsored by Scanning Pens

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Alternative Provision of the Year

Innovation in the Field of Inclusion

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Co-Production Initiative of the Year sponsored

by The Seashell Trust

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The David Ryan Award for Positive Media Impact

15.

8.

Young Advocate of the Year (Aged 16 and Under) sponsored by Filisia

International Provision of the Year sponsored by IDL

16.

Changemaker of the Year sponsored by Rockerbox News

Those shortlisted for an award will be invited to the ceremony, which is due to take place on 6 October at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham.

For more information, please visit www.nasen.org.uk/awards

Don’t want to wait for the next issue?

Check out https://nasen.org.uk/news

SECTOR UPDATE

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A L L T H E L AT E S T N E W S FROM ACROSS SEND

Update

education@nasen.org.uk 01827 311500 @nasen_org @nasen.org

Updated Early Years Toolkit and new Evidence Store from the Education Endowment Foundation vidence gives us information about how different approaches impact children’s learning and development. It can help you to create great learning opportunities for all children, particularly those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The role of early years practitioners is integral to building and nurturing strong

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learning foundations, giving each child the best start in life so that they can achieve their potential. The EEF has published two new resources dedicated to supporting high quality early years practice: the updated Early Years Toolkit and the Early Years Evidence Store.

The Toolkit gives you information on average impacts and costs of different strategies, alongside guidance on what to consider when

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putting a particular approach into practice in your setting. Go to: https://bit.ly/3IkQaVS Designed to support the Department for Education’s (DfE) Stronger Practice Hubs, the Evidence Store is a summary of evidence, illustrated with practices that typically make up these teaching approaches and video examples of what these could look like. Go to: https://bit.ly/3HTvjrj

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SECTOR UPDATE

OFSTED THEMATIC REVIEWS OF ALTERNATIVE PROVISION IN LOCAL AREAS

Top children’s authors back RNIB’s library of learning resources as millionth title is added Some of the UK’s most popular children’s authors have said they are delighted their books are featured in leading sight-loss charity the Royal National Institute of Blind People’s (RNIB) Bookshare service, which has just added its millionth title.

RNIB’s Bookshare website provides books, worksheets and resources free of charge to teachers, pupils and students, which can be downloaded in accessible formats including electronic braille, PDF and audio. All the titles have been generously donated by 1,046 publishers and are currently used by 45,087 students from 12,647 nurseries, schools and universities. The millionth title was received in December.

Jacqueline Wilson, whose books including Double Act, Funny Girls and The Lottie Project are available on RNIB Bookshare, said: “I’m delighted my titles are on RNIB Bookshare, which now has one million leisure and educational titles available for children and young people with print impairments in accessible formats.”

RNIB Bookshare UK education collection provides textbooks and materials to support the national curriculum. It offers a range of accessible formats that can be read electronically or adapted to suit the personal reading needs of learners.

Teachers, parents and pupils can join RNIB Bookshare here: https://bit.ly/3xka3Gi

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have jointly published a new framework and handbook for inspecting arrangements in the local area for children and young people with SEND. As part of the new area SEND inspection arrangements, Ofsted and the CQC will carry out a series of thematic visits each academic year. They will conduct visits to a small number of areas to investigate a particular aspect of the SEND system in depth.

The first theme to be investigated will be alternative provision. The purpose of the 2023 thematic visits is to: Find out the extent to which alternative provision is meeting the health, care and/or education needs of children and young people Better understand the purposes for which alternative provision is used Identify the enablers and barriers to local area partners working together to commission and oversee alternative provision placements Highlight good practice in commissioning and oversight arrangements for alternative provision.

These visits will also provide insights for Ofsted, CQC, government, strategic leaders and practitioners into the relationship between SEND and alternative provision and how effectively arrangements for SEND and alternative provision are working together. Learning will be shared to promote improvement in the sector and findings will be used to update their approach to inspection, as appropriate. Ofsted will not be making judgements about individual areas during these visits, although they will share their findings in a national report, to be published in autumn 2023. The national report will list the local areas visited, but they will not attribute findings to individual areas unless those areas agree to be identified.

To read the full guidance go to: https://bit.ly/3jWXUEb

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UK Trauma Council launches critical incidents resources The UK Trauma Council (UKTC) has developed a series of free, accessible resources for educational communities, to offer support in preparing for and managing critical incidents.

The set of easy-to-use policy templates, staff training and lesson plans are guided by five evidence-based principles to ensure children and young people feel safe, calm, connected, in control and hopeful, and are designed to help prepare for and manage the response to potentially traumatic events.

Download the resources for free: https://bit.ly/3YISUle

FREE ONLINE SEMINAR FROM THE ANNA FREUD CENTRE ‘So what does it take to effectively support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing in schools?’

A free online seminar from the Applied Research and Evaluation Division at the Anna Freud Centre on Monday 27 March, 17:30-19:00, will look at support for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing in schools, drawing on learning from several different projects and approaches.

Along with discussing research findings, the Centre will look at specific approaches, explore their sustainability and consider the implications for young people, parents, carers and practitioners in a panel discussion.

To book: https://bit.ly/3Xsp1ER

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SECTOR UPDATE

Professor Adam Boddison, former chief executive of nasen, has been named in the New Year Honours List

NEW REPORT FINDS BULLYING STILL AN ISSUE ACROSS EDUCATION

Professor Adam Boddison, former chief executive of nasen, has been named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours List. Adam is currently chief executive of the Association for Project Management (APM).

The honour has been awarded in recognition of Professor Boddison’s work with children and young people with SEND. In his previous role as chief executive of nasen, Professor Boddison played a leading role in providing support and championing those working with, and for, children and young people with SEND and learning differences, something he remains passionate about in his role at APM. In addition to his leadership of nasen, Prof Boddison was director of the Centre for Professional Education at the University of Warwick and Academic Principal for IGGY, a global educational social network for gifted teenagers. He is also a trustee at a multi-academy trust spanning more than 50 primary, secondary and special schools and chair of the Corporation at Coventry College for Further Education.

The recommendation for the honour was made to His Majesty the King by the Prime Minister, on the advice of the independent Main Honours Committee, following an independent assessment process.

Commenting on the announcement, Professor Boddison said:

The first impact report from Diversity Role Models around their DfE project, ‘Embracing Difference, Ending Bullying’, highlights that bullying remains prevalent within education settings. Diversity Role Models is a charity organisation that seeks to embed inclusion and empathy in the next generation.

Its project has been running for a year, delivering training to teachers in 55 primary and secondary schools across the UK, and has produced videos and resources to support settings: It also gathered data from all of the stakeholders across the settings; pupils, staff, parent carers and governors.

Bullying was found to be more common around the issues that are discussed less regularly, such as LGBT+ and disability. The statistics show that difference is the biggest reason for bullying in primary schools, and bullying targeting those who are gay or thought to be gay was the most prevalent in secondary schools. Feedback indicated that there is a lack of visibility of certain identities, notably disability, across schools. One of the recommendations is focused on developing greater inclusion, having open and honest discussions about difference and celebrating the unity that can be found in diversity. When embedded in the culture and ethos of a setting, this will go a long way to reducing the perceived ‘difference’ and highlighting what unites pupils.

To read the report: https://bit.ly/40SIRw0 To access videos and resources: https://bit.ly/40KVeKt

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“I am truly honoured and humbled to be recommended for this honour. As someone who has spent many years working in the education sector – as well as being a parent – helping young people thrive and succeed is something that is very close to my heart. I am therefore delighted to be recognised for my work in this field; work I aspire to continue with APM as we make the project profession accessible as a career of first choice”.

