nasen CONNECT January 2023

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HELPIN H HE ELLP LPIN PIN ING EVER EV ERYONE ACHIEVE J A N U A RY 2 0 2 3 / I S S U E 3 7

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Pathological Demand Avoidance

The Link School outlines its approach to supporting children with PDA

Supporting Neurodivergent Students at University

The Deaffriendly teaching environment

A look at how you can make your learning environment deaf-friendly

EMAIL US: education@nasen.org.uk

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Welcome

By Annamarie Hassall MBE, Chief Executive, nasen

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elcome to the first edition of nasen Connect in 2023.

Shortly after the publication of the November edition of Connect, the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, wrote to nasen to outline revised plans for the publication of the SEND Improvement Plan, promising to do so this term. While the SEND Improvement Plan will herald change for the SEND system in England, it is likely the biggest change will be to determining accountability for ensuring children and young people have an education in their local community.

The most immediate and visible change for our schools, colleges and settings will be the likely standardisation of Education Health and Care plans. While having a digital ECH plan should be the longer-term improvement goal, the roadmap to a digitised system needs to start with a nationally adopted common format, with common language and clarity about expressing outcomes. At nasen we convened discussions about digitisation, initially for the SEND and AP consultation. As member and sector interest continues, our conversations do too. Contact welcome@nasen.org.uk if you have an interest in receiving an invitation to share your insights or get involved.

While having a digital ECH plan should We know that the nasen led DfE funded CPD programme, Universal SEND Services, has be the longer-term reached schools, colleges, and settings across England through Whole School SEND, improvement goal, Education and Training Foundation or the Autism Education Trust, bringing CPD on areas that matter to your practice. The workforce, whether SENCOs, school and college leadership, the roadmap to a teachers or those providing learning support, are at the heart of inclusion. As experienced digitised system practitioners, you have welcomed the opportunity to understand specific needs or conditions, utilising knowledge to develop strategies or classroom tweaks to improve needs to start with a inclusion from the outset. nationally adopted In planning for nasen Live 2023, we are responding to feedback from members across common format, with the sector through the theme of ‘SEND and beyond’, debating how to keep the child and young person at the centre, balancing knowledge of needs, specific conditions alongside a common language rounded, holistic view and looking beyond the label. Do check out the nasen website nasen. and clarity about org.uk for the latest information on nasenLive 2023, sector events, nasen Modular CPD, Whole School SEND and the Universal SEND Services funded programme. expressing outcomes.

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

While every care has been taken in the compilation of this publication, nasen cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or changes since compilation, or for consequential loss arising from such changes or inaccuracies, or for any other loss, direct or consequential, arising in connection with information in this publication. The views herein are not

© nasen. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted

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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 J A N U A RY 2 0 2 3 / I S S U E 3 7 REGULARS

6 / Assistive technology 13/ Sector update training

7/ Membership 8 / Have your say 10/ nasen Live

47/ Ask the team 48 / Reviews 50 / Events diary

FEATURES

18 / The deaf-friendly teaching environment

Emma Fraser looks at how you can make your learning environment deaf-friendly.

22 / Traumatic Brain Injury

Jo Mitchinson takes a closer look at the effects head injuries can have on children at school.

26 / Pathological Demand Avoidance

Sandy Turner, principal at The Link School, outlines the school’s approach to supporting children with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).

30 / Can a model

blinker your perspective?

Miriam Walker looks at how schools can widen their understanding of the difference of autism.

33 / Bett 2023: what can visitors expect?

Read about what visitors with an interest in SEND can expect from attending the show.

37 / The Sound of Silence Dr Martin Edmonds looks at the issues with sound in schools.

41 / A SMILE worth sharing A summary of the outcomes of the implementation of the SMILE approach.

44 / Supporting

neurodivergent students at university

Dave Sherwood, co-founder and CEO at BibliU, discusses the steps higher education institutions can take to better support neurodivergent students.

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To register g yyour interest in beingg part p of the training, g pplease visit: www.nasen.org.uk/assistive-technology

FEATURE

Assistive Technology Training

FREE to access for mainstream schools in England

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asen is proud to announce that mainstream schools in England can now register to take part in a new assistive technology training programme, funded by the Department for Education (DfE).

The programme, which is funded until August 2023, has space for 150 maintained mainstream schools in England, who will go on to receive free to access training to improve the way they use assistive technology (AT).

Delivered by partners at Microlink, the training will encourage staff to use technology which they already have available to them, to reduce or remove the barriers to learning for all children and young people, including those with SEND. Schools interested in participating should express their interest using the link below in order to be considered for the training offer and find out next steps in the application process.

The training builds on the success of the previous AT training pilot, which also saw nasen collaborate with Microlink, to run online training sessions to nominated AT Champions in around 80 schools in England. Then, as now, the partnership brought together expertise in AT and SEND, along with an understanding of the day-to-day operation of schools and how assistive technology supports an inclusive classroom for all learners – both with and without SEND. nasen CEO, Annamarie Hassall MBE, said: “Assistive technology has an increasingly important role to play in education for all children and young people, and we know that its effective use can be empowering, even life changing, for learners with SEND or learning differences. “nasen is thrilled to have been selected by the Department for

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Education to run this programme and delighted to be teaming up with Microlink once more to help ensure all learners are given the tools required to enable progress and achieve the best outcomes.”

Marius Frank, head of education and project lead at Microlink, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be working once again in partnership with nasen. The feedback we received from primary and secondary schools participating in the pilot programme earlier this year was fantastic.

The moment teachers release the power of assistive technologies in mainstream classes, so many children and young people get almost immediate benefits.”

To regis interest pleter your https://bit.l ase visit: y/3FnyA0M

SECTOR UPDATE

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Welcome to January’s Membership Focus o start January’s Membership Focus, we would like to warmly welcome you all back following the recent festivities. On behalf of the nasen team, we wish you all a Happy New Year, and we look forward to an exciting year ahead.

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NASEN LIVE 2023: SEND & BEYOND – EARLY RELEASE TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE If you haven’t yet purchased your ticket, there’s still time to join us at nasen LIVE, which proudly returns to the Vox Conference Centre, Birmingham, on July 7 2023 with the theme ‘SEND & Beyond.’

There is still time to take advantage of our

unmissable early release offer, with tickets at just £79.00; a saving of £20.00 on the standard ticket price. But be quick, this offer won’t be available for long!

Our one-day SEND CPD event promises to showcase a diverse range of seminars from some of the leading specialists within the sector. Join us for an unmissable SEND event where you can network with like-minded professionals and access a full SEND exhibition from award-winning suppliers.

NASEN MEMBERSHIP SURVEYS – COMING SOON! We will be inviting members to take part in our annual membership survey, so if you haven’t already received an email, do look out for one. As part of

the survey, there will be an opportunity to feed into a research paper that we are compiling, entitled ‘Status of SEND’.

The membership survey is a key opportunity for you to let us know how your nasen membership is working for you, and for you to have your say about what else you might want nasen to offer.

Tell us what you think to be in with a chance of winning some great prizes.

If you have any queries regarding your membership, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at membership@nasen.org.uk We look forwarding to supporting you throughout 2023 and beyond.

Kind Regards,

The Membership Team

Get your ticket today: www.nasen.org.uk/NASENLIVE-2023 www.nasen.org.uk

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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.

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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 g about, what y the place to share your reactions to, and thoughts you have read in previous editions of nasen Connect.

Good to talk

On the big screen

I have been undertaking the nasen Recognised Teacher of SEND course over the last eight months and recently attended the live session to talk about the professional artefact to be produced.

I felt very privileged to have the chance to engage with others, have some constructive feedback on my plans and hear what others are working on. Once this project is complete, is there a way to showcase the projects and other opportunities to come together and talk?

As an English teacher in a specialist setting, I was really pleased to read the piece on film and the Into Film charity in the September edition of nasen Connect. We have used their screenings in local cinemas as part of the enjoyment of engaging with media and as part of pupils’ social and life skills. For our young people, getting out in the community can be a huge challenge, so it was great to see that they are providing autism-friendly sessions. These allow our pupils and staff to relax and feel that others in the cinema are aware, should any issues arise, that the young person is generally overwhelmed, and their behaviour is as a result of this. We have booked a number of different films for this year’s festival and want to say thank you to the team at Into Film and keep up the good work!

SENCO, Bradford

Editor: Thank you for the feedback. It is great to hear that the live sessions are providing an opportunity to engage with others and create a community of practice.

We are working on the best way to showcase the projects and to support membership engagement over the next year. Keep checking the website for updates.

English Teacher, Woodford

feedback We hope Editor: Thanks for the feedback. our articles are part inspiration, part affirmation and wholly interesting. It is lovely to hear from those who have gone beyond reading the article to actually taking action; it is good that there are relaxed performances. However it would be great, as part of an inclusive society, if people understood the needs of others and were able to appreciate difference.

This is part of what we are working to achieve, i.e. a truly inclusive society.

A really good read Following the book review in the November issue I bought Parklands – ‘A School Built on Love’ to read over the Christmas break. I felt the review did not fully do it justice. I laughed, cried and highlighted my way through the book.

I now follow the author, Chris Dyson, on Twitter and am inspired by all that he is providing for his children and the local community. In these uncertain economic times, I am taking his lead and will be engaging more with local businesses

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and the community to see what we can do to make our school more of a hub for all.

Headteacher, Gravesend

Editor: We aim to review a diverse set of books for people to take inspiration from and you can always get involved. If you are interested in becoming a book reviewer for nasen Connect, then please get in touch via email at education@nasen.org.uk.

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NASEN LIVE

nasen

Live 2023

Friday 7 July 2023 – Vox Conference Centre, Birmingham Theme: SEND and Beyond asen Live is back and now, with just six months to go until our popular annual SEND conference, we wanted to give you a taste of what’s in store for 2023!

Once again, the event promises to be a must-visit for any SEND professional, and is designed to provide SENCOs, school leaders, teachers and other education professionals with a unique platform to celebrate outstanding practice and provision for children and young people with SEND.

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CO NFI RM ED E X H I B I T O R S

Visitors will have the chance to network and explore the latest developments in the SEND and education sector and will also be able to update their knowledge and learn from evidence-based practice.

There will also be an opportunity to access leading, award-winning exhibitors, as well as attend several seminars and keynotes delivered by key figures in the sector.

With delegate figures increasing year on year, and an outstanding feedback rate of over 90 per cent, this event is not to be missed. But don’t just take our word for it; here’s what some delegates had to say about nasen Live 2022!

