nasen Connect May 21

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HELPIN H HE ELLP LPIN PIN ING EVER EV ERYO YONE ACHIEVE M AY 2 0 2 1 / I S S U E 2 7

Supporting Children With Health Conditions We examine the steps schools should consider

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Pathway to independence

How West Lea School is providing students with ‘learning for life’

Sensory wellbeing strategies

How sensory wellbeing strategies can help and support people with disabilities

EMAIL US: nasenconnect@nasen.org.uk

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Welcome

By Professor Adam Boddison, Chief Executive, nasen

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elcome to the May 2021 edition of nasen Connect

I am delighted to share the news that the Department for Education has extended its workforce development contract with nasen, which means that the Whole School SEND consortium can continue its excellent work.

Recent outputs from this publicly-funded work include the Autism Resource Suite, as well as resources to support Developmental Language Disorder.

Please visit www.sendgateway.org.uk to see the full plethora of available resources.

Since we launched our new free membership in January, several thousand new members have joined nasen, and there is a significant and growing demand for our subscription SEND services. To find out more about these services, please visit www.nasen.org.uk In addition to our work in the UK, nasen is increasingly broadening its scope to support SEND and inclusion overseas. Indeed, the Department for International Trade recently named nasen as the SEND strategic partner within its international education strategy. As we grow and develop, we will be looking for SEND experts to support our work, so please do get in touch if you are interested in becoming more involved with nasen.

As we grow and develop, we will be looking for SEND experts to support our work, so please do get in touch if you are interested in becoming more involved with nasen.

Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamBoddison Tel: 01827 311500 Fax: 01827 313005 Email: nasenconnect@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: nasenconnect@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

Conten nts

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M AY 2 0 2 1 / I S S U E 2 7 REGULARS

7 / Membership Focus

12/ Sector Update

8 / Have your say

47 / Ask the team

9 / nasen Awards

48 / Reviews 50 / Events Diary

FEATURES

16 / Poetry and SEND

31 / A bridge

18 / Pathway to

Steve Lowe examines the steps schools should take to support pupils with medical conditions.

Early years creativity expert, Trisha Lee, outlines the benefits of poetry in the early years.

independence

How West Lea School is offering SEND students a pathway to independence and providing ‘learning for life’.

22 / Boosting children’s reading

Andrea Welter discusses the need to close the learning gap between disadvantaged children and those from more affluent backgrounds.

25 / Sensory wellbeing strategies

Joanna Grace offers an insight into how sensory wellbeing strategies can help people with disabilities and support mental health.

29 / The Diary of a SENCO Pippa McLean talks about confronting and accepting our inadequacies and coming through stronger.

between health and education

35 / Framework

to support mainstream schools

The Department for Education has extended its workforce development contract with nasen, which means that the Whole School SEND consortium can continue its excellent work.

PROFESSOR ADAM BODDISON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NASEN

An overview of Fir Vale Family of Primary Schools and its bespoke framework that is supporting staff and learners.

39 / Linking occupational therapy and education

A look at the benefits of a holistic, connected approach to occupational therapy for children.

43 / Planting the seeds of nature

Angela Freeman examines the benefits of involving children in creating a natural haven to help with learning outside of the classroom.

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SECTOR UPDATE

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Welcome to May’s Membership Focus

As always, we are keen to bring an energising new range of updates to our ever-growing nasen community and May, in particular, brings some exciting new announcements and opportunities. irstly, we would like to kick-start this month’s Membership Focus with the news that nasen Live will return this year on 24 September at the Vox Conference Centre, NEC, Birmingham. Early release tickets are now available for this unmissable SEND CPD conference for all education professionals.

Make sure you join us, as we proudly celebrate the return of SEND events this year and bring the SEND community back together again.

For further information, please visit: www.nasen.org.uk/nasenlive We are also delighted to be able to offer all members a 20 per cent reduction on our latest publication from the nasen spotlight series, ‘Leading on Inclusion: The Role of the SENCO’. This comprehensive resource

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provides a range of perspectives on inclusion, giving Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) the opportunity to consider the principles and practice that underpin their leadership role.

If you would like to find out more prior to purchasing, we are also offering an entire chapter, free of charge, which looks at the future of SEND legislation in England. To access this complimentary chapter, simply visit the Routledge website and register to download the e-version: http://ow.ly/Jocv50EuW6n Please do remember that we are keen to engage and connect with you across our social media channels too. Follow us on Twitter (@nasen_org), Facebook (@nasen.org) and LinkedIn (nasen) and enjoy the latest updates and news from across the sector.

If you wish to discuss your membership or have any membership related queries, we can be contacted directly at membership@nasen.org.uk

Online

NASENCO QUALIFICATION This work-based, flexible and practical programme is designed to show you how to integrate theory and practice to improve positive outcomes for children with SEND. It is inclusion-focused, developing both operational understanding and leadership.

Taught by high quality specialists Our interactive programme is delivered by SEND specialists. You will learn from leading experts in the field through a combination of online seminars and tutorials, as well as receiving ongoing support from your personal tutor.

Access to online learning materials and support You will have access to our Virtual Learning Environment, which contains a wide variety of resources to support your learning.

Further information and applications: buckingham.ac.uk/school-of-education education@buckingham.ac.uk

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HAVE YOUR SAY

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Hyour nasenconnect@nasen.org.uk

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

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

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@nasen_org

search: @nasen.org

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

nasen membership I came across your website through attending a Whole School SEND webinar and I wanted to thank you for making your membership free. The quality of the resources and their applicability to my role as a teacher within a mainstream primary with a high number of pupils with SEND is commendable.

I particularly enjoyed the online format of the nasen Connect magazine, it made it so easy to navigate back to articles I wanted to read again and the ability to click directly on the weblinks.

Editor: Thank you for the feedback. We hope that the ease of the online magazine supports more professionals to get to the services and

further information that they want. If you did want a hard copy to share in the staffroom,, that is available through ugh gh h our ourr ou publication subscription. D Do keep spreading the word!

Year 4 teacher, Cheshire

Lived experience

I recently attended one of your ‘Understanding’ series of webinars and was inspired by hearing your associate trainer speak about their experience of school as a young person with neurodiversity. It made me reflect on how much

we assume about our young people in school and how some of our pupil voice systems are not inclusive. I am now planning a series of informal pupil voice groups to make sure all voices get a fair hearing, and their feedback is given a place to be heard.

Secondary school SENCO, Leeds

Editor: I’m glad you have used the course to make a positive change within your setting.

Young people with lived experience can tell us so much. Do look out for the summer webinars for LIVE sessions to come along and discuss your practice and learn from other professionals.

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Sensory processing I was amazed with my lack of awareness around the sensory processing needs of students with autism within the classroom and was quite taken aback at how dismissive I had been of students’ issues in the past.

I regret to say that I have often told students that they have to learn to tolerate more and realise that actually what I should have been doing is making those personal reasonable adjustments to my classroom to accommodate them. I look forward to part two of the series and thank you for helping me change my practice.

Editor: I hope that you will not be too hard on yourself about your previous understanding and responses.

Research on Sensory Processing Disorder is still relatively new, and we are glad to be able to continue to inform the profession through articles such as this. I hope that you engaged with some of the research mentioned in the article and I am sure you will take more from part two.

THE NAS EN AWARDS 2021 ARE NOW OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS; YOU ON LY HAVE UN TIL 16 JU LY 20 21 TO SUBMI T YO UR ENTRY!

AWARDS

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nasen Awards 2021 – could you be a winner?

Do you know someone who always goes above and beyond when it comes to ensuring the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are met? Then nominate them for a nasen Award today at: www.nasen.org.uk/awards.

THERE ARE 13 AWARDS AVAILABLE, IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

SEND LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD (INCLUDING SENIOR LEADERS AND GOVERNORS FROM ANY SCHOOL OR SETTING)

THE I NNOVAT I ON AWA R D FO R TECHNOLOG Y

The SEND Leader of the year award recognises a leader or leadership team which has demonstrated exceptional strategic development of inclusion and provision resulting in improved outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

The Innovation Award for Technology recognises an organisation or education setting that effectively demonstrates how technology has been used to promote inclusion for children and young people with SEND.

LE ARNING SUPPO RT STA FF M E M BE R O F T HE YE AR AWARD SPO NSO RE D BY AX CIS

THE DAVI D RYA N PUBL I C AT I O N AWAR D 2 0 2 1

The David Ryan Publication Award recognises an innovative publication (including e-publications) that have had a positive impact on children and young people with SEND.

THE NA S E N AWA RD FO R E A R LY Y EAR S PROVI S I ON (can include all through schools)

THE NA S E N AWA RD FO R P R I M ARY PROVI S I ON

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T HE N A S E N AWA RD F O R C O - P R O D U C TIO N WIT H C HI L DR E N A ND YO UNG PE O PLE A N D T HE I R FA M ILIE S

THE NA S E N AWA RD FO R S ECO ND A RY PROVI S IO N

The nasen Award for Co-production with Children and Young People and their Families recognises a setting which demonstrates effective use of person-centred working with children, young people and their families.

THE NAS E N AWA RD FO R 16 - 2 5 P R OVISI ON

YO U N G P E R S O N/YO UT H (U P T O 2 5 YEARS) A C HI E V E ME N T AWARD

(can include all through schools)

(can include all through schools)

The awards above recognise a setting that has effectively promoted inclusion by providing exceptional provision and practice that goes above and beyond.

PROVISION OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Provision of the Year Award recognises a setting that has effectively promoted inclusion throughout the setting by providing outstanding provision/practice that is above what is expected.

The Young person/Youth Achievement Award recognises an individual that has achieved against the odds and/or made a positive difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND.

NA S EN T E A C H E R O F T HE YE A R AWA R D

The Teacher of the Year Award recognises an inspiring teacher who, through their practice, has had an exceptional impact on children and young people with SEND.

