SEND magazine September 2016

Special Educational Needs & Disability Issue 11 Sept 2016 / sendmagazine.co.uk

Send Magazine @sendmagazine www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Essential interactive magazine for teaching professionals & parents

Welcome

to SEND Magazine

Well, here we go again and welcome to the new school year which heralds the new edition of SEND Magazine.

Publisher/Editor Nick Clarke 07984 306 664 nick@sendmagazine.co.uk

Most of you are probably thinking: “Where has the Summer gone?”. The last few months have gone in a flash as we embark on a new academic year.

So what’s next for teachers, carers and parents within Special Educational Needs & Disability? Former NASEN CEO and leading SEND consultant Lorraine Peterson OBE looks at the road ahead and the impact of ‘change’ within the classroom as teachers continue their excellent work despite the constant ‘movement of the goalposts’. See page 14

SEND Consultant Simon Carnell Office Enquiries 01455 642 234 Accounts accounts@sendmagazine.co.uk

Our main news stories focus on early years this month with a fairer funding system announced and new guidelines to improve paediatric first aid treatment, in memory of 9-month-old girl Millie Thompson, who tragically died while choking on her lunch in a Stockport nursery.

Subscriptions subscriptions@sendmagazine.co.uk

The National Autistic Society (NAS) has release a study which shows that our current education system is failing the needs of children with Autism. Read more on page 12.

Contributors Simon Carnell, Lorraine Peterson OBE, Arran Smith, Heather Stack

One of the biggest changes which will affect us all in the years ahead is the scrapping of levels. Assistant headteacher of Darrick Wood School, Martin Smith, has designed and developed the new STEPS programme, following a Government initiative to encourage schools to develop and share their own assessment programmes. The STEPS programme was developed by Martin and you can read more on page 20, which also includes a fascinating case study highlighting the success of the programme and offering the perfect solution to assessment within secondary schools.

©SEND Magazine is published by SEND (UK) Ltd

We have many more contributors in this issue, including SEND Magazine writer Arran Smith who investigates Dyslexia awareness and a useful article from Heather Stack who talks about transitions in schools as we start this new academic year.

Once again SEND Magazine is packed full of useful information and articles for all those caring for and teaching children and young people with Special Educational Needs & Disability, so I hope you find this issue useful and it continues to be an essential part of your teaching tool kit.

Nick Clarke

Publishing Director

Design/Layout Ashley Simister ashleys@sendmagazine.co.uk

Nick Clarke - Managing Director The views and opinions expressed in SEND Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held responsible or liable for any incorrect information, opinions of any third parties or omissions.

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Contents P8 News New initiative to improve first aid training in early years settings in memory of a 9-month-old girl who died in 2012.

P10 News Plans to deliver a fairer funding system for nurseries, preschools and childminders will help support families with the cost of childcare.

P12 NAS New report from the National Autistic Society suggests the education system is failing children with autism.

P14 What's Next For SEND? Lorraine Peterson OBE looks at what lays ahead in the classroom.

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P17 Bookshop Latest book releases and review of Girls with Autism, published by Speechmark.

P20 The Next STEPS Martin Smith, developer of the new STEPS programme from Scholastic looks at life after levels. www.scholastic.co.uk/steps

P22 Dyslexia Awareness SEND Magazine writer and dyslexia consultant Arran Smith on Dyslexia Awareness.

P28 SENCO Toolkit Identifying children with visual impairment.

P30 It All Makes SENSE Profile on leading UK organisation SENSE. P32 The Local offer Heather Stack writes about transitions.

www.sendmagazine.co.uk

September News

New ‘gold standard’ in paediatric first aid launched ‘Millie's Mark’ is a new initiative to improve first aid training in early years settings in memory of a 9-month-old girl who died in 2012.

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new initiative to help improve paediatric first aid training in early years settings has been launched by Education and Childcare Minister Sam Gyimah, in memory of a 9-month-old girl who tragically died in 2012.

Millie Thompson died after choking on her lunch while at nursery in Stockport. Since her death, Millie’s parents Joanne and Dan have campaigned for a new ‘gold standard’ certificate to be created in recognition of early years childcare providers that train all their staff in paediatric first aid, going above and beyond the minimum legal requirements.

The quality mark - which has been developed by the Department for Education (DfE), National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and the Thompsons - will be known as ‘Millie’s Mark’ and will help to give parents assurance that every staff member that cares for their child is trained in these important, lifesaving skills.

Speaking at the NDNA annual conference in Milton Keynes, Mr Gyimah called on nurseries and other early years providers to apply for the quality mark so that as many members of staff are trained in paediatric first aid as possible.

He said: “As a parent myself, I know there is nothing more important than the safety and security of our children.

We trust the staff looking after them will have the right training should anything happen while they are in their care.

“That’s why I’m pleased to announce that the Department for Education has awarded the National Day Nurseries Association the contract to deliver a voluntary quality mark for nursery providers that have trained all of their staff in paediatric first aid.

“I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Millie’s parents, Joanne and Dan, who have campaigned tirelessly in their daughter’s memory to reduce the chances of such tragic 8

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accidents happening in future. It is hoped that, over time, this initiative will help ensure that as many staff members as possible are trained in these important, life-saving skills.

“I am very much looking forward to continuing to work with NDNA and Millie’s parents, and to seeing the early years providers that go over and above to help keep our children safe.”

Also speaking at the conference, Joanne Thompson said: “Millie’s Mark is a direct outcome of our campaign as parents, for parents. Following the loss of our darling daughter Millie, we strive to encourage nurseries to be exemplary in paediatric first aid practice and we are looking forward to seeing the first Millie’s Mark being awarded later in the year.”

NDNA Chief Executive, Purnima Tanuku OBE, said: “We are delighted to have been successful in our bid to develop and deliver Millie’s Mark. We believe passionately that it will make a difference in keeping children safe.

“Millie’s Mark will soon be well known to parents all over the country as a clear indicator of the highest standards in keeping children safe from harm.

“Seeing that a nursery has achieved Millie’s Mark will help parents make

informed decisions when they are choosing childcare and it will be great for nurseries to show how serious they are about providing the best services possible.”

From summer 2016, early years settings in England will be eligible to apply to be accredited with this unique quality mark that will provide parents with the assurance that their child is being cared for by safe and knowledgeable staff. The quality mark will be in addition to the existing statutory requirements for paediatric first aid that all early years providers must meet as a legal requirement.

A total of 10 nurseries, chosen from more than 200 applicants, have been taking part in a pilot to thoroughly test the new standards that settings will be required to demonstrate. These nurseries will be the first to receive Millie’s Mark.

Alongside the launch of Millie’s Mark, the government has published a response to the consultation on changing the paediatric first aid requirements in the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The majority of those who responded were in favour of increasing the number of paediatric first aiders in early years settings.

So, from this September [2016], all newly qualified level 2 and level 3 staff must also have either a full paediatric first aid certificate or an emergency paediatric first aid certificate to count in the required staff-to-child ratios.

This will mean an extra 15,000 staff a year coming into the sector with paediatric first aid training, providing vital reassurance to parents that their children will be well cared for, particularly in an emergency. Paediatric first aid training has also been shown to increase safety awareness, so reducing the likelihood of accidents occurring, and staff confidence, especially when helping children with complex medical needs. www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Training Day

London CPD Day for special school staff this term

Crick Software has announced that it will be sponsoring an exciting CPD Day in London this November for special school staff. Entitled ‘Using technology to transform teaching and learning in special schools’, this whole-day event will enable teachers to pick up valuable hints and tips on using technology to help every pupil access the curriculum and find their voice.

