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HELPIN H HE ELLP LPIN PIN ING EVER EV ERYO YONE ACHIEVE N OV E M B E R 2 0 2 1
www.nasen.org.uk
ISSUE 30
C E L E B R AT I N G O U R
TH 1991-2021
ANNIVERSARY Learning through movement The role of movement in children with SEND
SEND Data 2021
What does the latest SEN EHCP data tell us?
EMAIL US: nasenconnect@nasen.org.uk
START
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#30
Welcome
By Annamarie Hassall MBE, Chief Operating Officer, nasen
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elcome to the November 2021 issue of nasen Connect What an autumn term it has been. I am proud to say that nasen convened the first face to face SEND national conference since the start of the pandemic with our annual nasen Live conference in September.
The Minister for Children and Families, Will Quince, delivered his first keynote address in his new role and it was a day full of positivity, learning and networking. Read more about the event on page 10 and, if you missed it, look out for the opportunity to book early for nasen Live 2022. Our annual nasen Awards followed in October, marking the stand-out contributions of 13 individuals, schools and colleges with an evening of celebration, which we summarise on page 9. Expect to hear more about our winners next year as we profile the fantastic contributions they have made for children with SEND. I am delighted to say that our membership has continued to grow, with 43,000 people connecting through nasen. Have your colleagues caught up with the news that nasen membership is free to UK members? Do tell others to sign up. Our ambition is to reach all schools and ensure we are doing all we can to share great resources to support the experience of learners with SEND. nasen paid-for SEND services have expanded too, with the launch of the CPDL modular programme linked to the content within the nasen Recognised Teacher/Practitioner of SEND Award. For the ultimate in flexibility, opt to complete one, two or three modules. You will gain a comprehensive introduction to SEND and effective support for children and young people.
I am delighted to say that our membership has continued to grow, with 43,000 people connecting through nasen
Find out more here: https://www.nasen.org.uk/MCPD Finally, it looks like the long-awaited SEND Review will be unveiled in 2022. We are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to move forward with pace and energy, to actively contribute to consultations and get involved in generating the solutions that are long overdue.
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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. Registered Charity No. 1007023 Registered Company, limited by guarantee, No. 2674379 (England and Wales)
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INSIDE
Contents N OV E M B E R 2 0 2 1 / I S S U E 3 0 REGULARS
6 / The British Journal
of Special Education
8 / Have your say 9 / nasen Awards 10/ nasen Live
11/ CEO interview 43 / Ask the team 44 / Book reviews 46 / Events Diary
FEATURES
16 / Celebrating our
32 / A physically
As we mark our 30th milestone, CEO Annamarie Hassall MBE and the team will continue pushing for inclusivity and equitable education everywhere.
Bradford’s approach to ensuring children are able to attend a physically friendly setting has resonated with local schools. The team share their experiences and feedback.
30th anniversary
19 / Early Years SENCO Mandy Wilding, Education Officer at nasen, provides an update on the Early Years SENCO Award Project.
22 / Learning
through movement
Laura Fuller takes a look at the role of movement in learning for children with SEND.
26 / Update on
16
friendly setting
35 / ABI aware
What does Acquired Brain Injury mean for children, and what should settings be aware of? Louise Wilkinson explores.
39 / Music in schools
Ashleigh Cannon, acting Deputy Head at Cherry Garden School, describes the impact outdoor musical instruments have had on its learners.
SEND data 2021
Zoe Mather explores the latest SEN and EHCP data and considers some of the questions we need to ask.
31 / Diary of a SENCO
Pippa McLean examines the importance of celebrating achievements, large or small.
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35
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SECTOR UPDATE
The British Journal of Special Education There have been a number of articles over the last 18 months on the role of the SENCO during the pandemic. Many of these are around the practical implementation of the role, but two articles were published in the June 2021 edition of BJSE that focused more clearly on the leadership demands on SENCOs during the pandemic. he first of the two articles published in the British Journal of Special Education (BJSE), authored by Amy Clarke and Elizabeth Done, explores the balancing act required by SENCOs as leaders and as advocates for vulnerable children. Pressures related to time and workload are familiar to SENCOs, but the strategic role required during the pandemic adds a layer of complexity. Amy and Elizabeth offer a fascinating analysis of how the experiences of SENCOs during the pandemic might impact on their roles moving forward. The second article was written by Tristan Middleton and Lynda Kay, who surveyed the views of SENCOs across England between May and June 2020, when SENCOs had begun to develop ways of
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working during the lockdown. Tristan and Lynda then analysed the responses against 11 themes taken from the SEND Code of Practice (DfE & DoH, 2015): overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school’s SEN policy co-ordinating provision for children with SEN liaising with the relevant Designated Teacher where a looked-after pupil has SEN advising on the graduated approach to providing SEN support advising on the deployment of the school’s delegated budget and other resources to meet pupils’ needs effectively liaising with parents of pupils with SEN liaising with Early Years providers, other schools, educational psychologists, health and social care p professionals, and independent or voluntary bodi bodies
bein a key being ke p point int off ccontact nt ct with external agencies, especially the local authority and its support services liaising with potential next providers of education to ensure a pupil and their parents are informed about options and a smooth transition is planned working with the headteacher and school governors to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities under the Equality Act (2010) with regard to reasonable adjustments and access arrangements ensuring that the school keeps the records of all pupils with SEN up to date. Although all 11 themes were evident in the survey responses, additional responsibilities emerged, one of which was particularly interesting in relation to providing emotional support to staff, pupils and their families. Both of these articles will ring true for many SENCOs and, potentially, provide a basis from which SENCOs can review their roles post-pandemic.
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ENHANCE YOUR PR ACTICE WITH LEEDS If you work with individuals Our postgraduate programmes include: with special educational needs, • MA Special Educational Needs • PGDip Deaf Education developmental disorders or those who (Teacher of the Deaf Qualification) are deaf, we have a range of full-time • MA Deaf Education (Teacher of the Deaf Qualification) and part-time courses to suit you.
Find out more essl.leeds.ac.uk/special-educational-needs
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HAVE YOUR SAY
e avsay... 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 include your name and setting. Don’t forget, you can ‘Have Your Say’ via Facebook and Twitter too.
01827 311500
@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.
The school dog project
Engagement Model support
Can I extend my thanks for the webinar and resource around the Engagement Model. It was reassuring to hear that we had understood how it is to be used and it gave me confidence that our staff had a sound grasp of the application for their pupils. Headteacher, Bristol
Editor: That’s good to hear. We learned a lot during lockdown on how valuable webinars were for delivering CPDL and we are
committed to continuing online training as well as resuming face to face. Visit https://bit.ly/3nm9xDy
Supporting teaching assistants I attended nasen Live this year and wanted to congratulate the team on an excellent event. I especially enjoyed listening to Abi Joachim and the innovative work she is doing in her local area. It has spurred me to think more deeply about my teaching assistants and their route map through their career, and their access to CPDL.
Special School Headteacher, Newcastle
Editor: Thank you, we thoroughly enjoyed the day and it was lovely to connect with you face to face. I will pass on your thanks to Abi, she will be pleased to know that more TAs are being supported as a result of her talk.
It was lovely to read the article in September’s Connect magazine about the school dog project and the adorable Wilf. We have had pet dogs attend our specialist setting for many years. Your article has made us consider the benefits, beyond awareness and familiarisation, and we are looking into having our own school dog. Pastoral Lead, Kettering
Editor: Thank you, we try to showcase articles that inspire settings to change their practice. There is a growing interest in the positive effects of human to animal interactions and their potential to support educational outcomes. We would be interested to hear your story of engaging a school therapy dog for a future nasen Connect article.
nasen n Live success
Can C I send my sincere thanks to the nasen team for nasen Live. Right from the start, the venue v felt very safe with plenty of space, the exhibitors were of an excellent quality and variety, v the speakers were engaging and informative and I was very pleased I came. ItI was a delight to be back face to face and engaging with fellow professionals. Inclusion I Lead, Rotherham
EEditor: I will pass on your thanks and look forward to welcoming you again to nasen Live 2022.
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AWARDS
nasen Awards 2021
/ 09
The winners revealed
It was celebrations all round at the nasen Awards 2021 as guestss gathered to highlight the fantastic work of those who make a real difference to children and young people with SEND. he nasen Awards ceremony took place at the iconic Waldorf Hilton Hotel, London, on 15 October with winners from all 13 categories. It was certainly a night to remember! The Awards marked a proud moment for everyone and, once again, we would like to congratulate all those who were nominated and shortlisted for a nasen Award 2021.
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HERE ARE THIS YEAR’S WINNERS: The nasen Awards for Early Years Provision sponsored by Nursery World Winner – Anglia Sunshine Nurseries Shortlist – Alex Richardson Shortlist – Whitefield Primary School The nasen Awards for Post 16-25 Provision sponsored by Brain in Hand Winner – Derwen College Shortlist – Harrison College Shortlist – Really NEET Project
N A S E N AWA R D S 2 0 2 1 SPONSORS Finally, we would like to thank our sponsors – your support helped us celebrate achievements across the sector and shine a light on those who do so much to help children and young people with SEND.
