14 minute read
Online learning
About the author
each of these needs is the challenge all teachers face. When it comes to the scale of students with behavioural difficulties, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), emotional disturbance, lack of academic engagement, fears associated with personal or school problems, autism, or children in Pupil Referral Units (the number of primary school children in pupil referral units (PRU) in England has more than doubled since 2011 – Data for England 2019) online, remote learning can prove to be a highly effective and cheap alternative to one-on-one teaching support.
Advertisement
Online learning
Online alternative provision can be implemented relatively quickly with no requirement on a school’s part to make longterm financial commitments. Students with SEND have a range of tools at their disposal to help them engage with lessons tailored to their specific needs and motivate them to take ownership of their learning. This type of alternative provision, which can be embedded within existing school systems, not only helps provide students with a safe and secure environment, but also allows them to work flexibly at their own pace and ability through personalised timetables; whether that’s home, school or a learning centre. During live online lessons learners can fully interact with their teacher, peers and lesson content through voice, interactive whiteboard, polling tools and quizzes, and through written responses. Virtual breakout rooms are also effective in enabling individual and small group activities, practical work Clare Brokenshire is the Head of Faculty at Academy21, having joined in 2013. She is devoted to helping students engage with learning in an online environment. Clare began teaching in the 1980s as a teacher of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and a modern foreign language teacher across private schools in London before teaching in a further education college and two universities in Sheffield. She has 10 years’ experience of mainstream secondary teaching where she realised that many vulnerable students were failing to have their needs met. Her work at Academy21 involves developing the curriculum to accommodate diverse needs and participation in strategic decision-making to ensure the company meets national
requirements in the educational opportunities it offers. and differentiated work when learners may be making rapid progress or falling behind.
This can give students the safety, security, and flexibility to communicate with their mentor regardless of the environment they are in, fitting this around a tailored timetable of classes. In many cases, students also have control to decide whether they wish to have their webcam on or off in lessons or one-onone conversations with mentors, contributing to a comfortable environment for all parties. Whether a student has social, emotional or any other SEND, having their own individual learning mentor means they can feel sufficiently supported while having a positive effect on their mental wellbeing.
“It’s really good that the courses are recorded so I can look back on what was in class, if I’ve been stuck. I am dyslexic so often I don’t understand things the first time round so its good to be able to go back and watch the recorded class again,” explains one student. Another student adds, “It gives me better structure and routine without bullying.”
It’s not for everyone but providing students with the comfort to learn at their own pace with tailored learning, in a safe and secure environment is of paramount importance to many. For schools and local authorities the cost and flexibility is key! For the online teachers who are trained to effectively support the range of learning needs, the smaller class sizes gives them the space to place students in the most appropriate groups to support their engagement with the lesson content and their ongoing learning requirements. As schools and local authorities struggle to find ways to support students with special educational needs and disability (SEND) under supressed budgets, online learning is an excellent option for an increasing number of students.
Girls are better at hiding their autism
New research, released as part of Scope’s We Won’t Be Forgotten campaign, has found that 51 per cent of disabled workers are concerned about going back to work, but need to get paid, and just 14 per cent feel safe about going into their workplace. A third of disabled workers feel under pressure to go back to the workplace, with employers and the government cited as main sources of pressure. Almost half of disabled workers are also concerned about using public transport to commute to work. Scope has delivered an open letter to Number 10 signed by 30,000 disability campaigners calling for a “new deal for disabled people to show they won’t be forgotten in the Government’s recovery plan, and beyond”. A disabled staff member who works at a special school said: “As an immunocompromised disabled person, this is a very difficult time. I’ve gone from shielding to being around 400 people, and I have a lot of anxiety about contracting or passing the virus. I work in a special secondary school. The government doesn’t seem to have given much thought to special schools! We have around 250 teenagers, all of whom are exempt from wearing masks, and very few understand social distancing. We are told not to worry because the transmission rate from children is low, but Many more boys than girls are diagnosed with autism, and at a much younger age. Now a new study has shed further light on just how adept females are at camouflaging their autistic traits in order to fit in, a behaviour that could see them dodging a diagnosis and failing to get the help they need.
