SEN Magazine - SEN114 - Sept/Oct 2021 by SEN Magazine

Sept • Oct 2021 • Issue 114

Diagnosis Dyslexia Persistent Absence School Trips EHC Needs Assessments

Dyspraxia • Assistive tech • SEMH • Teacher training • SEN law • Adoption • SEBD Mental Health • TAs • Finding the right school • Transition • SCERTS • Covid Recruitment and retention PLUS Book reviews • What’s New and much more

Welcome Sept • Oct 2021 Issue 114

Editorial Team Steve Muddiman Mary Mountstephen

As this issue goes to press, we are all beginning to think about the new school year, which can either inspire delight or dread in parents, carers, teachers and pupils alike. For some, the prospect of returning to school can be a far from happy occasion. In the first of a series of articles, Jannine Perryman and Louise Parker Engels explore the issue of school attendance difficulties and persistent absence (p21). At this time of year, the choice of school is something at the forefront of many people’s minds. Francesca Dean recounts her first hand experience of her school days, and how the choices made had an effect upon her educational journey (p62). Sotiria Vlahodimou considers school choices from the point of view of the social and emotional literacy demonstrated by the schools under consideration (p66)

Advertising sales Denise Williamson Advertising Sales Manager denise@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409808

Administration Anita Crossley (left) anita@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409802 Amanda Harrison (centre) office@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409804/800 Dawn Thompson (right) dawn@senmagazine.co.uk 01200 409804/800

Design Rob Parry RobP Design robpdesign.co.uk design@senmagazine.co.uk

Cathy Parvin recounts the story of Miriam, and her bravery in opening up about the effects of her dyspraxia to her classmates (p58), whilst Arran Smith gives us his personal insight into how dyslexia can be viewed from both a negative and a positive perspective (p23). When moving schools, it is important that the transition is as smooth as possible. Professor Sandy Toogood gives us a guide on how to help students who are moving to and from a residential school (p72). As we embark on a new school year, outings are something that offer a special experience. Hannah Cushion from the London Transport Museum provides a series of useful tips on how to go about arranging trips for SEN pupils (p82), and Claire Cooper from The Tank Museum describes the inclusive learning experience it offers for children on school trips with Special Educational Needs (p85). If you have something to say about the topics raised in this issue, have ideas for areas we should be covering, but aren’t - or just want to let us know your views and opinions - then contact me at editor@senmagazine.co.uk. Steve Muddiman

Director

Jeremy Nicholls Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in SEN Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot be held liable for incorrect information, omissions or the opinions of third parties.

SEN Magazine Ltd Chapel House, 5 Shawbridge Street, Clitheroe, BB7 1LY Tel 01200 409800 Fax 01200 409809 Email info@senmagazine.co.uk senmagazine.co.uk

SEN Magazine ISSN: 1755-4845

senmagazine.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS Lucy Askew Rick Bell Judith Carter Claire Cooper Hannah Cushion Francesca Dean Donna Gale-Page James Galpin Jane Harris Donna Hill

Jemma Ive Lynn McCann Antony Morris Mary Mountstephen Louise Parker Engels Cathy Parvin Jannine Perryman Jane Poore Rahi Popat Helen Ross

Kathryn Saban Beverley Samways Douglas Silas Arran Smith Chetan Sood Kerryn Thomas Sandy Toogood Martin Usher Hetty Verhagen Sotiria Vlahodimou

join us on facebook.com/senmagazine

SEN114

TES SEN Show 2021

promotional content

Tes SEN Show returns on 8 & 9 October 2021 With England now out of lockdown and large-scale events given the go-ahead to recommence from 19 July 2021, the Tes SEN Show will return to the Business Design Centre, London, on 8-9 October 2021. The Tes SEN Show is an essential part of the education calendar for networking, sharing ideas, and sourcing the latest resources. Over the past 12 months, the SEND community has remained connected and informed through several virtual events, including the SEN Show Series webinars and Tes SEN Show Virtual. Whilst these were a huge success, nothing quite replaces the incredible atmosphere, peer-to-peer networking opportunities, and hands-on interaction with resources at a live show. This year, the show’s overarching theme is neurodiversity and the social model of disability. CPD seminars from Professor Amanda Kirby, Jane Friswell, Alison Knowles and more will unpack the term ‘neurodiversity’ and explore strategies to help schools and settings celebrate our differences. Professor Amanda Kirby will also be delivering the free-to-attend opening keynote on Friday 8th October. Joining Professor Kirby for the Friday opening keynote panel discussion entitled ‘Neurodiversity and the social model of disability. What difference does it make?’ will be Andre Imich, SEN and Disability Professional Advisor from the Department for Education, Dame Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children (CDC) and Marijke Milkes, Headteacher and NAHT National Executive Member. As always, the CPD seminar programme covers a range of essential topics to improve learning outcomes for young learners, with additional themes including mental health and well-being, the SEND review, and speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), and much more. CPD seminars cost just £17 +VAT when you book before Friday 30th July 2021, with the price increasing to £20 +VAT thereafter. The Tes SEN Show is delighted to provide a range of free-toattend sessions led by SEND advocates and top exhibitors.

Throughout both days of the show, attendees can sit in on practical demonstrations of the latest resources in the Exhibitor Workshop Theatre and Exhibitor Spotlight Theatre and learn from the experiences of parents and carers in the Parent, Carer and Teacher Forum. Closing the show on Friday, teachers can enjoy the much-anticipated TeachMeet, with an opportunity to share ideas for developing support for learners with SEND. Plus, back by popular demand, the Saturday opening keynote, delivered by Rosa Monckton and a panel of experts, will explore how to build confidence and independence for the real world. This year, the Tes SEN Show will be sponsored by LGfL – The National Grid for Learning, who attendees can hear from in the Exhibitor Workshop Theatre and visit amidst the buzzing exhibition at stand 189. Exhibiting alongside LGfL are the sector’s leading resource and service providers, displaying the latest resources for attendees to browse. Exhibitors will be just as excited to welcome back visitors to the Business Design Centre on 8-9 October 2021, with many offering exclusive discounts and giveaways. Matt Govett, Event Director of the Tes SEN Show, said “we’re delighted to be able to bring the Tes SEN Show back to the Business Design Centre on 8-9 October to continue providing high-quality, in-person learning experiences for the SEND sector. The response to our online events over the past year has been exceptional, but the in-person Tes SEN Show has a special atmosphere which we’re looking forward to experiencing again. Attendees can take advantage of the much-needed peer-to-peer networking that the sector has missed out on, and get an overview of all the new products and services that have emerged over the past year.” Registration for the Tes SEN Show 2021 is now open and CPD seminars cost just £20 +VAT. Register free at tessenshow.co.uk.

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

Sept • Oct 2021 • Issue 114

21 23 26 28 32 36 38 42 45

53 56 58 62 SEN114

School attendance Attendance difficulties and persistent absence

Dyslexia ups and downs From frustration to positivity

66 72

Beyond a year of learning loss Where is the assistive tech?

Playing the name game Are labels a misconception?

SEND and inclusion training What can be done about teacher training?

Getting back to normal Covid’s impact on children and young people

Looking to the law

Navigating the process of EHC assessments

Removed at birth

Supporting adopted children

Wellbeing of children is important

SEBD will play a bigger part in the school curriculum

Creating a culture to support SEMH

Student support needs to be carefully considered

What’s really going on with students? Creating mentally healthy schools for students

Choosing the right school for your children What features to look for in a school

A soft landing Transitioning can be made easy

Back to School Catching up must include more than English and Maths

SCERTS made easy Tips for using the model

The Covid generation A worrying picture emerging

Selecting the right school trip Guidance on selecting your next school trip

Right to access Providing an inclusive learning experience

A level playing field Adapting performances to different audiences

Sharing your observations and experiences A dream come true

Avoid the mass exodus Keeping your staff and recruiting

Regulars 10

SEN news

What’s new?

Point of view

The amazing skills of the TA

Book reviews

Understanding dyspraxia

Petition watch

Miriam overcoming dyspraxia

104

CPD, training and events

Finding the right school

109

SEN resources directory

Through Francesca Dean’s eyes

110

About SEN Magazine

Self-harming Dealing with overwhelming emotions

Remarkable TA’s

senmagazine.co.uk

Dyslexia

Self-harming

82 senmagazine.co.uk

School trips

Dyspraxia SEN114

SEN services & products

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

SEN news

Physical punishment of children to be made illegal in Wales Following our news report about the BBC investigation into human rights abuses at a residential special school in Wales (Issue 113), we are pleased to be able to publish a piece by Philippa Cotterill, Head of Wales Office, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists which describes how new legislation in Wales has the potential to end such issues. ‘Here in Wales we are entering a historic period which will see children’s rights further protected thanks to new Welsh Government legislation. The Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Act 2020 will remove an archaic legal loophole by outlawing the physical punishment of children when it comes into force in Wales from 21 March 2022. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists is committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for children and families regarding speech, language, communication and swallowing. This legislation will help our professionals in Wales in this endeavour, as it will enable us to be really clear with anyone caring for the child that physical punishment is not an option. Difficulties with speech, language and communication can be frustrating for the child and their parent, but we can provide support which reduces the frustration and can help to support the parent-child relationship. It is important to be clear, this legislation does not create a new offence; it simply removes an outdated legal defence. The legislation resolves a grey area for those of us working with children, parents and carers, by making it crystal clear the physical punishment of children will be illegal in Wales. I remember seeing a girl in a school, she was 10 years old. It was the end of the day and she disclosed to me her father had hit her. There wasn’t any question in my mind that it was something that needed to be reported, but this legislation simply clarifies there would no longer be a defence to such an assault. Knowledge about this new legislation is vital as well as understanding other areas of safeguarding children. As a profession, we establish what affects a child’s ability to communicate. Difficulties may be developmental, physical or psychological in nature. These and other factors can all impact on children’s ability and confidence in communicating. The interaction between adults and children is a key aspect we look at if a child has communication difficulties. The nature of that relationship can be fundamental to working with the family to develop those skills. Parents, carers and others close to children have a vital role in developing their communication skills and reducing the impact of speech, language and communication difficulties. The impact of such difficulties and associations with other risks is well evidenced. Sixty percent of youths in the justice system have speech and language needs as well as risks of SEN114

■ The common law defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ no longer exists in Wales.

poor literacy, mental health issues and poorer employment outcomes in adulthood. If we have concerns about the safety of a child it is our responsibility as professionals to make sure we carry out our duty. We are there as an advocate for the child too. We are there to support their development. Helping them with their communication means we have to have a trusting relationship between us. We might be the trusted adults they can understand and be understood by. We might be the only professionals for whom that is the case. This new law will ensure children in Wales will have equal protection from assault as an adult. This clarity will simplify things for us as a profession and anything which removes ambiguity in the law is always welcome.’

News deadline for next issue: 12/10/2021. Email editor@senmagazine.co.uk

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN news

Charities launch new research and guide on adapting talking therapies for autistic children and adults The National Autistic Society and Mind are launching new research and a good practice guide to support mental health professionals to adapt talking therapies for autistic children and adults. With funding from the Pears Foundation, the free guide sets out how often simple adjustments and adaptations to talking therapies (which are used widely by the NHS to treat common mental health conditions) can make a huge difference to autistic people. The guide was informed by the views of mental health professionals, over 1,500 autistic people and almost 2,000 family members. Autism is not a mental health condition. But high numbers of autistic people struggle unnecessarily from poor mental health and the National Autistic Society’s autistic supporters have said that this is their top priority. Previous research suggests that 70% of autistic children have a mental health problem (such as anxiety or depression), and 40% have more than one. Higher rates of anxiety and depression in autistic people have been associated with lower life satisfaction, greater social difficulties, loneliness and insomnia. This can have devastating consequences and even lead to crisis, with some autistic people ending up in mental health hospitals. The coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated the mental health crisis for autistic people.

to read it and start thinking about how you can adapt your practice for autistic people. “Training and small changes, like allowing autistic people who need it extra time to process and answer questions can be transformative. Find out more and download the free guide on our website: autism.org.uk.” Kerry McLeod, Head of Information Content at Mind, said: “We’re proud to be part of this project and hope it makes a genuine difference to autistic children and adults. “Many autistic people with mental health problems struggle to get appropriate support - and the pandemic has made things even harder. At Mind, we fight to make sure everyone with a mental health problem has access to the help they need so we were happy to contribute to this work. “Campaigning for high quality, timely mental health treatment for everyone who needs it is central to our work. We hope this guide goes some way to helping autistic people affected by mental health problems to access the support they need and deserve.”

The guide’s top recommendations for professionals are: • improve autism understanding for all staff through training • make the physical environment in both waiting and therapy rooms less overwhelming • provide clear, concise and specific information about what to expect from your service and sessions before therapy starts • be flexible and adapt your communication to the needs of the person you’re supporting • together discuss adaptations and adjustments you can provide so the person you’re supporting is aware of what they can ask for. Caroline Stevens, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society, said: “Our autistic supporters tell us that their top priority is improving mental health support. “Alongside our campaigning, we and Mind want to help professionals delivering talking therapies to adapt how their support, so it works better for autistic children and adults. Thanks to funding from the Pears Foundation, we’ve produced this guide. We encourage everyone working in mental health senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

SEN news

Rebound Therapy

More money for SEND in UK National Disability Strategy Published on the 28th July, the UK Government’s National Disability Strategy sets out its vision to improve the everyday lives of disabled people. It wants to ensure that disability is not a barrier to people living full, independent lives where they can reach their full potential. The strategy has been developed with the input of more than 14,000 disabled people, as well as disability organisations, businesses, policy experts and many others. In this publication, departments and agencies in every corner of government set out how they will help bring about practical and lasting change to disabled people’s lives. The strategy sets out 100 immediate commitments supported by £1.6bn of funding alongside an ambitious agenda for future reform. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: ‘Our new National Disability Strategy is a clear plan – from giving disabled people the best start in school to unlocking equal job opportunities, this strategy sets us on a path to improve their everyday lives.’ The strategy is focused on improving inclusion in the workplace, tackling the disability employment gap and making sure children with special educational needs and disabilities are

at the heart of the strategy, including investing £300 million to create places, improve existing provision in schools and make accessibility adaptations for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The Disability Strategy marks the first cross-government endeavour to improve disabled people’s everyday lives with legislation, policy and funding from across all corners of government. Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson said: ‘We are absolutely committed to putting disabled people at the heart of government policy making and service delivery. Their voices, insights and experiences are central to this strategy and our future approach. By engaging disabled people, their families, carers and organisations, collectively we will deliver real and lasting change.’

NEW

A new Publication produced by

HEADS

(Hadrian Education and Development Services) ‘Rebound Therapy is one of the most powerful therapeutic approaches in our Toolkit when working with users experiencing a wide range of additional needs.’ This Handbook is an invaluable aid to anyone wishing to improve their Rebound Therapy Offer. On site training available at: HEADS Rebound Therapy Centre Hadrian School, NE15 6PY We also offer bespoke off site training on request. Publication available for £195 from David Palmer david.palmer@hadrian. newcastle.sch.uk or amazon.co.uk

SEN114

Available from June 2021 a supplementary guidebook to the following courses: Rebound Therapy for SEN 2 Day Course Level 2 Course Accredited with One Awards Cost £315 Rebound Therapy Refresher Training 1 Day Course (Recommended every 3 years once the Level 2 course has been completed) Cost £165

senmagazine.co.uk

Spoken language

senmagazine.co.uk

CPD and training

SEN114

What’s new?

promotional content

Compendium to Rebound Therapy

Taking trampoline innovation further

Hadrian School in partnership with HEADS Training have released a brand new publication to complement their Rebound Therapy for SEN Training Course. The new publication – ‘Compendium to Rebound Therapy’. The publication offers advice/support/ guidance as well as being used as an assessment tool for Rebound Therapy to those who have attended Rebound Therapy training.

Sunken Trampolines have launched a new, automated lid system for schools and care institutions and residences. Based on the principle of a car sunroof this lid allows the use of the space in a hall, room or garden to be dual purpose.

If you wish to book onto one of our Rebound Therapy training courses please visit headstraining.co.uk If you wish to order a copy of our compendium please email david.palmer@hadrian.newcastle.sch.uk

With a Patent pending on this innovative product Sunken Trampolines are now in a position to offer it with installation or supply only. Sunken Trampolines have extensive experience in providing in ground trampolines across the UK. Should you be interested in discussing your needs please visit: sunkentrampolines.co.uk or contact Joel or Angus on 07801 573278.

The Link Live ’22 – Save the date

Could this be you?

Following the outstanding success of The Link Live ’21, Speech and Language Link are delighted to announce that the online SLCN conference, The Link Live ’22, will be held on Friday 11th March 2022.

Adopting a child is a transformative and exciting experience, but we understand that it can be daunting at times. Rest assured, at Adoption Counts, we will be by your side, guiding you from the moment you enquire to the day your child joins your family and beyond. Our experienced team has a breadth of skills and knowledge to support and help you with anything you need.

Special guest speaker, author, poet and former children’s laureate, Michael Rosen, will be kicking off the exciting and informative event. Early bird tickets will be available from 1st November for The Link News subscribers only. Sign up for the latest SLCN news, discounts, special offers and that all important Link Live ’22 early bird discount here: speechandlanguage.info/LinkNews

We are particularly reaching out for people who will consider children aged three years and above, sibling groups, children of a BAME background (particularly from Black African and Black Caribbean communities) and children with complex needs. If you’re thinking of adopting, get in touch today: adoptioncounts.org.uk

MP praises Homefield College’s latest enterprise

Smart Glove translates any signs into spoken language

Homefield College established Breward’s Coffee Shop in 2020 to prepare students for the world of work. Building transferable skills, students learn about customer service, food preparation, event catering and money handling.

BrightSign is the only smart glove in the world that can translate any sign language into any spoken language instantly, and it can provide two-way communication too!

Jane Hunt MP praised the enterprise after enjoying a homemade flapjack and fruit tea: “Breward’s is warm and friendly and they serve fantastic cakes! As well as being a great place for a drink and something to eat, it provides students with learning and communication disabilities with vital work experience, allowing students to grow their skills and confidence, preparing them for future employment.” Learn more about Homefield: homefieldcollege.ac.uk

SEN114

The BritishSign app enables your signs to be learnt and your signs translated instantly into speech. You can also choose from over 30 languages and 180 voices. You can then transcribe speech to text and read on your screen. Use code: SEN20 for 20% off Find out more and order at: brightsignglove.com

senmagazine.co.uk

What’s new?

promotional content

Bruern Abbey to open Senior School in 2022 Bruern Abbey is delighted to extend its provision to also prepare boys for GCSE’s from September 2022. The Senior School will be a boys-only weekly boarding and day school, located in Chilton, Buckinghamshire, a 20 minute drive from the current Bruern Abbey site. Bruern Abbey Senior will cater exclusively for boys diagnosed with learning difficulties, maintaining its firmly held belief that learning difficulties should not preclude academic success.

Graduation Day 2021 Students at Fairfield Farm College celebrated their 2021 graduation on 9th July. With 25 students, it was the largest graduation event in the college’s history. Students were able to enjoy a motivational presentation by Paralympic Swimmer, Liz Johnson, who got up at 5am to Zoom from Brazil. She spoke to students about her experiences and how she overcame many hurdles in her career.

The school’s weekly structure will allow for a busy action packed week Monday to Friday, whilst also offering the boys a full weekend with their families.

Students then took it in turns to enjoy their moment in the spotlight, collecting their certificates and a framed photo of their memories at the college. Students had completed a range of programmes from 1 to 5 years and there were many laughs, but also tears from students and staff.

For more information: bruernabbey.org

ffc.ac.uk

Could you offer football-loving Jack a new home?

‘Got it’ card games for reading and spelling

Could you offer a loving home to Jack? He is a real Bear Grylls in the making. Jack is 8 years old and is a very active and inquisitive little boy who loves playing football.

Got it Learning card games are the ideal phonic resource for oneto-one or small group sessions with children five and over. Play five different, quick-to-learn fun games with each pack to provide vital reinforcement and keep children engaged, giving them confidence to read and spell. In line with the National Curriculum, they cover frequently used words and simple suffixes. The games are multisensory and dyslexia friendly, with a simple font, focus sounds in blue and picture prompt cards. An online assessment sheet makes it easy to find the correct starting pack.

He loves cuddles and being part of family life. Jack has had a difficult start and is looking for carers who are calm, committed and consistent. Jack would like to stay in the same school near to his current home in Leek. Could you be Jack’s foster care hero? Weekly payments, allowances and full training and support. If you’d like to know more, they would love to hear from you. Call their friendly team on 0800 083 77 44 or visit derbyshire.gov.uk/fostering

‘Specialist Provider of the Year’ Derwen College, in Shropshire, is a college with a focus on the future. Residential and day students learn work and life skills, to promote independence and achieve aspirations. The college, for 16 to 25 year olds, supports students with special educational needs, disabilities and autism. Learners choose pathways in Retail, Horticulture, Hospitality & Food or Performing Arts, honing skills in the College’s commercial hospitality and shopping areas, before progressing to external work placements.

gotitlearning.co.uk

New! The Intelligence and Development Scales – 2nd Edition (IDS-2) Now available from Hogrefe Ltd, the IDS-2 is a global cognitive assessment of the ‘whole child’, unparalleled in its ability to identify knowledge, strengths, and developmental needs in one complete picture. With 30 subtests across 6 cognitive and developmental domains, and an extensive age range of 5 to 20 years, the IDS-2 offers the most comprehensive psychometric diagnostic assessment available. Learn more about this groundbreaking new measure at ids-2.com or contact customersupport@hogrefe.co.uk to order your kit today.

The college also offers options for students with more complex needs, including a Nurture programme for those with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. derwen.ac.uk

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

What’s new?

promotional content

Accredited trainings, webinars, online training, resources

Beechwood College appoints new Principal

from The Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education

Beechwood College is delighted to announce that Rachel Newman, the College’s Deputy Head of Education for the last 5 years, has been appointed as the College’s new Principal.

Part time accredited courses include: • Certificate in Child Counselling Using the Arts (12 weekend days) • Diploma in Child Counselling (two years leading to eligibility to apply for BACP registration) • Diploma in Child Psychotherapeutic Counselling (three years leading to UKCP accreditation) • MA degree in Child Psychotherapy (University of East London award) - UKCP reg. as an Integrative Child Psychotherapist • Child Therapeutic Wellbeing Practitioner training More information / to apply artspsychotherapy.org childmentalhealthcentre.org Tel: 020 7704 2534

Residential bursaries available The Wingate Special Children’s Trust has been fortunate to receive funding which enables the charity to offer residential bursaries. Located in the Cheshire countryside The Wingate Centre provides residential and recreational facilities to groups of children or young adults with physical or learning disabilities. Up to one third of places can be funded by a bursary. For further information on planning your school/group residential holiday and bursary eligibility please contact The Wingate Centre on 01270 780 456 or email residential@thewingatecentre.co.uk.

