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Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................ 2 SECTION A - Expectations for inclusive educational settings in Plymouth............... 4 What is inclusion by design? ................................................................................... 5 Leadership and management .................................................................................. 9 A relational whole school approach and inclusive behaviour policies .................... 12 Partnerships with learners and parents/carers ...................................................... 20 Inclusive policies to support attendance ............................................................... 26 Pastoral support ................................................................................................... 31 Assessment .......................................................................................................... 34 The learning environment (physical, sensory, communication and virtual) ............ 37 Teaching and learning through a strong inclusive curriculum................................ 40 Staff skills and training ......................................................................................... 43 Transition ............................................................................................................. 46 Raising awareness of vulnerable groups ............................................................... 49 SECTION B - Support for broad areas of need and what should be ‘ordinarily’ available ............................................................................................................... 60 Introduction to the four areas of SEND need ......................................................... 61 Communication and interaction ............................................................................ 66 Cognition and learning .......................................................................................... 81 Social, emotional and mental health ..................................................................... 88 Sensory and/or physical needs ............................................................................. 96 SECTION C - Inclusion in Action.......................................................................... 112 Case study 1 ....................................................................................................... 113 Case study 2 ....................................................................................................... 117 Case study 3 ....................................................................................................... 120 Case study 4 ....................................................................................................... 126 Case study 5 ....................................................................................................... 129 Case study 6 ....................................................................................................... 131 Glossary ............................................................................................................. 135 Further reading ................................................................................................... 137 Thank you and acknowledgements ..................................................................... 138
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Introduction What is Ordinarily Available Provision? The needs of most of our children and young people in Plymouth can be met by inclusive high-quality teaching and adapted, inclusive provision using resources that are ‘ordinarily’ available in their mainstream school or setting. The concept of this ‘ordinarily available’ provision is grounded in the SEND Code of Practice: (6.15). Ordinarily Available Provision is the universal whole school approach, holistic opportunities and provision strategies that are delivered as a typical offer to ensure a rich and ambitious learning environment is tailored for all pupils. As inclusive practitioners we should be able to adapt to meet a range of additional needs and support young people early, whether they have a formal diagnosis or not. A school’s universal approach must be enhanced to provide the best possible lived experiences for young people in the city. All schools and settings are expected to be aware of inclusive statutory duties as those outlined in the following legislation. Within these documents, schools are supported to understand how provisions must adapt to support children and young people in their care: • • • •
Equality Act 2010 (legislation.gov.uk) Disabled Children and the Equality Act 2010: What teachers need to know and what schools need to do (judiciary.uk) SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk) Children and Families Act 2014 (legislation.gov.uk)
We aim for high-quality education for all our Plymouth children and young people in every provision. To achieve this, high-quality ‘joined up’ universal provision must have a strong emphasis on inclusion by design to achieve person-centred support with co-production at its core. (Whole school SEND 2022) To deliver this consistently across the city it is vital that: • • • •
Schools and settings are genuinely inclusive by design with a strong, consistent universal offer. All school leaders and practitioners have a secure understanding of planning and evidencing their approach through the graduated framework, shared effectively with all stakeholders. All leaders across schools and settings prioritise distributed ownership of SEND – every leader is a leader of SEND. School leaders establish and embed strong family communication and collaboration.
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Where inclusive learning environments and high-quality teaching are genuinely implemented within a whole school approach, all pupils will benefit. Approaches to support young people do and should vary, dependent on need and some learners will require support that is additional to a school’s universal offer through the graduated approach. This resource outlines the expectations of mainstream schools and wider partners to fulfil their duty by offering a fully inclusive and adaptable learning environment as a universal commitment to all pupils, in advance of targeted planning through the graduated approach. It has been written to support all practitioners including leaders, governors, teachers, support staff and the wider school team to maximise their offer in collaboration with young people and their families. The guidance can be used by leaders as assurance that universal provision for SEND is as good as it can be in their school. Equally, section B is a guide to support teachers and support staff in securing an inclusive classroom offer. Thank you to school staff, wider stakeholders, families, and young people for their input in developing and co-producing this guidance. The document is divided into three sections: Section A: The expectations for educational settings in Plymouth to embed inclusive whole school approaches. Section B: Specific examples and strategies that schools can ordinarily implement as part of their universal offer to meet needs. Section C: Inclusion in action – case studies sharing best practice.
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SECTION A - Expectations for inclusive educational settings in Plymouth
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What is inclusion by design?
The National Association of Head Teachers in their ‘Policy Paper on Special Schools’ (2003), (page 1) described inclusion as: “a process that maximises the entitlement of all pupils to a broad, relevant, and stimulating curriculum, which is delivered in the environment that will have the greatest impact on their learning. All schools, whether special or mainstream, should reflect a culture in which the institution adapts to meet the needs of its pupils and is provided with the resources to enable this to happen.” Defining inclusion – developing a shared definition Discussions regarding a shared definition of inclusion were held as part of local Plymouth education meetings. There was agreement to work beyond a traditional view of inclusion: inclusion is broader than making provision for any single group. In its simplest terms, inclusion means: ‘Right Support, Right Place, Right Time’ Inclusive thinking means we keep our minds, ears and doors open – building our reach, growing opportunities, and keeping a focus on progression and success for all. Plymouth City schools, the Place-Based Coordinator and PCC Children Services believe in and are working towards every child being ‘truly’ included – the truly included child:
Attends regular classroom lessons with appropriate provision Participates in all activities offered to other students
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Is accepted by the rest of the school community Achieves in all learning domains Has a strong sense of belonging and feels happy to be part of the school community. Blandford, S., Casson, W., Gibson, S., Munn, G., and Shute, J. (2023): Evaluation of the approach and impact of the Place-Based work in Plymouth (September 2020 August 2022) on 19 Plymouth Secondary schools and an Alternative Provision Provider, Plymouth Marjon and Plymouth University, Plymouth.
If we aim to make schools, classrooms and teaching ‘inclusive by design’, we can create a genuine sense of belonging and an ethos of inclusion that runs through a whole community. The SEND Code of Practice (2015) makes it very clear that inclusion is an expectation: “The UK government is committed to inclusive education of disabled children and young people and the progressive removal of barriers to learning and participation in mainstream education” (para. 1.26); schools “must use their best endeavours to make sure that a child with SEN gets the support they need – this means doing everything they can to meet children and young people’s SE.”’ (para. 6.2); they “must make reasonable adjustments… to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage. These duties are anticipatory.” (para. 6.9) All of these quotes imply, or state, the need to adapt in anticipation; to be inclusive by design as the first step in meeting the needs of every pupil. If learning environments are designed to meet most presenting needs, then there will be less requirement for different approaches and resources, as more learners will have their needs met from the outset. This creates, in anticipation, an environment that is adapted to support a wider range of young people. Universal adapted learning environments in line with the Equality Act are those that: • • • •
Are designed to meet the needs of all within it, including staff, pupils, and their families. Have adapted concepts from the beginning that can be accessed by all pupils. Adopt an adapted in advance approach that runs through the learning environment and curriculum design. Focus on inclusive high-quality teaching delivered consistently.
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Anticipate the way in which children will learn and consider this when delivering learning.
We want Plymouth to be a city that is inclusive by design, where all children with SEND and their families: • • • • • • • •
Feel valued, heard, and that they belong. Have high aspirations and ambitions about their pathways. Have access to high-quality education and preparation for adulthood. Have a voice and are equal partners in decision-making about their own lives. Receive support and advice at the right time, in the right place with early identification and ongoing impactful support. Are included in and can make a positive contribution in their own locality. Are communicated with in a transparent and equitable way. Benefit from the expertise within wider teams in a multi-agency way.
Inclusion at the heart of school improvement
Leaders have the influence and responsibility to build genuinely inclusive schools. They set the inclusive vision, ethos and strategic direction. Inclusive practices should be clear through: • • • • •
School development plans as a golden thread School vision statements Policies and practices of the school The lived culture of the community The impact on all groups of children.
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The EEF Putting Evidence to Work - A School’s Guide to Implementation can be adapted to consider how inclusion is embedded as a golden thread across all areas of the school. Explore Prepare Deliver Sustain
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Define the areas across the school that require attention in terms of inclusive practice and identify appropriate programmes or practices to implement. Create a clear implementation plan for inclusion across all areas, judge the readiness of the team and capacity to deliver the plan, then prepare staff and resources. Support staff, monitor progress, solve problems, and adapt strategies as approaches are used for the first time. Plan for sustaining and scaling an intervention from the outset and continuously acknowledge and nurture its use.
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Leadership and management For schools to be truly inclusive, the whole school leadership team need to be genuinely committed in their approach to achieving this. When ‘every leader is a leader of SEND’ is referred to, it should be emphasised that this refers to leadership at all levels, including middle leaders, senior leaders, Headteachers, CEOs, governors, trustees, teachers as leaders of the classroom and additional colleagues as leaders of support. The rationale is to lead by example, but the overall importance of this approach is about securing leadership decisions that embed a culture of inclusion, which in turn enables classroom teachers to be more effective in meeting the needs of pupils with a range of needs. If a school’s universal provision is more inclusive and of a high-quality, then fewer targeted adaptations are needed. It is leaders who provide the framework within which universal provision sits; therefore, we want every leader in Plymouth to be a confident and knowledgeable leader of SEND. Whole school SEND National Leader Malcolm Reeve hosts a free webinar to the ‘SEND in a Nutshell’ method of data analysis which helps senior leaders to understand their school context within the regional and national picture and provides a starting point for whole-school development planning. It can be found with a free sign up to NASEN Webinar: SEND in a Nutshell | Whole School SEND. The webinar helps schools to prioritise SEND within their development plans by presenting formats and tools for strategic, long-term planning and impact evaluation. http://www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk As a membership body, the CDC provide a collective voice that champions the rights of children, young people and their families and challenges barriers to inclusion. Supporting children with disabilities and special educational needs by influencing Government policy, working with local agencies to translate policy into practice and producing guidance and training. They offer a range of resources to support the development of inclusion in schools. The Open University have a free course: Leadership for inclusion: what can you do? | OpenLearn - Open University. This course will help you to develop your understanding of how to promote and support learning for all, within classrooms with a diverse student and staff population. It will encourage you to embrace your own capacity to lead at any level of an Page | 9
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organisation. You will explore the tensions around collective responses and individualised challenges, consider these alongside the need to embrace risk and recognise the opportunities that arise from everyday uncertainty. By engaging with these inclusive principles, you will be invited to seek out ways in which you can support others and so enhance collective learning opportunities.
Inclusive Leadership
Expectation
Hallmarks of a strong culture
Provision for all children and young people, including those with additional needs and vulnerable groups, is wellled and managed
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There is a whole school approach to inclusion that is fully supported by the leadership team. Inclusion feeds through all areas of a schools/trust’s development plan. The inclusive ethos is referred to across all policies and reporting. Governing bodies and the leadership team are in receipt of highquality training and guidance to fully understand their role to play in an inclusive community. Governors weave inclusion through all their monitoring and reporting All staff have access to a comprehensive training programme with the SEND lead and teaching & learning lead working together to enhance this training offer. Leaders, including the SENCO are passionate about inclusion and can share the impact of practice clearly.
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Leaders are ambitious for children and young people with additional needs and this ambition is shared by staff
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The school SEND information report and offer is clear to all families and fully informs stakeholders of the school’s commitment to inclusion. The school has a trained SENCO who is pivotal to the delivery of holistic inclusive practice. There is an evident ethos of inclusion; staff can give clear examples of inclusivity embedded into practice and can maintain this consistently. The senior lead for curriculum supports all middle leaders to plan their inclusive curriculum in advance as part of their anticipatory duty. Difference and needs are recognised, and barriers are reduced in advance of any learning opportunities. The school curriculum meets the needs of all learners with clear intent, implementation, and evaluation of impact. All staff have high expectations and ambitious opportunities for all learners, regardless of vulnerability or need. Reviews are completed regularly so leaders can evidence that no child is disadvantaged by the whole school approach. All pupils, regardless of need, have access to a broad and balanced curriculum including holistic learning opportunities out of the classroom.
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A relational whole school approach and inclusive behaviour policies “When I was at school, I found situations tricky and would become angry quickly. Sometimes this would lead to me hurting someone else or myself. My school helped as they understood me as a person – they listened and understood my conditions. They helped me to manage my thoughts, and this has changed my life.” (Anonymous pupil Plymouth secondary) “Every student should be able to have encouragement and feel like they have a place.” (Primary pupil – Youth Ascends)
Adopting a relational approach A relational approach is crucial for all students and especially those with additional vulnerabilities. Not only does it foster a supportive environment, but it also promotes trust and a sense of belonging. Building positive relationships with teachers and peers will enhance the wellbeing, engagement, and academic success of students, providing a stable foundation for their overall development. Crucial to the creation of a positive and secure environment, is understanding and prioritising the power of relationships and the impact of adverse childhood experiences on development. Recognising the difficulties being faced by young people and acknowledging the links to resulting behaviours is key to building positive connections. Through these connections and the application of empathy and curiosity students will feel nurtured and secure. Relational approaches develop a belief in and understanding of how schools can support all students through individual relationships, classroom practice, and policy which supports practice systems that are responsive to the needs of all students. Schools adopting relational approaches accept that relationship is central to success. Click the link for a performance of the poem ‘Why I am Rude’, written by Sarah Dillon. Cambridgeshire County Council's video 'Why I am rude' - a poem about our perception of 'behaviour'. - YouTube A genuine positive relational environment will include the following things: •
Nurturing approaches evident by staff across school at all parts of the school day.
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• • • • • • • • • •
Staff see the student’s presentation as a form of communicating unmet needs. Staff show compassion, empathy, and consistency in their responses. Schools use a relational policy rather than a behaviour policy. Trauma informed/attachment trained school leads. Flexible implementation of policy. If the policy is not working to support the needs of every child, then the policy is not working. Staff use targeted approaches to meet the needs of individuals. Key adults identified for vulnerable students. Staff are trained in the impacts of traumas and strategies to support students who have had adverse childhood experiences. Transitions processes are robust in ensuring clear systems are in place to support students as they move across teachers and learning environments. Restorative conversations are used to reflect on behaviours with a focus on restoring relationships and moving on.
Embedding a relational approach Expectation
Hallmarks of a strong culture
There is an ethos of respect, empathy and compassion embedded in the setting
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Students feel safe, secure and valued in their setting
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The setting recognises the need for pastoral support and considers the impact of individual experiences and traumas
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There is a welcoming environment created through positive greetings and nurturing relationships. Staff model respectful and compassionate communication with one another and students. Staff challenge negative beliefs or actions towards individuals or groups. There is consistency in the approaches used by staff across the school. Student voice is encouraged, heard and actioned. Named key adults are available. Barriers to accessing key adults are removed. Safe, private spaces are available to meet in when required. Priority is given to vulnerable students for pastoral support. Nurture hubs are available for students to work in when overwhelmed.
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• • •
Learners are supported through a policy built on relational and restorative practice
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Appropriate targeted support is in place for individuals who need it. Trauma informed practitioners and champions are embedded throughout the school. Systems are in place for vulnerable students to access support as immediately as possible when they face times of challenge and dysregulation. Incidents are explored through a lens of curiosity and hope rather than one of blame and shame. Restorative conversations are facilitated following an incident. Policy and related consequences are reasonably adjusted for vulnerable students. Senior leaders regularly meet with the trauma informed practitioners to review practise and policy. Policies are all linked and referenced to one another.
Educational inclusion refers to equal opportunities for all learners, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, impairment, attainment, and background. Under the Equality Act 2010, schools/providers must eliminate discrimination and consider any equality implications of policies in a school. Many schools are now moving away from the concept of a behaviour policy in favour of a relationship policy that embeds a whole-school commitment to enabling children to see themselves, their relationships, and the world positively. Woven through policies such as this are strategies to support parents/carers in building relationships with schools. It is vital that leaders are clear that adjustments will be made for learners with SEND or possible SEND and deliver this as an important message to be shared with all adults. An important step in the right direction - new behaviour guidance is a welcome shift - NurtureUK There is robust evidence of the positive impact of a sense of safety, belonging and wellbeing on student performance and engagement as detailed in Belonging research Literature Review.pdf (neu.org.uk). School leader’s duties include making sure a behaviour policy doesn't have an unequal impact on any groups of pupils, especially those with protected characteristics. Page | 14
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Schools should consider equality when making significant decisions or developing a policy this is set out on pages 30 to 31 of the DfE’s guidance on the Equality Act for schools. Schools also have to show ‘due regard’ for equality considerations as part of their Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). The Key defines having ‘due regard’ for equality as: • Demonstrating awareness of duties under the Equality Act 2010 by assessing the impact any decision or action will have on people with protected characteristics. • Considering any equality implications when developing and approving policies and reviewing them regularly with equality in mind. • Carrying out these analyses seriously, rigorously and with an open mind. It must be more than a box-ticking exercise. • Doing this yourself, as a school – you can’t delegate the responsibility to anyone else. The Key provides an Equality impact assessment: template and guidance | The Key Leaders (thekeysupport.com) that can be used to show schools have given equality due regard and met their PSED requirements. When designing a policy to enhance the inclusive offer it is vital to do so in consideration of approaches that have opportunities to protect, relate, regulate and reflect. If a pupil has a mental health issue that makes it harder for them to comply with the behaviour policy than other pupils, schools shouldn't hold them to the same standard of behaviour. This is set out on page 7 of the DfE’s mental health and behaviour guidance. In the All Together Now Inclusion not exclusion: supporting all young people to succeed in school 2022 COYL-Education-report-FINAL-APR-29-2022.pdf (thecommissiononyounglives.co.uk), the aim is clear “We have a moral responsibility to all children, particularly, to build a more inclusive education system that leaves no child behind or at risk and which encourages and nurtures every child to thrive and succeed.” (Page 8) Attachment aware and trauma informed school programmes guidance to support development of policies can be found here The Hadley Trust Project - aatiprogrammes.co.uk (ox.ac.uk) Behaviour needs to be everyone’s business and the key to an effective outcome for all children, including those with additional needs, is to have a consistent approach across the school. In addition to an inclusive behaviour policy, solid Page | 15
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foundations for approaches applied by all staff will make a significant impact on pupils and their interactions within the learning environment. The Improving Behaviour in Schools | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) offer guidance, strategies and case studies to support informed decisions about whole school approaches to behaviour. Part two of this guidance details that behaviour must be seen as a curriculum that pupils need to be taught and supported to understand. This will also be an effective method in engaging families in the rationale of engagement with learning. “Whilst it is impossible to eradicate all misbehaviour, it can certainly be minimised and the general climate for learning can be improved through the explicit teaching of learning behaviours, reducing the need for teachers to constantly ‘manage’ misbehaviour.” Page 16
Steps to achieving an inclusive behaviour policy Expectation
Hallmarks of a strong culture
Create policy foundations through audit of need and data analysis
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Ensure safeguardin g is a priority
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A deep dive is completed into behaviour data and include the views of both staff and pupils. Areas where inclusivity and equality could be improved are identified. Leaders have considered how to enhance policy based on the data outcomes.
Key groups/individuals that have higher risks are identified such as those who are vulnerable and with protected characteristics. Audits highlight whether approaches used across the school are both fair and suitable for all learners. Barriers to disclosing the reasons for behaviours are considered when a child is vulnerable as highlighted in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) (paragraph 19).
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Focus on offering support to learners
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Understand the context of the behaviour and background of the pupil. Consider the barriers for sharing the reasons behind the behaviours. Discuss the possibility of unmet need. Access external support in a timely way from locality teams. Be sure to meet the graduated approach support prior to any consideration of sanction. Consider the needs of the pupil, alongside the community so that the most accurate and effective support is in place. Gain insight into the bigger picture such as family circumstance. In terms of behaviour policies, a lot of the children with SLCN/DLD find vocabulary difficult to understand and/or don’t have the verbal reasoning to process them. This needs to be considered when planning.
It is essential that the DSL, pastoral leads and SENCO work together to support young people: •
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It is vital to recognise the importance of pupil safety in all decisions, including outside influences that are impacting responses in school.
Pupils who present with persistent disruptive behaviour should, at the earliest opportunity, be discussed with the DSL and the SEND leader to: •
Consider all unmet need as part of the process
The barriers that children with SEND face are recognised in asking for support which can be translated into a range of behaviours. Barriers for staff are addressed including unconscious bias training so that all children and young people are supported fairly, without discrimination.
To identify when learners with persistent disruptive behaviours have an unmet SEND need that inhibits their ability to regulate effectively or access the learning. To apply the graduated approach clearly with specific procedures for identification of need, assessment, and support through the universal approach. To avoid unhelpful sanctions. Punishing a pupil because of behaviour caused by their SEND need or a mental health concern that amounts to a disability is also considered discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.
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Collaborate with learners and their families
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Avoid extreme punitive sanctions
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Have an ethos of flexibility
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Monitor regularly to improve approach and outcomes
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Open dialogues are had with all families of children who find the school environment difficult to manage. Families are helped with how to support at home and to set up consistent approaches. Information sessions and events are planned with families to share the details of your support and the help you can offer. Punitive sanctions are used as a last resort as strategies such as suspension and exclusion will not support the learner. Removal of pupils from class is avoided as a sanction as it doesn’t resolve the triggering issues and creates a vicious cycle of disengagement. Alternative approaches are planned to deal with disruptive behaviour to seek the root cause of the concerns. There is an element of flexibility in approaches to encourage positive engagement. Whilst some children and young people with SEND will benefit from a linear behaviour policy, this is not the case for all pupils. To ensure behaviour management system that are truly inclusive, learners needs and backgrounds are be taken into account. There are clear processes to assess and plan the most appropriate route of action to support the learners understanding and development. Behaviour incidents are monitored to identify how they are managed – are the school processes working? Data is analysed to identify any trends that show a disproportionate impact on any group. Data analysis is robust: exits from classrooms, attendance, exclusion, suspension etc. Regular and ongoing anonymous surveys are completed for all stakeholder feedback. Data is analysed in collaboration with pastoral, safeguarding and SEND leads. An action plan is implemented that prioritises any themes and causes for concern.