Ace Centre – https://acecentre.org.uk/ ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity – www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/ Christie and Co – www.christie.com/ Dekko Comics – https://dekkocomics.com/ Earwig Academic – https://earwigacademic.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

T ICKE T S Our early release tickets are now officially on sale but be quick; early release tickets are just £79 (usual ticket price £99) and are limited to our first 100 purchasers so make sure to secure yours today.

Tickets also include light refreshments throughout the day and lunch.

“The conference was excellent – such a brilliant opportunity to hear from many speakers and spend time speaking properly to the exhibitors.

It was a very valuable day to help me clarify our next steps and to improve my understanding of some aspects of good practice – especially around managing cooperation with parents.”

“The exhibitors were excellent, all the big names in SEND were there to speak to which was really helpful.”

ICS Funding – www.ics-funding.co.uk/ IDL Software – https://idlsgroup.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/

“It was a great experience. Inspiring speakers who were thought provoking.

Would definitely like to attend next year.”

OrCam – www.orcam.com/en/home/ Rhino Sensory UK Ltd – www.rhinouk.com/ RNIB – www.rnib.org.uk/ SEN Books – www.senbooks.co.uk/ Special Olympics GB – www.specialolympicsgb.org.uk/ Speech and Language Link UK (ICAN) – www.icancharity.org.uk/ Speech Link Multimedia Ltd – https://speechandlanguage.info/ The Sleep Society – www.thesleepcharity.org.uk Widgit – https://widgitonline.com/en/home

For more information about the event, please visit www.nasen.org.uk/nasenlive nasen connect

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All the nasen staff/members were brilliant. Really welcoming and always keen to help. The venue was excellent, roomy, and easy to navigate.

Don’t want to wait for the next issue?

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

SECTOR UPDATE

Sector

A L L T H E L AT E S T NEWS FROM ACROSS SEND

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Early years hubs arly years stronger practice hubs will provide advice, share good practice and offer evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners.

The hubs are part of the early years education recovery support package which also includes the early years experts and mentors programme.

The early years stronger practice hubs programme is supported by the Education Endowment Foundation and the National Children’s Bureau.

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Early years stronger practice hubs will be funded for two years and will support other nurseries and childminders in their area to adopt evidence-based practice improvements, by: establishing local networks of early years educators to share knowledge and effective practice proactively sharing information and advice on evidence-based approaches – for example, through newsletters, blogs and social media

acting as a point of contact for bespoke advice, and signposting to other funded support working with the Education Endowment Foundation to select evidence-based programmes to fund and make available to nurseries and childminders The first round of applications for hubs closed on 23 September 2022. Hubs are made up of a lead group-based setting and up to four additional partners. Some hubs may add additional partners to their partnership.

Further details will be made available about how early years educators can access support from the hubs and more information about stronger practice hubs is available on the National Children’s Bureau’s website: https://bit.ly/3TWCBhZ

SEND REVIEW DELAYED The SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper, initially due by the end of 2022, has been delayed until 2023.

Following changes in leadership at the DfE, new education secretary, Gillian Keegan, wrote to the sector to promise a plan for improvements early in the new year. The paper will set out the Government’s response to the three-month consultation in 2022, along with new national standards for provision.

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SECTOR UPDATE

STUDENTS WITH VISION IMPAIRMENT LOCKED OUT OF POST-16 EDUCATION, CLAIMS NEW REPORT

EMBEDDING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME (EFA) Embedding Formative Assessment (EFA) is a professional development programme delivered by SSAT that aims to improve pupil outcomes by embedding the use of formative assessment strategies across a school. Schools receive detailed resource packs to run monthly workshops, known as Teacher Learning Communities (TLC), and teachers conduct structured peer observations focusing on the use of formative assessment techniques.

Each monthly TLC lasts 75 minutes with agendas and materials focusing on five key formative assessment strategies: ‘clarifying, sharing and understanding learning intentions’;‘engineering effective classroom discussions and activities’;

‘providing feedback that moves learning forward’;‘activating learners as instructional resources for one another’; and ‘activating learners as owners of their own learning’.

Within each of these high-level concepts, the TLC handouts introduce multiple formative assessment techniques for teachers to consider.

Embedding Formative Assessment has already been rigorously evaluated in a previous Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) trial which produced positive findings, so this project is focused on scaling up the programme to support more schools and pupils.

To find out more go to: https://bit.ly/3EwQGgi

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A new report by the Thomas Pocklington Trust (TPT) claims that the lack of access to support and resources for students with vision impairment is locking them out of further and higher education.

The ‘Give Me Access to College’ report details the inadequacies of the system of support for students with vision impairments as they leave secondary education. They have found that, although local authorities have a statutory responsibility to support students with SEND through to age 25, the support beyond age 16 either drops off or completely vanishes.

They are calling on the Government to: ensure that adequate ringfenced funding is available to deliver statutory services to blind and partially sighted students in all post-16 education settings embed the Curriculum Framework for children and young people with vision impairment into the proposed National Standards or updated Code of Practice so that parents and blind and partially sighted children and young people know what they should expect ensure as part of the SEND review that Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs) are not used to determine whether someone is eligible to access statutory sensory impairment support ensure that all blind and partially sighted young people leave compulsory education with the skills and knowledge they need to use mainstream and assistive technology.

To read the full report go to: https://bit.ly/3hXyCUZ

New resource supporting deaf learners in higher education The National Deaf Children’s Society has published an updated version of the publication supporting deaf young people in higher education, including university and apprenticeships.

The new version, entitled ‘Deaffriendly higher education’, is aimed at education professionals to help them support deaf young people at this stage of education.

To download this th h resource go to: https://bit.ly/3UTVDH0

‘EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES IN ENGLAND: FEBRUARY TO MAY 2022’, PUBLISHED BY THE OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS On 7 November 2022, the Office for National Statistics published their latest report about young people aged 11 to 16 years with special educational needs and disabilities. Parents, carers and school staff share their experiences with education and educational systems across England, including what they feel is going well and suggestions for improvements.

Findings included: young participants reflected on their unique learning preferences and support needs, highlighting the importance of consulting with individuals to understand and find appropriate ways to accommodate their needs, without them feeling labelled as different. participants felt that schools could be more responsive to young people’s needs through:

providing more training to help staff identify needs and understand how best to meet them; ensuring support plans were appropriate, up to date and adhered to; being flexible around course load, access to safe spaces and uniforms; and ensuring teaching methods considered a range of learning styles and preferences. good communication and relationships between staff and pupils and their families were said to have a positive impact on young people’s experiences at school; staff who displayed empathy, respect and care were described as encouraging young people to feel comfortable about asking for help, as well as being better able to understand their individual needs and adapt lessons appropriately.

To read the full report go to: https://bit.ly/3APZhtF

SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) has been working closely with

children and young people with SEND, the CDC has been gathering their

children and young people to ensure that their voices are included in the

opinions to create a children and young people’s response to the SEND

DfE’s consultation on the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper.

and Alternative Provision Green Paper, which has now been published.

The SEND Review will look at improving outcomes for children and young To read the response go to: https://bit.ly/3AwILyf

people with SEND. To ensure that the proposals will reflect the needs of

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SECTOR UPDATE

‘LET TEACHERS SHINE’ COMPETITION OPENS SHINE, an education charity helping disadvantaged children in the north of England, has launched its ‘Let Teachers SHINE’ competition.

The competition is open to any qualified, practising teacher working in the north of England or committed to their project being rolled out in the region. The competition offers up to £25,000 over two years to projects that meet their criteria and successfully demonstrate that their project will help disadvantaged children in the north of England succeed in maths, English or science. The competition closes on 16 January 2023.

On 16 November 2022, the EEF (Education Endowment Foundation) published a new guide to support school leaders to implement tutoring effectively in their setting.

Schools have gone above and beyond to implement tuition successfully against the backdrop of disruption to staffing, budget constraints, logistics planning and pupil attendance. The guide offers educators practical advice to support these efforts and ensure tutoring has a positive impact in their setting.

For more information go to: https://bit.ly/3VkVpZt

THE GUIDE FOCUSES ON THREE CENTRAL PRINCIPLES:

A new guide to support effective tutoring in your setting

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Selecting pupils and scheduling sessions effectively.

How to identify those pupils who will benefit the

most, as well as how frequent sessions should be and when they should take place.

Aligning tutoring with curriculum and assessment.

How to align tutoring with a pupil’s current curriculum, so that they can reinforce learning from tuition sessions in their classroom practice.

Creating a sustainable tutoring model. How to monitor and evaluate the impact of tutoring so schools can track progress and refine their approach over time.

The guide also includes insights from school leaders about how tutoring has been put in place in their settings.

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To access the guide go to: https://bit.ly/3VdFsVn

Wellbeing measurement for Early Years

A survey to measure wellbeing in Early Years settings has been developed by the Child Outcomes Research Consorttium (CORC) and d the Eviidennce Based Practice Unit (EBPU), both based at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.

Their ‘Wellbeing Measurement for Earlly Years Settings’ resource provides sets of questions to help early years settings better understand their sta aff and provide them with the support they need. It includ des tools that can be used to measure wellbeing robustly y and consistently.

View and download tth he reso ource here: https://bit.ly/3tRSUls

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2023

4 February

@nurserywrldshow • #NWShow

REGISTER FOR FREE NOW! Join us for the Nursery World Show 2023 – the one-stop shop for all your early years needs. With a brand new format, new speakers and new features, register now and find out more about what’s in store at the show.

Certified seminars over 2 days catering to the needs of the early ! An amazing 28 CPD Certified years sector, delivered by some of the very best early years practitioners and leaders ! Free to access exhibition and demonstrations by leading early years suppliers

throughout the 2-day event, allowing you to experience resources before you buy ! Interactive Playzone demonstrations from local nursery providers and suppliers ! Live Theatre – free to attend informative presentations at the heart of the exhibition ! Let’s Talk Best Practice Forum – a fantastic resource for all visitors providing an

opportunity for you to ask questions, share ideas, refl reflect, ect, consolidate and receive advice and guidance from sector leaders and policy advisors

Book your CPD sessions early to avoid disappointment! £20 + VAT per seminar Register now at: www.nurseryworldshow.com Thank you to our sponsors

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FEATURE

TEACHING & LEARNING

The deaf-friendly teaching environment Deafness, whether it’s permanent or temporary, mild or profound, can create a barrier to pupils accessing teaching and learning.