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The Learning Support Staff Member of the Year Award recognises excellent practice leading to the improvement of outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

T HE INT E RNAT IO NAL P ROVISION O F T HE YE AR

The International Provision of the Year Award recognises an international education setting that has effectively promoted inclusion and provided exceptional provision for children and young people with SEND. Shortlisted entries will be invited to our awards ceremony, which will take place on 15 October, at The Waldorf Hilton Hotel, London. Good luck!

EA CH C ATEG ORY IS OPEN TO ALL SET TI NGS, I N CL UD ING M AINSTREA M, S PEC IAL AND ALT E R NATI V E P R OV IS I O N. S E L F -N O MI NATI O N S A RE A L S O I NV IT E D A S W E L L A S NOMI NATIO NS MADE O N BE HA L F O F I ND I V ID U AL S / O R GA N I SATI O N S. Proudly sponsored by

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The return of SEND events – bringing the community back together.

nasen

Live 2021

nasen Live is back for 2021 with early release tickets available now! ur one-day SEND CPD conference, nasen Live, is returning on 24 September 2021 to the Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham. Sponsored

by Axcis Education and GL Assessment, the conference will offer delegates one of the first national opportunities to share best practice for SEND and the chance to network face-to-face with colleagues, following the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And to celebrate its return, we have introduced a special early release offer.

The first 100 tickets are being released at £79 per person, which is a 20 per cent discount on the usual £99 ticket price.

The event will see delegates learning about best practice and accessing focused CPD sessions to help them support children and young people with SEND and learning differences across early years, primary, secondary and post-16.

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It will feature a wide range of highprofile speakers and an outstanding range of seminars and workshops from leading figures within education. A complimentary lunch will be available, which can be enjoyed whilst networking with other, likeminded professionals and browsing a range of exhibitor stalls from leading organisations and services.

For further information on nasen Live and to secure an early release ticket, visit www.nasen.org.u k/nasenlive today.

Follow nasen on Twitter @nasen_org #nasenlive2021 for all the latest conference updates.

For multiple bookings of this event, where invoice payment would be preferable, please contact: mem bership@nasen.org.uk.

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SECTOR UPDATE

Sector

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

Update

NHS numbers on EHC Plans

OFSTED ASSESSES REMOTE EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SEND fsted has examined how remote education is working for children and young people with SEND. The main points from Ofsted are: Careful selection and sequencing of curriculum content is the essential starting point for providing remote education. This means focusing on the most important things for children and young people with SEND to learn.

Structure, routine and consistent support continue to be important for many children and young people with SEND. However, the flexibility of asynchronous approaches to remote education is really helping some children and young people with SEND to learn and make progress.

Effective communication with families and carers is crucial. Strengthening relationships with parents and carers, and giving them the

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knowledge and practical help they need to support their child’s learning has had a positive impact and may have longer-term benefits.

Disruption to essential education, health and care services has had a huge impact on children and young people with SEND, and not all returned to their education setting on 8 March. Some are clinically vulnerable.

Some may need to wait longer to return to training sites, and others may be sent home to self-isolate. For the further education sector learners, returning to training sites may take slightly longer.

This video (https://bit.ly/3dQ661W) W and SlideShare pack (https://bit.ly/2PUYUtq) can help practitioners reflect on the challenges they face in delivering remote education during the pandemic to inform future planning for children and young people with SEND.

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There is a growing desire to have a unique identifier to ensure efficiency and accuracy of data sharing across social care and education. The use of the NHS number as a unique identifier is well established between adult health and social care settings but is more complicated for those under 18 because the Act does not cover children’s social care and education services data.

However, it is possible to share data across these services, but it is important to be clear about the legal basis on which you are doing so. The Information Governance Alliance has produced a briefing which addresses the contexts in which the NHS number should be used in health and social care organisations and environments as a unique identifier.

The briefing gives examples of appropriate care contexts outside of the NHS where the use of the NHS Number is supported by government policy. To access more information, go to: https://bit.ly/2Px5kPf

Don’t want to wait for the next edition? Check out https://nasen.org.uk/news

Ofsted unveils local area re-visits guidance

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM TO LAUNCH AUTISM RESEARCH PROJECT The University of Birmingham is inviting autistic young people and their parents to take part in a new autism research project focusing on the wellbeing of autistic young people between the ages of 14-25.

In particular, they are seeking autistic young people who do not have a cooccurring diagnosis of intellectual/learning disability (in addition to their autism) to take part. Participation will involve completing an online survey and participants will be reimbursed £5 for taking part.

The University also invites parents/caregivers of autistic young people to participate. For autistic young people under 16 years of age, parents must complete the parent survey before their child participates, however it is not compulsory if the young person is over 16. Parents will also be reimbursed £5 for completing the survey.

If you would like more information, please contact Lucy Licence (LAL277@student.bham.ac.uk) or follow the links to the surveys:

Ofsted and the CQC have announced a phased return to area SEND inspections. Moving forward, re-visits to local areas that required a Written Statement of Action (WSOA) commenced in April 2021. From June 2021, full inspections of local areas that have not been inspected under the current area SEND inspection framework will begin. This start date will be kept under review, in line with government advice and COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time.

This guidance outlines how they will carry out re-visits to local areas from April 2021 onwards to determine whether the local area has made sufficient progress in addressing the areas of significant weakness detailed by the WSOA. This guidance sets out how they will adapt their methodology to take account of COVID-19, including how they will carry out their inspection activities remotely where necessary.

During these re-visits, inspectors will explore: area leaders’ understanding of the impact of the pandemic on children and young people with SEND in their area and on the local SEND system more widely how leaders have used their understanding to adapt their plans to address the areas of significant weakness detailed in the WSOA. To read the full report go to: https://bit.ly/2R5xwJv

Young person’s survey: https://bit.ly/3uiAada Parent’s survey: https://bit.ly/2PVIxMG

EPI publishes new study on identifying pupils with special educational needs A new study from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), funded by the Nuffield Foundation, highlights significant inconsistencies in how children with SEND in England are identified and supported.

The research, which is the first study to fully quantify how support varies nationally, shows that access to support is decided by a “postcode lottery” – with the chances of receiving SEND support from the school or from the local authority largely dictated by the school that a child attends, rather than their individual circumstances.

Over a million children are currently registered as having SEND in England – with as many as four in 10 recorded as having SEND at some point during their time at school.

The longitudinal research reveals that the huge variation in SEND support for

children can be explained by inconsistent approaches to identifying children.

The findings show that pupils attending academy schools are less likely to be identified with SEND compared to other similar pupils, indicating that pupils’ needs may have been overlooked in these settings.

Download the full report here: https://bit.ly/3rVckTm

CONTACT PUBLISHES NEW GUIDES FOR HEARING, VISION AND DENTAL CARE Contact has worked in partnership with parent carers and the charities, SeeAbility and the National Deaf Children’s Society, to produce three new guides for parents on hearing, eye and dental checks for children’s health.

They explain how hearing, eye and dental checks are carried out, how families can access them and how to prepare and support their child.

You can access the information here: Hearing care: https://bit.ly/3ujY6Nh Eye care: https://bit.ly/2PxnNLy Dental care: https://bit.ly/3umtTxe

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SECTOR UPDATE

New study assesses post-pandemic possibilities for SEND education The ‘Happier in his own clothes: Post-pandemic possibilities for SEND education, perspectives from parent carers’ study explores the educational experiences of children and young people with SEND during the COVID-19 crisis.

Published by Dr Jacqui Shepherd, Claire Durrant and Dr Christina Hancock from the University of Sussex, the focus of the study was to: Examine the experiences of children with SEND on their return to school during the autumn term 2020 Understand experiences of the second lockdown in January and February 2021 Explore the implications for teaching and learning for children with SEND post-pandemic and as they return to school.

This brief report summarises what worked for children with SEND when they returned to school last September, what worked well during the limited school provision period of January and February 2021, and what the challenges were for children and families during this time.

The recommendations focus on the learning from lockdown to inform future practice, including and beyond the initial return to school. Read the report here: https://bit.ly/3rNfTe3

NEW AUTISM RESOURCE SUITE It is estimated that one in every 100 people has autism, and it is very likely that every school will have children and staff who are on the autism spectrum. These resources are developed by the Autism Education Trust, along with the Autism Centre for Education and Research (University of Birmingham), the National Autistic Society and Ambitious about Autism, through the Whole School SEND DfEfunded schools’ workforce contract.

Guidance for school leaders on supporting autistic members of staff: This resource is mainly aimed at senior leadership teams and people with HR responsibilities and provides ideas for developing an autism-friendly working environment.

A SENCO’s guide to supporting learners on the autism spectrum: This is for SENCOs in Early Years, Primary schools and Secondary schools and builds on existing information for SENCOs in developing good autism practice within their settings.

Supporting learners with autism during transition: This resource focuses on two main

stages of transition; from an early years setting to primary school, and primary school to secondary school. The resource will be helpful to SENCOs, teachers, teaching assistants, key workers and others involved in the process.

Promoting autism-inclusive attitudes: In this resource there are various ideas for raising peer awareness in primary and secondary school settings, which can be used by SENCOs, teachers and teaching assistants.

These resources were co-developed with autistic young people.

Reasonable adjustments to school behaviour policies: This resource considers the implications of the Equality Act with regards to behaviour and looks at how reasonable adjustments can be implemented within a school setting. This will be particularly useful for senior leadership teams and SENCOs. This resource is currently under review and will be added to the suite soon.

To access the resources, go to: https://bit.ly/3tafNPi

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FEATURE

EARLY YEARS & PRIMARY

BIO T RISHA LEE

Poetry and SEND

Trisha is an author and early years consultant specialising in storytelling and creativity and founder of the early years charity, MakeBelieve Arts. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3t0dSf2

– be prepared to be surprised Trisha Lee, author of ‘Princesses, Dragons and Helicopter Stories’ and early years creativity expert, looks at some of the benefits of poetry in the early years. e prepared to be surprised’ is the motto that should be hung on every wall of every classroom, early years setting and home. It is the phrase that should be on the tip of every tongue of anyone who works with children, has children, or takes time to be with children.