The nasen Awards for Primary Provision sponsored by GL Assessment Winner – Whitefield Primary School Shortlist – Hart Plain Junior School Shortlist – Mitchell Brook Primary School The nasen Awards for Secondary Provision sponsored by Seeds of Change Winner – Henley Bank High School Provision of the Year Award sponsored by IDL Winner – Bramfield House School Shortlist – Midpoint Centre Shortlist – Oakwood Academy Co-production with Children and Young People and their Families sponsored by Seashell Trust Winner – The Grove Pastoral Team Shortlist – Bright Heart Education The Innovation Award for Technology sponsored by Scanning Pens Winner – IDL Shortlist – Speech & Language Link Young Person/Youth Achievement Award sponsored by NeuroDiversity Networks CIC Winner – Hope Whittaker
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Shortlist – Charlie Williams Shortlist – Jonathan Bryan nasen Teacher of the Year Award Winner – Abed Ahmed Shortlist – Deborah Moss Shortlist – Lesley Byrne SEND Leader of the Year Award sponsored by NEU Winner – Colin May Shortlist – Lucy-Jo Sherratt Shortlist – Olayide Bankole Learning Support Staff of the Year Award sponsored by Axcis Winner – Carla Baker Shortlist – Louise Sauvarin Shortlist – Mia Mansbridge The David Ryan Publication Award Winner – Dr Niamh Mourton Shortlist – Artburst SEND Accessible Creative Learning Resources Shortlist – Language for Behaviour and Emotions by Anna Branagan, Melanie Cross and Stephen Parsons The International Provision of the Year Award Winner – Steps with Theera
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NASEN LIVE
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1 2 0 2 e v i L th he highlights WOW, it felt great to be back! – nasen live 2021 was hosted on 24 September in the fantastic VOX conference centre at Resorts World in Birmingham. he first live event for so many SEND and education sector with over 50 guests and exhibitors since leading, award-winning organisations. the pandemic struck, nasen The engagement during the day between Live generated a great buzz, delegates and exhibitors was clear to see, enabling the sector to come with new relationships forged at every together to exchange ideas, opportunity, for the benefit of all. insight and experiences. Our head of marketing and sales will The one-day event was formally opened analyse all feedback from the 2021 event, by nasen’s new CEO, Annamarie Hassall, both positive and constructive, and we Will Quince MP (Minister for Children will use this information to develop the and Families) and Apple Education. The programme for next year, ensuring that insightful and energising session then really nasen Live 2022 offers all delegates the set the tone for the rest of the event. information, advice and guidance they need The event’s programme featured key to help everyone achieve. figures from the SEND sector delivering The 2022 event will be held at The a wide range of seminars and keynotes VOX conference centre once again, on throughout the day. Delegates were also Friday 15 July. Please save the date in your diary given the opportunity to network and and look explore the latest developments in the out for further commun
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ications from the marketing team for when ticket sale s go live.
T HE F E E D BACK WE HAVE RE CE IV E D ALRE AD Y HA S BEEN INCRE D IBLY PO SIT IV E ; HERE A RE A F E W CO M M E NT S F ROM SOME O F O UR D E LE GAT E S:
“I thought the even t was superbly organised from start to finish. So nice to se e an organisation prepared to retur n to face to face events so early in the academic year and this made a big difference.”
rence. “Had a great confe evant rel re we s nd sta de Tra ” ul. lpf and he
“Great list of speakers – and the discussion panel s were really helpful.” ference “It was a very good con to ting get of e – from the eas ue to the ven the at g rkin pa and rs.” organisation and speake
“I thought the programme offered a wide variety of speakers and themes which appealed.”
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INTERVIEW
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Interview with a CEO: Standout moments nasen Connect speaks to CEO Annamarie Hassall MBE, about her first months in her new role.
On the first month and standout moments I started in October and, in that first month, my feet hardly touched the ground as I met with ministers, senior policy officials and SEND advisers at the DfE. I have also been meeting with our Trustees, getting to know them individually. The importance of that Trustee role and the need for effective, transparent relationships is undeniable. It has been a standout couple of months rather than moments. Aside from working with the impressive nasen team, it was wonderful to meet children and young people at the nasen annual Awards ceremony. With 13 award categories, mainly for those working in schools, colleges and settings, it was an uplifting experience.
Annamarie intends to host some ‘open’ conversations, a coffee and Zoom with purpose! Look out for these and join her if you can.
On nasen’s community nasen is an important collaborator, an organisation that brings others together who share a passion for education, making a difference to the experience of children and young people with SEND. In that collaborator role, nasen brings together representation from specialist schools and colleges, providing a sounding board for DfE on a broad range of topics. It’s an exciting time to be looking at how we can reignite the member activity and consider new areas of focus. I intend to host some ‘open’ conversations, a coffee and Zoom with purpose! Look out for these and join me if you can.
The charity marks its 30th year in 2022. I want to make this an opportunity to create a standout year for our members, networks and stakeholders.
On priorities in the next months The nasen vision stands firm, ‘Achieve an equitable educational experience for learners with SEND – consistently good as it is for learners without SEND’. The charity marks its 30th year in 2022. I want to make this an opportunity to create a standout year for our members, networks and stakeholders. We will play a full and active part in contributing to
the anticipated consultation that will follow publication of the SEND review (expected in spring). Our plans for a ‘State of SEND’ report are underway; I will want to involve our members in shaping the direction and contributing to the evidence. During our 30th year, we will build new relationships and partnerships, seeking to influence others to be inclusive in their practice and routinely build in coproduction. We will continue to examine our overall approach to maximising technology, looking at the CPDL required to enable the school workforce to support learners with SEND. Expanding our work in the pre-reception phase and post 16 is a priority, and I want to ensure we collaborate effectively with parent-facing organisations. We will also look at intersectionality, considering the wider needs of learners with SEND and their protected additional characteristics. Finally, I will be right there with the amazing team at nasen as we work to reach all schools, to enable all teachers to be a teacher of SEND and all leaders to be a leader of SEND.
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SECTOR UPDATE
Sector
A L L T H E L AT E S T NEWS FROM ACROSS SEND
Update nasenconnect@nasen.org.uk
01827 311500
@nasen_org
search: @nasen.org
FREE GLASSES TO TACKLE POOR EYESIGHT AND BOOST LITERACY housands of pupils can benefit from an expanded programme that provides two free pairs of glasses to improve reading and writing by tackling poor eyesight. Data shows that 30 per cent of pupils who need glasses have not been to an optician, alongside disadvantaged children being less likely to get, or wear, the glasses they need. This can hold children back. The ‘Glasses in Classes’ scheme aims to level up outcomes and will be adapted for five disadvantaged areas in England, under the Opportunity Area programme. This will reach more than 9,000 pupils in at least 225 schools for pupils in Doncaster, Derby, Durham, Norwich and Breckland, and North Yorkshire Coast. Children identified as needing glasses will receive one pair for home and one
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for school, to help them concentrate in the classroom and improve their literacy skills. Children and their families will receive support from a vision coordinator, usually a teaching assistant, to attend follow-up eye examinations, get their prescription glasses and wear them regularly. Training will be available for support staff. The ‘Glasses in Classes’ project was developed by the Centre for Applied Education Research (CAER), a partnership created by Bradford Opportunity Area to remove health barriers to learning. The CAER partnership includes the Department for Education, Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, the Universities of Leeds, Bradford and York, the City of Bradford Metropolitan Council, and the Educational Endowment Foundation (EEF). Read more here: https://bit.ly/3AONVnI
The Good Childhood Report from the National Children’s Society The Children’s Society has published its annual Good Childhood Report, looking at the wellbeing of children in the UK in 2021. Their research seeks to understand how young people feel about different aspects of their lives. The Good Childhood Report 2021 of around 2,000 10 to 17
year-olds between April and June 2021, shows the latest trends in children’s wellbeing. This year they have found that school, friendships and appearance continue to cause the greatest dissatisfaction in adolescence. To read the report go to: https://bit.ly/3obme4N
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Don’t want to wait for the next issue? Check out https://nasen.org.uk/news
WHAT IS AN INFORMATION, ADVICE AND SUPPORT SERVICE? Information, Advice and Support Services provide free, impartial and confidential information, advice and support to disabled children and young people, and those with SEN from birth to 25, and their parents. They are statutory services, which means there must be a service in every local authority. The Council for Disabled Children has produced a short animation funded by the Department for Education to help children and young people with SEND and their parents learn about the service and support on offer from their local ‘Information Advice and Support Service’ and how a local IASS team can be contacted – including how to access the national helpline. To access the animation go to: https://bit.ly/39DEviM
Helping London’s PVI sector to survive, thrive and grow
Charity receives funding to tackle lack of spaces in the Early Years for children with SEND On Monday 13 September, Comic Relief announced a new £9.1 million programme – ‘Change Makers’ – to support new initiatives that will deliver vital long-term support to thousands of vulnerable people across the UK during the COVID-19 recovery. Dingley’s Promise in Berkshire will use an investment of £545,789 to design and deliver 10 training courses for Early Years practitioners to boost inclusivity for children with SEND and to facilitate the development of early years inclusion strategies in 30 local authorities. All of this will take place with a focus on parental input, on building the voice of the child, and on wider influencing of sector leaders and government. Children with SEND and children in the Early Years are among the most affected by the pandemic, and so this project will directly contribute to opening more spaces for them in settings at a time when early intervention is crucial. Catherine McLeod MBE, Chief Executive of Dingley’s Promise, said: “We are over the moon about being able to deliver this project. We are committed to transforming the early years for children with SEND and want to change the fact that currently only 19 per cent of local authorities have enough spaces for children with SEND in the Early Years. This project will build a movement for greater inclusion and will open up spaces to allow more children than ever before to thrive in the Early Years.” The ‘Change Makers’ programme is launching 20 new initiatives involving 45 organisations, spanning all four nations of the UK, over the next five years. They will tackle serious issues that have seen increased demand for help throughout the pandemic including homelessness, domestic abuse and mental health. The programme aims to find innovative solutions to problems affecting vulnerable people that have been overlooked or under-resourced at a local, regional and national level.