Rachel holds a BA in Education & Social Inclusion and started her career working with adults with learning disabilities. She is also an Estyn Peer Inspector. Having been responsible for the management and support of Lecturers and Learning Support Assistants, Rachel looks forward to working more closely now with the residential and clinical teams to continue to ensure students have the best learning experience they can have while at the College. beechwoodcollege.co.uk

Mercury announces Aladdin as inaugural pantomime The sparkling pantomime Aladdin will play at the Mercury’s newly redeveloped theatre from 27 November 2021 – 16 January 2022. The pantomime will have two relaxed performances, two BSL interpreted performances as well as a captioned and audio described performance with pre-show touch tour. Presale opens for priority booking on 25 November, followed by general on sale on 27 November. For younger audiences, The Jolly Christmas Postman will play the Studio at the Mercury from 8 December 2021 – 24 December 2021. Tickets can be purchased on the Mercury’s brand-new website. Find out more about Aladdin, upcoming shows and the latest news at the Mercury at mercurytheatre.co.uk

NEW GottaGo - making toileting easier both home and away

Play & education materials to help children connect with the outdoors

GottaGo is a ground-breaking toilet seat which enables a unique squat posture making toileting easier and more accessible for children.

From den building to mud kitchens, clothing to hand washing, and a huge range of UK-grown wood products, we have everything you need - whether you are seasoned practitioners or introducing outside provision for the first time.

GottaGo’s seat offers a hug-like fit to encourage an optimal forward-leaning squat position, relaxing the bladder and bowel muscles. This natural position makes toileting easier by letting gravity do the work, reducing straining, effort and the time needed to go.

The Outdoor Hub is a massive FREE resource filled with activities, information and events to support you to get outdoors and into nature. And don’t miss their monthly giveaways and Outdoor Practitioner e-magazine.

Lightweight and portable, GottaGo provides the consistency of approach that is crucial for toileting. The backpack and evidence-based toilet training guide further support families on their toileting independence journey.

They are nationally recognised for their innovative content and products and excellent customer service and are passionate about the outdoors! muddyfaces.co.uk

fireflyfriends.com/gottago

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

What’s new?

promotional content

NAHT Autumn CPD programme

Pop Up launch Pop Up Festival for SEND

This year, NAHT will focus on the well-being of school leaders and the teaching profession. As part of this, NAHT’s Autumn CPD programme has been designed with your well-being at the centre.

Pop Up Festival for SEND matches each class with a contemporary picture book, novel, poetry collection or graphic novel. Their trained writers and illustrators meet pupils in person for creative workshops tailored to each class’s needs, bringing literature alive. Teachers discover inspiring ways to teach using literature direct from their books’ authors, increasing pupils’ reading engagement and communication skills.

With the return of popular courses and conferences, like Appraisals and Difficult Conversations, Safeguarding and Ofsted Update, and our annual SEND and Early Years and Primary conferences, as well as the introduction of brand new events, like our Equalities conference and our Developing an anti-racist approach to leadership, you’ll find plenty of events to support your professional development objectives and put your well-being at the top of your priority list.

Come and visit us at Stand 20 at the TES SEN Show!

naht.org.uk/CPD 01444 472 405

Contact send@pop-up.org.uk for more information. pop-up.org.uk

Autism and Education Conference 11 November 2021

Leading autism charity Prior’s Court shortlisted for major award

Join the one-day online conference aimed at education professionals.

The use of Virtual Reality (VR) at Prior’s Court, to support young people with complex autism to enjoy new experiences and accustom themselves to real world situations without leaving their classroom or home, just missed out on receiving a national EdTech award.

Increase your understanding and knowledge of autism and best practice in supporting autistic children at school. Hear from leading speakers and learn from research, innovations and evidence-based approaches. With fantastic sessions on: mental health & wellbeing; exclusion; girls in education; sensory differences; emotional regulation; transition; social relationships Don’t miss out and book your place today. Find out more: autism.org.uk/education-conference

Prior’s Court, based in Berkshire, was shortlisted in the Innovator of the Year category in the 2021 Bett Awards, alongside the BBC and LEGO Education, missing out to SchoolCloud at a ceremony in July. The project, led by teacher Nuno Guerreiro, involves collaboration between Education, Residential and multi-disciplinary teams to use VR headsets as a complementary resource to existing approaches.

COGMED for schools

The Magician’s Elephant

Cogmed Working Memory Training, is an evidencebased program for helping children and adolescents, sustainably improve attention by training their working memory. This online platform uses cognitive neuroscience, combined with innovative computer game design and close professional support, to deliver substantial and lasting benefits to children from 4 years +.

A magician conjures an elephant from the sky, setting off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that it changes life in this quiet and lonely town forever.

Visit their Cogmed page to learn more on this interactive tool and to find out how your school can get access to the program at pearsonclinical.co.uk/cogmedsen

senmagazine.co.uk

This brand new musical for all the family reminds us all that even the impossible can be possible when we open our eyes and hearts to those around us. The Magician’s Elephant is adapted from Kate DiCamillo’s prize-winning novel and runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Thursday 14 October 2021 – Saturday 1 January 2022. There will be Relaxed, Chilled, Audio Described, Captioned and BSL-integrated performances available. Book tickets: rsc.org.uk

SEN114

What’s new?

Grace Garden School now open Ruskin Mill Trust is delighted to announce the opening of Grace Garden School. Offering an education to young people aged 9 – 16 with complex social, emotional and behavioural difficulties including autism spectrum conditions. Grace Garden School is set in 18 acres of cultivated landscape on the outskirts of Bristol. At Grace Garden School, children and young people are supported to learn as much as possible outside, participating in crafts, gardening and the exploration of nature. From these experiences their young people will come to understand the larger world and their place in it, along with the connections between themselves and their community. To find out more contact 0330 055 2653 or admissions@rmt.org

Music & Drama Education Expo | London 2021 Register free for Music & Drama Education Expo | London 2021, Europe’s largest music and drama education exhibition, taking place 24 & 25 September at Business Design Centre, London. Everyone who attends will benefit from exciting, free CPD sessions and a bustling exhibition featuring a variety of brands from the creative field to speak to. Teachers and practitioners can get involved in a variety of sessions promoting upskilling and introducing new approaches to teaching that will help to liven-up lessons. Session themes for this year include improving diversity and inclusion, promoting performance health and wellbeing and much more! musicanddramaeducationexpo.co.uk

Do you support children with feeding difficulties?

promotional content

Slindon College welcome the latest additions to the farm, two resident cats! Joining the donkeys and alpacas who call the farm their home. The animals provide the boys with social and emotional learning, as they undertake jobs and responsibilities, which helps them grow in confidence. The farm’s growing beds give pupils a real field to fork experience delivered by way of Land Based Studies and Food Tech. Pupils have been tasked with suggesting imaginative names for the two cats and a shortlist will be drawn up before a public vote during this term. Open Morning Saturday 25th September, 9:30am – 12noon. To register visit: slindoncollege.co.uk/openmornings-visits

People moving People 2021 Solutions Training has developed a bespoke online ‘People Moving People 2021’ course which educates its learners on the theory of moving and handling principles developed in line with best practice as of 2021. The course is complemented with the inclusion of video conferencing practical skills training which is tailored to each schools’ requirements. We provide the technical skills to ensure no child is excluded from activities of which able bodied pupils easily participate in. A free demo of our online “People Moving People 2021” online course can be run at solutionstraining.co.uk. Email: mandiepearson@solutionstraining.co.uk Tel: 01932 880147

Sovereign SEN Sensory Paths

Feeding is one of the most complex things we require our bodies to do because it involves every sensory system integrating information about our body and the world around us. If you support a child described as a picky eater or with feeding challenges, see SIE’s new course Supporting Individuals with Feeding Difficulties. Get immediate access to 10+ hours of online content and resources from experts for just £69. Gain a multidisciplinary perspective and learn strategies that will inform planning to support children to improve their relationship with food.

Sensory play equipment is one of the great ways children learn, helping them discover and master their senses of touch, sight and hearing. As education sector professionals, Sovereign recognises the important role sensory paths and educational playground equipment can play, particularly in SEN applications, and has developed an outstanding range for nurseries and schools to create experiences that stimulate the senses. Perfect for school playgrounds, our wonderful sensory paths can be fitted in any outdoor play area and encourage children to follow them to explore different textures through an interactive and hands-on approach. Get in touch and together we can make a difference.

SensoryIntegrationEducation.com

sovereignplayequipment.co.uk

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

What’s new?

TES SEN Show on track for October The UK’s leading SEN show is on track to return to the Business Design Centre, London, on 8-9 October 2021. This year, the show’s overarching theme is neurodiversity and the social model of disability. Packed with free-toattend opening keynote panel discussions, specialist SEND exhibitors, free exhibitor-led workshops, this year’s show will continue to shine the spotlight on SEND provision and best practice. Plus, attendees can book onto expert-led CPD seminars for just £20+ VAT. Register free and book CPD seminars at tessenshow.co.uk.

Free iPads or iPhones for children with a vision impairment aged 3-18 Guide Dogs’ new service, Tech for All, helps children with a vision impairment across the UK to access their own devices at home – to support learning, or simply to have fun and explore the interests and activities they enjoy. The devices have excellent accessibility features built-in, and online guides are provided to get them started and to ensure they know how to stay safe online. The devices are completely free of charge, with the only requirement being proof of vision impairment. Stocks are limited so apply today: guidedogs.org.uk/techforall

Swalcliffe Park School for Boys with Autism commission 3rd eco-building from TG Escapes The inclusive learning space offering easy access to the outdoors, will provide classrooms, quiet rooms and a staff room. The modular method of construction means there will be less disruption for the school. The timber frame is not only sustainable but creates a calming environment for students. The building will complement a performing arts studio delivered in 2016, and a suite of breakout spaces delivered in 2020. ‘The looks and style have been commented on favourably by students, parents, staff and visiting local authorities including OFSTED.’ Mark Williams, Site Manager. tgescapes.co.uk

Rebrand for specialist children’s care provider as provisions expand! Specialist children’s care provider, Focused Healthcare, have announced a rebrand after closer alignment with parent company and industry-leading care provider, Voyage Care. Focused Healthcare is now known as Children’s Complex Care by Voyage Care. This rebrand sees Children’s Complex Care recognised as the specialist arm for children and young people aged 0-25 with complex care needs in London and surrounding counties. The Children’s Complex Care team now offers nurse-led care at home and in the community for children and young people with complex care needs. To find out more, visit voyagecare.com or call 0800 0353 776.

Would you like to create an outdoor sensory space, but have no funding? The outdoor sensory space in any setting should be fully inclusive and provide the same opportunity for everyone to explore regardless of their ability or special need. It should be a place where diversity is respected and valued, enabling children of all abilities to explore their surroundings in a safe child-centred inclusive environment. Timotay Playscapes have a free funding guide and free inspiration guide to outdoor sensory play spaces and outdoor sensory play equipment. For a free copy, email enquiries@timotayplayscapes.co.uk or call 01933 665151.

New secure computer unit One of Tough Furniture’s more recent additions to their SEN range is the FCWS secure computer unit. It keeps computers and peripherals safe behind locked doors while in use and the monitor (up to 19”) is protected by a 6mm polycarbonate screen with only the keyboard and mouse remaining on the desk. Choice of standard keylocks or Starkey locks available, with option for preparation for wall fixing if required. Anti-ligature strip hinges and inset handles are also fitted, and the unit is finished off with two sight screens either side. (Computer etc. pictured are not included). toughfurniture.com

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

SEN products and services

Special needs postcode funding gap identified A new report has warned that there is a “continuing and considerable inequity” in the levels of special needs funding for schools going to different parts of the country. The research, carried out by Dr Peter Gray, Dr Alan Marsh, Dr Peter Gray and Professor Brahm Norwich from the University of Exeter, commissioned by the national SEN Policy Research Forum, has determined that the significant differences in the budgets given to local areas to fund high special educational needs are largely the result of historical spending arrangements.

More worryingly, it found that the difference between the highest and lowest funded authorities had widened this year. Authorities that were relatively well-funded historically tended to have a higher percentage of pupils in special schools or resource bases. It found that although areas with higher levels of need tended to get more money, there is considerable variation across the country, with significant differences in the public funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) between areas with similar levels of need. This means one area with similar social disadvantage can get nearly twice as much as another, and some of the highest funded authorities are ones that have a relatively lower level of need. The significant variation in the level of High Needs Block (HNB) budget allocations to English local authorities ranged from £798 per 2-18 year-old resident to £365, with an average of £527. Report author Dr Peter Gray said: “The Government has put more money into high needs over the last three years but has not taken the opportunity to address these inequities properly.” The paper adds: “Despite the aspirations of the National Funding Formula to move to a fairer distribution, variation was still largely determined by history.”

Advertisement feature

Dealing with stairs- a first choice or last resort? With the variety of home design, one of the constant problems faced by Occupational Therapists is how to prescribe solutions that enable a client to still access all levels of their home. The quick answer is provision of AAT GB Class 1 medical device classified stairclimbers. The unit can either incorporate a seat or be attached to most common types of wheelchair. When not required, it folds compactly away. AAT’s nationwide team of specialists can work alongside the Occupational Therapist to assess the suitability of a stairclimber and manage the whole process, from specification of any additional accessories if needed, supply of the equipment, and training of the carer who will operate the climber, ensuring a correct and safe solution. To arrange a free assessment, contact AAT via LiveChat on the website aatgb.com, fill in the form on the website, email sales@aatgb.com or telephone 01978 821875. SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

School attendance

School attendance difficulties and persistent absence Jannine Perryman and Louise Parker Engels explore the issues surrounding school attendance difficulties and persistent absence.

he end of school holidays brings mixed feelings, whilst some welcome a return to school and work, others are bracing themselves for a return to their child‘s term time distressing mornings – refusal to get up, get dressed, to go to school, or explosive outbursts when they get home.

“Encouraging schools and LA’s to understand why children are struggling to attend”

Perhaps they have a child who regularly attended primary school but school “refused” at secondary school, or a child who seems fine in school but has gradually reduced attendance over time, or a child who has been reluctant to attend, perhaps sometimes visibly distressed on arrival from the earliest stages of school, who doesn’t make it into school every day. All are at risk of being persistent absentees.

education healthcare (EHC) plan had a persistent absence rate of 24.6% – more than twice the rate for pupils with no identified SEN (9.0%).

These children may present with tummy aches, headaches, high levels of distress or anxiety, demand avoidance, oppositional defiance, emotional dysregulation, or sensory overload. A number of these children may also demonstrate a serious decline in mental health – with potentially tragic consequences.

Are they refusing to attend school or unable to attend? Schools have clear, high expectations for attendance so persistent absence is a cause for concern, not only for the school and Ofsted, but for the child‘s educational outcomes. Parents report that in their experience the school response has been to focus on either attendance difficulties being due to parenting or family expectations, or on a child’s mental health as EBSA – emotionally based school avoidance - with any support available being tailored accordingly. However recent government guidance on improving attendance makes numerous references to “barriers to attendance”. This and other relevant guidance shifts some of the focus from parenting or child mental health, to looking at the bigger picture – encouraging schools and LA’s to understand why children are struggling to attend. This suggests they may not be choosing or refusing – rather, they can’t attend without the right support when they need it.

Barriers to attendance

We repeatedly see the connection between SEND needs and attendance such as these examples, which are sadly not unusual: • ADHD, Dyslexia – diagnosed – well supported during primary school, high attainment SATS, rapidly reduced attendance on transfer to secondary. Dyslexia and ADHD diagnoses disputed, placed in lowest sets, reduced access to scribe, reader and laptop. • Autistic, year 1 sensory processing communication and interaction difficulties. School did not agree with parents when they reported the signs he was masking but not coping, dysregulation at home. Turned down because school reports were different to parents, serious deterioration under CAMHs, remained on reduced timetable for years. • Autistic child, often sitting under his desk in sensory overload but apparently fine. Sensitive to noise. Expected to join music lessons with his whole class playing brass instruments. • Child with joint hypermobility, often physically unwell and in pain but primary school HT disputed pain and didn’t follow medical advice from consultant rheumatologist. • Child bullied physically, struggling to respond to unexpected situations. Later diagnosed with slower processing, working memory problems and a significant language disorder. • Young person with a serious health condition, staff not informed about diagnosis assumed his absence was due to his attitude. Thought he had left so didn’t submit coursework for moderation. Insufficient qualifications to stay on at sixth form.

It is difficult to say how many children are absent due to attendance barriers, but there are government statistics to demonstrate that children with additional needs are less likely to attend school regularly. Pupils with a SEN statement or senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

School attendance

In all of these cases parents were told at some point that their child was fine, despite them trying to highlight their child’s difficulties, with the focus being on the need for them to improve their child’s attendance rather than on working together to overcome the barriers. A list of potential attendance barriers would be endless, and very much dependent on any number of other variables including levels of support available. These children may also be vulnerable to bullying.

No blame or shame for children, their parents or teachers We have found that generally children will try to attend school if they can, and try until they can’t keep trying. They may feel shame or disappointment in themselves if they don’t. They may feel confused, angry, let down and even traumatised. They miss important experiences and opportunities. Due to NHS wait times and thresholds for referrals, as well as reduced access to Educational Psychologists, many children are experiencing much later diagnoses, but some are just not receiving necessary reasonable adjustments even when they are. Parents report feeling judged and blamed for their child’s attendance, including referrals for prosecution or to social services. Most have felt pressured to force their children into school and have regretted doing so. The effect of nonattendance can be very disruptive to family life, with at least one parent being unable to work. They often need support as they are often still unsure what to do which is why some of our work is focussed on peer support for parents, to give them the tools to work with professionals None of us went into teaching planning to ignore the needs of children. Rather than blaming individuals this is a systemic problem affected by a lack of SEND Training for new teachers or for experienced teachers through CPD, perhaps a limited professional experience of attendance difficulties, and an ever changing, narrowing curriculum, the obvious constraints on time and resources can mean that children do not receive the earlier interventions they need. All too often they are not noticed until they have significantly deteriorated and are in crisis, and the placement may have broken down. With this in mind the first course of action should not be blame, or shame, but working together to find solutions.

Working together to find solutions Despite there being no specific government guidance for children experiencing SEND attendance barriers can be found in a number of relevant documents* on which we base our support. From our experience of children who may be experiencing attendance barriers being described as fine when parents or other staff would say otherwise usually means they don’t get SEN114

About the authors Jannine Perryman is a former SEND specialist teacher, and is now a Neurodiversity Coach to children, adolescents, adults, families, schools, students, employers and clinicians. She is the CEO and Founder of ADHD Wise UK, and Neurodiversity Networks CIC. Louise Parker Engels is a former primary school teacher. She cofounded Define Fine: Parent Peer Support for School Attendance Difficulties with her team to combine their professional and lived experiences of children’s difficulties with school attendance. Define Fine has produced a guide on understanding and finding solutions for barriers to attendance. https://bit.ly/3sbmdhn

“Their difficulties need to be acknowledged, understood and communicated”

the help they really need when they need it. Their difficulties need to be acknowledged, understood and communicated to all members of staff working with them, with evidence based support plans. The earlier the better. This article was written in response to an earlier one originally referring to serial school refusers where although some good points were raised, and a case study with a successful outcome was shared, we felt that it didn’t cover current understanding nor government guidance around barriers to attendance. We appreciate this opportunity and the invitation to explore these issues in greater detail through this and subsequent articles. We hope to encourage a discussion around the evaluation of good practice and ensure parents, teachers and other professionals are more prepared to work together to find solutions to the often complex school attendance difficulties. senmagazine.co.uk

Dyslexia

The ups and downs of dyslexia Arran Smith reflects, from personal experience, on the frustrations and positives experienced by those with dyslexia.

ccording to the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) there is an estimated 10% of the population that has some severity of dyslexia. This is 6.7 million people in the UK today, and on average three students in every class, allowing us to say that it is one of the biggest hidden disabilities in the UK today. As a severely dyslexic adult, dyslexia affects my day to day life in many ways, as a difference, a disability, an annoyance. But also dyslexia is a strength, a positivity and a way of life for me. Dyslexia is definitely a spectrum of difficulties and strengths. Over the past 15 years we’ve used many words in association with dyslexia; this includes comorbidity, co-occurring differences and more recently part of neurodiversity. When I look at dyslexia it is a difference in the brain that affects the way that I learn, and it affects the way that I access the world today. We live in a world where literacy has been put on a very high pedestal, we communicate through words, letters and symbols. As a human race we naturally learn to listen and speak which is part of our genetic structure. When it comes to reading and writing these skills are taught. Now of course, when it comes to dyslexia we are not just talking about reading, writing and spelling. When I listen to the definitions of dyslexia there are many words used to describe the differences and difficulties that puts a negative connotation on the way we view dyslexia. “Primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed.” BDA Rose Report 2009 When you look at what Rose wrote back in 2009, we can agree today that over the past 30 years of my life living with dyslexia

“Dyslexia is definitely a spectrum of difficulties and strengths” senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

Dyslexia

that I do have all the difficulties listed above. Phonological awareness for me today is interesting as we teach phonics every day in school. As a father of an 8 year old daughter who spells out everything phonetically, it is very hard for me to ascertain what that spelling is, as I have been taught to know letter names rather than letter sounds. When we look at the concept of verbal memory and verbal processing speed this to me is interesting. My verbal reasoning in everyday life (including the dictation of this article), is pretty good in my opinion. Often when I’m trying to communicate even with my family the concept of naming an item in the house, such as the dishwasher, and not being able to articulate that that’s the dishwasher, when I actually mean the tumble dryer because I can’t use that rapid naming skill, can be quite frustrating. For me the term dyslexia has many connotations in the way that I relate to it. It is interesting for me that a high percentage of people that are dyslexic do not feel that they have a disability and in some cases I can believe this is true. Though when I look at my dyslexia, I do reference it as a disability, but also a strength. The reason for that is because in the world today literacy and the communication skill of reading and writing is used in everyday situations; from receiving a letter in the post, going to the supermarket, driving a car or surfing the internet. Therefore, society has actually implied a disability to those with dyslexia. An everyday thing or activity we all do throughout our lives, and one of the hardest things for me, is an activity I have to do four times a year. That is to purchase Valentine’s Day, Birthday, Mother’s Day and Christmas cards for my wife. I have to go into a shop, read, decode and understand what the inside of a card says. Your body is under stress and anxiety with having to do a normal activity that you have to get right. You have to feel strong in your own understanding of your differences and your strengths. For me, when I bought a ‘I love my mummy’ mug for my daughter to give to my wife at Christmas, the wording at the bottom of the mug, that I did not read and did not decode, says ”even though she nags”. An embarrassing and difficult situation. Luckily for me I have an understanding family and I understand my differences are my strengths. I definitely see my dyslexia as a strength. “It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields.”