The event will run from 9:00am to 3:00pm, and include sessions on the following: A VOICE FOR ALL! Enabling every child to communicate and be heard Carol Allen - School Improvement Advisor, North Tyneside THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX Person-shaped practice when designing effective learning technology provision Willow Dene Special School, Greenwich MAKING THE CURRICULUM MORE ACCESSIBLE AND ENGAGING WITH CLICKER 7 Jordan Butel, Senior Education Consultant, Crick Software PUPIL CENTRED PLANNING AND TECHNOLOGY; BRINGING LEARNERS INTO FOCUS John Galloway, Advisory Teacher for ICT and SEN, Tower Hamlets The CPD Day will be taking place at the Hilton London Euston on Thursday 17th November. A three course lunch and refreshments will be provided. Places are limited and priced at just £99 per delegate - delegates who book places before 21st October will get an early bird discounted rate of £89! For further information and details of how to book a place, please contact Crick Software on 01604 671691, email your enquiry to CPD@cricksoft.com or visit www.cricksoft.com/CPD.

September News

Fairer early years funding plan launched A plan to deliver a fairer funding system for nurseries, preschools and childminders will help support families with the cost of childcare.

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AJOR changes designed to deliver a fairer funding system for nurseries, preschools and childminders have been set out by Education Secretary Justine Greening as part of the government’s manifesto commitment to support ordinary working families with the cost of childcare.

The new funding formula will replace the current system, which is based on how much a council has historically spent rather than how much it actually costs to meet the local need.

The new approach will end this unfair system, giving organisations providing early years care the financial support they need to deliver the 30-hour free childcare offer to working families.

The government is already providing more support to families by investing record amounts into childcare - rising from £5 billion to £6 billion per year by the end of the Parliament - helping to double free childcare to 30 hours for working parents of 3-and-4-year-olds.

Launching the 6-week consultation on the proposals, Education Secretary Justine Greening said: “We are committed to making sure this is a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. Education lies at the heart of this ambition and the early years are crucial to giving every child the best start in life.

“We are working with nurseries, preschools and childminders to support working parents with the costs of raising a family, doubling our free childcare offer to 30 hours for working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds. But to deliver on that commitment we know we must give every area of the country the funding it needs.

“These changes will transform the way we fund early years’ education, creating a fairer system that better provides the affordable, high-quality childcare families deserve.”

Thanks to the government’s new investment and this fairer approach, the vast majority of councils and providers will see increases in their average hourly funding rates for children in their area.

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The changes will also make funding more transparent so that more money goes to the frontline where it is needed most.

The government will be creating more childcare places by targeting funding to those areas where there is the greatest need for additional places.

Local authorities, working in partnership with providers, are now able to bid for capital grant funding to support 30 hours delivery - linked to the £50 million announced in last year’s spending review.

The new formula is based on 3 factors: • a ‘universal base rate’ of funding for each child, so that every local area is funded fairly for the core costs of delivering childcare • an ‘additional needs factor’, so that funding takes into account the extra costs of supporting children with additional needs to achieve good learning and development outcomes • the cost of providing childcare in different parts of the country Chief Executive of Family and Childcare Trust Julia Margo said: “We’re pleased that this consultation is being published so quickly following recent political changes. It’s an indication of the importance the government is placing on delivering on its plans for early education, which is really positive news for families.

We particularly welcome the emphasis on children who have special educational needs and disabilities, for whom provision is currently woefully inadequate, and look forward to working

with government on this and other aspects of the consultation.”

The changes will also deliver a better deal for children with special educational needs or disabilities, introducing targeted access funding for disabled children and providing greater clarity for their parents and providers.

Dame Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children, said: “Families with disabled children too often experience financial barriers to getting the childcare they need. It is therefore absolutely right that the government has made improving access to childcare for the families of disabled children a priority in their consultation on early years national funding formula.

We welcome the intention to give equal access to childcare to all families and will be scrutinising the proposals to make sure that’s what they do.”

Lara Warburton, Rolls-Royce UK Diversity and Inclusion Manager, said: “Rolls-Royce operates in a changing and competitive global economy and to build on our success we need to attract and retain a diverse workforce.

Anything that makes it easier for us to recruit talent is welcome. We work with hundreds of suppliers in the UK who also need a skilled engineering workforce, so every measure that reduces barriers to employment helps. We welcome the consultation announced today and its aim to provide greater clarity on the free increased childcare provision.” www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Advertorial

The Ronnie Gardiner Method (RGM) is a multisensory stimulation method developed by the American drummer & jazz musician Ronnie Gardiner. RGM uses a number of specially-developed symbol/sound/movement codes which are used to perform exercises to the rhythm of music.

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HE method was initially developed to help children understand rhythm and improve coordination problems before it was discovered to have such a major effect as well on many neurological conditions such as Stroke and Parkinson’s.

RGM works to improve balance skills and coordination, increase concentration and memory, stimulate left / right brain communication in gross and fine motor skills, promote sensory information processing, assist with space-time orientation (timing, pacing, sequencing, motor planning) encouraging fitness and social skills. The practitioner can control energy levels through the choice and pace of music which is a great option for ADHD. The joy of this method is that

there are no limits to the creativity of the practitioner or the class or individual. There is a lot of fun and laughter which encourages social communication in a group especially when working with games. A mixture of visual instructions or memory tests can be used to challenge or give more variety depending on what is required. Body percussion provides tactile feedback which helps teach and guide levels of physical stimulation. It is an incredibly simple method that has endless possibilities which is what makes it so versatile, especially when working with children.

RGM Case studies from a Primary School Remedial Therapist “I work with a young boy with reading issues. He initially resisted participating with the method during the first 2 lessons but I calmly explained what the exercises were all about and what I was hoping to achieve with him. Nowadays he enjoys RGM sessions and does well with the exercises. He reports that he can focus better when reading and has fewer problems with longer

words. There is still work to be done, but there is a distinct improvement.”

“Another boy has difficulty with understanding the content of what he is reading; the reading of the words themselves is not an issue. In addition to the RGM exercises we do together on a weekly basis, he also reads a few pages every morning.

Asked at the end of the day what he has read, I get quite a story

nowadays, when previously he could hardly recall the content.”

“A boy in special needs education told me unsolicited: “after I have done some of the ‘thingy-exercises’, I am much faster at learning!” another reason for me to continue with RGM as part of my approach to reading and learning difficulties.”

to use. She managed to follow the symbols well and worked well with the metronome. The sound codes were great for her as they are so simple. The one she struggled with was “CLAP”; to start with she was saying “PLAP” but we soon managed to correct this. Her focus and attention improved in each session and she looked forward to seeing

me each week and learning new choreo scores. Her mother was very pleased with her progress.”

Teaching methods are increasingly using sight, speech and music to support learning abilities. RGM is a fun and efficient tool to help children with motor skill difficulties as well as those with reading and/or learning difficulties.

From a Fitness Professional “I have been using the method on a 6-year-old girl with a growth problem and who has also recently been diagnosed with ADHD and Autism. She has very delayed speech and feeding problems. It was clear from our first session that she was going to enjoy the challenge.

I kept it very simple and let her choose what music we were going

For more information contact www.ronniegardinermethod.org.uk

Uphill battle for autistic children?

Parents and carers face long and stressful battles for children with special needs as new report finds new education system failing to meet needs of autistic children.

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AR too many parents of children on the autism spectrum are facing long and often exhausting battles to get the right education and support, according to a new report from the National Autistic Society. The findings come two years after the Government introduced a new special educational needs and disability (SEND) system in England, promising to make it easier for children to get support, and less adversarial for families. But parents say that they are having to fight just as hard and often not getting the right support from local authorities and the NHS. According to surveys by the National Autistic Society of around 1,000 parents, carers and children and young people on the autism spectrum: • 74% of parents say it has not been easy to get the educational support their child needs • 69% say their child waited more than a year after parents or teachers first raised concerns, and 16% waited more than three years to get support

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• While 50% of parents say they’re satisfied with their child’s SEND provision, just 33% are satisfied with health care and 30% with social care • 61% of parents say their child is in their preferred type of school, although many parents face an uphill battle to get to this point • 17% of parents say they appealed to the SEND Tribunal against their local authority’s decision on their child’s education.