Chief executive of nasen Annamarie Hassall MBE said: “Together with the board and staff team at nasen, I would like to congratulate my predecessor at nasen, Professor Adam Boddison, on his OBE for services to children and young people with SEND. This honour is in recognition of an incredibly hard working, talented and dedicated individual. I have had the honour and pleasure of working with and knowing Adam for a number of years, and I am delighted that his contribution to the sector has been recognised.

Adam dedicated himself to nasen as CEO between 2016 and 2020, helping to ensure that education is inclusive for all children and young people, before joining the Association for Project Management.

He continues to be a close friend and advocate of the charity.”

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FEATURE ➜

NI UPDATE

Support for SEND in Northern Ireland What support is there for teachers, SENCOs, schools and families in Northern Ireland? We provide an overview of nasen’s Northern Ireland Advisory Group, including ways in which the group can support highquality teaching and learning in Northern Ireland for pupils with SEND. nasen connect

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istorically, the Northern Ireland branch of nasen consisted of a committee of professionals with a wide range of experience, knowledge and expertise who worked together to support practitioners and advocate for the children of Northern Ireland. The committee’s vision was realised primarily through conferences and study days offering localised support to school staff. The committee provided relevant high quality and affordable continuing professional development (CPD) through multi-agency networking.

The vision has been further developed by the new nasen Northern Ireland Advisory Group (NIAG), which was formed in October 2018. This voluntary group consists of seven education professionals with a wealth of knowledge, skills, experience and expertise to support the work of nasen. The group also has expertise in the Northern Ireland Department of Education’s (DE) overarching SEN categories.

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T HE GR O U P ’ S K E Y O B JE C T I V E S A R E T O :

distributed at EA training sessions (pre-Covid) for all SENCOs in Northern Ireland. Following this, 242 SENCOs accessed nasen’s website for support and 375 SENCOs accessed the adapted resources.

As with many organisations, there was ongoing work throughout the challenges of lockdown, including online meetings, the continued link with EA and the production of adapted introductory documents for nasen’s CPD webinars. The group also submitted consultation responses on behalf of nasen for the DE’s draft SEN Code of Practice (January 2021) and the EA’s specialist support for mainstream schools (April 2021).

RESUMING NORMALITY AND MOVING FORWARD Post-pandemic, face to face meetings resumed to consider how to move forward. With nasen membership now free to access, join now to keep up to date: https://nasen.org.uk/register. Opportunities for CPD are available, along with high-quality, researchbased resources and helpful ideas on how to improve learning for children and young people with SEND.

• support practitioners in Northern Ireland • improve learning for all children and young people with SEND • promote nasen as an inclusive organisation with outstanding SEND CPD opportunities and the sharing of good practice.

From 2018 to 2022, the work of the nasen Northern Ireland Advisory Group encompassed developing partnership working within Northern Ireland with the following bodies: Department of Education (DE) Education Authority (EA) Granada Learning (GL) Assessment Classroom 2000 (C2K) Education technology (Edtech) Northern Ireland Teachers Collaborate (NITC) Learning SPACE (Specialised Product cts Aiding Child Education).

S H A R E Y OUR VI E W S

The group also adapted nasen resources to support practitioners in Northern Ireland, taking account of Northern Ireland legislation and the work of the DE and the EA. These included: Supporting SEND

by Observing Learners, Tools to Enable and Support Reasonable Adjustments, and Providing Advice for Understanding ADHD and Supporting Children in the Classroom.

In collaboration with the EA, 1,200 nasen resource packs were produced, 600 of which were

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The opinions of the sector are crucial:

Please let us know of anything you would like the nasen NIAG to consider in order to provide support for you or other practitioners in NI. Learning from each other can provide many benefits, so if you have good practice to share, or information on anything that works well for you in your school, this practice can be shared with other schools. Please contact welcome@nasen.org.uk

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FEATURE ➜

NI UPDATE

MEET THE TEAM Maria Diffin, MEd, BEd (Hons), AMBDA, PQH, APC

Dr Brenda Montgomery, EdD, MEd, DASE, Dip HE, PGCTE.

Brenda is the chair of the nasen Northern Ireland Advisory Group. Brenda was an adviser for SEN and behaviour support with the education authority (SEELB) in Northern Ireland for 18 years, during which time she was seconded to the SEN team at the Department of Education (DE) for three years. Prior to that, Brenda taught in a post-primary school in Belfast, where she was SENCO for nine years.

She has also been an assessor for inclusion and has tutored and presented on the policy and practice for SEND at schools, universities and colleges throughout Ireland.

Opportunities for CPD are available, along with high-quality, researchbased resources and helpful ideas on how to improve learning for children and young people with SEND.

Maria works as a specialist teacher for pupils with specific difficulties in literacy. Initially, Maria worked in England for ten years and, on returning to Belfast, worked in a large primary school, where she became the SENCO, assessment co-ordinator, member of the senior leadership team (SLT) and a Reading Recovery teacher. She was seconded to Stranmillis University College for a year to deliver training programmes to schools in Northern Ireland on raising awareness of dyslexia and how to support pupils in class. Maria’s MEd was in teaching and assessing pupils with dyslexia. Her passion is supporting all pupils with SEND and promoting an education system that meets the needs of all children.

Lois Totton, MBA, BEd, Adv Cert Ed.

Lorraine McAleer, BA(QTS).

Lorraine is the managing director and founder of Learning SPACE (Specialised Products Aiding Child Education), an award-winning educational advisory and resource company. She is a passionate, innovative developer of products to support children’s needs. Her idea for Learning SPACE came from supporting her sister, who has Sotos Syndrome. Lorraine is an experienced teacher and a proven manager with over 20 years of experience in education and sensory practice. She is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies (GCAS).

especially developmental language disorder, and realises the importance of children receiving timely support. Laura is a member of the National Association of Professionals concerned with Language Impairment in Children (NAPLIC), the Association for all Speech Impaired Children (AFASIC), The British Psychology Society and the Sensory Integration Network.

Lois is a Senior Lecturer at Stranmillis University College. She has responsibility for teaching BEd primary and post-primary education with a specific focus on SEND. Lois is also the course leader for the SEN First CPD programme.

Prior to taking up her position at Stranmillis, Lois completed a 25-year teaching career working across post-primary and further education.

Lois demonstrates her passion for SEN through her research of the history and journey of special education in Northern Ireland and parental experience of accessing SEN support. She is also a school governor in a special school.

Gillian Beck, MEd (Distinction), BEd (Hons), AMBDA, ATS, FHEA. Laura McClure, BEd (Hons), PG Dip, PG Cert, CCET.

Laura is a specialist language teacher who for the past 19 years has supported children and young people with identified speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and other co-occurring needs. Her experience includes teaching in a speech and language class and a special school, a secondment to the language and learning service as well as to the SEN early years inclusion service. She is passionate about effectively supporting children with SLCN,

Gillian is a Senior Lecturer at Stranmillis University College, where she lectures in special and additional needs and literacy at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Prior to taking up this position, she was a primary teacher for 16 years, a full time SEN teacher (nursery to P7) and SENCO for eight years, inclusion co-ordinator and gifted and talented co-ordinator. Gillian has worked with children with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and continues to pursue her passion in that area; she is a PhD researcher focusing on sensory provision in the mainstream environment.

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Alastair Rowan, MEd, BA, PGCE, PQH, DMS

Alastair is the vice chair of the group and currently works part-time as a development officer for an education support body.

Prior to this, he worked in education for 35 years, including as founding principal of an integrated college, head of mathematics of a large comprehensive school and sports coach.