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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched Strong Early Years London in May this year, alongside delivery partners Early Years Alliance and Ceeda. Their online one-stop-shop for Early Years business support across the capital is now up and running, alongside a dedicated helpline for Early Years providers. Strong Early Years London now offers a comprehensive set of services, including: a one-stop-shop – hosted on the London Business Hub – where Early Years providers can access a range of sector-specific business support, advice and guidance a series of online workshops and webinars a dedicated helpline local group surgeries the opportunity for intensive business consultancy for the most at-risk providers. Go to: www.businesshub.london/early-years/ to find out more.
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SECTOR UPDATE
PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING IN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES The Department for Education (DfE) Guidance to develop a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing was updated on 21 September 2021. The latest edition of the ‘Whole School or College Approach’, updated for autumn 2021 by Public Health England (PHE) and the DfE, defines the areas to be considered to enable good mental health and wellbeing practice. The document describes eight principles of a whole school or college approach to promoting mental health and wellbeing which, if applied consistently and comprehensively, will help contribute towards protecting and promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Each principle is considered together with some examples from practice and a question to help the reader to reflect on the implications for practice in their own setting. The document also signposts to resources to support implementation. Access the document here: https://bit.ly/3ucwFGo In addition, the Mental Health and wellbeing resources section has been updated with the following: Mental health resources for parents and carers have been put together so that children and young people, parents, carers, and school and college staff can get the advice and help they need.
The behaviour hubs programme encourages schools to work with each other to develop good behaviour cultures. The School Sport and Activity Action Plan helps you encourage physical activity, which helps to promote wellbeing. The Character education framework helps you to help (pupils’ spiritual and mental development. Children and young people can also play an active role in creating a supportive school environment. You can use the findings from the Anna Freud peer-support programme to develop your own in-school activities. To read the full updated guidance go to: https://bit.ly/3ug3MsG
Can you help? Making Participation Work, supported by the Council for Disabled Children, is collecting examples of effective practice where local areas and organisations are working with children and young people with SEND in strategic decision-making and participation development. They are looking for examples, both big and small, to showcase creative and innovative ways to support children and young people to be involved in decisions about their lives. If you would like to speak with their team to share your great work, please get in touch with their Project Assistant, Fiona, at felliott@ncb.org.uk
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SECTOR UPDATE
1991
Helping Everyone Achieve
nasen is founded when the National Association for Remedial Education (NARE) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) join to create a single organisation. It is dedicated to the education, training, advancement and development of all those with special and additional support needs.
CELEBRATING OUR
1993 Ofsted inspections of schools begin – introduced by the then Prime Minister, John Major, who wanted a more rigorous system that inspected every school every four years.
1994
ANNIVERSARY th 1991-2021
The first SEN Code of Practice comes into effect, for the ‘identification and assessment nt of children with special educational needs’.’. The Code of Practice also introduces the role of the SENCO in mainstream schools.
1995 The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 becomes law and is the first legislation of its kind to protect people with disabilities from discrimination in areass including employment ployment and education. educat
1997 The launch of the Green Paper, Excellence for all Children: Meeting Special Educational Needs. The Labour government gives public p support to the UK U statement, calling on all governments to adopt the principle of inclusive education.
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2020 2005
2009
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 becomes law, giving people with learning disabilities the right to make their own decisions if they have the capacity to do so. Baroness Mary Warnock writes an article on SEN, calling for the government to set up another commission to review the situation. She concludes there is an urgent need to review SEN, particularly the concept of inclusion, the process of statementing and to gain a better understanding of any links between social disadvantage and SEN. The UK becomes a signatory to the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The Lamb Inquiry is established as part of the UK government’s response to the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee Report titled ‘Special Educational Needs: Assessment and Funding’. The inquiry was led by Brian Lamb, the chair of the Special Educational Consortium (SEC), who was tasked by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to explore ways to enhance parental confidence in the SEN assessment process. First mandatory qualification for SENCOs is introduced – National Award d for SEN Coordination.
‘The Warnock Report 40 years On’ is published to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first comprehensive review and report of SEN in England. The 1978 Warnock Report was the basis for significant legislation, including the Education Act 1981 and the Children and Families Act 2014. MARCH 2020 Schools across the UK close due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2001 The 2001 Special Educational Needs and Disability Act outlaws discrimination against disabled pupils in schools,, colleges and other education settings. It also o introduces the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. The second SEND Code of Practice is introduced.
JANUARY 2021 nasen membership becomes free and the new website and updated SEND Gateway are launched.
2019 nasen wins the tender for the Education Endowment ndowment Foundation (EEF) Whole School SEND Review ew Trial. The programme aims to improve provision n for pupils with SEND in mainstream schools by supporting porting the evaluation of the effectiveness of provision ision and implementing a bespoke plan to target areas reas of of priority and drive improvement.
2018
2004 The DfE publishes a new SEN strategy – Removing Barriers to Achievement: The Government’s Strategy for SEN. This helps set out the way forward for securing improvements for children with SEN and their families.
2021
nasen hosts Whole School SEND to deliver the Department for Education’s schools workforce contract bringing together schools, organisations and individuals committed to ensuring that every child and young person with SEND can maximise their potential.
2010 The Equality Act com mes into force an nd replaces the DD DA introduced in n 1995 and updated in 2005. The Act introduces nine protected characteristics including disability and provides a consolidated source of discrimination law, covering all the types of discrimination that are unlawful.
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2015
nasen wins the Early Years SENCO Award and SEND Partnerships projects with DfE.
The SEND Code of Practice is updated.
2014 The Children and Families Act becomes law. The third SEND Code of Practice introduces education, health and care plans (EHCPs) under Part Three of the Act. A landmark moment for children with SEN as reforms take effect, aiming to give children and young people with SEND and their parents a greater say in the support they receive. The government describes the new measures as some of the biggest changes in special education for 30 years.
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BIO M AND Y WILD ING
Early Years SENCO
Award Project Mandy Wilding, Education Officer at nasen, provides a detailed update on the Early Years SENCO Award Project which began in 2018. n October 2018, nasen secured funding from the Department for Education (DfE) to train 507 Early Years SENCOs in 23 Local Authorities in the L3 Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education (CACHE) accredited SENCO Award created and delivered by School Improvement Liverpool (SIL). In June 2019, 511 achieved the award. The following February, further DfE funding was secured to train an additional 288 Early Years SENCOs across 12 Local Authorities, with 289 achieving the award, despite the pandemic. Since November 2018, more than 3,000 people have expressed their interest in the Level 3 SENCO Award and there are currently 15 Local Authorities on
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a waiting list to take part in the project, if further DfE funding is received. In England there are now a total of 1,470 Early Years SENCOs with Level 3 accreditation who have been trained via the project or by Local Authorities paying for the training through SIL. This represents approximately six per cent of the 24,000 private and voluntary group-based providers of Early Years education. Figures show that private groupbased providers have an average of three children with SEND and voluntary groupbased providers have an average of four. At present, these settings are only required to have a named SENCO. nasen would like to see a qualified SENCO in every PVI setting. Although the increase in trained Early Years SENCOs is significant, there is still much work to be done. There is a need to not only continue the training provided by the course, but to accelerate its pace. This is particularly important in light of the pandemic and the increasing role of the SENCO. Last year, the Early Years SENCO Award was adapted for remote delivery by SIL due to the pandemic. The whole-day sessions of face to face delivery with private study time were replaced by three to four hours of online
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Mandy is an Education Officer at nasen and leads the DfE funded Early Years SENCO Award and Early Years SEND Partnership projects. She is passionate about the early identification of, and high-quality provision for, children with SEND in the Early Years.
delivery. This was followed by private study time in the afternoons for delegates to complete gap tasks, course reading and assignments. Observations by the assessors and face to face follow-up interviews were replaced by observations by managers or other senior leaders, and follow-up interviews were carried out with the assessors via telephone. Remote delivery of the course was raised as the greatest obstacle by trainers, along with IT connection issues and the challenge of establishing relationships with delegates. Networking between the delegates, which is one of the major strengths of the course, also proved challenging. These issues were overcome in a variety of creative ways by the trainers, including accessing remote support from nasen, SIL and their IT teams, creating local network links and peer support for assignments through the chat tool during the sessions, WhatsApp groups and trainers supporting delegates via email and telephone.