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Primary Example The Eggbuckland Vale Primary relationship policy embodies a culture and ethos developed through a Thrive approach where relationship is at the heart of every interaction to engage the whole community in a positive behaviour management approach. Policies | Eggbuckland Vale Primary School
Secondary Example Coombe Dean have put their policy through an EIA leading to recommendations which have been adopted to ensure that the policy is as fair and fairly applied as possible. The school wish to promote an ethos of inclusion for all students; leaders are keen to ensure that they do not discriminate - through application of the Behaviour Policy - against students whose apparent inappropriate behaviour may be a function of their SEN, disability, racial and/or cultural background. Coombe Dean School - Policies and Documents
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Partnerships with learners and parents/carers “I love the school council because I feel like people listen to what I have to say and this helps to make things easier for others like me.” (Secondary pupil Plymouth) It is more important now than ever to build positive relationships with families and pupils. Seeing educational experiences from a young person’s point of view can support decision making and processes educational-experiences-of-young-people-withspecial-educational-needs-and-disabilities-report-young-person-friendly.pdf (ons.gov.uk) In this recent publication young people said that staff could help them to feel understood by: • • • • •
building awareness of SEND needs and differences being open and accepting of SEND recognising students for all their achievements, not just grades changing lessons to suit different learning styles adapting the curriculum to meet different needs, such as having the option to take fewer subjects at once so young people do not get overwhelmed.
Listening to pupil voice and genuinely collaborating can create a fully inclusive experience and a secure sense of belonging. Jonathan's Blog: What makes good inclusion (councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk) There has been recent reading on the broken social contract between schools and parents, particularly relating to attendance. According to Ofsted’s chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, the ‘unwritten agreement’ between parents and schools in England has broken since the Covid crisis. The DfE Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential (publishing.service.gov.uk) plan 2017 talks about putting social mobility at the heart of education policy and is ever relevant today. It is essential to raise standards for all, leaving no community behind and targeting efforts and resources at the people and places that need it most. Education is key to supporting this and relationships with families when positive have exceptional impact. Participation and engagement with young people in decision making is essential. This free course from the open university Children Page | 20
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and young people’s participation | OpenLearn - Open University addressees listening to children as a first step in the participation agenda, which is reasonably well established. By contrast, enabling children to share in decision making lags some way behind. The course emphasises that the adoption of an integrated approach to participation by different sectors of the children's workforce is of crucial importance. Positive and trusted alliances with parents/carers are essential for building on embedded approaches to collaboration and co-production. Improved partnerships increase the positive perceptions of the schools, support practitioners in understanding what is important to families and create a sense of community belonging. The Autism Education Trust Parent Guide for Working Together with Your Child's School (autismeducationtrust.org.uk) is a free resource and example approach for supporting families and schools to work collaboratively. The Four Pillars (fit2communicate.com) of Parental Engagement is a model designed for all school staff and supports understanding of what good engagement looks like, based on research. The model offers support in identifying gaps and writing a plan, developing activities to secure participation, and tracking the impact on families and young people when a provision genuinely designs family collaboration to be inclusive in advance of delivery.
The four pillars model talks of the parent promise that all schools have made and that has been created through what other people have said or implied about a school. A parent promise suggests that families have formed, in anticipation, expectations that need to be fulfilled. Failing to keep to these expectations leads to negative perceptions, a breakdown in communication and perhaps difficult conversations. Page | 21
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“If you can deliver the parent promise (almost) all of the time, you will build trust and strong parental relationships that will support you in the good and the more difficult times.” P19 The pillars are outlined in the categories below, each of which have five outcomes within them and achieving these in unison secure proactive and successful family engagement in schools.
The EEF guidance Working with Parents to Support Children's Learning | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) 2023 discusses how parents/carers play a crucial role in supporting their children’s learning, and that levels of parental engagement are consistently associated with better academic outcomes. It offers four clear and actionable recommendations which will support an evidenceinformed whole school approach: 1. Critically review how you work with parents. 2. Provide practical strategies to support learning at home. 3. Tailor school communication to encourage positive dialogue. 4. Offer more sustained and intensive support when needed. In reading this report, it is essential to balance expectations for academic outcomes with holistic development. Parents will often have a very different set of priorities for their children compared to teachers and schools as they are driven by different agendas. Yes, they will want their children to have a solid education, but this means going to school happy, feeling safe, eliminating bullying, and finding genuine friendships in a culture that accepts, understands, and values their children. Expectation There is genuine co-production with families to enhance the support offer for children and young people Co-production is a way of working where children and young people, families and those that provide services Page | 22
Hallmarks of a strong culture •
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The schools’ SEND Information Report is co-produced with parents/carers to ensure commitment, collaboration and accessibility are enhanced. This needs to be done in a genuine way so that families have a voice, know what to expect and are positively influenced by the support. Parents and carers have access to a range of communication channels such as emails, regular phone calls, texts, or family forums to share information about their child and are actively encouraged and supported to contribute.
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work together to make a decision or create a service which works for them all.
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The school provides signposting for families to access appropriate support, advice, and guidance
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School staff audit the needs of their families and shares accessible resources. Resources can be in audio format, larger texts broken down or with visual support. There is a parent/carer forum group to collaborate, share information and offer support. Best practice is where forums have a set agenda, agreed with parents and recorded outcomes. Parents and carers have been involved in the understanding of the graduated approach at the school. Parent and carers, including teachers as carers, are aware of their child’s individual needs and understand the universal classroom offer, and the targeted support available where necessary (see teaching and learning chapter). Parents and carers are supported to co-construct and contribute to the support plans for their child in all its detail and delivery. Parents/carers’ expertise about their child is sought and used to inform appropriate support strategies and the effective spending of funding. All staff are trained to use effective methods of communication to enhance relationships and coproduction (case study below). Parents/carers are signposted to the Plymouth local offer, and this is referenced on the school website: SEND Local Offer - Plymouth Online Directory Parents and carers are signposted to local support and resources offered through the Plymouth Parent Carer Voice: PlymouthPCV Parents, carers and young people are signposted to Plymouth Information, Advice and Support for SEND Service (PIAS) which provides impartial information, advice and support. Plymouth Information Advice and Support for SEND supplying you with information, advice and support (plymouthias.org.uk) The school/setting links with other agencies and signposts families to other support where appropriate.
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Realistic expectations from the school support the holistic development of children and young people to support positive outcomes
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e.g. Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children: Eligibility - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or PIP for over 16s.
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Communication to families is planned in consideration of circumstances i.e. one point of contact from the school. There are face-to-face visits available to school rather than relying on online tools alone. Where additional funding has been secured for a child; parents/carers are involved in the discussion of how this is used to ensure maximum impact on outcomes and their expertise is sought. There are informal and formal opportunities to engage families in understanding the systems, policies, and ways of working at the school. There are fixed methods of communication such as faceto-face opportunities, texts, emails, or home communication books. There is a channel for communication in real time - to address needs/difficulties when they happen to the child to avoid rapid escalation. There are regular opportunities to feedback to parents both positive feedback and areas of concern in advance of any formal parent meeting. Communication tools are adapted to meet the needs of the family i.e., literacy, EAL.
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Children and young people have a voice, contribute to their plans, and participate in their own support processes
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Children and young people genuinely participate in their own ‘assess, plan, do, review’ process. Their views are gathered in a range of ways appropriate to the individual (see examples below). The school engages with the Plymouth Youth ascends group and signposts young people to participate if they wish to: Youth Ascends - Plymouth Information Advice and Support for SEND (plymouthias.org.uk) Effective ways of collating pupil voice are used such as equal representation on the school’s council. The school council directly impacts change and reflects on this in their sessions.
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•
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Teachers and support staff share achievements with pupils and are clear about what they need to do next. Targets are accessible and adapted to allow all pupils to understand what their goals are. Person-centred approaches are used as a golden thread across the school. A person-centred process involves listening, thinking together, coaching, sharing ideas, and seeking feedback. Pupils access community Connections Youth teamwork with young people in Plymouth who are aged between 11 and 19 (up to 25 years old where there is a specific additional need or disability). Community Youth | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK
Example of how to design accessible resources: SEND review: right support, right place, right time - Easy Read (councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk)
Plymouth Family Hubs Family Hubs provide families with children aged 0 to 19 (up to 25 for young people with SEND) with support, when they need it, in a way that suits them. Eventually Plymouth will have Family Hub points across the city. The ‘Start for Life’ offer, supporting pregnancy through to 4 is the first stage of the programme to go live, and will be able to be accessed through Family Hubs, Children’s Centres and online. Family Hubs | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK. Via the above link you will find information about family hubs for practitioners and families.
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Inclusive policies to support attendance “When I feel comfortable, happy and like I understand what is happening - school is much easier.” (Y7 pupil – Plymouth)
Inclusion and attendance “Quite simply, too many children are currently missing school to the extent that it affects the continuity of their learning. Disadvantaged pupils who most need the security, stability, and care that good schools offer, are most likely to be persistently absent – and the gap is widening. The current data points to a full-blown national crisis - and this report's findings help to explain why.” Pg 3 Attendance-Report-21092023.pdf (pearsfoundation.org.uk) Good attendance is an essential part of having a sense of belonging and to have a drive for positive attendance, supporting all learners to come to school regardless of need is vastly important. See the launch of the attendance matters campaign: Let’s get school attendance back on track | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK PCC has its own attendance pages and resources: School Attendance Support | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK The recent Ofsted research report (Securing good attendance and tackling persistent absence - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), February 2022, recommends listening to parents to find out the reasons for poor attendance. Amanda Spielman, HM Chief Inspector of Education, emphasises the principle, “listen, understand, empathise and support - but do not tolerate." Plymouth’s school attendance strategy can be found at School attendance campaign toolkit | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK The focus of the Plymouth Place based plan is to increase inclusion across all schools and the community – every child included 100% of their time in Plymouth schools: • •
•
Increase school attendance so that the overall attendance figure for Plymouth schools is above 96%. Put children with SEND at the centre of school improvement plans, ensuring highquality inclusive approaches, strong understanding of SEND by all staff and rapid multiagency preventative action for pupils at risk. Reduce pupil educational mobility across the city so that all pupils have access to highquality educational provision all the time.
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We want all our children in school as happy and healthy learners who are safe, aspiring and achieving. New statutory guidance will require schools to deliver attendance CPD to all staff, and create a school wider culture of inclusive attendance in order to create a child centred approach: Working together to improve school attendance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). To support this implementation evidence-based research and training modules can be found at An Inclusive Approach to Improving Attendance - Inclusive Attendance (inclusive-attendance.co.uk) Evidence brief on improving attendance and support for… | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Expectation The school creates an environment where pupils want to attend and engage
Hallmarks of a strong culture • • • •
Parents/carers are an integral part to the attendance journey
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There are non-teaching pastoral team members who support the needs of pupils holistically. Work with families supports the understanding of the story and barriers for children and young people. Staff toolkits support their work with pupils to understand ‘what to do when’. A culture of support is encouraged rather than applying sanctions for incorrect behaviour and forgotten equipment. The DfE has some useful resources for schools to run attendance campaigns aimed at parents. The school includes parent/carer collaboration as part of the whole school attendance policy. School staff provide clear, parent friendly versions of all policies and information. Attendance features in all communication with parents i.e., parents evening. The school offers family support to parents where there is persistent absence. The school offers ‘attendance meetings/surgeries’ for pupils who are at risk of high levels of attendance to ensure a team around the family.
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Attendance is a priority across all areas of the school
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The school works collaboratively to respond to data
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There is a named member of SLT who takes the lead on attendance. All members of the school community have understood the citywide attendance strategy. The school team have attendance high on the agenda and support pupils to see the value of school. Attendance is a key feature of departmental, leadership and governance meetings. Leaders of schools/trusts have considered an EWO role internally to respond to the national statutory changes. Monitoring and acting upon attendance data is a key part of the school’s strategy. Record keeping is accurate and up to date. There are daily reviews of attendance data feeding into weekly meetings with internal staff. Any anomalies or patterns in the data are actioned quickly and effectively. Key pupils are targeted with mentoring and family support when patterns are identified. Leaders scrutinise transition information and data to ensure support is planned for maximum impact. The school works collaboratively with the Plymouth AAO with clear and accurate data.
What can staff in schools do? • • • • • • • • •
Rehearse and reinforce attendance and punctuality expectations continually. Emphasise the importance of attendance and its impact on attainment. Promote the next lesson and the sequence of the lesson to motivate pupils to be in the classroom. Promote rewards and celebrate progress but continue to outline sanctions. Apply rewards and sanctions consistently. Follow up on absence and lateness with pupils to identify barriers and reasons for absence. Contact parents and carers regarding absence and punctuality. Review form or tutor group attendance weekly to share data, identify issues, intervene early, and help set targets. Periodically review practice and consistency both across and between departments.
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• •
Proactively promote attendance practice as part of staff induction. Consider the individual needs and vulnerabilities of pupils.
There has been a significant rise in emotionally based school avoidance impacting on pupil attendance and engagement with the learning environment.
What is Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)? Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is a broad umbrella term used to describe a group of children and young people who have severe difficulty in attending school due to emotional factors, often resulting in prolonged absences from school. The impact of EBSA on children is far-reaching, it has been linked to seriously hampering children's psychological, social, and academic performance and subsequently performance in exams and employment opportunities. The following guidance has been produced by Plymouth's Educational Psychology service for schools, parents, children and young people Emotionally Based School Avoidance Resources for school staff, parents, and young people - Plymouth Online Directory. ’The guidance is based on evidence of the factors which are associated with positive outcomes, including intervening early, working with parents, and supporting and adapting the school environment. Early Indicators of EBSA: • • • •
Sporadic attendance and/or lateness Family reporting that the CYP does not want to come to school Physical signs of stress believed to be linked to stress Behavioural changes or fluctuations, e.g., interactions with others.
Indicators of EBSA: • • • • • • • •
Periods of prolonged absence or persistent lateness Parent/carer struggles to support their child in attending school Identifiable patterns within non-school attendance CYP experiences anxiety in relation to home factors CYP displays greater reliance upon family members Concerns around academic and/or developmental progress due to absence CYP displays increased anxiety in relation to their learning Low self-esteem and/or lack of confidence
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• •
Struggling in relation to peer relationships Physical signs of stress believed to be linked to stress.
Hallmarks of a strong culture • • • • • • • • • • • •
The school has a collective nurture approach Whole-School Approach to Nurture NurtureUK There are clear processes regarding emotional support and stress management for the whole community. There is a focus on EBSA through CPD to highlight every staff member’s responsibility in creating an environment of belonging. The curriculum includes opportunities to teach resilience and support emotional wellbeing. Supportive literature is shared with parents/carers. There is a lead member of staff who oversees any pupils who are EBSA, and they liaise with the SENCO and pastoral leads regularly. There are clear systems in place to identify concerns early and support to avoid escalation. All staff are aware of strategies in place to support pupils such as key staff, safe places, or additional support. There is a positive language culture in place across the school and checking that learners understand the vocabulary used. Restorative approaches are a key feature of a school’s approach (Restorative Justice Council | Promoting quality restorative practice for everyone) Emotional literacy is high on the school agenda About ELSA – ELSA Network Many children who experience EBSA have speech and language needs, because they don’t understand in school and don’t feel understood. Lily Farrington's Amazing Developmental Language Disorder Animation (youtube.com) or RADLD - Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder - RADLD
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Pastoral support “My tutor gets it and knows how to help me, without needing to ask.” (Y7 pupil, Plymouth) A practitioner in a pastoral role and well-trained school staff can have a profound impact on learners. They can be the difference between a child attending school or not, or a family engaging with their child’s education. They can be crucial in ensuring that a child and their family get the intervention they need, whether at school or multi-agency level. Essentially, they can be the difference that ensures a child receives a high-quality education. The Complete Guide to Pastoral Leadership: A compendium of essential knowledge, research and experience for all pastoral leaders in schools by Amy-May Forrester | Hachette UK is an exploration of essential knowledge, research and experiences for pastoral leaders in schools. The author refers to schools as a “universal service open to every young person. They are also therefore one of the key universal services that form the front line for safeguarding children and ensuring that their needs are met in the right way.” (P5) Social, emotional and mental wellbeing in primary and secondary education (nice.org.uk) addresses the need for using a non-judgemental 'strengths-based' approach to support children and young people's social, emotional and mental wellbeing. These are approaches to improve or develop a child’s: • • •
Self-worth (for example, self-esteem, empowerment, self-care) Skills (for example, problem solving skills, social skills, communication skills) Resilience (for example, coping skills and strategies, perseverance).
It is essential to focus on the social and emotional development of all members of a school’s community within the pastoral structures and approaches implemented.
Plymouth Ten Wishes The Ten Wishes Project came out of the local safeguarding work. Young people told the authority how they want health and care professionals to engage with them and came up with their Ten Wishes. These young people, all members of the Young Safeguarders, the young people’s subgroup of the Plymouth Safeguarding Children Board, designed their own poster and helped Livewell Southwest to
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bring it to life by recording their wishes for the soundtrack for a video. 10 Wishes | Livewell Southwest Expectation
Hallmarks of a strong culture
The school/setting recognises and responds to the social and emotional support needs for children and young people with additional needs, and their families
• • • • • • • •
Children and young people feel safe and valued. Staff are approachable and any concerns are managed effectively
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Learners are encouraged to celebrate their own differences and be themselves
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All members of the community are supported to develop their understanding of different needs and how to embrace difference
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•
•
There is an environment and ethos where children feel like they belong. Safe spaces and key person arrangements are used as a universal approach. The use of language across the school is positive and encouraging. There is an understanding of the impact that restorative approaches can have on learners. All staff are aware of the vulnerabilities of learners with SEND and monitor this across the school. The RSHE/PSHE curriculum is used to develop strategies for positive wellbeing and understanding of others. Ready to learn strategies are employed as part of a teacher’s daily repertoire. Staff listen, acknowledge, and respond to concerns in a considered way when supporting families. All learners have access to a trusted adult with systems to feedback that can also be via email. Any negative comments or unconscious bias is addressed efficiently. Pupil voice has a high priority across the school. The school council impact whole school development. There is fair representation and equal opportunity. There are opportunities for learners to understand their own needs. Difference is not seen as a problem and all young people are fully included across all areas of the school including parent evenings, prospectus input, school council and events. There is unconscious bias training for all staff. There are opportunities for regular assemblies to encourage inclusivity. The PSHE curriculum offers opportunities to embrace difference and understand inclusion.
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When a concern about a child or young person goes beyond the universal school offer, it is important to raise this via the designated safeguarding lead. This may lead to multi agency support. The Early Help Assessment Tool (EHAT) should be used where multi-agency support is required. Early Help Assessment Tool - Plymouth Online Directory If you would like advice or guidance about a family or child you work with, you can book a conversation with one of the early help Family Support Workers https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/plymouth-early-help-and-send-advice-line. The team can offer support around issues such as emotional wellbeing, parenting guidance, attendance, social and emotional development and SEND concerns. Early help means taking action to support a child, young person, or their family with a problem as soon as it emerges.
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Assessment “Where a pupil is identified as having SEN, settings/schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provision in place. This SEN support should take the form of a four-part cycle through which earlier decisions and actions are revisited, refined, and revised with a growing understanding of the pupil’s needs and of what supports the pupil in making good progress and securing good outcomes. This is known as the graduated approach.” Section 6.44, Code of Practice The graduated approach starts with a school’s universal offer and the ASSESS strand is an essential part of the process. Leaders, teachers, and support staff should feel confident in their assessment of need and how to respond this consistently as part of their daily repertoire. Universally all pupils will be assessed across every stage of their education and assessment includes considering all the information about the pupils learning and development both within and beyond the setting, working with the SENCO and collaborating with the pupil’s family. Initial assessments should be reviewed regularly to ensure that support is matched to need. Where a pupil continues to make less than expected progress, despite evidencebased support and universal interventions that are matched to the pupil’s area of need, practitioners should consider the next level of targeted support through the graduated approach available in their school. Information of local area support can be found here have a link here to the GATI new website. To enhance professional development in this area : The ResearchED Guide to Assessment: An evidence-informed guide for teachers – John Catt Bookshop UK identifies that a teacher's job is to create an environment where pupils’ engagement in learning proceeds towards an intended direction. For this to occur, we must form a bridge between the teaching of material in the classroom and how the learning of that information is being processed and manipulated by our learners. The only way we can do this effectively is through the process of assessment. The ResearchED Guide to Special... by Edited by Karen Wespieser (amazon.co.uk) is also a good guide for teachers and bridges the gap between research and practice. GL Assessment offer tools to diagnose reading barriers for example https://www.gl-
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assessment.co.uk/assessments/secondary/wellbeing-and-send/ i.e. exact to screen for access arrangements. There is also a section in the book ‘The Lone SENDCO’ by Gary Aubin about assessment of need. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lone-SENDCO-Questions-answersbusy/dp/1913622584 One local example of assessment to remove barriers is the screening of all Year 7 pupils on entry within a local trust. Language link Speech and Language Link support for SLCN is purchased for all schools within the trust and a screening takes place for all pupils. Screening happens within tutor times, Maths, or a computer period when pupils have access to devices and are given log in details. The assessments are prescriptive and regular making it easy to use and quick to retrieve results. The assessment takes place over a two-week period and then the data is analysed. Pupils are placed into categories: • • •
RED - urgent intervention AMBER - some intervention BLUE - possible intervention.