Throughout the varied aspects of Alastair’s career, he developed an interest and passion for SEN and acted as a volunteer ambassador for nasen in Northern Ireland for two years.

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FEATURE

TEACHING & LEARNING G

BIO JE NN Y BY FORD Jenny is inclusion leader and SENCO at Sauncey Wood Primary School. The school uses Widgit symbols to support EAL students.

How schools can support all pupils to reach their full potential

SENCO Jenny Byford, from Sauncey Wood Primary School in Hertfordshire, shares tips to increase pupil confidence and independence. reating the right environment for all pupils to engage, learn and thrive is the aim of every school. But, with reduced resources and increasing numbers of children with additional needs, it’s not without its challenges.

Sauncey Wood is a small school with 192 children on roll. There are 13 different languages spoken and an above national average intake of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with additional educational needs, so targeted support is essential.

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As the inclusion lead, all areas of vulnerability and need fall under my umbrella. Creating a sense of belonging and inclusion underpins all we do and making sure every child can actively participate in lessons is a priority.

However, active participation of all learners can be tricky to achieve due to the diverse range of needs and abilities in the classroom.

We’ve found that the techniques we use for our pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) to improve vocabulary and help navigate the school day can support all pupils, including those with and without additional learning needs.

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NAVIGATING THE BUSY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT Imagine how bewildering it must be to start school without knowing the local language, not having the words to ask for help, or being able to read what to do by yourself. For 17 per cent of pupils at Sauncey Wood this is their reality.

A further 20.5 per cent of our pupils are on the SEND register and busy environments can be hard for them to navigate due to difficulties remembering instructions, sequencing steps or processing information.

To overcome these barriers, we’ve found that using visual timetables incorporating

17%

have difficulty finding the words to ask for help, or being able to read what to do by themselves

20.5% of pupils at Sauncey Wood are on the SEND register

symbols, such as a dinner plate at lunch time and a book at story-time, supports children to better navigate their school day. We typically use symbols from Widgit and, for our pupils with SEND, it gives the extra processing time they need to make sense of the timetable and reinforces the comfort of routine.

Emerging readers and pupils with EAL can see by the imagery what’s coming next, and it helps everyone feel more ready to learn.

Using visual prompts in classrooms and corridors can support transition times and remind pupils about key information to reduce the need for adult intervention.

It’s a strategy that has also worked well in St Andrews Primary School in Somerset, as Year 6 teacher Maria Sadler explains:

“I’m a big labeller. Everything is labelled in my classroom, and I use symbols to support the meaning of text. I use this approach to support my pupils with EAL and SEND and teach the whole class French, our modern foreign language. For me it’s all about immersion, so pupils see words, hear them, and say them. All my cupboards and doors have visual cues using symbols to support pupils to understand what to do.

For example, I use symbols to represent the phrase ‘pull the door closed’ I’ve found using symbol signage has empowered children to feel more confident about what they’re being asked to do.

As symbols are universally understood they encourage independence and responsibility.”

Emerging readers and pupils with EAL can see by the imagery what’s coming next, and it helps everyone feel more ready to learn.

GETTING CHILDREN READY TO LEARN

Pre-teaching pupils words and phrases to introduce unfamiliar vocabulary is not a new strategy but we’ve found incorporating a visual approach has positively impacted on their acquisition of language and memory.

We use it to introduce new topics to children with verbal or language processing difficulties and with limited English to give them the confidence to participate in lessons. For example, in language-heavy subjects such as history or science, I can use houses as a symbol to explain the word settlement, or symbols of bones when learning about the skeleton.

Whatever a pupil’s language ability, they can still contribute during lessons by sharing relevant symbols, increasing their confidence and engagement.

As the numbers of pupils with additional needs grows, more schools are finding this a useful technique to help build vocabulary and comprehension. Agnieszka Kwiatowska, EAL teaching partner from St Gregory the Great school in Gloucestershire, used symbols to make it easier to explain to a child from Hungary with limited English and slow information processing skills, the story of the Bad-Tempered Ladybird: “I used different symbols to show them what is meant by ‘too small’ and ‘bad tempered’, which really helped them to ‘get’ the story and enjoy it, making them more engaged in learning.”

CREATING INDEPENDENT LEARNERS The extra visual support is also a valuable aid to use within mainstream teaching. We’ve found incorporating symbols across our school has benefitted all pupils, not just those with special needs or EAL. It’s a useful tool for emerging readers as they can use the images to decode the meaning of the words. It helps them to decipher instructions and reduces reliance on adult support so that they can become more independent. We also use symbol-based resources to create word maps, vocabulary sheets and displays to introduce the subject-specific vocabulary that pupils need to learn as they move through their schooling.

Visual representations can help all pupils to learn, recall and remember the meaning of new information more easily, and reduce the demand on their working memory during lessons. Creating a richer curriculum for everyone is easier if all pupils are immersed and involved in the learning process. The simple icons and images used in symbols to represent vocabulary has helped drive literacy across the whole school by levelling up the playing field and keeping everyone engaged.

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FEATURE ➜

Miriam Walker explores the concept of inclusion, its challenges and how we can flip the focus to make it more attainable. or many years, inclusion has been the buzzword in the education sector, including in initial training, but it is a tricky concept to define and hard to monitor. If thought about in terms of SMART targets (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed), inclusion as an outcome is too broad and intangible, and yet it is a necessity for good practice. If we flip the focus from aiming to achieve inclusion to instead avoiding any pupil’s exclusion from activities and learning, we have the potential for a positive outcome in a format that is easier to envisage and attain. Ensuring the avoidance of exclusion rather than seeking the evidence of inclusion becomes a more embraceable and measurable target.

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TEACHING & LEARNING

n sio tion

= avoid + volu ance o ntar f y p exc art lu ici pa

The dilemma with inclusion is that it is a multifaceted concept. It is not only dependent on adaptations made to the environment and the activities that take place within it but iss also influenced by the relationships that occur within the environment, the receptiveness of the individual and how all these factors arre experienced at that specific point in time.

This means that, however hard the manager of the environment or the teacher in the classroom works to create an inclusive setting, their success cannot be fairly and accurately measured.

Ultimately, this means that the vital concept of inclusion has the potential to become a goal that is frustrating to aim for, particularly for early-career teachers grappling with many other fundamental aspects of teaching and learning.

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TEACHING & LEARNING

PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE STEPS Pupil exclusion can be minimised through proactive, generic and pupil-specific strategies during lesson preparation, and through reactive strategies during lesson delivery. For example, generic proactive considerations in lesson preparation could include encouraging pupil autonomy over resource selection to assist with a maths problem; the availability of a writing frame or word bank for story writing; or ensuring that the whiteboard screen is a pastel shade rather than white, and that consideration has been made in advance regarding pairings or groupings for activities.

Examples of proactive environmental considerations include ensuring the classroom is calm and uncluttered, that there are clear visuals for labels in addition to words and that there are quiet spaces for children and young people who need them. Any additional and necessary pupil-specific strategies can be recognised through a deeper understanding of the pupil’s individual experience. Through creating a set of generic and pupil-specific checks and considerations regarding both the environment of the classroom and the preparations for lessons, the potential for exclusion from activities and learning can be minimised.

Reactive checks to avoid exclusion from activities and learning during lessons need to focus on pupil participation. Participation is a word that is often paired with inclusion but should not be assumed as an inevitable outcome. It is possible to be included in an activity but for the individual to choose not to participate. It is also possible for all proactive steps in avoiding exclusion to have been taken and yet, for various reasons, the pupil is unable to engage. Investigating these unknown or unrecognised barriers to participation further is then essential to be able to manage them.