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FEATURE
TEACHING & LEARNING
AN IMPACT QU ESTIONNAIRE WAS SH ARED AND THE FEEDBACK HELPED TO ID ENTIFY THE FOL LOWING CHANGES:
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Changes to the settings’ SEND Policy: 72 per cent of the settings reported that they had made changes to their SEND policy or completely re-written it. One manager commented: “It has been made more personal, easier for parents to understand and the job role has been included for the SENCO.”
Admissions of children with SEND to the setting: Although all settings were reported to be inclusive of children with SEND and no changes therefore had been made to their admissions policy, 34 per cent reported that they had made changes to their admission arrangements prior to the child starting. For example, one manager stated: “The course has made the setting reflect on the need for a separate pack for parents of children with SEND and part of the admissions process will include an introduction to this for new parents.”
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Changes to transition arrangements: 55 per cent said they had made changes to their internal or external transition arrangements for children with SEND. Some felt that the SENCO would be able to give much more information to the receiving school or setting following the course. One commented that: “The course has made me review the transition procedures between the rooms in the setting as well as the one from nursery to school.”
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Planning and target setting for children with SEND: 76 per cent reported that they had made changes to the way learning plans were written for children with SEND. These changes included breaking targets down into smaller, achievable steps, making them more targeted to each individual child and reviewing them earlier. One manager explained: “It was identified that the key persons do not feel confident with the review of the targets, despite them being the ones who are implementing the targeted activities with the children. As a result of this, we are going to implement in-house training.”
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Using the Graduated Approach: 69 per cent provided training for their practitioners on the Graduated Approach after their SENCO attended the course. Some settings stated that they were introduced to it for the first time, with many saying that the training had given their staff a better understanding. One setting manager stated: “I have learnt about this approach and now understand why it is done and think it’s a great way to get the assessment done to move the children forwards.”
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Applications for additional funding for children with SEND: 36 per cent said that the training had drawn their attention to funding that they were previously unaware of, to support them to meet the needs of children with SEND: “We now have a greater awareness of claiming for some children we might not have previously claimed for.”
Continuing Professional Development for practitioners: 76 per cent had already begun or intended to deliver in-house training to their practitioners or enrol them on DfE-funded or paid-for training. By attending the course with its close links to the nasen resources, free membership of nasen and through discussions with colleagues, the SENCOs were able to inform their settings of the wide range of training and resources available to them. One SENCO/manager commented: “I have created an in-house training module to add to our existing modules, to support children with SEND. This has helped me to share my knowledge and help them (practitioners) to further develop their key role.”
At present, these settings are only required to have a named SENCO. nasen would like to see a qualified SENCO in every PVI setting.
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To registeryourinterestinthe EarlyYearsSENCOAward,please goto:https://bit.ly/2VS2Nlr
The course has made the setting reflect on the need for a separate pack for parents of children with SEND and part of the admissions process will include an introduction to this for new parents.
Since the completion of the Early Years SENCO course for cohort three in March this year, nasen received funding from DfE for a five-month project (1 April to 31 August 2021) but it has not yet been able to confirm that there will be funding for a further cohort. This has given nasen the opportunity to analyse which Local Authorities have been involved in the project and, more importantly, which have not. It has also given SIL the opportunity to update course materials in line with COVID-19 arrangements and add new content. A new ‘Pre-SENCO course’ has been developed by nasen and SIL, co-delivered online in the form of three two-hour webinars. This course has been open to
Early Years SENCOs in PVI settings from the 15 interested Local Authorities and each session has so far been attended by around 200 Early Years SENCOs. The course covers nine of the key themes from the Early Years SENCO Award and includes two gap tasks to be completed between sessions. It has given participants the chance to develop the skills necessary for the SENCO Award, which is likely to be delivered via a blended approach this year. The Pre-SENCO course also assists the Local Authorities with recruitment for the SENCO Award by identifying Early Years SENCOs wishing to take part. The aim of the Early Years L3 SENCO Accredited Award is to upskill the Early
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Years workforce by developing their knowledge and confidence about SEND. From the evidence gained from nasen’s internal evaluation of the project, it is clear that the Early Years SENCO Award meets the needs of an identified gap in the sector. For the past seven years, Early Years practitioners have been acting as the named SENCO in their setting, many without fully understanding what the role entails, the agencies and LA Teams that are in place to support them or, crucially, the most effective practice to best support children with SEND in their settings. The quality of the delivery and content of this course not only impacts on the knowledge of the practitioner but gives them the confidence to change the policy and systems of the settings in which they work and effect real change. The Early Years Level 3 SENCO Award provides tangible benefits for LAs, settings, their staff and, most importantly, for children with SEND and their families.
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FEATURE
TEACHING & LEARNING
Learning through Laurra Fuller ex xplores the role e of movem ment in n learning for chilldren n with SE END. his artticle e aims to give insig ght to ho ow dance e and mo oveme ent can be easily implem mentted d into SEN Schoolss. Over thhe past two tw wo aca ademic ye earss, we have been workking with a SE END schhool based inn North Linncolnnshire to increasse dance annd movement particiipation wiith stud dentts
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with AS SD and/or physical disabilities. Our objective is not just to introduce dannce e and movement to SEN students, but to also cre eate longevity tyy with provision of dance and movement. Fortunately, the pro oject wa as suuccessful and we are now working g withh stuudents on a weekly basis. Thhe students taking part in these sessionns had ver y complex mental and physicall nee eds. Two students in the classs were
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wheellcha air userrs, so o the se essiions needed to o be e quite fle exible. At time es, depend dinng on what typ ype of mo ornning g stuudents ha ad, plans forr the sesssio on had to o be im mmed dia atelyy adapted to suitt the need ds of thhe students. For examplee, iff stuudennts had diifficultiees that mo orning, planns would often be put on hold as sttudeents needed something far more relaxing/calmiing. It’ss useful to bear in
minnd that thhese things do happenn, annd in factt arre quite essential asspecctss to co onsider when wo orkking wiith stud dents wiithh complex neeeds. What follows is a guid de thhat I use now with other SEND schoo ols thhat I have a parttnership with. Thiss is an ong going documeent that I add to eacch tiime I have a differentt idea or a specific tip or triick off the trade.
CHOOSING A THEME It’s important to workk wiith a theme or top pic tha at sttudents cann relate e to inn the dance lesssonn. This ca an be sometthing that stuudents ha ave a genuine interesst in, or a to opiic that stud dents are focusinng onn in thhe cllassroom. There e are many benefits to workking g with a cro oss-curriccular appro oach, esspeciially if sttudents are no on-vverbal or have difficulties rea ading and writiing. It can be e ea asier to focus on literacy during a movem ment and dance lesson. For exxample, if we use e the book ‘Grandad’s Bench’ byy Addyy Farmer, we can note how thhe ve erbs,, nouns and adjectives have the possibiility tyy to o gene erate lots of discussion and movementt suuch as:
Jumble of chairs”– – note the word ”‘‘jum mble’. Thhiss creates an image of a heap, a co olle ection, thhingss put togetherr in a random order. The image of a chhairr could also be played with, and stude ents can make cha airs withh theiir bodies, orr usse multip ple bod dies. Saw wdust – this briingss a tactile element to thhe sessionn. Saw wdust can be eithe er sprinkled onn the floor or on thhe laps off whee elchair users,, and stud dents can pllay and d experrience the feel off it, and d move e, roll, kickk annd run it through theirr fiingers. They can wattch how itt fallls to the grouund and thhen they can mimic the way thhat it falls.
“T Tools” – How w many y toolls can we think off? What do tho ose e too ols do?? How would we usse thhesse to ools?? Students could d play wiithh the idea of workiing withh that spe eciffic (imaginary) to ooll, using hamme ering/sawing g acttions, twistinng and turning actionss for a driill.
EQUIPMENT Sp peakinng fro om expeerience, stud dents thrivve on tactile stim muli. This cann be the siimplest of prop ps such as stretchy fabric for parachuutes. Visual stimuli can allso o be helpful, and keey word ds thatt are being used cann be writtten and postted arouund the spacce. Photogrraphhs and pictures alw ways encouura age imaginative responsees. When it comes to co ommunicationn and d lannguage, althoug gh so omewhat differennt, sesssions can be deliverred nonn-vverballly, where students folllow whatevver thhe tea acher/ instructor is do oing. This brinngs a callminng, re elaxing atm mosphhere and d ennablles studennts to fo ocuus purelyy on the e mo ovement itself.