In a test of ‘social reciprocal behaviour’, which includes behaviours such as taking turns, following someone else’s initiative, and being flexible, autistic females showed more advanced ‘social presentation’ than males, despite both sexes having similar levels of autistic traits.
Autism is also associated with a number of strengths, including attention-to-detail, logical thinking, and having excellent memory for topics of interest.
On the whole, autistic girls may be quieter, hide their feelings, and may appear to cope better in social situations, meaning they may not display the stereotypical behaviours associated with autism.
The new study has been carried out by experts from the Centre for Innovation in Mental Health at the University of Southampton, Liverpool Hope University, and University College London, and is published in the Journal of Autism
Disabled people are facing unthinkable dilemma between health and wages
and Developmental Disorders. when does a ‘child’ become an ‘adult’? Is the 14-yearold in my classroom less likely to pass on the virus than the 16-year-old? Or the 19-year-olds in the sixth form? The staff are being told that they can wear masks at certain times, but that it’s not appropriate in most situations because of communication difficulties. I’ve not seen any adults wearing masks so far. I use mine in the corridors and during personal care times, but I have to remove it during communication. We have also been told by the council that, due to instruction they have received, our school will not be closing for any reason if and when another lockdown happens. This has a lot of staff concerned about their own childcare needs, and the staff generally feel quite anxious. The government doesn’t seem to have considered Special Schools at all in their covid planning. When the lockdown first happened, we were told that all schools would close for everyone except those with special needs – 100 per cent of our students! Our headmaster is exhausted from deciphering the guidelines and translating them into practical advice for our school.”
15,000 jobs at risk and half of outdoor education capacity to be permanently lost
UK Outdoors, the industry body for outdoor learning and activities representing 5000 individuals and organisations, is warning that the Government’s continued advice preventing overnight educational visits threatens the future of a proud British industry and cultural asset. Despite boarding schools, hotels and hostels all operating on similar guidelines, the school travel sector has been closed by Government since March.
If no action is taken and no support is provided this academic year the sector stands to lose all its 15000 jobs and nearly half its capacity permanently, decimating a vital British industry. The inaction over guidance on travel and overnight visits for educational settings has already cost businesses, from small independent trip providers and local authority centres to larger organisations, an estimated £500m in lost revenue and over 6000 job losses. Since March, children and young people have missed out on over 1.5m educational visits.
Outdoor education is part of British culture with over 2m children a year taking part. It is a vital resource for all schools to allow children to develop their social and teamworking skills in a friendly and safe environment. More so for the thousands of inner city schools, students and parents for whom outdoor education is a lifeline.
With Spring term fast approaching, the sector desperately needs certainty and guidance in place for a phased reopening to protect jobs, businesses and vital community assets that could be lost forever. The sector is calling on the Government to review the guidance in November, in line with recognised science and health and safety protocols, and lay out a roadmap for the reopening of the school travel sector.
Health and safety is a priority for the school travel sector. It has continuously reassured Government that it is safe to operate, Nick Brook, deputy general secretary of school leaders’ union, NAHT, said: “The government has misjudged exams and now they’ve misjudged inspection. Ofsted’s autumn visits to schools will satisfy no-one. Frankly the timing of this announcement could not have been worse. “Ofsted’s planned visits will be a distraction from the important business of returning all pupils successfully to full-time education. The government had already concluded that, in the current circumstances, it would do more harm than good for schools to face inspection this term as they should be focused entirely on reopening for all pupils, not arranging a visit for inspectors. Yet that appears precisely where we have ended up.
meeting and exceeding all relevant Government guidelines. Collectively, the sector has developed robust COVID-safe guidelines for providers as well as a detailed COVID protocols handbook for Government and public health authorities. All providers have undertaken to, amongst other initiatives, reduce capacity to meet guidelines, maintain social bubbling – a key Government policy - and increase staffing.
Jim Whittaker, Chair of Association of Heads of Outdoors Centres (“AHOEC”) and UK Outdoors Member, said: “We have put our heart and soul into meeting every challenge the Government has set. It is a bitter pill to swallow keeping our sites closed while we see hotels, boarding schools and hostels delivering the same overnight experiences unabated. The sector is ready and safe to reopen. We have seen nothing, no science, that contradicts that position. We hope the Government will listen, understand the lengths our sector has gone to in ensuring safety and compliance, and restart the sector. UK Outdoors represents over 5000 organisations and individuals providing formative educational experiences for schools and students both domestically and overseas. The industry provides over £700m to the UK economy every year, supporting over 15,000
Ofsted’s autumn inspections are a misjudgement, says NAHT
jobs around the UK. “Given that Ofsted will visit fewer than 5 per cent of schools, that parents will have no chance to have input into conversations, and that letters will take up to two months to publish, it is misleading to suggest that these visits will provide reassurance to parents either.