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It is a sentiment that is true for all children, but particularly for those with children with Special Educational Needs.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard adults express surprise at the engagement of a certain child or children in their care (for example, “I wouldn’t have expected him to join in.” or “She never normally gets involved.”).

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As a visitor, I enter every classroom with no preconceived ideas of what to expect from each child I meet. As I work with a group, I continually demonstrate my belief that whatever they do it is okay by me. In the last year and a half, however, since I started adding poetry and rhyme to the repertoire that I take into settings, I have suddenly found myself surprised.

Spoken language is a building block to comprehension, reading, and literacy in general In 2018, I attended a storytelling workshop and became inspired by a couple of poems that I learned there. I started searching for short poems, often from anonymous authors, that I could learn, create actions for, and share with the children at the start of a session.

I have always known that spoken language is a building block to comprehension, reading and literacy in general. But I had no idea, when I started this journey, of the powerful connection and engagement that the rhythm and rhyme of poetry would inspire in the youngest of children.

In one of the first classes where I started to share the poems, a five-year-old with selective mutism began speaking the words of the poem I was teaching her class. Her voice was fairly loud, as if she had lost herself in the rhymes of the poem and was enjoying the taste of them in her mouth. It was all her teacher could do to hide her surprise. Within a couple of weeks, the child was happy to stand at the front of the class leading the poem so the others could follow.

And then it happened again, in another class. A four-year-old with learning difficulties, who rarely joined in, got so excited by the falling leaves poem that, at various times that autumn, he could be heard reciting the poem outside on his own whilst picking up leaves and throwing them into the air. And then, in a pre-school classroom, a three-year-old with complex needs was seen to move their hand up and down in time to the chop, chop chopping of the Chop, Chop poem.

By listening to poems spoken out loud, with actions, and having the opportunity to

learn, recite and move with them, children experience words in a different way to how they normally hear them in everyday speech.

WHY AND HOW DOES THIS WORK? The rhythmic patterns of a poem support children to use their voices differently.

When reciting a poem, and using actions to go alongside it, children make connections between words and movement, between meaning and gesture.

In poetry we play with inflection and as children join the group in reciting out loud, they get to practise sounds and words and sentences and rhymes without the pressure of worrying that they will make a mistake.

When you are part of a chorus, reciting a shared rhyme, there is no danger that you will be misunderstood, or that people won’t know what you are saying.

This can be freeing for children with speech difficulties.

But the biggest surprise, and the most wonderful story of all, came from a teacher called Nadine Jones from the Lime Academy Ravensbourne. Nadine works with children with profound, complex and multiple needs. Nadine began by reciting the Chop, Chop poem to the children whilst ‘chopping’ gently on their legs. She then showed the children that the poem was recorded on the Switch.

Finally, the children were invited to access the Switch independently.

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Then came the moment that blew my mind. A child who often opts out, activated the Switch at least 10 times in a row. I was bursting with pride,” said Nadine.

One boy in Nadine’s setting, Logan, has severe mobility issues. Hitting the Switch for him involves several complex processes. He needs to locate the Switch, move his arms in a controlled manner, remember where the Switch is and push his arms down to ensure that he hits it correctly. Logan loves the Chop, Chop poem, and is keen to listen to it as often as he can. As Nadine says, “Logan’s determination and the joy he experiences when he hears the poem, overcomes any difficulties. He presses the Switch again and again.”

And all of this sometimes feels like a piece of magic, and yet it’s not. It’s a piece of history. Something that used to happen maybe a lot more than it does today. The language of poetry fits with the rhythm of the heart and the sound of the breath. It connects us to each other through its gentle beat, or the way our hands move together to complete the actions, or how the words vibrate against our skin. And there’s something in it for all children if you are prepared to be surprised.

Chop, chop, chippity chop!

Cut off the bottom and cut off the top.

What we have left, we put in the pot!

Chop, chop, chippity chop!

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FEATURE

SECONDARY & POST-16

Pathway to

independence

West Lea School aims to provide personalised learning, practical experience and hands-on opportunities to offer SEND students a pathway to independence and provide them with ‘learning for life’. Renee Flourentzou, Head of School at West Lea’s Learning for Life campus, discusses the key steps they take.

We challenge our students and teach them to understand the value that they, like anyone else, can bring to society and that nothing is out of reach with the right support.

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BIO R EN E E FLOURE NT ZOU Renee is Head of School at West Lea School’s Learning for Life Campus

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ur approach is focused on ensuring that everyone in our school community feels valued and included.

As part of this, we equip each young person with a ‘suitcase’ of skills to help them build the confidence and knowledge to progress not only in school, but in further education and employment. We challenge our students and teach them to understand the value that they, like anyone else, can bring to society and that nothing is out of reach with the right support.

To have the greatest impact, this way of learning must be engrained into every aspect of the school and the wider community. Real impact and successful outcomes are only possible when there is true synergy between our ethos, parents’ aspirations for their child and opportunities within the local community. We aim to not only ensure that these young people are equipped with the right skills to flourish – in both an academic and social sense – but to also address societal issues around low employment rates for people with SEND, to help students, parents and the local community really understand the potential they have to offer.

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BUILDING SKILLS IN SCHOOL What guides our ‘learning for life’ approach is a passport system.

All students receive a passport covering five key areas

that young people need to build skills and become self-sufficient adults (based on research and evidence-based practice).

These cover community engagement, selfcare and daily living, managing medication, travel and work skills, as well as social and communication skills. We use these passports throughout students’ school life, both inside and outside of the classroom, and as our students build skills within each area, they receive a stamp and certificates.

Finding and securing a job can be incredibly difficult for a young person, not least due to the pandemic and current economic climate. This challenge is exacerbated for those individuals with SEND. We work to ensure that we aren’t simply handholding and promoting learned helplessness but, instead, driving a culture of independence so that when the transition to college or work arrives, our students know what to expect and are fully prepared.

Our campuses support students with experiences ranging from basic travel training, cookery skills and visiting shops, through to budgeting and handling money, travelling to school independently and taking part in after-school clubs.

Our ‘Learning for Life’ Campus (14–25-year-olds) then solidifies the skills they have acquired and puts everything they’ve learnt into practice. All KS4 students take part in work experience and visit college for the day to help them prepare for their next steps. Giving them this experience helps them to gain a greater understanding

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Our campuses support students with experiences ranging from basic travel training, cookery skills and visiting shops, through to budgeting and handling money, travelling to school independently and taking part in after-school clubs

of what to expect in the coming years, which reduces anxiety around transitioning.

Despite COVID-19, we’ve been able to accommodate work experience for students, including volunteering at the Felix Project, sorting and delivering food to people within the community most in need.

We also created a carousel of work-related activities including furniture upcycling at Building Bloqs to restore unwanted items and sell them at affordable rates through our charity shops. We also taught retail skills (gaining AQA awards) using our empty shops to sort stock, till train and practise customer service skills.

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE AFTER SCHOOL We provide Supported Internships for young people aged 16-25 across Enfield, which some of our KS5 students access.

Working with local employers, we offer students four days a week in the workplace alongside a West Lea Job Coach for additional support. This has been hugely successful in helping students to realise their potential, reinforce the belief that there are plenty of opportunities out there for

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FEATURE

SECONDARY & POST-16

them, and that they can make a valuable contribution to society through their skills, attitudes and expertise.

When we first piloted the programme, 90 per cent of our students ended up with jobs, and they are still currently in employment. In the last academic year, we doubled the cohort that went on to secure internships and 75 per cent are in employment, and our numbers have gone up even more for this year. In a context of low employment rates for those with SEND, it’s pleasing to see we are actively contributing towards changing perceptions, and helping society uncover the talent these young people have to offer.

COVID-19 has of course presented challenges. Not only from an educational setting perspective, but also in terms of working alongside local businesses to provide opportunities for our students.

Despite this, many of our students have been able to continue, especially in sectors that have required additional capacity and resource. For example, we have had students working in Sainsbury’s, at Nando’s for takeaway services, Yodel for support with deliveries and the funeral care sector.

It is so important to build local partnerships, not only to help provide students with opportunities, but to challenge the status quo and encourage a more

diverse and inclusive workforce. In turn, these organisations have gained from the insights that our students have to offer and are fully supportive of the programme.

GAINING PARENTAL SUPPORT While it’s important to instil confidence and belief within our students, it’s just as vital to engage and challenge parents. We host coffee mornings and briefings, setting expectations from the start. Understandably, a lot of parents find it hard to let go but we know how vital it is to give students the space and time to make mistakes.

Imparting that trust, and encouraging

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When we first piloted the programme, 90 per cent of our students ended up with jobs, they and are still currently in employment. independence, is embedded across everything we do, and we help parents carry that over to home life through various strategies and resources as well.

Our Ofsted report included feedback from parents who said that although they were challenged initially, it was undoubtedly for the best and they have since seen the benefits it has brought their children. Sometimes it just takes a bit of encouragement and persistence to see the results and reap the rewards.

Building skills for young people with SEND is more than just classroom learning.

It’s about encouraging them to take a leap and put what they learn into practice. Whether that’s visiting the supermarket, local library, the gym, or learning how to book a doctor’s appointment, we need to encompass ‘learning for life’ throughout the whole curriculum. Only then does it become a holistic way of learning, providing students with a more seamless transition as they move through school and into employment.

5 1

REASONS TO TRY

The Five Minute Literacy Box

Strengthens Foundations of Literacy

The Five Minute Literacy Box is a multi-sensory phonics programme which not only provides resources to develop key skills for reading, spelling and writing but also to enable the early identification of potential specific learning needs. The high-quality resources are particularly useful for teaching early phonics skills and the activities are designed to stretch children to encourage them to learn more sounds, blends and key words through regular sessions. Suitable from school entry onwards, Five Minute Literacy Box equally gives targeted support for children with EAL or those at risk of educational disadvantage.

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Catch-Up on Confidence

More children than ever have gaps in their learning.

Children using the Five Minute Literacy Box make real progress with their grapheme/ phoneme correspondence, keyword reading and spelling.