H ER E A R E S O M E O TH ER H EL P FU L
TI P S
• Avoid using the wo rd “walk”, for examp le “walk around the space”. No t all participants will be able to do this, especi ally wheelchair users. Instead, use words suc h as ‘travel’ or ‘move’ . • If able to, use sign language whilst talk ing. This does not need to be in depth, more for simple commands suc h as ‘sit’ and ‘look’. • Body language is ess ential, and physical contact can also play a huge part in a relationship with a stu dent. Some students need that physical con tact; a hug, a pat on the shoulder, a hand to ho ld. Touch is essential in a movement session, therefore it does need to be encouraged in a controlled manner.
• High fives/handsh akes are beneficial in a movement sessio n as using these can avoid hugg ing if students do not feel comfortab le doing so.
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FEATURE
TEACHING & LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT AND SUPPORT The space in which students are working needs to have minimal distractions. Also, consider the lighting; if the lights are too bright, perhaps they need to be turned off and a subtle lamp can be used instead. If music is being used, it needs to echo the energy you would like the students to have. The length of the session should also be addressed; consider student energy levels and d attention spans. If students begin to become e lesss engaged, the sessionn mustt fo ollow wha atever they need. If stude entts show signs off becom ming tired or stresssed, thhe activiityy needs to thhen flex to suiit them m. If possib ble, it would also be e bennefficial to worrk with a small group off students; dependinng on thheir ab billities and need ds, it would d be appropriate to use the notion of working with no more than 10 studentss at a time.
More support is often needed when working away from a classroom, in a larger space, with more freedom for students. If there are staff available to assist, that is often beneficial for both the session lead der and participants. This creates a more flexible le earning environm ment for stuudents and allo ows creativity tyy and ima agination to fllow morre fre eely.. Som me support workers may have exp pecttations about what stude ents will orr wo on’’t be able to do. Howeverr, thhis is the opp portunity tyy where these expecta atio ons can be challeng ged. It is am maziing to wittness
It is amazing to witnesss movvements, mom ments of play and creativvity thatt completely sh hift ftt perceptions of students’ pee ers and teachers.
movveme ents, moments of play and creativity tyy tha at completely shift pe erceptionns of studennts’ pe eerrs and te eachers. Sup pport worrkers may ne eed d to help physica allyy move participants. This iss com mpllete ely acccepta able,, how wever, it would d be suitable to seek permission from stude entss for this to happen first. Wheelchair userss may need assistance and this can be shared betw tween w participants, support workers and session leaders. Working with others should be encouraged at all timess. Finally, feedback is critical for any projeect, to allow growth and devvelo opmentt. Consider asking participannts for their thoughts, or asking other members of stafff to take pa art or observe a session. There could alrea ady be evvalua ation tools and assessm ment po olicies att the school that could fit the criiterria to mea asuree pro ogreess within your choseen movemeent project.
BIO LAURA FU L L ER
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Laura is a dance in education specialist. She has been teaching dance and movement for over 15 years, to all ages and abilities. She is an Ofsted rated “Outstanding” teacher, and specialises in Level 2 and 3 Dance qualifications. Her current focus is Early Years Development and Special Educational Needs.
Supporting every learner, no matter their need We believe everyone should have the same opportunity to achieve their full potential. To help you to support your students throughout their educational journey, you can now download our free Supporting your SEN students interactive guide, detailing our range of tools and support from assessment and intervention to examination.
Download your copy: pearsonclinical.co.uk/nasenguide
Update:
SEND D data a
2021
What does the e latest SEEN and EHCP P data tell uss? Zo oe Mather takes a look at the latest SEND data and d consid ders some off th he questions we need d to ask k, and what we can do with the information it offerrs us. Everyy year the Department for Education (DfE) publishes a dataset called ‘Special Educcational Needs in England’, which is baseed on the information obtained from the Ja anuary census of that year, i.e., the data published in June reflects the situation in Jannuary 2021. The dataset contains information from manyy years and, as such, provides an excellent way of tracking trends. The 2021 censuus was unusual as it was carried out durinng the third lockdown of the COVID-19 pand demic; though schools were open, not all pupills were in attendance. However, schools
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were asked to enter data for all pupils on roll, so the data should be as previous yearss. When reviewing the data, it is impo ortant to remember that it does not give us a complete picture of SEN across England as it relies heavily upon the accuracy of the inform mation added to the census and it only reflectss the ‘p primary need’ category assigned to each pupil. Pupils with SEN are highly likely to have needs which cut across more thann one of these categories, so the true picture will be more complex and nuanced. It also do oes not include pupils with SEND who are eduucated at home or in post-16 education.
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9 Why W h are we continuing to see such an increase in EHC plans? Is it due to more pupils with more complex needs or are schools better at recognising need? If so, why are more pupils able to access mainstream settings?
2 Why are we seeing increasing numbers of pupils with SEN being educated in special schools? Is this what parents want? And if so, why?
More than half of pupils with th EHC plans are in mainstream settings; does this reflect inclusive practice flourishing in these settings? If so, Why were there a raft of special schools due to open in September 2021?
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
As with any data, caution should be taken in drawing too many conclusions. As mentioned previously, the data only reflects primary need and not necessarily the complexities of the pupils. With this in mind, there are some important questions to be asked about the information to better understand what we can learn from it.
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Why W h is there so much variation between LAs? Does this reflect the different services and provision available, varying levels of funding and staffing, or some other factor? What does this mean for children and parents in different parts of the country?
What happens to those pupils identified as SLCN as they move into secondary schools? Bearing the pandemic lockdowns in mind, will we see this number increase due to pupils losing access to continuous provision in Early Years?
More pupils in PRUs have ave ve identified SEN support or an EHCP, though the total number err of pupils has decreased. Is there provision that should be in place to enable these pupils to stay in mainstream? Where have those pupils not now in PRUs gone to, and do they contribute to the increase in those not in education or training?
With the increase in SLCN, are there enough speech and language therapists to help school staff support learners? How can mainstream colleagues in secondary schools be supported to meet pupils’ needs?
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Many pupils experienced ed d improved wellbeing when being eing ing educated at home. Will the increase in pupils with EHCPs being educated at home continue as a result of the pandemic? How do parents access the correct support for their child in already stretched health and care departments? How can schools facilitate part-time learning if this is beneficial for those pupils?
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5 Does the fact that SEN for pupils pils with English as an additional language is lower than Englishfirst pupils mean that needs are going unrecognised in this group? How can we unravel what is EAL from SEN (EAL is not SEN in and of itself)?
SEN DATA 10%
The increase in the number of EHC Plans. They now total over 430,000
50% of EHC plan pupils are in mainstream settings
60,000 the number of new EHC plans. This is an 11% increase
Only 58% of EHC plans completed in statutory timescale, possibly due to the pandemic and the change to only doing so if reasonably practicable
8%
27,000 pupils with an EHC plan are being educated outside of a nursery, school or college placement
38%
3,660 pupils with an EHCP are electively educated at home, which represents 0.8% of all those with an EHCP
of pupils with EHC plans are also on FSMs
https://bit.ly/3hM9z4h
24%
Autism remains the most common primary need representing 30% of all EHCPs
of pupils in PRUs have an EHC plan
https://bit.ly/3nKiFCp
The number of initial EHCP requests was down by 8%
The number of EHCP refusals was down to 22% – the lowest rate of refusals since 2016
Children looked-after are four times more likely to have SEN
of pupils with SEND attend a specialist setting
10%
Rise in share of pupils with SEN to 15.8% of all pupils, getting closer to the 20% forecast by the Warnock report in 1978 and the highest proportion since the SEND review of 2014
1,5 500 x4
SEN units and mainsttrre ream bases
An extra 4,000 pupils identified for SEN support
10,000
young people with SEN are not in education, employment or training (NEET)
10.9%
The total share of pupils with SEN varies across LAs from 10.9% at the lowest to 21.25% at the highest.