About the author Arran Smith is Managing Director of the SEND Group Ltd and Founder of the Dyslexia Show Ltd. A dyslexic entrepreneur that was diagnosed with severe dyslexia at 9 years old, along with other tendencies of neurodiverse conditions. arrandyslexia.co.uk @arrandyslexia

@arrandyslexia

“Society has actually implied a disability to those with dyslexia” structure an order to sell something. We see a high percentage of entrepreneurs (an estimated 40%) with a dyslexic tendency. When we look at those in the public eye that have told us they are dyslexic, from actors, painters, poets, entrepreneurs and even racing car drivers, these people all have a skill that we can see fits into that dyslexic profile. Dyslexia may be a difference in the brain of how we have that ability or that difference in the way that we access the literal way of learning, but when we look at the genetic profile it could be classed as a natural evolution in the concept that we all have strengths and weaknesses. Supporting those with dyslexia to access the curriculum to understand their difficulties and differences, but also praise their abilities and strengths, is to ultimately empower anyone with dyslexia today to be an active and supportive member of Society. I know, even though I am a severely dyslexic adult, where dyslexia affects my day to day life. I have achieved and I am thriving in the world today.

“Some also have strengths in other areas, such as design, problem solving, creative skills, interactive skills and oral skills.” BDA 2010 Understanding your differences and understanding your strengths is one of the most important areas that I recommend to parents and those with dyslexia today. Thinking and seeing things differently is one of the strengths that I put down to my dyslexia, solving a problem is a natural skill that I have. From finding ways to create an exhibition stand or find a way to SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

Literacy

senmagazine.co.uk

SEND Group

SEN114

Dyslexia

Supporting dyslexic learners beyond a year of learning loss Rick Bell highlights the lack of access to assistive technology for younger learners.

midst the disruption to education caused by the pandemic, there has been a significant difference in the digital support provided to dyslexic students in schools and higher education. The Equality Act’s ‘right to reasonable adjustments’ claimed by students in higher education allowed them to cope with studying remotely, yet younger learners who relied on the help of teaching assistants were profoundly affected by withdrawal from classrooms. It surprises some to learn that, in the UK, digital support for dyslexic learners may not be available until they reach further education. Students can apply for the Government’s Disabled Students’ Allowance to cover the costs of specialist equipment, non-medical helpers and more. But in those formative early years, support is often essential in improving outcomes and, perhaps ironically, in reaching higher education. Not employing these rights may impinge individuals’ ability to achieve the grades needed to continue to learn outside of their school’s walls. It is usually the job of the classroom assistant to give extra help and guidance for learners with special educational needs, including dyslexia. But this dependency on face-toface support did not allow dyslexic children learning at home during lockdowns to self-serve and progress at the same speed as their peers, the exception being in cases where they were able to access digital literacy tools tailored to their needs. The need for these kinds of tools is clear and has been amplified during the pandemic because technology facilitates learning outside of the classroom. Learning loss amongst SEN students has been a significant problem in the past year, exacerbated by the continued disruption to schools through bouts of self-isolation. Up until recently, it was widely believed that only around 5% of schoolchildren experience dyslexia, however more recent figures from Dyslexia Action – which offers training to teachers supporting dyslexic students – suggests that the figure is more likely to be around 16%. When deployed early, literacy software which supports neurodiverse people, including those with dyslexia, can make a profound difference to their development. It comprises tools such as spell checkers and word prediction, text-tospeech options and screen masks which improve focus and concentration. This software is readily available yet the need SEN114

About the author Rick Bell is Head of Education at global technology company, Texthelp, and Chair of the British Assistive Technology Association. texthelp.com/en-gb @TH_RickB

for assistive technology to support dyslexic learners is not currently being met in many instances. If we look at other interesting models of support, Norway’s innovative and effective approach stands out. Its government offers a similar support scheme to the UK’s DSA, called the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), but this financial contribution is available to all learners even when they are young. The average age of diagnosis is nine or ten and from then, the individual is welcomed to apply for life-long support through their school years, higher education and work-life, recognising that dyslexia is for life. The key aim for NAV is to foster a well-functioning job market, provide the right services and benefits to citizens and to prevent people from being on benefits unnecessarily. The UK’s alternative is perhaps the much-discussed ‘disability passport’ which would prevent an individual from having to argue or prove their right to help and support at different stages of their life. Clearly, there are longer-term repercussions for society and the economy of not giving the right support to learners at the earliest stages of their development. The pandemic has highlighted this, shining a light on the needs of dyslexic students suffering unfairly at the lack of assistive technology to support them and prevent unnecessary learning loss. More must be done to support these young learners so that they can be set up for life-long success. senmagazine.co.uk

SEN resources

senmagazine.co.uk

Play

SEN114

Dyslexia

Time to stop playing the name game? Dr Jamie Galpin considers the issues around diagnosis, labels and being ‘normal’.

ebates around the validity of diagnoses are not new, and few diagnoses have been more fiercely contested than dyslexia. Over fifty years ago, Davis and Cashdan highlighted why the term provides such potent fuel:

“where aetiologies [causes] are but imperfectly understood, and where methods of treatment are still a matter of argument, it is not surprising that controversy should rage over appropriate groupings of symptoms and the terminology most suitable for them.” Despite improvements in methodology, and undoubted progress in our understanding of different needs, the causes for dyslexia are still imperfectly understood – and so debates continue. Typically, the focus is on the extent to which dyslexic individuals differ from non-dyslexics; whether their difficulties are discreet and sit within a clear category apart from other needs, or whether they represent an arbitrarily-defined section of continuously distributed skills. SEN114

“Few diagnoses have been more fiercely contested than dyslexia” Unsurprisingly, such considerations are highly emotive. As they spill over from research into practice, participants become people. Findings have real-world implications in terms of access to support and self-esteem. However, the fevered focus on terminology may take attention away from what would be a far greater prize: systemic change that ensures all educational environments support students to flourish. Advocacy groups work tirelessly to stand up for pupils who do not receive the support they require. A solid label provides a strong focal point. A soundly constructed, medically-defined senmagazine.co.uk

Dyslexia

About the author Dr Jamie Galpin is an Education Officer at nasen, a charity that supports and champions those working with, and for, children and young people with SEND and learning differences. @nasen_org

“Children labelled with dyslexia hold lower beliefs about their academic ability” There are further unintended consequences around the need for defined groups, both for those who do and do not receive diagnoses. For those who do, there may be less chance of being perceived as unintelligent or lazy – a benefit that is hard to dispute given the relief it can bring in helping people understand their own struggles. However, the fragility of such legitimacy is brought into relief when questions arise around the validity of the diagnosis. category (‘dyslexia’ as opposed to ‘reading disability’) can effectively tackle normative misconceptions that reading difficulties are an indicator of laziness or low intelligence. However, too great a focus on categorical definitions can lead to these difficulties becoming pathologised. An abundance of effort goes into strengthening the legitimacy of the diagnosis through searches for markers of distinction. New barriers to support may then arise as certain groups become increasingly situated outside the norm. Teachers can feel less skilled to support such a group, and a ‘normal’ school is no longer deemed able to meet these distinct, special needs. Rather than the validity of the norm being questioned, labels can serve to reinforce the misconception that there is a normal child and a normal way of learning. Inherent variability becomes translated into disorders or deficits. Implicit here is the idea that diagnoses explain something undesirable. When the focus is an individual biological problem, labels can unintentionally serve to reinforce ‘normalcy’ as a legitimate concept. One could argue, for example, that dyslexia necessitates an acceptance of normative assumptions of literacy. The normal child is a relatively modern creation, only appearing in the last century or so – and yet it is rarely questioned. senmagazine.co.uk

Efforts to address this fragility through the search for more ‘concrete’ biological explanations lead to further problems. Framing a difference as being within the brain, or referring to a neurologist as part of a diagnostic process, implies a neural basis for deviation from the norm – i.e. an abnormal brain. Such biological, essentialist explanations can lead to a fatalistic response to experiences of challenge. These can be pathologised through an individualistic, deficit-explanation and lead to a diminished self-concept. These explanations may also lead to negative perceptions amongst staff in schools, with recent research indicating that children labelled with dyslexia hold lower beliefs about their academic ability than peers without the label. Parents and teachers echo this perception (Knight, 2021). Those who do not receive diagnoses may be spared the low expectations brought by the dyslexia label, though this group of struggling readers will still sit outside the norm because typically reading should not be such a struggle. Other labels may be deployed to explain their failure to learn as they should:

SEN114

Dyslexia

lazy, defiant, no boundaries at home. These labels can become internalised, self-fulfilling prophecies, and arguably lead to even greater negative outcomes, both practical and perceptual, than those whose struggle is translated into dyslexia. Furthermore, they are less likely to receive the support they need. Efforts to understand how dyslexics differ from others who struggle in similar areas reinforce the difficulty in untangling a complex interplay of factors. As the 2019 All Parliamentary Group for Dyslexia and Specific Learning Difficulties reported, “Whilst there may be some commonalities associated with dyslexia, each individual is likely to be different.” (Hodgson, Addington & Smith, 2019, p.7.) This understanding represents an important paradigm shift, a recognition of the inherent variability within all people – our unity in our diversity – and a move away from binary representations of normal/abnormal. This position was brought to public awareness as a result of the neurodiversity movement. In academia, transdiagnostic (i.e. human) approaches are recognised as a better way of understanding strengths and needs (Astle, Holmes, Kievit & Gathercole, 2021). They embrace the complexities around interactive biopsychosocial development. In light of this, single diagnostic pathways founded upon a binary divide between The Norm and The Different, are understandably unstable, with increasing uncertainties around validity affecting diagnostic confidence.

“Consider whether it is ethically acceptable to sort students into differently labelled jars” Inconsistent practices relating to diagnosis, including evidence that contextual factors such as socio-economic status can strongly influence the likelihood of receiving a diagnosis (Macdonald & Deacon, 2019) call the viability and utility of differential diagnoses into question. In the current educational context, where access to support is often predicated on diagnosis, we must consider whether it is ethically acceptable to sort students into differently labelled jars – particularly if the goal we are striving for is the advancement of equity for all. The question is: where do we go from here? In a blog post on a similar topic, written over a decade ago, developmental neuropsychologist Professor Dorothy Bishop noted that we seem to be “stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place”. What has perhaps shifted in the last decade is our faith in the norm. The proliferation of labels, and greater awareness of inherent variability, has brought ‘normal’ into the spotlight. As more children and young people are situated outside it, normal becomes the outlier. Rather than highlighting how certain groups differ, we should recognise that we are all different. Support does not have to be better for any one group: it must be better for everyone. It is by ending our current concept of normal that we end the name game. It is not in doubt that there are children and young people who have significant difficulties with certain ways of learning, but this should be recognised as normal. That is not to trivialise their needs, but bring them back into the realm of universals. From this position we see that “dyslexia is an experience that arises out of natural human diversity” (Cooper, 2006, p.24). If we understand and appreciate “the vast natural differences that exist from one brain to another” (Armstrong, 2010, p.3), then no child requires a label to legitimise their unique strengths and needs. We can progress from focusing on the piecemeal adoption of isolated interventions. We can change how we conceptualise and deliver education to allow every child and young person to flourish. Then debates around “what’s in a name” can fade, replaced by a focus on how to ensure that the starting point for everyone’s education is an understanding of the individual.

■ Letter sorting.

SEN114

A good place to start: “What’s your name?” senmagazine.co.uk

Dyslexia

Speaking and writing quietly into the abyss: SEND and inclusion training for teachers Dr Helen Ross discusses the deficiencies in teacher training and considers what can be done about the situation.

n recent weeks, my email inbox has been pinging off the metaphorical wall, with notifications and reminders for me to sign, or follow or share a particular petition. The aims and spirit behind the petition are laudable: better training around special needs and disability for all those who work in schools. I wholly agree that we all need training, whether working front of house on reception, serving lunches or directly educating young people. Almost invariably, those working in schools interact with children and young people. However, that we need such a petition in 2021 is alarming. Has nothing changed since 1978 and the Warnock report?

Teacher training and education frameworks Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and training is undergoing a seismic shift at present. The Department for Education has suggested that all ITE providers should undergo an accreditation process, whether they are new to provision or have been offering teacher training for a substantial amount of time. There SEN114

“Teachers have long felt that there is inadequate training”

is an argument as to the driving forces behind this process: is it pragmatic, quality assurance or is it ideological censure? Whatever the reasons behind such a proposal, it is something that we as educators, supporting some of the most vulnerable learners in our schools, need to pay attention to. Teachers have long-felt that there is inadequate training as part of ITE programmes, despite the explicit expectation that teachers must “be able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching senmagazine.co.uk

Dyslexia

“Trainees do not receive consistent quality or duration of input in SEND provision”

About the author Dr Helen Ross is a fully qualified special needs teacher and former SENCO, currently working in a mainstream school in Wiltshire. helensplace.co.uk @drhelenross

approaches to engage and support” learners with SEND. Trainee teachers are also expected to adapt and to meet the needs of their learners. However, many teachers at all careerstages feel ill-equipped and insufficiently trained to do so.

helenlouiseross

Gaps in knowledge and CPD In 2020, I was asked to undertake a review of support structures for young people with specific learning difficulties (SpLD), with specific focus on policy structures, parents and their role, and the professional support available to young people with specific learning difficulties. While I focussed on SpLD, much of what I highlighted could be applied to other areas of need. Teachers do not feel that they have sufficient knowledge to be able to differentiate, or adapt their resources and lesson plans to meet the needs of young people with various needs. Teacher trainees do not receive consistent quality or duration of input in SEND provision. Ofsted acknowledged in 2020 that quality across different types of providers is inconsistent and despite their oversight of provision, Ofsted appears to have done little to mitigate this. They also note that some ITE providers do not have expertise in supporting learners with SEND available to support the trainee teachers as part of their ITE. This is alarming and sadly unsurprising. It seems we have been addressing the same arguments since I started teaching in 2007: better training, funding and resourcing to support young people with SEND. Sadly, when I started teaching, these battles had already been raging for many years. Nothing, it seems, appears to change.

What can we do about it? In 2009, Rose argued that schools should have access to specialist teachers to support students’ literacy development. Those gaps in training continue, 10 years after Rose! I also recommended that schools have access to appropriately trained teachers and that all trainees should receive training on specific learning difficulties (this was the focus of that report). However, I also recommended that SENDCo training should incorporate specialism in one of the four overarching areas of need. Systematically, lobbying and petitions are still needed, hence the ‘pinging’ in my inbox and the work I do within my voluntary roles. However, there are also things that individuals and schools can do within their own teaching practice to support learners with SEND. senmagazine.co.uk

■ Teaching in practice.

• Dyslexia friendly lessons: these are useful for all learners through adaptation of presentation slides and lessons resources. • Schools can activate ‘accessibility’ features in online packages such as Office 365 or on Google Docs etc. • Teachers can make use of free resources on SEND as provided by MOOCs, Seneca, Microsoft Learning etc. • Teachers and schools should continue to work with parents/carers to find what learners need, working on the small things that can be revolutionary in their impact: visual timetables, wriggle breaks, printing on coloured paper etc. These are a few suggestions, but ultimately, we need fundamental structural change in ITE and ongoing training so that full consideration of special educational needs is given. Teachers at all stages of their careers, need comprehensive and ongoing CPD in how to meet learners’ needs so that they can be their best, to support learners to be their best. SEN114

Point of view

Point of view: solicitor

Rehabilitation after a disabling injury Martin Usher outlines the help which may be available when a child needs ongoing care and rehabilitation

he experience of having a child suffer a traumatic or acquired brain injury or another disabling injury following an accident is a daunting time for parents and the litigation process can be overwhelming. The support that is provided by Major Trauma Centres at the acute stage is excellent but the concern for parents arises when the child is being discharged home. Amongst the whirlwind of thoughts and questions that parents ask themselves, the two fundamental questions to be answered are: will my child be OK and; what does the future hold for my child? The litigation process through bringing a personal injury claim is key to both the injured child and their parents. The support that is required can be endless and whilst the resources under the NHS can be limited, the litigation process is there to unlock funds at the outset of the injury suffered which helps to ensure that a smooth pathway is created for the child, from their discharge home to their treatment pathway to ensuring that their education is secured and protected. The litigation process has two pathways, one being the legal pathway (ensuring that compensation is obtained for the child and their families in the future) and of more immediate importance, the rehabilitation pathway, which looks at the SEN114

“The concern for parents arises when the child is being discharged home” immediate and ongoing treatment and educational needs of the child and their families. The rehabilitation pathway derives from The Rehabilitation Code 2015, where essentially 4 key issues are considered at the immediate outset following a traumatic accident: Physical Needs – Ensuring that further therapies are available under private provision if unavailable under the NHS, to improve the outcomes and quality of life of the child including, NeuroRehabilitation; Speech and Language Therapy; Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and more. Social Needs – Ensuring that the pre-accident home is suitable for the child and their families when being discharged home. This can include potential adaptations made if required, renting a suitable home for a certain period of time if required, for example, whilst a child is an inpatient at hospital and the families senmagazine.co.uk

Point of view

need to be close by, and sometimes support with potentially needing to move home completely. Psychological Needs – Ensuring the child has access to support, in the event that the child suffers psychologically following the accident, this can be in the form of experiencing flashbacks or nightmares and even adjustment disorders following the change in their life. This provision also enables access for family members to seek psychological support also and sometimes support being provided to schools and their peers to ensure that the educational piece is there smoothing the injured child’s return to school. Educational Support – This is fundamental and absolutely key to a child within the litigation process. Support from an Educational Psychologist should be sought and access to an Education Lawyer to support the child with applying for an Education, Health and Care Plan. This will assist with understanding the needs of the child and what is most suitable for them in terms of their future educational needs to ensure that should a mainstream school not be suitable for the child following their injury, that access to a Special Educational Needs School is available to them to support their future education and developmental needs. Support with accessing funding for an SEN school and travel is incredibly important hence why an EHCP is absolutely vital to look at when a child has suffered a traumatic / acquired brain injury or another disabling injury. The rehabilitation process comes into play at the outset of the litigation process and should be there to support the child and their families both throughout the duration of the litigation process and once concluded to ensure that ongoing support is available for the child and their families through the various milestones that they will experience through their lifetime. It is key to ensure that at the outset, a clear and bespoke Rehabilitation Programme is produced for each individual child which includes all of the above to ensure that a holistic approach both with respect to the child’s ongoing recovery and their future education and developmental needs are met. The litigation process can also allow us to be creative in terms of ongoing support that we can obtain for a child having suffered a traumatic injury. Once a rehabilitation programme is arranged, as rehabilitation outcomes and goals are met, the programme will be adapted to those improved outcomes and ensure that future ongoing needs are highlighted and support is received. It is key to be bespoke to each child, to ensure that their passion for certain subjects or interests are highlighted and catered for through various therapies that are available, including music therapy, art therapy and sport therapy etc. It is extremely pleasing to see Barbara Keely MP very recently advocating for people with complex and long-term health conditions to be supported and receive long term rehabilitation to ensure that people are well cared for and this is exactly senmagazine.co.uk

About the author Martin Usher is a partner in the personal injury team at Lime Solicitors. limesolicitors.co.uk

what the purpose of the litigation process is there for and we are very much in support of Barbara Keely MP’s views on this. Whilst unfortunately there is not always a legal pathway available for children who may have suffered an acquired or traumatic brain injury or another disabling injury, the rehabilitation pathway is still absolutely vital. This can be achieved by accessing support through various charities, including The Child Brain Injury Trust and Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People. The Child Brain Injury Trust provides support for those children who have suffered either an acquired or traumatic brain injury with signposting and guidance that is provided to both the child and their families to ensure they have access to support. The Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People places a spotlight on the intricate and specific care patients need after suffering severe injuries, the centre offers speech and language therapists, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, as well as specialist nurses and care staff. At Lime Solicitors, we pride ourselves with supporting children who are victims of a disabling injury in circumstances where that injury has been sustained as a result of someone else’s fault and have a personable approach to supporting the injured child and their families. For those who may not have access to the litigation process, it is extremely important to ensure that all children that have suffered a disabling injury have access to support to ensure that their future pathway, including their health, education and development is supported and their quality of life is improved as best as possible. To achieve this goal we must provide as much support as possible to those charities who continue to do fantastic work to support children who have suffered a disabling injury.

Has this article inspired you or given you pause for thought? Your ideas and comments would be welcome. Email editor@senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

SEN law

Trying to get back to normal As we now start a third school year living with the Covid-19 pandemic, Douglas Silas summarises its impact on children and young people with SEN.

t is now a widely held view that children and young people with SEN and Disability (SEND) have been disproportionately affected as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic (although I accept that those without SEND have also suffered greatly).

“SEN and Disability (SEND) have been disproportionately affected”

In this issue, I am going to try and summarise some things that have happened and also try to look to the future.

What happened during the first major lockdown in Spring 2020? Although increasing concerns were being expressed from the start of the Spring term in January 2020, it was not until the last week of March 2020 when schools, colleges and other educational establishments were either closed or restricted in numbers. Theoretically, mainstream placements were then closed to all but children and young people of key workers and children considered to be ‘vulnerable’ (including those with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)). At the same time, the Government (through the Department for Education [DfE]) asked special schools to stay open. SEN114

However, practically, many children and young people with SEN were not able to attend and were unable to access online learning that was provided. Also, many parents (particularly of children with EHCPs), chose not to send them to school, due to safety or educational concerns. Paradoxically, there were then reports of some children and young people with SEN being less anxious than before, due to there being no pressure on them to be at school or college. At the same time, appeals to the SEND Tribunal (which had been rising significantly in previous years) were the first to move successfully to video hearings. Oh, and Joe Wicks became a household name with his online PE classes to try to help children stay active! senmagazine.co.uk

SEN law

“Time out of school was detrimental for children’s cognitive and academic development”

About the author Specialist SEN solicitor Douglas Silas is the Managing Director of Douglas Silas Solicitors. SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

What happened by Summer 2020? By the Summer term of 2020, some year groups were allowed to return to formal education in ‘bubbles’. There was new ‘guidance’ being issued regularly by the DfE. It was quite hard for both teachers and parents to keep up with what they could or had to do, as rules seemed to be changing constantly. By now there was also a clear ‘digital divide’ between those families who could afford technology to help children and young people access online learning and those who could not (although many schools were trying to help as many families as possible by lending them laptops or tablets). From a legal point of view, there were relaxations to deadlines for Local Authorities (LAs) considering EHC needs assessment requests and concerns expressed by many when the Government (under the Coronavirus Act 2020) also temporarily amended the absolute duty to make the provision in an EHCP a ‘reasonable endeavours’ duty.  This meant that, during the specified period, Local Authorities (LAs) only needed to do whatever they reasonably could do to put provision in place, but if they could not, they would not automatically be breaking the law. Oh, and Marcus Rashford became a household name for campaigning about child hunger, getting the Government to change their policy and extend free school meals for children during the summer holidays!