The dilemma with inclusion is that it is a multifaceted concept.

INCLUSION AND PARTICIPATION If participation is voluntary and the pupil opts into the activity because it is interesting and accessible and they are in a ready state to learn, then inclusion has been achieved. This outcome is more likely to occur if the generic and pupil-specific proactive steps to avoid exclusion have already taken place. Aiming for inclusion will not inevitably result in participation but recognising that all steps have been taken puts the onus on individual participation.

Despite all steps being taken to avoid exclusion, participation cannot be immediately guaranteed. Changes in mindset take time to bear fruit. Constancy regarding access to activities and learning, and respect in gaining a better understanding of the pupil’s perspective must be combined with patience. This is wonderfully explained by psychotherapist Virginia Axline in her book, ‘Dibs: In Search of Self’. She outlines the steps of a journey by a young boy in choosing to engage with the world around him.

Axline proposes that the foundations for facilitating growth and connection must stem from an awareness ‘that no one ever really knows as much about any human being’s inner world as does the individual himself; and that responsible freedom grows and develops from inside the person’.

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FEATURE

LEADERSHIP

Social, Emotional, Mental Health on a Shoestring Beccie Hawes, from Cadmus Inclusive, outlines how a ‘shoestring approach’ to supporting pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs made an impact.

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e are all noticing and feeling the impact of a worryingly huge increase in the SEMH needs of our pupils. This, in turn, is impacting upon their ability to self-monitor, self-regulate and access all aspects of school life.

In every educational setting that we work with, our team are being asked for advice and strategies to support pupils in this essential and challenging area.

This is compounded by overstretched specialist resources, long waiting-lists, the impossible task of triaging needs to decide who does and does not get support and school staff who are desperate to do their very best with a very limited budget to help their pupils feel safe and secure.

To add to this, we are in a cost-of-living crisis, which leads to further stress and strain for our pupils and their families.

A special educational needs and pupil wellbeing service can offer practical support to schools. This can be advice about suitable interventions, therapeutic approaches, use of a support dog, signposting, graphic facilitation and sand-tray or play-based therapies, to name but a few.

Although useful for pupils, many of these approaches can be expensive to train staff in, and to run long-term.

They can also take up a lot of existing resources.

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We must be creative about taking the underlying principles of such approaches and using them in a cost effective but impactful way to support as many of our pupils as possible.

Consequently, we must be creative about taking the underlying principles of such approaches and using them in a cost effective but impactful way to support as many of our pupils as possible. So how do we achieve this? Hopefully, we can offer a story of hope through exploring one ‘shoestring’ approach that paid huge dividends.

Recently we worked with a school who needed a ‘budget’ approach to SEMH. Firstly, we explored how we could further develop a whole school ethos that

had nurture and the wellbeing and mental health of pupils and staff at its heart. To get there, all stakeholders played their part in reflecting upon their current position. Key questions included: Do we have a robust mental health and wellbeing policy in place and is this ‘lived’ in practice in our school?

Where is the evidence of this?

What do we already know about our pupils’ mental health and how can we find out more?

Can we find consistent and demonstrable evidence that mental health and wellbeing is a high priority and well integrated into our day-today culture and curriculum?

Do our pupils feel safe enough in school to tell and/ or show us how they are really feeling? How do we know that this is the case?

Do we provide supportive mechanisms for pupils to demonstrate their mental health and wellbeing to us? If so, what are these approaches and are they well used?

Do staff feel confident in identifying pupils who may have SEMH needs and offering and/or signposting support?

Once this was complete, a simple action plan was drawn up with all stakeholders, taking into account what was already in place and how we could move forwards to build upon this. A simple issue, initiative and intended impact framework was used. This was one of the issues highlighted:

ISSUE

INIT IAT IV E

INT E ND E D IMPA CT

Due to the current level of communication skills, many pupils find it hard to verbally explain how they are feeling.

Explore how our pupils can use a range of resources (already available in school) to show us, as opposed to telling us, about their SEMH needs.

For pupils to have a range of tools available to start conversations about their own social, emotional and mental health.

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BIO BE CCIE HAWE S

FEATURE

Beccie is the head of service at Cadmus Inclusive, a community interest company offering a bespoke SEND advisory and pupil wellbeing service to schools across the country. For more information, visit www.cadmusinclusive. co.uk or contact bhawes@cadmussupportservices.co.uk

LEADERSHIP

Working with our team, staff identified existing school resources for pupils to ‘demonstrate’ their needs, wants, feelings and ideas. While hunting through a cupboard, we found lots of small building bricks, miniature small-world play resources, a bag of sand and some old plastic trays.

The staff recognised that they were not qualified therapists but felt that they could work with the pupils to use these resources to allow them to explore situations that bothered them and to express themselves.

After some professional reading and several trials, a hybrid version of sand-tray and play-based therapy approaches was born.

In this approach pupils were given a tray of sand, along with a selection of miniatures

and small building bricks, that could be used to represent a variety of feelings and situations to build a world that showed their current situation. Here’s an example.

In this sand tray (below) a pupil created a world that showed us their fear of the family dying (represented by the gravestone, plastic figures of people lying down and a car accident) and friendships breaking down (represented by the dinosaurs facing a plastic figure that symbolised themself).

The pupil also included gemstones placed inside a treasure chest to signify them hiding these feelings away from family and friends because they were not sure about how to share them.

Over time, each part of the sand-tray was talked about and potential real-life solutions were co-created in the sand with a trusted member of staff. Gradually, each one of the solutions was put into practice in real life.

At the end of this process, the pupil was given the opportunity to build their world again. The final sand-tray showed us a massive change. There were a lot fewer dinosaurs, their family were all alive and well in a fenced-off area that represented home and the treasure chest had been opened so that we could see the gems. We also noticed a much calmer, happier and settled pupil who was much more willing to engage in lessons.

It is important to recognise that we may not be qualified therapists who can ‘fix’ all our pupils’ needs. However, we can all do something – no matter how small – to make those that need it feel a little bit better and a little bit safer than they do right now. While more costly resources can be valuable in a school-setting, sometimes we just have to accept that, due to cost and available resources, we can’t always offer what we would like to. Therefore SEMH on a shoestring becomes a case of needs-must. At the very least we can all: Try to understand Be there Be professionally curious about what is ‘hurting’ Value ‘behaviour’ as a form of communication Be willing to learn and change our practices Listen with our eyes and hearts without judgement.

It is important to recognise that we may not be qualified therapists who can ‘fix’ all our pupils’ needs. However, we can all do something – no matter how small – to make those that need it feel a little bit better and a little bit safer than they do right now.

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FEATURE FFEAT FE EAT ATUR UR RE

LEADERSHIP

BIO N IC OL A TU RN ER Nicola has been working to support widening access and participation since joining the UCAS Policy Team in 2016 and is now working on the UCAS Fair Access Programme. Recently, she has written insight reports on student mental health, students with disabilities and students from a care background. Nicola is a former secondary English teacher, and head of PSHE and careers education.

For more information, get started with the UCAS Hub, call UCAS for help on 0371 468 0468 or message us on social media.

Higher Education:

Supporting Students with SEND Nicola Turner from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) examines how we can help young people with SEND view higher education as a viable option for them. n 2021, 604,000 people in the UK applied to university through UCAS, and 83,000 (14 per cent) of those shared a disability or mental health condition. Over the last ten years, the number of applicants sharing this information has more than doubled, yet young people with disabilities remain under-represented in higher education and

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they are almost half as likely to hold an undergraduate degree than their peers.