Even though some pupils need more targeted intervention sessions, every pupil highlighted has a range of universal strategies identified as part of the ordinarily available offer communicated to staff via pupil passports. Expectation A universal learning cycle of ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ is understood and used by all teachers to ensure that children and young people achieve well
Hallmarks of a strong culture •
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All staff can measure progress effectively as they understand a pupil’s starting point and progress outcomes. Strengths or areas for development are also monitored and reflected upon outside of the classroom. Gaps are identified clearly, and curriculum adaptations are made in advance to improve outcomes. Teachers are supported to identify gaps and to plan in anticipation of barriers. All pupils access a broad and balanced curriculum. Assessment informs interventions that occur mostly within the classroom environment. Development is considered when measuring progress and staff are supported to understand this i.e, through tools such as the Boxhall profile: SEMH Assessment & Emotional Behavioural Toolkit for Children Interventions & Strategies (boxallprofile.org)
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Formative assessment and feedback are a key feature in whole school policies and every classroom
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• • • • • • •
Expertise is in place to support access arrangements as a normal way of working for children and young people who require support. This should be part of the universal offer
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•
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Pupil voice is captured to ensure full participation and understanding of expectations. Pupils are supported in their understanding of how to learn and recognise achievements. The embedding of formative assessment is derived from evidence based research Embedding Formative Assessment | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) All staff understand the whole school policy and deliver this with confidence. Learning experiences are based on assessment for learning and build upon prior experiences. Teachers have knowledgeable and confident access to a wide range of assessment tools. Pupils reflect on their own learning on a regular basis. The next steps in a pupil’s learning journey are clearly identifiable. Marking is appropriate in supporting a pupil to understand where they need to go next. Interventions are purposeful and impactful - the majority occur in the classroom as an integrated feature of the learning experience. Access arrangements are offered where appropriate as a normal way of working for pupils in all assessments. Teachers and staff are trained to identify when a pupil may benefit from an access arrangement. Parents and carers are informed of the need for additional support. There are opportunities for pupils to practice and refine the access arrangements in place to support overall outcomes. Resources and equipment are available to staff to provide access as a normal way of working.
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The learning environment (physical, sensory, communication and virtual) “I struggle with heat due to my condition and need to take my blazer off on a regular basis - I shouldn’t have to stick out with a sensory card for teachers in schools to understand this.” (George – Youth Ascends) Under the Equality Act 2010 (legislation.gov.uk), schools have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled pupils are not placed at a disadvantage compared to non-disabled pupils, and can participate in all aspects of school life. If a pupil’s sensory needs mean that they are struggling to navigate the school environment, for example the classroom, crowded corridors and the outside areas, a school must make reasonable adjustments to help them not just cope, but also enjoy their space and reach their full potential. Classroom Environment | Whole School SEND Many reasonable adjustments are inexpensive and simply require creative changes in practice, rather than the provision of expensive pieces of equipment or additional staff. What are reasonable adjustments and how do they help disabled pupils at school? - The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk) Schools have a duty to decide in advance what reasonable adjustments a child may need, in time for the first day of the school year. Adjustments should be reviewed regularly. When considering the school development, it is important to look at the approach to the physical, virtual and sensory environments. Our Equality Objectives | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK Expectation The physical environment is adapted to meet the needs of children and young people
Hallmarks of a strong culture • •
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A well-resourced learning environment promotes independence for learning. The senior team should ensure there is a protocol in place so that accessibility is audited, and needs responded to with reasonable adjustments. The school has a clear accessibility policy on the website that is updated regularly with accessible versions. Reasonable adjustments are made for individual needs. Furniture is appropriate for the pupils. Equipment is accessible for all learners. Where physical aids are required, they are a normal way of working for pupils i.e., a writing slope.
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• • Staff are aware of sensory needs and issues that may impact on children and young people
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The virtual environment is accessible for all stakeholders
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Reasonable adjustments are made to support extracurricular and offsite facilities. Pupils input into their accessibility plans. Teachers are aware of sensory needs that may require embedded strategies such as movement breaks. Sensory equipment is available to staff where needed. Staff understand the link between sensory needs and social interaction. All pupils have access to appropriate equipment i.e., lefthanded scissors. Seating plans are carefully considered, and flexible grouping is used to support engagement. School displays are carefully planned to reduce stimulus and engage all learners in a low sensory way. Pupils have access to calm spaces as an integral part of their weekly curriculum when a sensory need has been identified. A neutral background is used on all interactive slides. Classrooms and the school environment have low sensory designs to avoid over stimulation. Lighting in the classroom is considered carefully. Strong smells are reduced where possible. Staff are routinely mindful of the impact of clothes on some pupils and adjust for uniform and kit as appropriate. Sensory needs resources | University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk) The school website is fully accessible for all stakeholders. There are alternative versions of formal documents available. Families are supported to access technology. The school website signposts young people and families to support, advice and guidance. Visitors to the school feel welcomed. Families have a clear first point of contact.
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The physical school environment is welcoming
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Staff have received unconscious bias training to support their work with the wider community.
Resources are available in every classroom or learning environment for all children and young people to access when appropriate
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Pupils can access resources with growing levels of independence, and they are readily available in classrooms. Teachers have access to a range of sensory resources to support pupils i.e., wobble cushion. Resources are available in the classrooms and are clearly labelled with visual support. Physical resources for PE are available in adapted versions.
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Teaching and learning through a strong inclusive curriculum “I have some teachers who just get it – I don’t even have to ask for what I need and then I start learning straight away.” (Y9 pupil, Plymouth) High-quality teaching is referred to in the SEND Code of Practice as being the first step to responding to learners’ needs. For our most vulnerable learners, considered curriculum choices are essential – a fine balance between ensuring that our pupils have access to an ambitious, broad, and balanced curriculum as well as ensuring holistic development. Teachers of learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities have the opportunity to make a significant difference. Enabling all learners to do well within our inclusive school system is every teacher’s responsibility. (NASEN 2021) The EEF in their SEND in mainstream guidance report point out that “to a great extent, good teaching for pupils with SEND is good teaching for all.” The EEF describe inclusive pedagogy as an approach to whole class teaching that is accessible to all learners. It should enable learners to keep up, feel included, progress and be successful. This approach should foster an open-ended view of everyone’s potential to learn and recognises the difference between individuals. Their guidance report ‘Special Education in Mainstream Schools’ in an effective tool to evaluate curriculum approaches as a whole school approach and within each classroom. Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) In addition, the EEF have published the SEND 5-a-day EEF blog: The Five-a-day approach: How the EEF can support | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) where all teachers maximising the use of the five targeted approaches each day, is proven to increase the learning outcomes of all children and young people in a genuinely inclusive environment.
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Teacher Handbook | Nasen This handbook has been developed as a resource for teachers to use over time as they embed inclusive practice in their classrooms: it is not intended that it is read cover-to-cover. It has been written for both primary, secondary and specialist colleagues: teaching assistants, teachers, senior leaders and headteachers. The handbook includes whole-school and whole-class approaches as well as subject-specific and condition-specific guidance. The handbook was updated in January 2024 with additional subject areas. In the launch article Teacher Handbook launched to support schools to embed inclusive practice – Available to download now! | Nasen The Lead Authors of the Handbook, Amelie Thompson (Headteacher and Head of Inclusion at Greenshaw) and Katherine Walsh (Lead for Inclusion at River Learning Trust and EEF SEND Review Project Director) said, “This handbook has been developed as a resource for teachers to use over time as they embed inclusive practice in their classrooms. The graduated approach is the golden thread of the handbook, and will support all school staff in noticing, and being curious about, the children and young people in their classes: their strengths and interests, times when they are successful, and times when they experience challenges to engagement and curriculum accessibility. It is our hope that the handbook will enable teachers to build on the strengths of their teaching practice, creating environments where children and young people can maximise their potential, and develop the knowledge and skills needed to prepare for the next stage in education and beyond – to adulthood.”
The inclusive learning environment Expectation Staff understand the needs of children and young people in their classroom, the nature of their needs and how to support them
Hallmarks of a strong culture • • • • • • •
Every teacher is a teacher of SEND:
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Inclusive adapted approaches a pre-planned within the wider scheme of learning/curriculum in anticipation of needs arising. Consistent approaches and routines are in place. There is a whole school approach to communication with specific plans for key pupils. Processing time is fully integrated into every learning opportunity. The environment has been carefully planned as an inclusive learning resource. Staff have access to excellent training with opportunities to practice and reflect. Independence and preparation for adulthood is woven through the curriculum. Flexible, adapted approaches are used as a matter of course to include everyone. There is a clear sequence to learning that is broken down into sizeable chunks.
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Teachers adapt their approaches and can support a range of needs through an adapted approach
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Learning is planned so that children and young people have access to individual support, flexible grouping, and fully inclusive opportunities
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Scaffolded learning is a common theme with opportunities to reflect on previous learning to embed knowledge. Technology such as recording is used to enhance learning. Key vocabulary is taught explicitly with tools to support in activities. There are alternatives to written activities where appropriate. Modelling is used, perhaps through a visualiser as a key section of the lesson. Homework is planned carefully, being mindful of need and circumstance. View of the board, seating plans and accessible resources are pre planned. Whole class task management boards are a key feature of the classroom. Stigma is reduced with discreet access to a range of learning resources.
Integrated strategies a strategically planned when delivering lessons and link to the bigger picture. There is evidence of flexible grouping to alternate seating arrangements for all pupils to benefit from the strengths of others. Additional support staff promote independence. Restorative practice to maintain positive relationships is an integrated strategy across the school. All pupils are supporting in their understanding of inclusivity and acceptance of others. Through scaffolding, over learning and pre-teaching strategies promoted independence.
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Staff skills and training Teaching: the new reality (educationsupport.org.uk) a report published in May 2023 identified that the pressures of teaching have changed with an increase in the need to support pastorally, for mental health and with family concerns more than ever. The need to upskill and support staff is at a crucial point. Training frameworks now need to reflect the changing reality of our learners in schools. There are several initiatives that can be accessed both locally and nationally. A new website will be launching soon! The Plymouth Institute of Education has a strong record of expertise in special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) and inclusion. In response to the Plymouth Local Area improvement plan, Plymouth Institute of Education is committed to providing opportunities for knowledge exchange and researchinformed continuous professional development with a commitment to high-quality SEND support for all. Workshops offer opportunities to engage with current research-informed strategies, skills, and advice for supporting children with SEND. Themes include: • • • •
Child voice and child-centered planning Reducing exclusion rates Early identification Adaptive teaching.
Click the link below for the website to access the opportunities on offer: •
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/education/inclusion/skills-to-supportspecial-education-needs-and-disability-send
Trauma Plymouth’s Trauma-Informed Network Trauma Informed Practice | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK is made up of more than 70 professionals, from a number of different agencies including; Devon and Cornwall Police, city schools, Barnardos, NSPCC, Harbour, Devon CCG and Plymouth City Council, all with all with insight of how trauma can affect people. The network looks at a system wide approach to tackling the effects of trauma by: • •
Preventing traumas occurring in the first place Promoting protective factors for all children
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Recognising the behaviours that may be the result of trauma and intervening appropriately Helping adults who are already suffering adverse consequences.
Mental health The Mental health resources for teachers and teaching staff (publishing.service.gov.uk) document pulls together a list of various resources and support documentation for mental health in schools.
High-quality inclusive teaching Teacher Handbook | Nasen This handbook has been developed as a resource for teachers to use over time as they embed inclusive practice in their classrooms: it is not intended that it is read cover-to-cover. It has been written for both primary, secondary and specialist colleagues: teaching assistants, teachers, senior leaders and headteachers. The handbook includes whole-school and whole-class approaches as well as subject-specific and condition-specific guidance. The handbook has now been updated (January 2024) with additional subject areas such as history and religious education. NASEN also offers many good resources on SEND as well as training materials/audio-visual materials Whole School SEND Home Page | Whole School SEND
Teaching Assistant According to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), schools in England employ over 380,000 teaching assistants (TAs), costing the average school approximately £200,000 per annum. It is important to maximise the impact of additional adults on the learning outcomes of pupils detailed in the report: Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Poor TA deployment has a negative effect on attainment; effective TA deployment can have positive impacts. Effective use of teaching assistants can reduce teacher workload and stress, while also improving classroom behaviour (EEF). *Further training, research and guidance can be found in section B of this guide
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Expectation Positive contributions for pupil outcomes are made by all staff
Hallmarks of a strong culture • • • • • • • •
There is a considered plan for Professional Development cofacilitated by the teaching and learning lead and SENCO to ensure SEND is a golden thread through all whole staff training
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Staff engage with internal and external advice to support universal classroom enhancements and are signposted to relevant training support
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Additional adults are deployed in a pro-active way and add value to the learning experiences of the pupil. Additional adults have been trained to understand how to maximise time in the classroom. There is clear and regular communication between all adults to ensure a consistent and well-informed approach. Flexible grouping is used to promote development of independence and building on strengths. Intervention strategies are embedded into the classroom approach. Teachers are well informed of how to enhance external intervention impact within the daily classroom teaching. Staff have access to a targeted training programme and SEND features across all topics as a golden thread. Staff are trained to audit their environment on a regular basis to ensure maximum impact. There is a programme of training that addresses the needs of SEND learners through all initiatives i.e., whole staff training on metacognition includes what this could look like for pupils with additional needs. Best practice is shared both within the school community and with the local area. Staff engage with the local offer such as SENCO briefings and SEND engagement meetings. All staff are aware of support available through the Plymouth POD and GATI. There are clear processes in school for staff to access internal support from the SENCO and SEND team. Staff understand the wider agency involvement and can access the local support pages effectively. Staff understand the local offer and how to navigate it. There are opportunities for informal observations to support the development of SEND practice within the classroom. Teaching and support staff have access to information offered by external professionals to integrate universal approaches effectively. Advice from professionals, parents and carers is used to inform the teaching approach.
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Transition “I knew what was coming, I tried it out and then I didn’t feel so worried.” (Y7 pupil, Plymouth) It is challenging to get school transitions right for all pupils, whether they are moving across the school environment or to a new provision or phase. When transitions are planned carefully, a pupil with SEND can thrive if there is an inclusive approach with activities such as additional visits or scaffolds for new routines. “An effective approach to supporting children through transitions is likely to involve a combination of strategies delivered to all pupils. Additional strategies for vulnerable pupils should be delivered on a case-by-case basis according to their needs.” Teacher Toolkit 2023 The Teacher Toolkit offers 10 Tips for Successful School Transitions TeacherToolkit The EEF also have a school transition tool EEF Blog: Supporting pupils through transitions – a trio of… | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Transition is a time of change between classes, year groups and settings. Research evidence that attends transition is largely focused on the move from primary to secondary. However, principles can be learned for other potentially vulnerable transition points. Several studies have shown a dip in attainment coinciding with transition, especially in literacy and numeracy. EEF 2021 Plymouth now has a transition portal which is an effective tool in sharing information from one setting to another at specific transition points Transition – Place-based Plymouth Portal (placebasedplymouth.org)
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It is also important to access the Plymouth Enhanced Transition Framework Plymouth Online Directory for pupils who have more specific needs so that information and support advice can be shared as a child moves from one setting to another. The open university have a free course to support the EY to primary transition Listening to young children: supporting transition | OpenLearn - Open University. The course explores ways of listening to children in order to support their experiences of changes or transitions. Such transitions can involve many dimensions, including familiarisation with new cultural practices, the development of new relationships and potentially a shift in identity, for example, from being a 'nursery child' to being a 'pupil'. During the course you will explore how listening to children as they go through such fundamental transitions can enable adults to personalise support, and ensure children can become confident, active participants in a new setting. The Autism Education Trust also has a great toolkit for Supporting learners with autism during transition (autismeducationtrust.org.uk) Social stories and comic strip conversations (autism.org.uk) Expectation All transitions across the school day are managed in a way that allows pupils to develop their independence and ability to manage frequent changes
Hallmarks of a strong culture •
• • •
Procedures are in place for ensuring smooth progression through school and settings, including on entry and exit
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Staff are aware of those who will need additional support for all or most transitions and are understanding of the range of vulnerabilities that may cause anxiety i.e. children in care. The school SENCO and team coordinate a whole school approach to supporting transitions. The welcome and start of a lesson is planned to ease the transition. Boundaries and rules across the school are consistent. The school uses the Plymouth transition portal, and information is shared clearly and succinctly, in a timely manner to aid planning. Information is actively shared with all staff and includes key information about pupils including suitable learning approaches, supportive strategies, and any concerns. All staff have easy access to pupil information via a whole school tool. For any pupil needing an enhanced transition a team around the child process is used to identify the
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universal approaches that are in place prior to targeted support. Staff are clear on the support they can offer as an ordinary approach.
Preparation for Adulthood Preparation for Adulthood is important for all pupils with SEND and not only those with the statutory obligation through their EHCP. Preparing for adulthood is the umbrella term used to describe the support on offer to young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) as they transition into adulthood. This helps young people to achieve the best outcome in: • • • •
Higher education or employment Independent living and housing options Participating in the local community and society and having positive relationships Good health.
Planning for a successful future should start as early as possible. It is recommended that conversations about a young person’s future should start in Year 9 and involve the young person, their parents and carers, their teachers and anyone else who works with them. Ofsted has published new guidance about preparation for adulthood through a thematic review Thematic reviews of preparation for adulthood arrangements in local areas - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Plymouth Transition Guidance: Preparing_for_adulthood_transition_guidance.pdf (plymouthonlinedirectory.com)
Resources • • •
Preparing for adulthood - Plymouth Online Directory Preparing for Adulthood: All Tools & Resources - NDTi PlymouthPCV - Preparing for Adulthood
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Raising awareness of vulnerable groups I’m a young carer and this is my story: “8 years ago I had a little brother born at 25 weeks and this caused him to have development issues. He has a mind of a 4-5-year-old and he is currently 8, soon to be 9. I help my Mum a lot with him and it helps me to understand that not everyone is the same. Throughout his life he’s been on oxygen and hundreds of different medications to keep him going and I thank doctors for all of it. As well as the Young Carers group, we have another group at Coombe Dean called the B group for children who’ve experienced a family bereavement. I lost my older sister 2 years ago and it was the most shocking news to me and my Mum that we have ever heard. It’s affected my Mum badly, but I’ll always help my Mum through her toughest times. So, for young carers and those affected with bereavement, there are these two groups which meet weekly on a Friday. It’s a session where students can take time out of a busy week and meet for cake and to catch up on conversations. We don’t have to go but plenty choose to. These two groups form the We Care Group which these teachers run with many others helping behind the scenes. We have been on trips, we have Christmas dinner together and make arts and crafts, we send cards to loved ones, we have received packages in the post from the school which support our families. The school also fund-raise, and the money goes towards these groups to enable the school to keep supporting us. School is a busy place but knowing that there are groups which support students whose lives are that bit tougher at times really helps. I do still like my break times playing football with my friends, but I always have a daily check in off the school bus and I know I can see the teachers at any time. When I do go to the group, it’s a friendly time with other students who have experienced the same thing. This helps and reminds us that life is hard but it’s about supporting each other to be there and to be kind. The We Care group does that and I am lucky to be noticed and looked after.” (Dyaco, Coombe Dean School)
What is vulnerability? No child left behind: understanding and quantifying vulnerability (publishing.service.gov.uk) page 6: There is no commonly used definition of childhood vulnerability. A child can be vulnerable to risks and poor outcomes because of individual Page | 49
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characteristics; the impact of action or inaction by other people; and their physical and social environment. Additional factors include: • • •
• •
The child’s physical, emotional, health and educational needs. Any harm the child has experienced or may be at risk of experiencing – these can include a specific set of childhood experiences known as ‘adverse childhood experiences’. The capability of the child’s carers and wider family environment to meet the child’s needs, or indeed to cause harm – these might include homelessness or poor housing conditions, the presence of adults in the home with mental health problems, alcohol, and drug dependence, or contact with the criminal justice system, domestic abuse, and poverty. The absence of supportive relationships in a child’s life. The wider community and social conditions beyond the family including crime, the built environment, community cohesion and resilience.
This report is intended for leaders and practitioners nationally, regionally, and locally concerned with improving outcomes for children and young people. Additional needs are far reaching, and some children and young people have wider family needs, sometimes in addition to a SEND need that will impact their engagement with school. Such learners will need whole school support to ensure they have the tools to access the learning environment in a positive way.
Young Carers Raising awareness with staff: A day in the life of a young carer - BBC News (youtube.com) 'A young carer means a person under 18 who provides or intends to provide care for another person' and 'Providing practical or emotional support' (Children and Families Act section 96 2014). A young carer might look after someone because they are: sick, have a disability or mental health issue, temporary or permanent or, if a parent or family member has an alcohol/drug problem, they may be unable to care for themselves or others. “A young carer becomes vulnerable when their caring role risks impacting upon their emotional or physical wellbeing or their prospects in education and life.” (Care Act Statutory Guidance 6.48 2014).
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The carers trust defines young carers as someone aged 25 and under who cares for a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support. Older young carers are also known as young adult carers, and they may have different support needs to younger carers. (What We Do - How we Support Carers | Carers Trust) There are lots of different estimates of how many young carers there are. The 2021 ONS census reported that there are around 120,000 young carers aged 5-18 in England, while the school census in 2023 suggested that there were 39,000 'known' young carers in the country. Meanwhile, a 2018 BBC survey found that there were as many as 820,000 young carers aged 11-15. There are clearly a significant number of young people across the country with caring responsibilities, and it’s important that every one of them is getting the support they need (Carers Trust).
Plymouth Young Carers Support Hub Plymouth's Young Carers Support Hub provides useful information and links to help our young carers provide amazing support to their friends, family, and relatives. This hub of information contains advice and links to further support including: • • • • • • • •
How do I know if I am a Young Carer? Young Carer Assessments Young Carer Support Young Carer’s Rights Health and Wellbeing Education, Employment and Training Friendship and Socialising How to Get Involved.