What happened in September 2020? By September 2020, all schools and colleges were reopened, with the Government now saying that returning was vital for children and young people’s education and wellbeing. Arguing that time out of school was detrimental for children’s cognitive and academic development, particularly for disadvantaged children. From a legal point of view, the absolute duty to secure the special educational provision specified in an EHCP plan came back into force. Although guidance acknowledged that there could be occasions where EHC needs assessments or annual reviews had to be carried out slightly differently.

@douglassilas

in January 2021, many were closed again, due to rapidly increasing Covid-19 numbers. This time though, many parents were sending their children into school or college if they could. Schools and colleges re-opened fully in March, but by then there was now clear concern about missed education, with headlines like: • Covid-hit pupils ‘should be allowed to repeat a year’ • One in four UK young people have felt ‘unable to cope’ in pandemic • Behind closed bedroom doors, a teenage mental health crisis is brewing From a legal point of view, nothing really changed, although there was now even more guidance issued by the DfE(!)

What does the future hold? I would be a fool again to try and predict what is going to happen in the next few months, given the incredible things that have happened in the past year and a half. However, one thing is very clear as I have already said, many children and young people with SEND have been significantly and disproportionately impacted by Covid-19. As I write this, just after the summer break has started, we still have to wait and see about the benefits of ’summer schools’ and ‘catch-up funding’, meant to support children and young people to catch up on missed learning caused by Covid-19, especially important for vulnerable pupils with SEN.

Not exactly, no...

Finally, from a legal point of view, I have noticed an increase in the past year in the number of parents seeking an EHCP or specialist school/college placement for their child with SEN. I am also seeing many arguments being made for children and young people being allowed to redo a year or stay on for an extra year of their education.

Although schools and colleges went back in the Autumn term in September 2020, after just one day back in the Spring term

One thing that I am fairly certain of is that there is going to be a lot more fallout from Covid-19.

So schools and colleges stayed open after this?

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

SEN law

Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments: always look to the law Kathryn Saban helps you navigate the process where a child or young person is struggling with their attainment or requires a greater level of support for their education

ducation, Health and Care Needs Assessment (‘EHC needs assessments’) are formal assessments arranged by the Local Authority in order to assess a child or young person’s education, health and social care needs. There are many myths surrounding the process for securing an EHC needs assessment but it is important that decisions made by a Local Authority are only based upon the stipulations set out in law.

What does the law state? The relevant law to be considered is found in Section 36(8) Children and Families Act 2014. This sets out two requirements. If both requirements can be answered positively, then an EHC needs assessment must be carried out by the Local Authority. The two requirements are: (a) the child or young person has or may have special educational needs (‘SEN’), and (b) it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made for the child or young person in accordance with an Education Health and Care Plan (‘EHC Plan’). SEN114

“Many myths surround the process for securing an EHC needs assessment” Requirement One: The child or young person has or may have special educational needs The legal test for carrying out an EHC needs assessment has a low threshold. The first requirement states that a child should have or ‘may’ have SEN. This therefore does not stipulate that a child/young person must have a formal medical diagnosis, nor does it require a pre-existing full understanding of a child or young person’s SEN; after all, the purpose of the EHC needs assessment is to determine the nature and extent of the SEN that a child or young person has. The legal definition for what constitutes ‘SEN’ is set out in Section 20 (1) Children and Families Act 2014 which states ‘A senmagazine.co.uk

SEN law

“Demonstrating the difficulties faced with accessing education or training is essential” child or young person has special educational needs if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her.’ A ’learning difficulty’ is defined in law as ‘a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age’, or ‘a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions’ (as detailed in Section 20(2) Children and Families Act 2014). The concept of what is ‘special educational provision’ is considered under requirement two (below). When making a request for an EHC needs assessment, it is important to consider what information the Local Authority may need from you. In order to satisfy requirement one, if your child or the young person already has identified SEN this should be detailed in your request, enclosing any supporting reports (such as recent school or college reports, medical letters, or evidence of professional involvement). If your child or the young person ‘may’ have special educational needs, it is vital to detail the needs that you consider your child or the young person has, and stipulate the areas of need that require further investigation. Demonstrating the difficulties faced with accessing education or training is essential.

Requirement Two: It may be necessary for special educational provision to be made for the child or young person in accordance with an EHC plan. The second requirement in the legal test as to whether an EHC needs assessment is needed is that it ‘may be necessary’ for a child to receive special educational provision through an EHC Plan. Again, this is a low threshold. It only has to be satisfied that an ‘EHC Plan’ ‘may’ be necessary, not that an EHC Plan is definitely required. Again, the purpose of the EHC needs assessment process is to assess the level and specificity of the provision a person needs. Special educational provision is defined in Section 21 Children and Families Act 2014 as educational or training provision that is additional to, or different from, that made generally for others of the same age. The key term here is that the child or young person requires support with their education and/ or training. If a child needs support for their health and social care needs, but this does not impact on their education and training needs, then that support would not constitute special educational provision. senmagazine.co.uk

About the author Kathryn Saban is a Solicitor and Lecturer at Lancaster University Law School, specialising in education law and clinical legal education. She co-directs Lancaster University’s Law Clinic. @KathrynSabanLaw @LancUniLaw

In a request, you would need to show that the level of support required is greater than a school or college can provide. This could include that specialist support, small group teaching, specialist teachers or therapeutic sessions (such as support from a speech and language or occupational therapist) is needed.

Myth Buster Any other ‘test’ or policy that is used, that does not specifically follow the requirements of the law, or sets a higher threshold, should not be followed. A common myth is that in order for an EHC needs assessment to be carried out a child or young person has to have already been assessed by an Educational Psychologist. This is not the case and there is no requirement in law for this. Another common myth is that a school must have had at least two years of arranging their own specialist support for the child, before an assessment should be requested. Again, this is not stipulated in the law, so cannot be used as a reason not to carry out an EHC needs assessment. Parents may be told that ‘the Local Authority in our area does not carry out EHC needs assessment’. However, it would be unlawful if a Local Authority had a blanket policy to never carry out EHC needs assessments.

Who can make a request for an EHC needs assessment? Parents of children between the ages of 0-16 years and young people between the age of 16-25 can apply. Parents, however, can make a request for a young person who does not have the mental capacity to make a request themselves.

The Application Requests should be made in writing and addressed to the Director of Children’s Services at your Local Authority. Some Local Authorities ask for requests to be made using their

SEN114

SEN law

specific form (usually found on their website), but a letter will also suffice. It is advisable to date any request and send it by a method of recorded delivery (so that you can ensure that the request is received by the Local Authority and in order to keep an eye on the deadline for a response). The Local Authority should respond to a request for an EHC needs assessment within six weeks of receiving it.

What happens if the request is rejected? If a Local Authority refuses to carry out an EHC needs assessment, then they must write to you explaining this decision. Within the decision letter, the Local Authority must inform you of your right to appeal against the decision. Any appeal is made to an independent tribunal called the First-Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). Before appealing, parents/young people should consider whether they wish to engage in mediation with the Local Authority. You are not required to engage in mediation, but this process must at least be considered. The mediation service (detailed on your decision letter) will issue a mediation certificate which then allows you to make an appeal. Appeals must reach the tribunal within two months of the decision letter, or one month from the mediation certificate, whichever date is later. If the Local Authority refuses a request by a young person, any appeal should be made by the young person (a parent can support a young person who does not have the mental capacity to make the appeal, but the appeal should be in the young person’s name).

What happens if the Local Authority agrees to carry out the EHC needs assessment? The Local Authority in agreeing to carry out an EHC needs assessment, should therefore arrange for a variety of professionals to assess. The Local Authority should gather evidence from: the school/college, the parent or young person, an educational psychologist, medical advice from a health care professional, social care advice and advice from any other person the Local Authority deems appropriate. The Local Authority should also seek advice from any person the parent or young person reasonably requests (this could be for example, a speech and language therapist, a specialist teacher or an occupational therapist). In addition, where a child or young person has a hearing impairment and/or a visual impairment, the Local Authority should seek educational advice from a suitably qualified person. At the end of the EHC needs assessment, the Local Authority must determine whether to issue an EHC Plan, and a further decision letter setting out the decision made should be sent to the parent or young person.

Concluding thoughts Deciding whether to make a request for an EHC needs assessment can be a difficult and stressful decision to make. However, it is important not to listen to the myths that surround this process. All Local Authorities must adhere to the two requirements set out in law in Section 36(8) Children and Families Act 2014, and a higher threshold than what is required in law, should not be put in place when decision making.

■ Assessing needs.

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

Adoption

Supporting adopted children in school Jane Poore and Hetty Verhagen provide tips for making school a better experience for adopted children.

ost children who are adopted in the UK, were removed from their birth parents’ care through child protection procedures. Some were in foster care from when they were born, while others started life with their birth families and have vivid memories of this time. The reasons why children come into care are complex. Many have had early traumatic experiences due to abuse, neglect, domestic abuse or parental alcohol and substance abuse. Parental mental health, learning disabilities and poverty often also play an important part in the children’s histories. While we focus on adopted children in this article, many of the issues discussed are also applicable to children living with kinship and foster carers. Adopted children have all experienced significant losses. At the very least they have lost their birth family and foster carers. If we understand attachment as a “lasting psychological connectedness” between a child and their caregiver, it is easy to see that these losses can have a disruptive effect on the development of a child’s attachments. They may unconsciously feel that adults cannot be trusted and might one day leave them. School can therefore be a ‘big ask’, because they are being required to trust and follow adults. The learning process itself, engaging in curiosity, requires a child to feel safe and free to express themselves. It is hardly surprising that learning takes a back seat when the ‘primitive brain’- the parts that govern our fear responses such as fight, flight, and freeze – is in survival mode and the child does not feel safe.

SEN114

Because many adopted children have experienced hurt in their early relationships, positive relationships with adults in school can be a very powerful part of their recovery. Adults who are willing to really get to know them are one of the most important resources an adopted child can have in school. Adults who recognise that underneath behaviour that may look distracted, disruptive, or even aggressive, there is a frightened child, trying to survive. Someone to reassure them that whatever happened today, tomorrow is always a new day. Somebody to help puzzle out friendship issues, as friendships may be complicated by low self-esteem, a need to control (often misunderstood as “bossy” or “manipulating”) and underdeveloped friendship skills. Adoptive parents have the difficult task of choosing the best school for their child; one which will support them to reach their educational potential through an understanding of their emotional needs. Adoptive parents will be looking for schools that can demonstrate a thorough understanding of the impact of trauma and loss, where attachment principles are firmly embedded within policies. They may choose a school with experience in teaching children who are adopted or in the care system over the highest performing schools. Whole school training on the impact of trauma and attachment disruptions is often helpful. We recommend that each adult in school access this training, as everyone in the setting has a role to play in showing the child that they are safe and valued in school. This training might be provided by Regional senmagazine.co.uk

Adoption

“Create a culture of shame resilience by normalising making mistakes” Adoption Agencies (RAA), Voluntary Adoption Agencies or other organisations specialising in adoption support. Pupil Premium Plus is available for adopted children and can be used to fund training. Adoptive families in England can also access funding via the Adoption Support Fund (ASF). Schools cannot apply for this funding directly but can advise parents to contact their RAA or local authority adoption service to request an assessment of their family’s adoption support needs, which may lead to an application to the ASF. Eligible therapeutic interventions include therapeutic parenting courses, creative art therapy, EMDR, play therapy and many other kinds of therapeutic interventions, but not educational support. For some children who are moving to a new home, school can be a place of safety and routine at a time when everything else in their life has changed. In these cases, it would be appropriate to start at their new school soon after joining their adoptive family. In most cases however, it is important to wait until a child has begun to form attachments in their new family before asking them to handle the demands of a new school environment. A period out of school, with a phased start or reduced timetable may be appropriate for these children. Early experiences of trauma and loss can have an impact on children’s emotional development. They may have missed out on developmental opportunities due to the disruptions in their early lives and may therefore present as emotionally younger than their chronological years, particularly at times of challenge and change. Rather than urging the child to show maturity, it is often more beneficial to consider strategies that may be associated with younger children. Some children with complicated attachment histories may have an unconscious need to remind the adults around them that they exist. They know that they need adults to survive but cannot trust them to be there when they need them. They may ask lots of questions; try to stay close to trusted adults or may even seem to be disruptive, all in an unconscious attempt to hold the adult’s attention. Other children may have learned very early on that they cannot expect much from others, and that they can only survive by meeting their own needs. They may seem quiet, reluctant to ask for help and at times may even seem invisible in the classroom. They may have outburst that seem to come from nowhere, because they are so skilled at hiding their emotions until they become impossible to contain. senmagazine.co.uk

About the authors Jane Poore Adoption Development Consultant Jane joined CoramBAAF in 2021 as a qualified Social Worker with over 15 years’ experience.

Hetty Verhagen CoramBAAF Training and Consultancy Manager Hetty is a therapeutic social worker with over 10 years of experience of working in adoption and kinship care support services. Hetty has a particular interest in helping children and young people to overcome experiences of trauma.

Some children who have experienced early trauma might have a strong need to control their environment, because their brain tells them that danger is always just around the corner. Even a slight change to the normal routine can feel like evidence that the adults in school cannot be trusted. These early experiences can also contribute to a sense of high level of shame, sometimes known as “toxic shame”. Adopted children may struggle to make sense of consequences due to lack of consistent routines in their early lives. They may see their own behaviour and the subsequent consequence as two separate events. This means that common behavioural strategies, such as the traffic light system, or loss of privileges, may not have the desired outcome, as these may instead be experienced as another rejection. To reduce overwhelming feelings of shame, it can be helpful to be very clear about expectations in school. Acknowledge when children are following rules correctly, not just when they are breaking a rule. Schools can create a culture of shame resilience by normalising making mistakes and modelling how to cope when things go wrong. Adoptive parents attend preparation training prior to adoption and many parents and carers continue to access training and support after the child moves in. Parents and carers can therefore be a great source of information on meeting the needs of children living with the continued impact of early trauma, as well as living with the complexities of not growing up in a birth family. If the adults support each other to build effective relationships with the child, adopted children have the best chance of feeling safe and thriving in school. SEN114

Adoption

Grow your family with us. At Adoption Counts, we will be by your side all the way. Adoption is life-changing. adoptioncounts.org.uk

Regional Adoption Agency. A collaboration of:

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

SEBD

Bringing emotional wellbeing into the classroom Donna Hill argues that the whole school approach to the wellbeing of pupils is more important than ever.

or many children, the pandemic will have negatively affected their lives as they face social isolation, loss of learning, diminished physical health and a lack of routine or structure that brings a feeling of safety and order to their daily lives.

A significant number may not be consciously aware that the stresses experienced during successive lockdowns will have changed the way they interact socially, particularly for the very young. For some, dealing with groups of people outside the family unit will now trigger anxiety where none existed before. Even before the pandemic, mental health and wellbeing was due to play a bigger part of a school curriculum but the events of the last 18 months have only served to underline its importance.

“Pupils who are emotionally healthy do better at school”

As Dr Carol Homden, CEO of Coram and Chair of the National Autistic Society, says: “While we work to rebuild and recover out of the pandemic, the PSHE curriculum will be even more crucial in supporting children who have suffered learning loss and disrupted social relationships over the last year or more. And for children with a SEN diagnosis this is even more critical” Children’s wellbeing and their academic education shouldn’t be seen as conflicting priorities – in fact research shows that they are integral to each other. The Department for Education recognises that “in order to help their pupils succeed; schools have a role to play in supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy”. (Department for Education guidance 2015)

A number of issues can impact pupils’ ability to successfully engage in education. Poor mental health, anxiety, and unhealthy relationships are key factors. A strong PSHE curriculum supports the well-being of children and young people, in turn, enabling them to achieve their potential. A growing body of research shows that pupils who are emotionally healthy do better at school. The Children’s society annual ‘Good childhood report 2020’, shows a dramatic decline in the mental health of young people. The data paints a gloomy picture of a decline of happiness felt by young people in key areas of their life. This must be addressed. There are numerous studies calling for immediate action to provide support to schools, putting education at the heart of the solution. Currently the debate is raging around money being made available for recovery – we believe that this is a vital investment for the nation’s future, and that PSHE funding must be at the heart of the programme. senmagazine.co.uk

This is further supported by the government’s decision to embed Personal, Social, Health and Economic education in the school curriculum with the introduction of statutory Relationships & Health Education in September 2020 for Key stages 1 & 2, and Relationships, Health and Sex Education in Key stages 3 & 4. The DfE acknowledges that these outcomes are best delivered within the wider PSHE curriculum.

So how do schools ensure their PSHE provision meets the needs of their pupils? PSHE education makes a crucial contribution to schools’ responsibilities for pupil wellbeing. The impact, when done well, can be life-changing. PSHE education supports a three-strand approach to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes pupils need to thrive as individuals and members of society. A values-based curriculum enables pupils to live healthy and fulfilling lives, secure in the knowledge that pupils have developed the skills and independence necessary to engage fully in an ever more connected and challenging world. Those of us who work in

SEN114

SEBD

education are privileged to be instrumental in building these foundations, to support lifelong emotional health and wellbeing. Andre Bailey, Headteacher of Nightingale Community Academy, London said: “In good schools, where agreement around the personal development of children is well established, mental wellbeing and resilience are explicitly measured and taught. The tools and the language vary but the rationale is clear: children who can articulate their feelings, make mistakes and recover and build trusting relationships thrive. This cannot happen without school-wide processes that train staff to be more attuned to their own mental wellbeing and that of the children”. PSHE done well is not a fixed tick list of topics. It is a flexible resource, designed to help children and young adults navigate through their life. The Education Act 2002 requires all schools to teach a curriculum that is ‘broadly based, balanced and meets the needs of pupils’. When a school is developing their intent statement for their PSHE curriculum it will reflect on these overarching key elements, their own school’s values, balanced with the specific needs of their pupils.

A whole school approach to PSHE It is widely recognised that a child’s emotional health and wellbeing influences their cognitive development and learning as well as their physical and social health and their mental wellbeing in adulthood.

About the author Donna Hill, Education Business Development Manager Coram Life Education & SCARF coramlifeeducation.org.uk @coramlifeeducation

CoramLifeEducation

and have been identified in Public Health England’s ‘Promoting children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing: A whole school approach’ (PHE, 2015) as providing an excellent framework for building your whole school approach to wellbeing. A whole school approach starts with the child. Key questions to discuss:• What do we want for the children in our school? • How do our values support our objective? • How are we providing visible leadership to promote emotional health and wellbeing?

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England advises that all schools should be supported to adopt a comprehensive, ‘whole school’ approach to promoting the social and emotional wellbeing of young people.

A mentally healthy school involves the school network working together. Collaboration between senior leaders, teachers and all staff, as well as parents, carers and the wider community. When delivered well, PSHE has a significant impact on all outcomes for pupils, particularly the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

Such an approach moves beyond academic learning but has been found to be effective in sustaining health benefits. Eight key principles underpin an effective whole-school approach

Now is the time to bring together the skills and resources in education to help schools bring emotional wellbeing into the classroom and into the centre of children’s lives.

■ Happy pupils.

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

SEBD

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

SEMH

Creating a culture to support SEMH needs Donna Gale-Page, CEO of SENDEducation & Pathway2Independence, and Kerryn Thomas, SENDCo of The Romsey School discuss their thoughts on ‘Creating a culture to support SEMH needs’.

school needs to be so much more than an institution for educating children; as school leaders we aspire to create communities that meet the needs of the children, families and staff we work alongside. School-age children spend almost 25% of their waking life in the school environment: we know that to succeed and make the most of their potential schools need to be welcoming, safe places where students, and staff alike, feel supported and are able to thrive. Our students with SEMH needs can be some of the more difficult to work with, disaffected due to trauma, special educational and mental health needs. The headline figures for this year are 15.9% of students are categorised as SEND. The second largest group within the SEND category is SEMH (240,000 children). Support for these students needs to be carefully considered - their environment, curriculum, interventions and most importantly the school ethos that underpins the values of all within the community. Schools tread the fine tightrope of balancing the needs of the individual against the needs of the school; this has never been more important when dealing with SEMH, especially in the wake of a year of uncertainty and global crisis.

“The frontline in mental health support for our students and families” It is estimated that 1 in 10 children have a diagnosable mental health need. 1 in 4 show evidence of mental ill health, including depression and anxiety. Speaking to school leaders and teachers, this estimate is growing daily; this at a time when services and resources are overwhelmed due to the social, employment and financial impact of the last 18 months. As schools we are the frontline in mental health support for our students and families: signposting and referrals are not enough in the current climate.