The report includes a series of recommendations to Government and local authorities aimed at reducing delays in getting support and making sure every area has the right mix of schools and other educational provision. This includes calling on the Government to review how councils are implementing the new SEND system and, based on this, to decide whether additional resources are needed to complete the reforms by their 2018 deadline or whether more time is needed.

There are around 120,000 school-

aged children on the autism spectrum in England, the vast majority in mainstream schools, and many of them rely on the SEND system to get the support they need to thrive and make progress. For some children this will mean minor adjustments, like having time out from a busy classroom or a teaching assistant to help them process their thoughts. Others, who perhaps have an extreme sensitivity to light or sound or who are unable to communicate verbally, may need a much higher level of support at a specialist school.

The Government introduced major reforms to the system two years ago, expanding support to cover a child’s life from birth to 25 and replacing SEN statements with Education Health and Care (EHC) plans so they covered health and care needs as well as education.

They said the changes would make things simpler for parents and give them greater control over the support their child receives. But this latest report suggests parents are having to fight just as hard and that education, health and care services still aren’t working together www.sendmagazine.co.uk

as predicted. For instance, while 50% of parents the charity spoke to say they’re satisfied with their child’s education support, just 33% are satisfied with health care provision and 30% with social care.

Although the majority of parents surveyed by the National Autistic Society say their child is in their preferred type of school, many parents face an uphill battle to get to this point. 17% of parents who completed the survey say they took their local authority to an SEND Tribunal to get the right support. Appeals should be a last resort but these figures suggest it is often necessary. The most common reasons reported for appealing were the local authority’s refusal to issue a statement or EHC plan, or to change the school named in the statement/plan.

Ministry of Justice figures (www.gov. uk/government/statistics/tribunals-andgender-recognition-certificate-statisticsquarterly-july-to-september-2015) show that autism is the most common type of need identified in SEND Tribunal cases, making up 35% of all Tribunal appeals in 2014-15. The same figures show that three-quarters of appeals were subsequently withdrawn or conceded

by local authorities, and of those that proceeded to a decision, 86% found in favour of the parent. The National Autistic Society say this suggests that too many wrong decisions are being made by local authorities, and parents are right to believe that the system does not always work in their child’s interests.

Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society, said: "Parents should not be facing long, stressful and exhausting battles, just to get the right education for their children. This is putting an unnecessary strain on often already vulnerable families and risking the long-term prospects of the 1 in 100 autistic children in England, who have so much to contribute to our society.

“The Government tried to fix the education system for children with special educational needs by introducing welcome reforms two years ago, and then announcing more funding to help in January this year. But many of the same problems remain. Too many parents are having to take legal action to get basic support for their children, and education, health and care services still aren’t working together as the Government says they should.

“With the right education and support, children on the autism spectrum can achieve great things and their families can live full and happy lives. Without it, families are left to struggle alone and children can miss out on years of education, putting them and our society at a huge disadvantage.

“The Government must take responsibility for its reforms and review how local councils are using the extra funding and what difference the reforms are making. The Government must then act, whether that’s increasing resources to complete the reforms by the 2018 deadline or delaying implementation until local authorities can fulfil their legal responsibilities properly. The most important thing is to make sure that the speed of the reforms doesn’t compromise the support children need.”

Many parents face an uphill battle to get their child into their preferred type of school. Appeals should be a last resort.

What to expect in the next academic year SEND Consultant Lorraine Peterson OBE continues to look at the wave of reform that has swept across the education sector and discusses some of the challenges over the next academic year.

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S I am sure you are aware there have been a number of key changes within the government.

As well as a new Prime Minister, we have a new Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening MP, who at the point of writing this article has said very little about her plans for education apart from being in favour of Grammar Schools!

I am pleased to report that Edward Timpson MP remains the Minister of State for Vulnerable Children and Families which hopefully means that the SEND Reforms will continue without too much disruption. Watch this space!

Identification of SEND The Department for Education (DfE) recently published their annual SEND statistics based on the 2016 January 14

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census data. These statistics indicate that there has been a further 1% fall in the number of pupils identified as SEN Support. Schools have reported that just under 1 million pupils (11.6% of the total pupil population) are identified as SEN Support. This is quite a worrying statistic because it either indicates that there was a considerable over-identification under the old SEN system or pupils are being under-identified now. As there has been no significant increase in the number of statements or Education, Health and Care Plans (2.8% of the pupil population) the concern is why is this happening?

On a positive note it could be because schools are getting better at early identification and offering effective interventions to support pupils from an early stage of their education. It could

also be because teachers are supporting all pupils better through high quality, differentiated teaching.

In contrast it could be that schools are not identifying pupils because reduced funding does not enable them to offer additional support (up to ÂŁ6000 per pupil identified as SEN Support). It could also be because teachers still do not have the skills and expertise to identify specific needs. Many SENCOs have limited time to support teachers and there is limited specialist support for pupils from external agencies especially from local authority services, which may all result in underidentification of pupils with specific needs.

The statistics also tell us that the primary type of need for pupils on SEN Support is Moderate Learning Difficulties www.sendmagazine.co.uk

followed closely by Speech, Language and Communication Needs. What these statistics do not indicate is the increased complexity of need of many of these pupils. They may be identified as having moderate learning difficulties but they may also have significant social, emotional and mental health needs, and schools have to identify which need they need to support first in order that the pupil is able to learn. In order to do this we need to have highly skilled, trained teachers who have the knowledge and understanding of the different types of need and the strategies and interventions to use in their classrooms.

Last term the DfE published their Standard for teachers’ professional development guidance. This guidance sets out very clearly why professional development for teachers is important.

They should: • keep their knowledge and skills as teachers up-to-date and be selfcritical; • take responsibility for improving teaching through appropriate professional development, responding to advice and feedback from colleagues; • demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how pupils learn and how this has an impact on www.sendmagazine.co.uk

teaching; • have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas; • reflect systematically on the effectiveness of lessons and approaches to teaching; and • know and understand how to assess the relevant subject and curriculum areas.

School leaders need to ensure that professional development is a priority within their school. SENCOs need to ensure that teachers receive the professional development they need to be able to identify need as early as possible and have the knowledge and skills to meet needs in the classroom.

Nasen has recently published their Online CPD resources, funded by DfE, which are a package of free online continuous professional development materials for all mainstream settings.

Focus on SEND informs and helps develop practice in meeting the needs of pupils with SEND. Rochford Review As I mentioned in my previous article The Rochford Review reported last year on teacher assessment framework for Prekey stage 1 and 2 pupils working below

the test standard. What we did not get was the second part of the review about the future of P Scales. This is due early in the autumn term so hopefully more news on this in a later edition of SEND magazine.

What we do know is that the interim assessment arrangements 2016 have been extended and are now interim arrangements for 2017, with no changes at all. This means that schools will have to report pupils working below national standard at the end of KS1 and KS2 using the Rochford Review framework. At the end of KS1 there is one additional standard - Foundations for the expected standard; and at the end of KS2 three additional standards Growing development of the expected standard, Early development of the expected standard and Foundations for the expected standard. If your school did not use these standards for reporting this year then you need to make yourself aware of them for reporting in 2017.

SENCOs need to ensure that teachers receive the professional development they need.

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Baseline Assessment Following publication of a study to compare the 3 different reception baseline assessments used in the 2015 to 2016 academic year, the DfE decided that they would not be using them as the starting point for measuring progress from September 2016. DfE have agreed to cover the basic cost of approved baselines for local-authority-maintained schools, academies and free schools and many schools have signed up to continue to use one of the four approved assessments. However, the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile will remain statutory for 2016-17.

This also means that this year’s reception classes leaving primary school in 2022 will have their key stage 1 data as the starting point from which to measure pupils’ progress to key stage 2.