For example, monitoring the lowest performing 20% of learners in one school, 100% made progress in reading,

In Brief Five Minute Literacy Box is a multi-sensory intervention providing early support or bridge gaps in English, while highlighting potential signs of Dyslexia and neurodiversity. For over 15 years Five Minute Boxes have been raising attainment in schools. Related resources include The Number Box for Mathematics.

while 95% improved spelling accuracy by a year or more.

All learners improved selfesteem and confidence in learning (Neilston & Madras Campus Pupil Equity Fund Report, 2018-19).

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Personalised intervention

Self-help strategies are built into every session so children develop the tools for confident, independent learning which they can take into any situation. The child controls the pace of the session so has a sense of taking charge of their own learning and has a chance to overlearn elements they find more challenging.

This way, skills are cemented and gaps in learning are avoided. Crucially, children build self-esteem by growing their skills and feeling empowered by their progress.

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Manageable support

Five Minute Literacy Box can be used inclusively at reception and KS1 and sits well alongside other reading or spelling programmes that may be used in school.

Targeting support in

5-minute sessions means reluctant learners are not overwhelmedand find the sessions manageable. The resources are created to maximise teaching time with minimal preparation required. The box contains everything that is needed for each session including sound boards, keyword boards, plastic letters and keyword cards, even a dry marker and eraser. Progress trackers and assessment sheets help you to measure learning.

With teaching professionals in mind, the resources are portable, reusable and easy to manage in a school environment.

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NEW Online Training

The new version of the Five Minute Literacy Box video

helps teaching professionals getstarted with using the intervention. Each Box also contains a Resource Book to give background detail and teaching scripts to facilitate confident use of the intervention. For those who require more in-depth training there are new virtual training packages, in partnership with Understanding & Supporting Learning, to suit every training need.

Contact details — info@fiveminutebox.co.uk Tel: +44 (01442) 878 629 Facebook: @fiveminutebox Twitter: @fiveminutebox www.fiveminutebox.co.uk

Key Points High-quality resources particularly useful for support in phonics skills, and activities to encourage children to learn more sounds, blends and key words through regular sessions.

Individualised sessions that motivate even reluctant learners. Children love managing the resources themselves and working at their own pace of learning.

Self-esteem develops through strategies that are built into the activities and transfer across the curriculum, thereby avoiding learned helplessness.

Progress is accelerated particularly amongst children with EAL, those with gaps in education, communication needs and the 20% lowest performing learners.

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FEATURE

TEACHING & LEARNING

Boosting children’s reading:

A life skill

Andrea Welter, Assistant Head Teacher from Pheasey Park Farm Primary School and Early Years Centre, talks about the need to close the learning gap between disadvantaged children and those from more affluent backgrounds.

ccording to a survey from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), the learning gap between disadvantaged children and those from more affluent backgrounds has increased by 46 per cent. With many children having to shift back to home learning at the start of this year, the challenge this poses is greater than ever.

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Q

WHAT IMPACT IS THE PANDEMIC HAVING ON FAMILIES, AND HOW DOES THIS AFFECT CHILDREN’S EDUCATION? Schools have been working hard to improve outcomes for children from all

backgrounds, but COVID-19 came along and turned everything upside down, causing further wealth, education and digital inequalities.

Many families’ circumstances deteriorated due to the health and economic effects of the pandemic, leaving parents unable to support their child’s education at home. Digital poverty is also a growing issue; you’ve got some children trying to access home learning on their parent’s phone, while others have no device to work with at all.

Children with special educational needs are likely to have been particularly affected by the disruption to formal learning as they may have missed out on the additional support they usually receive.

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Q

HOW CAN SCHOOLS TAKE STEPS TO ADDRESS THE LEARNING GAP? The key is to identify children who need support and deliver it as early as possible so they are not held back in their future learning.

Reading, for instance, is a life skill. If a child can’t read, they are limited in what they can achieve in their education, and in life as a whole. However, reading difficulties can be tricky to spot as there are often hidden issues. Some children struggle with silent reading, others get distracted and some more able children are prone to go too fast and make careless errors.

One of the tools we use to help us see ‘beneath the surface’ of reading ability

Access the NFER report at https://bit.ly/2OU8ht3

BIO A N DR E A W E LT E R Andrea is an Assistant Head Teacher from Pheasey Park Farm Primary School and Early Years Centre.

Pheasey Park is a threeform entry, DfE-funded demonstrator primary school in Walsall, West Midlands and is part of the Elston Hall Multi Academy Trust.

is software which follows a child’s eye movements as they read. Lexplore Analytics, an eye tracking tool which assesses reading attainment, records how long the child’s eyes rest on one word, and how quickly the eyes move forwards and backwards across a series of words. This helps us identify pupils at risk of specific reading difficulties, such as dyslexia, so we can put interventions in place without delay, and monitor their impact.

access learning in all their other subjects in their primary and secondary education. For children with a specific learning difficulty, the challenge can be even greater.

Listening to a child read aloud can help to develop fluency, but that only gives you part of the picture. It’s important for children to be able to read in their head, build a strong vocabulary, and decode the meaning of what they see on the page.

If schools can identify and tackle reading issues as early as possible, they not only clear the way for a child’s wider learning, but they also open the doors to the discovery of stories and the joy of reading.

Q

CAN SCHOOLS BALANCE THE NEED TO MANAGE PUPILS’ WELLBEING WHILE ASSESSING THEIR LITERACY SKILLS? Mental health is a priority for schools as children have been through so much over the past year. Many children have seen their families go through tough times, they have missed seeing friends, playing sport and taking part in activities.

Children may have fallen behind socially as well as educationally.

However, schools need to set a baseline so they can see where their pupils are in their reading and measure their progress.

In my view, the best way to do this is to take a low-stress approach to testing.

For some children, a digital quiz or an on-sscreen activity can be

For children with additional needs, making tests a fun and positive experience is particularly important as this builds confidence as well as aptitude.

Q

WHY ARE READING SKILLS SO IMPORTANT, AND HOW CAN THESE BE DEVELOPED?

If a child doesn’t have the building blocks of literacy, they will find it much harder to

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more enjoyable than a pen and paper task which feels more like a traditional test.

For children with additional needs, making tests a fun and positive experience is particularly important as this builds confidence as well as aptitude. Some of the screening technology we use is so popular, our pupils ask us if they can take the test again.

A significant advantage of technologybased testing is that it can be much quicker for teachers to access and analyse digital results than it is to read through a pile of paper-based tests. Saving those precious evenings and weekends is good for teachers’ wellbeing too.

AN DR EA’S TO P TIP S FO R SC HO OL S

Build any new tools which support pupils’ reading progress into your CPD programme so all teachers are fully on board.

Never underestimate the fun element when it comes to reading, both in the content the children read and the tools they use to access it.

Invite pupils to share their opinions on the material they are reading. If they don’ t enjoy a poem or story, ask why and use this as a basis for discussion.

Ensure that any technology you use to imp prove literacy skills or assess reading is quick and easy for teachers to use so it doe esn’t add to their workload.

Visit the UK’s leading SEND show 8-9 October 2021 at the Business Design Centre, London Join SEND experts, education professionals, and exhibitors from across the UK 2> <=D& 'DD< B#A <=D 0A>< <:'D :% <(# &D2A> 2< <=D 5D> 6;/ 6=#( 1*13, @7DA <(# "2&>. &#9)44 ":>$#7DA <=D 42<D>< <D2$=:%? <D$=%:C9D>. !#4:$& 9!"2<D> 2%" AD>#9A$D> <# D'!#(DA D7DA& !9!:4. D>!D$:244& <=#>D (:<= 6;/-, 8D?:><DA BADD+ tessenshow.co.uk

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FEATURE ➜

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TEACHING & LEARNING

How can sensory wellbeing strategies help you?

Joanna Grace Grace offers insight into how the exclusion of people with disabilities exacerbates the difficulties we face, and shares some practical strategies that can help you include people with disabilities as well as support your own mental health and that of your students. y work focuses on people with profound disabilities who are particularly vulnerable to mental ill health due to the increased pressures on their lives.

Speaking in broad terms, in ‘normal’ times you would expect around 10 per cent of the general population to be experiencing mental ill health. That statistic rises to a horrific 40 per cent for the learning-disabled population.

When lockdown hit, I was hyperaware of the vulnerability tyy of the

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people I work on behalf of. As the rest of us turned to Zoom to keep in touch with family and friends, what could they do? Many of the people I work on behalf of do not have access to spoken language. As lockdown proceeded, I witnessed a breakdown in mental health for many of my online contacts. People turned to couples therapy, to counselling, to online therapy to help to get them through. All of these language-based interventions are inaccessible to people with profound disabilities.

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To address this, I developed an online course called ‘Sensory-being: Mental wellbeing for people with Profound Disabilities’. I realised that the sensory strategies within it don’t just apply to people with profound disabilities, they apply to us all. Especially when we feel in danger, to find ways to feel safe at a sensory level can have a profound effect on our wellbeing.

Here are some tips that will both help you to include people with profound disabilities and help you to support mental wellbeing for everyone.

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FEATURE

TEACHING & LEARNING

BIO JOA NNA G RAC E Joanna is a Sensory Engagement Specialist, trainer, author and founder of ‘The Sensory Projects’. More information and details of upcoming events can be found at: http://bitly.ws/cxH2

CONNECT WITH THE SENSORY PRESENT Our worries and anxieties exist in our minds. If we can shift from mind to body, we can move away from an agitated state and feel more grounded in the present.

Touch something and notice how it feels Smell something and notice how it smells Taste something and notice how it tastes Move and notice your movement Look at the world around you and really notice it.

An awareness of our sensory world connects us to the here and now and gives us an awareness of the experience of people with profound disabilities.

Doing a sensory check-in like this can help to calm you. Setting students tasks that get them to do these check-ins can help to support their wellbeing. Considering the sensations in the environment can help you get a better perspective on how someone with profound disabilities might be experiencing the world.