We were keen to understand if there were hidden barriers for students with disabilities.

So, in collaboration with Pearson, UCAS released the report, Next Steps: What is the experience of students with disabilities in education? (https://bit.ly/3iKryvQ) in July 2022. Here, we researched the preferences and application behaviours of students with disabilities and asked them

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about their experiences at school or college, how they felt when applying through UCAS, and their expectations for university.

We found they were looking forward to their next steps, particularly the social opportunities, but had experienced several challenges along their application journey. UCAS believes the journey for students with disabilities can be easier, and our report sets out some of the ways in which we think that can happen.

Th re e k e y c h a l l e n g e s f o r st ud e nts w it h d i s a b i l i t i e s

T H EY C AN’ T A L W A YS TA K E T H EI R N E XT S T E P S W H E N TH E Y W A N T T O .

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We found applicants with disabilities are up to 28 per cent more likely to defer the start of their studies, predominantly because the support they needed at university was delayed or unavailable. Through no fault of their own, some students are unable to take their next steps at the same time as their non-disabled peers, and we don’t think this is fair.

TH OS E W I T H HI DD E N D I S AB I LI TI ES A R E HA V I N G A L ES S POS I TI V E E XP E R I E N C E .

Although more than half had researched the support available for students with disabilities before applying, some reported that it was difficult to find the information they needed to make an informed choice.

We think details about support need to be more prominent, and young people need more guidance around talking to the disability adviser at university.

Differences in the terminology used create an additional point of confusion for applicants (and those supporting them) when trying to research support.

In secondary education, we tend to use the term ‘SEND’ but in higher education we switch to the term ‘disability’ to cover physical difficulties, mental health conditions, learning differences and neurodivergences as well as long-term health conditions.

Consequently, those who have never considered themselves to be ‘disabled’ may miss vital information about support, such as Students with Disabilities Allowances (DSAs), and feel less certain about sharing their individual needs in the UCAS application.

Another risk is that not all young people are fully aware of the mechanisms in place to support them at school, so they may not realise they need to ask for support to help them succeed in their university studies.

In other instances, some may have expectations that exceed the level or type of support they can access in HE. Finally, it’s worth bearing in mind that the UCAS or careers adviser may not be aware of an applicant’s needs or condition, and the applicant may not feel comfortable raising this with someone they don’t know well, especially for non-visible disabilities. Again, we run the risk that the right information doesn’t reach the people who need it most.

We found they were looking forward to their next steps, particularly the social opportunities, but had experienced several challenges along their application journey.

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When we broke down the findings by disability type, it became very apparent that those with non-visible impairments were experiencing more challenges; they often had a less positive experience at school or college, felt less confident in sharing their support needs with the university and had lower expectation for higher education. We’d like to find a way to help these students feel more included and supported in their journey to university.

TH E Y D O NO T A L W A YS G E T T H E R I GHT I NF ORM AT I O N A B O U T S UPPORT I N HI GHE R ED UC A T I O N .

CHALLENGES WITH THE TRANSITION FROM SECONDARY TO HIGHER EDUCATION

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FEATURE

LEADERSHIP

U CAS R ES OURC E S F O R S TUDENT S W I T H D I SA B I L I T I E S Applying to university with a disability or mental health condition Information about Students with disabilities’ Allowances Preparing for open days and visits Advice on speaking to the disability or mental health adviser at university Read our individual needs toolkit for more step-by-step ideas to support students.

When an applicant shares this information, it kickstarts the support process. The information is only shared with those who are responsible for arranging support; it is never used to make a judgement on the application.

Fo u r w a y s S EN C Os can h e lp My experience has taught me that SENCOs are lynchpins in schools, and their relationships with pupils mean they are a trusted source of guidance. However, we appreciate that time is at a premium, so here are some practical, non-resource-intensive ways you can support young people as they start to consider their future options.

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TA LK TO PUPI LS (A N D THE I R PARENT S / CAR ERS ) E ARLI ER AB OUT TH E I R OPT I ON S

Our research shows that early engagement is critical. Some young people will already have decided that university is not for them before they even get as far as post-16 education. Universities have changed dramatically in the last 30 years, becoming diverse and inclusive spaces, offering support for a wide range of needs. For students with disabilities, the journey may be more complex, so helping them to sign up to the UCAS Hub to start their research earlier can be useful.

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E N C O U R A GE APPLICANT S T O SHARE T HE I R N E E D S O R CO ND IT IO N

When an applicant shares this information, it kickstarts the support process. The information is only shared with those who are responsible for arranging support; it is never used to make a judgement on the application, although many students worry that this is the case. UCAS does not ask for evidence nor require a diagnosis to share support needs.

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E N C O U R A GE ST UD E NT S T O APPLY FO R T HE D ISABLE D ST UD E NT S’ A L L O WA N CE S ( D SAS)

DSAs are non-repayable funds that students can apply for, alongside student finance, to help with some of the extra study-related costs incurred due to a disability or mental health condition. Evidence is required, and students may find it useful to have some help to complete the DSA application.

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HE LP PRE PARE Y OU N G PE O PLE T O TALK TO THE D ISABILIT Y AD VISER

Most student services teams will have a disability adviser; they are the best source of information about the support the university can offer – both throughout the application journey, and during their studies. They can also advise about events such as orientation days for students with autism. However, young people may find the idea of talking to a stranger challenging, especially if this is the first time they have spoken to someone about their support needs.

Use your knowledge of their individual needs to prepare them for that call (or email), so they know what questions to ask.

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SPOTLIGHT

Employability skills for independent living Matthew Jones outlines how a specialist college supports learners with SEND to build employability skills to help support independent living.

ationally, statistics show that five per cent of learners with the highest need, including those with an EHCP, are in paid employment, and 23 per cent of working adults with a learning disability have a paid job (Mencap’s 2019 Big Learning Disability Survey).

Grow 19 was set up for learners aged 18-25, with a view to improving

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R e s po n s i b i l i t y

E m p o w er me n t

those statistics and aiming to get learners with an EHCP into employment by providing them with the opportunity of targeted vocational learning.

This was based on helping young people to understand workplace expectations by creating realistic work environment to provide relevant and realistic experiences for learners.

Mixing functional skills with vocational learning, employability and community

C o m mu n i t y

I n d e p e n d en c e

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projects enables learners to develop their confidence, skills, and belief that they can enter the workforce, make informed choices, and actively participate in their communities.

The core values of responsibility, empowerment, community, independence, personalised learning and experience are embedded within the curriculum, daily routines and practices within the college.

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SPOTLIGHT

HOW IT WORKS Learners are taught in three different pathways, with practical learning incorporated. Progress is recorded in portfolios to support them in future; a range of therapies is offered to support individual need in line with their EHCP provision, with interventions varying depending on each specific learner, and detail is provided in their timetable and provision plans. Learners attend Grow 19 for up to four days and are encouraged to use local sport and community facilities, along with work experience, to further improve their independence and wellbeing on the day they are not in college.

Each pathway is tailored to each learner and their interests and skills. The first pathway is aimed at learners working at executive level two (EL2) and above, focusing on developing their readiness to

work. Vocational qualifications and specific training workshops enable learners to gain the work-related qualifications to support their study and entry into the workplace.

Learners can experience the industry (horticulture, catering and hospitality or construction and maintenance) that they would like to work in, but still be able to try other areas if they are undecided.

The second pathway is for learners working at entry level one and above who require more structure and support with tasks, focusing on developing independent living and learning skills. Vocational qualifications and specific training enable learners to gain the living, communication and travel awareness skills to support them into supported living and employment. Learners will be able to participate and learn skills for working life within horticulture, hospitality and general construction.