We examine how you can make your learning environment deaf-friendly. here are around 50,000 children identified as deaf in the UK, but as many as eight out of ten children will experience a temporary deafness or will lose their hearing at some point during childhood. A young child with mild deafness, such as glue ear, can miss up to 50 per cent of what their teacher is saying in a busy classroom.

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Th e Na tiona l D e a f Ch i l dre n’s Soc ie ty u s e s th e te r m ‘ d e a f ’ t o re f e r t o a l l ty p e s of he a r in g l o s s fro m mild to p rofo u n d .

Th i s inc lud e s d e a f n e s s i n o n e e a r or te m p o ra ry h ea r ing loss such a s g lue e a r.

Deaf children are just as capable as hearing children, but deaf secondary school pupils are more likely to achieve less at GCSE. The support you provide for deaf pupils through your everyday teaching can make a big difference to how they experience their education and their mental health.

Deaf young people have told us that teachers with good deaf awareness were able to support them to access all elements of the lesson and feel included in the school community.

In a recent survey we conducted, eight out of ten teachers agreed that a module on deaf awareness should be included in their Initial Teacher Training.

This is why we’ve produced a collection of deaf-friendly teaching and learning resources

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for anyone working in education who has a deaf child or young person in their setting (https://bit.ly/3U6PXbp).

Here’s a summary of how you can create a deaf-friendly teaching and learning environment.

HOW DO YOUR DEAF PUPILS PREFER TO COMMUNICATE? Each deaf child uses a range of strategies to help them understand and be understood.

Many use visual cues to support their understanding, including some natural gestures and signs, but others rely on their residual hearing and hearing technology, or a combination of both. Take the time to find out what works for them by asking them or talking to their family.

CAN THEY SEE YOUR FACE? Your voice is clearest when you’re facing a deaf pupil and, crucially, they’ll also be able to see your facial expressions and lip patterns. Don’t cover your mouth when you’re talking, turn away or stand in silhouette.

If you’re working with young children, get down level with them and make sure you attract their attention before you speak.

BIO E M M A F R A SER Emma Fraser is the teacher of the deaf with the National Deaf Children’s Society, the leading charity for the UK’s 50,000 deaf children. She has worked for over 20 years in education as a teacher, SENCO and specialist teacher for a local authority. Emma is involved in a wide variety of projects, including training and resources for mainstream teachers, specialist advice to schools, services and organisations and support and information for the families of deaf children. People seeking advice or support can call the freephone helpline on 0808 800 8880, or for more information visit www.ndcs.org.uk

Deaf children do best when you communicate clearly and concisely and aren’t afraid to be expressive in your voice or face.

HOW WELL DO YOU COMMUNICATE? Try to talk at a normal pace and normal volume and don’t forget to pause. If you’re going to change the subject, let the pupil know.

Think about the vocabulary you use and if it’s new or unfamiliar, check they’ve understood – and don’t forget to repeat others’ contributions.

CHECK YOUR ACOUSTICS Different learning spaces will have different listening environments. It’s a good idea to use drapes and soft furnishings to prevent echo.

If possible, divide up open plan spaces with dividers and think about potential noise sources, such as open windows or other classrooms.

Making sure other pupils are quiet before you deliver key information will also help.

GET TO KNOW THE PUPILʼS HEARING TECHNOLOGY Deaf children use a range of technology to help them hear speech, but personal hearing

devices such as hearing aids can never restore full hearing and work best at a close range.

Young children may not tell you if their technology has stopped working or is not properly placed.

Take the time to check in with the pupil about their hearing technology before your start to talk, and if the pupil also uses an additional listening device such as a radio aid, find out how they’d like to use it with you.

IS YOUR CURRICULUM CONTENT ACCESSIBLE? Deaf children can learn just like their classmates but sometimes they may need extra help with their language. Breaking information down into manageable chunks, showing as well as saying, writing down new vocabulary or key information, or reducing the complexity of your language, can all make a big difference.

DO YOU KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE DEAF? Deaf children tell us they are often exhausted by the end of the day, from trying so hard to make sense

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of everything that’s said around them. Think about how you organise your lesson or school day, build in regular breaks and allow the pupil to signal when they need some down time. Group work can be especially challenging, so encourage other pupils to be deafaware too, talking one at a time and signalling before they speak.

As with so many things, a little deaf awareness can go a long way.

The measures you take to understand and accommodate a deaf child’s hearing needs in the classroom can make a huge and lasting difference.

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FEATURE

TEACHING & LEARNING

Ethan’s story demonstrates how a little deaf awareness can make a life-changing difference to a deaf child’s experience of school. than used to come home drained from his new high school.

His behaviour became difficult for the whole family.

“He’d come in exhausted after concentrating so intensely all day long,” recalls his mum, Selina. “High school was more challenging than primary,” says Selina. “He’s a visual learner, so he’s more tired on days full of theory-based subjects.

“He had to learn to lip-read eight or nine teachers instead of one. In French he had three teachers with different accents – it was hard! His auditory processing memory isn’t great and when he had to look at the whiteboard, lip-read and write, he couldn’t do it.” A spell of bullying didn’t help.

“Ethan had always been confident in his deafness, but he said he didn’t want to be deaf anymore,” says Selina.

E

Other meetings brought new ways to support Ethan.

Some teachers started supplying Ethan with glossaries of new words and advance topic information so he could get visual information on YouTube. For spelling, Ethan works in the corridor with a buddy who gives him the word in a sentence for context.

He also has a red card for ‘mute the mic’ on his radio aid, a green one for ‘unmute mic’ and a ‘?’ card for asking a question.

Another thing that helped the family’s homework battles was homework club.

“It’s an hour after school,” says Selina.

“He does his homework the same day usually, his academic brain hasn’t switched off yet. Often he gets 1:1 support – and a cookie! Homework club has become part of his normal school day as he works towards his GCSEs.” “Homework club helps because if I’m tired and I’ve gone to the club I don’t have to think when I get home,” adds Ethan.

Ethan had always been confident in his deafness, but he said he didn’t want to be deaf anymore.

Homework club helps because if I’m tired and I’ve gone to the club I don’t have to think when I get home.

ETHAN

“It was heartbreaking.”

Ethan’s teacher of the deaf called a meeting with the school and they dealt with the bullying. Ethan got his confidence back and became the sociable, outgoing boy he’d formerly been. Selina asked the school to make reasonable adjustments to support Ethan.

They suggested Ethan spend lunchtime in the library, with other pupils who needed time out, and access to a teaching assistant.

“It provided a rest from playground noise and the pressure to have conversations, particularly after mornings with more theory-based lessons. On days with less mentally demanding subjects, he’d hang out with his mates instead,” says Selina.

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FEATURE

TEACHING & LEARNING

Traumatic Brain Injury – a hidden disability in our classrooms Jo Mitchinson takes a closer look at the effects head injuries can have on children at school.

ach year approximately 1 million people in the UK attend accident and emergency following a head injury.

The vast majority of these are minor, with concussive symptoms passing relatively quickly (data from Headway).

But what about those who sustain a more significant injury, which leaves them with long lasting or permanent changes to their brain?

Inevitably, many of the young people who suffer with an Acquired Brain Injury (Traumatic Brain Injury or Non-Traumatic Brain Injury) will, in time, be sat once again in our classrooms.

Their learning style, the speed of processing, their behaviour, concentration, or speech may have been altered in an instant.

So, what specific difficulties mig ght these young people e face and how can we support them in a school environment?

My interestt in the brain dates back to my degree.

I found myself drawn towards choosing modules that focused on psychology, both in sport and in education. The psychology of learning was one of the mo ost powerful and insightful modules I completed. Little did I know that my future career would see me e use these skills, initially with the Penn

E

BIO JO M I T C H I NS ON Jo qualified as a PE teacher from Loughborough University in 2001 and has been teaching for 21 years. She is currently the head of PSHCE at a secondary school in Hertfordshire and has a particular interest in the psychology of education.

Resilience Programme, where I trained to be a course facilitator, and later alongside Bounce Forward to develop their highly successful resilience lessons.

In June 2021, my daughter was involved in a cycling accident whilst racing a closed loop circuit.

Her Garmin (speed sensor) shows that she was travelling at 30 mph immediately prior to the point of impact with the ground. Although there were no eyewitnesses, she remembers racing and having no time to react to a rider falling in front of her.

She then remembers spinning on her back.

The fall, flight and landing are all missing.

However, with the help of the damaged helmet and the expertise of the neurosurgeons she’s managed to identify the key area of the brain which was damaged and they are confident in their assessment. My daughter landed on the back of her head; the damage to her helmet is all there. All her lasting difficulties though are to the frontal lobe; the area of her brain at the front. They therefore believe that her brain hit the back of her skull on impact before bouncing off it to hit the front of her skull.

This secondary contact has caused the damage.

I am not a clinical psychologist, nor a neurosurgeon. I am a teacher, with 21 years of experience and the personal experience of watching my own daughter sustain a TBI and return to school in Year 10 for her GCSE years.

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THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH Immediately after the accident she was taken to hospital with a fractured collarbone and suspected fractured elbow.

The rubbish she was talking was attributed to the morphine and it wasn’t until she moved that she became violently sick and dizzy; this was when she was admitted.

The following day she had seizures where her hands clawed and wouldn’t release, she was aggressive, terrified and confused. My mild daughter was using words I didn’t know she even knew and was screaming at doctors and myself that she was dying; begging us to help her.

Even when the convulsions eased, she was unable to settle and saying very strange things. This was the first indication of a Moderate Brain Injury (generally a loss of consciousness between 15 mins and six hours or post-traumatic amnesia of up to 24 hours). Post-traumati amnesia is a period where the patient is conscious, but unable to follow or partake in conversations. They may not be fully aware of their surroundings and might do or say bizarre things. Patients with a moderate brain injury are likely to experience long lasting symptoms.

TH E S E S YMP T O MS FA L L B R O A D LY I N T O T HR E E S E PA R AT E C AT E G O RIE S: Physical effects, such as tiredness, headaches and dizziness Cognitive difficulties which might affect their thinking, attention and concentration, memory planning and word finding Behavioural problems, such as irritability or anger

THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE On her return to school in September, 12 weeks after the accident, it became apparent that things still weren’t right and we sought additional support. She was mentally exhausted and would lose the ability to speak, form sentences or would constantly repeat words when tired. She was unable to make basic decisions (food, what to wear etc) and was infuriated by very insignificant background noise. Pen tapping, page turning, heaters in classrooms etc would leave her angry and tearful. All of these are indicative of cognitive difficulties.