34.3% of pupils with SEN support are also receiving FSMs compared to 20.8% for all pupils
SLCN remains the highest primary need across SEN as a whole
82.6% of pupils in PRUs have SEN
21.25%
FEATURE
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The Diary of a SENCO ents Celebrate achievem
Pippa McLean examines the importance of celebrating achievements, whether large or small. e’re in full swing with Christmas rehearsals in school and the sound of children singing can be heard as you walk past each open classroom door. There’s a buzz in the air. Walking through the hall on the way to the library area, a class are rehearsing, and a moment catches my eye, so I linger a little longer than intended. The message I needed to give to someone can wait a while. I am the unplanned, impromptu audience, and M is not only sat with the rest of his class, but when the right time comes, he gets up, holding his friend’s hand, moves into the space in front of him and bangs his drum with all his might. He enjoys all things musical and loves to bang and crash things together, so being able to drum is a way he can participate with his friends doing something he loves. It’s something that makes him happy. It’s something he BIO feels comfortable with. AN P IP PA M C LE There are things about is a Pippa McLean school that are sometimes s been teacher and ha less comfortable for him. er 12 a SENCO for ov Things that increase his taught years. She has h ug ro anxiety. M struggles Bo in the London urrock if something happens of Newham, Th is d an unexpectedly, with and Essex, a in O NC SE a ly little prewarning or current nt and fa in am tre ns preparation, and he mai . nursery school doesn’t yet have the
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verbal language to express how he feels. He struggles with even small aspects of change, so getting to a place where he feels happy to be in the hall doing something different has been a long, planned process, using visuals and gradual exposure to new things one step at a time. There are lots of small steppingstones crossed along the way to help him face new experiences. Knowing him and planning to alleviate his anxiety is key; planning to support each transition, knowing what he loves, what helps, what calms him as well as what triggers discomfort or difficulties. Gaining his views by observing him closely and responding to his non-verbal communication; talking with his parents and people who know him well have helped to build the picture. The staff team around him have worked hard to support him to feel comfortable, and to support his increasing engagement in the activity over time. So, glimpsing him not only participating in it all, but also enjoying it is one of those moments that makes you want to sing! This is one of the things I love about this job. Things that might not even register with other onlookers…this seemingly small success that is actually a huge, giant thing to celebrate. This is the kind of achievement that not everyone measures, that some just take for granted and others just belittle.
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But for us it’s the kind of success that puts a broad smile on our faces and gives us a spring in our step. Others might not appreciate all the work that has gone into it, but we know it. M and his family know it. We appreciate it and so do they. So, let’s join the celebration and bang the drum!
Be a celebrator of big and little things If you’re enjoying Diary of a SENCO and have any thoughts or experiences you’d like to share with us, please get in touch via michaels@nasen.org.uk.
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FEATURE ➜
SPOTLIGHT
Y L L A C I S Y A PH IENDLY FR ING SETT
are able n e r ld i h ll c d suring a g has resonate n e o t h ttin oac d’s appr ally friendly se am share their r o f d a r B gs. te sic d a phy e, their ved from settin r n e e t H t . a ls o o t al scho ck recei with loc nd the feedba nces, a experie
pecialist teachers from the physical and medical team in Bradford’s Specialist Teaching and Support Service (STaSS) have developed an award that celebrates schools and nursery settings in achieving a ‘Physically Friendly Setting’ status. Becoming a Physically Friendly Setting demonstrates that a setting has achieved high standards in supporting and empowering children and young people who have additional physical needs. The process involved in receiving the title is straightforward and user friendly thanks to the free online resources developed by pdnet, the national network supporting professionals in education in promoting positive outcomes for CYP with physical disability.
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The process of completing the matrix and creating an action plan helped us to reflect on our practice and think more about how we can build on it.
“The pdnet Standards provide a practical structure for schools and settings to self-evaluate current provision and reflect on the effectiveness of their organisation in meeting the diverse needs of CYP with physical disability,” says pdnet. “The Selfevaluation Tool provides a simple, effective way for schools and settings to evaluate their provision against the pdnet Standards.”
THE BRADFORD JOURNEY Over the last two years, Bradford’s Physical and Medical Team have worked with settings covering all ages to achieve the award. The first settings to undergo the process set up a steering group and undertook an audit of their current provision. This informed their action plan and was supported by pdnet’s selfvaluation tool. The specialist teachers from
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the physical and medical team had termly meetings with the SENCO to monitor progress and facilitate further developments, rather like a critical friend. Part of the development undertaken in all the settings was in completing pdnet’s free Level 1 online training, ‘Raising Awareness of Physical Disability’.
“These training modules are designed for anyone working within an educational setting who needs to develop their awareness and understanding of physical disability and the impact it can have on learning,” pdnet said. Pdnet has now released its Level 2 training, which is available for settings to purchase. The final step of the process was for settings to demonstrate their achievements
and their ongoing ability to provide high quality support for CYP with additional physical needs. This took the form of an evaluation meeting involving two specialist teachers from the team so that one who had not been working alongside the setting could offer moderation. This gave the settings the opportunity to showcase the progress they had made. Bradford Academy’s feedback on the project was positive: “The process of completing the matrix and creating an action plan helped us to reflect on our practice and think more about how we can build on it.” St Edmund’s Nursery and Children’s Centre valued the opportunity to examine their provision: “As an Early Years Enhanced Specialist Provision School, our setting already had excellent facilities and resources to support children with physical disabilities. However, through the course of gathering evidence for the award we looked at our provision with a critical eye and were able to fine-tune some details. It also helped us celebrate what is great about St Edmund’s and its provision for children with physical disabilities.” The success of the Bradford settings has generated interest in the award from other settings within the authority. Specialist teachers in neighbouring local authorities have also expressed enthusiasm for
AB OUT US The physical and medical team in Bradford consists of specialist teachers who provide a service for children and their parents in mainstream schools and settings, including the home. We support children with a range of physical difficulties and medical conditions within the age range birth to 25 years. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3AK4xwQ. City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council Children’s Services, Education and Learning
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embarking on the same journey with their schools and Early Years providers. The Bradford Physical and Medical Team are happy to speak to other authorities who wish to undergo the process themselves. Maintaining high standards is essential and, although the award lasts for two years, settings need to submit their ongoing action plan to illustrate their continued developments and future planning. The physical and medical team were disappointed that they could not hold an event for settings to attend and celebrate their success back in the 2020 summer term. However, having the opportunity to share the story of what was achieved in an article such as this goes a long way to make up for it – just without the cake! ng the “We are proud of achievi and will award ’ ting Set y ndl Frie al ’Physic ards providing the endeavour to strive tow for children with e ctic best inclusive pra rd Academy. physical needs.” – Bradfo
“Completing the Physical Friendly Settin g award has been a valuable experienc e. The process has enabled us to celebrate the good work that we were already doing in supporting learners with physical needs but has also helped us identify ways that we can build on our provision to ensure that all learn ers in school have the opportunity to flour ish academically and personally.” – Keigh ley St Andrew’s C of E Primary School.
“The process had an impact on staff, increasing their confidence, deepening their knowledge of physical disabilities, and equipping them with tools to implement strategies on a daily basis.” – St Edmund’s Nursery and Children’s Centre.
FEATURE ➜
SPOTLIGHT
ABI Aware School Award What does Acquired Brain Injury mean for children, and what should settings be aware of? Louise Wilkinson discusses.
cquired Brain Injury (ABI) continues to be one of the most prevalent, yet under acknowledged, areas of special educational needs in the UK, despite the Child Brain Injury Trust campaigning to try to raise its profile for the last 30 years. An ABI is an injury to the brain that takes place following a period of normal development after birth. It can be caused by accidents, illnesses such as meningitis, encephalitis and even childhood measles; childhood strokes; the impact of treatments for tumours; or poisoning; either through toxins created by the body or accidentally ingested. It is estimated that 35,000 children are admitted to A&E units each year for treatment following accidents with injury to the head: traumatic brain injury (TBI). It is important to note that this figure only accounts for accidents and does and include children who acquired their injury through non-traumatic means (e.g., illness, stroke, tumour, etc.) or those who were not admitted to hospital but still sustained significant concussion/head injury. It is therefore estimated the actual number of children affected by ABI each year is more likely to be in the region of 60,000.
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FEATURE ➜
SPOTLIGHT
BIO LO UISE WILKINSO N Louise Wilkinson is Head of Information & Learning at the Child Brain Injury Trust. Since starting with the charity in 2008 she has been responsible for many innovative initiatives in the field of childhood ABI and has spoken at many national and international conferences on the topic. Louise has worked with thousands of education professionals over the years and has great respect for the difference they can make to children with special educational needs.