The Plymouth Young Carers Support Hub is an online resource found within the Plymouth Online Directory: www.plymouthonlinedirectory.com/childrenandfamilies/plymouthyoungcarers For information regarding Young Carer’s Assessments and Support, please contact: Kerry.Powell-Tuckett@plymouth.gov.uk Young carers | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK Young Carers - Plymouth Information Advice and Support for SEND. (plymouthias.org.uk)
Young Carers Education Support Team The Young Carers Education Support Team (YCEST) is a joint collaboration between four volunteer Page | 51
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schools and Plymouth City Council that is available to support professionals in a Plymouth school working with young carers. The team deliver the ‘Young Carers and Service Family Leads Hub’, which meet three times per year and receive training, updates and input from the various partner organisations that support schools, children, and young people in the city. Find further information ad contact details here: https://www.plymouthonlinedirectory.com/childrenandfamilies/plymouthyoungcarer s/educationemployment. To attend the ‘Young Cares and Service Family Leads Hub meeting, please contact: michael.house@plymouth.gov.uk
Whole School Development – Young Carers Award The Young Carers in Schools programme enables schools to: • •
•
Gain national recognition for raising outcomes for young carers through the Young Carers in Schools Award. Identify manageable steps to improve educational outcomes for this vulnerable pupil group – the programme breaks down the action’s schools can take so that your school can prioritise what to do next. Access additional support including tools, templates and good practice examples, webinars and professional development events.
This programme was relaunched in January 2024. Please find further details here: www.youngcarersinschools.com/
Guidance for staff supporting young carers This resource has been designed with teachers and school staff to help make the identification and support of young carers in schools as easy as possible. It is for use in primary and secondary schools in England. The guide has been developed with staff who understand the pressures that schools face to deliver the very wide range of demands placed upon them. Each step is accompanied by key information and practical tools, which schools can use and adapt to suit their school structure and local circumstances. https://carers.org/resources/all-resources/15supporting-young-carers-in-schools-a-step-by-stepguide-for-leaders-teachers-and-non-teaching-staff-
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The guidance recommends 10 steps: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Gain an understanding about young carers Review your school’s provision for young carers Secure commitment from school leaders Introduce a young carer operational lead Acknowledge young carers in principal school documents Set up systems to identify, assess and support young carers Raise awareness with all staff Raise awareness with families and pupils Identify assess and support young carers and their families Share good practice
Coombe Dean School - Young Carers Coombe Dean school have an established young carers support group as part of the ‘We Care’ initiative. There is dedicated young carers lead and recognition across the school of the importance of identifying and support these pupils of which there are currently 118 identified. The school’s work has led to being awarded the Bronze national award in recognition for their work in this area. The school is fully involved with the local hub and hosts sessions to support awareness across schools. There is a whole school commitment to supporting vulnerable learners and dedicated fund raising consistently supports the ongoing success of the group. Young people are identified through questionnaires at transition points and continuous highlighting of the support. There is strong attendance and attainment focus weaved through this identification. Once identified, information is gathered as to who the child cares for and individual discussions take place. A young carer is then RAG rated to highlight to staff the nature of their caring responsibilities. The young carers lead worked with the team at class charts to create a blue icon as part of the school’s programme to highlight when a pupil is a young carer. Under their profile, staff can access a pupil passport but also a young carer story written by the child. This is a personal touch that allows teachers to understand the individual barriers and challenges the young people face. The group meet on a weekly basis as a support group and many access this. In addition, there are opportunities for off site visits and trips such as a trip to London to expand life experiences of the pupils.
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The lead for the group commits to a range of fund raising to support the initiative and young carers are embedded within the school’s disadvantaged policy. Fundraising included donations, pupil initiatives and local business support to fund food parcels. Pupils wanted teachers to know who they were and have designed a rubber bracelet; on one side the dark blue matches the school uniform and the light blue on the others side indicates that the young person is having a difficult day. This supports the universal approach and awareness for school staff. Leaders are currently working with the SENCO to look at the overlap with SEND and aim to reduce stigma for certain groups who engage less with the support i.e., boys. To support families and young people the school has an excellent approach with a wider range of guidance and direct help: • • • • • • •
Year 10/11 intervention Breakfast club universally available and encouraged Food parcels with recipes where the young people sent photos to the group Local charity support through associations such as Barnardo’s Ingredients to bake cookies Masterclasses on the school site to make meals Off site visits on a rotation such as Longleat and London for outside of area experiences.
Young Carers • Notre Dame Plymouth (ndonline.org)
Bereaved pupils • • •
Every 22 minutes a parent of dependent children dies in the UK. Up to 70% of schools have a bereaved pupil on their roll at any given time. 92% of young people will experience a significant bereavement before the age of 16 years.
Just like all bereaved children and young people, learners with SEND need support to understand and cope with their grief. Adults are naturally inclined to want to protect and shield children from difficult and sad situations, and this may be even more so for children with special educational needs and disabilities due to their ability to understand death. Below is some information and guidance about the specialist support on offer both locally and nationally.
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Local support When a bereavement impacts a school’s community the Educational Psychology Service provides critical incident and trauma support as part of their core offer. A critical incident is defined as a sudden and unexpected event that has the potential to overwhelm the coping mechanisms of a whole school or members of the school community. Plymouth Educational Psychology Service - Plymouth Online Directory There is a range of local support on available to offer guidance when needed BEREAVEMENT-SUPPORT-SERVICES.pdf (plymouthias.org.uk)
Jeremiah’s journey The bereavement charity aims to ensure that children, young people, and their parents/carers in Plymouth and the immediate surrounding area have support at a sad and difficult time. See the schools page here: https://jeremiahsjourney.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/professionals/schools/
Compassionate Schools Award (Compassionate Plymouth) Compassionate Schools, a vital part of the ‘Compassionate City of Plymouth’ is a programme that supports settings in developing a whole school approach to supporting children and young people with bereavement and grief. Find further information here: https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/plymouth-a-compassionatecity/#schools Watch their video to see how two local schools, Notre Dame Plymouth and Scott Medical and Healthcare College, are sensitively supporting their students. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXiFsD3kg7Q
National support Supporting a bereaved pupil in a primary school | Child Bereavement UK offer advice and guidance through a range of resources Advice for schools supporting bereaved pupils | Winston’s Wish (winstonswish.org) Offer help to support the children and young people in schools, whether it be in anticipation of a death (pre-bereavement), in the immediate days following a bereavement or even months or years down the line. It is vital that schools have a bereavement policy and procedure, and teachers and staff understand how to support the grieving children and young people in their school. Winston’s wish website school bereavement policy template can support with this. Page | 55
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The website also has lots of free resources including online learning and PSHE lesson templates for Key Stages 1 to 4. They offer in-depth child bereavement training and bespoke training which can be tailored to a school’s needs. There is also a huge variety of activities, reading lists and extensive publications and resources
School examples Kaleidoscope • Notre Dame Plymouth (ndonline.org) The Coombe Dean School - The B Group forms part of the ‘We Care’ community hub to support vulnerable young people. The group meets weekly on a Friday afternoon for a ‘coffee and cake’ safe space. The group was created as the school recognised a need for a point of recognition and pulling together pupils who had suffered loss. Not all pupils attend – some access ad hoc support, others attend on a regular basis. The group is pupil needs focus through a ‘care and share’ approach. When the school is notified of a loss through communication from a parent/carer, an automatic email is sent containing links to support, signposting, the school website for the support group and an information leaflet. The pupil’s name is then added for information to the school spreadsheet. A half termly assembly slot is also used to raise awareness of the support at the school. Ongoing fundraising for Coombe Deans ‘We Care’ initiative has built momentum and includes donations, local support, and pupil stalls at events to fund the group and support off site visits.
Young people who have experienced care It is well known that children that have experienced being in the care of the local authority fare worse than their non-care experienced peers in almost every life outcome, including education. This occurs even when they are compared to other disadvantaged groups (e.g. those with a social worker or receiving free school meals). This is frequently due to the long-term impact of abuse and mistreatment experienced prior to coming into care, social disruption, school and care placement changes, long-term mental health issues, low expectations from professionals and stigmatisation (see Final-report-effectiveness-virtual-schools.pdf (ox.ac.uk) and Outcomes for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities in England, Reporting year 2022 – Explore education statistics – GOV.UK (explore-educationstatistics.service.gov.uk) Page | 56
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In March 2020 the difference between looked after children’s attainment compared to the general population was: • • •
Expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at KS2: 37% compared to 65% Average Attainment 8 score at KS4: 19.1 compared to 44.6 Identified SEN: 55.9% compared to 15%.
Statistics taken from SFR_Template_NatStats (publishing.service.gov.uk) Linking-Care-and-Educational-Data-Overview-Report-Nov-2015.pdf (ox.ac.uk) Looked-after and previously looked-after children start with the disadvantage of their pre-care experiences and, often, have special educational needs. The guidance: Promoting the education of looked-after children and previously looked-after children (publishing.service.gov.uk) shares the most impactful uses of pupil premium plus in schools and encourages approaches that are: • • • • • • • • •
Individually tailored to the needs and strengths of each pupil Consistent (based on agreed core principles and components) but also flexible and responsive Based on evidence of what works Focussed on clear short-term goals which give opportunities for pupils to experience success Include regular, high-quality feedback from teaching staff Engage parents/carers in the agreement and evaluation of arrangements for education support (e.g. via the PEP) Supporting pupil transition (e.g. primary-secondary/KS3-4) Raising aspirations through access to high-quality educational experiences Promote the young person’s awareness and understanding of their own thought process (metacognition) and help to develop problem-solving strategies.
Service family children and young people Young Carers and Service Family leads hub This network is part of Plymouth’s Armed Forces Covenant, an agreement to support service families and to negate the challenges faced by their children and young people. At network meetings, school colleagues Page | 57
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receive CPD, input and updates regarding opportunities from partner organisations and a range of advice and guidance (sharing best practice from across the city and beyond). Aggies Community Waves, Plymouth A community project providing support to service families across Plymouth and Torpoint. Support includes regular face-to-face events for families and pastoral one to one support. https://www.aggies.org.uk/aggies-community-waves-plymouth Military Kid’s Club Heroes Military Kids Club Heroes is a small charity based in Plymouth, UK. Our mission is to help children and young people impacted by military life. We understand the unique challenges military children face, especially when a parent is deployed, working closely with schools and the children to ensure their wellbeing is being supported and cared for in a variety of ways. https://www.mkcheroes.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/people/MKC-Heroes/100092515244917/ Military and Veterans Directory https://www.plymouthonlinedirectory.com/militaryandveterans/directory Thriving Lives Toolkit Helping schools support Armed Forces children, this development programme is underpinned by rigorous research. The Thriving Lives Toolkit provides schools with a framework of seven principles through which to reflect on practice and plan support for children and young people in Armed Forces families. Find further information here: https://www.scipalliance.org/thriving-lives-toolkit
EAL and SEND There are significant numbers of multilingual children who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). The latest government statistics indicate that there are just under 230,000 children in schools in England who speak, or are thought to speak, a language other than English, and who also have SEND (UK Government Statistics Service, June 2023). This guidance from The Bell Foundation provides a framework for schools to ensure that any EAL learners, who may also have a special educational need or disability (SEND), receive appropriate and effective support. Page | 58
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This new guidance (2024) has been developed to support schools – from early years foundation stage (EYFS) to the end of secondary – with the early identification of multilingual EAL learners who have SEND, and with how best to assess and provide for them. EAL and SEND: Guidance for Integrated Provision in Schools - The Bell Foundation (bell-foundation.org.uk) The guidance includes: • • • • • •
Whole-school, EAL, and SEND audit tools Post-audit action plan Staff observation sheets Planning tools Home/family questionnaires Case studies.
Ensuring racial equality Plymouth City Council are committed to supporting diversity and challenging racism. The Ethnic Minority Achievement Team (EMAT) lead this work in education, liaising with schools and a range of partners across the city to promote equality. Each term EMAT collect reported racist incident data from schools, which helps us to track trends across the city and in localities over time, but more importantly, helps us support schools in effectively managing racist incidents, ensuring staff are properly trained, and ultimately providing an inclusive, equitable learning environment for all pupils of BAME heritage. EMAT work is based on principles set out in the Equalities Act 2010 and models of best practice, promoting restorative, transformative practice which educates children, young people, and staff. EMAT provide the following support for schools: • • • •
Training for teachers/governors focused on Ensuring Racial Equality (1.5 hr or half day CPD session). Training for teachers focused on decolonising the school curriculum (1.5 hr or half day CPD session). Advice for school leaders and members of staff focused on managing specific racist incidents, including managing Ofsted complaints, liaison with parents/carers and signposting to support for pupils. Individual pupil support provided by experience EMAT staff.
For support schools should contact: Equality and inclusion for minority ethnic children | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK
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SECTION B - Support for broad areas of need and what should be ‘ordinarily’ available
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Introduction to the four areas of SEND need There are four broad areas of SEND need (Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities) outlined in the Code of Practice 2014. The four broad areas of SEND need are: • • • •
Communication and interaction Cognition and learning Social, emotional and mental health difficulties Sensory and/or physical needs.
This section describes what provision should ordinarily be available in the classroom and learning community for children and young people in school settings. There is also a Plymouth early years document for any children in pre-school settings. The strategies withing the document will ensure that all leaders and teachers are confident knowledgeable and skilled in having high expectations and ambitions for ALL pupils, regardless of need. For each area of need, this document supports your approaches, breaking information down into: • • • •
Whole school provision Areas of concern: what you might see in the classroom Suggested provision: what you might do to support Resources to help and provide examples for practitioners.
The whole school approaches, provision strategies and supportive resources will enhance the quality of high-quality inclusive teaching and learning in schools and form an essential baseline step of a school’s graduated approach. Further information can be found at Plymouth Online Directory - Plymouth Online Directory
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Health Services
Home | University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk) • • •
• •
• •
Autism assessment pathway (school age and pre-school) Community Paediatrics Learning Disability and Autism Liaison Support (part of multiagency pathway assessment) Safeguarding Children Medical input for Children in Care & the Adoption Fostering service (part of multi agency pathway assessment) Children Community Nursing Service Acute Paediatrics (epilepsy, diabetes, endocrinology, cardiac & oncology)
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Livewell Southwest | We support people to lead independent, healthy lives • • • • • • • • • • • • •
CYP Speech and Language Therapy Public Health Nursing (School Nursing & Health Visiting) Family Nurse partnership Youth Justice Team health provision (SLT & CAMHS) Children in Care Nursing Children in Care CAMHS Mental Health Schools Team CAMHS Early help Infant Mental Health CYP Eating Disorders CAMHS Neuro-developmental team Learning Disability & Autism pathway (LDAP) CAMHS Complex Therapies
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Psychological Health & Wellbeing Team (Clinical Psychology & Wellbeing Practitioners) Bladder & Bowel Care Team Audiology Paediatric Pain service Royal Eye Infirmary Physiotherapy Dietetics Occupational Therapy Complications of Excess Weight Pilot Devon wide health based CYP place of Safety (POS)
•
• • • • • • •
Plymouth CAMHS acute care pathway (this includes Home Treatment Team and CYP Liaison) Early Intervention Psychosis (EIP) 16-25 Mental Health Pathway CAMHS General Adolescent inpatient unit (Plym Bridge House) Safeguarding Children and Health MASH team Dental Access Centre Podiatry Orthotics/Prosthetics
It is important to note that many children and young people may have needs across more than one category and certain conditions may not fall neatly into one area of need. When reviewing and managing special educational provision ALL the four broad areas of need must be considered to ensure you can provide appropriate support to meet the holistic needs of the child/young person.
Neurodiversity The word neurodiversity comes from two parts - neurological and diversity. Neurological means things to do with the brain, and diversity means things that are different. Page | 63
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All human beings can be described as neurodiverse, and it is a term used for lots of people who have different thinking or communicating styles. Individuals vary in the ways their brains work. They take in information in different ways. They process it in different ways and therefore, they behave in different ways. The term neurodiverse covers a range of difference that can affect several developmental areas and be observed as characteristic that are indicative of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, Classic Tic disorders, developmental coordination disorder, intellectual disability, and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). Neurodiversity should not be seen as a section on its own but as an integrated part of the areas of need. All practitioners working with neurodivergence should refer to all parts of this section to reflect upon and support their inclusive approaches. Neurodiversity-affirmative education: why and how? | BPS Support for children in school should be needs led, not diagnosis led. That means the needs of the child are the most important factor in deciding what support they get, not any diagnosis if there is one. Universal support is about getting help in the right place, at the right time. Resources | Neurodiversity Celebration Week (neurodiversityweek.com)
Emotional Dysregulation Emotional dysregulation refers to difference in regulating emotions. It can often manifest in many ways, such as seeming overwhelmed by minor changes to communicating through impulsive behaviours or presenting with unpredictable reactions. Children and young people (CYP) who experience emotional dysregulation are likely to experience four key areas of difference in terms of: • • • •
Understanding social contexts Processing of information Sensory Processing Communication.
As a result of these differences CYP are likely to experience heightened anxiety in relation to: • •
• •
Unfamiliar situations Understanding and/or responding to social expectations, demands and rules of any environment, particularly when they are unfamiliar Relating to new people Interpreting and acting on discreet social cues
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• •
Predicting what might happen and managing change Regulating arousal levels in terms of sensory stimulus.
Subsequently young people may struggle to modulate their arousal levels and go into a ‘fight, flight, freeze or fawn’ response. This can present in the form of what is often referred to as ‘challenging behaviour’. In this section you will find a range of strategies to support a child or young person who is emotionally dysregulated. Universal approaches to the environment, learning and languages can positively impact an individual’s responses when applied consistently across a provision. Emerging and identified needs may crossover into more than one area of SEND need, please use all sections that are appropriate.
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Communication and interaction The SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 6.30 and 6.31, defines communication and interaction needs as: “Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication.” Early identification is crucial to provide appropriate and timely support. If you think a child might have speech, language, and communication needs, you should first talk to the parents/carers and professionals involved with the child/young person. This could be, for example: • • • • • • • •
Health visitor School nurse GP Pre-school staff member School staff member/SENCO Speech and language therapist Educational psychologist Community paediatrician.
In early identification of a communication need, a child may require a hearing test. The school nursing service can offer a hearing test on request and a health questionnaire at key transition points at Year 1 and Year 7. School Nursing | Livewell Southwest
Speech, Language and Communication Need (SLCN) The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives: Signs and symptoms - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives The Way We Talk (youtube.com) Speech
• • • •
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sounds used to build up words saying sounds accurately and in the right places speaking fluently, without hesitating, prolonging or repeating words or sounds speaking with expression and a clear voice, using pitch, volume and intonation to support meaning.
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Language
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understanding words (vocabulary) and their meaning knowing how words go together to form phrases and sentences understanding and using grammar joining sentences together using higher level skills such as reasoning and inference.
Expressive language Having words to describe objects, actions and attributes, using these words to build up sentences, using these sentences to build up conversations and narratives, following the rules of grammar, so that things make sense. Receptive language Processing and making sense of what people say, understanding words being spoken, understanding the rules of grammar used. Communication
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the way in which language is used to interact with others using language in different ways; to question, clarify, describe, and debate using non-verbal rules of communication: listening, looking, knowing how to take verbal turns and how to change language use to suit the situation the ability to take into account other people’s perspectives, intentions and wider context.
Research has shown that children living in areas of social disadvantage are at much higher risk of starting school with language difficulties. In addition, 10% of children and young people have long term SLCN which creates barriers to communication or learning in everyday life. Sometimes a child or young person’s language disorder is in addition to a biomedical condition such as autism, hearing loss, cleft palate, learning disability, neurodegenerative conditions, and genetic conditions – for example, cerebral palsy or Down’s Syndrome. For more information about some of these conditions and useful links please visit Communication Matters glossary of terms Many children and young people who are neurodivergent will have SLCN. However, there are times when there may be no clearly identifiable cause. This is known as developmental language disorder (DLD). The Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (RADLD) campaign has created a video to explain more about what DLD is while this video from the University of Oxford explains how the term DLD was agreed upon and why it was so important. Page | 67
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This video explains language disorder and DLD and implications for diagnosis Language Disorder or DLD- diagnosis SLCN is known to be a significant risk factor for poor life chances and outcomes which is why it is vital that language and communication are understood as everyone’s responsibility. This video provides details of the impact language disorder, including DLD, can have on a child/young person and adult: SLCN and life chances There are a range of resources to support understanding of speech, language, and communication development. • • • • • • •
Speech and Language UK Ages and Stages birth-18yrs Universally Speaking 0 – 5 Universally speaking 5-11 Universally speaking 11-18 What's Typical Talk at Primary Advisory Poster What's Typical Talk at Secondary Advisory Poster Child's Progress checker - Speech & Language UK (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
Communication, interaction and autism Children and Young People with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) are likely to have difficulties with communication and social interaction. Children and young people may also experience challenges in the ability to think flexibly and with how they understand and respond to their sensory environments both internal and external. These challenges often impact on a child’s anxiety levels and emotional wellbeing. This introduction to autism aims to raise awareness among young non-autistic audiences, to stimulate understanding and acceptance in future generations. Amazing Things Happen! (youtube.com) On this website schools can also access the Too Much Information Campaign, e.g. Make it Stop. (youtube.com) or Can you make it to the end? (youtube.com) The Autism Standards Framework can be used by school/setting leaders/leadership team to support the implementation of Good Autism Practice across a whole organisation:
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Framework Documents | Autism Education Trust National Autistic Society – Autism accreditation
There are also a range of resources available to support practice in schools: • • •
A SENCO's guide to supporting learners with autism (autismeducationtrust.org.uk) Autism in the classroom: Strategies for success | Autism Speaks Anxiety and autism in the classroom
Communication and interaction section covers: • • • • • • • • • •
Speech and phonology Comprehension Attention and listening Understanding instructions, routines, and rules around social interaction Understanding structure and rules in both verbal and non-verbal language Dysfluency Selective mutism Anxiety across a range of situations Sensory processing Emotional wellbeing
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Pupil voice - What does it feel like when things go wrong?