Our local hospital referred her to the neurosurgery team at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and a full neuropsychology assessment followed. This showed that in unaffected areas such as motor coordination and visual perception she was in the 90th percentile of age-related norm; this dropped to 20th and 30th percentile for core language and reading comprehension and 50th percentile for all her verbal assessments. In essence, she has lost a decent chunk of her functioning – certainly enough for her and us to notice.

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SPEECH FRUSTRATIONS It was the speech difficulties that had the biggest impact. In the early days and months, it was so affected that she taught herself BSL (British Sign Language) in order to be able to ‘sing’ along to songs.

Her brain couldn’t form the words fast enough to sing them. The speed at which she learnt this though reminded us that her capacity to learn was unimpaired – she just needed to find new ways to compensate for her difficulties. Having chosen GCSE Spanish, the requirement to converse in a different language when sometimes your own now eludes you was daunting for her.

Answering questions in class required more bravery than previously, as occasionally the words would “get stuck” and she risked the perceived judgement of her peers.

Other academic challenges were tasks such as watching a video or listening to a passage and taking notes (two things at once), background noise (she struggled in mock exams due to the fields being mowed during an exam and other students turning their pages) and prep/homework.

MOTORWAYS VS COUNTRY LANES We were put in touch with The Child Brain Injury Trust (CBIT), an incredible charity that I would highly recommend to parents and students in the same situation, or teachers looking for greater understanding.

I watched a lot of their videos and sent links to family members to give them a better understanding of how her brain was affected. We were assigned a support worker, who explained to our daughter that our brains are like road networks – the motorways are fastest and the country lanes the slowest way to arrive at a destination.

Some of her motorways are blocked and so she’s having to rely on slow country lanes for things that used to be quick trips.

This takes more time and more effort than previously and is why she finds things so mentally draining. She now has to concentrate much harder to do things that would have happened subconsciously.

She reaches saturation point and needs to rest her brain in the same way that someone with a physical injury needs to rest that limb after they’ve used it to allow it to recover.

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FEATURE FEATUR UREE

TEACHING & LEARNING

STRATEGIES OF SUPPORT

HOW IT HELPS

How does this support become integrated int n egrated in into nto a busy, bus u y, noisy classroom m and school environment? I think the most important imp por orta tant nt factor fac acto or is to ensure that information is disseminated to staff, whether whhether that at is is whole whol wh ole e staff st CPD, or part of new staff induction, even a detailed email ema m ill wit with th an optional opt p ional drop-in follow-up session. My daughter’s school has ann incredible inc ncre redi dibl ble e SEN SE department depa p rtment who, on receipt of the full neuropsychology assessment, asse ess ssme ment, used used the the GOSH GOSH H recommendations on her student profile (key information info orm rmat atio on onn strategies strrat ateg egie iess to t support all those on the SEND register). Alongside d discussions dis i cusssions ns withh my daughter to establish her learning strengths and strug struggles ggl g es as as well w lll as we as teacher teac te ache herr input there is now an ever evolving, but gold dust list of strategies strat a eg gie iess that that help hel elp p her. h r. he

As a teacher I’m incredibly aware that thhat a many many of o tthese hese he se strategies strate egies inv involve n olve even more m more preparation pre eparation time and d that tha our ouur days are already alrready full. She usually usually l y looks loo ooks ks like likke she’s shhe’ es coping per perfectly e fect c ly well and it mayy seem see eem m un unne unnecessary nece cesssar aryy to modify m dify lessons. The key thing we’ve learnt mo lear le arnt nt over ove ver the last la t

THESE INCLUDE GEMS SUCH AS: Avoid a ‘boom and bust’ approach – regular short breaks can reduce fatigue and it’s easier to do this than to manage fatigue once it’s occurred. My daughter needs staff to be proactive on this; she doesn’t realise that she’s overdoing it until she’s overdone it!

Give her extra time to produce verbal answers or write it down if the teacher wants to check her understanding.

Hands up questioning – avoid putting her on the spot.

Working with another student, so that her views can still be shared but via her partner if needed.

Acknowledge the effort, not the outcome. This is essential – especially on bad days. She has previously proudly handed in work that bears no resemblance to the set task at all. She has completely forgotten what she was doing or zoned out during a lesson and missed a huge chunk of it without even realising it happened.

Completing homework after missing essential content is almost impossible and, on a fatigued brain, even more so.

But she’ll still try because she doesn’t want to be the odd one out, and it will have taken her far more time and effort than her peers.

A safe space that can be accessed if she needs a break or is overwhelmed. This is the school’s student support centre, which is always staffed and where she can sit, complete the lesson work in a quieter space, read, listen to music (which has helped from day one) or offload to a member of staff if she needs to. It is effectively a ‘factory reset’ for her and enables her to resume lessons with minimal disruption to her studies.

Use memory aids to support learning. My daughter hates forgetting things; she finds it embarrassing and stressful.

So chunking information, bullet point lists of tasks, printing handouts so that if she zones out she can still follow the lesson, uploading lesson resources to the school system or emailing them to her help hugely.

Talk to her. It’s her reality and we can all learn best by speaking to our students. She once described background chat in a classroom as being akin to every mobile phone, radio and TV we own playing different music on full volume in the same room, whilst every household appliance is also on. You don’t understand why no one else is even remotely bothered by it because it hurts your head and makes you feel sick.

Th The he ke key ey thing we’v we’ve ve llearnt earnt over over the the last 18 18 months mo onths is is that that a TTBI BI is truly tru uly a hidden disability. disability.

We We explain exp plain to others otthers that that sshe he iiss veryy much mucch currently curre ently a sswan. wan.

For For herr to to appear app pear ‘normal’ ‘normal’ in lessons, lesssons, she e is is actually actually frantically fra antically paddling. paddling.

18 months mon o thhs is that tha hatt a TBI TB BI is truly tru r lyy a hidden hidde den disability.

We e explain exp xpla lain in to o others othe ot h rs that tha hat she s e is very sh ver e y much currently a swan swan. an.. For Fo he herr to appear appea ear ‘normal’ in lessons, le essons, she she is actually act ctua uallly frantically fran fr antitica ally paddling.

Some Some e days day ayss her he head h ad he d is is barely above the water and and others othe ot hers rs are are a b bititt easier. Teaching, for all the stress, stre st ress ss,, is ann absolute ab privilege, enabling students to see see beyond beyo be y nd d whatever difficulties they are currently experiencing expe ex periiencing and facilitating their journey towards a future futu fu ture that they choose. Every single time that staff make my daughter’s day that bit easier by taking her TBI into account during a lesson, the ripple effect is triggered.

She feels safe, supported and understood.

She feels more confident, more inclined to speak in front of others and more positive about her future prospects. She returns home feeling calmer and happier, which makes her evening more restful.

This, in turn, enables her to begin the next d day ay with witithh increased resilience and a refreshed capac capacity acitityy to llearn. earn ea rn.

Check out the e we webinar, webi bina nar, r, ‘An ‘An Intro Introduction oduction to Acquired Br Brain rai ain n Injury’, Inju In jury ry’,’ by

by The National Acquired Brain Bra rain in Injury Inj njur u y in Learning and an d Education Education Syndicate (N-ABLES) here https://bit.ly/3Af7eYM

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FEATURE

LEADERSHIP

Pathological Demand Avoidance: The Link School’s experience

Sandy Turner, principal at The Link School, outlines the school’s approach to supporting children with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).

DA is an atypical autistic spectrum condition where children have an anxiety-driven need to avoid everyday life demands and to always remain in control.

Of course, we face demands every day in the spaces that we inhabit, be it school, work, leisure or home. In a classroom setting there are direct demands such as, “Come in and sit down,” subtle demands, “It’s time for lunch,” and silent demands such as seeing paper and pens out on a table ready for a lesson.

For a child with PDA, this can be overwhelming.

Teachers understandably expect children to cooperate with school rules to promote an ordered and calm learning environment.

P

For children and young people with PDA, pushing to comply to these demands can result in panic which may lead to lashing out or meltdowns.

It’s important to note that the anxiety stops children from doing things they like, as well as things they don’t like, which causes frustration and leads to low self-esteem.

However, people with PDA also seem to have better social understanding and communication skills than others on the spectrum, which can be used to their advantage. Children quickly become masters at distracting staff or making all kinds of elaborate excuses as to why they cannot do the expected work.

PD A: WHAT D OE S IT LO O K LIKE ?

Resists ordinary demands Social strategies to avoid demands Impulsive Extreme mood swings Obsessive – people or things Need to be in control Comfortable in role play and pretend Hold on to negative feelings Appear sociable – but lack social understanding

BIO S AN D Y T URNE R Sandy Turner is the principal at The Link School, which is part of Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust and home to 14 special schools and eight College Centres across London and the South East. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3X4t4aS https://www.ohcat.org/

We have identified the best way to support local children with PDA and their families.

THE LINK SCHOOL SATELLITE SITE: FLAGSHIP PROVISION

The Link School supports students aged between four and 19 with speech, language and communication needs.

The Link School supports students aged between four and 19 with speech, language and communication needs. We have welcomed the introduction of our satellite site, co-located at Wallington Primary Academy in Sutton, part of the Cirrus Primary Academy Trust, the first of its kind in the country.

Through building collaborations and undertaking extensive practitioner research,

we have identified the best way to support local children with PDA and their families.

Prior to opening, our team developed connections with key people and organisations.

For instance, we are part of Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust (OHC&AT), home to 14 special schools and eight College Centres across London and the south east.

This has provided an enormous level of skills and expertise and has helped kickstart the initial conversation around lack of provision – as have our close ties with Sutton local authority.

Our bespoke curriculum is provided within a nurture-based environment for 25 children from Year 2 to Year 11. An additional six children are enrolled in our outreach service, which is an assessment period that builds relationships with parents and children in their own homes before they join.

A day in the school life of a student with PDA is not akin to the traditional school day as most people know it. School uniform is not compulsory; students wear clothing of their own choice. Lunchtime is not scheduled and

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there is no bell; when children are hungry, they eat. Nor are students required to sit at desks, and timetables and routines are set by the children themselves. Alternatively, we deliver a flexible, three-curriculum pathway; informal, semi-formal and formal, to allow activities to centre around the child’s interests, and to build on key learning steps as their anxieties decrease and they begin to trust adults enough to accept direction from others.

Already, our team has seen an enormous impact, not only on children, but also on families. It is transformational. Families often face immense challenges because of the lack of understanding among the professionals they turn to for help.