How do we create a culture to support SEMH needs? Identifying the needs SEMH needs come in different shapes and sizes. Prompt identification is key to support. Unmet needs in critical areas such as mental health, self-esteem and anxieties can widen progress and developmental gaps to ‘Grand Canyon’ sized crevices within the fabric of our children’s health and future aspirations. Once a need has been identified, we must carefully monitor the holistic progress of the individuals - tracking not just academic progress but the complexities of personal development. Without focus on independence, health and wellbeing, daily living skills, communication and social skills, students will be unable to apply the academic knowledge they have gained. The graduated approach provides a structure promoting inclusion and success for all. Early identification is key. Staff awareness of behaviours that may reflect underlying mental health difficulties is vital, alongside clear processes to support following the “Assess, Plan, Do, Review” model. Consistency of whole school message Every school has a vision, value or mission statement - most follow a three-word format, much like the ‘hands - space face’ message we all know verbatim. In fact, the repeated

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

SEMH

“What can make a big difference is not necessarily expensive or unrealistic” COVID message has shown us that catchy messaging catches on - everyone knows it, everyone lives it. A school’s vision is much the same. Three words that can be powerful if they are ‘lived experience’. Annie Eagle, Head teacher of The Romsey School shares how she created a school vision to support the needs of the whole school community: “To build a vision that’s fit for purpose for the 21st century school, I started by working out my own personal purpose, or my ‘why’ as per Simon Sinek. For me, the heart of a school which can meet all students’ needs is one of utmost care. That school cares whilst maintaining the highest of expectations for, and belief in, all young people succeeding. Two words resonated in this regard-‘Compassionate Excellence’. The next steps were to ensure that this vision was coconstructed with colleagues and community. To effect long-term change and to take people with me, I knew I needed to develop a vision that was truly shared. We set about engaging the staff body in a ‘what three words’ exercise. Colleagues chose three words they felt described a school of compassionate excellence, and encapsulated The Romsey School of the future. Aspire, Care, Include Each colleague has contributed to this vision, and each word within this vision has great value. It’s taken a year. In some ways it isn’t the final vision that matters as much as the enlightening discussions we’ve had along the way. At times some colleagues may have considered why I was ‘still talking about those three words’ but it’s been fascinating to discuss our purpose as a school. This has enabled us to unpick our belief systems. We’ve spent considerable time considering what ‘aspire’ ‘care’ and ‘include’ really mean to us at Romsey. Eventually we have established what we all share as common goals. The aim of the vision is to establish a coherent approach moving forward to meet all of our students’ needs and ensure they are ready to ‘rise to the challenges of their future’. I am confident we have made strides forward in this regard, despite the pandemic.” Annie’s cultural change, through her collaborative vision shaping, will support the children and communities she works with. Vision informs and shapes culture, culture leads to consistency and coherence. Consistency and coherence leads to change - change for the better. Matching need to provision Young people report that what can make a big difference is not necessarily expensive or unrealistic. A point of contact, a place senmagazine.co.uk

About the authors Donna Gale-Page is CEO of SendEducation and Pathway2Independence. Donna is a former headteacher and educational consultant.

Kerryn Thomas is the SENCo at The Romsey School in Hampshire. After starting her career in South Africa she has been working in the UK for over 20 years.

to go and staff awareness of need. Staff must show they care, and understand that behaviour stems from need. In lessons, opportunities will present to model teamwork and emotional intelligence. Schools also need to involve, inform and support parents if interventions are to be successful and embedded. Gauging the correct level of intervention is vital. In every school, universal interventions aimed at all students will benefit. Targeted interventions, aimed at some students, will be needed to supplement this and specialist interventions will be needed for a few. On a whole-school level, coaching methods can support staff to develop and improve both their resilience and their practice through reflection and joint learning. Consider mindfulness training for staff and students, restorative approaches, access to exercise, food and water. Question if the school needs to revisit their behaviour policy: is it fit for purpose? On a more targeted level, the PACE model, Attachment Based mentoring, Emotion Coaching, ELSA, Motivational Interviewing, positive behaviour support, active reflective listening, nurture groups and group based therapies can be offered. For the few students in need of more specialist intervention, funding may need to be diverted. I hear the cries of “easier said than done” - but, some things are out of our control and our area of expertise. We return to the phrase from earlier - “Schools tread the fine tightrope of balancing the needs of the individual against the needs of the school”. The most important aspect in building a culture to support SEMH needs is to know, live and experience those needs. It’s more than a policy or a set of procedures - this is someone’s life and someone’s future. You need to unpick the behaviours and target the need, using the whole school vision or ethos to make sure every member of the community feels supported; supported in providing the provision and supported by the provision. SEN114

SEMH

Applying mentally healthy schools resources Rahi Popat reflects on the values and practical approaches of his school, and how the Mentally Healthy Schools resource hub has supported their efforts to better understand and nurture their pupils.

ocial, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) is a term that describes a range of difficulties. You’re most likely to hear it when discussing a young person’s ‘naughty’ or ‘bad’ behaviour. But that behaviour is just the symptom – SEBD students actually have a huge variety of needs and are facing a wide range of issues, and a vital part of my job is working to understand what’s really going on with a student. It’s easy to apply a label like behavioural difficulties, but once you scratch beneath the surface, you often see that there are so many things that could be causing the behaviour. It could be something in their environment or things going on at home. As we build a relationship with the student we can understand them better, help them manage their emotions and behaviour, and become more self-aware and self-reflective. A student might also have issues such as ADHD, autism, sensory, medical or cognitive difficulties. Such issues can be the catalyst that makes the student display SEBD. We have to strip back the behaviour and look at the layers, and see what is causing them to behave that way. Sometimes it’s a cry for help, and the behaviour is just the tip of the iceberg. SEN114

“Look at exactly what their needs and difficulties are” A student with SEBD may also have social anxiety or emotional regulation problems. A lot of our pupils struggle to form friendships and relationships. They may have an idea of how to interact with people, but those skills are not honed or developed. We often find that we have to help them regulate their emotions. They might get things out of proportion, or they might be nonverbal or unable to communicate for a host of reasons. If they fall into that bracket, we try to manage the situation using the tools that we have at our disposal. We look at exactly what their needs and difficulties are, and how we can best help that specific child. We’ve found the Mentally Healthy Schools website (mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk) really useful for this senmagazine.co.uk

SEMH

About the author Rahi Popat is a Pastoral Support Officer and Designated Safeguarding Lead at Keyham Lodge School in Leicester for SEN young people. Rahi works as part of an integrated response team. Before joining his current school, Rahi worked with SEBD children in mainstream secondary and primary schools.

key information, and we have regular progress meetings where we share best practice and any concerns we might have. Every child has a passport of information so we all know what works for them; what they enjoy, what triggers them. The Mentally Healthy Schools website has an entire section dedicated to implementing a whole-school approach like ours, which has lots of useful advice for schools to follow.

purpose – resources like the anxiety thermometer or tools for managing emotions can help students understand what they’re feeling and regain control. Our children all have Education and Healthcare Plans, and they have plans for social and emotional aspects as well. We have a nurture class and a nurture teacher, where they can develop basic life skills. We teach them that it is alright to experience strong emotions, and get them thinking about questions like: What does angry look like? How do I form friendships? How do I conduct myself? If I am feeling a certain way, is that OK? Learning about this in nurture class helps normalise their emotions and feelings. We realise that they can’t all sustain five days a week in school, even with a reduced timetable – so we offer a blended approach. The students can do a couple of days a week in school, and on other days they can go offsite and develop other interests. Offsite provision includes a variety of activities like car mechanics, health and beauty, construction, bricklaying or woodwork. We have a field with horses, and the young people can even get a qualification in horse care. We’re aware that their experience before coming to our school probably hasn’t been the best, and we want to ensure they enjoy their education. The staff at the school work very much as a team: the teachers, support staff, office staff and kitchen staff all support each other. We have a morning briefing every day where we share senmagazine.co.uk

Another source of support that has been pivotal has been our involvement in the piloting of the Anna Freud Centre’s Schools Support Service (annafreud.org). It has allowed us to offer teacher wellbeing sessions, and support for the young people. It has given our parents and carers the opportunity to speak to a trained professional and get together with other parents in a group once a week for an hour. It has brought together parents who don’t usually get to speak to each other. We also get support from CAMHS, the local SEND service with an autism unit, and the police, who are very much on board. It would be great to see the Anna Freud Schools Support Service, and similar initiatives, more widely available to other schools in the future. Building nurturing, understanding relationships with the young people in our school helps us to better understand their behaviour. If we can take the time to listen and understand what it is like for a young person with SEBD, it means we can see past the initial behaviour and work to best support them.

To learn more about working with children displaying challenging behaviour, all schools can visit the Anna Freud Centre’s Mentally Healthy Schools website (annafreud.org). There is lots of information about challenging behaviour written for schools, and many resources suitable for all ages in the resource library.

SEN114

SEN products and services

Advertisement feature

Committed to ensuring all young people receive an education of the highest quality, appropriate to need, and irrespective of any special educational needs, disabilities, social or other contextual factors; Lancashire County Council has devised the widely acclaimed assessment tool Performance Indicators for Valued Assessment and Targeted Learning (PIVATS). Used throughout the world, PIVATS provides a structured approach to assessing, planning for learning and measuring small steps. Available in two formats, PIVATS 5 focuses on Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening and Mathematics, while PIVATS PSED aims to narrow the gaps in social and emotional development present in some children. To enable schools to record assessments, set targets and generate reports PIVATS 5 On-line Analysis can also be purchased on subscription. For further details about these and our other resources, come and see us at Stand 95 if you are attending the SEN Show. Alternatively you can visit lancashire.gov.uk/pupiltracker/pivats or contact us on either (01772) 531555 or ADV.PIVATS@lancashire.gov.uk

SEN114

Send Group acquires Read Successfully Limited We are delighted to announce that SEND Group has purchased Read Successfully Limited, the home of Trugs - teaching reading using games. Trugs is an intervention programme based on a structured approach to synthesise phonics.. It has been designed with young people and children in mind making it a fun and competitive game. Every time they play they decode words in order to win stages. Trugs was created by Joanna Jeffery, MA(Ed), Cert Ed, Dip (Dys), AMBDA qualified teacher with over 35 years of experience working in all areas of special educational needs. “We are delighted to carry on the work of Joanna, growing support for those who work within the special educational needs field and young people. By understanding and being severely dyslexic, I know that having fun in a structured way helps to empower everyone to achieve” Arran Smith Send Group Director.

senmagazine.co.uk

Self-harm

Exploring the emotional factors relating to self-harm Beverley Samways argues for a broader perspective when addressing self harming behaviours for those with learning difficulties How we think about behaviour I was with friends and feeling thoughtful as the waiter passed me a latte in a tall, slim glass precariously balanced on a saucer. I reached across the bar and took it with one hand, felt how unstable it was, but somehow couldn’t find the energy or coordination to re-balance it: instead I just let it go with a flick of my hand, splattering the latte wildly as the glass clattered across the tiled floor. I looked at the coffee river in the now silent café.

“Thinking about my emotions in connection to my past and present experiences” I still had some work to do on processing the experience.

‘I just threw that’, I announced. The waiter paused, before replying mildly, ‘did you want another coffee?’ As I sat, slightly bewildered, with my friends drinking my second coffee, they moved quickly from gently teasing me to asking me what had happened. Together, we worked out that my coffeethrowing had a connection to an overwhelming experience from several months ago. The experience had sapped my energy, knocked me off balance, and generally made a mess - a bit like the coffee. As we talked, I felt better, whilst remembering senmagazine.co.uk

Now imagine if my friends had tried to explain my behaviour only in relation to what had happened immediately before: Maybe I didn’t like the coffee? Maybe I didn’t like that café? Maybe the waiter had been mean to me? Imagine if the only place to look for an explanation for my behaviour was right there in that moment, rather than thinking about my emotions in connection to my past and present experiences.

SEN114

Self-harm

for the person to communicate something functional: a physical pain; a sensory need; a desire to escape or avoid something; a need for attention; or to gain a tangible goal, such as food, drink or a preferred activity. These two dominant considerations have impacted practice considerably, so that if a person is displaying self-injury at a concerning level, it is typically responded to biologically through medication and behaviourally with a behaviour plan. Behaviour plans generally require behaviour charts, and behaviour charts typically ask one big question:

What happened just before and just after the person hurt themselves? ■ A cry for help.

How we think about self-harm Self-harm is a prolific concern right now, with around one fifth of fifteen year olds thought to have self-harmed at some point. Self-harm is most commonly related to overwhelming emotions in response to adverse experiences. The overwhelming emotions typically include depression, anxiety, anger, shame, self-hate and hopelessness. These are often a response to adverse experiences that include the loss of a loved one, bullying, academic pressure, familial tension, abuse and trauma. Assessments and treatment for self-harm consider personal factors such as the person’s social situation, state of mind, experiences past and present, and their emotions. However, if the person hurting themselves has a moderate, severe or profound learning disability, a completely different approach is adopted, starting with giving it a different name, usually ‘self-injurious behaviour’ or ‘self-injury’. Self-injury is usually considered a biological issue or a behavioural issue. The biological considerations ask if the self-injury might be the product of a person’s disability. Some syndromes have self-injury correlated strongly with them, such as Lesch Nyhan; self-injury is also a behaviour strongly associated with autism, with around fifty percent of people with autism displaying selfinjury at some point. Self-injury is also considered from a behavioural perspective, usually under the broad umbrella of ‘challenging behaviour’. The behavioural approach considers whether self-injury is a way

“Based on the assumption that behaviour is “triggered” by an event” SEN114

Or what were the ‘antecedents and consequences’ of the behaviour? This is based on the assumption that a behaviour is ‘triggered’ by an event preceding the behaviour – and that the behaviour was used to achieve what happened immediately after the event. For example, Joel is sitting in the lounge. Someone turns on the TV to EastEnders. Joel starts to hit his head. A staff member supports him to his bedroom where he is able to calm down. What triggered Joel’s self-harm? The sights and sounds of the TV. What did Joel’s self-harm achieve? Escape from the sights and sounds of the TV. This approach has many benefits (and it is a far cry from our not-so-distant history of institutionalised care, with interventions including over-medicating and aversive therapies). This functional approach is centred around Joel’s experiences and tries to make sense of Joel’s behaviour and respond accordingly. However, it exclusively focuses on the moment in time: it seeks to make sense of self-injury in relation to what happened just before and just after Joel hurt himself.

And herein lies the problem The small amount of research which asks people with learning disabilities about their own self-harm does not reflect this ‘here and now’ approach. Here are the three things that people with learning disabilities most commonly express in relation to their own self-harm:

Emotional regulation Emotional regulation is about the need that we all have to work at regulating our emotions – we all feel our emotions going up and down to varying degrees, and we all have to learn to tolerate or manage the difficult feelings of loss, anger, disappointment, fear, etc. These emotions have to be processed senmagazine.co.uk

Self-harm

“they experience emotions building up inside them like an internal pressure” or ‘digested’, and we often need help to do this. People with learning disabilities who self-harm have reported that they experience emotions building up inside them, like an internal pressure, leading to them becoming overwhelmed. This mirrors the experiences of people without learning disabilities who hurt themselves.

Adverse experiences People with learning disabilities also report that adverse experiences are related to self-harm, including experiences of abuse and loss. People with learning disabilities are at greater risk of adverse experiences in every category: they are more likely to have experienced stigma and discrimination; they are at greater risk of abuse; they are more likely to find difficult experiences traumatic; and when they experience loss, they are less likely to have the symptoms of grief recognised as such. Just as people without learning disabilities make connections between adverse experiences and self-harm, so do people with learning disabilities.

Articulating emotions People with and without learning disabilities who selfharm report that they have difficulty articulating emotional experiences. Complex emotions, such as loss, disappointment, stress, anxiety and anger, can be difficult to find words for; this is sometimes called alexithymia. For those with learning disabilities who have limited communication, this might seem like a straight forward connection. However, people without learning disabilities who self-harm similarly report difficulty articulating what an emotion is and what it feels like. Therefore, difficulties understanding and explaining emotions is a factor for self-harm for people regardless of learning ability.

■ Talking to a counsellor.

senmagazine.co.uk

About the author Beverley Samways is currently conducting research exploring the emotional experiences of people with severe and profound learning disabilities who self-harm. She is a PhD researcher at the School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol. She is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. beverley.samways@bristol.ac.uk @BeverleySamways

Others factors for self-harm It is well documented that people with learning disabilities sometimes resort to extreme self-injury to both mitigate and communicate severe pain, particularly internally experienced pain, such as dental and ear pain. We also know that people with learning disabilities who experience sensory hypersensitivity or dysregulation (including issues with the internal proprioceptive and vestibular senses) sometimes self-injure to try to regulate their senses. Self-injury is also commonly a way for someone with learning disabilities to communicate a need, whether it is to avoid something aversive or gain something needed. However, the reports of people with learning disabilities who self-harm tell us that - alongside physical pain, sensory issues, and established behavioural functions – overwhelming emotions connected to adverse experiences should also be considered. In short – just as I threw my coffee across a café because of something that happened six months ago – so unusual behaviour needs to be considered not just in relation to what happened immediately before and after the behaviour, but in relation to a person’s life experiences and associated emotions. The principles behind functional analysis are inarguable – self-harm undoubtedly serves a function for each individual. However, the focus on ‘antecedents, behaviour and consequences’ – what happens before, during and after the behaviour – limits possible causes of self-harm to immediate factors only. The evidence from self-reported reasons for self-harm from those with learning disabilities is that the possibility of overwhelming emotion in relation to adverse experiences should also be considered. SEN114

TAs in the classroom

TA skills Antony Morris describes the amazing skills of Teaching Assistants in special schools

ver spent a few days in a special school? If you have, providing it is not one with an archaic philosophy, you may have marvelled at the skills of most teaching staff. From specialist deaf, blind schools and autism schools to more general mild, severe, or profound learning difficulties schools, the variety of skills your typical Teaching Assistant (TA) has is truly remarkable. If you have never been fortunate enough to see them in action, let me enlighten you. Without dwelling on the potentially high-pressure environments, where educating and safeguarding some of the most vulnerable people in society is paramount or on the potential consequences of getting even some of the simpler things wrong, let us have a look at the range of skills you will see across special schools.

Amazing teamwork Firstly, teamwork. The communication between a familiar class team juggling numerous bits of medical and pupil-specific information at the same time as teaching is impressive. Before teaching can begin, depending on the school or class, pupils may need hoisting out of wheelchairs onto mats or into specialist physiotherapy equipment. They may need a round on the trampoline for sensory needs or even medication. TAs will potentially train for all of this. Also consider any class of ten pupils, who may have ten different conditions and will certainly have ten different personalities and sets of needs. TAs will be familiar with all of them including the educational approaches that may be different for each pupil in class. You will see communication approaches we are all familiar with, such as British Sign Language, Makaton, and Braille. But also, ones we may be less familiar with, such as the use of body language, moon letters or visual symbol exchange. TAs will pick these up, learning from pupils along the way, until the point they can move between any communication

About the author Antony Morris, former Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) and Special School Governor, currently studying to become an Occupational Therapist. @AMorris1986

@antony.morris.54

method, depending on who they are working with. Naturally, the practices in different special schools can differ greatly, but for some of the more general, mild to profound learning difficulties in school classrooms, you may find TAs moving from structured sensory playing to telling a story using speech, Makaton and sensory cues. In addition to this, TAs will be familiar with a multitude of communicative and educational technologies and software.

Remarkable TAs Something that underlies much of a TA’s experience is the emotional and physical toll of working with multiple individuals with potentially concerning behaviours and/or medical conditions. While these are topics for discussion in themselves, I have found that staff build personal shields supported by the community nature of special schools. Whether that toll comes from continued exposure to concerning behaviour or pupil mortality, the ability for teaching staff to cope while employing all the aforementioned teaching skills and a high level of professional standards, for the most part, is remarkable. “The role of a special school TA has evolved over the past 20 years from a carer’s role to a teaching role that requires knowledge across different disciplines and a cool head” (Lee, 2011).

■ TA helping student.

SEN114

Perhaps a symptom of society, perhaps not, but this evolution has brought with it a younger, typically more educated and understandably less long term TA. However, the changing face of TAs is for another day. Today is for admiration. Praise to both older and newer TA’s, who, for a fraction of the money or recognition they deserve, display an incredible amount of skill on a daily basis for the benefit of others. senmagazine.co.uk

SEN products and services

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

Dyspraxia

Miriam’s story Cathy Parvin recounts the story of a brave young girl who wanted others to understand her dyspraxia.

My mind was still very much on the previous caller when our helpline rang again. “Hello I am the SENDCo at a primary school and I was wondering if you can help us? A year 5 pupil has asked me if she can do a peer awareness assembly about dyspraxia. She feels the children in her class don’t understand her dyspraxia, and this is making friendships difficult for her.” The SENDCo went on to confide that, although she was keen to support her with this she was not feeling confident in her own understanding of dyspraxia. She had approached the local authority but they did not feel equipped to help either. My heart went out to this little girl but I was also extremely worried. As a mother of a child who experienced horrendous bullying at school due to her dyspraxia, I was deeply concerned that, far from helping her with friendships, this could expose her to bullying and ridicule. I suggested we all meet up; the pupil, her mum and class teacher, the SENDCo and myself to discuss this further. I was impressed with Miriam from the start - her insight and desire to build understanding and empathy amongst her peers, her courage in wanting to tackle this head on. She described some of the daily struggles she faced – difficulties with her hand writing, doing up her coat, using a knife and fork and other fiddly things. The other children, she explained, just didn’t understand why these everyday tasks were so difficult for her. PE lessons could be particularly challenging and although she didn’t have a visible disability, she was attending the local Riding for the Disabled Association centre weekly to help with her core stability, muscle tone and balance. The other girls didn’t understand why she could go and they couldn’t. Miriam left the meeting to return to class giving me the opportunity to express my concern about the potential for making the situation worse. The SENDCo assured me the other children were not likely to be unkind and that she would

“Children in her class don’t understand her dyspraxia” SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

Dyspraxia

“A brilliant presentation about how her dyspraxia affected her”

be ready to deal with it if it happened. Miriam’s mum had also discussed with her the possibility of a negative outcome but Miriam was still really keen to do it. She assured me that Miriam would report any adverse responses.

About the author Cathy Parvin is Director of Dyspraxia Education a charity supporting children with dyspraxia/ DCD. She is a visiting university lecturer for SENDCo Award, P.E, PGCE, BA honours and Early Years courses. Her daughter has given her meaningful insight into the challenges and benefits of living with dyspraxia and neurodiverse conditions.