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The following approaches and resources are for school leaders and SENCOs to consider what will be disseminated and used in their school and context through professional development opportunities and whole school strategies. It is not meant for schools to use all tools but to consider what is working for them, what the impact is and where gaps in provision might be: Universal Approaches - Leaders and SENCos Implement a whole school language programme such as Speech and Language UK About us (speechandlanguage.org.uk) Developing a classroom observation tool for language development - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Creating a communication supportive environment: Primary - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives Have a universal visually supported learning environment e.g., visual schedules, visual materials, widget symbols Widgit Online Classroom Supporting Observation Tool (speechandlanguage.org.uk) Primary and secondary school teachers (speechandlanguage.org.uk) Good practice for schools at universal level. Why is language important for mental health? (youtube.com) The Communication Commitment is a free resource designed to support schools in developing a whole-school approach to communication, ensuring that all pupils communicate to the best of their ability. Communication commitment (speechandlanguage.org.uk) It is free for schools and acts as an audit with signposting to training and support; it is also recognised by Ofsted. Welcome to ELIZABETH JARMAN® - Elizabeth Jarman® Using an evidenced inquiry-based learning approach, Elizabeth works with architects to educators across the globe to help learners thrive and succeed in environments that are communication friendly and designed with intention. Livewell free training packages. Speech & Language | Livewell Southwest Home - SLCF - The Communication Trust (slcframework.org.uk) Developed by The Communication Trust, the SLCF is a free online professional development tool which sets out the key skills and knowledge needed by the children and young people's workforce to support the speech, language and communication development of all children and young people. •
Classroom Supporting Observation Tool (speechandlanguage.org.uk) For primary and EY settings.
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Resources | Neurodiversity Celebration Week (neurodiversityweek.com) Triple-A Training Tool Launch - Durham University Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) educational support in primary and secondary- Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
Have a language and ASC champion to support adaptation to assessments. Use displays as the additional teacher e.g., Working Walls, using colour coding and be mindful about position of displays to manage potential distractions impacting on a CYPs ability to give attention. Visual Timetables Resource.I CAN.FINAL_.pdf (councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk) • • • •
Promote a whole school model of best listening and attention. Value all forms of communication including nonverbal. Encourage learners to ask for help and have prompts to support where needed. Further information can be found at the National Autistic Society: What is autism including a video to enhance staff understanding and support.
Access the Plymouth AET training scheme and create an autism friendly school: • • • • • • • • •
Autism Training and Development | Autism Education Trust Visual Supports | Autism Toolbox Autism Toolbox Visual supports (autism.org.uk) David Burns autism friendly classrooms.pdf Teaching secondary school autistic students (autism.org.uk) https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/childrens-services Widgit Communication Friendly Environment guide Autism Education Trust (AET) School Autism Standards (5-19) National Autistic Society – Autism Accreditation Autism accreditation
Universal Training for staff • • • • • • • •
https://www.marjon.ac.uk/courses/short-courses/ Early Years Professional Development Programme - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives For primary teachers - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives For secondary teachers - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives An introduction to speech, language and communication - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives Educational support for children with developmental language disorder-dld SLCN and DLD: what every teacher needs to know webinar CommunicationTrust – YouTube
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The following suggestions are to support classroom practitioners with their inclusion by design approach. Use this section as an audit and information tool, alongside the young person and their family to decide upon the best approaches in your classroom before raising concerns with the SENCO. Inclusive classroom strategies - Teachers and support staff Areas of concern What you might see Speech/phonology •
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Expressing my thoughts and being understood can be tricky so I might: Be anxious when I communicate verbally. Express frustration as I can’t express myself and my behaviour may seem challenging. Not be completely understood by others. Have difficulties with my peers and feel isolated. Appear withdrawn. Have difficulties with phonics and be unable to make sounds. Make speech sound errors impacting on spelling skills. Be reluctant to speak. Appear
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Suggested provision What you can do •
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If the child says a word or sound incorrectly, model back using the target sound. Don’t ask a learner to copy you. Focus on what the child says, not how they say it. Never pretend to understand. Encourage the learner to use other methods of communication to support their message. Use visual support and prompts.
Resources What it might look like Communication Interaction Team - Plymouth Online Directory Understanding and developing communication (autism.org.uk) Parents (speechandlanguage.org.uk) What Works supports practitioners to deliver evidence-informed interventions and approaches to support children and young people with speech and language challenges. What Works database (speechandlanguage.org.uk) Livewell free training packages. Speech & Language | Livewell Southwest CPD Online Short Course (speechandlanguage.org.uk)
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‘stuck’ but won’t ask for help. Comprehension I can sometimes have difficulty in understanding concepts and instructions so I might: • •
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Misunderstand tasks or rules. Have difficulty with new information or concepts. Show increased anxiety due to feelings of confusion. Not follow your instructions. Seem distracted and watch others. Use ‘empty words’ such as “thingy”, “stuff”, “you know”. Have limited or unexpected responses. Be unable to use vocabulary in different situations and contexts. Have literal understanding. Be unable to find my words. Not be able to share new ideas or contribute to group discussions. Appear distracted or disengaged.
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Always check if the learner understands question words. Ask the learner to repeat what you are asking them to do to confirm understanding. When a learner doesn’t understand use hints, gestures, or visual prompts. Repeat a question once but if a learner doesn’t understand, re phrase the question using reduced language and key words. Provide a choice of answers if the child has difficulties understanding the question. Model responses and answers. Use visual support to enhance the learning experience. Be clear on the steps in a task leading to completion. Use completed worked examples. Use concrete resources and manipulatives. Set up practical, subject-linked toolboxes e.g. number line; 100
Widgit Online Visual supports (autism.org.uk)
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squares; word mat; key vocabulary. Attention and listening Focus can be tricky, so I might:
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Seem very distracted, fidget a lot, ask off topic questions and cause low level disruption. Not ask for help. Be quiet and withdrawn. Taking turns in activities or during conversation. Conversational skills. Communicating for different reasons – e.g., to share information. Forming and maintaining friendships. Joining in with group activities. Recognition of emotions in self and others.
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Plan seating carefully to support engagement. Use flexible grouping to provide opportunities for collaborative work. Embed thinking time and time to respond strategies. Use real life resources as prompts to support engagement. Have a whole class visual timetable and lesson checklist – be active with using these i.e. refer to the timetable/checklist at key stages and transition points. Build in movement breaks. Weave intervention approaches into classroom teaching. Use visual timers, digital timers or whole class wait buttons to support understand the passing of time. Reduce distractions i.e., using blinds for windows. Always use the learners name before speaking to them. Introduce activities in concise ways
SLCN Blog | How to use Task Management Boards (speechandlanguage.info) How task boards help independent learning | Tes – using a whole class task management board Task management board | Teaching Resources (tes.com) Strategies to aid concentration and attention in the classroom (uhb.nhs.uk)
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Understanding of Instructions and routines
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I might struggle with: • • •
Understanding instructions within the classroom. Following classroom routines. Transitioning between activities.
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avoiding too much information. Vary tasks within a lesson. Engage a learner by using their interests. Give specific praise linked to the learning ‘your use of ** is fantastic there’. Explain/show your expectations clearly. Have access to all materials in the classroom and clearly label these. Us Now and Next boards or Visual Timelines. Allow small and discreet ‘fiddle accessories’ such as a piece of blue tac that support attention and focus. Use the learners name and confirm attention prior to giving an instruction. Use chunking to break down instructions. Repeat, revisit and overlearn instruction. Use dual coding when giving instructions. Give instructions in a logical order with a visual checklist. Give the learner processing time before assuming
Dual coding: A teacher's guide (structurallearning.com)
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Using structure and rule in spoken language
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The rule of language can be confusing so I might: • • • • • • •
Not speak in whole complex sentences. Use limited words. Muddle the order of events. Use words in the wrong order. Use confusing narrative. Use pronouns incorrectly. Be inconsistent with my use of tenses.
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they do not understand. Create a culture of speaking out if learners don’t understand.
Give a learner time as part of an activity to formulate a response. Add words to what a learner has said to expand their response. Use modelling as an integrated approach for vocabulary, word order and other activities. Support learners with a choice when they are unsure. Repeat back a learner’s response and add details to support development. Have a word mat for connectives, sentence starters or vocabulary to support responses. Use visual story prompts to support narratives.
Dysfluency Spoken language can be tricky so I might:
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Repeat myself several times.
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Discuss concerns with the SENCO and a learner’s family. Use resources and ideas from wider signposting.
British stammering association resources: Welcome to Stamma | STAMMA
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Make incorrect sounds in my words. Be unable to get started with a word and no sound may come out. Put extra effort in to saying words. Have jerky speech. Use body movement like stamping to get the words out. Avoids eye contact when I am struggling. Choose to change the words I struggle with and not use them.
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Give the learner time to finish what they are saying. Ensure a learners peers understand this process of patience also. Have a slower pace when talking and reduce anxiety. Have a whole class approach to thinking about a response and formulating it rather than quick fire questions. Communicate with the learner and ensure they know their participation is valued. Never finish a learner’s sentence for them or tell them to slow down. Don’t move on before they have finished. Don’t put a learner on the spot or ask a cascade of questions. Offer choice of answers to support development of confidence.
Selective Mutism It is not a choice, but I may find it hard to speak at all and I might: •
Speak only in certain environments, e.g., at home.
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Increase your understanding of selective mutism through national support and research.
Selective Mutism Information & Research Association (SMIRA)
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Only speak to peers but not adults. Only speak to my key adult. Find it difficult to speak to you when anxious. Not smile or look blankly. Be awkward around others. Find it difficult to have simple interactions such as saying hello. Worry more than others. Be sensitive to noise and other environmental stimuli. Be very sensitive to the feelings of others. Have good concentration skills.
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Sensory Processing I might have some sensitivity towards sensory stimuli and struggle with: • • • • • • • •
Visual Auditory Smell Taste Touch Balance Body awareness My spatial awareness.
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Acknowledge the fear of speaking but do not ask why a learner can’t speak. Demonstrate patience and understanding. Remove speaking pressure and don’t plan activities that cause anxious responses. Do not reward and openly praise when a learner attempts to speak. Avoid reading aloud or answering questions in front of a group. Offer opportunities to contribute to fully include the learner. Respond to nonverbal communication. Celebrate other strengths a learner presents.
Be considerate of sensitivities to clothing, making adjustments to policy where needed. Ask a learner what they struggle with and what may help. Integrate sensory breaks as a normal way of working. Have access to resources in the classroom environment.
Classroom accommodations for sensory processing challenges (understood.org) Middletown Centre for Autism (middletownautism.com) (Fabulous website – with clear advice, videos and resources) Sensory Direct | Weighted Blankets, Sensory Toys & Equipment
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I may experience anxiety within the school environment, and I might not be able to manage: • • • • • • • •
Loud Noises Movement Unpredictable situations Touch Transition points during the day Unexpected changes with people and routines Open spaces/cramped spaces Toilets and hand driers.
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Be flexible with uniform requirements. Create a suitable learning environment in terms of temperature, noise, and smell. Speak to the learner and observe to understand what they can manage and what causes the most anxiety. Have a designated calm space. Prepare learners for change with visual support as appropriate. Ensure a learner in ready to learn and they feel able to transition at the end of a session. Use social stories to support understanding or change in routines. Create a calm, predictable learning environment. Plan for reasonable adjustments to manage the learning environment i.e, using the bathroom outside of breaktimes or navigating the corridors a couple of minutes early.
Click here to download this checklist
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Cognition and learning The SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 6.30 and 6.31, defines cognition and learning needs as: “Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a physical disability or sensory impairment. Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning. This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia.” The cognition and learning section cover: • • • • • • • •
Memory Processing Reading Writing Spelling Maths Executive functioning skills, planning, task initiation, organisational skills, flexibility of thinking Approaches to learning, ie confidence as a learner, engagement, attention.
To identify difficulties with cognition and learning you will need to have a holistic view of the child or young person via assessments, observation, and quality first teaching to identify the areas of need in consultation with the learner. Develop a curriculum that is adapted for all learners as suggested in the examples below. Embrace the use of scaffolding and prompts to help children achieve and to build independence, promote problem solving, including adaptation and generalisation, seeing the links between concepts and skills. Be positive and celebrate all successes, no matter how small!
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Pupil voice - What does it feel like when things go wrong?
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The following approaches and resources are for school leaders and SENCOs to consider what will be disseminated and used in their school and context through professional development opportunities and whole school strategies. It is not meant for schools to use all tools but to consider what is working for them, what the impact is and where gaps in provision might be: Universal Approaches - Leaders and SENCOs Have clearly defined universal adaptations in the classroom as an ordinary approach such as a whole class task plan available to all. Design a whole school progression tool to scaffold learning such as this example for a colourful semantics plan: Add link here to download the PDF from H Price Consider the delivery of the curriculum at an appropriate level for learners and have alternative curriculum pathways as a whole school approach such as Engagement model The engagement model - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) or Asdan awards ASDAN Website | International Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards Have a wide range of delivery options available to teachers i.e. the habitual use of visualisers. Ways to Use a Visualiser in the Classroom - Teaching Ideas Use ICT to support learning as a tool that is easily accessible and include functionality for students such as alternative ways of recording, normalised in school culture. Train support staff to be effective in their lesson support Maximising the Impact of Teaching Assistants (maximisingtas.co.uk) Use metacognitive strategies consistently Metacognition and self-regulation | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) Reading comprehension strategies | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk) https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/childrens-services
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The following suggestions are to support classroom practitioners with their inclusion by design approach. Use this section as an audit and information tool, alongside the young person and their family to decide upon the best approaches in your classroom before raising a concern with the SENCO. Inclusive Classroom Strategies - Teachers and support staff Areas of concern Suggested provision Resources What you might see What you can do What it might look like When I struggle with my working memory executive functioning skills, I might: • • • • • •
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Find it tricky to recall instructions. Refusing to complete a task. Be reluctant to ‘have a go’. Need time to think before starting. Copy my peers. Looking for visual cues to help me in the classroom. Have difficulties with my organisation. Muddle my thoughts in written work.
Working memory • • • • • • •
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Give a ‘big picture’ and revisit this throughout a module. Integrate ‘check in’ support. Scaffolded resources. Clear and simple instructions. Step by step direction. Personalised instructions Increase visual support to aid recall – visual task maps, graphic organisers, word webs, story maps. Planned thinking time. Pre-teaching. Opportunities to check understanding. Over learning activities. Supportive homework structure. Integrate memory games. Provide and teach how to use working walls, word maps, lists, checklists, task boards templates and story boards as appropriate. Encourage use of different coloured pens to highlight work and provide markers.
Downloadable examples: • • • •
Visual timetables Task plans Task management boards Social stories
Information about sensory aids to support concentration. Visual Supports | Autism Toolbox Autism Toolbox Visual supports (autism.org.uk) David Burns autism friendly classrooms.pdf
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When I may have a specific learning difficulty, I may struggle with demonstrating my abilities. I might: • •
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Have auditory processing difficulties. Struggle with segmenting and blending phonemes. Have difficulties with decoding words.
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Use short instructions and keep information brief. Encourage jottings or notes to support memory. Use colour coding. Use rating scales and solution focused questioning. Teach common routines i.e. “what do you need to do to complete this task.” Introduce small thinking tasks i.e. “let’s stop and think about what you need to do next.” Plan transitions as a separate activity.
Metacognition • • •
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Understand the learners’ difficulties and ask them what helps. Use evidence-based interventions to develop skills. Use simple adaptations as a universal approach e.g., font, line spacing, coloured paper, lighting etc. Celebrate the learners’ achievements. Have a problem solver checklist.
Executive Functioning Skills for Kids to Adults - The OT Toolbox Unlock the Power of Effective Questioning in the Classroom - TeacherToolkit Activities to support executive function in the classroom - ADHD Foundation: ADHD Foundation
Metacognitive Strategies in the Classroom (structurallearning.com)
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Have anxiety Reading with reading meaning I can be • Allow extra time as an inaccurate or integrated planning slower than approach. others. • Have universal strategies Find Visual to support reading aloud. processing • Teach strategies to help tricker than track words on the page. • Model thinking whilst others. Have poor word reading – ‘Think out loud’ recognition skills. using a variety of reading Find writing a searchlights e.g., pictures, context, great effort. Have frequent decoding etc. and inconsistent • Use real-life events and experiences with visual spelling errors. Struggle with prompts. handwriting and • Use non-verbal formatting on the communication. page. • Try a reading strip. Struggle when copying. Spelling Become overwhelmed • Mark written work on with content rather than remembering spelling. concepts. • Highlight the correct Find it tricky to parts of the word rather remember than errors. number facts. • Provide high frequency Have limited word/topic word lists. mathematical • Use speech to text reasoning. functions on tech Feel unable to equipment. make • Use dyslexia friendly contributions in software e.g., CLICKER. class. • Use colour to highlight Be avoidant or spelling patterns. seem disruptive behaviour when Writing being asked to engage. • Reduce written Vary in my homework. performance day • Allow and encourage alternative methods other by day. than handwriting when recording work.
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‘Now the whole school is reading’: supporting struggling readers in secondary school - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The reading framework (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Madebydyslexia.com Spelling - British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk) Dyslexia Screener and Dyslexia Guidance - GL Assessment (glassessment.co.uk) Literacy support for dyslexia that follows the Science of Reading | Nessy
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Have anxiety when asked to read out loud. Struggle with writing my ideas even though I can share them verbally.
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Use a scribe or voice recording for some tasks. Teach touch-typing. Check suitability of chair/desk, posture, and paper placement. Provide left-handed pens. Writing buddies. Linking voice and video notes via a QR code and stuck into books.
Mathematics • • •
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Use manipulatives such as Numicon. Talk through number concepts aloud. Use number games. Follow a structured approach to build understanding of concepts. Acknowledge and encourage good oral contributions. Evidence-based interventions to develop skills. Make simple adaptations e.g., font, line spacing, coloured paper, lighting etc. Encourage the learner to celebrate their strengths and achievements. Plan opportunities for success and feeling of achievement. Focus on quality rather than quantity – less questions but more opportunity for completion.
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Clicker - Literacy Software | Crick Software
Evidence-based writing instruction for children with SEND – The Writing for Pleasure Centre (writing4pleasure.com)
Dyscalculia - British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk) Numicon: A teacher's guide (structural-learning.com)
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Social, emotional and mental health “I shouldn’t have to worry about discrimination and schools should help others to understand our struggles and differences.” (Youth Ascends) The SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 6.32 and 6.33, that for social, emotional and mental health: “Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive, or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained.” As a school practitioner, it is essential to be able to recognise and identify a type of behaviour. To understand what the behaviour might be communicating and to then implement the right provision and support to meet the identified SEMH need. ‘Schools and colleges should have clear processes to support children and young people, including how they will manage the effect of any behaviour, so it does not adversely affect other pupils. The Department for Education published guidance on managing pupils’ mental health and behaviour differences in schools. Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) For all areas of SEMH need, any provision or support should be provided in line with the needs of the child or young person and is not dependent on diagnosis. National and international research consistently identifies at least 90% of children and young people in groups likely to present with SEMH needs will have unidentified language and communication differences affecting social behaviours and life chances. Behaviour is often communication of an unmet need; always ask could this be a language need that a school can support? Are children and young people accessing the support they need in the classroom and are barriers being removed? Understanding the link between communication and behaviour is essential rcsltcommunication-and-behaviour-factsheet.pdf Please refer to the strategies within the communication and interaction section of this resource when considering SEMH provision. Schools should assess SEMH needs through a chosen tool such as the Boxhall Profile to help staff understand the barriers to learning that pupils face. Learning needs should also be reviewed using a school’s own screening or assessment tools Page | 88
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to ensure that any SEMH needs, or behavioural difficulties are not caused by an unmet learning need or communication difficulty. Schools should consider: • • • • • • • • •
Use of whole school approaches to promote wellbeing and resilience. A behaviour policy underpinned by a clear ethos and values but with adaptations to meet the needs of pupils. Use of Restorative Approaches to build, maintain and repair relationships. Anti-bullying work Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023: Update and Bullying (anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk) Identification of key adult to build positive and trusting relationship. Support available for staff working with pupils with SEMH via group or individual supervision or debrief sessions. Explicitly teaching de-escalation and self-management strategies Use of PSHE, Circle time and curriculum approaches to explicitly teach rules and routines, build self-esteem, and develop social and emotional skills to all leaners. Developing attachment aware strategies (training available from the Virtual School) The Plymouth Virtual School | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK
The areas for social, emotional, and mental health needs covered in this section are: • • • •
Fight, flight, freeze, fawn responses Physical responses Attention difficulties Attachment difficulties.
The Window of Tolerance (edited version of our original 2018 video) (youtube.com)
Pupil Voice - What does it feel like when things go wrong?
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The following approaches and resources are for school leaders and SENCOs to consider what will be disseminated and used in their school and context through professional development opportunities and whole school strategies. It is not meant for schools to use all tools but to consider what is working for them, what the impact is and where gaps in provision might be. Universal Approaches - Leaders and SENCOs Seek local guidance from https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/childrens-services Consider supervision sessions for staff to support their wellbeing and consistent approaches. Share resources across the school community Health for Teens | Livewell Southwest Consider training for Mental Health First Aid - Livewell Southwest Training Network Embed a genuine trauma informed approach consistently including the use of language Home - Trauma Informed Plymouth Network Social, emotional and mental wellbeing in primary and secondary education (nice.org.uk) advises on how to embed a genuine whole school approach. Have calm areas for learners to use and integrate this as part of the learning environment rather than a reactive measure. Use a five-point scale to support engagement in the classroom: The Leuven Scale - Emotionally Healthy Schools Page | 90
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THE INCREDIBLE 5-POINT SCALE - HOME (5pointscale.com) Encourage and embed the understanding of behaviour as a communication. Foster effective relationships with families; taking time to listen and collaborate. Ensure all staff give the child a voice in all approaches. Have clear reasonable adjustments for learners who struggle with the school environment. Embed a strategic approach to the whole school emotional wellbeing for pupil and staff. Deliver ACES training to all staff. Use restorative approaches to build, maintain and repair relationships. Offer support to staff working with pupils with SEMH needs through group or individual supervision sessions. The SLCN training offered by Marjons includes specialist content covering social, emotional, mental health and communication. The course can be found here on the Plymouth Marjon University website: https://www.marjon.ac.uk/courses/short-courses/ SEMH and Suicide CAMHS | Livewell Southwest STORM training for those working in the school system. Suicide Prevention Training - Storm Skills Training Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide (papyrus-uk.org) prevention of suicide and promotion of positive mental health. Commissioned Universal Health Services • • • • • •
Kooth - Plymouth Online Directory Qwell - Plymouth Online Directory Family Matters | Family therapy services based in Plymouth (familymattersplymouth.co.uk) Young Devon | Changing the odds in favour of young people Home - Pete's Dragons (petesdragons.org.uk) Icebreak — The Zone (thezoneplymouth.co.uk)
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The following suggestions are to support classroom practitioners with their inclusion by design approach. Use this section as an audit and information tool, alongside the young person and their family to decide upon the best approaches in your classroom before raising a concern with the SENCO. Inclusive Classroom Strategies - Teachers and support staff Areas of concern Suggested provision Resources What you might see What you can do What it might look like My presentation and behaviour can be perceived in different ways by others, but they can be a response to my needs, so please get to know me.