Many parents also feel anxious about approaching a PDA diagnosis with their child, concerned that it may exacerbate anxieties and poor mental health.

Although initially there may be challenges, in the long term, early intervention, an open and honest approach, and developing a thorough understanding of the condition pays dividends.

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FEATURE

LEADERSHIP

WORKING WITH CHILDREN WITH PDA

PD A: NE X T ST E PS

For those working with children with PDA, tailored learning strategies can help.

First and foremost, in a school environment, make building a relationship with the child a priority above task completion.

Learn about the child’s interests so you can communicate about them and with them.

While reward systems are usually ineffective, spontaneous rewards can be successful – for instance, “thank you for eating your dinner, now we have time to play a game.”

Likkewise, ensure demand ds are indirect, such as “do you want to put your shhoes on at the bench or in the cla assroom?”

Equally, deliver pra aise indirectly; let children hear you talking about them in a positive way or enable them to shine by preparing g shared activities that you know theyy can do well.

Secondly, the learnning environment plays an importantt role. Creating individual learning areas or safe spaces reduces annxieties related to environmental de emands.

Also, remember to get learning equipment out onlyy as needed, not before the activvity tyy begins, and keep any timetables or schedules for staff, not pupils.

Initially setting up activities based around children’s motivations and interests lowerrs anxieties

and enables that very important access to an educational setting.

Finally, knowing and understanding emotional wellbeing is the third key area in which adults can provide support.

Remember with PDA, it is anxiety that drives the behaviour.

By consid dering thhe anxiety tyy rathher than the behaviour, it’s more likely that solutions are found.

A positive attitude and use of positive behaviour management strategiess is highly beneficial.

Childre en with PDA can be hyper-sennsitive to tone of voice and facial cluues which can cause anxiety ty, y, so be mindful of facial expressions.

Also, dep personalise rules – for instance, state “it’s a health and safety tyy law w” or “the headteacher says,” rather than saying “because e I asked you to.”

Anothe er good piece of advice iss to pick your battles!

It can be helpful to ignore a lot of behhaviour which is not destructivve or dangerous to others and turn to humour as an effective means to o defuse situations.

Our journey in creating the satellite site has revealed the impact that the current lack of suitable PDA provision is having on children and their families.

It has highlighted a significant gap in understanding among the key professionals who are often the first point of contact for families. Importantly, it has demonstrated that providing the right learning, in the right environment, can totally transform outcomes for children and young people with PDA. We hope to support others to understand the condition through sharing our experience. There is an increasing number of children presenting with a PDA profile requiring suitable placements, and many more who have been misdiagnosed and remain in unsuitable education or even out of the system completely.

We want to encourage greater dialogue amongst stakeholders, earlier recognition of the profile, and blueprints for suitable learning environments; collectively we have a role to play in helping tackle the nation-wide barriers and future-proof the education of these extraordinary children.

Reimagining Inclusive Learning, Therapy and Play Meet Cosmo, an interactive platform, with an award-winning iPad app of over 30 evidence-based games, activities and sensory Bluetooth accessibility switches Research* shows there are many barriers to inclusive play among children of various abilities. There is now clear proof that technology can support social interaction and equal access to learning opportunities.

Used to support multiple conditions

Designed around the principles of Learning through Play, Cosmo supports people with cognitive and physical disabilities and their peers by enabling equal access to the curriculum and therapy in a fun and interactive way.

Used in more than 1500 schools and therapy centres worldwide

Proven to boost communication skills Foster inclusive play

Plug and play out of the box

Join a free demo with Ewa shorturl.at/DMQV7

ewa@filisia.com

*Together Through Play: Facilitating Meaningful Play for Disabled & Non-Disabled Children through Participatory Design. (2012) Holt, R, Moore, A-M and Beckett, A

www.explorecosmo.com

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FEATURE

LEADERSHIP

Can a model limit your perspective?

Miriam Walker looks at how schools can widen their understanding of the difference of autism. n animal is approaching.

It’s a dog; its tail is wagging, it looks safe, I recognise it. It’s okay.

As human beings we quickly assimilate methods of categorising events and objects to help us make sense of our world. A mental array of models and branching diagrams are used at great speed, and often with little conscious thought to guide the decisions we are constantly making. Formed from early experiences, these become strengthened over time as choices, both sub-conscious and conscious. Taken to extremes, these models provide our species with a positive filter, resulting in survival of the fittest. However, although they might at times be vital in keeping us safe, without challenge and careful consideration they can have the drawback of becoming limiting and divisive. They are the basis of stereotype, and we therefore need to be mindful.

Over the decades, and particularly since the industrial revolution, a subdivision grew between individuals who were considered either disabled or able-bodied.

Medical professionals created labels for sets of characteristics where certain groups of people were recognised as similarly but clinically different from the norm.

These labels were recognised as valuable in assisting recognition of types of need and in providing a faster array of treatment

A

BIO M I RI AM WAL K E R Miriam Walker is a senior lecturer at Winchester University specialising in the area of additional needs.

Her doctorate focused on perspectives, understanding and relationships between teachers and pupils with autism. She provides support for schools who want to deepen their understanding of the difference of autism.

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options for some conditions. They were therefore useful in certain circumstances, but the differences highlighted since 1952 through the medicalisation of disability in the various editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals were listed as deficits.

Recognised educationally significant labels such as autism, dyslexia and ADHD fall within this realm and, although as educators we do not provide the labels, we are expected to respond to them.

The 1980s brought about significant change in how disability was viewed, with the introduction of the social model of disability. The medical model had previously considered that disability was the dilemma of the individual who needed treatment that would be provided by professionals. The social model proposed that disability could be limiting to the individual because of the conventions and structures of society that had been created by the norm, for the norm.

Mindsets were challenged, buildings were altered and, in schools, changes were made to overcome ‘barriers to learning’ (SEN[D] Code of Practice: DfES, 2001; DfE and DoH, 2015). Many teachers embraced this shift, and the more proactive route they could take through making changes to their lesson delivery and adapting the classroom environment for pupils with particular diagnoses. They welcomed the social model and, in turn, began to shun the limitations of the medical model.

But, as with all models, mindfulness is essential to avoid slipping towards unhelpful aspects of practice. The danger with focusing

The danger with focusing solely on the social model is that educators could believe that with the right resources in the correct environment, a child’s disability can be overcome. solely on the social model is that educators could believe that, with the right resources in the correct environment, a child’s disability can be overcome. Whilst adaptations are going to be beneficial in optimising learning, the child will inevitably still have the previously defined medical characteristics of their ADHD, autism, dyslexia, etc. that resulted in the diagnosis in the first place. Although at times it is necessary to remain cognisant of information regarding aspects of difference that are provided through both the medical and the social models of disability, in order to maximise the strength of our human diversity we must turn to holistic profiles that celebrate difference and uniqueness.

This will shift the focus from the deficits of specific characteristics that separate ‘us’ from ‘them’ to finding opportunities to maximise individual potential and strengthen our human variation. The recent publication ‘Opportunity

for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child’ (HM Government 2022) warns that ‘by looking through the lens of a pupil’s characteristics we sometimes miss the needs of children who do not acquire the label of having a special educational need or disability or being disadvantaged. We need to pivot to a system where all children receive the right support, in the right place, and at the right time based on their need … without requiring a label’ (p.36-37).

Therefore, knowledge of areas of need that could be encountered within our education system will still be necessary, as will awareness of strategies and resources that will minimise the potential gap.

These can be acquired and assimilated with the interactive model of disability which incorporates information from both the medical and social models of disability.

But now, instead of focusing on the label of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, etc. we will see children first and foremost in our classrooms with a rich diversity of backgrounds, experiences and abilities. These will be what we focus on, and not their labels. In doing so, we can better avoid potentially limiting expectations, and instead welcome the challenge and energy of a can-do approach to a curriculum in a classroom rich with varied opportunity.

FEATURE ➜

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ADVERTORIAL

Bett 2023:

What can visitors interested in SEND expect?

Since its inception over 35 years ago, Bett has brought people, practices, ideas and technologies together across all areas of education. As partners, nasen joins Bett’s SEND exhibitors and speakers at Bett 2023 at the ExCeL exhibition hall, London, from 29-31 March 2023 to help SENCOs, school leaders and teachers understand how to achieve the best possible outcomes for students with SEND.

t the event, visitors will have access to free content sessions from experts, government agencies, advisors and teachers, all based on harnessing technology to deliver an inclusive and representative curriculum. In anticipation of the event, we take a quick look at some of the CPD that visitors accessed in 2022, along with the technology being showcased at the event.

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FEATURE

ADVERTORIAL

SEMINAR CONTENT While the seminar sessions for 2023 aren’t yet confirmed you can gain an idea of the types of content that will be available by looking at those from 2022.

For example, in the Bett Academy Live Theatre in the North Hall, Greenwood Academies Trust presented a session on ‘Empowering all students with solutions that are inclusive by design’. The team shared its experiences of using Microsoft education’s built-in accessibility and inclusion features to support all learners.

In another seminar session, Dr Louise Karwowski, director of education at Cognassist, spoke about harnessing the power of cognition to ensure no learner is left behind. Visitors to her presentation, ‘Neurodiversity in Education’, were asked to imagine harnessing cognitive technology and insights to understand each individual learner. Right from the start, Dr Karwowski introduced delegates to the concept of neurodiversity and its importance in education.

West Suffolk College also joined the session, sharing its story of employing cognition to enhance its learners’ experience.

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On the same day, Bob Usher from LGfL, The National Grid for Learning, highlighted the range of inclusive support services available to all schools, along with CPD for teachers and support staff.

Usher shared innovative approaches to integrating immersive technologies into everyday teaching and learning to support the adoption of Universal Design for Learning.

On the second day of Bett, Vicki Redhead, principal, and Kayley Roberts, deputy principal, at Bishop Creighton Academy were joined by Annie MacIver, head of capability, digital strategy for education at the Department for Education (DfE), and nasen’s Michael Surr, to talk about the DfE’s pilot scheme to improve capabilities in assistive technology.

On the same day, Michael Surr also offered advice in ‘Understanding and embedding assistive technology in classroom practice’.

The session considered assistive technologies that are readily available as standard in most commonly used software resources.