The third pathway is for learners working at pre/entry level who are learning key skills and preparing for transition to supported living and community engagement. This pathway focuses on developing social communication skills, life skills and maintaining and developing personal health and wellbeing. Learners actively learn and participate

Mixing functional skills with vocational learning, employability and community projects enables learners to develop their confidence, skills, and belief that they can enter the workforce, make informed choices, and actively participate in their communities.

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Interestedinatourorfurtherinformation? email mjones@grow19.com | call 01732848289 | Visit our website: www.grow19.com | Visit our social media

in community projects, developing the confidence and skills to make their own decisions and plan their next steps.

Learners participate and learn skills for working life across a range of subjects.

Learning within Grow 19 is purposeful and linked to the local job market. Learners who have chosen hospitality will study this at level one as their main vocation, running a café located at the site each Wednesday.

The café is open to the public and all food served is homemade by the learners.

They follow visual instruction recipes to create a termly special along with jacket potatoes, toasties and cakes while working in an established kitchen. All the learners are level two food hygiene accredited and the kitchen has recently been given a five star hygiene rating. Learners have taken a barista course, enabling them to serve a variety of barista-standard coffees to customers.

Learners follow the entire hospitality process, from setting up the café and creating the food to taking card and cash payments

using a functioning till. Learners work with mentors to develop money skills, learning how to serve customers and be customer facing within their role.

Learners within the horticulture vocational pathway, again at level one, are responsible for their own allotment plot. Learners develop skills in recognising plant varieties, pruning and what is needed to ensure maximum growth of plants and vegetables. Food that is grown in the allotment is then either sold, linking to employability, or used in the café to help develop a sense of local community.

Learners within the construction pathway acquire a variety of skills and practices that are found within the construction industry, while also improving their fine and gross motor skills. Learners produce an array of carpentry joints and learn basic plumbing, painting, brick laying and building skills. During certain times of the year, learners sell the products that they have made to the public.

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Last year at Grow 19 we had three learners leave us for full time employment with a host of local employers. Here is what they had to say.

‘I started doing a hospitality course at level one. They helped me overcome my anxiety and helped me become more confident.

They taught me to bake and cook many different things. If it wasn’t for this, I wouldn’t be where I am today working full-time in a kitchen at Toby Carvery being a waitress.

It taught me how to work in a reallife workplace and they treated me like an adult. In my new job I have made so many memories and new friends. I couldn’t be happier than I am now, and I now earn a living.”

Chantelle

‘This helped me to get a job from my work experience placement at Maidstone Borough Council.

They taught me to have a good work ethic and gave me more confidence.

I learnt to use lots of equipment during my construction and horticulture sessions. Tutors supported me with applications and paperwork to apply for the job. I’m pleased and proud of myself and receive lots of compliments from the public and community while I’m doing my barrow round. I’m now able to help support my family and buy the items I like.”

With our vision of getting learners into work, work experience plays a pivotal role within the college

Luke

WHAT IS THE IMPACT? With our vision of getting learners into work, work experience plays a pivotal role within the college. Learners gain the skills and training they need to give them a final boost into employment or volunteering. All learners have a weekly work experience placement, relevant to their programme of study and accreditation.

The work experience day is designed around the real work patterns and shifts that learners go on to work in when they leave us. Learners within the local council partnership begin at 6am to reflect this. Placements are long-term, usually between three and six months in one setting. Where possible, we encourage learners to travel to their placement independently and, once settled, interact autonomously with their employer or colleagues. This helps to ensure that they are as comfortable as possible in a working environment.

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‘The course helped me with interview skills and preparing my CV. I learnt lots of new skills in horticulture and construction. All that I learnt helped me get a job at Lenham storage for three days and one day volunteering at food share in Ashford.”

Ryan

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SPOTLIGHT

Support for care leavers in FE and HE When accessing further or higher education, what support is available for care leavers, and those still in care? Jade Ward looks at some of the statistics, and outlines some of the options available for young people and those who support them. issues, such as parents who are not able to care for their child through disability, unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people and if there was a significant risk of harm identified within the home.

Many young people who enter the care system will go through multiple placement moves during their time in care and, for approximately 30 per cent, this will mean a move to a different local authority.

t any one time, there are around 70,000 children in care in England.

These children live in several accommodation settings, including foster care, residential children’s homes or kinship care with family or friends who are not their parents. Young people ge of enter the care syystem due to a rang

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SPOTLIGHT

These moves can often be a difficult and traumatic time for young people.

Along with a change in placement, they may also see a change of social worker, an impact on relationships with family members, friendships and networks of support, and new education provisions.

This can affect the support in place for young people, leading to delays in identifying their needs, including recognising neurodiversity and special educational needs.

We know that children in care and care leavers share the same aspirations for their futures as their peers, including having good education and employment opportunities. However, a recent study completed by researchers at the University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (GOS ICH) found that four out of five children who enter the care system in England equire support for SEN between the ages of five and 16, but only a quarter of these young people had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in place (http://bit.ly/3YdeiPz*).

For many, having a label of special educational needs may seem like a barrier to pursuing education, but there are some support options in place to ensure young people can achieve.

We know that children in care and care leavers share the same aspirations for their futures as their peers.

WHAT SORT OF SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE? There is a range of support available for children and young people in care to help ensure they receive the best education possible; this support is ongoing until the age of 25 and covers compulsory education and further and higher education.

P E R S ONAL E D UCAT IO N P L A N S ( PE P)

Children who come into care under the age of 16 should have a personal education plan developed with them as soon as they become looked after. This plan should be updated when a young person moves schools and should be shared with the young person, teachers, and the social worker.

D E S I G NAT E D T E ACHE RS

Each school should have a designated member of staff for children in care. The designated teacher is there to support young people and feed into the young person’s PEP, ensuring recommendations are acted upon in the school.

V IRT UAL SCHO O L HE AD ( VSH)

The role of the virtual school head is to promote the educational achievement of all children in care under the local authority, including those placed outside of the local area. The VSH ensures all professionals involved understand their role with maintaining the PEP, and that the needs of the young person are being met.

PE RSO NAL E D UCAT IO N ALLO WANCE ( PE A)

Each child in the care system will have a sum of money allocated to be used to support their education. The support for the young person will be decided within the PEP meetings and the young person should have a say in this. *Ref: Jay MA, Gilbert R Special educational needs, social care and health Archives of Disease in Childhood 2021;106:83-85.

You can get in touch with Propel via our helpline (0800 023 2033) or by emailing propel@becomecharity.org.uk

CARE LEAVERS Once a young person is starting to prepare for independence, usually around 16 years old, their care plan will become a pathway plan and their support will move to the leaving care team. During this transition, the support for a young person’s education may change.

Young people will continue to have PEPs until the age of 18 and the virtual school will provide advice and support around the 16-19 bursary fund for further education.

Once a young person reaches 18, they will have access to a named professional in the leaving care team who will support on education, employment and training.

In some local authorities, this will be the young person’s personal adviser or leaving care worker.

Young people who wish to go to university will be supported via the local leaving care team and will have access to the higher

Young people who wish to go to university will be supported via the local leaving care team and will have access to the higher education bursary

education bursary. They will also be supported throughout the university, with most HE settings having a financial package of support for care-experienced young people.

A multi-agency approach is necessary for ensuring young people in care are fully supported. Each professional has a responsibility in ensuring young people succeed; as highlighted above, when one of the professionals involved in a young person’s education changes, it can impact on support being implemented at the right time and can lead to young people not achieving to their best abilities.