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Sometimes I respond with fight responses, and I might:
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Show verbal and physical aggression. Express myself with violence towards property and/or people. Use inappropriate language. Blame others for my actions. Push friends away. Be inflexible with the school rules. Seem disrespectful. Present with selfharming or sabotaging responses. Refuse to follow instructions. Seem dishonest.
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Provide a safe and comfortable environment as a whole school. Welcome learners into the classroom. Always consider the root cause of the behaviour. Communicate any changes to routine in advance. Where appropriate make tasks relatable to a pupil’s interests and strengths. Adapt content of lessons carefully in consideration of a learner’s lived experiences. Consider movement breaks. Support co-regulation. Plan learning breaks. Have varied communication methods for a learner e.g. using cards. Use a zones of regulation approach to support learners in recognising how they are feeling and communicating this in advance of crisis. As a teacher, have access to a learner’s risk assessment to
Emotionally based school avoidance (plymouth.gov.uk) Emotionally based school avoidance (plymouthonlinedirectory.com) Mental health directory Plymouth Online Directory Resources (beaconhouse.org.uk) Fight, Flight and Freeze Resources — Save the Children The Zones of Regulation | A Curriculum for Emotional Regulation Mental health and behaviour in schools - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Timpson Review of School Exclusion (publishing.service.gov.uk) Social, emotional and mental wellbeing in primary and secondary education (nice.org.uk) https://www.minded.org.uk/ Mental Health first aid.
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Sometimes I respond with flight responses and I might: • • • • • • • •
Run away without permission to avoid a situation. Hide. Be unable to manage my free time. Avoid tasks and activities. Be hyperactive. Be hypervigilant. Seem agitated. Have behaviours that don’t seem age appropriate.
Sometimes I respond with freeze responses and I might: • • • • •
Seem forgetful. Appear distracted and not be able to concentrate. Not listen or interact. Appear confused. Seem clumsy.
Sometimes I respond with fawn responses and I might: • • • • •
Withdraw from social interaction. Appear passive. Be compliant – which can lead to vulnerability. Self-harm. Be unable to accept praise.
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fully understand support and responses. Be consistent with routines and rules. Have a safe place option in the classroom for co regulation. When emotions are high – offer a task to complete. Use dual coding to support verbal input. Integrate activities to support peer interaction and social opportunities. Give the learner a responsibility in the classroom. Always unpick behaviours to support approaches moving forward.
THE INCREDIBLE 5-POINT SCALE - HOME (5pointscale.com)
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Be unable to show enjoyment when doing things I like.
I might present with physical symptoms that are medically unexplained, e.g. stomach pains.
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Attention differences including ADHD and ADD. It is possible that I could struggle with attention regardless of a diagnosis and I might: •
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Have a short attention span and be easily distracted. Appear forgetful or lose things. Be unable to stick to tasks that I lose interest in. Appear unable to listen to or carry out instructions. Constantly change an activity or task. Struggle with organising tasks. Seem hyperactive and impulsive. Be unable to sit still.
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Integrate stress reducing activities that the pupil has recognised. Ensure triggers are shared with all staff to avoid escalation. Understand that pain impacts learners with SEMH needs in different ways.
Anxiety: Mentally Healthy Schools
Allow movement breaks as part of the normal routine. Offer brain breaks and integrate between shorter bursts of concentration. Have clear structures and routines. Use timers to support focus. Have consistent responses to behaviour and use reasonable adjustments to the policy. Consider the impact of different times of the day. Engage in areas of interest with pupils to develop relationships. Use whole class task management boards. Use physical resources where needed i.e. wobble cushion.
ADHD and mental health - Mind
Anxiety signs and symptoms Mind Signs of an anxiety disorder NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Tourette_and_managing_tics_F0 798_A4_bw_FINAL_Oct16_1.pdf (gosh.nhs.uk) The EPIC Strategy Booklet: a guide for teachers (adhdfoundation.org.uk) How task boards help independent learning | Tes – using a whole class task management board. Task management board | Teaching Resources (tes.com)
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Be unable to wait my turn. Appear to act without thinking. Interrupt others. Appear to have little or no sense of danger.
Attachment My past experiences may mean that I have trouble forming attachments and so I might:
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Appear anxious and withdrawn. Present with overwhelming responses to situations. Appear to lack inhibitions. Find it difficult to join in with my peers. Appear to ‘sabotage’ situations when things are going well. Avoid eye contact. Struggle with impulse control. Lack self-belief and confidence.
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Have a robust and careful transition to ensure all staff are aware of life experiences that may impact presentation. Get to know the pupil well and create a sense of belonging. Reasonable adjustments within the behaviour policy. Liaise with the virtual school staff to access guidance and support.
Click here to download this checklist
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The Plymouth Virtual School | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK Attachment and child development | NSPCC Learning Understanding Attachment Attachment and Trauma Network (attachmenttraumanetwork.org)
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Sensory and/or physical needs The SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 6.34 and 6.35 defines sensory and/or physical needs as: “Some children and young people require special educational provision because they have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of the educational facilities generally provided.” These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time. Many children and young people with vision impairment (VI), hearing impairment (HI) or a multi-sensory impairment (MSI) will require specialist support and/or equipment to access their learning, or habilitation support. Children and young people with an MSI have a combination of vision and hearing difficulties. Some children and young people with a physical disability (PD) require additional ongoing support and equipment to access all the opportunities available to their peers. This section is in four areas: • • • •
Physical disability/disabilities Severe and complex medical needs Deaf / Hearing loss Visual impairment.
Medicines in Schools The school nursing service School Nursing | Livewell Southwest offer a medicine in schools E-learning course Medicines in Schools E-learning 23.2 (phntworkforce.co.uk) and can also provide bespoke training on site for epilepsy and administration of midazolam as required.
Pupil Voice – What does it feel like when things go wrong?
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The following approaches and resources are for school leaders and SENCOs to consider what will be disseminated and used in their school and context through professional development opportunities and whole school strategies. It is not meant for schools to use all tools but to consider what is working for them, what the impact is and where gaps in provision might be. Universal Approaches - Leaders and SENCOs Accessibility Consider all aspects of the physical school environment and have a clearly communicated accessibility plan. Ensure that all extracurricular activities are accessible for every learner. Have a technology use policy, linking this to the normal way of working for pupils. Ensure that all staff know who decides who has access to what and how it can be used to enhance the learning experience. Have before and after school opportunities that have equal access. Access outreach guidance and support to inform whole school approaches. Include accessibility in the school development plan, in school council discussions and in collaboration with families. Utilise PSHE lessons, assemblies, and other group activities to celebrate difference and embed an ethos of belonging. Seek specialist training and support as appropriate for specific conditions where staff may need additional advice to support learners in the classroom. https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/childrens-services Deaf/ Hearing Loss It is expected that 20% of a class may not be able to hear at some point, particularly within the EY and primary stages due to glue ear. Teachers need to be aware of this and ensure all pupils can access their learning. Microsoft Word - Glue Ear- Guide for Teachers-update - Feb 09.doc (livewellsouthwest.co.uk) These practical suggestions aim to help mainstream teachers ensure that all children, and especially those who may have a temporary or permanent hearing loss, can listen, and learn effectively in your classroom. How intelligible your speech is to children in your class will depend on three critical factors: Page | 98
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1. The extent to which background noise can be reduced or eliminated. 2. The acoustic quality of the room, meaning the extent to which sound reverberates (or echoes) in the class. The greater the levels of reverberation, the less pupils will be able to hear you. 3. The extent to which you modify your teaching style to the listening requirements of pupils with additional needs, such as those with a permanent or a temporary hearing loss (including glue ear). Consider seating arrangements: •
Think about the distance a deaf child is from you when you are delivering the lesson. They will need to see your face for lipreading cues.
Consult the teacher of the deaf on how to ensure the best use is made of any hearing equipment such as hearing aids or cochlear implants: • • • •
Check hearing equipment is functioning. Find out how to troubleshoot any problems. Learn how to use a radio aid where one is supplied. Develop the ability of pupils to manage their own equipment.
Reduce noise from outside the school by: • •
Closing windows when appropriate. Trying to place a class with a deaf child as far as possible from any noise source (for example, not next to a playing field, road, building works, etc.).
Reduce noise from within the school by: • •
Closing doors. Putting up displays in corridors and halls, especially including fabric in their construction. Thinking about sound control during lessons.
Reduce noise in the classroom by: • • • • • • •
Thinking about sound control during lessons. Using fabric on displays and display tables. Seating deaf children away from noise sources (for example, not next to heating/ventilation systems, etc.). Sticking soft pads on the bottom of chair and table legs. Using a soundfield system if available. Turning off equipment when not being used (for example, IWB projector). Providing quiet areas.
Further advice can be accessed via Deaf Inclusion Team - Plymouth Online Directory
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Visual impairment Providing the following adaptations in class will help children with visual impairment see and engage with the resources provided: • • • • • • • •
Assess and risk assess any environmental issues. Have coloured strips and guides across the environment including corridors and outside areas. Use clear bold labelling in classrooms and around the school. Adapt learning resources e.g. using off white paper, larger lines. Have good contrast in décor and furnishings avoiding any hazards. Maintain consistency with routines such as where the child will sit or where they keep their stationery as examples. Position the child with visual impairment at the front of the classroom close to the board. Encourage full time wearing of glasses should the child have glasses.
Should there be a change in visual behaviour or new visual concern for any child in the class, this should be discussed with the parent/guardian and referral to community optician or hospital eye service considered. For a child with visual impairment known to the hospital or visual impairment service, a new visual concern should be passed to not only the parent/guardian, but also the assigned qualified teacher for visually impaired, SENCO or school nurse should they have one. Further support can be accessed via Visual/sight impairment | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK Children and young people with a vision impairment often face barriers in education that puts them at a disadvantage compared to their sighted peers. ‘Reasonable adjustments’ are the changes schools are required to make to help overcome these barriers and ensure all students can take part in education on the same basis. Reasonable Adjustments in Schools (guidedogs.org.uk)
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The following suggestions are to support classroom practitioners with their inclusion by design approach. Use this section as an audit and information tool, alongside the young person and their family to decide upon the best approaches in your classroom before raising a concern with the SENCO. Inclusive Classroom Strategies - Teachers and support staff Areas of concern Suggested provision Resources What you might see What you can do What it might look like Access and Environment Sometimes accessing school setting is tricky and I might: •
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Find navigating the school a barrier. Feel isolated as I need to use different spaces from my friends. Use a different space for personal care because learner needs. Take longer in the toilet or getting changed. Need support with my personal care.
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Have an up-to-date school accessibility plan that is reviewed regularly and understood by all staff. Talk about accessibility regularly with pupils to glean feedback. Offer alternative, accessible lunch areas. Be aware of the risk assessments for all learners. Raise awareness and celebrate difference across peers. Support learners in building their resilience. Access and understand intimate care plans where appropriate. Have toilet passes for pupils. Have flashing fire alarms for d/Deaf pupils. Ensure PEEP plans are in place for d/Deaf children who may not hear alarms. Ensure access to iPads with apps such as Sign BSL, Live Transcribe or One Note to aid communication. Allow a pupil to leave the classroom five minutes before any larger transition.
Accessibility plan: model and examples | The Key Leaders (thekeysupport.com) Pupils with SEND: do we need a risk assessment? | The Key Leaders (thekeysupport.com) 6366-DfES-D&DA Improve Access1.qxd (inclusivechoice.com) Health and safety: responsibilities and duties for schools - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Managing intimate care and supporting toileting DOCUMENT TITLE (plymouth.gov.uk)
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Intimate care support •
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Curriculum I may have difficulties with written work: • • • • •
Recording ideas may be very slow. It may be difficult to read. I might never be finished. My work might have mistakes. I may need to use assistive technology.
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Ensure to keep the respect and dignity of the young person by providing safe spaces. Provide a care suite to allow for pupils to receive support, with a plinth if required. Be aware of skin conditions that may need regular privacy for treatment. Ensure access to regular drinks. Be familiar with a pupils intimate care plan. Access specific training in house for pupils with differences.
Provide opportunities to succeed and celebrate achievements. Use multi-sensory learning opportunities. Have easy access to equipment and resources. Talk to the learner about appropriate adaptations. Integrate regular check-ins during the lesson. Consider the activities in class that need adjustment in advance to avoid exclusion. Reduce homework tasks to avoid strain and fatigue.
Continence issues and safeguarding | NSPCC Learning Information & Advice | National Eczema Society Intimate care: responsibility of school staff | The Key Leaders (thekeysupport.com)
Multisensory learning in the classroom: A teacher's guide (structural-learning.com)
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Be very tired. Unable to get started. I may have gaps in learning due to: • •
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Illness and/or medical • appointments. Time out of class for personal care or therapy needs.
Don’t have catch up in break or lunchtimes – integrate into lessons. Plan for learning opportunities online if there is a longer absence and keep in touch. Plan to reduce the curriculum load and consider alternative curriculum approaches.
I may have difficulties with the sport/PE curriculum, and I might: • • • • • •
Refuse to join in. Be very selfconscious. Get angry or upset. Take a long time to change. Fall over easily. Feel left out.
Active for All - Improving Lives Plymouth SEND PE Activities - Youth Sport Trust • • • •
Account for changing times in an appropriate environment. Have a risk assessment for participation in sporting activities. Have disability friendly sports days. Plan for inclusive sports clubs/teams such as boccia.
SEND Inclusion - Youth Sport Trust Activities and Events Plymouth Information Advice and Support for SEND. (plymouthias.org.uk)
Severe and complex medical needs Staff may be concerned about me because: •
My physical presentation
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Work with parents to understand barriers and how to reduce them. Ensure all staff understand the individual health care
Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
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may seem different. I will have time off school for medical appointments. I have lots of input from medical professionals. There may be lots of investigations going on for me. I may need additional support when attending school off-site visits. I could feel isolated due to having less time with my peers. I may require adaptations to the uniform policy.
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plan in place with emergency protocols – this should be updated annually. Collaborate with the SENCO to fully understand the adaptations you can make. Understand the processes for medicine/medical care when needed on site that are detailed in a health care plan. Attend training for specific conditions such as epilepsy and asthma to respond proactively. Support peer interaction and opportunities to work with others. Ensure there is a personal plan and risk assessment in appropriate. Encourage peer awareness and understanding. Pre-empt barriers for school trips such as access to medical support and toilets. Have accessible transport options. Take all medical information and medication on any visits and ensure all staff receive training on individual health care plans.
Deaf / Hearing Loss
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Individual healthcare plans: guidance and templates | The Key Leaders (thekeysupport.com) Supporting pupils with medical conditions: links to other useful resources GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) School-aged years high impact area 5: Supporting additional and complex health needs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Asthma in schools - Beat Asthma About Down's Syndrome Downs Syndrome Association (downssyndrome.org.uk) Home - Epilepsy Action Allergy UK | National Charity School Nursing | Livewell Southwest
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If I am deaf or have a hearing loss I may: • • •
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Not realise when I need to be listening to you. Struggle to hear well in a group of friends. Struggle to hear clearly when I am too far away from you. Struggle to hear clearly when there is a lot of background noise. Struggle to hear clearly when more than one person is speaking. Not get the whole message by just listening. Struggle to hear what children behind me or on the other side of the class are saying. Find it difficult to listen for long periods of time. Struggle to be working and listening to you at the same time. Struggle to maintain my focus when I can’t access the learning activity.
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Ensure you have the pupils' attention before you start talking. Provide a quiet space for deaf pupil’s and their friends for break and lunchtime to support communication during social times. Speak clearly, at your normal pace and avoid shouting and whispering. Make sure that your face is clearly visible and use gestures and facial expressions to help pupils understand what you are saying. Encourage pupils to speak one at a time and raise their hand before speaking. Repeat or rephrase what you have said if a deaf pupil has not understood. Repeat or rephrase what other pupils have said during class discussion. Make sure activities which require listening and taking notes are kept to a minimum and provide support for deaf pupils to ensure their access. Make sure the classroom /learning space is as acoustically friendly as possible. Have a learning environment that is clearly organised with minimal visual distraction. Make sure that there is good lighting and that your face is not in shadow.
Plymouth Advisory Team for Sensory Support (PATSS) Plymouth Online Directory Modelling: Classroom Instruction for Teachers TeacherToolkit British Sign Language - Online resources, games, & course. (british-sign.co.uk) National Deaf Children's Society | Supporting deaf children (ndcs.org.uk) National Deaf Children's Society - Creating Good Listening ConditionsInformation for school leaders Creating good listening conditions | Information for professionals (ndcs.org.uk) NatSIP - Specialist Deaf Curriculum Framework: Supporting deaf children and young people’s independence
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Be easily distracted by things around me. Struggle to retain several pieces of information given verbally. Find it difficult to understand that other people can have a different view of something than I do (Theory of Mind) Find it difficult to make friends and feel included. Not have the words to explain things, e.g. how I am feeling. Find it difficult to take an active role - I may become withdrawn if I can’t hear what is being said or keep up with the pace. Look at my neighbour’s work to find out what I need to do when I haven’t heard/understood the instructions. This might look like I am copying. Find it difficult making and maintaining friendships or taking part in social interactions (e.g. at break and lunch times)
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Be sure that the student has access to lip patterns to supplement their listening – i.e. face a pupil when talking to them and allow an adequate distance for lipreading purposes. Don't carry on talking when facing away from the pupil. Use the interactive whiteboard or PowerPoint so that you can use visual backup and still face the class. Make sure a deaf pupil is not seated near noisy equipment or next to an open window/door. Write or display key words, topic headings or questions somewhere obvious such as on the interactive whiteboard. Make sure that you are aware that the student has hearing aids and whether the aids are working. Use visual approaches to support learning. Provide a quiet environment for a deaf child to participate in group work. Give context to what you are saying by using visual aids. Allow time for a deaf pupil to look at a visual clue or demonstration before you start talking again. Cue in pupils when there is going to be a new topic of conversation so that they can understand the context. Use a soundfield system if your classroom has one.
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because the person talking, and topic of conversation can change quickly and the background noise makes it much harder for me to hear and understand. Need to have school behaviour expectations taught explicitly. Not hear a fire alarm or may become upset when the alarm goes off. Respond in a similar way to my peers i.e. agreeing with things even if I haven’t heard correctly.
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Encourage a suitable seating position for/with the student. Have clear eyesight of visual materials and use various styles of modelling. Ensure adequate lighting in all spaces across the school. Deliver instructions concisely and clearly. Check deaf children have understood instructions. Use consolidation of learning techniques and pre/post teaching of vocabulary. Have reasonable adjustments prepared for group work i.e. a quiet space for a group with a deaf child. Avoid moving around the room whilst talking to the class. Use visual reinforcement and prompts. Consider use of flags to signal end of play, lunchtimes or on sports days. During sport activities evaluate the impact of acoustics and support learners with nonverbal gestures and modelling. During listening/audio activities have a script or support available, e.g. live voice presentation in modern languages. Reduce unnecessary sounds around the classroom i.e., close the door. Support deaf children to be confident enough to advocate their own needs
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e.g. to let you know when their hearing aid is not working. Be aware of noise levels in your classroom and keep them to a minimum – especially during times when children need to be listening. Ensure spare batteries are available on site for hearing devices e.g. hearing aids. Always check aids are working and are positioned correctly. Use subtitles/closed captions/live transcription on videos/TV. Use repetition to consolidate learning techniques. Provide pre/post teaching of vocabulary with visuals to support. Introduce the fire bell (and other alerting sounds) to children in a controlled manner so they understand what it means and what they should do when they hear it.
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In mainstream a pupil may be dual lingual in that they communicate through speech and sign. Use opportunities to encourage peers and teachers to use a few signs National Deaf Children's Society YouTube) Use consolidation of learning techniques and pre/post teaching of vocabulary with images.
Plymouth & District Deaf Children's Society - Plymouth & District Deaf Children's Society (plymouthdcs.co.uk) for key social events Help and support for deaf young people | How you can get involved (ndcs.org.uk)
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Be aware deaf children are more at risk of social isolation and mental health difficulties. Ensure they have an adult at school they can talk to about challenges. Provide a quiet space to eat and be with friends at lunchtime. Ensure your deaf children can access before and after school provision (including clubs) in line with their hearing peers and that reasonable adjustments are made to facilitate this, e.g. staff running these sessions are aware that deaf children may require more support to interact with their peers. Be aware that in Continuous Provision d/Deaf children have less opportunities for important interactions with peers and staff- monitor this to ensure good language and attainment outcomes. Visual Impairment
If I have a visual impairment, I might:
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Struggle to start or finish my work independently. Struggle to work at the same speed as my friends.
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Ask students where they would like to sit and what helps them. If worn, check that a learner is wearing their glasses and that they are clean! Rather than say ‘can you see this’ ask questions using what/where.