On the final day of Bett, the Friday, we recommend visitors plan on visiting the Tech in Action theatre in the South Hall. In 2022 a large team of e-safety experts including Alison Watts, prevent and e-safety education officer at Buckinghamshire Council, and Thomas Boardman, prevent and e-safety education officer from Stony Dean Special School, demonstrated Bao, a free online learning game for students with SEND, which includes lesson plans, guidance and case studies addressing e-safety challenges across Europe. The session, ‘Interactive E-Safety game for SEND children and young people’, was designed to help staff and parents to increase their confidence in having ongoing conversations with children to help them to take responsibility for their online safety.

Also on Friday, Alex Grady, head of Whole School SEND at nasen, looked at the association’s experience of professional development gathered over the past two years and considered what was most effective at improving SEND provision across a school. In her session, entitled ‘Using technology to support professional development groups in SEND and inclusion’, she discussed the impact of WSS online professional development groups, WSS webinars and WSS support for local authorities. Her presentation led to discussion of a blended model of CPD and nasen’s SEND CPD Pathways for schools; all fully funded and free to access.

Another presenter was inclusion expert Carol Allen, who was in conversation with comic actress and writer Sally Phillips in a ‘Fireside chat’. These fun, lively sessions provide visitors with inspirational thoughts and ideas on SEND and Inclusion in education.

SEN AREA Bett is also curating a range of companies across key areas of school operations and pedagogy to provide its visitors with access to new products and services.

This year, visitors can book meetings with suppliers through Connect@Bett, providing opportunities for conversations on specific challenges and potential solutions.

For example, visitors that want to support their students with SEND who find time management a challenge may want to visit the Boost Education team on stand SH65.

Boost, available on iOS, Android and web apps, has been developed specifically for students with time management, organisation and mental health challenges.

If your area of focus is maths, you may want to visit the JellyJames team on stand SL14, whose Dynamo Maths resource has

been designed specifically to support students with developmental dyscalculia and those who need additional support to catch up.

Another resource that is providing support for many areas of development is Construct 3 by Scirra: stand SH80. In addition to the valuable skills that coding and game development provides, it can also teach children of all ages and abilities how to problem-solve, be creative and collaborate. Game development can also often be suited to pupils with autism and related conditions, as well as those with complex needs, and social, emotional, mental health challenges; a tendency to have enhanced visual and spatial skills helps identify errors in cascading lines of codes. Scirra’s Construct 3 is a webbased game building tool that gives anyone the ability to create games and is ideal for teaching the concepts of both block-based and text-based computer programming using a scaffolded approach.

It is web-based and the entry level is free of charge.

And finally, if you are looking for solutions to help to transform children’s literacy, consider a visit to stand ED-D66 where Mighty Writer, winner of the Education Resources Awards, Teach Primary Awards and Teach Early Years awards, will be demonstrating how its resource teaches the whole process of learning to write, from speaking in simple sentences through to planning and editing increasingly complex and sophisticated stories.

Its core age range is for four to seven years, however it can be used with children from those who are learning to speak, up to the very able.

It teaches fiction and non-fiction writing and helps children to become independent and competent writers.

Bett is open to visitors from 10:00am until 6:00pm on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 March, and closes at 5:00pm on Friday 31 March.

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We recommend that you register in advance to ensure a quick, easy entry to the show floor: https://bit.ly/3UVHOb3

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SPOTLIGHT

BIO D R M ART IN E D M O ND S

The Sound of

Dr Martin Edmonds is a philosopher and Research Fellow. He has been working as a secondary school SEND teacher for more than two decades.

Martin Edwards looks at the issues with sound in schools. chool can be a noisy place. Large numbers of children moving between rooms, bells ringing to signify lesson changes, raised voices and sports being played all create noise. Activities including woodwork, music and drama can generate large volumes of sound.

Modern school buildings are often constructed of lightweight materials which do not always provide sufficient acoustic insulation. Open plan classrooms make intrusive noise from other areas difficult to avoid.

A quick glance at recently built schools often reveals large expanses of glass.

This may be visually attractive, but glass is

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also an excellent reflector of sound waves.

Individual classrooms can be very noisy too; 30 teenagers working in one room can generate a remarkably high level of noise even when working on writing tasks, and the acoustic levels in a music room, canteen or metalwork workshop can be higher still.

There are two main problems with sound in school: confusion and distraction caused by intrusive noise from outside the classroom, and poor sound quality within the room.

The Department for Education (DfE) makes it clear that schools should have go good sound quality, ‘enabling people to hear clearly, understand and concentrate on whatever activity they are involved in’, whilst also mi minimising ‘disturbance from unw unwanted noise (such as from

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activities in adjacent areas, teaching equipment, ventilation fans or road traffic)’.

(DfE Standards for School Premises 2015).

Yet, even if our school buildings fully accord to these standards, the noise levels may still be unhelpful for many of our students; particularly those with specific special education needs or disabilities.

Many students find these sound issues distracting and highly problematic.

However, for students with a hearing impairment, autism, SEMH or SLCN, they can severely impact their ability to fully access and engage in the learning. For a child with a hearing impairment, a school’s acoustic environment can have a significant impact on their ability to access information and achieve their academic potential, and the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) website provides resources on how to improve listening conditions in schools.

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SPOTLIGHT

In a companionably silent classroom, everyone may be working quietly, but there is no fear of breaking that silence if needed.

TWO TYPES OF SILENCE IN SCHOOLS In a series of interviews with secondary school staff I have beenn exploring silence in schools. There has beenn a growing trend of imposing silences in schools, with students required to move betw tween w lessons in enforced silence and a focus on minimising distraction and trying to compel student attention solely upon the teacher. Yet this is not the onlyy type tyy of silence which can occur in our schoo ols.

The other form of silence can be more comfortable, mutually agreed, and sup pportive.

Researchers have found several different ways to describe these tw two w distinct types tyy of silence. Whilst they can be characterised as positive and negative, (Lees 2012) or strong and d weakk, (Kallamaras 1994), I prrefer to describe such silences as either

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companionable or coeercive. A coercive silence is characterised d by a need to control, for individuals to be silenced.

Although such silence may be adhered to, it often generates passsivity ty, y disengagement and resentment. Contrasted with this is the companiona able silence, which is mutually agreed and d feels safe, secure and nurturing.

Coercive silences are often experienced as “being silenced”. Such siilences are imposed, disciplinary and upheld by teacher talk.

Yet such silence from stud dents does not mean that they are listening and d fully engaged (just as such silences during whole-school CPD do not mean that we aree all listening and fully engaged). Our tradittional classroom

management approaches to enssure engagement can also be counteerproductive here; many readers will be familliar with students who are filled with silent anxiety tyy during teacher talk, worried that they will be asked to give an answer on demand and fearful that they will someho ow fail. Such experiences for our students are frequently counterproductive as they nurture resentment and disinteerest. They are also exhausting.

One tea acher I interviewed described noticing a student with SEND staring out of the window w. Rather than challenging him fro om the front off the class, she instead walked ovver to him, follo owed his gaze for a few momentts, and then enquired in a quiet conversational tone what he was looking at. The boy replieed thatt he was wattchhing the bird ds on the schhooll field and, without breaking his gaze from the large flock of geese, asked the teacher what they were doing. She explained to me that what followed was a quiet conversation, with which other students gradually joined, as she and the boy discussed how the geese were preparing to migrate for the winter, and she answered their questions

aro ound d thiss. Thee teeacher explained to me that, while the discussion was not directly relevant to her lesson, the few minutes spent talking about the geese created a moment of genuine engagement and educational curiosity betwe ween her and the class. Thosse few moments of sha ared sillencee as teacherr and student companionably observed and considered the geeese had been an im mportant moment of bo oth learning g and developing a stronger relationship betw tween w thhe teacher and her students.

Creating silences in class cann be achievved effectively if introduced as part of a game.

I ob bserved d one teachher wiith a very boiistterous class who was able to gain near total silence on request before her class could go to break. The lesson always finished with a game of ‘Pin Drop’. When the teacher held up a pin, the students suddenly became incredibly quiet, and at a given moment, she would release the pin. At this point the students at the back of the room said ‘No!’ in a loud and definitive voice, and the activity was repeated. Sat at thee back of the room I was surprised that on thhe third attempt I could indeed hear the pin fall onto the carpeted floor in a room full of teenagers.

Surely as near to silence as can ever be expected in a secondaryy school; and all entirely voluntary and pla ayful in spirit.

In a companionably silent classroo om, everyone may be working quietlly, but there iss no fear of breaking that silence if needed.

Suchh rulles need d to be exp plicitlly taughht and d demonstrated d; whhille thhe taskk mayy be completed in silence, it is important that the silence can be broken if a stude ent has a question or is seeking clarification.

Such breaks to the silence need to be welcomed as they dem monstrate to everyone that this is indeed a companionable and contem mplative silence and not a disciplinarry and coercive one. One lead ds to comfortable engagement while the other can generate resentful passsivity ty. y We often enforce silences in our lessons as a method of classroom managem ment – the ere are certainly times where thiss is nece essary, even essential. However, once adeq quate behaviour has been estab blished, it is important to ensure that enforced d siilences do nott lead d to passiiviity, excessiive teacher talk, and disengagement.

It may be time to try introducing a few moments of companionable silence into your lessons. This could be a brief, timed, period where students plan their answer to a question in silence before any problems can be raised or clarifications requested. It might be an opportunity for students and staff to engage in an individual creative writing, art, or constructio on task in contemplative silence before sharing their work.

Or possibly the e safe, secure, playful silence where a classroom full of teenagers might even hear a pin drop.

Yet such silence from students does not mean that they are listening and fully engaged (just as such silences during whole-school CPD do not mean that w we are all listening and fully engaged). www.nasen.org.uk

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SPOTLIGHT

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A SMILE worth sharing?

Wellbeing is a focus for many schools, for pupils and staff.

Following an inquiry-based partnership study into the SMILE approach to supporting wellbeing, Issy Jerrard, Amanda Mordey, Barry Carpenter and Jo Egerton summarise the outcomes of its implementation.

‘SMILE’ is a whole-school ethos and community-based approach to wellbeing, introduced in 2019. It stands for Socialise, Move, Interest, Learn and Engage and encompasses a range of resources and ideas to support schools to develop these areas with a focus on wellbeing.

S M I LE’ S AI M : To empower school communities to become architects of their own emotional health and wellbeing.’

PRINCIPLES: emotional health and wellbeing (EHWB) for all – children, staff and the whole school community attainment – good EHWB leads to good life outcomes listening to each other care, concern and respect for all kindness and gratitude

HOW THE PILOT WORKED During the first phase roll-out in classrooms, (January to July 2019), SMILE partner schools shared interventions and the best hoped for learning outcomes (BHFOs) were selected according to needs. In addition, the Assess-Plan-DoReview approach was used within two or more classes to trial focused interventions.