An awareness of our sensory world connects us to the here and now and gives

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us an awareness of the experience of people with profound disabilities.

CREATE SENSORY SECURITY

We take cues from our senses to let us know whether we are safe or in danger. If we consider the extremes, this becomes clearer. For example, were you to hear a gunshot your senses would tell you that you were in danger. You would not need it to filter through your brain, and to hear your internal monologue explaining weaponry.

It would be instant. On the opposite end of the scale perhaps you would imagine yourself in the warm embrace of a loved one, feeling their nearness and smelling

I typically run seven sensory systems in my work at The Sensory Projects. The famous five, and the two less well known: vestibular, which is your sense of movement and balance, and proprioceptive, which is your awareness of your body in space. Here are some quick ways to enhance feelings of sensory security across the seven senses.

AUD IT O RY Play music that has a heartbeat rhythm to it. Reggae music is a good example, and many children’s songs follow a heartbeat rhythm. Try white noise – apps are available to generate this – or explore ambient drone music.

O LFACT O RY Take in natural scents like the smell of the rain or the earth. Consider your use of synthetic scents; it may ordinarily be your favourite perfume but is it too much for right now?

GUSTAT O RY It is natural for a body that is stressed to crave sweet foods. Answer these cravings within a balanced diet. Be aware that someone craving sweet foods all the time can be a sign that they are under constant stress.

TA CT ILE Connect with more than just the sheen of your phone screen or the keys on your keyboard. We see a lot of the world but how much of it do we touch? Take little detours in your daily life to feel the texture of the wall, to run your hands over the grass in your garden.

V E ST IBULAR Movement connects us with our embodied self. If you are able to, squat down on your haunches, jump up and down a few times, rock from side to side or dance.

Pay attention to the movement. Rocking is something we all (regardless of disability, ability or neurodivergence) find comforting. Be aware that someone who rocks all the time may be communicating to you that they are feeling stressed by their environment.

V ISUAL

their scent; these sensations would engender feelings of safety tyy in you.

We can imagine a scale of different sensory environments ranging from a place that feels totally secure to one that feels totally threatening. Hopefully, we all mainly occupy places in the mid-range of this scale.

But now think about how you would feel about your environment if you were

operating at less than 100 per cent, perhaps when you’re ill. These experiences of physical weakness make us crave gentler sensory environments. As we all move through these difficult times, we recognise that there is more pressure on our mental health than usual. Rather than chide ourselves for finding our everyday lives harder than we feel we ought, perhaps we can recognise that we need to adjust our environments to be gentler. Recognising the impact that the environment can have on us, helps us understand what life must be like for someone who finds being in the mid-range of the scale very difficult.

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We tend to move about using our vision for navigation but not for seeing. We use it to make sure we do not bump into the table as we walk past it to the kitchen; we do not attend to it, however. Move things around in your house so that you notice them again. My husband and I played a game at the end of last year trying to switch things around in the house without the other one noticing. It was fun and it had the knock-on effect of making us truly look at the world around us. It got quite competitive; I was shocked he noticed the extra ‘o’ I had carefully added to the title of a cookery book on the shelf and was convinced he would not notice that I had pierced the ear of our little elephant footstool.

PRO PRIO CE PT IV E Try a weighted blanket (https://bit.ly/39uxekZ).

Although not as good as being allowed to hug our friends, it can be a good sensory support whilst we wait for those days to return.

Professional Learning Inclusion Programmes National Award for SEN Coordination PG Cert Education (Inclusion & SEN) PG Cert SpLD (Dyslexia) with ATS/AMBDA PG Cert / PG Dip Education (Dyscalculia) Nationwide venues: London, Gateshead, North Yorkshire, Solihull, West Lancashire Intakes: September, January, February and April For more information contact: ProfessionalLearning@edgehill.ac.uk or visit our website:

ehu.ac.uk/professionallearning

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The Diary of a SENCO hope be a person of

Pippa McLean talks about confronting and accepting our inadequacies and coming through stronger. ometimes you just feel a bit stuck.

With a child, with a situation. No matter how hard you try, things seem to keep getting in the way of any real steps forward. It can leave you feeling like you’re failing, like you’re not doing enough.

The weight of responsibility for some of the most vulnerable children in our schools; those who are looked after or recently adopted; those at risk of exclusion; those who are very real safeguarding concerns; those with mental health difficulties; young carers; those with life threatening medical conditions; those who have seen more life already in their young years than we would ever want to see. I could go on… If you’re lucky, maybe the ‘not enough’ feelings BIO just lurk in the background, AN P IP PA M C LE but sometimes they sit right is a Pippa McLean there on your shoulder, or s been teacher and ha whisper in your ear, or er 12 a SENCO for ov sometimes come out of the taught years. She has h ug ro shadows and slap you full Bo in the London ck ro ur in the face. of Newham, Th is d an If we’re honest, lots of and Essex a in O NC SE a ly us feel inadequate lots of current nt and fa in am tre ns the time, because the job mai

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nursery school

is actually just a bit too big for one.

With the not enoughs, people sometimes come to you and just want you to wave a magic wand; to make things disappear with a puff of smoke. I’ve come to realise that’s a trap. There is no magic wand. We are not a one man/ woman superhero. If we try to be, we will wear ourselves into the ground within a few weeks. Journeying with people, whether colleagues, parents or children, is often more about hard graft; the daily effort of turning up, of being present, of problemsolving, of planning and reviewing how things are going, of tweaking things here or there, or in some cases radically overhauling practice.

It’s about passion and commitment from us all and, at the heart of it, an intention to work together to provide the best we possibly can for each child. Our best endeavours.

At times they may just feel like ‘endeavours’, like we’re trying really hard. But as long as they’re our best ones, that is enough.

With the not enoughs, the flip side e of disappearing something away is people wanting you to make something appear out of nothing.

Maybe conjuring up a new member of staff to provide support for a child,, or fast-tracking years of experience into a day so that someone feels

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equipped for the task, or magicking money out of nowhere for resources.

But it doesn’t work like that either.

Sometimes we just need to admit we’re stuck. Even with years of experience doing this job, today I feel stuck. It’s a ‘hands up, I surrender, I’m guilty t ’ moment. It can feel vulnerable to even say it out loud. Maybe instead it should be a ‘hands up, I need help’ moment, like we encourage our children to do. Lots of the children we work with have long-term needs, and if there were easy answers, someone would have come up with them by now.

So, let’s not try to play the role of a fairy godmother, but instead, in the hard graft, let’s be people who choose to put one foot in front of the other and say keep going. Let’s gather scattered hope as we work together.

Be a person of hope

EQUALS FORMAL CURRICULUM Mathematics

The World About Us

English

Outdoor Schooling

EQUALS is committed to improving the lives of children and young people with learning difficulties and disabilities through supporting high quality education.

Independence

• Specifically designed for pupils working consistently and over time below age related expectations

Physical Well–being

• Non key stage specific, so that pupils work at levels appropriate to their developmental stage

Play and Leisure

• Each licence covers an entire school/centre thus affording all teachers easy access to these curriculum schemes of work

For further information please contact Paul Buskin at paul@equalsoffice.co.uk or telephone 0191 272 1222

Moving forwards As restrictions begin to ease, you may be >%%?C'I C'E% $C"LJL'E ;HHLHH)L'E $L>CALJ( options that allow you to support your student’s unique need. To help you to make (%BJ $L&CHC%' *L F;AL ; J;'IL %K BHLKB> E%%>H ;'$ JLH%BJ&LH ;A;C>;8>L0 C'&>B$C'I, !

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A bridge betwe een health and education Steve Lowe, Headteaccher at the Oxfordshiire Hospital School (OHS), exam mines the steps schools should consider to support pupils with medical conditions. oung g peop ple with medical conditions are already at a disadvanntage to their healthy pe eers so we must not allow well-meaning efforts to suupport their education to fall short because we don’t have the resources to help or because we don’t know what to do.

From our exp perience,, Oxxfordshire emulates the national picture.

Government statistics sho ow that 14 per cent of children aged 15 had either a

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long g-term illness, disability y or medical condition diagnossed by a doctor.

According to DfE data, of the 783,400 children recorded as persistently absent in 2017/18 (absennce rate of 10 per cent+), 41.6 per ce ent missed school due to illness and 4.7 per cent due to medical appointments. Of pupils completing GCSEs in 2017 who met the persistent absence threshold d for illness or medical appointment abse ences in secondary, 15.5 per cent expe erienced at least one ‘unexplained exit’’.

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The Centre for Mental Health ‘Making the Grade’ publication found that in an average class of 30, 15-year-olds, three could have a diagnosis of a mental health condition and six could be self-harrming.

When the Health Conditions in Schools Alliance asked in early 2017: • Only 11.5 per cent of schools inn England could provide an adequate medical conditions policyy that meets statutory guidance.

• 72 per cent of schools report tha at Ofsted did not ask about their medical conditions policy during g their latest inspection. This has le ed to many children with medical conditions being excluded from school activities and having their health and safety tyy put at risk.

• Only 17 per cent of local authorities confirmed that they had a mediccal conditions policy.

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FEATURE

LEADERSHIP

STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

MEETING CHALLENGES

The DfE statutory guidance ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ states: “Pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education.”

As this guidance is statutory, you would expect there to be a consistent approach, with high standards and expectations.

Many schools are aware of their responsibilities and, of those who are, most are keen to make the best provision they can for students with medical needs, but it’s not always easy.

One of the significant challenges here is that no-one checks that schools or local authorities are complying with the statutory requirements. As a consequence, there are many examples where education of young people with medical conditions has been impacted significantly as a direct result of schools not discharging their responsibilities fully.

More recently, some local authorities, including Oxfordshire, have begun to request the name of the school lead for pupils with medical conditions, and ask if a medical conditions policy is in place as part of their annual safeguarding return. Both are statutory requirements. This goes some way to checking that schools are at least aware of their duties, but it doesn’t offer any insight into the culture of the school.