Plymouth Advisory Team for Sensory Support (PATSS) Plymouth Online Directory VI_Team__RNIB_Acecss_To_Education. pdf (plymouthonlinedirectory.co m)
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Ask my friends to help, e.g., read what is on the board to me. Struggle to read back my own handwriting and may also present my work in a muddled way. Find it hard to see the board or access classroom displays. Be unable to write on a line or put numbers in a box. Have difficulties with matching activities. Seem unfocused when needing to read something for longer periods. Find retrieval of information tricky. Move my head rather than my eyes when I read. Get tired, rub my eyes, or get frequent headaches. Hold things close to my face. Ask to sit at the front or move to different position. Lose my place a lot when following something. Struggle with poor contrast, busy
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Vary the types of tasks to reduce visual demands. Provide frequent visual breaks. Reduce glare in the classroom, e.g. use blinds at windows, matt resources and turn off overhead lights above interactive boards. Consider your teaching position, e.g. avoid standing in front of a window. Ensure all PowerPoints have minimum font size 18 in a non-cursive style with good background/foreground contrast. Consider using mirroring technology to access he board electronically, e.g., Teams, Google Meet Provide desk copies of work presented on the board. Consider allowing the use of a tablet/phone to take pictures of written work on the board. Provide printed resources in minimum font size 14 for all students. Consider font size and style when choosing books. Reduce clutter in displays and printed resources, i.e. clear, and simple layout. Avoid cursive fonts. Avoid non-verbal cues. Use larger print labels and clear visual cues for independent access to resources. Have a consistent layout to the classroom. Risk assesses the environment and ensure
VI_Team__General_VI_Friendly_Classro oms.pdf (plymouthonlinedirectory.co m) NatSIP VI TA guidance (plymouthonlinedirectory.co m) VI_Team__Choosing_Books.pdf (plymouthonlinedirectory.co m) RNIB | Homepage of the Royal National Institute for Blind People Plymouth Children's Visual Impairment Network Plymouth Online Directory LOCAL SERVICES (plymouthonlinedirectory.co m) Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment | RNIB | RNIB The Partially Sighted Society | Helping People with a Visual Impairment (partsight.org.uk) Key Stage 2 tests: access arrangements - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Access to exams and tests | RNIB Home | British Blind Sport Classroom Accommodations for Visual Impairments - The OT Toolbox
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backgrounds and reading from a screen. Struggle with glare and lighting. Find reading print difficult. Find reading measuring equipment, graphs, and tables tricky in maths and science. Find it difficult to copy from the board. Find it hard to share resources. Be reluctant to join in with PE activities, particularly team games. Struggle to make eye contact. Find it difficult to make friends. Avoid busy areas such as the playground or dinner hall. Need help to find my friends at playtime. Struggle to find the things I need.
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peers understand how to eliminate risks. Add markings and coloured strips for ease of access to the environment. Provide accessible equipment, e.g. high visibility rulers, large print protractors, wider spaced, bold ruled exercise books. Use off white paper to reduce glare. Have an individual learning pack with everything a learner needs to hand. Use alternative methods of recording such as a laptop. Choose PE equipment that provides good background/foreground contrast. Have reasonable adjustments for all assessments as a normal way of working to prepare for accessing exams. Talk to families if concerned about a child’s visual access to learning. Contact Access Early Help to discuss whether a referral to the Sensory team is appropriate for further support if the universal classroom offer is not having a positive impact.
Click here to download this checklist There are additional documents setting out what is expected of schools at universal, targeted and specialist level and how the Plymouth Advisory Team for Sensory Support (PATSS) can support them to deliver provision for children and young people with hearing loss and visual impairments: Plymouth Advisory Team for Sensory Support (PATSS) - Plymouth Online Directory Page | 111
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SECTION C - Inclusion in Action
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Case study 1 Staff Member: Allison Cooper-Hall – SENCO School Name Phase Number of pupils Academy/Maintained Locality EHCP % SEND register % Key area(s) of need
Millbay Academy Secondary Year 7-11 485 Academy - Reach South West 5.18% 26.78% SEMH, C&I
The Millbay Inclusion vision To ensure that all learners, of any age, receive meaningful high-quality teaching and learning alongside their friends and peers. Relationships-Routines-Regulation
What did you identify as the area for development in terms of inclusion? At Millbay Academy, we believe that to enable our children to learn effectively, they need to feel safe in their environment and be both socially and emotionally ready to learn. We understand the importance of holistic development and where possible, offer nurturing and enriching experiences to enable the development of the whole child. We recognise that some of our children are not always emotionally ready to learn when they come to Millbay and require an increased level of support for them to access the wider curriculum. For this reason, we offer The Hive provision for key children in KS3 to support their social and emotional development alongside academic development. Our Intent The Hive provides an adapted curriculum in an environment based on the six principles of nurture which are as follows: 1. Children’s learning is understood developmentally. 2. The Hive offers a safe base. 3. The importance of nurture for the development of self-esteem. 4. Language is a vital means of communication. 5. All behaviour is communication. 6. The importance of transition in children’s lives.
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How did you implement the provision to support the areas identified?
We developed a reversed graduated response based upon nurture principles to support young people’s development and readiness to transition into mainstream by: • • • • • •
Encouraging the development of positive social relationships with both peers and adults. Providing opportunities to understand emotions and develop pupil’s selfworth, confidence, motivation, trust, self-esteem, and adaptability. Providing a safe, calm, and nurturing environment, alongside a programme of activities structured to meet the emotional, social, and intellectual needs of each child. Supporting children to understand their behaviour and that behaviours generally have a consequence and to develop strategies to self-regulate emotions and anxieties. Supporting the development of a whole-school nurturing ethos focused on inclusion to reduce fixed term and permanent exclusion. Ensuring that all children meet their academic potential through small group interventions.
Prior to joining the group, all children are assessed using the Boxall Profile. From this, outcomes are developed by The Hive team and SENCO drawing on the information in the Boxall Profile as well as experience of the child’s behaviour. The assessment is be completed prior to joining the provision and termly to monitor progress, identify areas for development and indicate reintegration. Outcomes are reviewed termly and adapted as required, dependent on the changing needs of the pupil. The Hive team plan outcomes to evaluate regularly with the child. Page | 114
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This target will be familiar to the child. A copy of these outcomes is sent termly to parents and discussed with them at meetings. A log of the child’s behaviour is kept throughout their time in The Hive to facilitate comparisons and identify the antecedents. The purpose of this is to help children develop strategies to manage their behaviours within The Hive and transfer these skills across the whole setting. The Hive provision is divided into several phases:
The school Progress Support Hub pathway is also a key part of the universal offer, complimenting the graduated approach to inclusion. Some students don’t ‘graduate’ completely into our full time mainstream universal offer from The Hive and continue to access targeted support in our Progress Support Hub, alongside the universal classroom support.
Impact - How do you know what you did worked? 1. The Hive students have the highest attendance percentage out of the whole school at 97%. 2. Fixed-term exclusions have been reduced to 0%. 3. Access to mainstream lessons has increased to 100% in the following subject areas: maths, science, physical education, art, music, drama, food tech, history and computer science. 4. All students within The Hive access one or more after-school clubs eg. sports, performing arts and homework club. 5. 100% of students in The Hive, complete home learning each week online, using the following platforms - Sparx (maths) and Bedrock (English).
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The staff team have been an integral part of the success of the Hive to ensure the development of a whole school ethos to secure positive transitions into the mainstream classrooms. Staff now have: • • • • •
Deeper understanding of inclusive classroom practice through training and evidence-based approaches. Support to develop inclusive spaces across the school. Access to whole school CPD on Nurture provision (Led by SENCO) zones of regulation and accessible and effective Do It Now tasks. Understanding of a referral-based process into the HIVE. Understanding of a new monitoring and inclusive assessment for learning.
What are your plans for future development? The SENCO will support ALL staff in creating their zones of regulation in their classrooms, making adjustments within their classroom design and layout to meet sensory needs and emotional regulation. Good practice is already evident in the English department, highlighting the key takeaways from recent CPD. Introduce ‘OTTER’ time (own time to enjoy reading) with a reading corner and teacher-led reading of class books during tutor time to accompany the whole school literacy approach to be discussed with the Literacy lead. GMWP (Glasgow Motivation and Wellbeing Profile) will be upscaled firstly to the PSC & Pastoral team to track and monitor progress. It is a 20-item questionnaire that explores motivation and a sense of wellbeing in the learning context. It elicits children and young people’s views of themselves and their emotions; it allows them to reflect on their feelings and current experiences and encourages them to consider how they can increase their own determination, motivation, and sense of wellbeing. As you can see, all students now love to come to school, enjoying the learning environment and thriving in their learning and wellbeing.
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Case study 2 Embedding an Inclusive Curriculum Staff Member(s): Georgina Reid (Co-Headteacher) and Alex Druce (Quality of Education Lead) School Name Phase Academy/Maintained Locality EHCP SEND register % Key area(s) of need
Marine Academy Primary Primary Academy Plymouth 8 children current EHCP, 3 pending 17.5% Top need: Speech and Language and Communication Second need: SEMH
Marine Academy primary vision:
What did you identify as the area for development in terms of inclusion? We identified that our highly aspirational and rigorous curriculum was absolutely the right choice to ensure social justice, where knowledge is ambitious and carefully sequenced. However, we realised that some children with speech and language and processing challenges needed greater support so they could fully access the
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booklets and ultimately ensure that their passion for each subject was not diminished.
How did you implement the provision to support the areas identified? We provided suitable scaffolding and followed the principles of cognitive science within our curriculum design refinement. For example, widget symbols are now embedded within pages and slideshows and are used effectively by teachers to frame written tasks with dual coding in mind. The structure of lessons ensures that content is sequenced in small steps, key vocabulary is explicitly taught, and appropriate modelling is demonstrated, often through visualisers. In line with our objective to ensure that our implemented resources are achieving maximum impact when enacted in the classroom, staff received CPD and incremental coaching to support them with a high standard of lesson preparation, consisting of tailored question stems and techniques, modelling of excellent answers/self-study habits, as well as strategically considering the most effective assessment methods.
Impact - How do you know what you did worked? Continued incremental coaching and support walks from the leadership team have observed that staff are consistently considering and integrating effective scaffolding strategies, to support pupils with meeting the learning objectives verbally and in written form. Thorough quality assurance via strong subject monitoring has provided feedback about the impact of our inclusive provision. Pupils from different groups, including PP and SEND, have been able to articulate their knowledge within and across topics and have reported multiple ways in which they are supported in lessons.
What is your school doing to support all staff to embed inclusive universal provision? And how has this support impacted whole school inclusion? Frequent CPD sessions based on scaffolding and widget symbols have been delivered to teachers and support staff. Prior to each term, subject leaders of wider curriculum subjects meet with each year group to discuss the upcoming topics and ways to evidence knowledge. For example, all children were previously expected to write an essay at the conclusion of their history/geography topics, however over the course of this academic year staff have been increasingly inclusive and innovative with varying the approach for pupils to demonstrate what they have learned. This has included debates, presentations and news reports for children that struggle to clearly express themselves in writing and other creative written formats to ensure that high motivation for all pupils is maintained. Interventions from core subjects and phonics are carefully scheduled to ensure that pupils do not miss out on learning in foundation subjects, enabling them to still receive a broad and balanced curriculum. Early morning learning and 15-minute slots immediately after lunch have been useful.
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What are your plans for future development? Our plans for future development are to further embed the importance and elements of effective lesson preparation so the centralised curriculum resources are enacted to meet the personalised learning needs in each class. This is something that requires further coaching and consolidation across the trust of schools, therefore staff at Marine Academy Primary will support other subject leaders and teachers with this through visits and subject leader virtual networks. Through the school’s participation in a Cradle to Career project, curriculum coherence of concepts and vocabulary will be analysed and modified so that knowledge, skills, and vocabulary are revisited and developed in a spiral curriculum format. We are in the process of increasing our emphasis on careers throughout our curriculum, ensuring that subjects are viewed meaningfully. This consists of utilising our community assets, whether it be welcoming in parents to discuss their occupation or visiting a local facility, such as the library. Our enrichment offer is very strong, which means that learning is memorable and visual for our children. Geographical fieldwork and historical enquiry trips provide desirable cultural capital that enhances our knowledge-rich curriculum. Teacher feedback Here are quotes from current teaching staff that reflect the impact of professional development and application of an inclusive curriculum on their teaching practice and pupils’ progress: Natasha Howard (Year 2 teacher) – “I feel very confident with supporting all of the children in my class using the teaching habits we’ve worked on as a school, such as live modelling and dual coding. I use widgets on my working walls and to design structured writing frames. Also, the widgets used within the lesson slides are helpful so that it is clear how the children need to respond. I’m excited to embed a greater focus on career opportunities in the curriculum so that we are ‘making aspirations possible’”. Jess Uren (Year 5 teacher) – “The curriculum design and materials are well pitched to fully support the children in my class. I’ve found that shortening the amount of text and increasing the quantity of short tasks has helped with their enthusiasm and engagement. I really enjoy what Widget offers and use this in many lessons with sentence starters and visual cues to help children to experience success and reduce any writing anxiety.”
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Case study 3 Alternative Curriculum Models to support SEND in Mainstream Staff Member: Debbie Baker School Name Phase Academy/Maintained Locality EHCP SEND register % Key area(s) of need
Eggbuckland Vale Primary Phase Primary Academy North 4.3% 17.4% Communication & Interaction
Eggbuckland Vale Primary’s vision Eggbuckland Vale has a tradition of combining a friendly and caring approach with high academic standards. It is our aim to treat every child as an individual and develop inquisitive minds, tolerance and understanding of others’ points of view. Our vision for pupils with Special Educational Needs is therefore an integral part of the whole school's ethos. We strive to ensure that all children are fully included within the school community, can access a broad and balanced curriculum which is accessible and exciting to them, and can reach their individual potential as learners.
What did you identify as the area for development in terms of inclusion? High level of SEND need in new foundation cohort including four children with EHCPs all centred around their Communication and Interaction as well as Cognition and Learning Needs. All four children are non-verbal, have ASC diagnoses (two also have ADHD) and are incontinent. All four children were struggling in our foundation setting of 60 children. The continuous provision learning environment was too overwhelming for them and as a result, these children were dysregulated or distressed throughout the day. Specialist schools were applied for before the children joined our setting but there were no spaces available. To reduce this level of distress we have needed to find alternative ways to support these children within a mainstream setting.
How did you implement the provision to support the areas identified? •
Learning environment: we decided to change our meeting room into a bespoke classroom. Labelling all the cupboards with ‘Not available’ red crosses, removing most of large furniture and creating separate learning areas within the room (two TEACCH stations, play table, creative table, language table chill out and sensory areas).
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•
Training of staff: Staff have had attention builders and training from SaLT, TEACCH and attention autism and intensive interaction training from the SENCO.
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Team meetings: Initial meeting to generate ideas with Foundation teachers, support staff and SENCO. Individual needs of four children planned alongside wellbeing of staff and impact on mainstream children. Fortnightly meetings with SENCO – supervision / how are things going, tweaks in provision needed.
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Discussions with parents: All four children have open TAMs and have been fully informed and included in the decision making. They support the systems, routines and provision that are currently in place, and they receive daily feedback about their child’s progress face-to-face as well as through Tapestry.
•
Support from external agencies: All four children are open to CIT and to the EP Team. We have been lucky that we have been allocated outreach support from Longcause. Rather than focus on individual pupils, they are going to support us to consider ways to prepare the children for eventually moving to Year 1 and prior to that, transitioning back into the mainstream provision (with specialist provision).
•
Provision and planning: The children are unable to access the EYFS curriculum in a setting of 60 children we have therefore devised individual timetables for the children that includes the following interventions: TEACHH, attention autism, attention autism, speech and language, sensory room, intensive interaction, gross motor skills, messy and free play. These are presented visually in the form of a schedule. Break times are planned to coincide with the year group if they are regulated and not too overwhelmed. Lunchtimes are supported by key staff.
Impact - How do you know what you did worked? •
Improved attendance: Two of the children are now in school full time, a third has increased her attendance to 2pm each day and we aim for her to be in class full time by Easter. The final child remains on a reduced timetable, but this is fully supported by parents and is reviewed regularly.
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Smoother transitions: All four children now separate well from their parents each morning and make a smooth transition into their morning routine. The children have moved from being reliant on objects for transition, to using photos and are now starting to use some symbols.
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•
Reduced number of incidents of aggression towards to staff or to other children recorded on CPOMS.
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IEP and TAM targets and outcomes are being achieved.
What is your school doing to support all staff to embed inclusive universal provision? Partnership with parents and carers • • • • • • • • •
Questionnaires are sent out to parents. Responses are welcomed and school policy and practice is modified accordingly. Facebook enables parents to see what their children are involved in during the school day. Parents receive regular texts from school communicating key information. The school website provides extensive information about all aspects of school life for parents to access. Regular newsletters inform parents of recent events and initiatives. Parents’ Consultation Evenings are held in the autumn and spring terms to discuss progress. An ‘Open Door Policy’ means that the school welcomes parents in to discuss any issues. The PTFA supports the school, raising money by organising events, to be used for the benefit of all pupils. ‘Knowledge Organisers’ are put on the school website to ensure that they are aware of the termly learning experiences.
The curriculum • • • • •
•
All pupils experience a broad, balanced national curriculum. The Curriculum Co-ordinator ensures that there is consistency and progression across the school. Curriculum Teams, meet to plan exciting and inspiring activities across the curriculum for pupils of all abilities and needs. Detailed long term, medium term and short-term plans are developed by the teachers to ensure full coverage of the curriculum. Teachers work closely together in their year groups, planning for a range of abilities. Most English and maths lessons are differentiated in at least three ways, providing opportunities for consolidation of skills, and increasing levels of challenge. Middle Leaders monitor the coverage of their curriculum areas.
Teaching and learning •
Quality First Teaching, delivered across the school, ensures that a wide range of abilities are catered for.
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• • • •
Pupils drive forward their own learning by working to achieve targets set by the teachers. Learning is closely monitored by the teacher during the lesson and any misconceptions addressed promptly. The Senior Leadership Team monitors pupil performance closely, by analysing data from the school’s tracking system, observing pupils in lessons and completing regular ‘Book Looks’. Regular Pupil Progress Meetings are held between the Senior Leadership Team and class teacher to discuss the progress and achievements of every pupil in the school.
Self-help skills and independence • • • • • •
All pupils throughout the school are encouraged to elicit the help of other children and use classroom resources before requesting support from the teacher. Pupils frequently choose their own level of work for a lesson. Pupils often peer assess each other’s work using toolkits and success criteria. Resources are made accessible to all in the classroom and independent choice is encouraged. Pupils are given classroom responsibilities to raise self-esteem and thereby encourage greater independence. Classrooms have maths and English ‘Working Walls’. These display key vocabulary, useful resources and prompts to support learning and independence.
Health, wellbeing and emotional support • • • • • • • • • • •
The school adopts the Trauma Informed Schools Approach and staff are sensitive to pupils’ emotional needs. Teachers and teaching assistants have received TISUK training and are attuned to the emotional needs of pupils. They value the contributions of every child and celebrate all forms of achievement. All staff and pupils are aware of the importance of PACE in their relations with others ie: Playful. Accepting, Curious and Empathetic. PSHE activities monitor the emotional wellbeing of all pupils at the school. Lunchtime supervisors encourage good social relations and support pupils who struggle to interact effectively during lunchtime breaks. Governors visit classrooms and carry out pupil conferencing. The school has an ‘Open Door’ policy and welcomes parents who wish to discuss any concerns they have with their child’s emotional wellbeing. The school curriculum promotes the health of its pupils, covering topics such as dental care, diet and drugs. The school’s Sports Premium is used effectively to provide interesting sporting experiences for all pupils. The importance of health is emphasised with high expectations of hygiene; children are encouraged to wash their hands before eating etc. Many members of staff are first aid trained.
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• • •
A system is in place for the storage and administration of medicines. Risk assessments are written identifying any activities that may pose a risk to children and measures are taken to reduce any risk factors. Class files contain detailed health information which is passed on to the next teacher or school at the end of the academic year.
Social interaction opportunities • • • • • • •
• •
The school encourages positive social interaction. Pupils are expected to work in varied group situations in the classroom and playground. Collaboration is continually promoted. EVPS’s ‘Three Golden Rules’ of Safe, Respectful and Ready provide the pupils with clear expectations for behaviour, emphasising rights and responsibilities. School clubs encourage team building skills. Systems such as ‘Buddies’ and the School Council encourage cooperation between children in different year groups. Whole school assemblies enable pupils to appreciate and celebrate the achievement of other children in the school. Peer on peer abuse (bullying) is not tolerated at the school and is dealt with promptly. The school has an Anti- Bullying Policy and follows procedures ensuring that the victim and perpetrator are both provided with the support they require. A wealth of clubs is available to children that encourage physical and emotional wellbeing. Mindfulness activities are carried out regularly in each class.
The physical environment (accessibility, safety and positive learning environment) • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A Health and Safety policy is in place and reviewed annually. An Accessibility Audit is completed annually, identifying areas for improvement. The results feed into an Accessibility Plan. A Safeguarding Policy is in place and reviewed annually. CCTV is located on the school site. There is a security door in the main entrance. Robust visitor policies and procedures are in place. There are clear external boundaries to the school grounds. Gates and boundaries are well maintained. The school adheres to property compliance requirements. School non-negotiables are in place, relating to behaviour and safety. The School Central Record is regularly checked and updated. There are clear procedures for fire drills and lock downs. Regular practises ensure that safety requirements are met. Classrooms have interactive, educational displays that celebrate pupils’ achievements and provide positive learning environments. A wealth of resources are available in classrooms to support learning.