Training and awareness of childhood acquired brain injury is minimal despite being far more prevalent than other neurological conditions in the general population of young people. Only a relatively small number of children are left with life limiting disabilities following childhood ABI. However, the majority of those admitted are left with often significant cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
SO, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN TERMS OF EDUCATION AND SEN? Children with an ABI will often look physically fine and “recovered” on their return to school, however they often have significant impairment and difficulties with concentration, memory, executive functioning (organisation, planning, problem
solving, task initiation) and can suffer with fatigue as a result of their brain injury. This means they are likely to have difficulties with any new learning, and can often appear lazy, unmotivated, and not “trying hard enough”, to those who do not understand acquired brain injury. In turn this can lead to low self-esteem and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Education professionals, and many parents and carers, may not be aware of any post-injury or illness-related issues associated with a child’s accident or illness
35,000
Total number of children admitted to hospital for TBI
2,000
will have sustained severe TBI
3,000
will have sustained moderate TBI
UK annual incidence of ABI in children/ young people
30,000 will have sustained mild TBI
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in the past; especially if it was minor, they were sent home from A&E, or were advised by clinicians previously that the child had made a full recovery. It is often said that we don’t know what we don’t know. The manifestations following childhood ABI can be similar to other areas of SEN, such as those within the autistic spectrum of disorders, dyspraxia, or ADHD; many children affected by ABI are misdiagnosed. Whilst some of the strategies to support a child or young person affected by ABI may be the same as the strategies for other special educational needs, it is important their brain injury is acknowledged. This is because the brain does not fully mature until a person is in their mid-twenties so their presentation may change over time. The majority of the 33,000-plus children per year who sustain a mild or moderate ABI, will return to mainstream school, and continue their rehabilitation; but how aware of ABI are those who are conducting this rehabilitation (i.e., the school teaching and support staff)? Training and awareness of childhood acquired brain injury is minimal despite being far more prevalent than other neurological conditions in the general population of young people – Autistic Disorder Conditions (up to 1.2 per cent), ADHD (up to nine per cent), Dyslexia (up to 10 per cent) or Learning Difficulties (up to four per cent). According to previous research the prevalence of ABI compared with these other neurological conditions is up to 31.6 per cent of the general population of young people. In order to create greater awareness and understanding of ABI in the education and SEN sectors, the Child Brain Injury Trust has developed a new best practice framework for schools, the ABI Aware
TO FIND OUT MORE: Website: https://bit.ly/3nmJECt Email:louisewilkinson@cbituk.org Telephone: 01869 341075.
TRAINING INCLUDED WITHIN THE AWARD AND OFFERED WITHOUT CHARGE TO ALL PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS: Training
Description
Audience
ABI Awareness
Overview/awareness of ABI
Whole school staff
Understanding Childhood Acquired Brain Injury
Interactive course with breakout sessions and case studies
School lead for inclusion/SENCO
Understanding Childhood Encephalitis
Awareness raising of encephalitis and potential impact on learning
SEN/Inclusion team
Understanding and Managing Childhood Acquired Brain Injury in KS2/KS3
In-depth learning on the key areas of difficulty children affected by ABI face on return to school/during their time in education
School lead for inclusion/SENCO All of SEN team including HLTA/TA/Support for learning etc.
Understanding the Local Support Information Pack
Sourcing information on support organisations, clubs, charities and statutory bodies that school can signpost or work with
SEN or Award Lead
Peer Awareness Session
Helping children and young people understand about the impact of ABI and how peers affected by ABI may have changed in the way they present and interact in school
Year Group of a child with an ABI or whole school. Extent of peer awareness chosen by school
Amazing Brain classroom-based learning
Curriculum I based learning including a lesson on understanding how the brain works and how to prevent accidental brain injuries
All pupils as part of PHSE disability and diversity learning with age-appropriate classroom resources and lesson plans included
School Award. Schools can work towards the Award without charge; full support and training are included at no cost to participating schools. Schools must meet 37 criteria across seven elements. These elements are:
LEADERS H I P A ND MAN AGE M ENT
ID E NT IF ICAT IO N AND SUPPO RT
It is estimated that 35,000 children are admitted to A&E units each year for treatment following accidents with injury to the head.
All governors, senior leadership team, teaching and learning support staff, and general support staff are aware of ABI and are committed to helping children with an ABI achieve their full potential, through appropriate policies, resources and communications.
AWAR E NE S S , UND ERS TA N DI N G AND P R E VENT I ON Everyone in the school, staff and pupils alike, is aware of and understands what an ABI is, how it can occur and how children may be affected following childhood ABI; this is achieved through training delivered by the Child Brain Injury Trust and resources supplied by them too.
Teaching and learning support staff are able to provide support across all elements of the curriculum in the most appropriate way for children and young people affected by ABI.
LEARNER ENVIRONMENT
The classroom/learning environment meets the specific needs of pupils affected by childhood acquired brain injury in an appropriate manner for their individual needs, including where appropriate the use of technology and adaptive equipment.
FAM ILY SUPPO RT AN D C OM MUN ICAT IO N The school openly encourages parents/ carers to communicate with the school on a
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day-to-day basis, listens to parental concerns and takes appropriate action in a timely manner.
TRANSITION/RETURN TO SCHOOL Any child transitioning either from KS1 to KS2, from school to school, or from hospital/home recovery, who has an ABI, is appropriately supported, taking into account their specific needs, including but not limited to a staged return and other appropriate strategies.
LO CAL SUPPO RT INF O RM AT IO N PACK The school has produced a local information pack of additional support agencies, clubs, and other organisations that they and families can access when required to support both the pupil, their family, and the school as a whole. The award is open to all schools across the UK. All schools who achieve the award will be listed on a national directory for parents and carers to see which schools in their area can support a child or young person following childhood ABI.
FEATURE ➜
CHERRY GARDEN SCHOOL:
MUSIC AT HEART Music is a staple of special education, but one school is benefiting from using outdoor musical instruments. Ashleigh Cannon, acting Deputy Head at Cherry Garden School in Peckham, describes the impact on learners. herry Garden is a special school for 80 children aged two to 11. The children have a range of needs, including profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), complex needs and autism. Some of the children are non-verbal and some have visual or hearing impairments. Two years ago, we moved to a new school site; we are very fortunate to have lots of space and decided to make the playgrounds exciting and inviting for all children. We wanted to create accessible spaces where they could engage with activities autonomously; doing more for themselves.
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THE VALUE OF SINGING The EYFS curriculum is the basis for our work, and we encourage learning through play. We do a lot of work around responding, showing preferences and cause and effect. We have found that music has a positive impact on posture, breathing and vocalising.
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SPOTLIGHT
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FEATURE ➜
SPOTLIGHT
All our children enjoy singing and we have noticed that those who are non-verbal engage particularly well. One day, I was singing ‘Old McDonald’ with a child and, as I started, the little boy said ‘sheep’. It was his first word; he then went on to other single word utterances. Research from Salimpoor, Benovy et al tells us that music increases our ‘feel good’ dopamine levels. Children with autism can be overstimulated in busy environments, but music can help them focus and selfregulate. For example, we have a transition song that we sing each time we move from one area to another, and again at the end of the day. It is consistent and predictable, and children find it reassuring. Music can also change moods and reduce conflict. One child at school was upset and didn’t want to go out into the playground. Instead of trying to cajole her, I sat down with her and we started singing
Children with autism can be overstimulated in busy environments, but music can help them focus and self-regulate.
together. I caught her eye and she seemed less resistant so I gradually moved to put her shoes on and was able to accompany her outside with no confrontation.
EXTENDING OUR WORK IN MUSIC Music has always been important in our school. Every classroom has a music corner or music station with a collection of instruments. However, most of these require well-developed fine motor skills. We saw Percussion Play’s range of outdoor musical instruments, including the huge drums and chimes, and realised that these would be a stepping-stone for those children who, for example, could not hold a beater to hit a note on a standard size xylophone. Outdoors, using large, robust instruments, I knew that they could develop their fine motor skills on a larger scale.
BIO ASHLE IGH CANNO N
Ashleigh Cannon is the Assistant Headteacher at Cherry Garden School, which is a special educational needs school for children with severe and complex needs. She was a special educational needs teacher for five years before becoming the Assistant Head at Cherry Garden School. Her main passion in teaching is supporting children with their communication skills, whether this is through a formal communication system or by using other means. She believes that if children are able to communicate, it can open up new opportunities for learning.
Our new outdoor musical instruments complement what we are already doing in music. We have a music teacher three days a week who works with small groups for around 20 minutes. Children start with cause and effect and learn that hitting an instrument makes a noise. They move on to learn new skills, copying simple patterns on the xylophone, finding out how to make louder and softer sounds, following instructions, playing sequences faster and slower and working on rhythm and pitch. For children with SEND, progress is rarely linear. Our children can have a ‘spiky profile’ but we want to record their achievements and the breadth of their learning. We developed our own Branch Maps to record progress for each of our six curriculum areas. It is based on the milestones from birth to five years of a typically developing child. The idea is that teachers can show a child’s broad learning and wide range of progress, whether linear or lateral, in a simple document with just one page per curriculum area. Visit our website for details of our Creative Development Branch Map, outlining the
The children came back at the beginning of summer term to find all sorts of new and exciting resources.
interaction. It was lovely to see them engaging together with the instruments. We hope these exciting and beautiful instruments will encourage children to extend their musical experiences. One of the key advantages of Percussion Play outdoor musical instruments is that they are very melodious. No matter who is using them, or how many are being played at any one time, or how hard children hit them, the sounds are always pleasing and never discordant. It is early days for our outdoor musical garden but already we are witnessing changes in children and look forward to seeing the impact longer term. range of skills for music, dance, art, drama and design and technology. The size of instruments became increasingly important when we saw that we would need to consider clearance, and allow space for children to play. As a school, we identified the main areas of the site where children congregated and realised that some areas were underused because children had no reason to visit them.