If a young person is not getting the right support, professionals can look for an advocate to provide advice and guidance around any challenge with services, helping to ensure that the necessary support is in place.

THERE ARE AROUND

70,000 CHILDREN IN CARE IN ENGLAND

FOUR OUT OF FIVE CHILDREN WHO ENTER THE CARE SYSTEM IN ENGLAND REQUIRE SUPPORT FOR SEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF FIVE AND 16

25%

OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HAD AN EDUCATION HEALTH AND CARE PLAN (EHCP) IN PLACE

Become Charity has a care advice line (0800 023 2033) for professionals and young people seeking support. Open Monday to Friday between 10am and 5pm, it is a free service for young people and professionals. Staff at Become can provide advice and support on several issues, including: Money worries Health and wellbeing Rights and entitlements in/and leaving care Housing issues Contact with siblings and family members Finding national and local services to assist.

Become also offers dedicated support to young people who wish to access further and higher education. The advice and support officer for further and higher education provides one-to-one support for young people and can help with all applications, including DSA, Student Finance and UCAS, as well as ensuring the institution is made aware of any needs the young person may have prior to joining.

The Propel website (https://propel.org.uk/UK/) provides information on the support available from FE and HE institutions, as well as the contact information for the designated care leaver contact.

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BIO JADE WARD Jade is the senior advice and support officer for Further and Higher Education at Become Charity, a charity for children in care and young care leavers. Jade grew up in the care system and was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia at age 23 whilst completing her undergraduate degree, and later went on to complete her Master’s at age 30.

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SPOTLIGHT

Peer mentoring: increasing attainment and belonging Collaborative programmes that pair students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) with their peers can be an effective tool to improve learning outcomes and increase a sense of belonging.

Paul Willis, SENDCO at All Saints Catholic School in Dagenham, outlines his school’s approach to mentoring, and discusses the impact of a new initiative that the school’s students have taken on as their own. ll Saints School is a larger than average secondary school within the diocese of Brentwood.

We have over 1,400 students and our students with SEND encompass needs such as moderate learning difficulties (MLD), autism, social emotional mental health (SEMH) needs and speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

I took on my current role just over 12 months ago and we’ve now amalgamated provision for more able students and those with medical needs and special educational needs under one remit.

We rebranded the department and it is now the Emmaus Centre for Exceptional Needs & Development.

One particular programme that we have introduced in the Centre has proven to be a real eye-opener for our school and our students, with benefits going beyond what we originally anticipated.

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SPOTLIGHT

WHAT WE WANTED TO ACHIEVE, AND HOW In January of this year, we introduced a peer mentoring programme within the Centre. This initiative came about because we wanted to support a culture of learning, of sharing information and helping others. Our aim was to widen our existing programme, in which our scholar programme students worked with their peers with SEND. It came about initially because some of the more able students were taking the initiative and using their skills outside of the scope of our original programme; they started helping other students beyond the programme and we saw the positives right away for both the mentors and the mentees.

My advice for anyone who wants to try this in their own setting would be to make sure that you've identified the students who are best placed to work with students with SEND. Another important factor has been ownership. We wanted to position the programme in such a way that it was almost perceived as the students’ idea to get involved and this has been crucial in helping engagement.

In our school, for each of our scholars, programmes and groups, I have a Google Classroom. This gives students a way to engage outside of education, based on their interests and what they want to take part in. We sent a Google Form to students to invite them to participate, asking them what they were interested in sharing with their younger peers with SEND, whether it was advice, support with learning or just a friendly conversation. I was blown away by their reaction; we received more than twice the number of responses that we anticipated. Now we have around 30 students per year group involved in the programme. The mentors were selected based on their last assessment grades, their predicted grades and an average grade score and, to leave no stone unturned, we also included those who are excelling in a particular subject area.

HOW IT WORKS, AND WHAT THE BENEFITS ARE The first session was an icebreaker to help all students get to know each other.

I was impressed by the engagement, the communication and interaction. From there, we identified areas that each student with SEND needed help in, and we paired the students appropriately.

For example, one is a student with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for SEMH needs who was struggling with maths. He was paired with an older student who has been accepted by a Russell Group university for maths and the two work very well together.

The benefits go beyond help with a particular subject; when they see each

The social impact of the programme was immediate; it has helped remove some of the stigma for students with SEND.

other in the department now it's “do you need help in maths?” and “could you help me with this?”. We’ve seen this shift take place across different subjects, and even extra-curricular activities like basketball. We see peers who aren’t part of the programme helping with homework or with collaborative work.

We find the students who would usually be disengaged coming in early in the morning to get help from an elder peer who is an expert in that area.

With one of the students, we had tried different interventions, ranging from online interventions through to a tutoring service, but they were always late and reluctant to learn or engage. The mentoring programme proved to be key; that student now comes in

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early to learn from their peers, and we can see they feel more of a sense of belonging.

The social impact of the programme was immediate; it has helped remove some of the stigma for students with SEND and we see more conversations in the hallways between students who wouldn’t usually engage with each other. In terms of soft skills, an increase in confidence has been noticeable. This runs through seemingly smaller things like being able to go to the canteen through to increased engagement in social circles as well as learning.

Communication skills have also increased leaps and bounds and we’ve found that the programme gives all the students a sense of responsibility as well as pride in their subject area and their learning.

OTHER INITIATIVES IN PLAY AND WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS Our teachers run literacy interventions with the students who have been identified through literacy assessment. That runs through years seven, eight and nine, and we also have a whole school reading exercise, where every student reads the same book each week. We found that this shared experience created a catalyst for conversation and works as a bonding activity as well as a learning one. I think we forget as adults that there often needs to be a catalyst in a conversation; if you don't have that catalyst, if you don’t have that same area of interest, you can be isolated. By sharing with a whole year group, we can address that, and provide a common ground for discussion. The students can talk about that book with anyone in their form, which has increased literacy, reading comprehension and wider discussion across the year groups.

For our mentoring programme, we’re keen to see how the students want it to develop. They’re our measure of how effective it is. Academic results matter but the cultural impact is just as important to us. Getting more students engaged, increasing collaboration and communication, increasing ownership of education; all these areas play a vital role once a student moves beyond school, college or university, and having a programme that supports the hard and soft skills development for our students is an incredibly positive thing for our school.

ASK THE TEAM

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There is always a steady stream of questions arriving at nasen House and, of course, the Education Team answers them as soon as possible. But, while many of them are specific to a particular context, the answers to a number of them could be helpful to the wider nasen membership. ‘Ask the team’ provides the space to share these questions and answers.

01827 311500

@nasen.org

@nasen_org

If you have a question, and think the answer would be useful to everyone, please submit it to education@nasen.org.uk Of course, you can always give nasen House a call too.

TEACHER TRAINING

I attended a training course about high quality teaching and learning for all students and was surprised to hear that differentiation is now no longer to be used. This was the key part of my training as a teacher and now, eight years in, I feel that my style of teaching is not applicable. The talk was all about adaptive teaching and how all pupils should be learning the same thing with different scaffolding and support to help them access the curriculum.

Does this fit with the SEND Code of Practice statement of ‘different from and additional to’?