“These visits will be a missed opportunity to provide much needed insight to government and share effective practice across schools unless the reporting is amended. NAHT has campaigned for the last two years for a new approach to school accountability, to improve standards in schools further. It is disappointing that the system has failed again to respond to the positive calls of the profession.”
The school with a distinctive USP
Bruern Abbey prepares boys with dyslexia, dyspraxia or dyscalculia for entrance to mainstream senior schools. It is the only preparatory school in the country to have this as its main purpose.
John Floyd, who has been headmaster of Bruern Abbey for nine years, is adamant that learning difficulties should not preclude children’s academic attainment. “We provide a tailored education in beautiful surroundings and maintain high expectations for their academic future,” he says. “We aim to enhance boys’ self-esteem, in the firm belief that confidence is the key to academic success.”
Mr Floyd identifies closely with the pupils at Bruern Abbey, because he is dyslexic himself.
“We’re not a de facto special school. What we’re doing is taking the boys who have been struggling because of their dyslexia and sorting them out to get them back into mainstream schools. We teach them to understand their difficulties and find strategies to get around them.” Bruern Abbey had a robust online learning system in place for the boys during lockdown, ensuring continuity of learning and support to parents in providing the right level of help at home.
Dyslexia: Helping your child during lockdown and home learning
I know my child is dyslexic, and I can see how they struggle through home learning - what should I do about it?
Try not to panic. Your child could be having a bad day or week and remote learning is tough for dyslexics and nondyslexics alike. Also, dyslexia should not be an Armageddon issue – it is estimated to affect around 10% of the population, including Albert Einstein, Agatha Christie, Steve Jobs, Steven Spielberg, Richard Branson and Keira Knightley. The key is try and steer your child away from lots of output-driven work and focus much more on learning new things. So get rid of endless comprehension exercises and replace it with more stimulating and active learning.
Talk to your child’s teachers. Speak online or write to your child’s current school and ask them to be entirely frank with you in return. Ideally, ask more than one teacher if they feel there is a disconnect between attainment and potential. Try and get them to consider your child and how they’re delivering their curriculum.
Fact-find. If you feel your child is drifting apart from their peer group seek out some form of assessment to try and decipher the extent of any learning difficulty. Most school SENCOs are trained assessors so they will be able to help.
Beware of your child’s context. As a parent you have got to be very aware of the environment that your child is in. One child’s “literacy issues” in a highly academic, fast-paced school may not be seen as a problem in a more inclusive educational setting.
Moving Schools. Think carefully before you jump to a new school. Educational psychologists’ reports and other assessment diagnostics often read in a forensic way causing parents to panic. Moving can be tougher than usual at the moment, with restricted movement at a new school and limited options around friendship groups. However, if you child’s school isn’t meeting their needs, it may still be necessary.
A brain injury is not the end
Mollie Benjamin gives advice for parents and teachers who are looking out for a child or young person with an acquired brain injury.
Education is a huge part of any child’s life. From nursery to further education, schooling gives children and young people the opportunity to thrive, learn life skills and develop their personalities as they grow into young adults. Having a brain injury can pose different challenges throughout a child’s education. However, with the correct input and support, education should provide the same opportunities for those with acquired brain injuries to meet their potential and to flourish throughout their schooling. As a senior solicitor in the Child Brain Injury team at Bolt Burdon Kemp, I act for children who have sustained brain injuries as a result of clinical negligence and accidents. Every day I see how important it is for our clients to access the correct support during their education. Unfortunately, navigating the education system can be a long and complicated journey for both the child and their family.
Navigating the education system
There are multiple things parents may want to think about to make the process of navigating the education system more manageable. Consider your child’s education needs early and plan ahead. The process of putting in place support for children with brain injuries can begin before the Reception year.
