15 minute read
CONFIDENCE WITH RELATIONSHIP
Every teacher should be upskilled to provide holistic support to their pupils around sex and relationships. This is the mantra for charity Brook, working to promote healthy conversations around sex and relationships by reducing stigma.
Education and wellbeing specialist at Brook, Amber Newman-Clark discusses the steps you can take to ensure your relationship and sex education (RSE) lessons are informative, engaging and accessible to provide all pupils with a positive experience. With free resources available for teachers, it is easier than you might think to get confident with RSE.
Why is RSE important for pupils with additional educational needs and disabilities?
It is genuinely important for everyone, including disabled people, to know and learn about their bodies, relationships and sex.
Without this education we are doing people a massive disservice as they are getting older. It is a matter of equality, having the same access to sex and relationship education.
If you are disabled, you are still absolutely able to – and likely to – have sexual and/or romantic relationships so you need to know how your body works, how it grows and the changes you can experience in puberty and what to call your sexual organs, both public and private, and awareness of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STI).
People want to learn about sex and relationships.
LGBTQ+ education is now being integrated into the curriculum, why is this important for everyone in the classroom?
We want to be inclusive in the classroom so that everyone can relate to what we are talking about. Otherwise we end up excluding people in the classroom and we don’t know what their identities are, and as teachers, we need to be aware of that.
It is important for children and young people who are not LGBTQ+ too, because they need to be aware of society. We live in a society where people are LGBTQ+ and we cannot ignore that, we need to be kind and accepting and the only way we can do that is by incorporating society outside of school into the school environment.
RSE that is inclusive benefits everyone and helps people to be more accepting.
In what way do we need to move away from conversations of worry, concern and exploitation when discussing relationships and sex with disabled pupils, to make learning more fun for disabled pupils?
For a lot of people, we can worry that if we speak about sex and relationships in any positive way that we are encouraging people to try it or have sex. Actually, research in countries where RSE has been mandatory suggests that young people with good RSE are more likely to have sex older and less likely to have negative experiences because they know what to expect and what they are consenting to.
We are showing people that talking about sex in a non-negative way doesn’t encourage people to have sex, we are just giving them information. There is no point talking about negative experiences and unhealthy relationships if we don’t understand what a healthy relationship is. This is a really important balance we have to strike.
Plus, it is generally more engaging if we talk about RSE in a fun and interesting way.
What more do you think needs to be done to change attitudes around sex and disability?
We see it in all sorts of areas where disabled people are not seen as full people. A lot of time in the media we don’t see people in happy, healthy relationships if they are disabled and then that leads us into not seeing it in real life. This is still something that is really behind in a lot of ways.
Assessing our own values can be really important and this is something we do in all of our training sessions. We have training on how to talk about relationships with disabled people and sex and disability in a broad way. Having that practice and thinking about some things going on in the world and in the news and thinking about your own thoughts and challenging your biases, where it comes from, does it affect the young people you work with and work out your boundaries.
How can Brook support teachers to build their confidence when teaching RSE?
We acknowledge at the beginning of sessions that we all have different knowledge of sex education. We assess how our own sex education was; was it inclusive, too late? This helps us think about why sex education is important. Educating yourself on this subject when you have never experienced the education first hand can be a challenge.
Brook run Facebook Live sessions with specialists answering frequently asked questions. In April we featured Sex and Disability, where we answered questions on this area (previous sessions are archived on Facebook, @ BrookCharityYP). Additionally, no matter where you are, we can offer educational sessions or training for professionals.
For teachers preparing to take an RSE class, what advice do you have for them?
In general, I would say take the time to think about the most extreme questions you imagine being asked and write down how you would answer the question. Also, get comfortable using the medically correct terminology to give you the confidence when speaking about this topic.
FIND OUT MORE
Brook (www.brook.org.uk), Sexpression (sexpression.org.uk), Sex Education Forum (www.sexeducationforum.org.uk) and SHADA (shada.org.uk) all provide disability specific RSE training for teachers.
sales@integrex.co.uk +44 (0)1283 551 551 www.integrex.co.uk • Immersive Rooms • Sensory Rooms • Interactive Screens • Interactive Floors • Portable Interactive
Floors • Audio Visual Systems
Our training courses are accredited programmes that provide training for practitioners working in the field of dyslexia and specific learning difficulties (SpLD). We provide tutor supported online training through a virtual learning environment enabling our participants to engage in courses at times to suit them.
CPD Short Online Courses
Primary/Secondary:
• Dyslexia and Co-occurring difficulties • Memory Weaknesses • Multisensory Tuition • Reading, Writing, Spelling • Numeracy Dyslexia and Dyscalculia
Adults/16+:
• Supporting Adults with Dyslexia • Study Skills • Literacy with Assistive Technology
with our online postgraduate Professional Certificate, Assessment and Diploma qualifications. Call us on 01784-222304 or visit our website.