The Dyspraxia Peer Awareness Assembly The morning of the assembly arrived and despite having delivered hundreds of training sessions and keynote speeches on dyspraxia, I have never felt so apprehensive. I was deeply concerned about making things worse for Miriam but decided to trust her SENDCo’s judgement. We began the assembly by exploring the ways in which we are all different, asking the children to raise their hands if they have brown eyes or blue? If they are tall or short? If they wear glasses or not? We asked if they thought that difference was good and they all agreed it was. We explained how we all find some things challenging and asked them to think about what they struggled with. Then we talked about how some children use wheelchairs, some hearing aids, others use white sticks and the importance of us helping one another. Moving on to how some children have difficulties which are not obvious when you look at them but still really affect them and, we explained dyspraxia is one of them. I asked if any of them had heard of dyspraxia and a couple raised their hands saying a brother or cousin had it. I explained about dyspraxia and how it makes some things difficult. Keeping it simple I told them about how coordination is affected, especially with being able to use both sides of the body together such as using a knife and fork, poor balance and then how fine motor skills are affected making fiddly things challenging. Miriam then did her power point presentation. I noticed her little hands shake slightly as she tried to get her memory stick into the computer and my heart was in my mouth. My fear was unfounded because she did a brilliant presentation about how her dyspraxia affected her. She explained what helped her and how horse riding improved her balance. As I looked around, the children and her teachers were totally absorbed. I wished I could have recorded it. Needless to say she got a well-deserved round of applause and her mum looked so immensely proud!

hand. They had to try and undo sweet wrappers, open lunch boxes and write their name. This was to simulate poor fine motor skills. Next they had to stand on one leg (poor balance), close an eye (poor spatial awareness)and throw and catch a ball with one hand ( poor bilateral integration). The children completely engaged with it. Having done these exercises with hundreds of teachers during Inset training sessions and witnessed the sudden appreciation by the teachers of the challenges these children face daily, I wondered would 10 year olds also be able to relate these exercises to Miriam and empathise with her? Would they appreciate that Miriam isn’t dealing with one area of difficulty individually but has to deal with them combined in every aspect of life, that the true impact is greater than the sum of the parts for her? At the end the SENDCo brought them all together again and asked the children for their feedback and thoughts. One little girl raised her hand “I feel bad I haven’t always been very nice but now I understand how difficult it is for Miriam. I will help her from now on” and many others nodded in agreement. I can’t begin to describe the sense of relief but of course the question in my head was, would this understanding and positive response last? After a few days I had a lovely email from her mum quoting Miriam: “When I knew I was going to do the assembly I was really happy because I knew if people understood about dyspraxia I knew I’d probably be treated better. Everybody could understand my needs during that assembly and I felt really relieved that finally people would understand what I

Then we did some exercises with the children explaining that to really understand dyspraxia it was important to experience how it feels for Miriam. We asked them to put gloves on and then gave them some tasks to do using only their non-dominant senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

Dyspraxia

struggle with. Since then school has been way better for me. People have been really nice to me and have finally understood why I have special help and do things differently sometimes.” Now the question became how long would it last? So I decided to follow it up with her mum in a month, and then a year on.

“They had no idea that she was facing so many challenges”

At a month Her mum responded to my enquiry by saying Miriam was still reporting that things were “brilliant”! Her Mum said “It has made a big difference to her and has given her a little more confidence in, (for example) going up to her friends and trying to join in with them. She says they were more understanding and positive towards her – especially those in her class. Miriam said that some of her classmates have told her how great they thought her presentation was and how impressed they were with what she had to say – they had thought of her as just a quiet girl and said they had no idea that she was facing so many challenges. So, all in all, very positive! Miriam even said the other evening she’d like to write a book about Dyspraxia to help others understand it!”

At a year Her Mum’s response was: “The assembly was a real high point for Miriam and it undoubtedly made a difference – both to her confidence and to the understanding of her peers and many of her teachers. She often refers back to it and is proud of what she achieved that day. Her classmates, overall, were very accepting and are supportive of her – I’m certain that the assembly helped foster that.” If you would like to hear more about this from Miriam watch her delightful video testimonial on our website www.dyspraxiaed.co.uk

Reflecting on this, what did I conclude? Firstly, I was left with utter admiration for Miriam that at just 10 years she could have such courage and show huge initiative

in wanting to solve her own problem. Typical of so many of these children. I was equally impressed by the support shown to her by the SENDCo, other teachers at her school and her lovely mum. Would it work for every child with dyspraxia? I feel this is really down to each school to make that judgement on their own children and situation. As a charity we are really concerned that few teachers receive any proper training and little support for a condition which affects approximately two children in every class. This hidden but life impacting condition is easy to misunderstand without training. We are passionate about addressing this issue for the children we care so much about. We offer both Inset and online dyspraxia training for schools and also workshops for parents. dyspraxia-ed.co.uk We feel it’s vital all teaching staff receive training in this “hidden” condition and would like to encourage schools to become dyspraxia friendly. Our helpline is there to advise and support teaching staff. We try to raise awareness in a range of ways and advocate for these often quiet and massively overlooked children. Teachers often express “There’s something but I can’t quite put my finger on it” when describing a child to us. Please feel free to call our helpline if you are concerned about a child. It is open to all parents, teachers and professionals working with children. School days 10-3pm 01905 676118 or email info@dyspraxia-ed.co.uk Both Miriam and her mother have not only readily agreed for me to use her name and write this article but kindly supplied photos.

■ Riding for the disabled.

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

Schools and colleges

Cerebral Palsy, school & me Francesca Dean shares her perspective for parents on choosing the right school for their children.

rancesca Dean made her entrance into the world on September 28th 1994, weighing a tiny 2lbs 8oz not knowing yet what this crazy but spectacular world had planned for her, She didn’t know it yet, but she was brought into the world to be an advocate for children and so many other families who live with Cerebral Palsy.

“Gain insight from those who work with your child closely”

What Is Cerebral Palsy? Cerebral Palsy is a neurological condition which occurs in the womb. As the placenta starts to deteriorate, consequently the baby doesn’t get the vital oxygen and nutrients that a baby needs to be able to survive. Therefore, after birth, this can affect core child development such as speech, language, motor skills, dexterity, and the ability to communicate.

“On the other hand, I was put on this earth to live my life to the absolute fullest not only just to educate others and their families, but also to demonstrate just how beautiful Cerebral Palsy can be, when you have an incredible support network around you with a plethora of tools and know-how to guide and anchor you along the way.”

Francesca’s story with Cerebral Palsy began 26 years ago, way before Google or social media exploded onto our mobiles and screens.

“This, I believe, has helped me blossom into the fierce, passionate and determined young woman I am today - without a single sympathy vote in sight – and it’s this mantra I’m so proud to live by.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine what it must’ve been like for so many families in the same predicament as mine. Waiting for weeks on end just to find out what was happening and the decisions surrounding whatever outcome awaited - without the quick fix and efficacy of computers, search engines and the rollercoaster of emotions that would follow suit - as well as this, how the decisions might impact on such an innocent but vulnerable child with tough mountains to climb later in life. Small things we all take for granted.”

Why choosing the right school for your child is key Choosing an appropriate school for your child plays a key role in their overall development especially if your child has Cerebral Palsy or any other additional disabilities. However, this all depends on condition severity and overall progress made from nursery but the best way to establish this is to gain insight from those who work with your child closely such as a social worker, teacher, teaching assistants, nursery nurse, physiotherapists or occupational therapists. The best advice I can give to you is to always follow gut instinct and regardless of the outcome you’re giving your child the best possible start as they begin the next most important chapter in their educational journey. Every child deserves to grow up in a world full of inclusivity, diversity and cohesion regardless of disability and to follow their dreams but this process can only start when the right choice of school has been finalised. Whatever choice of school you make, please don’t put yourselves down. You know your own children best.

■ Me - Francesca.

SEN114

I must stress that choosing an appropriate school for children with additional needs is not easy in any way, shape or form. senmagazine.co.uk

Schools and colleges

“A smooth transition into mainstream or specialist school is vital” When you’re given that life-changing prognosis from birth that your child has a condition that will never go away. Automatically, as a parent all you want is your child to be happy, healthy and to be equipped with the tools needed, in order for them to become the next generations of our tomorrow. In addition, when a successful decision is made, the positive effects of this on the child or young person are outstanding.

About the author Francesca Dean is 26 and lives in Rossendale with her family. She has Cerebral Palsy and can’t walk or stand but uses an electric wheelchair to help her get around. Following school she went onto several college courses including Business and Travel and Tourism. She is currently employed at Blackburn Youth Zone as a marketing assistant. francescadean@hotmail.com

The young person can then, along with their support system, start to create a sense of belonging, increase self-esteem and reduce the risk of peer pressure in the future or unwanted stigma surrounding their disability. I was extremely fortunate to only spend a short amount of time in a specialist school and began to make my first steps into full-time education because I’d coped so well with spending time in both a specialist and mainstream nursery. This was only possible thanks to the people who knew me inside and out – including my family. The amount of structure, care and utmost precision that went into really getting to know me and my family before and after I left both nurseries and the specialist school were second to none, which is why I believe making these key introductions early to ensure a smooth transition into mainstream or specialist school is vital. From the very first few days of entering mainstream school, this is where my overall development really began to flourish. My favourite subjects in primary school were English and Art because from a very young age, I already knew how to properly express myself, be creative and make a stand on popular topics that resonated with me especially growing up in the society we live in today. I‘ve never been afraid of standing my ground and using my voice to get clear and concise points across, as well as this, proudly advocating for those who don’t feel like they belong or have a voice purely due to the stigma or lack of knowledge that still encapsulates disability, we’re now in 2021, and this isn’t acceptable. My love of English carried on during my time at high school. Drama was also another favourite subject of mine, because these are lessons in the school curriculum where you can continue to be yourself, shine, but most importantly the power senmagazine.co.uk

■ Lucy Meacock, Tony Morris and Me.

of language, creativity, and use of words can help you to evolve everlasting legacies and positive change to inspire future generations without realising it. All the way through primary and secondary school the rare ability to do this was acknowledged by my teachers due to the pride and efficiency I took in all aspects of my schoolwork. I also was a very popular and well-liked student who established excellent rapport with staff and students. It didn’t matter to them if I used a wheelchair or not, I was just the bubbly and happy Francesca everyone still knows today and that’s why I think staff and students looked up to me as a key role model within the secondary school community. When I was in my last few years at high school I became a prefect. This was a role I was extremely proud of because it prepared me for life away from school. Since leaving school 10 years ago now, I’ve learnt about the art of resilience and the importance of having a thick skin whilst smiling and loving life at the same time. Disability is a journey, not our destination. SEN114

Schools and Dyslexia colleges

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

Schools and colleges

Identifying a school with social and emotional literacy in the time of COVID-19 Sotiria Vlahodimou identifies the features which make a school the right choice for parents and children alike.

arents looking for suitable education providers postpandemic are facing the new challenge of prioritising the provisions for Social and Emotional support. This aspect of learning is especially necessary for children who were already struggling to fulfil their potential before the pandemic emerged. Whilst many schools will focus on pupils ‘catching up’ academically, there is an opportunity for something more fundamental to be taught right now: social and emotional education. Skills like self-awareness, empathy, resilience, self-regulation and social communication are essential, so that children are able to face challenges or setbacks of any kind, and be equipped with the skills and desire to learn and flourish. In order to do this, pupils must find a school environment where they feel valued, are understood and have opportunities to experience challenge and accomplishment in a ‘safe’ and nurturing space.

What to look for All schools offer some kind of support system to pupils who are struggling. Some choose to embed social and emotional learning into their curriculum through PSHE lessons, others offer it more discreetly via class tutor support. With teaching time being ever precious, there is now an opportunity for schools to SEN114

“There is no right way or one size fits all” adapt and reform rather than offer superficial support, which in most cases provides limited, short-lived benefits.

Environment Schools that create a socially and emotionally supportive ecosystem are best placed to help children adjust to postpandemic education. Such settings understand that there is no ‘right way’ or ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to teaching or learning and will be offering a combination of whole-school, curriculum-based teaching, one to one support sessions and continuous liaisons, evaluations and reflections on individual strategies for pupils. A school that exhibits the understanding that learning in itself is both emotional and social will have the skills and provisions in place to create a positive learning environment for a child who is challenged by social anxiety. Emotion is at the heart of learning and development so there will be services such as senmagazine.co.uk

Schools and colleges

‘time to talk’ sessions where pupils are encouraged to take time out and be supported by an adult in order to explore and reflect on emotions, behaviours and friendships. For some children, smaller environments could be key in growing their confidence. Smaller classroom sizes means that each pupil is given time to contribute and their input is acknowledged, making them feel valued and respected. Pupils are also able to learn from one another based on the contributions they make during class which helps their sense of community and understanding of different viewpoints. These kinds of atmospheres will make all the difference to a child’s experience of school; allowing them time to understand themselves and navigate their future.

About the author Mrs S Vlahodimou (BSc, MSc, Post. Grad. Diploma, PGCE, NASENCO), Deputy Head and SENCO at Slindon College. With over 10 years of experience in special education, she has worked in mainstream special education and is currently responsible for the provision at Slindon College. slindoncollege.co.uk

Curriculum Schools where the curriculum is underpinned by social and emotional education are key for children who are struggling to fulfil their potential post-lockdown. The emphasis on developing speech, language and communication is at the forefront of learning in these environments. They encourage children to acquire the vocabulary they need to express their difficulties or concerns articulately and confidently. Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) promotes the importance of pupil wellbeing. The five main attributes of SEAL; Self-awareness; Self-regulation (managing feelings); Motivation; Empathy and Social skills should be taught to children who struggle with emotional resilience as it gives them an understanding of emotions; how they might be affected by them, and the impact that these feelings might have on others. The school’s curriculum should be rich, varied and appropriate to the community and cohort of pupils. It will offer opportunities for self-exploration, creativity, self-expression, focus and curiosity, in addition to being a safe environment for calculated risk-taking. The teaching will encourage lifelong engagement with learning in a way that is memorable and, most importantly, relevant outside of the school community. Schools that demonstrate the importance of listening with an open mind to explore issues will teach children the benefits of a tolerant and rounded society. In turn this will enable everyone to engage respectfully and encourage different perspectives and better learning. It cannot be assumed that what works for one pupil will work for another. This is particularly important for boarding schools where different cultures and learning backgrounds come together.

Teaching Staff Teaching and support staff are essential in creating a socially and emotionally supportive ecosystem. A good indicator of an emotionally and socially-minded school is the happiness and wellbeing of its staff. Consider what senmagazine.co.uk

provisions staff have for wellbeing resources at the school, because in order for teachers to act as examples and advocate for the pupils, they will need to feel valued, be self-aware with high levels of emotional intelligence. The Senior Leadership Team should show that they trust teachers and actively give them the space and support they need to do what intuitively they know is needed to help the individual. They should use their educational expertise to ensure the wellbeing and social and emotional awareness of everyone at the school.

Communication Learning does not happen in the same way for everyone. Cultural influences create diversity from the outset of a child’s life. The context of a pupil’s life is pivotal when helping them re-engage with learning. Parents are key in exploring a child’s background and ensuring the understanding of their needs beyond the professional reports. Schools whose staff get to know their pupils abundantly well will be able to motivate and support them. In addition, staff that regularly liaise, reflect and consider individual children’s needs and development strategies will be committed to getting the very best outcomes for them. Education is a community-based enterprise, which means that understanding and supporting children’s home lives and family situations will result in the families being able to support their child’s learning. Pupils are going to need a holistic and rounded education if they are going to overcome the challenges of our ever-changing world. Schools that offer unified and joined up approaches will have the tools and expertise to help children acquire emotional resilience to navigate the post-pandemic era. A school with social and emotional literacy at the heart of its visions, values and culture is the school of our children’s future. SEN114

Schools and colleges

Choosing the right school for your child For most people, the first question will be whether their child’s needs can be met in their local school. After all, to meet the needs of nearly all pupils in their own community schools has been Government policy for many years. Although policies in other areas come and go, this assumption seems set to form the backdrop of placement issues for years to come. And that may be what you want too. There is a process to go through to decide if that local school can be a happy and successful place for your child. Remember to involve your child and hear their views, depending of course on their age and the type of special need. Many children have a very good sense of a setting being right for them. You need a clear understanding of what your child needs. An independent assessment may be a useful addition to work undertaken by the school or Local Authority. You need to form a view about what needs to be in place for your child to succeed. Again, that independent report needs to make recommendations as well as describe your child’s needs. Your son or daughter will only have one go at their education so don’t compromise on things which are essential. It is not your problem as a parent that something might be expensive or difficult to secure. If your child needs it, it must be provided. In my own area of deafness, this might be weekly speech and language therapy delivered by a specialist, good acoustics and small classes. For many deaf children to learn effectively, these are NOT negotiable. How are your child’s needs to be protected? For children with significant needs, this has to be through a process which leads to the issuing of an Education and Health Care Plan. Again, do not allow yourselves as parents to be considered ‘part of the problem’. It is not your fault that the number of EHCP requests is growing. Also, again speaking from the area I know best, I am increasingly seeing parents being told that their child does not meet the criteria for an EHCP ‘because s/he has cochlear implants and can hear well when wearing them’. That is like saying that a child does not have mobility issues because they have a wheelchair. I would argue that the EHCP is crucial for these young people as it is in this document that your child’s needs are recorded alongside the provision required to meet those needs. I dropped the word ‘happy’ into the second paragraph. The child with special needs has every right to love school as much as their peers. It should not be a question of coping, but of thriving. In choosing a school for your child, you should be looking for a track record of genuine and full inclusion. Take a good look at sport, performing arts, the academic offer, attitudes of staff. Is SEN a priority for the school, or at worst, an inconvenience? In SEN114

the case of a deaf child, for example, would the school consider reorganising the classroom to support lip-reading? Can you meet parents of pupils with similar needs? There are privacy and confidentiality issues, but these can be overcome if everybody is willing. Most importantly, can you picture your child in the school, and can you picture them happy and thriving academically and socially? Finally, issues of self-image and need for a meaningful peer group vary significantly across SEN. My experience in deafness is that a genuine peer group of similar children is critical for many. Feeling ‘the same’ can give a significant boost to selfesteem and wellbeing. There is a spectrum of provision out there, from fully integrated mainstream placements to mainstream schools with an additional specialism, through to special schools run by LAs or Trusts and those in the non-maintained/independent sector. Start early and have a look at different kinds of provision, keeping an open mind as much as you can. Your parental instincts are an extremely important part of this and are seldom wrong. You may have to work hard to secure the placement your child needs, but you will find courage in knowing you are doing the right thing. Peter Gale is Principal of Mary Hare School for deaf children. maryhare.org.uk senmagazine.co.uk

Schools and colleges

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

Schools and colleges

Popular easy-read newspaper to produce regular and rolling news A popular easy-read newspaper produced by and for people with learning disabilities will this year begin a ‘rolling news service’ to deliver new stories more regularly and as they happen. The move to a regular rolling news service aims to ensure that the most current and topical events are made as accessible and available to people with learning disabilities as possible. United Response’s Easy News ‘consultants’ – news editors with learning disabilities or autism supported by United Response – have been praised for covering sensitive and challenging topics this year, including the Israeli-Palestine conflict and the 10-year anniversary of the abuse at learning disability hospital Winterbourne View. United Response is committed to ensuring those with learning disabilities or autism are informed about the world which surrounds them, and the charity’s many easy read resources are at the heart of this commitment. To find out more about United Response, please visit: unitedresponse.org.uk SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

Schools and colleges

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

Schools and colleges

Residential school placements: creating a soft landing for new pupils Professor Sandy Toogood discusses how transitions to and from residential schools can be made as easy as possible for children, parents and carers.

or some children a residential school placement will be the best or only option available in order to access formal education. However, placing a pupil locally is not always possible when a residential placement is needed, and occasionally a local solution may not even be desirable. Whether in area or out, every residential placement requires careful consideration of the pupil’s emotional and psychological wellbeing and his or her family members. Pupils requiring residential placement include those with a traumatic background, perhaps with a history of multiple placements and placement failure, and those for whom rejection and exclusion are not a new experience. The needs of individual pupils are clearly very different from one another, and a significant level of individualised planning is required, together with robust transitional support for those needs to be met. Environments where pupils with special educational needs are able to learn, develop, and grow, are simply not possible without attending first to emotional and psychological wellbeing. Most of us probably remember changing schools as a major event in our lives, associated perhaps with feelings of anxiety or even dread. How much greater might such an event be for pupils whose disabilities make communication and understanding of the world an everyday challenge; for whom changing school also means changing accommodation; where the people providing care and support, although caring and kind, are no longer familiar family members; and where the design and location of buildings called home are also new and unfamiliar. Add to this the worries, anxieties, and emotional responses of family members who are separated from their loved one, and the level and type of support needed begins to emerge.

“A significant level of individual planning is required” While this does not entirely fall to residential schools, residential school providers are under a duty to do all that they can to ensure that every transition is as smooth and pain free as it can be for everyone involved. At Abbey School, we have come to think of this as facilitating a soft landing.

Preparing a soft landing Preparing soft landings requires compassion, diligence, and commitment from staff. It demands a high level of ability in multiple areas of life and hard work that is done consistently and with care. The aims, objectives, and points of principle for creating a soft landing are extensive and include taking into account a number of wellbeing, communication and spatial factors as well as having an in-depth awareness of the pupil and their background. A foundation must be built on the basis of empathy, safety and respect for the pupil, family members, and all significant others equally. Achieving this includes: • Putting the pupil’s needs first in all decisions and actions. • Involving family members – empowering them as far as is possible, reasonable, safe, and (in specific cases) desirable. • Being sensitive to pupil feelings and perspectives – a little empathy goes a long way. • Safeguarding - protecting everyone from harm and promoting their wellbeing.

■ First days in school.

SEN114

Creating the right space is an important part of this, as it should provide an attractive, comfortable and safe environment both indoors and out. This space should also extend to the wider community and involve connecting life at home and in community areas with life in school in ways that strengthen learning and personal development. Becoming involved in the community and making use of local facilities will help with this, as it will pursue the twin goals of belonging and connection. senmagazine.co.uk

Schools and colleges

“Soft landings taper seamlessly to ongoing support”

About the author Professor Sandy Toogood, BEM, is Honorary Professor at Bangor University, College of Human Sciences and leads on clinical and behavioural support at Abbey School for Exceptional Children.

Getting to know the pupil by sharing time together and learning from others is vital to ensuring a soft landing. This understanding should be built up in a number of ways, such as: • Establishing rapport – making frequent ‘deposits’ in the ‘trust account’, and building sufficient capital before making a ‘withdrawal’.

abbeyschool.com @AbbeySchoolUK

@abbeyschooluk

• Discovering and building upon personal routines and following pupil preferences and ways of doing things. • Being sensitive to cultural beliefs and practices. • Creating autonomy and ceding control relative to pupil ability, age, and status. • Encouraging the development of pupil gifts and talents in as many aspects of life as possible. For both the preparation and implementation of a soft landing, clear and effective communication between multiple parties must be established. To do this, the residential school’s placement staff must be able to hear the pupil’s voice individually and collectively and they should pursue speaking and listening skills while developing the pupil’s sense of self. Well-defined and consistent expectations of behaviour and conduct can then be put in place by providing reliable role models and by giving regular positive feedback as well as timely error correction. In addition, communication, unless otherwise indicated, must remain open between the pupil and their family and communities of origin through frequent and regular contact, with the use of modern communications technologies to maximum extent where possible. Soft landings require planning and co-ordination, which in turn depend upon thorough pupil-centred pre- and within-placement assessment. They also require that a range of options are available with sufficient flexibility to address a diverse variety of pupil preferences and needs across numerous areas of life, and with a capability to schedule transitions from small incremental steps to total and immediate immersion. In the end, soft landings taper seamlessly to ongoing support, so that pupils and their families thrive with psychological and emotional security.