Increasing complexities and numbers of pupils presenting in schools with medical and/or mental health needs pose real challenges for schools. The last year has highlighted the challenges that young people face when they miss school for prolonged periods of time. This provides a clear narrative for the challenges experienced by young people with chronic, recurrent medical conditions on a daily basis.

This is all set against a backdrop of diminishing school budgets and cuts to local authority services, but also a greater awareness of the benefits of keeping young people connected to their school communities. Schools need to be equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to secure high quality education for all, not just those who are healthy.

The interplay between physical health and educational, social and emotional development is well researched and documented. Children with chronic health needs are at increased risk of reduced educational attainment, increased emotional and social issues, and higher rates of diagnosable mental health conditions. There is significant evidence to suggest that children who do not adjust and adapt well to their health needs can go on to have long term psychological difficulty and

BIO STEVE LOWE Steve has been headteacher at the OHS since September 2018. Before taking up this headship, Steve worked as a deputy headteacher in a mainstream secondary school and served as an associate headteacher at an Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) provision. Steve is passionate about improving opportunities for children with medical conditions and is a member of the National Association of Hospital Education and the Health Conditions in Schools Alliance. Steve has 30 years of experience in the profession with 24 of these in senior leadership positions.

reduced physical health in adulthood.

Children who exhibit higher levels of anxiety and depression are shown to have reduced positive health behaviours, such as adherence to treatment regimens and poorer self-care, meaning a greater likelihood of health complications.

Naturally, this then reduces school attendance through increased hospital visits and more complex treatment regimens.

Access to education is a key part of a child’s ongoing development. Being part of an education setting not only supports the child’s cognitive development and provides the framework for later life with regards to acquired knowledge, but it also provides

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For more information, please visit: http://bitly.ws/czDm

Being part of an education setting not only supports the child’s cognitive development and provides the framework for later life with regards to acquired knowledge, but it also provides the infrastructure in which many other critical needs are met.

the infrastructure in which many other critical needs are met. Socialisation and social support are known protective factors against mental illness and school provides a crucial environment in which a child’s mental wellbeing can be supported.

School also provides structure, routine, boundaries and normality at a time when often a child might feel out of control of their own life, and different from their peers.

Also present is a scaffold for emotional development. The need to adjust to the demands of a school environment – coping with difficulties, managing time, behavioural boundaries – are all aspects of schooling which support normative development, in addition to providing a contrast to the hospital environment dominated by adults to which a child can become accustomed.

There are many strong examples across the county where hospital schools, APs and other providers are offering a bridge between health services and pupils’

TO IMP ROV E EDU CAT ION AL OU TCO MES FOR CHI LDR EN AND L YOU NG PEO PLE WIT H MED ICA ST: MU WE S, ION CON DIT

Raise awareness in schools and with , governing bodies, locally and nationally l lega and ance guid tory around the statu ort obligations that schools have to supp their pupils.

Provide high quality training and t resources for school leaders to assis ls pupi their all of s need the ring ensu them in with medical conditions are met. ess Lobby for a national regulatory proc their t mee to ols scho that requires statutory obligations.

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enrolled schools, providing professional advice and guidance, training and bespoke education plans. This work is founded on the Equality Act 2010 but without regulation, provision has become a postcode lottery. In Oxfordshire, the Oxfordshire Hospital School (OHS) has developed a strong partnership with the local NHS trusts, creating local and

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regional communities of reflective practitioners delivering high impact, personalised education at the point of need (see ‘box-out, left).

The Medical Needs in School project (MNiS), a partnership between the OHS and colleagues at the Oxford University Health NHS Trust, provides a bridge between health and education professionals in Oxfordshire to assist with effective and efficient solutions for the education of children and young people with medical conditions.

Participation in local training and improved understanding has grown across the county through the use of social media, headteacher and chairs of governors’ briefings, county-wide schools news and direct mailing. The next phase of the MNiS project sees the development and release early next academic year of a free-ofcharge, e-learning portal developed by both education and health professionals.

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SPOTLIGHT

FRAM MEWO ORK TO SUPPO ORT MAINSTREEAM SCHOOLS Fiona Rigby y from Fir Vale Family of Primary Schools, Sheffield, explores the use of their bespoke framework to support staff and learnerrs in mainstrea am schools – an action research project.

he Fir Vale Family of Schools is situated in the north of Sheffield, a diverse, economically deprived area with a higher-than-average incidence of children with SEND. Around a quarter of the children and young people with SEND have social communication difficulties often grouped with – or as part of – those with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD).

It is also an area served by school leaders who are determined, solution-focused and collaborative. A group of talented SENCOs who forge relationships with other agencies, using approaches that will ensure they continue to improve provision for all of the children they serve. It is from this collaborative and outward looking starting

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point that the group embarked on the Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support (SCERTS) journey.

RESEARCH FOCUS The research examined the use and efficacy of SCERTS, a research-based educational approach and multidisciplinary framework addressing the needs of those with ASD and related social and communication difficulties, and of their families. SCERTS provides guidelines for helping a child become a competent and confident social communicator and for mitigating behaviour that interferes with learning and relationships. The framework addresses the priority areas for children with autism but also allows practitioners to use individual blended approaches by employing existing tools and beneficial methods.

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The research aimed to answer the extent to which SCERTS enables learners to develop their communication and emotional regulation skills, helps practitioners to identify needs and provide meaningful support, and leads to improved multidisciplinary working. The work also wanted to identify the positive and challenging aspects of using SCERTS when working with children with autism.

WHY IS IT SIGNIFICANT? Earlier and better intervention is required to improve outcomes for the rising numbers identified with ASD, who represent nearly 30 per cent of all children with Education, Health and Care Plans in England (EHCP).

Children with SEND generally have poorer life chances. They are, for example, three times as likely to be unemployed and

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SPOTLIGHT allocated to enable the research.

Qualitative and quantitative data were drawn from learner progress, staff questionnaires, case studies, and an evaluative report by an Educational Psychologist.

Each school identified three learners with a social communication difficulty. Staff attended training events, worked with learners in individual, group and class-based contexts, and completed questionnaires.

Additional professional learning and support provided planning, training and evaluation. Central to this was shared understanding, coaching and agreement of targets with the modelling of transactional supports.

IMPACT

Earlier and better intervention is required to improve outcomes for the rising numbers identified with ASD, who represent nearly 30 per cent of all children with Education, Health and Care Plans in England.

BIO FI O N A R I GB Y Fiona Rigby OBE is Headteacher of St Catherine’s Catholic Primary School, which works with the Fir Vale Family of Schools in Sheffield.

49 per cent of those who do work don’t retain that job for long (Department for Work and Pensions). A quarter of the prison population has special needs and more than 50 per cent have literacy and/or speech, language and communication difficulties.

SCERTS is a new way of planning effective provision for learners with social communication difficulties. There would be expert training for both teaching and speech and language staff and increased speech and language therapy expertise and resource in all schools. This would develop staff expertise, better meet needs and engage parents in dialogue with professionals about their children’s needs.

The work would promote and improve multidisciplinary working and the research would reinforce the inclusive vision and practice within the family of schools and across the city. This growing expertise would enable better school-to-school support use of resources.

METHODS AND PARTICIPANTS Schools worked with families, the city support service, the lead speech and language therapist and an educational psychologist. Additional time was

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Pupils made progress in all areas of their social communication and emotional regulation.

They became more active and engaged, developing resilience, independence and social relationships. They also increased their levels of happiness.

Pupils were taught to better understand social cues and expectations. Various approaches allowed them to communicate their needs, views, preferences and emotions. They were helped to predict what would happen, important in anxiety reduction, to stay engaged with tasks and to work as independently as possible. Staff encouraged pupil initiation of interaction.

Staff knowledge, confidence and practice improved so that transactional supports underpinned the improvement in emotional regulation. Staff reported more confidence in identifying needs and in planning and presenting the curriculum in different ways to allow access to learning, with a query about consistency across schools.

SCERTS’ practical and broad assessment of needs was valued. There was increased understanding and use of transactional supports through multi-disciplinary working. Joint planning by teachers and therapists helped realise targets. Staff saw multidisciplinary working as more important by the end of the project, but some felt it needed to be more frequent and consistent.

Training and coaching were valued and necessary. The most significant gain was the excellent relationships that were formed

across health, schools and SEND services within the Family of Schools and across the city (see box-out, right).

Limitations to this research include the small number of pupils, lack of control groups, difficulty in attribution of progress to a particular intervention or training and possible observer and subjective bias. There were fewer staff questionnaires post-project than before, and families were not involved in the way that would be desirable.

Notwithstanding these limitations, SCERTS has been adopted by all of these schools. It has ensured key staff, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists have attended SCERTS expert training and that they have, along with staff in other schools, benefited from ongoing, practical, further training. Some parents have attended workshops. Staff can better identify and meet needs using transactional support in a multi-disciplinary approach.

They understand autism better and can plan to develop learners’ social communication and emotional regulation skills. The research has extended beyond Fir Vale and a citywide SCERTS implementation group has been set up.

THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CHALLEN GES IN THE PROJECT JOURNEY:

Two schools had staffing changes es and were unable to participate The organisation and timing of train rainin ing g across schools always proves challengin ng g Challenges of perception; those scho ols who could see the benefits of SCERTS and a holistic approach and those who only saw aw an additional workload We recognise that there is a need d for further improvements in multidisciplinaryy work ing To establish better systematic appr proa oach ches es across areas of the city and the city ty as a whole To establish a consistent approach h across a number of areas of working in education, health and social care Further training not only to extend practice across the city but also to embed knowledge and skills further and to develop experts for the city New practice to be embedded in ethos in all participating schools rather than seen as an individual activity or intervention.

BIOO ANNA WESTAW WESTAWAY Anna Westaway is a Speech and Langua Language Therapist working w with Sheffield Children’s N NHS Foundation Trust.

Staff reported more confidence in identifying needs and in planning and presenting the curriculum in different ways to allow access to learning, with a query about consistency across schools.