CQC and Ofsted Local Area reviews In May 2016 Ofsted and CQC began their Local Area Inspections reviewing local areas’ effectiveness in identifying and meeting the needs of children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. During last term there were 8 inspections. At the time of writing this article there have been four outcome letters published. Four more outcome letters should be available shortly. Ofsted and CQC will continue the inspections in the autumn term and

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they will be visiting schools as part of their week-long inspection. Once the local area has received their letter they will need to action the recommendations made within it. This may lead to changes in the way local authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups are managing the SEND process currently. Schools have a duty to co-operate with the local authority and so will need to be aware of changes to processes and support the implementation of them.

School Funding The government is firmly committed to introducing fairer funding for schools, high needs and early years. This is an important reform, which will fairly and transparently allocate funding on the basis of schools’ and children’s actual needs, rather than simply on historic levels of funding tied to out of date local information. This was due to be in place from April 2017, but Justine Greening MP in an announcement in July 2016 said that she would publish the government’s full response to the first stage of the schools and high needs consultations and set out her proposals for the second stage once Parliament returned in the autumn.

A full consultation will follow with final decisions being made early in the new year. The new system will therefore apply from 2018 to 2019.

Schools have already seen significant

cuts to their budgets and this has impacted on children with SEND. A reduction in additional support staff, increased class sizes and reduced curriculum opportunities (especially at secondary schools) have all begun to impact on the most vulnerable children and young people.

Justine Greening MP confirmed that, for 2017 to 2018, the government would retain the current minimum funding guarantee for schools, so that no school would face a funding reduction of more than 1.5% per pupil next year in what it receives through the local authority funding formula. However, as more local authorities reduce their “free” SEND services and offer traded services, schools will need to budget for additional support services either from the local authority, private providers or by employing their own professionals.

This will have a significant impact on a school’s SEND budget.

As we begin a new school year it would be great if I could tell you that there will be no changes in the next twelve months, unfortunately I can guarantee the goal-posts will shift once more. We may not be looking at the tsunami of reform that last year gave us but I believe we are still going to experience a deluge of change throughout the course of the academic year.

www.sendmagazine.co.uk

SEND Bookshop The Guide to Good Mental Health on the Autism Spectrum

by Jeanette Purkis, Dr Emma Goodall and Dr Jane Nugent Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Drawing on their own experiences the authors set out what it means to have a mental illness and present strategies to overcome difficulties and achieve greater wellbeing. Covers topics such as medication, stigma, therapy pets, etc.

Social Skills Learning

by Naomi Samuel Published by Loggerhead Publishers

Session plans and practical activities which build a toolbox of social skills for life. Covers respect, compliments, seeing other points of view, feelings, differences, empathy, honesty, personal hygiene, growing pains, appropriate language, listening to others.

Educating and Supporting Girls with Asperger and Autism

by Victoria Honeybourne Published by Speechmark Publishers

Explains the various difficulties and disadvantages that girls on the autism spectrum face in educational settings. Contains a range of worksheets and activities on self-awareness; school life & learning; studying and preparing for employment.

Sammy’s New Food Week

by Charlotte Olson Published by Suzie Books

The latest in Charlotte’ social stories features Sammy. Follow Sammy as he tries a different food every day of the week. Some yummy broccoli and tasty roast chicken are amongst the new foods he tries.

www.sendmagazine.co.uk

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Supporting Children with Behaviour Issues in the Classroom

by Sarah Carr, Susan Coulter, et al Published by NASEN/Routledge

Contains activities and resources for teachers to create an environment of support; ideas to improve the learning environment; resources and templates.

Building Positive Thinking Habits

by Tina Rae Published by Hinton House Publishers

A program of 15 structured and themed sessions using CBT techniques to engage with young people and develop their knowledge of key tools and strategies to promote positive thinking and build self-esteem.

Book Review - Word Aware 2 Teaching Vocabulary you can create an in the Early Years is a environment that allows comprehensive vocabulary children to be surrounded enrichment tool for use by words, enrich by professionals in Early vocabulary and engage Years Foundation Stage parents to reinforce settings. It is based on learning at home. With the same theory as the the addition of online existing Word Aware resources the user is able resource but is adapted to adapt the techniques for Early Years. The sound and strategies to add new theoretical principles, have words. Ideal resource for been refined through EY foundation settings, years of observation and visit www.speechmark.net practice and enable the user to provide everything This outstanding you need to create “a resource provides word-rich environment everything you need that benefits every child in to create a word-rich your care�. Word Aware environment that benefits 2 gives you a structured every child in your care process through which

Life after levels what next?

Assistant Headteacher at Darrick Wood School Martin Smith is the designer and developer of STEPS. Here he talks about the removal of ‘levels’ in schools and how teachers can now support the skills and understanding of children.

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HE end of well-established Key Stage 3 Attainment Levels in September 2014 was greeted with huge reticence from schools and created a real sense of panic amongst teachers who were left feeling extremely insecure about being told to go away and develop their own assessment methods without guidance.

The reality is that ‘life after levels’ has been a good thing because of what was fundamentally wrong with levels in the first place. They were not designed to be an assessment system.

They were equipped to respond to government on ‘whole levels’ - a description of attainment at the end of each programme of study - but were too broad and wide for application within schools, even with the later introduction of sub-levels.

The system itself was not fit for purpose. When levels were the norm they were viewed as thresholds and teaching became focused on the next threshold, instead of ensuring pupils were secure in their subject knowledge, skills and understanding. The worstcase scenario was that the depth and breadth of understanding was forsaken as levels were used as the ‘best fit’ model. This meant that a student could have serious gaps in their knowledge and understanding, but still be placed within a given level. Teachers, pupils and their parents were not always clear where the strengths lay and where the gaps were. As a result, measuring how much progress was being made in Key Stage 3 and predicting outcomes in GCSEs became somewhat patchy and erratic.

So, in effect, schools were left with three options on the table: stick with levels for as long as possible, prepare to purchase an ‘off the shelf’ system that was being built by a third party, or devise an entirely new system from scratch.

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Initially, the government launched a competition encouraging schools to develop and share innovative new assessment methods for other schools to use. Eight winners were chosen by an independent panel on behalf of the DfE in May 2014. However, there was little information and evidence coming out at a time when most schools were seeking answers to develop their own plans.

By this time, in any case, we were already well on the way to creating our own system at Darrick Wood School.

Driven by our forward-thinking local authority in Bromley we formed an initial working party with other schools in the area to exchange ideas and come up with a workable solution. From our side, that solution went on to take the form of STEPS - Strategic Targets for Educational Progress and Success.

STEPS is an assessment and progress monitoring, tracking and reporting programme for secondary schools. It uses the frameworks and assessment focuses already created by subject leaders since the introduction of Assessing Pupils’ Progress and the National Strategies, adopting positive elements from a range of systems to create a comprehensive,

proven solution to life after levels.

Crucially it is compatible with SIMS and uses FFT Aspire and Cognitive Abilities Tests/MidYIS data to help triangulate baseline data for each student.

This level of detail means pupils can make fine levels of progress and teachers can create incremental, personalised targets based on assessment throughout Key Stage 3. It also provides crucial baseline assessment tests; purposeful, valid data; clear targets for pupils, and consistent reporting.

There is definitely still work to be done as a sector. It varies greatly how effective secondary schools are, right now, in benchmarking new pupils in Year 7 and measuring progress in Years 7-9.

Some had an idea on what they want to do and have developed their systems but, in my view, many have not thought enough about the progression side.

Teachers, being teachers, are trying to make it work. There isn’t a week goes by when I don’t get calls about assessment without levels - there are lots of good ideas out there, but nothing proven, and arguably nothing tried and tested like we have with STEPS.

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STEPS IN PRACTICE - DARRICK WOOD SCHOOL Darrick Wood School in Orpington, Kent is the ‘birthplace’ of what is now STEPS (Strategic Targets for Educational Progress and Success in Key Stage 3), published by Scholastic. Darrick Wood sought to develop its own new assessment and progress monitoring, tracking and reporting programme for Years 7-9 following the end of levels in September 2014.