Teacher, Hastings You are right to bring up the statement within the Code of Practice around the requirement that SEN provision be “different from or additional to that normally available to pupils or students of the same age”. However, times have moved on since 2014 when this was written, and the development of inclusion by design and provision at universal level is much more appropriate for young people, including those with SEN. The term ‘adaptive teaching’ has gained prominence, partly due to its inclusion in the Ofsted Inspection Framework and is, in effect, differentiation but at a more universal level. It is about considering those pupils in the margins at the start of lesson planning, and providing for them will ensure that you are providing for all. There are some resources available on the nasen and Whole School SEND websites that may help: Webinar on adaptive teaching: https://bit.ly/3IMwdYO Adaptive teaching: https://bit.ly/3W7U6Np Inclusive Classroom language: https://bit.ly/3ZBht4M Online modules: https://bit.ly/3QBNJAF

ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS

I have a young person in KS2 who has a diagnosis of autism and ADD and does not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Can I still apply for access arrangements for them?

SENCO, Derbyshire In KS2 there is no requirement for formal testing to be used for access arrangements and their teacher would be the one to make the application as they know that pupil’s normal way of working. There are several different access arrangements that you can

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consider; extra time is the most common, or reader, scribing, the use of a word processor, a prompt, etc. Rest breaks may be more beneficial for young people than extra time as these give an opportunity to take time out to relax and then restart. All must be considered from the earliest opportunity in view of their normal way of working in the classroom so that pupils are adept and prepared for using the arrangement that is most suited to their needs.

Further information is available here: https://bit.ly/3IHp2Rw

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REVIEWS

Reviews DYSLEXIA & ME yslexia & Me – How to Survive and Thrive if You’re Neurodivergent’ follows the author’s life from a young child struggling with literacy, who is later diagnosed with dyslexia, to becoming an award-winning entrepreneur. From the start, the author emphasises cultural diversity and the need for equity (recognising a learner’s specific circumstances) and equality (allowing everyone access to the same resources and opportunities). As a female from a Nigerian background, where neurodivergence and learning differences

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are not ‘openly discussed’, she would not have received any specialist support if it hadn’t been for her mother. She had experienced the same difficulties as her daughter and introduced rigorous learning regimes for her from the age of five.

These clearly paid off, as she repeatedly informs the reader of her many successes, including starting a tutoring business at the age of 12. To me, the most appreciative readers of this book will be those students with dyslexia in higher education who may well be experiencing similar heightened levels of anxiety. They will be able to take comfort from her practical tips and optimistic projections of the way forward.

Author: Onyinye Udokporo Publisher: Jessica Kingsley ISBN: 978-1-78775-944-2 Reviewed by: Julia Rowlandson, SEND consultant and trainer

100 IDEAS FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS – SENSORY PROCESSING DIFFERENCES

Author: Kim Griffin Publisher: Bloomsbury Education ISBN: 978-1-4729-8694-8 Reviewed by: Zoe Mather, education officer, nasen

There are a number of books in the series ‘100 ideas’ offering an accessible and bitesize access to identifiable solutions for situations in the classroom.

This ‘Sensory Processing Differences’ volume, whilst being labelled for primary, would be equally valuable for secondary and specialist setting colleagues, from early-career teachers to senior leadership team members. The introduction supports the reader to understand the foundations of sensory processing, the causes of issues and how each may present within the classroom. Each idea is backed up by strategies for teachers, with ideas for whole school changes and further reading as applicable to the section. The author, Kim Griffin, is a qualified occupational therapist with her own company and her website hosts further reading detailed

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within the book. She also provides access to other resources around key areas for schools, such as handwriting and fine motor skills. The references are helpful at bringing to life some of the issues and solutions. For example, a link to a National Autistic Society video shows how hyperacusis may be experienced by a young person in an eye-opening way that is difficult to achieve through reading text. There is also a section to help support parents, which is valuable in assisting the home-school trust and support network for the young person.

This book would be a useful addition to any school CPD library for staff to dip into and to understand how they can make a change to the environment that could make a huge difference to those who find sensory processing a challenge.

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EVENTS

Events

Diary Meeting the Needs of Every Child 28 Mar 2023 (18:00–20:00) Online live webinar This webinar is for early-years practitioners in PVI settings, childminders, new SENCOs and TAs working in EYFS. It looks at the responsibilities of a PVI setting, the role of the SENCO and the key person, early identification, inclusive practice and positive relationships.

Cost: Free To book: https://bit.ly/3wUk6BI

nasen webinars For the full programme and for details of the Webinar Pass, please visit https://bit.ly/3zImMSA

BETT Show 2023 29–30 March 2023 ExCeL, London Free, on-time registration for Bett ended 3 March, but there is still time to register to attend, with a cost of £25. To get your ticket, register here: https://bit.ly/3ExOh6D

Accessibility with Apple 19 Apr 2023 (16:00–16:45) Online webinar Education should be accessible to everyone, and technology can play a key role. Learn more about Apple accessibility features, such as built-in vision, mobility, hearing and cognitive elements in this webinar.

Cost: Free To book: https://bit.ly/3wTKbAJ

SEND Outdoors Conference 6 July 2023 Embercombe (Higher Ashton, Exeter, Devon, EX6 7QQ) Learn about supporting learners with SEND in an outdoor setting, and how they can be supported and empowered to achieve their full potential through outdoor learning.

Cost: £180 (early bird until end of March) £220 including lunch (vegan/ vegetarian) and refreshments To book: https://bit.ly/40q74JA

nasen Live 2023 ‘SEND and Beyond’ 7 July 2023 Vox Conference Centre, Birmingham Cost: Early Release ticket £79, standard ticket £99 To book: https://bit.ly/3tRXMHg

Whole School SEND Creating an emotionally safe environment – Primary 25 Apr 2023 (16:00–17:00) Online live webinar This webinar looks at how to create an emotionally safe environment for learners in a primary setting, offering networking opportunities and discussions about approaches that help promote emotional safety for learners.

Cost: Free To book: https://bit.ly/3DDiwIb

National SEND Conference 2023 21 June 2023 Central London Hear from the DfE about the latest requirements and expectations, explore the next steps in delivering high quality teaching interventions and assess how to successfully meet the standards of the SEND Code of Practice and the SEND Inspection Framework.

To register interest: https://bit.ly/3RUlbS7

British Dyslexia Association Dyscalculia Virtual Conference 2023 Thursday 18 May 2023 (09:00–17:00) Online This conference will discuss how to help develop number sense, explore the concept of number and outline screening tools that can identify key signs of maths difficulties.

Cost: non-members £75, members £65 To book: https://bit.ly/3SCAu3L

Whole School SEND Creating an emotionally safe environment – Secondary & Further Education 26 Apr 2023 (16:00–17:00) Online live webinar Explore methods that support your students’ emotional safety and wellbeing in a secondary or FE setting.

Cost: Free To book: https://bit.ly/3Y5bsw8

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LIVE 2023

SEND and Beyond

LEARN ABOUT BEST PRACTICE

and the latest sector developments to reinforce and enhance your current skills

BROWSE A RANGE OF EXHIBITOR STALLS from sector-leading SEND organisations and services

nasen Live is back! Early Release tickets are now available for this unmissable SEND CPD conference for all education professionals.

Join us for this one-day training event which promises to showcase a variety of high profile speakers from the SEND community.

Experience an outstanding range of seminars and workshops from some of the leading figures within education.

ENJOY EXCLUSIVE EXHIBITOR DISCOUNTS giveaways and offers, available only for our visitors

Find out more: nasen.org.uk/nasenlive-2023

RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY GOODY BAG full of SEND supplies and FREE lunch for all attendees

SAVE THE DATE! FRIDAY JULY 7TH 2023 #NASENLIVE2023

NETWORK

with other, like-minded SEND professionals

TICKET INFO

AN UNMISSABLE AGENDA

ickets are now available. Book today for just £!9!

Enjoy an incredible variety of seminars and panel sessions!

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