What our delegates say about us:
www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk
OUTDOORS Going
From in the playground and outdoor settings close to schools, to residential experiences, outdoor learning can positively contribute to the learning journey of children and young people with SEN
With effective use of outdoor spaces, you’re not saying goodbye to the classroom, you are opening learning up to a wider scope of potential. Utilising the outdoors can engage children and young people in many different ways, with multiple benefits for children with special educational needs.
Education in the outdoors encourages children and young people to become involved in emotional, physical and cognitive experiences as part of their learning, all while having fun and exploring new environments. Considering the relationships between the people involved in the learning, the activities undertaken and the place where learning happens, these experiences can maximise education opportunities and enhance your current curriculum.
POSITIVES
The place where your pupils learn can help them make connections between their experiences and the world around them. Outdoor learning provides a range of new resources and spaces that are hard to replicate in an indoor setting.
Outdoor environments can act as a stimulus for creative thinking, building an opportunity for critical thinking and reflection all while providing a multisensory experience for pupils.
This multi-sensory setting can aid pupils in becoming calmer and more focussed, helping them to retain knowledge more effectively and giving them an opportunity to thrive in a less structured environment.
IN THE PLAYGROUND
Outdoor learning doesn’t have to start far from the classroom, your school’s playground or other outdoor space is a great launch point for engaging pupils.
Implementing accessible and inclusive playground equipment within your school’s outdoor space will allow pupils to move throughout the play space safely, easily and more independently. When creating an inclusive playground, always consider the unique needs of your children and young people.
Working with an experienced accessible playground company, you should consider elements like the surfacing, routes through the play space, equipment at different heights, and if users can easily transfer to and from the play equipment. Playgrounds can also include sensory areas, tailored to your school’s needs.
Accessible playgrounds don’t have to focus on a specific impairment or disability, but instead should identify the barriers to play for any child who might use the space and investigate how to overcome hurdles
IN NATURE
Residential experiences are a great way to implement informal outdoor learning opportunities for pupils beyond the school day in a safe environment, while creating stronger relationships both between staff and pupils, and amongst pupils.
Challenging disability through outdoor adventure can help children and young people to develop personal skills for everyday life in a fun environment. Increased self-confidence and selfesteem, new hobbies and skills, and making friends are just some of the benefits an outdoor residential experience can include.
Regardless if outdoor learning is already part of your school curriculum, or you would like to increase your outdoor provision, the benefits can be wideranging for all pupils.
FIND OUT MORE
Advice on accessible playgrounds and outdoor learning is available from Play Scotland (www.playscotland.org), Caledonia Play (www.caledoniaplay.com), WickSteed (www.wicksteed.co.uk). If you are interested in an inclusive residential experience contact the Calvert Trust, www.calvert-trust.org.uk
Making learning engaging is part of your role as a teacher, but getting creative can also boost morale and confidence for pupils with complex needs. From music to arts and crafts, it’s time to get creativity into the curriculum
GOING CREATIVE IN EDUCATION
Art and creativity have the potential to break down barriers, become a method of communication for a non-verbal child or young person, or simply be a form of enjoyment.
No matter the age of your pupils, introducing creative education into your classroom can have a significant, positive impact on the mental health of pupils by allowing a safe environment to release their creative emotions.
PASSION
Visual arts to performance and music, there is a workshop, service and group on hand to help bring creativity into your classroom.
Sense, a disability charity supporting people with complex disabilities and people who are deafblind, recognises the importance of allowing everyone the chance to live a creative life, regardless of disability. Encompassing a unique and diverse programme of inclusive arts, events and performances, as a teacher, you can celebrate creativity by showing pupils that the arts are for everyone.
The Music Man Project is an international music education service for children and adults with learning disabilities. Providing accessible music tuition in private settings and schools across the United Kingdom, founder David Stanley has always had a passion for the creative arts.
However, previously working as a head teacher in a mainstream school, David felt the creative arts were not utilised as much as they could be for pupils. After teaching a friend with a learning disability how to perform a song on the piano, David started taking Saturday classes in the Southend Mencap Music School (www.mencap. org.uk) – and the Music Man Project was launched.
“That one student I taught back in 1999 as a friend playing a piano, turned into two-hundred students playing at the Royal Albert Hall in 2019 in the largest celebration of accessible music making in the country,” exudes David proudly. “It all started with that one student.”
From his first student, to performing with members of the Music Man Project who have learning disabilities across the world and within mainstream schools, David has seen first-hand the benefits that come with creative education.
COMMUNICATION
“One of the main reasons [creative education is so important] is because it gives people an expressive outlet,” explains David. “Some issues may be around communication, for example communicating with people and building relationships. If you have music, it gives people a sense of identity and purpose.
“Music is amazingly therapeutic. By making music and performing, people with a learning disability are getting a sense of purpose in their community and they are not receiving help for something,” David continues. “People are being taught how to be good performers. There is a different mindset, confidence and a sense of purpose which is all amazing for a person’s mental health and wellbeing.”