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Transition from year to year and setting to setting • • • • •
Many measures are in place to ensure smooth transition for all pupils from one school to another. Parents of EYFS children are invited to Eggbuckland Vale to meet the headteacher and the Foundation teachers. Foundation staff carry out home visits to meet the parents and children. Early years children are invited to visit EVPS in the summer term before attending in the autumn. Y6 children attend Induction Days at secondary settings, where pupils visit the school with their peers. Representatives from the local schools meet with EVPS teachers to discuss all pupils before transition. We aim to have a ‘seamless’ transition from one class to the next. At the end of the summer term, teachers meet to discuss in detail the pupils they will be receiving in the forthcoming year. Teachers will also visit their next classes so that they can become familiar with their new pupils. Pupils will complete transition tasks, perhaps writing letters to their new teachers to establish relationships prior to transition. Any transition that involves a mix of children is dealt with sensitively. Pupils will have the opportunity to share any concerns with teachers who endeavour to make any move a positive experience.
How has this support (universal) impacted whole school inclusion? The demand has reduced for more targeted interventions across the school. Reasonable adjustments alongside inclusive approaches to teaching and learning are now embedded as part of quality first teaching and benefit all children.
What are your plans for future development? We have already been made aware of the high level of need that is coming into our new foundation cohort this September, and this will bring a new set of challenges. The current provision that is in place is not a permanent provision and these children will need to transition into Year 1. There is no physical space available for this current set up to be carried over in the same way and so we are now beginning to work with the children’s parents, our school EP, CIT specialist support worker and the outreach teacher from Longcause to explore how we can start looking at adapting the provision so that we can move towards reintegrating these four children into mainstream education without making them feel overwhelmed.
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Case study 4 Using the scaffold of colourful semantics to support independent writing Staff Member: Trust Inclusion Lead and SENCO School Name Phase Academy/Maintained Locality EHCP SEND register % Key area(s) of need
St. Matthew’s CofE Primary and Nursery Academy Primary Academy North 2% 14% SEMH and Communication & Interaction
What did you identify as the area for development in terms of inclusion? After analysing the performance data across the school for writing, there was a marked gap in attainment for writing compared to attainment in reading and maths across all year groups. Data analysis in our school and across the Trust showed that this was a recurring theme. By developing an approach to talking and writing that teaches children about the constituent parts that make up a sentence, provides them with scaffolding through symbols and oral rehearsal will in turn build their confidence and independence as writers. We wanted the percentage of children working at age related expectations to increase and be in line with the national average and for children’s perceptions of themselves as successful writers to have improved.
How did you implement the provision to support the areas identified? The provision was based on academic research into the value of talk for writing and the importance of scaffolding. Talk is transformative to children’s writing development giving them more working memory for writing (Latham, 2002 and Young and Ferguson, 2021). In light of this, talk, was scaffolded and children were given a colour-coded sentence (Colourful Semantics) to say before innovating on that structure and orally rehearsing before writing. By providing children with colourcoded picture/word cards and a sentence template children’s working memory was freed up to think about the content of the task, how to write an accurate sentence giving children what Bruner (1976) calls ‘a reduction in degrees of freedom’ and reducing the panic of not knowing what to write. To implement the action plan, the SENCO and KS1 lead collaborated on its development, which were shared and details explained to SLT and amended according to their feedback, to ensure all agreed on the right actions, monitoring and timing to secure its success. The action plan was shared with the KS1 team in an Page | 126
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arranged meeting time ensuring the whole team, including teaching assistants, were present. This provided an opportunity to communicate ideas clearly and ensure that a consistent approach was being introduced.
Impact - How do you know what you did worked? As a result of a focus on talk and the use of Colourful Semantics in writing lessons, children working towards age related expectations are given a more rigorous and consistent approach to the teaching of writing with writing modelled and scaffolded appropriately which has had a positive impact on their learning. Pupil voice has been useful in demonstrating an improved attitude towards writing. The importance of sharing practice with parents is also valued. These updates on the use of Colourful Semantics were sent out to parents via Marvellous Me (an educational app) and social media channels. During parent consultations, via telephone, parents were informed of the progress their children were making in writing and how they could support at home. Furthermore, information was shared with parents via a newsletter. The new approach was explained and showed parents the resources the children would be using in lesson. Practical ideas of how parents could help their children with writing at home were given. It was important to involve all stakeholders to understand the aims and vision of the introduction of Colourful Semantics to ensure the best possible outcomes.
What is your school doing to support all staff to embed inclusive universal provision? We then employed a distributed approach to leadership when collaborating with the Year 3 team in introducing the approach for children working towards ARE. We delegated some responsibility and authority to the Year 3. Reflecting of Karpman’s Drama Triangle, that the teachers in this team may be understood as persecutors, critical and good at finding fault, The Year 3 teachers were asked to critique the approach and whether some strategies involved, in their opinion would be beneficial to children in their year group. They chose to adapt and use this approach with a group of less able children in their year group. From this, we then collaborated with year leads across the school, in particular EYFS and Year 4 to share how vocabulary teaching could be informed by the Colourful Semantics approach.
And how has this support impacted whole school inclusion? From Reception to Year 2, Colourful Semantic has become part of our universal provision for our whole class English teaching sequences. It has been helpful to all pupils as it has given pupils the scaffold needed to become confident, independent writers. Once pupils enter Key Stage 2, it has become vital for our lower attaining and SEND pupils to scaffold their learning so that they can access the same unit of work as the rest of the class and within the classroom. Moreover, Colourful Semantics is used in all the foundation subjects to ensure pupils can access the wider curriculum as independently as possible. This scaffold has supported SEND pupils to feel
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successful in their learning across the school from reception to Year 6 in all subjects.
What are your plans for future development? The idea behind colourful semantics has been powerful in helping pupils to know what goes into a sentence and how to order a sentence, we now want to take this idea further and use colour in other ways to help learning stick for our pupils. Our school uses schemas in foundation subjects to support pupils understanding of how things work, connecting it to previous knowledge and ideas. By using colour within these connections of ideas and themes, it will support the brain in organising new information and pupils understanding of new knowledge. This in turn will support retention of new learning.
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Case study 5 Success Hub Staff Member: Assistant Head Teacher – pastoral School Name Phase Academy/Maintained Locality EHCP SEND register % Key area(s) of need
Devonport High School for Boys Secondary Academy West 0.73% 4.96% SEMH
What did you identify as the area for development in terms of inclusion? After analysing pastoral data following the pandemic, the school had seen a rise in behaviour incidences and whilst this was a small rise, as leaders we identified the importance of acting early to support pupils and consider the root cause of the change. The team wanted to develop a consistent approach to behaviour systems and to offer a range of pastoral support in a coordinated way; and one that was part of the universal menu of support. Like most schools, there was also an increase in the number of students who were struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. The ‘Success HUB’ therefore needed to be able to address and provide support in a number of different areas.
How did you implement the provision to support the areas identified? The provision was based initially on a BAE (Behaviour, attendance and emotional) audit carried out each term to identify pupils who may need additional guidance across a range of themes to support their social, emotional mental health and engagement in school. Audits are completed by staff and evaluated by Senco, Pastoral team and family support worker who leads on attendance. In response to this, we developed the ‘Success Hub ‘provision at the heart of the school with a dedicated co-ordinator to address the rising need amongst the cohort. Referrals are made through a Google form which can be completed by staff and students. Parents/carers are also aware of the support available and can make requests through their child’s Head of Year. There is a menu of 12 interventions including self-esteem, bullying, attendance and developing friendships. All interventions are for 8-10 weeks, have an evaluation process and follow a clear course structure. The timetable is planned carefully to avoid disruption to lessons and some pupils access support outside of school hours when this is requested. Page | 129
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By delivering the programme internally, the coordinator has been able to personalise the programmes based on need and can now offer standalone sessions to support restorative work around key topics such as vaping.
Impact - How do you know what you did worked? Evaluations are completed at the end of each intervention block with pupils and pupil voice shows a positive outcome. BAE audits are also monitored termly and evaluated demonstrating improvement for those pupils who have accessed the hub. When a pupil is re referred, this is carefully considered to ensure progress rather than a repeat of provision. Once a student has completed a programme of work, the Success HUB coordinator also provides a ‘student progress overview’ document which is shared with key members of the pastoral team.
And how has this support impacted whole school inclusion? The school strives to assist all students to achieve their full social, emotional and academic potential, both within the school community and in wider contexts. The Success HUB is designed to provide early intervention and also support in response to any student concerns, which we hope will help to achieve this aim and provide a more inclusive environment for all students. Staff have a programme of professional development that has included completing the termly audits and sessions with a specific focus on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and compassionate approaches. The training is supporting a consistent approach across the school and a process that allows staff to identify early when a pupil may need additional support.
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Case study 6 School Name Phase Number of pupils Academy/Maintained Location EHCP SEND register % Key area(s) of need
Royal Harbour Academy Secondary 943 Academy Thanet, Kent. 5.2% 30% With 9% of the current Year 7 having an EHCP and 8% of the Year 8 cohort having an EHCP, the key area of need has been to broach the transition between primary school and secondary school. A large proportion of pupils with an EHCP at the RHA have been assessed as having SEMH needs. However, the RHA find that the behaviours that pupils display are often the result of other issues such as speech and language needs, ADHD or ASC.
Mainstream Core Standard Focus of Case Study Adapting the curriculum- With a focus on the Year 7 and Year 8 Curriculum specifically. In light of the numbers of Educational Health Care Assessment requests taking place when a child is in Year 6, it seems appropriate to look at how one school has adapted the curriculum to reduce the anxiety of transition from a mainstream primary to mainstream secondary setting.
How was the concern identified? In 2020 the Royal Harbour School were visited by Ofsted and awarded a rating of ‘Requires Improvement’. This rating was the result of a huge amount of work going on within the school across the previous two years. However, the school has continued to development the way in which it has supported children coming through the school. It was identified by the Head and Executive Head early on that a more inclusive curriculum was needed. An inclusive curriculum that now sits at the heart of teaching and learning at the Royal Harbour Academy.
How did you implement the provision to support the concern identified? The current year 11 cohort at the Royal Harbour Academy are the first to have received their full secondary education via this adapted approach so it is timely for this case study to be written. Though an adapted curriculum has been employed throughout the school, the case study here, will focus on the Year 7 and Year 8 curriculum as per the outline above. The curriculum is in place for all Year 7 and Year 8 pupils, including those pupils with an EHCP or those who are on the school’s SEND register. In essence, RHA refer to their Year 7 and 8 curriculum as delivering a secondary curriculum using a primary Page | 131
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model. This does not mean that the work is carried out on a project basis as it is more defined than this. In Year 7 and 8, pupils are taught largely by two core teachers. One of these teachers delivers literacy via English, Guided Reading, History and Ethics lessons and the second core teacher delivers the STEM programme, namely Maths, Science and Geography. As mentioned, in spite of these lessons being taught by just two teachers, each lesson is defined clearly by its subject content. Continuing this theme of consistent teaching styles and relationship building, one of the core teachers is also allocated as a form tutor. This means that pupils see their two core teachers every day. As mentioned, this brings with it consistency for the pupils, the opportunity to build relationships and allows for sessions to be needs focussed. It has resulted in better behaviour, as teachers get to know the pupils and so consequence and sanctions for behaviours are also more consistent. Though the core part of the curriculum is delivered in this way, the remaining subjects such as the technologies, drama, Spanish and PE are all taught by specialist teachers. This means that pupils still get a feel for the secondary school curriculum that will come into place for them in Year 9. However, this introduction is achieved in a controlled and managed way that allows the pupils to develop into their secondary school world. The Royal Harbour Academy also deliver the Nurture UK programme within the school which has supported the development of the school’s curriculum. Planning of the curriculum across the school is reviewed and developed collaboratively during weekly year group, subject team meetings. These meetings also give staff the opportunity to moderate marking, develop new resources and discuss support that might be needed. A ‘mastery’ approach is used in maths whereby 80% of the class need to be able to have mastered a certain topic before the group moves on to the next level. And in literacy, the ‘talk for writing’ approach is used. Within all subject areas, lessons are scaffolded to enable learning to happen at an appropriate level. The RHA also utilise the school’s team of twenty two TAs well. Of these twenty two TAs, eleven are based within the Lower School (Year 7 and Year 8). Five of the eleven work within nurture groups whilst the other six deliver specific, specialist interventions. The RHA benefit from having a trained ELSA TA, a trained ASC Champion, speech and language specialist TAs, a trained mental health lead who delivers CBT for those identified as benefiting from it and finally a specialist TA who mentors pupils with ADHD. Thanks to the RHA’s use of CPD, the TA team is one of the assets of the school. With a concentration of new EHC assessment requests coming from parents of children in Year 6, the RHA has endeavoured to get the message of an adapted curriculum out to parents, primary schools and children as early as possible. As such, the SENCO visits all feeder schools during term 1 ahead of the transition year. Page | 132
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Open evenings are offered and during term 1 and 2, open tours are offered to any parents to look around the school during the school day. This transparency offers parents the opportunity for reassurance and early collaboration for support of any pupils transitioning into Year 7. Engagement with parents continues throughout a pupil’s journey through secondary school via informal coffee afternoons.
Impact- How do you know what you did worked? A culture of celebration and reflection means that pupils both recognise and are recognised for their own achievements. Positive feedback has been received from a variety of visitors to the school, including from parents, pupils, primary school Headteachers and inspectors. Since this approach has come into place, there has been a significant reduction in the numbers of suspensions, the quality of work has increased and there has been progress of attainment at the end of Key Stage 3. This year the RHA was oversubscribed. And finally, in January 2020, only two years after being rated as an Inadequate school by Ofsted, the RHA achieved a Requires Improvement rating.
What is your school doing to support all staff to embed your good practice and the Mainstream Core Standards? And how has this support impacted whole school inclusion? The RHA have embedded a range of Core Practice Standards within the school, including, Task management boards, visual prompts on every slide and resource and a push of key vocabulary. CPD for staff is ongoing and is delivered in a similar vein to the maths teaching within the school. Using a ‘mastery’ approach, school staff are given the opportunity to learn and develop their knowledge and skills in a way that keeps what they are learning focussed on how they can use this knowledge and these skills in the classroom. At SLT level, the Mainstream Core Standards were audited and RAG rated against practice within the school. An action plan was created which became the basis for the whole school approach that has been adopted. As such, every staff member is provided with an SEN Toolkit which contains the MCS, seating plans for each class and relevant class data. Every pupil on the SEND register at the school, has a pupil passport which lists things they like, their areas of need, their aspirations and three strategies that outline the best ways of supporting that pupil. All of this work is quality assured on a termly basis by the Senior Leadership Team via class drop ins and observations.
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What are your plans for future development? With so many years of developing the inclusion strategy via this adapted curriculum approach the RHA is now looking to embed these strategies further and reflect on and review what has been achieved. With ongoing quality assurance, the school are able to adapt and develop delivery so that it can remain inclusive of any young person starting at the RHA.
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Glossary GATI Graduated Response
OAP Universal Support SEND CYP CIC CIN CP High-quality Teaching (HQT) LA Local Area Local Offer
SENCO SEND Code of Practice PPCV EHAT DSL EYFS EPSAT Adapted curriculum
PIAS SLCN ASC CYP ADHD
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Graduated Approach to Inclusion A model of action and intervention in early years, schools, and colleges to help children and young people who have special educational needs. The graduated response includes assessing need, planning, implementing and reviewing the plan. Ordinarily Available Provision What a school can ordinarily do as part of their normal way of working Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Children and young people Children in care Children in need Child protection Teaching that is fully inclusive and uses evidence-based approaches to secure positive outcomes for all learners Local authority The area in which your school/setting is located All local authorities are required to publish a ‘local offer’ which outlines information about provision it expects to be available to children with SEN and disabilities in their area both in and outside of a school The special educational needs coordinator The statutory code that details the duties of professionals in meeting the needs of learners with SEND Plymouth Parent Carer Voice Early Help Assessment Tool Designated Safeguarding Lead Early Years Foundation Stage Educational Psychology and Specialist Teacher Team Children make progress at different rates and have different ways in which they learn best. Teachers take account of this when planning their lessons, organising the classroom, and choosing books and materials. They are then able to choose from the range of available approaches and resources to make a selection which best fits the learning needs of a particular child or group of children. This is what is meant by an adapted curriculum. Plymouth Information Advisory Service Speech, language, communication needs Autistic Spectrum Condition Children and Young People Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
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Neurodiversity
MLD MSI DLD SpLD SEMH DLA EAL 0-25 Team AAO EBSA ELSA PD POD Equality Act
C & F Act
PCC CDC DfE KCSIE EMAT OT
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Neurodiversity is a word used to describe the different thinking styles that affect how people communicate with the world around them. It is an umbrella term - a word that sums up lots of different things. It includes conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and Tourette’s. Moderate Learning Difficulty Multi-Sensory Impairment Developmental Language Disorder Specific Learning Difficulty Social, Emotional, Mental Health Disabled Living Allowance English as an Additional Language The statutory local authority team for Education, Health, and Care Plans Attendance and Access Officers Emotional Based School Avoidance Emotional Literacy Support Assistant Physical Disability Plymouth Online Directory The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in school, the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthening protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone. From September 2014, there will be a number of changes to improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The changes are a result of the Children and Families Act 2014 which became law on the 13 March 2014. The Act aims to improve how different agencies and services work together and create a more joinedup approach to the statutory assessment process for children and young people with the most complex needs. The new approach will also give children and young people with complex needs and their families more choice and control about which services they can access and how they are paid for. The Act will also improve information about services for children and young people with SEN and their families. Plymouth City Council Council for Disabled Children Department for Education Keeping Children Safe in Education Ethnic Minority Achievement Team Occupational Therapist
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Further reading Downloadable reading list for teachers •
The Best Special Education Books for Teachers - Recommended reading for teachers. (inclusiveteach.com)
Publications •
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Crompton, C. J., Ropar, D., Evans-Williams, C. V. M., Flynn, E. G. & FletcherWatson, S. (2020) ‘Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective’. Autism, 24 (7), pp. 1704-1712. Humphrey, N., Lendrum, A., Barlow, A., Wigelsworth, M. & Squires, G. (2013) 'Achievement for All: Improving psychosocial outcomes for students with special educational needs and disabilities'. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34 (4), pp. 1210-1225. Humphrey, N. & Squires, G. (2011) 'Achievement for all: National evaluation. Final report'. [Online]. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7aba21ed915d670dd7e2a b/DFE-RR176.pdf. Humphrey, N., Squires, G., Choudry, S., Byrne, E., Demkowicz, O., Troncoso, P. & Wo, L. (2020) Achievement for All: Evaluation Report. Available at: https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/documents/pages/projects/Achievem ent_for_All_final.pdf?v=1630925629. Milton, D., Heasman, B. & Sheppard, E. (2018) 'Double empathy. In F. Volkmar (Ed.)’. [in Encyclopaedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. New York: Springer. (Accessed: Milton, D., Heasman, B. & Sheppard, E.
Guidance • •
Supporting SEND - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities who have fallen behind with reading - Ofsted: schools and further education & skills (FES) (blog.gov.uk)
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Thank you and acknowledgements We would like to extend our gratitude to all professionals who have made a difference with their fantastic contributions and support in writing this guidance… we couldn’t have done it without you! A huge thank you in particular to those school and local area colleagues and pupils who have invested time in writing sections of the document and supporting the redrafting process: • • • • • • • •
Members of Plymouth Youth Ascends for sharing their experiences and defining the impact of inclusive practice. Parents and carer representatives and leaders of PPCV for your drafting support, contributions and valuable thoughts. Stuart Koehler Lewis - Coombe Dean School for offering a non-SEND leader perspective and excellent proofreading skills. The SENCO and teachers of the deaf at Eggbuckland Vale Primary School for their insightful knowledge and fabulous case study. Colleagues from Millbay Academy, Marine Academy Plymouth, Devonport High School for boys and St Matthews Primary for providing excellent case studies. Tedd Wragg colleagues for providing examples of best practice across the trust. Leaders at Coombe Dean school and Notre Dame for sharing examples of support groups. NHS and Devon ICP colleagues for their expertise, input and development of section B.
… and to everyone who has taken the time to join meetings, offer thoughts and participate in the many workshops to pull this piece of work together – THANK YOU!
School/setting representatives • • • • • • • • • • •
Early years strategy group Early years leaders and mentors group Stuart Koehler-Lewis – Senior Deputy head teacher Coombe Dean school Vera Koehler Lewis – Young Carers lead Coombe Dean Caroline – Bereavement lead and assistant head coombe dean REACH south SENCO group Ted Wragg Trust SENCO group PAPH SHAP PLT Pennycross senior and middle leadership teams
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• • • • • • • • •
Secondary SENCO network Primary SENCO network Notre Dame School - SENCO St Boniface College – SENCO Plymstock School – SENCO Trust CEOS and inclusion lead – place-based plan workshop Rachel Crozier – ACE SENCO and AP rep St Christophers Trust – CEO and inclusion lead LAT Trust SENCO group
Wider stakeholders • • • • • •
PPCV – Tara and Clare Youth Ascends PIAS RISE / CDC Desktop review Parent coffee morning – x 8 parents (PPCV) Pupil feedback group – Eggbuckland Vale
Health colleague input • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Sarah Jarman - CAMHS Sarah Ortiz – CAMHS Speech and language Sarah Miller – Speech and language adviser to NHS Devon ICB Natalie Bagwell – Speech and language therapist Irene Wilson – East public health nurse team manager Julie Melville-Brown – Childrens’ speech and language service manager Brigitte Price – DCO Children’s services ICB Lucy Webber - Occupational Therapist CDC Stuart Harris – Deaf Children support Marjon University Dominic Burdon – SEND lead Royal Eye infirmary Sarah Gardner – school nursing James Cook - CDC Adam Beckman – ophthalmologist Devon NHS Emma Mees - children’s therapy lead CDC
Local authority input • • • • •
Isabelle Morgan - Attendance and welfare manager Jim Barnicott – Head of Education Michael House – Health and Safety (Vulnerable groups support) Educational Psychology Team Specialist teacher team
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• • • •
Early years improvement team SEND education officer Early years safeguarding and welfare team Sally Kendrick – Family Hubs
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