The next soft landing Leaving school is another significant event where a soft landing may be needed. At the end of placement, pupils may return to their community of origin or choose to remain close to the residential school they attended. They may transition from a residential school to a day placement at the same school, or to a day or residential placement at another school. Older pupils may attend a residential or day college or supported senmagazine.co.uk

■ Abbey School.

employment scheme. Some will move into adult community living services or back to their family home. Soft landing principles and practices apply just as much when leaving school as when joining. When a pupil leaves a residential school, the residential school placement staff will have come to know the pupil well, to understand his or her emotional, behavioural, and learning support needs, and have insight into his or her life conditions and ambitions for the future. The residential school has a responsibility to reach out and support the process of transition away from the school as well as into it. Arranging a soft landing is likely to include participating in a range of assessments and developing support plans with the same level of care and compassion shown when joining. Preparation for a soft landing may have a long taper with a great deal of the groundwork for a smooth, end-of-placement transition being undertaken during the placement itself. All transitions require planning, collaboration and sustained co-operation between parties. Pupil-focused approaches are well known, understood, and increasingly deployed in education settings. In addition, the emotional and psychological wellbeing of pupils and others is receiving increased attention from research and practitioner communities. The added value of adopting soft landings as a concept is that it binds all of our thoughts and actions to our core values, with particular emphasis on empathy and compassion, and in the context of the many additional challenges residential school placements pose for pupils and their families. SEN114

Autism

Back to school… What kind of catching up are we catching up on? Lynn McCann argues that catching up needs to include much more than just English and Maths attainment.

ur children have been put under enormous pressure during the pandemic. They are the ones going back into crowded classrooms long before their parents were able to go back to the offices and workplaces. Children have had to work at home at a moment’s notice as bubbles burst. They have had to cope with the challenges of online learning, and some have been in school without many of their peers during the January to March lockdown, or isolated at home for much longer than most because of medical vulnerability. The government is now intent on a ‘Catch Up’ agenda with some money (not as much as was asked for or promised) provided for a national tutoring system and a catch up curriculum focussing on English and Maths in schools. There is talk of longer school hours. Newspapers are talking about lost generations and children being damaged in their future careers, not having the education they need to succeed in life.

“Catch up should also focus on the disadvantage gaps” But let’s take a reality check here. Just what are children losing? What are they catching up to? And is it catching up if all children have had the same loss of education? What about the hard work schools have been doing and will continue to do to cover the work they were unable to do in the lockdown? Paul Duckworth a Primary Advisor with Blackburn Diocese Board of Education says; “…schools are good at assessment, adjusting the curriculum and addressing those gaps – focusing particularly on the things that are crucial for progress.” Teachers know what their job is and can do it. But he also says that schools know that the catch up should also focus on the disadvantage gaps that have only been made more prominent through lockdown. “School closures have led to widening of the disadvantage gap particularly in primary years, where those most affected included males, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, EAL pupils and SEND pupils, who experienced less catch-up compared to the average.” (Understanding Progress in the 2020/21 Academic Year Complete findings from the Autumn term. Renaissance Learning, Education Policy Institute)

■ Additional support.

SEN114

The Council for Disabled Children surveyed SEND children and their families and found that; “Three quarters (71%) of disabled children have seen their progress managing their conditions reverse or regress due to the pandemic, and disabled children, their parents and their siblings remain more isolated than the senmagazine.co.uk

Autism

rest of the population, with 9 in 10 disabled children socially isolated and 6 in 10 parents isolated.” (Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) Left Behind: The Impact of the Pandemic on Disabled Children, their Parents and Siblings) Paul Duckworth also says that what Head Teachers feel needs to be caught up is the community and wellbeing curriculum of schools. Jane Smith, a secondary SENCO says that we need to be asking what are these goal posts that children are missing out on and are these realistic? At her secondary school she noticed that the year 7s had missed out on relationships and play. They were still playing like primary children, and they needed that bridge to help them make the transition that they missed out on because of the pandemic. Dulcie Norton an early years teacher, who works with a number of autistic pupils said, “I can’t help but wonder if these periods of being locked down at such an essential stage of their early years development created a missed connection which will never be fixed (with regards to social understanding and skills) as, developmentally, they have moved on as they have got older and maybe missed small parts in their timeline of pre-school socialising that will never be repeated.” SEND pupils may also fall under the other areas of disadvantage. They may live in poverty, they are more likely to be isolated and have missed out on support and therapies throughout lockdown. They may still be isolating because of medical conditions. And there are those who have not been able to return to school through anxiety or unmet needs. The I CAN charity recently published a report ‘Speaking up fo the Covid generation’ which said: “An estimated 1.5 million children and young people could be left behind, if more action is not taken to support them with their speaking and understanding of language, after missing school due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

What should we focus on to help children catch up? Children with SEND have missed out on therapies and essential support. Everyday skills and key communication points such as following routines, getting organised and managing the every demands of lessons are based on communication. Supporting communication could well be a vital focus, particularly as we go back after another 6 weeks off over the summer. After months of being at home in a quiet environment and being able to manage the sensory input of their children, many parents are concerned that being back at school has heightened the sensory issues their child may have. The child’s sensory needs may be different since lockdown, having such a long period of changing environments, anxiety and different experiences may mean that many children are finding the school environment senmagazine.co.uk

About the author Lynn McCann is an autism specialist teacher working in schools across Lancashire. She is the author of “How to support pupil with ASC in Primary school”, “How to support students with ASC in secondary school” and “Stories that Explain” (a book about social stories).

Reachoutasc.com @ReachoutASC

@ReachoutASC

overwhelming. Some schools are building sensory or wellbeing breaks into their recovery and catch up to support this. Taking stock of the way the child learns and how engaged they were in learning through lockdown has provided many teachers with new and enlightening information about their children. Some thrived with the 1:1 attention of parents and being able to do work at their own pace, in a safe and quiet place. Others could not manage any work at home and are still dealing with the trauma of all the disrupted learning. We may need to adapt and change the way we teach our children. Using key strategies for dyslexia, autism, and other SEND learning strategies can help many more children than we may have previously realised. We know that so many of our children have struggled with anxiety, fear, and overwhelming emotions during this pandemic. SEND children have been more isolated than ever before. Catching up on our community wellbeing is arguably the most important and long-lasting legacy that we can give this generation of children. In this way schools are planning catching up on creativity, community projects, music, drama and art. They are getting outside and learning in forest schools, and they are talking more about emotions, emotional responses and how we support one another through these times. We need to remain focussed on the fact that SEND children are children, and not a separate group of beings. Sometimes all children need a different and additional approach or support. Our focus should be on bringing our school community together, supporting and understanding one another. Anxious times can lead to pushing others away, but this is the time to bring each other together. We can be open about differences and difficulties, whilst celebrating understanding and acceptance. We have the opportunity to help all our children catch up on being a community, to focus on their lost skills and help them with their emotional wellbeing… English and maths are included in that too. SEN114

Autism

Care alarms

Annamarie Hassall MBE appointed CEO of leading education charity, nasen nasen (the National Association for Special Educational Needs) has confirmed that Annamarie Hassall MBE, Strategic Director of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB), is to become CEO at the end of September. Annamarie brings with her four decades of experience in children’s services, with a career that started in children’s residential and social care. She then worked as an early years specialist in local government before moving to an advisory role for the Department for Education (DfE), followed by the private sector, where she successfully delivered national programmes on behalf of government. Speaking about her new role, Annamarie Hassall said: “I am deeply passionate about tackling the barriers in accessing highquality education, and committed to ensuring that teachers, educators and practitioners have the skills and resources they require to enable inclusion, providing specialist support where needed.” For further information, and to join nasen’s growing membership community, visit nasen.org.uk/membership or follow @nasen_org on Twitter

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

Design services

Autism

Visit our website

robpdesign.co.uk \ hello@robpdesign.co.uk \ 07962 263 365 senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

SCERTS

Making the SCERTS Model easy Jemma Ive shares her experience of using SCERTS as a SEN teacher.

he SCERTS (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation, and Transactional Support) model can offer a brilliant framework for creating consistent approaches to help children and young people with autism make progress – ensuring that teachers, families and educational therapists are all working well together as a team.

overwhelmed with a sizeable workload, as the vast majority working in the sector currently are! With that in mind, I’ve condensed some key points and top tips for SCERTS below, to help give you a bite-sized breakdown.

It’s important to state that SCERTS does not exclude alternative educational approaches. In fact, its flexibility makes it compatible with a variety of SEN and autism-focused teaching practices.

• Ensure everyone in the student’s life is on board, from family to staff members;

I loved using SCERTS when I was teaching: as a childcentred approach that incorporates all goals and therapies, its framework always helped staff and families keep track of what they were working on. When so many targets and professionals are involved, it can be a great relief to create an easy-to-follow programme.

• Ensure all essential resources are made available to those involved;

Take Student A, who came to me aged two, with a social worker, occupational therapist, speech and language specialist and paediatricians involved in their long-term care. The speech and language therapist wanted to see Student A start to use the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), and improve their swallowing reflex; the occupational therapist wanted us to work on motor skills including posture and balance; the parents wanted to target sleep, and create a tailored sleep schedule – and this was just a taster of the goals being made to support the child.

• Most of all, keep working forward with consistency and dedication!

It would have been impossible to address everything everyday within the three hours that Student A spent in my care. But with SCERTS I could blend targets, and give a holistic approach that still gave space for Student A to be a child.

Joint attention.

Of course, approaching any ‘new’ educational framework can be a daunting prospect – especially if you’re already

Top tips for success with the SCERTS Model • Set aside planning and team meeting time;

• Adopt a child-centred approach that is manageable for home life too; • Provide home support for the family; • Invest in continued training for staff; and

Social Communication Social Communication involves the development of functional communication, the ability to express emotion, and the capacity to build trusting relationships with others. The following are SCERTS’ sequential steps towards achieving effective Social Communication.

To lay effective foundations, first we must understand the reason WHY a child with autism initiates and responds to communication attempts and also understand their ability to share attention, emotion and intention with others. At the social partner stage the pupil shifts their gaze between objects and people, engages in interaction with others and initiates games, routines or interactions.

“Compatible with a variety of SEN and autism-focused teaching practices” SEN114

At language partner stage, the pupil shares experiences, comments on events or actions and can use words to express their emotions. At the conversation language partner stage, the pupil shares experiences in interactions, can understand and discuss past senmagazine.co.uk

SCERTS

“What can otherwise be an extremely difficult balancing act”

About the author Jemma Ive is a former SEN teacher. At Teacher Booker she helps connect SEN schools with teachers and support staff.

and future events and can comment on the attention of others in a group situation.

Symbol use To lay effective foundations in this step, we must understand HOW a child with autism communicates with others and understand their ability to use objects, pictures, signs or words to represent meaning. At the social partner stage, the pupil uses gestures and nonverbal means to communicate, imitates familiar actions and sounds and uses familiar objects conventionally in play. At the language partner stage, the pupil uses a variety of objects in constructive play, uses words to express meaning and understands a variety of words and word combinations without contextual clues. At the conversation language partner stage, the pupil learns by imitation, observation, instruction and collaboration, understands nonverbal cues of turn-taking and topic change and follows the rules of conversation.

Emotional Regulation Emotional Regulation (ER) is the ability to build and maintain a well-regulated emotional state, and to be able to cope with everyday changes and stress. Without ER, children and young people with autism would not be fully available for learning. During this phase of the model, the aim is to inspire both mutual and self-regulation. It is important to note that all attention seeking is good, as it shows an intent to communicate! As educators, our role is to teach more appropriate ways to regulate and seek that support. With self-regulation self-soothing behaviours can often be immature due to a limited ability to learn from others. With mutual regulation the ability to accept assistance from others is limited due to difficulty predicting others’ intentions and the ability to gain assistance from others may be misperceived. With behavioural strategies, language strategies and full planning on how to approach a learning task, we can help every student become emotionally regulated.

teacherbooker.com @teacherbooker

@teacherbooker

interests; modify and adapt to their environment; provide tools that enhance learning, for example picture communication, written schedules, and sensory support. In this phase of SCERTS, specific plans are also developed to provide educational and emotional support to families, and to foster teamwork among professionals using interpersonal and learning support. With interpersonal support we apply support through communicative partners, making adjustments in language use, emotional expression, and interactive styles. Our aim is to find supports that are effective in helping the student process language, participate in social interaction, experience social activities as emotionally satisfying, and maintain a wellregulated state. With learning supports we consider factors such as environmental changes, or other ways activities are set up/ modified to foster social communication and emotional regulation. There may include visual supports, curriculum modifications, etc. It is always important to share the areas that are working with families and other professionals. This ensures these successful approaches are also implemented within the home environment.

Why SCERTS is worth a shot New models can feel overwhelming when there is already so much to think of and incorporate, but ultimately SCERTS may give you more of a sense of control over what can otherwise be an extremely difficult balancing act.

Transactional Support

Not using SCERTS yet? Feeling curious? My advice is to give it a try. Once the model is engrained it works so well. And don’t forget to check out the SCERTS website too: there’s lots of advice and resources there to explore.

Transactional Support is the development and implementation of support to: help partners respond to a child’s needs and

Good luck!

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

SPLD

Speaking up for the Covid generation Jane Harris discusses the latest report from the children’s communication charity.

t is no surprise that children and young people’s speech and language development has been hit hard by the Covid pandemic. They have lost months of being in school and nursery and daily chances to interact with the outside world. But now we are seeing the true impact this has had. We recently launched our report, Speaking Up for the Covid Generation, which paints a worrying picture for nearly 1.5 million children struggling to be able to speak and understand what other people are saying to them. This should be a wakeup call to Government and the education sector. It is now vital that emergency support is put in place so that the Covid generation do not suffer long-term lasting damage. We can fix this if we try. Speaking Up for the Covid Generation asked primary and secondary school teachers across England, Scotland, and Wales about the impact Covid 19 has had on their pupils speaking and understanding. The findings show that the majority of teachers are worried about children being able to catch up with their speaking and understanding.   • 67% of primary school teachers surveyed believe the children they teach are behind with their speaking and/ or understanding due to Covid-19   • 62% of primary school teachers and 60% of secondary school teachers surveyed were worried that children who are behind with their speaking and understanding will not be able to catch up.  Speaking and understanding language is fundamental to our children’s future. Children cannot learn optimally, develop socially, have good mental health, or get good jobs without this crucial skill. In fact, it underpins all other skills. We should be making sure our education system teaches speaking in addition to reading, writing and maths – the last three are impossible without language. Despite the government introducing a recovery premium to support children and young people to catch up with their education after missing nearly half a year from the classroom, most teachers were critical of the government’s efforts:  • 63% of teachers surveyed think the UK Government is not providing enough support to help children with their speaking and understanding.

SEN114

About the author Jane Harris is Chief Executive of I CAN, the children’s communication charity. ican.org.uk/speaking-upfor-the-covid-generation

“1.5 million children struggling” • 5 6% of teachers surveyed think the government has not offered very much/ any extra support at their school to help children and young people with their speaking and understanding.   While Government has introduced a support package for 4 and 5 year-old pupils, our report shows that classroom teachers need more support for children and young people across primary and secondary education. This summer over 700,000 children will be preparing to transition from primary to secondary school. Many of them will struggle to communicate in their new schools which will, if not given the right support, have a long-lasting impact on their futures. Helping our children and young people to speak and understand language should be a core goal for Government in deciding the next steps in the education recovery plan. That means making a long-term commitment to supporting speaking and understanding skills by providing additional funding and training. We also need to see them encouraging schools to work alongside local authorities, health partners and other providers to ensure that provision is available to support children with spoken language. Without this, children and young people’s future looks bleak. The Covid generation needs all of us to defend their future. senmagazine.co.uk

Fostering

senmagazine.co.uk

Trampolines

SEN114

School trips

Visiting museum and heritage sites Hannah Cushion, Learning Project Officer at London Transport Museum gives valuable advice and guidance about selecting venues for your next school trip.

hen we think back on our school days, the moments that often stick in our minds are the occasions when we climbed aboard a coach or hopped on a train to visit somewhere new with our classmates.

There was always a buzz of excitement in the air as you were counted on and off vehicles and in and out of doors on your way to a new adventure. It is these trips to museums, heritage sites, art galleries, wildlife and nature parks which often become our most cherished memories. School trips offer children an invaluable opportunity to: • Increase their cultural capital • Broaden their understanding of the world around them

“Organising a trip for SEN learners require important considerations” • Develop social and communication skills and improve confidence • Practice life skills in a real-world setting The rewards of school trips are undeniable and plentiful but organising a trip for SEN learners requires important considerations.

• Experience learning outside of the classroom • Ignite their curiosity and stimulate new interests • Strengthen their relationship with classmates and teachers through shared experiences For SEN learners or learners with disabilities, school trips are also an opportunity to create: • Stimulating learning opportunities away from an academic environment SEN114

Changes in routine can sometimes be disruptive, you also need to find a venue that meets your access needs, and anxieties can sometimes run high for teachers and learners alike.

Opportunities to look out for Most museums aim to design education programmes that are inclusive and accessible, offering a range of alternative learning opportunities outside of the classroom. senmagazine.co.uk

School trips

“Fun and creative resources to downland and enjoy” To help teachers to find a session which is right for you, here are some suggestions about what to look out for and expect from visits: • Quiet opening times when the museum galleries are open exclusively for SEN learners. During these dedicated sessions, audio sounds are usually turned off to lower the sensory impact of a visit. • Handling objects can create tactile or sensory experiences and help the learner engage with the collection and its stories. Small groups of handling objects relating to specific collection themes or stories can help build connections. • Storytellers and actors can create opportunities for interactive engagement, helping to build confidence and communication skills. For example, hats or puppets can allow learners to step into the shoes of characters and stories from the past. • Sensory bags can support self-guided groups by creating interactive opportunities. They often include smell containers, materials or sound boxes that relate to the objects on display or the stories of the venue’s collection. • Breakout spaces can offer a quiet space for your learners to relax during a visit and the chance to reflect on what they have seen and experienced. Pre-bookable spaces for refreshments and lunch are also often available

What to expect before you visit When hosting SEN school trips, an organisation will want to try and meet all your requirements and keep you safe, as well as making sure you have a great time during your visit.

About the author Hannah Cushion is a Learning Project Officer at London Transport Museum, the world’s leading museum of urban transport situated in Covent Garden. Hannah specialises in programming for schools. @ltmuseum

@ltmuseum @ltmuseum

Contact the museum or heritage site you are planning to visit to see if they offer free pre-visit trips for teachers. You can also talk through any additional needs to find out what the venue can do to support these. Ahead of visits, many venues also provide a Welcome Story or a Visual Story that can help your learners find out: • Where they are going and what it looks like, and maybe sounds like • What uniforms the staff wear so they can spot safe strangers • What facilities are available and where they are

On the day On the day of a visit, you can expect a warm welcome from the front of house team. They may know Makaton and will take their lead from you when engaging with your learners, being sensitive to your group’s needs. During your introduction to the space, you can expect the breakout spaces and pre-booked lunch spaces to be signposted to you. Your facilitator will also run through the resources and activities available to support your visit such as sensory bags, actors around the venue and handling objects. Other important practical information such as lifts, accessible toilets and any objects or parts of the venue you might be particularly interested in will be highlighted.

After your visit As museum educators, we hope that you enjoy your visit and that your learners feel inspired and engaged. To keep their passion alive, many museum websites offer a range of fun and creative resources to download and enjoy back at school or for learners to use at home with their families.

■ Museum visit.

senmagazine.co.uk

Museums also love to hear from you and your pupils about your visit, from what went well to what could have gone better. Don’t be afraid to get in touch to let the venue know so they can keep improving their offer. SEN114

School trips

Subscribe to

SEN Magazine The esSENtial read

Practical ideas for parents and professionals The latest products and services Expert articles, SEN news and CPD

£48.50* a year (six issues)

Email subscribe@senmagazine.co.uk Tel 01200 409800 * UK only. Call or email for international rates.

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

School trips

Sensory immersion and inclusive learning Claire Cooper describes how The Tank Museum provides an inclusive learning experience for children on school trips with special educational needs.

Adapting to individual needs Every child’s visit to us here at The Museum is extremely important and we believe that everyone has the right to access our collective history in an environment tailored to them. Teachers are invited to have a pre-visit before any school trip. This allows the teacher and the museum’s Education Department to create a timetable that works for each individual school. This may include shorter sessions, extra breaks or an adaptation of the workshop.

About the author Claire Cooper has been the Education Officer at The Tank Museum for 7 years. tankmuseum.org/services/ school-trips/

@tankmuseum

How The Tank Museum enhances the learning experience for children with SEN The Tank Museum, which is located in Dorset, welcomes thousands of school children each year. We have several local SEN/BESD schools that visit us on a regular basis. The museum provides a unique sensory experience. The large open spaces filled with tanks not only provides inclusive access, but also allows pupils to get up close to the vehicles which makes them appreciate the scale and formidable presence a tank has. They can touch the tanks themselves, but we also have lots of hands-on activities in every hall including dressing up stations, play tables, learning interactive and touch screens. Aroma boxes, which are placed around the halls, are popular with children who can smell some of the strange and wonderful aromas that soldiers would have experienced.

Cross Curricular Tanks were a British invention that first saw use during the First World War. This makes “tanks” as a topic very versatile. History can be linked with any war of the past one hundred years and many schools use personal stories of local soldiers who served. This approach can be used for creative writing with descriptive diary entries and the museum offers a free scheme of work to support this. STEM subjects can also offer a range of activities such as the design and technology that is needed for the development of tanks. The Tank Museum uses ‘Lego Mindstorm’ for pupils to build a tank to drive around an obstacle course. This teaches pupils to predict and plan as well as adapt and develop their ideas if everything doesn’t go according to plan. The museum has several models of special tanks that were adapted for D-Day during the Second World War. Pupils can senmagazine.co.uk

“Provides a unique sensory experience” handle these models and experiment using them on a series of problematic beach landing obstacles to discover which tank was adapted for which problem. A giant water bath is also used to demonstrate swimming tanks and pupils enjoy plunging their hands into the water to retrieve their sunken “tanks.”