The project was led by Assistant Headteacher Martin Smith, in conjunction with a team of specialists at Darrick Wood, which holds both Teaching School status and the World Class School Quality Mark. “When we started this work there was a mixture of excitement and concern amongst those of us involved,” Martin admits.

“Excitement because it presented a genuine opportunity to devise an entirely new system from scratch, one that fulfil the objectives and ethos of our school, but concern because we were going into the unknown in terms of creating additional workload on top of everything else we do as teachers.

Then the excitement really took over and now I believe we have a system that works not just for our school but is flexible enough to be adapted to all schools.”

The cornerstone of STEPS is a simple grid for each subject and a progressive set of attainment targets that present challenge at all levels of ability throughout Key Stage 3. The grids are broken down into a template of nine ‘steps’ across four, five or six different subject strands. This level of detail means pupils can make fine

levels of progress and teachers can create incremental, personalised targets based on assessment in Key Stage 3.

‘Expected’ progress is the equivalent to movement of one whole step in each year of Key Stage 3.

Martin explains: “At the beginning of the first term in Year 7, all pupils undertake initial baseline testing in the form of a written test or practical assessment, depending on the subject in question. This subject-specific testing gives every pupil an entry point into each strand. Through ongoing formative assessment the pupils’ progression can then be measured over the course of Key Stage 3. Constant exposure to the ‘big picture’ is achieved by promoting the use of STEPS in class and more widely to parents.”

An initial pilot began in September 2015 for Year 7 pupils and, at a presentation to parents in January, Martin says the positive feedback was overwhelming: “STEPS provides a very simple overview of where a pupil is at and what they need to do to improve.

Parents have loved the simplicity of a quick check via the ‘Step Point’ score but also the level of detail that is there if they want to see it. They have realised the potential of having several readymade targets and have appreciated the level of detail in each ‘Step Grid’ that the breakdown of a whole key stage provides them.”

Teachers, too, have seen significant benefits already. “Colleagues are really relishing the advantages that such a focused approach can bring and, as they have learnt the system, have really

come to value its structure,” Martin reveals. “Many have commented on the new-found focus to parental meetings and the guidance and support it gives them during the report writing process.

Subject leaders have started to analyse the results from each data collection window to identify strands of their subject which the pupils are finding more difficult and/or which teachers are finding more difficult to deliver.”

It has also increased support for pupils, Martin says: “The level of detail has helped to raise an early warning to individual pupils, as well as teaching groups who are seemingly making unusual rates of progress. It has allowed them to put in place support for pupils and/or groups and in some cases additional training for teachers.”

Now, with backing from Scholastic, other schools are able to purchase STEPS themselves. “What schools are looking for is confidence that any new system will not disappear overnight,” Martin says. “As teachers, we don’t want to be changing systems again in five years’ time - we are looking for security, and STEPS provides that. We have shown that our system is effective - it measures progress and assessment simultaneously, and creates easily understandable data and a structure for teaching. It also ultimately saves time. There is initial work to be done in getting to grips with the system, that is normal, but once that time investment has been made the return is huge. Finally, it is completely flexible and adaptable, so schools can adapt STEPS for their own purposes.”

Find out more about STEPS at www.scholastic.co.uk/steps www.sendmagazine.co.uk

September 2016 SEND MAGAZINE

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The Hidden Fact of Dyslexia In the UK dyslexia is the largest hidden disability and there are still people that really don’t understand it. It is also staggering to hear that young people are still not being diagnosed or identified as being dyslexic. Dyslexia Consultant Arran Smith writes.

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HERE is always the argument should we identify or should we not? In my opinion identification is a good thing. This may be because I am a severely dyslexic adult, I was diagnosed aged 9 and because of that diagnosis/ identification I was able to understand my difficulties and get support from my parents and my school was able to give me adequate help. This is not to say that dyslexia does not affect me now, because it does, but because of my identification I am able to overcome difficulties and find solutions and strategies to live my life.

This year’s Dyslexia Awareness Week is 3rd-9th October and the theme is ‘Identification of Dyslexia’. I’ve seen many dyslexia awareness weeks and I am really encouraged by the title of this one as I am so passionate about making sure that people are more aware about dyslexia and ensuring that we can have a positive approach towards changing people’s

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lives which hopefully will remove barriers to enable people to get more support.

All the major dyslexia charities have come together to create this title. This includes the British Dyslexia Association, Helen Arkell, Dyslexia Action and Xtraordinary People.

Dyslexia Awareness Week in Scotland will be on 7th-12th November. The theme for Scotland is ‘Dyslexia: did you know...’ and under this they will highlight various topics to raise awareness of dyslexia, provide information about sources of help and support and also celebrate the strengths of people with dyslexia.

In Scotland, they will be distributing 40,000 blue ribbons for people to wear to show their support. A range of events to mark the week will be held across Scotland, mostly organised by their network of volunteer-led branches.

More information will be posted on their website at www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk/

education-conference The British Dyslexia Association this year have also created a theme for each day of the week, please see below their title for each day and my thoughts on them.

Monday - Why is it important to identify dyslexia?

This overarching topic is that it is very important to identify people with dyslexia; many studies have shown that if it is not identified it can have a serious effect on a child’s well-being.

Early identification can really support individuals and by having awareness and understanding of what their difficulties are it can also help the people around them to have a good understanding so that they can then implement proper interventions which can really support young people into adulthood. More and more adults are being identified later in www.sendmagazine.co.uk

life and this is really affecting their ability to work in our society, many of them have low confidence levels and low selfesteem, I believe that if they were aware of the difficulties and had been advised earlier about their difficulties they would have a better outlook on life.

Tuesday - How is dyslexia identified?

The British Dyslexia Association says there are four different ways of being identified: 1. Checklist; this is an informal way of checking specific traits and characteristics through a number of questions to identify if a young person or adult has dyslexic tendencies. This may not give a true picture but it may be a starting point to think about what the difficulties and attributes could be.

2. Screening; this is normally done using a commercially available tool which does not need to be implemented by a specialist. There are many tools within the marketplace both for children and adults, the majority of them are done either online or there are still some available that are paper-based.

Screening tools should look at the key areas of the difficulties within dyslexia including working memory, phonological awareness, visual and auditory processing speeds. The majority of these tools will give you a report identifying a percentage of the person’s ability.

3. Specialist assessment; this is normally carried out by a specialist teacher that has undertaken a specific course within dyslexia which is either accredited by the British Dyslexia Association or Patoss. The specialist teacher will use a range of tests that will show a profile of the person they are assessing, this can take up to 3 hours and then the specialist will go away and write a report on their findings and may also advise on intervention strategies to support the person.

This type of assessment can provide diagnosis.

4. Psychologist assessment; this type of assessment is carried out by an educational psychologist or the workplace occupational psychologist.

This is very similar to the specialist assessment as they will use many different types of tests to create a profile of strengths and weaknesses of www.sendmagazine.co.uk

the individual. Psychologists may also use an IQ test which is a more complex assessment to identify people. This type of assessment can provide diagnosis.

Wednesday - How does dyslexia affect people differently?

Wednesday's theme is very interesting to me as every dyslexic is different and dyslexia affects people in many different ways. If we look at the emotional side of dyslexia it is very interesting as some people can really excel because they really understand the difficulties and many people feel that they are stupid or silly and they have low self-esteem and no confidence. By understanding the difficulties that dyslexic people face we hopefully can remove some barriers and help to grow their confidence and self-esteem and encourage them to have the strength and the determination to succeed.

Thursday - What help is at hand for those with dyslexia? (Also World Dyslexia Day) If you look around a lot of help is out there for dyslexic people but the question is, are they getting the right help at the right time? This is probably more what we have to think about. There are a number of private tutors, local dyslexia associations and support groups who are able to offer advice and help to young people and adults. Really and truly if we are identifying young people early, as part of early identification we should be putting interventions into place and

making sure that teachers, teaching assistant and senior management teams at schools are aware of dyslexia and ensure that schools have undertaken awareness training either through online training courses or inset days as this can really support and help them to understand and help people with dyslexia.