SETTING UP A MUSICAL PLAYGROUND For safety reasons, the musical instruments had to be professionally installed as this involved digging out part of the site. As children are in and out of the grounds all day and not just for playtimes, we had to wait until the Easter holidays for the installation. The children came back at the beginning of summer term to find all sorts of new and exciting resources. We had gone for a health and safety approach with beaters attached to instruments as we wanted to make sure they wouldn’t go missing. At our school, we have highly skilled staff who are very in tune with the children. Children with autism and visual impairments are encouraged to touch, stroke, bang and take turns exploring the instruments. One of the children watched a learning support assistant making music. When she stopped, the boy reached out to her, indicating that he was enjoying it and wanted her to continue with the musical
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P ER C US S I ON P L AY I NS T R UM ENT S C H OS E N B Y C HER RY G AR D EN S C H O O L:
Heavy Duty Cavatina – Rainbow (Ground Fix) Harmony Flowers Minor Posy (Set of 3) (Ground Fix) Poppy Petal Drum (A-Akebono) (Ground Fix) Babel Drum (Large) – G-Major (Ground Fix) / Babel Drum Beaters Tethered (Pair) Colossus Chimes (Set of 11) – Silver (Ground Fix) Djembes (Set 3) (Ground Fix) Heavy Duty Duo – Cupla (Ground Fix):
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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.
team nasenconnect@nasen.org.uk
01827 311500
@nasen_org
search: @nasen.org
If you have a question, and think the answer would be useful to everyone, please submit it to nasenconnect@nasen.org.uk Of course, you can always give nasen House a call too.
NEW EYFS FRAMEWORK I’m the SENCO at a PVI setting and I’m wondering which should I be following; the EYFS framework or the SEND Code of Practice for pupils with SEND in my setting? SENCO, Sunderland
Thank you for highlighting the change in EYFS for the start of this academic year. The new framework is compulsory from September 2021 and sets the standards for learning, development and care for all children, from birth to five. At nasen we were aware that for children with SEND there may be a conflict, so we produced a handy ‘At a Glance’ resource which summarises the new framework alongside the current Code of Practice. This should help to see the similarities and differences between the two. The resource is available here https://bit.ly/3yL9941.
UNDERSTANDING TERMINOLOGY
NEEDS SUPPORTING SENSORY NEEDS We have a number of new students who have been diagnosed with autism. We have done work on understanding autism and now we are getting to know them a little better, we want to look at how to support their sensory needs. Are there any resources we can be using to support our staff? Headteacher, Chester It is great that you are using the time to look at each pupil individually and examining how to support them with the sensory differences that they may have. We have a CPDL session on Introduction to Sensory Processing (https:// bit.ly/3lXnC9J) which may be suitable for staff to get a greater depth of understanding on the needs and strategies that can support the pupils generally. For each individual pupil, it may be best to engage an occupational therapist to develop a sensory profile for each student that will be bespoke to them. This will hopefully highlight specific strategies and tools that can be used throughout the school day and at home to support with their processing of the sensory information around them. As always, engaging parents with this is crucial and having them on board will help them to support their child in all environments.
I’m rewriting some of our policies and I am confused around some of the terminology I should be using. I have seen both ‘High Quality Teaching’ and ‘Quality First Teaching’ used. Which is correct? SENCO, Coventry The terms themselves are interchangeable – the meaning is what is most important. It is a style of teaching that emphasises high quality, inclusive teaching for all pupils in a class. The SEND Code of Practice uses the term High Quality Teaching so this would be preferable. For any term used within the policy, it is best if staff understand the meaning and use one term consistently. We have some great webinars that address what this looks like for pupils with SEND and they are available in our archive here: https://bit.ly/38K7Pnt.
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REVIEWS
Reviews
BEHAVING TOGETHER IN THE CLASSROOM: A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO NURTURING BEHAVIOUR ehaving Together…’ is a practical and accessible guide to identifying the many issues that children bring to the classroom. It helps build a better understanding of what lies behind these problems and outlines ways to work together with the child to find simple but highly effective strategies to manage behaviour with a collaborative approach. Dove has a wealth of hands-on, practical experience in the classroom, with specialisms in inclusive education as well as mainstream settings. This experience is clear when reading her book; it seems that she understands the reality of classroom teachers in a variety of settings. The book
B
is different from many in that she seeks to influence behaviour rather than simply control it. Her collaborative approach means that we must look at and evaluate our own behaviour, expectations, mindset and approach, in addition to those of the child in question, in order to seek solutions to issues. This concept of positive behaviour through collaboration rather than control stands in stark contrast to many existing strategies, but her positive tone and clear explanations mean that the reader sees fresh possibilities and is not overwhelmed. The book has excellent explanations of the many reasons for difficulties, or unhelpful behaviours, and the regular case studies scattered throughout provide additional ideas and
Author: Sarah Dove Publisher: Open University Press ISBN: 978-03352-4955-8 Price: £21.99 Reviewed by: Lucy Davis, secondary MFL teacher and SCITT tutor
a clear sense that the author has ‘lived’ her own advice. The use of simple frameworks to address issues is a very effective tool when considering how to use her approaches in your own setting. The book will be of use both to those just beginning their journey in education and those several decades down the line, all of whom will benefit from a fresh mindset and easily implemented strategies.
LESSONS WILL BE LEARNED
Author: Martin Baker and Mike Glanville Publisher: Practical Inspiration Publishing ISBN: 9781788602716 Reviewed by: Lorraine Graham, consultant SENCO and SEN governor
This book is a must for anyone involved in safeguarding. The authors are currently involved in a company called One Team Logic and have developed MyConcern, an online safeguarding recording and management system; although mentioned, they stress it is not a necessity. The book aims to give a strategic way of looking at current practice in order to evaluate and improve it. Their framework is based around eight interactive strands: governance, leadership and management, planning for prevention, recording and case management, working with others, information management, people and teams, the rich picture and lessons learned. The afterword refers to the current pandemic and the concerning rise in the number of safeguarding cases during the lockdowns. One of the key questions asked is, “Why do we keep getting it wrong?” as, after each safeguarding tragedy, the lessons identified don’t appear to have been learned. They stress that safeguarding is a group responsibility, and everyone should know who does what in their setting. Low level concerns are important in order to get the bigger picture and these should be recorded in a system which is manageable, fit for purpose and not a paper trail. ’Lessons Will Be Learned’ addresses the reader directly, making it easy to read. It is very informative, giving practical advice including examples and case studies, it has detailed footnotes and glossaries and each chapter concludes with a series of key learning points. The book, although expensive, is an essential resource for safeguarding leads, MATs, schools as well as governors.
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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/3zImMSA
The Inclusive Primary Classroom
Getting to Grips with Great SEND Governance
Online, 25 November 2021, FREE
Online, 25 November 2021, FREE This webinar series is designed as an accessible course for all those in leadership and governance to understand their roles and responsibilities, audit and evaluation mechanisms, and best practice examples in relation to SEND governance.
This sequence of webinars will be an opportunity to reflect on and explore the components that support the inclusive primary classroom. Visit: https://bit.ly/3nm9V4O
Visit: https://bit.ly/3CorGVq
Visit: https://bit.ly/3FsgVUV
Online event: 1 December 2021, 3pm – 5.30pm
Online, 20 January 2022, FREE This three-part webinar series, aimed specifically at new-in-post SENCOs, will be an opportunity to understand the roles and responsibilities of the SENCO and to develop the role of the SENCO as a strategic leader.
Visit: https://bit.ly/3Cmc3hd The course is suitable for teachers using any phonics scheme plus phonics books and will be particularly relevant to teachers planning to use the new braille version of the Read Write Inc. storybooks available from the RNIB.
Visit: https://bit.ly/329BQgm
ExCeL, 19-21 January 2022
Let’s Work it Out. Deaf Young People and Employment Online Conference: 30 November 2021 Cost: £90 Educational members / £95 Associate Professional members / £105 non-members Early bird offer: A limited number of tickets are available at a discounted rate of £90, on a first-come, first-served basis.
RNIB See Differently: Teaching literacy through braille – a phonics-based approach
New to the SENCO Role: Understanding the role of the SENCO within a context of distributed leadership
Bett
National Deaf Children’s Society 2021 Online Conference
Beyond the School Gates: Exploring Opportunity and Aspiration into FE and Beyond
Three-day event with product demonstrations from our solution providers, CPD seminars by education leaders and networking opportunities educators from across the globe.
Online, 19 January 2022, FREE The webinar series will focus on aspiration, provision and opportunities from KS4 through to FE and beyond.
Visit: https://bit.ly/3xc3eWB
Visit: https://bit.ly/30vrHcW
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Whole School SEND Twitter chats 14 December 2021, 18 January 2022 Topic to be confirmed 7-8pm #WSSChatLIVE. Visit: https://bit.ly/3qM57Ig