NEXT STEPS AND SUSTAINABILITY The Fir Vale Family of Schools continues to use the SCERTS Framework to understand, assess and plan for learners and to create a common language to support parents, children and staff. It could and should be a central resource for the city and work has begun at a Strategic and Citywide level to ensure this. A new round of SCERTS Training has been planned and delivered, and the lead speech and language therapist is working with a lead physiotherapist to dovetail work on sensory needs.

The work of this group of SEND leaders is beginning to have an impact on systems and approaches across the city. There is heightened interest in multi-disciplinary working and a greater level of commitment to citywide approaches to enable consistency in approach. The overwhelming positive outcome of the project has been the high-quality challenge and support being offered between schools and across agencies. That has the power to transform.

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SPOTLIGHT

Linking occupational therapy and education Drs Sue Soan and Eve Hutton examine the benefits of a holistic, connected approach to occupational therapy for children. here is growing consensus amongst educators and health professionals that the development of young children’s movement and coordination skills – through engagement in daily activities and routines – can promote children’s learning, health and wellbeing.

Many children in England start school at a disadvantage. isadvantage. Social deprivation,

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poverty and other factors, such as lack of movement opportunities at a young age, are believed to have contributed to an exponential rise in the number of young children deemed ‘not ready’ for school. It is estimated there are between two and six per cent of children in English schools (prior to the global pandemic) whose movement and coordination difficulties negatively affect their education and life chances.

Research has also found links link between early motor problems and difficulties d including reading (e.g., (e.g dyslexia) and speech and language langua needs.

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With both health and education resources presently stretched to their limits, teachers and early years professionals may find it hard to access professional support – specialist teaching and occupational therapy – to help the young children in their care who struggle with movement and coordination skills, affecting their academic progress, for example, the child who cannot sit still and pay attention in class, hold a pencil or kick a ball. Although some children will require specialist interventions, many children can be helped to develop confidence in their movement and

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SPOTLIGHT

coordination skills. Incorporating simple, universal strategies into daily routines could help build greater understanding amongst teachers and early years professionals of how children typically develop these skills.

We therefore decided to see if we could merge the knowledge of occupational therapists and SENCOs in a way that was practical and useful for educators to use as universal strategy resources in early years settings and schools.

In the following paragraphs, we use two examples of personal independence skills – learning to use the toilet and dressing – to demonstrate their importance for children’s learning and social participation.

TOILETING SKILLS AND LEARNING Learning to go to the toilet for a young child is not easy and involves many skills. Most children are developmentally ready to use the toilet between the age of 18 months and three years. However, there is an increasing number of children who do not have all the skills needed to master control of their bladder and bowel (ERIC, 2017) before they start school (see box-out).

Ensuring that children are comfortable and have their basic needs met is essential if we expect them to pay attention, listen and learn. You only need to think about being in a meeting you cannot leave but desperately need a ‘comfort’ break. Very

WHAT SKILLS ARE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO USE THE TOILET? Recognising when the bladder and bowel are full.

Being able to sit independently with feet on the floor.

Being able to balance when sitting and to reach for the toilet paper and balance while pulling up trousers/ pants and adjusting clothing.

Having good body awareness – knowing where to wipe without looking.

Being able to manipulate fastenings on clothing, zips, buttons etc Having good hand coordination when opening and closing the toilet door, flushing toilet and washing and drying hands.

Memorising and sequencing actions. E.g. pull pants down, sit on the toilet, wipe, flush, pull pants up etc.

(Adapted from Soan and Hutton, 2020:31) quickly you stop listening and cease to focus. It is no different for children.

It is also important to support a child if they react to unfamiliar noises or smells in the toilet, or have difficulties managing to sit on the toilet seat or cleaning themselves.

How, for example, can you help children learn the skills needed to enable them to clean their bottoms well? First, it is important that they are taught to wipe from front to back. This skill requires a child to

be able to balance, reach backwards and coordinate their hands and body without looking. In other words, they need to know where their body parts are without looking (body awareness).

The following suggestions can help children develop these skills whilst providing additional practice opportunities for the rest of the class: Pass a small ball or bean bag around the legs in a figure of eight.

Pass a ball or bean bag around the body passing from one hand to the other. This can be expanded into a full team game.

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If not managed appropriately, such issues can mean that a child will refuse to use the toilets and ‘hang on’ or refuse drinks so that they can avoid needing to use the toilet at all. These actions are bad for healthy bladder function and learning. Maintaining hydration throughout the day is vital for learning (ERIC, 2019) and so encouraging regular bladder and bowel behaviour is important if we want children to be able to focus on learning all day.

CHANGING FOR PE Children learn the skills to undress and dress themselves between the age of two and six. Learning to dress and undress is a complicated business and requires motor planning – organising the body to be able to balance on one leg before putting on trousers; sequencing movements – putting pants on before trousers; and sensory skills – being able to feel a button-hole to push a button through.

Try to make changing fun and provide lots of opportunity for practice. Remember whilst it is quicker to provide help, it is not so helpful for a child long term.

Being able to dress and undress independently underpins a child’s ability to carry out daily school routines (e.g., hanging up their coat), to be socially accepted (e.g., readjusting clothing after going to the toilet) and to fully participate in school life.

Changing for PE involves a child being able to balance, have body awareness, and perceptual and coordination skills.

All these skills are important for a child’s development and by association therefore also their academic progress. Five prompts will help you ensure changing time is positive and confidence building: Allow enough time (don’t rush).

Encourage children to sit on the floor or a chair when changing.

Use visuals to show children, step by step, what to do.

Provide verbal prompts for each step – encouraging and praising all attempts.

Provide a bag or box for the children to put their clothes in.

Try to make changing fun and provide lots of opportunity for practice. Remember whilst it is quicker to provide help, it is not so helpful for a child long term.

In focusing on two personal independence skills, we hope to have raised your awareness of how movement and coordination skills enable a child to access the curriculum and participate in all aspects of early years and school life – including important times in the school day ‘outside’ the classroom, for example breaks and lunch time, when being able to go to the toilet and put on a coat and get dressed independently count.

Patience and care are needed when supporting young children in their development of personal independence – every time you want to say ‘oh hurry up’ or complete a motor / coordination task yourself for a child, think about how you would feel if you were wearing a pair of thick gloves and had to do up your shirt collar buttons. I suspect you would get very frustrated and annoyed! Why would a child feel any differently?

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BIO

BIO

SUE SO AN

E V E HUT TON

Sue is an author, consultant and PhD / Ed.D supervisor in SEN and Inclusion at Canterbury Christ Church University. Formerly a teacher and SENCO, Sue’s research and writing focus on inclusive and multiprofessional working. She has recently co-authored the book Universal Approaches to Supporting Children’s Physical and Cognitive Development in the Early Years.

Eve is passionate about the role occupational therapists play in promoting the health and wellbeing of children – her research interests focus on promoting collaboration between therapists, teachers, and families. She has recently co-authored the book Universal Approaches to Supporting Children’s Physical and Cognitive Development in the Early Years.

FREEDOM TO FLOURISH USING LYFTA TO BROADEN HORIZONS OF CHILDREN WITH SEND

Lyfta is an award-winning immersive learning platform that helps educators to engage and inspire young people, foster critical skills and values, and broaden horizons by giving students opportunities to see beyond their everyday realities.

Lyfta is used by teachers in hundreds of schools in the UK, including leading SEND practitioners who are working hard to ensure that children with special educational needs are reaching their full potential as learners and are active members of society.

“Lyfta is a powerful platform that reduces the marginalisation that children and young people with additional needs too often experience. The platform removes boundaries and has the unique quality of removing those labels of SEN or disability. Suddenly the world is there to access, explore, and engage with as a global citizen.”

Vijita Patel, Swiss Cottage School

SEND practitioners tell us Lyfta is powerful tool for their students because: The platform allows children with SEND to experience a range of perspectives and have encounters that might not otherwise be available The child is the driver - becoming independent learners, making choices and building on their understanding and interests at a pace that works for the individual The structure of the platform is easy for children of all ages and abilities to grasp

Click here to find out more about how Lyfta can help your students to flourish

EdTech 50 in 2020

Top 100 2019 and 2018

FEATURE ➜

Planting the seeds of nature Angela Freeman examines the role of the outdoors in everyday school life, and the benefits of involving children in creating a natural haven to help with learning outside of the classroom.

ur school, Westbourne Primary school, is in an inner-city area of Bradford and is part of the Priestley Academy Trust of five schools. The Sir George Martin Trust gave us a grant in 2019 to support the purchase of gardening equipment, and we are currently working closely with Nature Friendly Schools to make improvements to the large school garden to make it more accessible for our special needs and disadvantaged children, with a particular focus on easy wheelchair access.

Our garden is on an incline, often a difficult terrain for young children, and requires creative thinking for best use of our outdoor space. With this in mind, we are building an amphitheatre with a campfire and story chair for yearround learning. Our picnic benches, all self-built mostly from recycled materials, will have a Perspex covered shelter hand painted by our children.

We will be building vertical trellis panels attached to the post supporting flowering climbers and edible fruits such as thornless blackberries. Our children, particularly those who can struggle with an often higharousal indoor environment, really enjoy the ‘garden learning’ and give us so much positive feedback!

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WHAT DO WE DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? In winter there is maintenance, clearing and preparing the ground, which our children love to do. But spring is even busier for us, sowing seeds such as tomatoes, peas, beans, courgettes, beetroot and other vegetables. We receive free potato tuber kits from Grow Your Own Potatoes (http://bitly.ws/cxJf) and we enter their annual competition for the most potatoes grown.

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SPOTLIGHT

BIO ANGELA FREEMAN Angela Freeman is a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant at Westbourne Primary School in Bradford. She previously had a long and successful career in ladies’ fashion and the mail order industry and decided to change the direction of her career in 2009.