Friday - Why is the correct help important and how can we raise awareness together?

Identifying and implementing intervention can really help people to grow in confidence, self-esteem and raise the ability in any dyslexic. When we look at the positives of dyslexia it often helps with creativity, thinking outside the box and problem-solving. These are strengths that we need in society today to ensure that we can all succeed, including dyslexic people. We have to make everyone aware of the difficulties of dyslexia within the wider community and that dyslexia is not just about reading difficulties, then we can really help and allow everyone to reach their full potential.

There are many events going on over Dyslexia Awareness Week, don’t forget to use the #dyslexia2016 to make sure that we spread more awareness support.

More information http://www. bdadyslexia.org.uk/fundraising/dyslexiaawareness-week Source British Dyslexia Association, Helen Arkell and Dyslexia Action.

September 2016 SEND MAGAZINE

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Covering all aspects of Special Educational Needs & Disability with children and young people • Early Years • Primary • Secondary • Post 16

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September 2016 SEND MAGAZINE

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Support for children with visual impairments Visual impairment can often not be identified straight away as the level of impairment can vary of course. Here we look at its definition and signs to look out for in the classroom, to ensure that children with visual impairment issues are included and supported by both teachers and pupils.

Facts Definition: • A visual impairment (VI) means that the wearing of glasses will not correct your vision to normal. It can be defined as a loss of clear vision, loss of central vision or loss of peripheral vision - or a combination of these.

• Visual impairment ranges from those who are blind to those who are partially sighted and who have significant difficulties in accessing the curriculum.

• 80% of learning is taken in through your visual pathway.

• 2.1 per thousand of the total school population i.e. approx. 13000 children in Wales (0-16) will be blind or partially sighted.

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• Visual Impairment is categorised by health purposes as severely sight impaired and sight impaired.

Visual impairment is categorised for educational purposes as blind, educationally blind and partially sighted.

• Approx. 60% of children with visual impairment have additional needs.

• Pupils with a visual impairment may require modification of curriculum materials. This may include, modified print, large print, Braille, audio or tactile resources.

• Expectations for CYP with visual impairment should be as high as those for other children.

• Pupils with a visual impairment are entitled to extra time and other concessions for internal and external examinations .

• All Local Authorities will have a Qualified Teacher of the Visually Impaired (QTVI) to give you specific advice for individuals.

Remember, no two children or young people with a visual impairment are the same. Good practice for children and young people with a visual impairment is good practice for all. www.sendmagazine.co.uk

What to look for • Appearance of the eyes such as red, watering or sticky eyes.

• Unusual eye movements or head postures.

• Rubbing of the eyes and complaining of headaches.

• Holding learning materials too close or too far away.

• Poor concentration and attention span and can tire easily • Regularly needing longer to

complete tasks.

• Difficulty in copying from whiteboards etc.

• Frequently seeking assistance from peers • May have difficulty running without stumbling.

• May have difficulty in finding their way in unfamiliar surroundings Any of the above concerns should be

raised with the Child or Young Person‘s (CYP) family/carer and recommendation made for a vision assessment with their local optometrist/optician to rule out any possible refractive errors and the need for glasses or discussion with their GP. You may also wish to discuss your concerns with your QTVI. Visual impairment can impact on all aspects of CYPs learning and development.

What to do Curriculum access: Differentiation may be demonstrated by making materials accessible for independent learning and by individualised expected outcomes.

REMEMBER A - Appropriate seating C - Clutter Free

C - Contrast • All learning materials presented should be clear and well-spaced with good contrast.

• Point 14 Arial font is recommended as a standard font for all pupils.

Recommendation of specific font size for individuals will be given by your QTVI.

C - Contrast

C - Clutter free • Ensure that board work is not cluttered with extra detail and that spacing is good.

• The classroom environment should be safe with wires and cables secured.

• Corridors should be well illuminated and kept clear.

• Space for equipment and/or staffing should be available.

E - Environment • Keep the classroom layout the same where possible or alert the learner to any significant changes.

• Bags and clothes should be stored away in classrooms and corridors.

• Space should be available for extra equipment and/or support staff.

• There should be clear and suitable signage at the appropriate height.

• Information and displays should be at eye level.

• Ensure that there is consistent lighting throughout with no dark or toobright spots.

• Steps and stairs should be well defined.

• Pupils may need to leave the classroom either before or after others.

• Access to power points may be required.

• The use of tactile or high contrast markings to make the identification of certain areas more accessible is good practice.

Where to find help

Useful websites

The School SENCo/ALNCo The Visual Impaired Service

www.rnib.org.uk www.nbcs.org.uk

E - Environment S - Social and Emotional Well-being S - Specialist Skills A - Appropriate seating • Seating should be close to the focus of the lesson.

• The pupil should sit where they feel comfortable with the amount of light and glare around them.

• Consideration of glare and reflection should be made.

www.sendmagazine.co.uk

S - Social & Emotional • Eye contact is not always possible for some pupils, so initial use of the pupil‘s name is necessary.

• Interpreting body language and facial expressions can be difficult so always use verbal explanations.

• Ensure that incidental learning situations are not missed or misinterpreted.

• Some intervention with friendship groups may be necessary in the first instance.

• Some pupils may require quiet time to absorb concepts and time to switch off.

S - Specialist skills • The CYP with visual impairment may require longer to complete tasks.

• Your teaching style will need to be creative and reflect the needs of the pupil. A multi-sensory approach to learning and good verbal consolidation of concepts is vital.

• Mobility, touch typing, independent living skills may need to be integrated into the CYP‘s weekly timetable.

Remember no two children or young people with a visual impairment are the same.

Good practice for children and young people with a visual impairment is good practice for all.

Visual impairment can impact on all aspects of children & young people's learning and development September 2016 SEND MAGAZINE

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Sense - connecting sight, sound and life

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IVING with sight and hearing impairments or complex needs can be immensely challenging. Everyday things like having a conversation, enjoying friendships and living independently can be much harder without the right support. The disability charity Sense works with people to navigate these difficulties and support them to live active and fulfilling lives.

Sense was founded in 1955 by a group of parents who had been affected by rubella in pregnancy, and as a result given birth to children who were deafblind. Today, a growing number of children are born with sensory impairments as a result of being born prematurely or with a medical condition.

Many have additional physical or learning difficulties.

For over 60 years Sense has pioneered ground-breaking ways to personalise support for people who are deafblind and those with sensory impairments. Many of the people they help also face other challenges too - such as physical and learning disabilities and other complex disabilities.

Sense supports children, adults and older people to develop their confidence and skills, and to choose what they want to do. Finding ways to support people to communicate is fundamental to their 30

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work, and over the years Sense has found that the skills developed working with people who are deafblind, also benefit other individuals, such as people with complex needs.

60 years of Sense services Throughout their history, Sense has developed a wide range of services, including: • Skilled assessments to ensure children get off to the best possible start, with learning and development needs identified.

• Early intervention and developmental play services to give children the greatest possible opportunity to learn and to support families to bond, communicate and successfully interact with their child.

• Accommodation support in the community, such as housing and resource centres where individuals can develop their skills and grow in confidence and be an active part of the community.

• Innovative services such as a horseriding centre, arts, sports and wellbeing and outdoor programmes, enabling people to discover new interests and develop skills.

• A range of forums, support groups and events to bring people together

for mutual support.

• A thriving holidays and short breaks programme which allow people to have fun, feel valued, make choices, join-in activities - with all the support that is needed to make their holiday a memorable and stimulating experience.

Communication at its heart A key challenge for people of any age with sensory impairments or complex needs is how to communicate.

It may be difficult to find a way to express yourself, to make yourself understood, or to hear what people are saying. Sense specialises in supporting disabled people in circumstances that can be very isolating for them.

Sense takes time to understand and respond to a person’s preferred ways of communicating whether that is speech, sign, symbols, gestures, or body language.