The second phase was the AcrossSchool Roll-Out of emotional health

and wellbeing interventions (September 2019 to March 2020). During this phase, schools identified at least two interventions to implement widely and monitored the outcomes of each one.

Every participating school was encouraged to collect evidence of efficacy from two sources for each; one qualitative/perceptual and one quantitative.

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FEATURE ➜

SPOTLIGHT WHOLE-SCHOOL ACTIVITY AND TARGETED INTERVENTIONS Across schools, common features in practice included daily and/ or weekly timetabled or crosscurricular activities, regular events and intermittent focus days or weeks.

Targeted interventions included the introduction of the SMILE language and ethos through resources and strategies, such as SMILE emotions, posters, cards, fans, wheels, key rings, SMILE ‘stations’, choice boards or toolboxes.

The ‘Emotion check-in’ included ‘zones of regulation’ or feelings boards, fans, wheels, charts or scales, and one school used periodic staff assessment of pupil mood for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Regular ‘SMILE time’ activities were also amongst the targeted interventions, such as a ‘daily mile’, before and after-school clubs, staff-pupil meet-and-greet, playtime and after-lunch activities such as mindfulness, and forest or farm school sessions.

Personalised pupil interventions included peer support, ‘emotion coaching’, therapies, counselling and educational psychology support for individual students.

All schools had the best hoped for outcomes linked to both staff emotional health and wellbeing or increasing staff knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence to support pupils’ emotional health and wellbeing.

Five schools used staff forums and, for three schools, wellbeing fed into supervision or appraisal.

F O RE ST O AK SCHO O L’S E X PE RIE NCE We recognised that the ‘NHS Five ways’ were practical steps that could be taught to our pupils but wanted to go further by building them into the school’s restorative ethos and adapting for our pupils’ needs; to make each of the five ways memorable to staff and pupils; to shout about them; to live them. “Give us five to make us SMILE!” became our mantra.

We incorporated play and creativity throughout our SMILE ethos; introducing the children to SMILE steps through a whole-school wellbeing day, enthusing them through activities led by talented staff which shared ‘normal’ things you could do every day in a fun, inspiring way to enhance wellbeing.

A group of pupils ran a café to support socialising, emotional literacy was targeted, there was rugby, teambuilding games and dance, nature walks, mindful meditation, massage and film. Staff and pupils were able to learn new skills in cooking, craft, cartoon design and throughout we engaged in the new ‘Give me five’ focus as a team, learning together, having fun and launching a new kindness initiative.

SMILE is linked into the curriculum: with resources in every classroom, staff look for opportunities to

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highlight wellbeing through learning and SMILE activities considered priority are timetabled.

Emotional check-ins are frequent and pupils independently access or are prompted to use helpful coping strategies they’ve identified if they are anxious. The impact of this work after a year was that coping skills increased from 39 per cent to 100 per cent.

Pupils who said they coped with unhealthy strategies decreased from 11 per cent to 0 per cent.

More staff could name five-plus positive, self-help coping strategies.

In addition, we had significantly reduced pupil isolations, detentions and incidents requiring SLT involvement and the overall numbers of pupils requiring the ‘behaviour support team’ reduced.

SCHOOL-REPORTED IMPACT OUTCOMES The partnership study found evidence of increased learning resilience, including pupils’ growing ability to use strategies to manage issues and emotions in addition to ‘check-ins’, a foundational strategy for all but one.

The approach also proved effective at increasing staff knowledge of the importance of their own emotional health and wellbeing.

The approach also proved effective at increasing staff knowledge of the importance of their own emotional health and wellbeing, with schools reporting enthusiasm and increased interest in the topic, along with less stigma, more openness and peer support.

There was also increased staff understanding, interest, confidence and responsibility in supporting pupils’ emotional health and wellbeing. Eight schools reported more positive staff attitudes, recognition that emotional health and wellbeing is everybody’s responsibility. One staff member said there had been, ‘a significant shift in the language used around school – in particular around encouraging staff and children to identify and label their emotions

and feelings and to explore different ways to reflect and regulate in order to manage their wellbeing’.

There was increased targeted support of individual pupils, with schools using adapted support and finding that the personalised strategies for individual children were also good for anxious children.

Meanwhile, home-school relationships were supported, with schools reporting the positive impact of SMILE events, with one school stating that, ‘having fun together has absolutely been a highlight …. Families have truly valued how wellbeing has been put as a priority and the approach taken.’

The scaffolding response to Covid was also found to be beneficial. All schools reported that the approach supported designing pastoral and curriculum recovery curriculums during lockdowns or on pupils’ return to the school.

Other strengths of the approach, as reported by schools, were the evidence-based nature of the methodology, which is aligned with NHS ‘Five ways to wellbeing’ strategy and was reassuring to participating schools. The structured foundation and organised responses to pupil and staff emotional health and wellbeing was also useful, helping to define scope and remit, while collaboration enabled exchange of ideas, helped schools gain inspiration and build confidence, and modify approaches as needed. The targeted CPD impacted knowledge alongside practical strategies and the staff wellbeing focus provided encouragement and justification to support staff alongside pupils.

CONCLUSION Positive responses from participating schools support the SMILE Framework as a tool to rationalise and shape emotional health and wellbeing initiatives within school communities.

Nine of the ten schools stated intentions to continue in some way. The final school is implementing SMILE outside the project but will also continue. Transformation was underpinned by structural changes in all ten participating schools; planning (six schools), policies (five schools) and curricula (all ten schools).

F URT HE R INF O RM AT IO N

To request access to full research report or to express interest in using the SMILE approach and resources contact Issy Jerrard, Forest Oak: https://bit.ly/3tKWvll on 01217170088.

To find out more about Forest Oak School’s experience of the project, listen to the podcast

by Amanda Mordey: https://bit.ly/3Xjza7X For more information on the Recovery Curriculum, visit: https://bit.ly/3Epuipc To find out more about the Solihull Emotional Health and Wellbeing in Schools Project (2014-2016), visit: https://bit.ly/3XhUjiS

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FEATURE ➜

SPOTLIGHT

Supporting neurodivergent students at university der and Dave Sherwood, co-founder t CEO at BibliU, discusses the steps higher education institutions can take to better support neurodivergent students.

istorically, the education system has struggled to deliver a fulfilling, supportive learning experience for neurodivergent students.

Those who are neurodivergent (around one in seven people in the UK, according to the Local Government Association) regularly report dissatisfaction with student services, fare worse on exams and are less likely to graduate.

However, thanks to the incredible efforts of advocates, educators and others, we are seeing gradual progress. Today, more people than ever have heard the core message of the neurodiversity movement: that differences are strengths. This is excellent news, but there are important steps to take. Here are five ways that universities can improve their offering for neurodivergent students.

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CREATE A BRIDGE BETWEEN SIXTH FORM AND UNIVERSITY The transition to university is difficult for any student, but neurodivergent students may have a tougher time. There are lots

BIO DAV E S HE RW O O D Dave Sherwood is co-founder and CEO of BibliU, the edtech innovator that provides digital content management, workflow automation and analytics for higher education. More information is available at www.bibliu.com

of unstructured changes to a new type of learning, class size – sometimes to the size of crowds – as well as a whole new set of faces and routines to manage.

Rather than dropping students in at the deep end, it’s important to prepare them with information about the real experience of studying at university.

For neurodivergent students, this should involve special consideration for sensitivities or potential issues.

To go a step further, universities can offer insight days, when students can become acclimatised to the environment, or even extended stays before students start.

Ideally, universities should have a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) expert on hand to address these sorts of questions.

At the University of Kent, for example, the dedicated SpLD advisor can provide information to help smooth the transition as well as making adjustments, providing access to software, and offering other forms of support to neurodivergent students.

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MORE INFORMATION University of Kent’s SpLD approach - https://bit.ly/3GJY0YE City University of London’s neurodiversity tutors - https://bit.ly/3V4HFlS University of Nottingham’s STEMM—CHANGE project - https://bit.ly/3F1wsNe

BUI L D UND ER S TANDING AT E VE RY LE VE L Neu urodivergent students are, by definition, different. Educating sta aff and other students about neurodiversity ensures that no o student will be unfairly discriminated against or reacted to o negatively. The University of Nottingham, for example, has issued guidelines on neurodiversity to teachers and

PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES P TTO O DEVELOP SOCIALISING SO SKILLS Ano Another element of the university exper experience that is markedly different to seco secondary school is socialisation.

Wherea Whereas secondary school provides structure structure, university is more of a free for all. Si Since socialising is important for mental he health and a sense of belonging, it’s import important that no student is left behind.

Neurod Neurodivergent students may choose to treat so socialising as a teachable skill in anticip anticipation of attending university.

Online or in-person social-emotional learning courses, which universities could provide, are a useful way to develop skills and build confidence.

Once they arrive at university, students will have access to a range of clubs or “societies”, which are a great way to make new friends – they already have at least one common interest.

Universities should create a structure for neurodivergent students to contact the student organisers or SpLD advisor so they can make any needs known in advance.

staff as part of its STEMM-CHANGE project. These offer advice for people running virtual sessions on how to make sure that neurodivergent students are included. Going further, universities could create a neurodiversity hub with a library of resources and advice on supporting neurodiverse students.

N OUR IS H ST UD E N TS’ PA S S ION S Experiencing the education system as a neurodivergent student can make students feel lesser, so it’s important to maintain a focus on their achievements. A single-minded fixation by the institution on exam results is bad for all students, whereas a celebratory approach keeps student morale high and ensures that all students feel welcome.

University can also be a great place to feed a student’s curiosity.

For example, one of the characteristic features of autism is a hyperfocus on certain topics. Universities are places for learning, so it is important to support students as they learn, even if this takes unconventional forms.

MAKE SURE STUDENTS HAVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED Every student’s needs are different.

Some neurodivergent students may struggle with new, abstract ways of thinking, while others may find it difficult to plan and complete assignments in the way that some lecturers expect.

Students of all kinds are entitled to support so that they can learn in a way that equips them to excel.

Many universities offer support in some form, such as exam adjustments or deadline extensions. Unfortunately, this information is often hard to access, and students must seek it out themselves.

On top of the long list of other tasks g. facing new students, this can be daunting.