To manage the growing number of ‘gardeners’, our school has invested in heated and unheated propagators as well as a new greenhouse to store our seedlings. Most of these will be sold in May to raise funds for the garden, leaving some for children to experiment with. Companion plants are grown from seed either to encourage pollinating insects or to deter pests; we do not use pesticides in our garden. We buy plug plants which the children pot up, with

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During the summer term, children can enjoy the fruits of their labour; harvesting fruit and vegetables to make fruit salad, soups and vegetable pizza.

some sold at the summer fair and the rest planted within our grounds.

During the summer term, children can enjoy the fruits of their labour; harvesting fruit and vegetables to make fruit salad, soups and vegetable pizza. Autumn sees us harvesting more fruit and vegetables for our children’s kitchen. Flower heads and seeds are collected from bedding plants, dried ready for sowing and germinating in the spring. We have dried lavender to make lavender pouches and children have been taught how to harvest fruit and vegetable seeds from fruits and vegetables at home. We prepare cuttings and divide perennial plants for potting on ready for the summer fair the following year. Spring bulbs are planted in the garden along with winter flowering perennials for year-round colour to brighten up a dreary winter.

Autumn to winter is a great time to repair and renew garden furniture, make seed feeders from recycled plant pots, use recycled fencing and pallets to build minibeast habitats and plan our hedgehog houses. We use carpentry equipment, such as a battery-operated screwdriver and drill, hand saw, set square, hammer and nails, screws, sandpaper, plus a range of building tools with older children

in upper KS2. For us, having a special educational need or being disadvantaged is no barrier in garden learning; we have adapted our environment to welcome all children on an equal basis.

WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE? This is our fourth year of gardening and last year we extended it from Year 1 to Year 6. Despite the pandemic, gardening and outdoor space is so important to our children; they are excited to resume normal garden lessons as soon as possible, with plans to build a pond and a smaller, netted tadpole pool. They can see the improvements and we always share our future plans to maximise our outdoor environment.

When completed, we can accommodate four to six classes in our outdoor space at any one time. We have received two grants and the remainder is from fundraising, including my sponsored sky dive in 2019.

Our garden at Westbourne is self-funding and will continue to grow and develop with the help of the children and support from their wonderful families.

Our Memorial Garden was created initially for celebrating the centenary of WW1, building on our local community links

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with Bradford’s ethnic heritage, researching names of soldiers and Gurkhas who died in the Great War. It is our peaceful area where bereaved children can visit, light a candle and plant a flower in memory of their loved one. Children can have private time there for prayers and thoughts; in these times of worldwide pandemic, such a place of quiet reflection has proven invaluable for community wellbeing.

ASK THE TEAM

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

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

CELEBRATING SEN KNOWLEDGE

TRANSITION SUPPORT

I have been so impressed with the level of SEN knowledge of one of the PE staff at my secondary school and their interactions and impact with SEN students. How do I celebrate this?

SENCO, Co. Durham How fantastic! SEND is everybody’s responsibility and it enhances this view when you have such strong advocacy in another member of staff. In asking this question it seems that you wish to have some form of formal recognition of this staff member’s commitment to children with SEND. At nasen we have the Recognised Teacher/Practitioner of SEND Award. This can be applied for by the member of staff and endorsed by you as SENCO. It is a great way of showing national recognition.

ENGAGEMENT MODEL SUPPORT I work in a special school with a large cohort of Profound and Multiple Learning Disability (PMLD) students.

We know that the Engagement Model becomes statutory in September; do you have any training to support this?

Assessment Lead, Ipswich

We have a number of pupils coming up to our school in September that have a diagnosis of autism. For the second year in a row, we aren’t able to offer the same transition support that we would because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Are there any ways we can support them without them accessing the site?

SENCO, Lancaster

They will need to be a member to apply, though this is now free, and there is a small charge, however the benefit of raising that SEND profile and celebrating the good work is priceless.

profound and complex needs. To support the rollout of the model there have been a number of hubs set up around the country with Lead Trainers. If you follow this link to an article hosted on our SEND gateway you will find the details for your area and you can contact them to see what they offer: https://bit.ly/2Q5Mj6D

The new Engagement Model has been written on the back of Professor Barry Carpenter’s research into what makes for good teaching for pupils with more

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The challenges of this pandemic just keep on coming, don’t they! Producing a guide for each pupil with photographs of the staff they will meet on the first day, yourself as SENCO, their classroom, the main entrance, school uniform, the lunch hall, breakout space, the library and any other areas they may access that first day would be useful, providing a visual timetable for the first day and a guide to what they can do if they feel anxious. Send an ‘About Me’ document that they can complete to share with staff. A live video tour of how it looks when they enter the school for the first time and how they will get to their classroom and navigate around may also be useful along with a live Q&A with parents to settle any individual nerves.

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REVIEWS

Reviews THE ANXIETY WORKBOOK FOR SUPPORTING TEENS WHO LEARN DIFFERENTLY

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his book provides strategies in order to make sense of the uncertain world in which we are currently living with a focus on wellbeing; it could not have been published at

a better time.

The book offers analysis of behaviour for use with staff and students alike in order to amend current practice to suit the needs of individual pupils. It breaks down the core issue of uncertainty and addresses it by focusing on the 3S model: structure, sensory and social.

The book gives in-depth information within each of these areas, provides photocopiable analysis documents, lesson resource material and a very handy ‘if you only have five minutes’ summary section, to work out what could be causing feelings of anxiety and how these can be addressed.

It could be used within PSHE lessons, as targeted intervention in the classroom or home to work out what could be causing feelings of anxiety and to provide techniques to address the anxiety.

In my opinion, the book could be suitable across all settings as an analysis

Author: Clare Ward and James Galpin Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN: 978-1-797-75148-4 Reviewed by: Judith Donachey, Class Teacher and Head of KS3, Beverley School, Middlesbrough

tool. It could be useful in mainstream SEN departments to help staff understand behaviours and provide tools to work with the pupil to address these. It would also be an interesting point of reference for parents.

MATHS FOR LIFE – A DIFFERENTIATED APPROACH – BOOK ONE

Author: Karen McGuigan Publisher: The Maths Mum®2021 ISBN: 978-1-838-29011-5 Reviewed by: Zoe Mather, Education Officer, nasen

The Maths for Life programme has been developed with pupils with additional needs as the focus, more specifically for those with Down’s Syndrome, and with schools and home educators in mind.

The aim is to provide a curriculum that delivers the essential maths needed for life. The programme is designed to sit alongside the national curriculum and support the differentiation required for pupils who may need to learn at that slower pace than their peers. If your school is committed to inclusion, you will be adept at planning for the neuro-diversity within your classroom and this programme will support you to do just that for the maths curriculum.

The guide supports the educator to understand the objective, identifies prior knowledge required and gives ideas for activities to engage the

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learner to achieve those outcomes. The most valuable section is the ‘challenges for children with additional learning needs’, as this will assist non-specialist maths practitioners to understand the potential areas for confusion or misunderstanding.

It frames the misconceptions in the context of the pupils themselves and the subject. These act as cues to work with the pupils to unpick their mathematical understanding and will apply equally to pupils without learning differences.

It is further supported with resources on the Maths for Life website and book two is due out this year. As a resource for generating more ideas for delivering the subject to those pupils that require overlearning and support to develop solid foundations of mathematical understanding, it is accessible for educators and parents alike.

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EVENTS

Events

Diary

nasen webinars For the full programme and for details of the Webinar Pass, please visit https://bit.ly/2N6cHMf

nasen: Targeted Support in Colleges Online: 20 May 2021 (12.30pm – 2pm)

Improving the Provision of SEND Services 2021 10 June, 9.30am – 3.30pm (online)

This topic, suitable for all staff working within college (post-16) settings, will look at supporting pupils whose needs are not yet sufficiently met through the high-quality teaching in place as part of a universal offer. The session will look at how to implement specific interventions across the broad areas of social communication, sensory and is free with Annual Webinar Pass.

This event brings together senior leaders from across the education sector, government, academia and the wider public sector to hear the latest policy updates and address the challenges facing the sector in these unprecedented times.

https://bit.ly/2PxNk7o

For more information and to book visit: https://bit.ly/3tkvXEO

Use code NASEN2021 for an exclusive 20% member discount.

Tes SEN Show 2021 8-9 October (9am – 5pm & 10am – 4pm)

RNIB: Newly qualified QTVIs/New caseload; Practical preparations Online: 8 July (4pm – 6pm) This event will provide training and networking for practitioners who are newly qualified QTVIs or experienced practitioners who are taking on a new caseload or different agerange for support. The session will share practical steps that can equip you with ideas, skills, resources and techniques to approach the new school year. https://bit.ly/39GCJhr

National Deaf Children’s Society: Healthy Minds Online Workshops Online: 1, 8, 15 and 22 July (6.30pm – 8pm)

The Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London, N1 0QH

The Healthy Minds online workshops will help you learn how to run activities to help support the emotional health and wellbeing of deaf children and young people.

The Tes SEN event offers over 40 CPD-certified seminars, free hands-on workshops from SEN advocates, free keynote panel debates on Government SEND review and SEN exhibitors with exclusive offers. Registration opened at the end of April.

Fee: £70.00 – £95.99 https://bit.ly/39Ezkzm

https://bit.ly/3s31qeb

ISEC 2021 – ‘Closing the Research to Practice Gap’ Online: 3-5 August 2021

British Dyslexia Association: Practical Solutions for Dyslexia Online: 2 August 2021 (10am – 4pm)

Fee: £99

During the conference we will explore new perspectives on how to translate academic enquiry into practical, workable strategies with which educators can support the lives of children and young people living with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

This course is suitable for those working in education, or parents of children of school age.

This session can be used towards the completion of our accredited courses, so is a great starting point for anyone wishing to go on to one of our accredited courses at level two and three.

www.nasen.org.uk/nasenlive

Booking fee: £299, day rate: £149

Fee: £120

Contact: isec2021@ucl.ac.uk

https://bit.ly/3dzeYbX

nasen Live 2021 24 September (9.30am – 4pm) The Vox conference centre, NEC, Birmingham September will see the SEND community gather together once more at nasen Live.

Early release tickets are now available

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