In many of these communications systems, touch is used to break down that sense of isolation. We use more than 15 specialist communication systems every day in our work.

Sense Children’s Services work in partnership with parents to help maximise their child’s ability to sense the world around them - including the use of touch, texture, sign language and rhythm. www.sendmagazine.co.uk

Ernie is a three-year-old boy that Sense supports. Ernie is deafblind and also has Down’s syndrome.

As well as having blurred sight and only a little hearing, Ernie has low

muscle tone all over his body. Of course that affects big movements like learning to walk, but it also makes it more difficult for Ernie to communicate. When Sense first met

“Ernie never has to feel left out or frustrated”

11 year-old Tyrese was born with a rare genetic condition called CHARGE - and as a result he is profoundly deaf and has vision in one eye.

Sense has been supporting Tyrese

“It’s exciting!

And the people are lovely.”

www.sendmagazine.co.uk

and his family since he was a baby, helping to navigate the whirlwind of medical appointments and disability forms, and encouraging Tyrese to communicate through Makaton and

Ernie, and his twin brother Ted, Ted was chatting away, while Ernie would point at everything and make sounds, trying to be understood.

Ernie found it hard to shape his mouth into words, and when he began learning to sign, he didn’t have enough strength or coordination. Sense specialists identified ‘messy play’ as a tool to help Ernie.

Ernie became a regular weekly visitor to a pre-school group at the Sense Family Centre, where he could receive one-to-one support from a specialist, who got Ernie pushing his fingers into modelling clay, finger painting and decorating balloons. It was colourful mayhem!

During each activity Ernie was strengthening the muscles he’ll need to sign. With every splosh and splat of paint his hands became stronger.

As you can see from the pictures, Ernie’s signing is getting better and better.

Ernie will always find speaking clearly difficult, but as his mum Helen explains, he never has to feel left out or frustrated. With the help of Sense support, he is able to express himself and be understood.

British Sign Language.

Tyrese has benefitted from Sense holiday breaks. During a week-long holiday break with Sense, Tyrese was keen to explore all sorts of experiences: music therapy sessions, woodland survival days, drumming, sensory play, cooking and cake decorating, treasure hunts and much more.

The holiday gave him the space he needed to become more independent. He was able to spend time with other young people and received a memorable and stimulating experience. Sense has been arranging short breaks for 40 years. It began in 1974 with a few families with deafblind children going away to provide mutual support and peers for their children.

It has since evolved into Sense’s Holiday Programme. To date, 5,000 holidaymakers have gone away with us.

For more information on Sense visit www.sense.org.uk

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Secondary School Transition Momentary Modulations Special needs consultant and founder of The Local Offer, Heather Stack, looks at transitions, the anxieties that can occur with the move from primary to secondary school.

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’M picking up on an earlier theme, Just Listen - Creating meaningful support (March 2016). Do you remember Ben, Year 5, and the work we did on What’s brilliant in my life & What’s not so good about my life?

Ben spoke about his worries for Year 6 and how strict his new teachers might be. He talked also about his worries for secondary school and was anxious about what people might know about him and if it was going to be bad. He was not looking forward to ‘having no friends at break or after school’.

I elaborate because it is significant to my theme. For some, like Ben, there is a long incubation period where fear and anxiety grow and multiply. Some pupils with SEND will endure heightened levels

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of anxiety for protracted periods of time, unless those needs are identified and then addressed.

The Oxford Concise definition of transition is - passing or change from one place, state, condition, etc, to another; a momentary modulation; a change from one style to another.

I love the phrase ‘momentary modulation’. The transition from primary to secondary education is a momentary modulation in a young person’s life.

We underestimate the fears and anxieties of pupils with SEND at our peril.

The transition to secondary education is a landmark moment, a disruptive force that threatens the security of all that has gone before. It is a tremendous upheaval, and

one that throws things into disarray, at home and at school.

• Motivation • Attitude • Short-term memory and recall • Concentration • Self-confidence and esteem • Eating and sleeping habits • Energy levels •R elationships with family, friends, support and teaching staff In addition, young people can be caught up in turbulent mood-swings and be frightened by the intensity of their emotions, some of which they may struggle to label, understand or verbalise. www.sendmagazine.co.uk

move for the past year. The more you can empathise, the more you can attune your behaviours to ones of support, compassion and understanding.

As a former secondary teacher, working in a 1200-pupil school in an affluent suburb, I recall vividly a Summer term staff meeting where the SENCo rattled through the new September intake.

Names to watch out for. Behaviours that caused concern. Possible ‘runners’.

I remember, with the naivety of one new to the profession, feeling disturbed that so much need could be wrapped up in so few words, in so little time. Just one item on a busy agenda; names to watch out for. My Head of Department, on offering my class list, said with a wry smile: “When I’ve got a moment Heather, I’ll tell you about the one in your form that’s all right…”

Systems have changed, thankfully, and so much for the better, but there is still a need to consolidate relationships between primary and secondary, to evaluate best practice and consider the impact of Year Six transitional work, or post-transition support strategies.

The needs of those in receipt of Pupil Premium can often be regarded as a higher priority over the broader range of needs of pupils on SEN registers and that

is an area of challenge. The downward pressure on school SEN registers increasingly raises alarm.

So what can we do, as professionals and parents, that allays some of these fears, addresses need and sets to rest the beast of fear, anticipation and anxiety?

For professionals in the secondary setting: Be the person you want to greet you, at times of your greatest fear Imagine you have a worrying medical appointment, or social event you dread, or public speaking engagement that keeps you awake at night. Whatever context you choose, the intent is to place yourself in the shoes of those students who have been dreading this

Use strategies to get to know names quickly It used to take me almost half a term to know even some of the names coming into my classes, all those years ago. But I was good at remembering characters and personalities and that compensated.

There are a wealth of memory strategies to fine-hone that skill, particularly if you work in a context where knowing names is a huge, often untapped, asset.

Whatever strategy you use, remembering a student’s name and something about their personality, goes a long way to reassure them when the days are long and demanding.

Associate each student with a positive quality Associating students with SEND with positive qualities gives a sense of confidence that what is known about them is overwhelmingly good (remember Ben’s fears about what new teachers might think of him?) The student who is immaculately dressed, artistic, conscientious, helpful, first to answer.

Build a store of positive qualities so that students with SEND in your class are not defined first and foremost by their need.

Be alert to students experiencing fear and anxiety Fear and anxiety make a person slow, hesitant, cautious or restless, caught up

Some pupils with SEND will endure heightened levels of anxiety for protracted periods of time, unless those needs are identified and then addressed. www.sendmagazine.co.uk

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in a hundred imaginary crisis. The fearful student just might be the last to enter the room, the slowest to leave (and last to the next class), the most forgetful.

Fear and anxiety scramble the brain and make it difficult to relax. Do what you can to allay fears, to spell things out, to be patient, to notice insecurities before they erupt or merge into something more complex and deep-seated.

Make time to linger and listen to the late-comers and stragglers Be attentive to those students who are isolated from their peers, who do things alone time after time, who do not have someone to wait for them at the lesson’s end. A comforting word and the recall of a name can go a long way to bolstering a young person’s faltering confidence. Bear in mind that lessons just before break and lunch period are often the most challenging for those without friends or experiencing difficulty navigating their way around vast new school buildings.

For parents and carers: Support and encourage your child’s daily successes Being alert to the detail of what is involved in Operation Day 1, it is all too easy to forget to celebrate the successes, focusing instead on what has gone wrong - the forgotten homework book, the wrong equipment, the deadline missed. Focus your attention on the positives. Diffuse or ignore the negatives.

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Be sensitive to mood changes and body language Be aware of your child’s fluctuating emotional state and, whilst you must accept mood swings as the order of the day, nevertheless be alert to low moods that are not shaken off with other distractions or that persist day after day. Can you recognize the prevailing mood? Is it upbeat, excited and positive, or is it downbeat, stressed, restless and unhappy?