Similarly, providing a creative outlet through making films, performing on stage – as members of Music Man Project have experienced – or painting, this can
be an opportunity for pupils to get in touch with their emotions, express their identity, and communicate through creativity.
Alongside the Music Man Project, charities including Impact Arts (www. impactarts.co.uk), Project Art Works, Amaze Sussex (amazesussex.org.uk) and more can provide services and resources to support you to bring the arts into your classroom. As a teacher, you can help pupils reach their full potential or learn skills that they may not have been shown prior.
TECHNIQUE
David enthuses: “We don’t just give someone an instrument and tell a person to play it. Members of the group have to play on time. We teach people how to play certain compositions, and one of our members is the conductor, too.”
Outside of performances, the creativity that flows through participants allows them to share their stories and experiences.
“Being able to do music and perform, you get a sense of purpose, pride, confidence and an expressive outlet,” adds David. “Plus, there is a status in the community and it educates wider society by showing people with a learning disability performing at the London Palladium, then we are educating society.”
Previous shows have highlighted a member’s experience living in a secure unit, to a parent sharing her experience of raising a child with Down’s syndrome. Furthermore, teachers in schools have seen the benefits of sharing the lives of others with a learning disability.
David adds: “The feedback from teachers has been phenomenal as they see their pupils being inspired.
For pupils who have a learning disability, seeing the members of the Music Man Project, they are getting the chance to see a bit of hope and know that one day this could be them.”
ON THE STAGE
From teaching a friend in 1999 to performing at the Royal Albert Hall, it was dedication and determination from David and his students in the Music Man Project that saw the group performing to 3,000 people with a full orchestra. However, David highlights that it shouldn’t have taken 20 years to recognise the talents of disabled members of society.
“The next hurdle to overcome is the barrier to creative, artistic and further opportunities,” emphasises David. “Don’t just think that because someone is disabled they won’t be able to do it or won’t do it very well.”
With a range of resources and training opportunities available, or by getting the Music Man Project into your school, you too can open up the opportunities of creativity in the classroom.
Additionally, Sense Arts have a range of training workshops where you can understand different abilities and what this may mean for participation or discover how to adapt creative activities: making art and music has never been more important, or accessible.
FIND OUT MORE
Celebrate creativity in the classroom with the Music Man Project (themusicmanproject.com), Project Arts Works (projectartworks.org), Sense Arts (www.sense.org.uk).
PRODUCTroundupOur round up of products to benefi t pupils in the classroom and beyond
LEARNING
TIME TIMER ESSENTIAL MAGNETIC PICTOGRAM KIT
www.tinknstink.co.uk 01827 767 120 £54.99 Inclusive of 280 magnetic pictograms showing a variety of daily objects, actions and tasks, this kit is an easy-touse tool to support children who need guidance during their daily routines. Perfect for children and young people who respond best to visual cues, the kit can be used on its own or with other Time Timer products.
SENSORY BAG OF EXPLORING EMOTIONS BUDDIES
www.tts-group.co.uk, 0800 138 1370 £29.95 exc VAT Help children to embrace their emotions through play with this bag of Exploring Emotions Buddies. Available in a set of four, the washable characters help children to name and talk about their feelings. Each bag includes practitioner notes to provide guidance and support to aid learning.
SENSORY BLOCK SET
www.tickit.co.uk, £47.99 This set of 16 wooden blocks features four shapes, containing a variety of sensory centres such as beads, transparent acrylic, coloured sand and glittery water. The blocks help children and young people explore di erent sounds, movements and colours as light passes through the shapes.
SENSORY
CALMING TACTILE CUDDLE BALL
www.tts-group.co.uk, 0800 138 1370 £31.95 exc VAT The multi-use Tactile Cuddle Ball can be hugged to bring deep pressure to the sensory system. The ball features gaps to allow hands and arms to be placed inside, providing extra comfort and warmth, whilst reducing anxiety, providing a calming aid for excitable children. The product also provides auditory stimulation as internal bells tinkle with movement.
POSTURE
MOVIN’ SIT CUSHIONS
www.glsed.co.uk 03451 203 213 From £24.99 exc VAT Available in a junior and senior size, these tactile cushions can improve posture and provide sensory feedback to users. These factors help to calm children and young people who fi dget, and hold the attention of pupils who struggle to stay focused. This concentration aid is suitable from three years upwards.
HEALTH
EQUAZEN CAPSULES
www.equazen.co.uk From £10.00 Equazen’s capsules are a clinically researched and sustainably sourced formulation of essential fatty acids, including Omega-3 DHA to support brain function. Backed by clinical studies, and Mumsnet rated, these tasteless, odourless capsules are for children over fi ve years and adults, also available in chews and a citrus liquid for three years to adult.