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City University of London offers an exemplary approach. The university rs” provides specialist “Neurodiversity Tutors” who are trained to proactively provide tailored academic support for each student’s needs. They are also available to support the transition to university and address other SpLD considerations, including supporting undiagnosed neurodiverse students to get referrals.

HIGHER EDUCATION IS FOR EVERYONE Every student is entitled to the opportunity to broaden their mind, develop their skills, and make lifelong friends at university.

For too long, neurodivergent students have been excluded from these opportunities – but there is cause for optimism. As the universities offered as examples in this article show, institutions are experimenting with exciting new ways to make sure that neurodiverse students are welcome.

DEGREES WITH A DIFFERENCE If you are looking to work alongside children and young adults with special educational needs and disabilities supporting their development and wellbeing, then University Campus Doncaster offer a range of distance learning courses that could help you get started, further your interest and progress your career.

Whichever pathway you want to go down you’ll gain valuable experience from a variety of real-world scenarios and be supported every step of the way by a team of tutors with a wealth of knowledge and professional experience within education and early years SEND settings.

DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES FOR 2023

• FdA Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disability • BA (Hons) Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (Top-Up) • MA Supporting Children with Special Educational Needs and Disability

If you’re interested in pursuing or furthering your career within the SEND sector, contact us today.

headministration@don.ac.uk | ucdon.ac.uk @UniCampusDon

ASK THE TEAM

Ask the

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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.

ACCESSING HI SPECIALIST

I am currently working in a mainstream setting and we have received a number of children with hearing impairments.

We have approached the local authority for support but there is no specialist teacher of the deaf in place. How do I go about contacting one, or training one of our staff to become a qualified teacher of the deaf?

SENCO, Richmond

SENSORY SUPPORT

This is becoming a common issue, not just regarding teachers of the deaf, but across specialist teachers and professionals. The number of speech and language therapists, educational psychologists etc. has been decreasing while demand is increasing.

The statistics show that there has been a reduction of 17 per cent in the number of qualified teachers of the deaf since 2011.

Below is a link to the British Association of Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (BATOD), who will be able to provide further information on the routes to qualification and how you may go about recruiting or finding a suitable professional in your area. https://bit.ly/3hPsUEG

This is a particularly interesting area of research, mostly focusing on the impact on those children with sensory needs. Very little has been carried out regarding how these can be implemented for anyone within the classroom who may require it, and the effect that this

We have been looking into supporting children with sensory issues to find the best way of working within the classroom and have tried a variety of tools and equipment. Is there any research that backs up the impact that changing the environment has on children’s learning?

SENCO, Wakefield

has. Most research around sensory processing happens in the therapeutic environment. We did have a case presented around this area at nasen Live by one of the team of Whole-School SEND regional leads who, with the Centre for Research in Autism Education (CRAE), has undertaken a study around flexible seating and its impact on those with defined sensory needs and those without. Interestingly, this study utilised student voice in all aspects and is interesting to consider when thinking about sensory needs in your specific setting. Google Scholar produces a range of research, link below. https://bit.ly/3ZE4eAy– Google Scholar search

ANTI- BULLYING

During anti-bullying week last year, I was staggered by the high percentage (70 per cent) of people who reported hearing disablist language within their setting. This was not something I had considered an issue, and I was shocked by how high the percentage was.

Are there any resources we can use to support our pupils to understand their peers?

Inclusion Lead, London Talking to peers about disability and special educational needs is an area that has had less focus than it deserves. As a sector we have ensured that staff are trained in the understanding of different needs and the language to use, but we tend not to offer the same to young people. In response to the statistics, the Anti-Bullying Alliance has created six short films to support schools in challenging disablist bullying. One of the modules in the Whole School

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SEND Autism Resource suite focuses on promoting autism-inclusive attitudes, aims to raise awareness in primary and secondary settings and was codeveloped with young people. There is also a great presentation aimed at developing positive language across the setting as a whole; this may support staff to model appropriate interactions. https://bit.ly/3tEEPro – challenging disablist bullying short films https://bit.ly/3AraLmV – autism resource suite https://bit.ly/3gjF9ce – the language we use

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REVIEWS

Reviews LION, OCTOPUS, PANDA, DUCK – A TRAINING MANUAL Simon Stokes’s book, ‘Lion, Octopus, Panda, Duck – A Training Manual’ is exactly what it says in the title. Drawing on his knowledge and experience as a teacher, music educator and drum circle leader, Simon clearly sets out a method to engage, educate and offer opportunities for social development using drumming.

The book describes the principles behind Simon’s method and why drums offer a holistic benefit to those involved.

He draws upon music therapy research to support the benefits outlined and uses personal examples to help the reader

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develop understanding of the concepts.

Clear instruction is given on room setup, working in different environments, different instruments, the use of visuals to help understanding and being creative.

Simon is keen to point out the importance of being in the moment and reacting to individual responses within a session.

Whether you are a music specialist, class teacher or someone interested in developing music opportunities for young people, this book is an extremely useful tool. It is clear and concise in its explanation and gives the practitioner the licence to play and develop their own skills and ideas using this method as a basis. The appendices include activity

Authors: Simon Stokes ISBN: 978-1-9196478-0-7 Price: £14.99 Reviewed by: Neil Thomas, head of music, Beverley School for Autism.

cards which give activity ideas that can be used systematically or as standalone activities. The one thing that comes through is Simon’s desire for young people to have fun and enjoy their music making.

SEND ASSESSMENT: A STRENGTHS-BASED FRAMEWORK FOR LEARNERS WITH SEND

Author: Judith Carter Publisher: Crown House Publishing ISBN: 9780367632861 Price: £18.39 Reviewed by: Dr James Galpin, education officer, nasen

Assessment of needs is the critical foundation for effective support for children and young people. Judith Carter’s highly practical book not only recognises this but also, refreshingly, focuses on learner strengths as opposed to simply looking at where a young person might be experiencing difficulties.

This implicit rejection of a deficit-focused approach to support is reinforced through the ‘seven C framework’ detailed within the book. The Cs cover all areas of development, not only academic attainment.

Compassion, creativity and control are so pertinent to development but often overlooked; within the seven Cs, they are framed as being equally important to academic achievement. The importance of involving children and young people in understanding their own strengths and needs is also very welcome to see.

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Carter outlines three specific ways that the seven Cs can be applied through a learning portfolio, with varying degrees of ease of application. Importantly, a fourth application is highlighted: ‘your way’. This acknowledges how each setting and situation will be unique, and the framework is flexible enough to accommodate a range of different applications.

Packed with ready to use, easily photocopiable and printable online resources, the book is built for use in practice. The framework provides a common language that all staff can use to ensure consistency in how support is provided, and that implicitly looks to shift mindsets, helping to avoid the cycle of low expectation that students with SEND can often be caught up in.

WHAT THE SCHOOL PARTICULARLY LIKED: the ‘short and sweet’ aspect; Ten Minute Box can fit easily into busy schedules and the pupils enjoyed that the activities aren’t too long, so it seems easier to get through. being given word lists and sentences for writing meant that I didn’t have to make them up myself; this was a great time saver. easy, concise record keeping system.

To find out more, https://bit.ly/3isOTC5

PRODUCT:

THE TEN MINUTE BOX

Advertised age range: Y2 (6 years old) through to secondary Skills/curriculum areas: literacy – reading and writing (phonics) Trialled by: Karen Earl, SENCO and specialist teacher Setting: Micklefield School, Reigate Overview: Ten Minute Box, a multisensory phonics intervention, is a new product which helps pupils to: learn and retain 50 digraphs read and write the digraph families in isolation, words and sentences improve self-confidence by familiarising pupils with words containing digraphs across the curriculum improve pupils’ independence in learning through them being responsible for the use of the contents of the box improve attention with short, targeted lessons that follow a routine consolidate learning and transfer to longterm memory through frequent repetition.

It also enables educators to track areas of need that may point to unidentified Specific Learning Difficulties.

All of the resources needed to teach are in an appealing portable case. The lesson plans are clear and concise and designed for any member of staff to implement. The simple Instruction Manual makes it easy for staff to get started using the Ten Minute Box. Additional training is available but is not essential.

The Ten Minute Box also includes pre and post assessments as well as easy to use tracking sheets, which enable monitoring of progress.

The children that used the box enjoyed doing so, particularly as the activities were time-limited and the routine meant that they always knew what was coming next and so were prepared. I used Ten Minute Box with two pupils. After four weeks, one of them knew 50 per cent of the digraphs that were unknown before using the resource, and the other pupil knew 70 per cent. In addition to this, both pupils began to see patterns

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between words and were able to think more creatively regarding how to remember certain spelling patterns.

Moving forward I will continue to use Ten Minute Box, because as well as being effective, the short amount of time required means that it is an efficient intervention to use with a number of children.

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EVENTS

Events

Diary Early Years Seminar: ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review, It’s the only way through!’

Thursday 9 February, 9.30am12.30pm (online) FREE seminar for Early Years and SEND practitioners, SENCOs and managers and Local Authority teams from across England.

To book: https://bit.ly/3Tbu2At

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

National SEND Conference 2023 21 June 2023 Central London Hear from the DfE about the latest requirements and expectations Delivering high quality teaching interventions to maximise outcomes for all SEND pupils Meeting the standards of the SEND Code of Practice and the SEND Inspection Framework Insights on the role of SENCOs and SEND leaders To register interest: https://bit.ly/3RUlbS7

University of East London Unmute now! How to make sure we hear the voices of people who receive care and support.

Thursday 2 February, 11am-12.30pm (Online) Explore digital approaches that can be used to amplify the voice of people who receive care and support. Communication experts will share strategies and technologies that can be integrated into existing processes, offering new ways to capture the thoughts, feelings and aspirations of people we support. Cost: Free To register: https://bit.ly/3RRfzrH

BETT Show 2023 29-30 March 2023 ExCeL, London On-time registration for Bett ends 3 March 2023 and is FREE. Late registration (4 March 2023 onwards) tickets will incur a £25 fee. To get a free ticket, register on or before 3 March.

To register: https://bit.ly/3ExOh6D

Nursery World Show 2023 3-4 February 2023 Business Design Centre, London Registration free. CPD sessions can be booked and paid for online.

To register: https://bit.ly/3yy61uM

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

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SEND Outdoor Conference Summer: dates to be confirmed Embercombe, Higher Ashton, Exeter This conference on topics and themes around supporting SEND learners in an outdoor setting will particularly focus on how neurodivergent learners 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 receive news: https://bit.ly/3GDmWB9