Be positive and enthusiastic Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm. Look ahead eagerly to new opportunities emerging and speak of them using positive language. Self-monitor your thoughts and the words you use in discussing the new school. Aim to reinforce positive messages about new friendships, classwork and homework and joining new clubs and activities.

Regulate your more critical thoughts, concerns or exasperation.

See difficulties as challenges that can be overcome Consider all temporary difficulties as challenges that you know your child can overcome. The loss of old friends can be set against the gain of friends yet unknown, and the joy of planning a catch up session with old friends soon.

Avoid contexts where the only time you have a conversation about the new school is to grumble over transport, the

cost of dinners, or take a swipe at poor communication systems.

Have your camera ready Remember to take pictures at significant moments - the first day of the new school, the end of week 1, the end of month 1, new uniform, new friends, new activities, first day of a new sports team.

Build up a store of memories that will be your safeguard against times of difficulty.

Change, whatever form it takes, affects us all, whether we are willing participants in the process or harbour desperate desires to stem the flow of the tides of change.

What we can do as adults is help young people anticipate the future with optimism and excitement, and dispel fears before they become burdensome beasts. Trying some of these strategies might just make the difference to young people who feel that education, school and life, is just one bad day after another.

“I think she is growing up, and so begins to dream dreams, and have hopes and fears and fidgets, without knowing why or being able to explain them.”

Louisa May Alcott, Little Women.

Heather Stack is Founder of The Local Offer, www.thelocaloffer.co.uk, a social enterprise championing the work of crosssector specialist & targeted SEND provision.

She is an SEND consultant and can be contacted on heather@thelocaloffer.co.uk. www.sendmagazine.co.uk

SEND Abbreviations AAC Alternative and Augmentative Communication ACE Advisory Centre for Education ACfE A Curriculum for Excellence ACPC Area Child Protection Committee ACCAC Qualifications Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales ADD Attention Defect Disorder ADDiS Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder AEN Additional Educational Needs AENCo Additional Educational Needs Co-ordinator AET Autism Education Trust AfA Achievement for All AfL Assessment for Learning AGT Able, Gifted and Talented ALD Adults with Learning Difficulties ALS Additional Learning Support AoL Assessment of Learning AQA Assessment and Qualifications Alliance ARB Area/Autistic Resource Base ARM Annual Review Meeting ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorder ASDAN Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network ASN Additional Support Need ASL Additional Support for Learning AST Advanced Skills Teacher AUT Autism AWPU Age Weighted Pupil Unit BATOD British Association of Teachers of the Deaf BDA British Dyslexia Association BDD Body Dysmorphic Disorder BECTA British Educational Communications and Technology Agency BESD Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties BEST Behaviour and Education Support Teams BILD British Institute of Learning Difficulties BIP Behaviour Improvement Programme BME Black and Minority Ethnic BSF Building Schools for the Future BSL British Sign Language BSP Behaviour Support Plan BST Behaviour Support Team BSU Behaviour Support Unit C&FS Child and Family Service CA Classroom Assistant CAF Common Assessment Framework CAFCASS Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service CAT Cognitive Ability Test CBAC Welsh Joint Education Committee CCEA Northern Ireland Council

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for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment CD Conduct Disorders CDC Council for Disabled Children CF Cystic Fibrosis CFS Chronic Fatigue Syndrome CHEN Children with Mental Health and Educational Needs CLD Complex Learning Needs CP Cerebral Palsy CRE Commission for Racial Equality CSCI Commission for Social Care Inspections CSP Coordinated Support Plan CoP Code of Practice CRE Commission for Racial Equality DAMP Deficits in Attention, Motor Control and Perceptual Abilities DCD Development Co-ordination Difficulties (Dyspraxia) DDA Disability Discrimination Act DED Disability Equality Duty DEE Disability Equality in Education DELLS Department for Education, Learning and Lifelong Skills DENI Department of Education for Northern Ireland DfES Department for Education and Skills DLA Disability Living Allowance DRC Disability Rights Commission DS Downs Syndrome DSD Developmental Coordination Disorder DSP Dedicated Specialist Provision DVD Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia DYSC Dyscaculia DYSL Dyslexia DYSP Dyspraxia EAL English as an Additional Language EAT Eating Disorders EBD Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties ECM Every Child Matters ELBs Education and Library Board EOTAS Education Other than at School EP Educational Psychologist EPi Epilepsy ERA Education Reform Act ESA Educational Support Assistant Estyn Office of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector and Training in Wales ESL English as a Second Language EWO Education Welfare Officer EYA Early Years Action EYAP Early Years Action Plus EYDCP Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership FLS Further Literacy Support FLT Foundation Learning Tier FRX Fragile X Syndrome FSP Foundation Stage Profile G & T Gifted and Talented GLD Generic Learning Difficulties GTC General Teaching Council

GTCS General Teaching Council for Scotland HI Hearing Impairment HMCI Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (of schools) HMI Her Majesty’s Inspectorate HMIE Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland HLTA Higher Level Teaching Assistant HSA Home School Agreement IBP Individual Behaviour Plan IEP Individual Education Plan ILP Individual Learning Plan INCO Inclusion Co-ordinator IPSEA Independent Panel for Special Education Advice IQM Inclusion Quality Mark ISP Individual Support Plan KS Key stage LA Local Authority LAC Looked After Children LDD Learning Difficulties and Disabilities LM Learning Mentor LSA Learning Support Assistant LSC Learning and Skills Council LSP Learning Support Practitioner LSU Learning Support Unit LTS Learning & Teaching Scotland MDT Multi-Disciplinary Team MLD Moderate Learning Difficulties MD Muscular Dystrophy ME Myalgic Encephalomelitis MND Motor Neurone Disease MSI Multi-Sensory Impairment NAS National Autistic Society NBCS National Blind Children’s Society NDCS National Deaf Children’s Society NEYTCO National Early Years Trainers and Consultants NMSS Non-Maintained Special School NRWS New Relationship with Schools NSF National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services NSSEN Non-Statemented Special Educational Needs NWRSENP North West Regional Special Educational Needs Partnership Ofqual Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator Ofsted Office for Standards in Education PATOSS Professional Association for Teachers Of Students with Specific Learning Disabilities PCTs Primary Care Trusts PD Physical Difficulties/ Disabilities PDD Pervasive Development Disorder PMLD Profound and Multiple Difficulties PSP Personal Support Plan OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ODD Oppositional Defiance Disorder OT Occupational Therapist

PDA Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome PDD Pervasive Development Disorder PECs Picture Exchange Communication System PMD Physical and Medical Difficulties PMLD Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties PNI Physical and neurological impairment PRU Pupil Referral Unit PPS Parent Partnership Service PSI Physical and Sensory Impairment PT Physiotherapist QCA Qualifications and Curriculum Authority RAD Rapid Attachment Disorder RAISE Reporting and Analysis for Improvement through School Self Evaluation RAP Reasonable Adjustment Project RoA Record of Achievement RoN Record of Need RNIB Royal National Institute of Blind People S & L Speech and Language SA School Action SA+ School Action Plus SaLT Speech and Language Therapist SCD Speech and Communication Difficulties SEAL Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning SEBD Social, Emotional and Behaviour Difficulties SEF Self Evaluation Form SENAG Special Educational Needs Advisory Group SENATS SEN Advisory and Teaching Service SENCO Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator SEND Special Educational Needs & Disability SENDA Special Educational Needs and Disability Act SENDIST Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal SENJIT Special Educational Needs Joint Initiative for Training SLCN Speech, language and Communication Needs SLD Severe Learning Difficulties SMA Spinal Muscular Atrophy SIP School Improvement Partner SPD Semantic Pragmatic Disorder SpLCN Specific Language and Communication Difficulties SpLD Specific Learning Difficulties SQA Scottish Qualifications Authority SSEN Statement of Special Educational Needs TA Teaching Assistant TDA Training and Development Agency TLR Teaching and Learning Responsibility TS Tourettes Syndrome VI Visual Impairment WJEC Welsh Joint Education Committee

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