Getting inside a tank We can verbally tell a pupil that tanks are cramped and uncomfortable but nothing can compare to physically climbing into one and experiencing it for yourself. There are a few options for school groups depending on needs. One of our First World War tanks has a few steps and a large door to climb in through. Pupils can choose to sit on the steps if they do not want to go all the way inside so this can be easily adapted to individual requirements. Our Chieftain tank is accessed through the top of the tank so pupils need to be a certain height to be drop inside. Our most accessible tank is a cut in half Centurion that has a gangway through the middle which is suitable for wheelchair users. Most of the museum is on one level, but other levels can be easily accessed via ramps and lifts. The Tank Museum will work with the school to create a bespoke package that works for any SEN group so that a fun and educational visit is always guaranteed to be had. SEN114

Book reviews

Book reviews A Mindset for Success In Your Classroom and School T. Swainston

Tony Swainston has a long career in the teaching profession, followed by extensive experience in delivering training in both business and education, in over 15 countries around the world. He is a sought after keynote speaker with clients including Shell and the British Council and has trained over 20 UK schools in his ‘Mindset of Success’ programme. The book is organised into four parts: • Why changing mindsets in our schools matters

students’ and in their potential to develop a growth mindset, as he sees this of ‘immense importance’ in terms of academic and personal development.He talks about the importance of nourishing the brain with a diet of positive thoughts that support personal growth and the attainment of goals. In Part 4 of the book there are a number of practical activities for both students and adults ( teachers, parents, support staff). This is a well crafted book that offers a clear route to creating and maintaining a positive mindset approach to learning.

• What mindsets are all about • How to change the mindsets of a school community • Practical activities that change mindsets Swainton writes in an easy to follow style and he clearly believes that outstanding teachers ‘believe in their

Crown House Publishing Ltd. ISBN: 978-1-7858397-3 £18.99

Day By Day: Emotional Wellbeing in Parents of Disabled Children J. Griffin

Joanna Griffin is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist who has worked in a number of clinical settings, including the NHS. She also provides independent supervision and consultancy work and set up a website (affinityhub.uk) to signpost emotional support for parent carers. In this book, she draws on her own experiences as the parent of a disabled child, combined with her professional knowledge. The book opens with a deeply personal account of the traumatic birth of her son, who nearly died, and was subsequently diagnosed with cerebral palsy and with behavioural and cognitive challenges that emerged as he got older. The book also contains a number of useful appendices such as a wellbeing worksheet, information about

SEN114

organisations that provide support to parent carers and a guide to terminology. Griffin speaks directly to the reader and her information on the use of body approaches to wellbeing is interesting by referencing breathing technique, toning the vagus nerve, nurturing touch and ‘having a good cry’. The wellbeing worksheet also structures ways for the parent carer to develop a sense of purpose, empowerment and awareness of emotions. It also provides ways to reflect on what can and cannot be controlled and how to challenge negative thoughts in dealing with complex issues. Highly recommended. Free Association Books ISBN: 978-1-9113835-3-6 £14.99

senmagazine.co.uk

Book reviews

by Mary Mountstephen

Observational Drawing for Students with Dyslexia: Strategies, Tips and Inspiration

Q. Rankin and H. Riley

Qona Rankin is Dyslexia Coordinator at the Royal College of Art and delivers specifically designed drawing workshops with Howard Riley, who is Professor Emeritus, Swansea College of Art and his drawings have been exhibited internationally. Chapters include: • Dyslexia and the creative sector • Observational drawing • Drawing as a five step process

This is essentially a practical guide to improving drawing, with many examples of creative ideas that students have come up with and blank spaces to draw and sketch. It will be of great value to students who are struggling to work around issues associated with their dyslexia and is full of encouragement and wisdom.

• Step back and reflect • Examples of dyslexic artists’ creativity The authors explain that they have produced the book as a practical resource to demonstrate how to structure perceptions of the world through a kind of language of drawing. The techniques and advice are developed from the drawing workshops they run and they have invented the word ‘visualcy’ to indicate being articulate with images ( in line with the terms literacy and numeracy).

Jessica KingsleyPublishers ISBN: 978-1-78775-142-2 £ 16.99

The ESSENCE of Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Condition: Rethinking Co-Morbidities, Assessment, and Intervention

C. Gillberg ESSENCE (Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations) refers to the group of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism, ADHD, and tic disorders, as well as some other conditions. Professor Gillberg has spent over 45 years conducting extensive clinical and research work in this field and has published over 700 scientific papers and many books. He makes a case for recognising that syndromes are rarely ‘pure’ and that, for example, 85% of school children with ADHD meet the criteria for at least one other learning/ communication. Psychiatric, neurological or medical disorder diagnosis. Gillberg proposes that ESSENCE should be considered a public health problem and that families should have access to ‘one-stop shops’ where they can come into contact with specialists across the entire ESSENCE field, and with close collaboration with paediatric and school health services, as well as social services. Whereas he agrees that a main diagnosis can be made, it should almost always be framed

senmagazine.co.uk

by additional diagnoses that then inform interventions and support. He also recommends strategies for informing children and teenagers about their diagnosis,with the aim of developing self-awareness about individual difficulties, as well as strengths. This book demonstrates the author’s belief in whole-person assessments and interventions, and he makes a strong case for this approach.

Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN: 978-1-78775-439-3 £ 18.99

SEN114

ADVERTISE IN

The esSENtial read

In print 36,000 readers

per issue (based on four readers per copy)

Online 18,000

unique users a month

Email newsletter 57,300

“Love, love, love your Magazine. Every article is amazing and so insightful ” (Autism charity worker)

recipients

To book your space, contact Denise: 01200 409808 denise@senmagazine.co.uk Advertise in The specialist online magazine bringing you up-to-date news and bite-size reports on special educational needs

senmagazine.co.uk

Visit our w ebsite at senmagaz ine.co.uk

@senmagazine

Relaxed performances

Relaxed performances the digital experience Lucy Askew, chief executive and creative producer at Creation Theatre, discusses ways in which they are levelling the playing field for the neurologically diverse.

orking in theatre over the past 14 years the team and I at Creation Theatre have done lots to make our work more accessible for children and adults on the autistic spectrum. In a pre-pandemic world this took the form of ‘Relaxed Performances’. Usually a single performance within part of a longer schedule of shows, Relaxed Performances are especially adapted to be more accessible, comfortable, and accommodating for a range of different audiences and have been a part of the theatre sector landscape now for nearly a decade. Keeping the house lights in the auditorium on, making the seating feel more welcoming and adjusting the show for very loud noises or music to be turned down are now thankfully a standard feature in the programming of most of the subsidised sector. These accommodations are done with audiences on the autistic spectrum in mind, but the result tends to be a catch-all environment in which many individuals and carers are more comfortable, rather than meeting the specific needs of the neuro-diverse. Additional efforts we have made at Creation Theatre’s relaxed shows begin even before the performance itself. We provide a

senmagazine.co.uk

“Accommodations are done with audiences on the autistic spectrum in mind” visual story to prepare audiences for what to expect when they visit us which covers everything from arriving at the theatre, to the performance itself and queueing for the toilets in the interval. Our cast introduce themselves pre-show and explain which characters they will be playing. Extra ushers are on duty and the audience can talk, make noise or exit the space whenever they need to. We have a “chill-out” quiet area outside of the auditorium and the show is visible on a screen at a quiet volume that can be watched in a less overwhelming way. At one of our Christmas performances, we introduced “Flappause” where the audience were invited to wave their

SEN114

Relaxed performances

About the author Lucy Askew is Chief Executive of award winning site-specific and digital theatre specialists Creation Theatre. She has three children, two who have autism and one who also has ADHD. creationtheatre.co.uk

■ Alice

@creationtheatre hands instead of clapping to provide a quieter way to show their appreciation. Our Relaxed Performances have become a highlight of the Christmas season for our team. Often actors are nervous about what to expect from the experience, but the feedback afterwards is always that it was one of their favourite performances. It’s been wonderful knowing that we are providing a route for a wider audience to access our work, especially welcoming people who may feel uncomfortable with dimmed lights and the hushed formality often associated with the theatrical experience. As years of producing relaxed shows have passed, the limitations of Relaxed Performances have become increasingly apparent. For a start one date in a schedule of four weeks of shows is incredibly restrictive, wouldn’t it be better if every performance could accommodate diverse needs? As a parent of two children with autism I also started to notice that even with all the accommodations in place I still felt reluctant to bring my own children along. However much the experience within the theatre itself may be relaxed, for my children I have found there are still multiple barriers and trigger points simply in leaving the house and travelling to an unfamiliar location. A surprise advancement in the ways we can support neurodiverse audiences accessing our work has arisen as a result of Covid 19. Back in April 2020 we rapidly pivoted our work to connect with our audiences digitally. We started making shows in Zoom where both the audience and performers were live in the experience and able to interact, and also moved all our workshops online as “Creation Home Delivery”. We quickly started to notice some fascinating things about the new digital landscape we found ourselves in. Firstly, we discovered it to be artistically a really stimulating medium to make work in, with endless possibilities to explore. Secondly, we found that by performing live with a live audience integral to the experience there was a real buzz and sense of occasion and community when watching the shows. Thirdly, and most interestingly, we found that digital shows were attracting new audiences and by their very nature were a medium that levelled the playing field for neurologically diverse individuals. The benefits are numerous but to list a few – you can watch in your own environment with whatever chair, lighting state, temperature you are most comfortable with, you can adjust the volume to whatever level you prefer, you can more easily turn away, make noise and fidget. Captioning can be offered for all performances easily. SEN114

Creation Theatre Company

@creationtheatre

Lucy Askew

“Fascinating things about the new digital landscape” With all of this there is a real joy in the fact that the experience can be adjusted at an individual level with no feeling of needing “special accommodations” and no limitations on when you will feel most comfortable watching a show. Our Home Delivery workshops have demonstrated that teaching online has equally impactful benefits for neurologically diverse children. The digital experience for shows allows a level of personalisation and comfort that is challenging to create in a workshop space with potential triggers removed. What we are seeing emerge is that children on the autistic spectrum are engaging confidently and creatively with our methods of online teaching in a way that we were not seeing in an “analogue “workshop. They thrive and in some cases are demonstrating more comfort and confidence with the medium than some of their neurologically normative peers. Why this is we can only currently speculate on. It may be the reduced number of variables in the environment, even as far as the 3D negotiation of sharing space with others; or is being able to see oneself on camera a particularly helpful tool in exploring how to convey emotion and communicate with others? Witnessing the impact this is having on the 180 children who join us each week, we are fascinated to find out more and are currently working with university academics to do some in depth research into the benefits of digital workshops. This research will help inform how we navigate supporting all our audiences needs as we move into a world where theatres reopen, but we are now fully committed to Home Delivery and digital productions being a key part of what we do for many years to come. senmagazine.co.uk

Relaxed performances

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

SEN publishers

Me? An Author? Judith Carter makes the case that the publication of a book is the ideal way to share your observations and practical experiences.

riting a book has always been a dream of mine, but nothing prepares you for the feeling of ‘holding’ the actual book you have written. At the time of writing this article, I have been a published author for all of a week! So obviously I still have much to learn. I certainly was not prepared for ‘seeing’ my book on publisher websites. It is a strange feeling that combines pride, shock, relief and of course the inevitable anxiety, hoping, above all other things, that you have written a GOOD book! So why do this? The ultimate purpose of writing my book was to share the outcomes of my work with others, in the hope that it will support colleagues, promote reflection and further professional dialogue, which ultimately may improve the experiences of children and families with SEND. I spent years noticing that there was an apparent gap in our language of assessment for children with SEND. Firstly, we paid limited attention to individual strengths, tending instead to focus on the difficulties or barriers to learning. But we also only had the curriculum as our language for assessment. Of course, the curriculum is essential, it is our ‘bread and butter,’ but the Code of Practice 2015, tells us that SEND provision should be “additional to or different from that made generally for other children or SEN114

“Promote reflection and further professional dialogue”

young people of the same age,”. Yet, more often than not, our provision was more of the same. For example, if a learner was experiencing difficulties with maths, we would give them more maths. Of course, they are entitled to more maths, as is every child in a class, but in what way is ‘more of the same’ additional to or different from? In fact, our priority should be to explore ‘why’ the learner is experiencing difficulties in maths, after all this could relate to working memory, speed of processing or a language issue. By establishing a hypothesis exploring the barrier(s) to learning, we are able to compliment the ongoing curriculum entitlement of ‘more maths,’ with action that seeks to develop language, processing or memory skills, which is by definition, additional to or different from that made generally for others. senmagazine.co.uk

SEN publishers

About the author Judith Carter is a registered Educational Psychologist (EP) and Director of Willow Tree Learning and author of “SEND Assessment: A Strengths-based Framework for Learners with SEND” published by Routledge Speechmark. willowtreelearning.co.uk @JudithcarterEP

Judith Carter

“Creating our own evidence base of what works in our settings”

This professional realisation, led to the creation of the 7 C’s Learning Portfolio. As the name suggests, it is a framework set around 7 words beginning with the letter C. The central C is the Curriculum, with Cognition, Communication, Creativity, Control, Compassion and Co-ordination surrounding it. Within each C, there are 7 learning themes that help to provide a language of SEND assessment. It encourages the identification of 3 strengths and 3 areas for development. The creation of this language of assessment enables Teachers, SENCOs, SEN Practitioners, Parents/Carers and the Learner themselves to reflect on existing strengths as well as areas for development. Having the idea for this portfolio evolved from direct work with children and staff in schools. It also grew within my work! It became an integral part of my language and work with schools, and SENCo’s and SEN Practitioners, positively responded to the framework. It was this that led to the idea of publication. As Professionals working in Education, Health and Social Care, we are engaged in action research every day. The assess, plan, do and review cycle of the graduated approach IS the cycle of action research! As such we are all well placed to be creating our own evidence base of what works in our settings and with our learners and their families. And this information is exactly what we need to be sharing with each other through publications. I made the decision to publish a practical resource for SENCOs and SEN Practitioners based on my own action research and professional observation. It looks at the issue senmagazine.co.uk

of SEN assessment through a practical lens. Of course, it is underpinned by theory and evidence, but my publications are not trying to be an academic or theoretical text, instead they are accessible and practical and are intended to make a contribution to our shared work with children and families. I use this language of assessment as part of my work, as I hope readers of the book will also be able to. As practitioners working with children and families, we are exactly the people who should be publishing! So, my positive challenge to you is to firstly recognise yourself as an action researcher! And then to notice what you are seeking to change in your school or setting, or how you are seeking to contribute to the learning and development of an individual child or young person and to capture this. Those of you undertaking the National Award in SEN Co-ordination or other Masters level qualifications will know, only too well, that you are action researchers! And although this can place a significant demand on already limited time, the impact of this research can be huge. My best advice is to initially share your work within your school or across your Trust and as you reflect and refine this practice, consider publication. Publishers are wonderfully receptive to our work and their websites provide contact details. I have only been impressed by my publisher, and their systems for publication are clear and accessible. This means we have the potential to not only contribute to the lives of the children and families in our settings, but also to others. By promoting professional thinking, dialogue, reflection and challenge, we can further advance our shared contribution and support each other to ensure that we do provide education for ALL. SEN114

Teacher retention

Securing long-term teacher retention Chetan Sood takes a closer look at staff recruitment and retention, and the strategies schools can use to help free themselves from ‘sticking plaster-style’ approaches.

ere’s a sector-wide situation that will, sadly, feel familiar to many: staff struggling with workload and stress pressures, exacerbated by the fallout of COVID-19; HR teams and in-house recruiters disempowered by the turnover of colleagues; the knowledge that current recruitment strategies are by no means ideal, but that time and support to rectify things feels desperately lacking. In the wake of recent global events, the education sector has reached a crucial turning point in retention and recruitment, with the real threat of a mass exodus of staff on the horizon. Such an exodus would not only further impact teacher morale, but would have potentially grave consequences for the future of our schools and the very children we strive to support. If this sounds like the situation that’s developing in your school, it’s not too late to start implementing changes. And, as you contemplate how to go forward, it’s important to bear in mind that support is out there. Accessing that support can start right here.

Adapting and reacting to current conditions When cracks appear around issues of school staffing, do you SEN114

“A critical turning point in retention and recruitment” stop to pay attention or shy away? You would be forgiven for doing the latter – but doing so only postpones the problem; and possibly makes it far worse in the long-term. Several models of third-party staff provision have developed over the last 20 years in response to headline concerns, such as the need for candidates who are both flexible and highcalibre, the tightening of school budgets, and the daunting administrative overheads of managing quality assurance. It’s no wonder that on-demand third party agency and job site recruitment services have emerged to meet the challenge. But the issues that cause staff turnover can be complex. By identifying the root causes of staff issues rather than applying fixes at the time of need, school leaders can pre-empt issues senmagazine.co.uk

Teacher retention

“Empower staff to share their ideas”

About the author Chetan Sood is Head of Operations at Teacher Booker. teacherbooker.com

that may arise and react in a responsive, responsible way when they do. For example, if a full time employee feels that switching to a part-time role might suit them better due to a lifestyle change or life event, it can be difficult for them to raise this with their employer. This can be mitigated in an unobtrusive way by ensuring regular, informal check-ins with employees to monitor their job satisfaction and career aspirations. If the perception amongst employees is that ‘the door is always open’, and employers will give genuine consideration to things like working pattern preferences from their staff, then it is likely that retention will be better than if the perception is that expressions of employees’ working preferences are not heard, or there is no room for flexibility in the staffing model.

Prioritising retention – and empowering your staff Staff retention is particularly important for SEN educators who provide vital consistency and support for the children and young people who need it most. Simply put, if a school solves its retention issues, it will not have a problem with recruitment. To maintain positive, long-lasting relationships between staff, three key ingredients are required: • High levels of trust, built through direct and timely communication – beginning when staff are recruited, and continuing while they are supportively trained.

@teacherbooker

• Transparency and even-handedness when it comes to pay and working conditions. • Scope for flexibility to candidates’ work preferences, such as options for remote working, and opportunities for development and progression. Shifts in staff mindsets towards ‘empowerment’ are especially helpful in making teachers feel important and valued; united by a shared sense of purpose. In certain situations, instilling that sense of empowerment might be as straight-forward as finding a tool that helps your staff do their job more seamlessly. Technological support such as collaborative working tools encourages additional communication between staff, leading to a stronger sense of support. Micro-interactions between staff like being able to

■ Staff empowerment.

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

Teacher retention

comment on a live document (e.g. a lesson plan or learning resource) as it is being developed can add an extra dimension to intra-staff relationships and empower staff to share their ideas more regularly and with greater confidence.

Finding, attracting and retaining the right staff With an innovative model on hand to help give schools practical guidance, it is more than possible to recruit staff without incurring overwhelming bureaucracy, administrative processes or excess costs. This year, Teacher Booker developed a Total Workforce Management approach (TWM) to enable an enhanced, consistent quality of staff provision – as well as happy, motivated teams.

matches should enable better retention of staff, as we can hypothesise that job satisfaction will be higher due to a closer alignment of expectations.

Considering in-house management for your school Bringing workforce-focused models back in house can entail additional liabilities – such as new accountability for worker quality, and the responsibility of fulfilling urgent requisitions at short notice. But just as the school environment is now shifting to more flexible ways of working, the process of workload management can integrate flexibility too. We consider there to be four key parts of the contingent worker management process:

By integrating TWM into existing provisions – avoiding the need for schools to outsource their recruitment to other parties – key leaders can retain a better handle on:

• Marketing and talent attraction

• The costs of bundles and partnerships with third party recruitment service providers

• Resourcing and deployment

• The amount of admin overhead incurred in workforce management, such as that involving payroll and reporting

When outsourcing parts of the process, schools can play to their existing strengths. For example, they might manage their own talent attraction for long-term and permanent roles, but outsource day-to-day supply cover bookings where there is an urgent need to fill the vacancy. Another example might be to outsource the payroll and employment function to a third party, as this can maintain the flexibility of having workers off-payroll (which can confer benefits for both school and candidate), without impacting significantly on employer brand or candidate experience.

• The integrity of data around candidates, compliance and invoices

The overall candidate experience. As an example, SEN roles tend to have complex and often unique requirements, particularly if the care required is specific to a particular pupil or cohort. By adopting a TWM approach and sourcing, engaging, and evaluating candidates in-house, hiring schools can perhaps establish a better match between candidate and pupil/job role than a third party recruiter. Third parties often have a different balance of incentives to hiring schools - a placement generates revenue for a recruiter, and so this will play a part in the speed and execution of the introduction to a candidate, whereas for a school there is no real financial incentive to make a speedy hire. Making better

• Vetting and onboarding • Payroll and employment.

Where to go from here With the financial, resource, physical and emotional strain of the past 18 months on schools, you would be forgiven for thinking that this is just another thing to add to your (already too long) to do list, or considering a strategic recruitment strategy as a ‘nice to have’ rather than a necessity. In reality however, we’ve already had to adopt a raft of new technological solutions and ways of working to ensure continued provision for pupils, so there is no reason why education recruitment should not also benefit from this same change in perspective. And, what we are talking about is not a radical shift in approach. Recruitment agencies, third-party sites, vendors and staff banks will - and rightly should - play their part in education recruitment strategies for years to come, but the specific role they play should be determined by you and support your preferred recruitment approach and spend.

■ Recruiting staff.

SEN114

By implementing these small changes, we believe that you can not only reduce recruitment and retention costs but also the administrative burden and often high levels of stress involved in the process. As a result, more time and money can be spent on what really matters - delivering consistent and highquality education for your pupils, not just today, but long into the future. senmagazine.co.uk

Sensory

senmagazine.co.uk

SLCN

SEN114

Petition watch

Petition watch Our readers are passionate about a wide range of issues. Here we will provide you with opportunities to support initiatives which are of importance to you. Petition Watch comprises a list of petitions relating to SEN which are currently active on the UK Parliament website with more than 100 signatures at the time of compilation. To add your name to any of these, go to the relevant page on the UK Parliament website (petition.parliament.uk). The petitions are not just symbolic. Any which reach 10,000 names will receive a response from HM Government. At 100,000 names, there is a chance that it will receive a debate in Parliament. We will continue to monitor and update this list in future issues, and of course report in more detail on any which meet either threshold.

Increase funding to provide support and research into Tourettes Syndrome

Fund improved support for people with communication and swallowing needs

Tourettes affect 1 in 100 children, yet the support provided is minimal and very patchy across the UK, some areas have NO support.

We want the Government to improve the lives of people of all ages with communication and swallowing needs by ensuring they are able to access the speech and language therapy that they and their families and carers need.

There’s only a handful of specialist Tourettes centres in the whole of the UK - we need more of these to provide care for EVERYONE! More research leads to more help! petition.parliament.uk/petitions/575370 Government Response: The majority of services for people with Tourette’s syndrome are commissioned locally by Clinical Commissioning Groups. These services will be appropriate for the majority of children and young people with Tourette’s syndrome, and the teams involved will refer them to multidisciplinary teams including clinical psychologists where necessary. To increase the number of trained clinical psychologists available, Health Education England has supported a 60 per cent expansion in the clinical psychology training intake over the past two years. Trainees are able to undertake specialist placements focusing on Tourette’s syndrome, in addition to Tourette’s syndrome featuring as part of the broader neuropsychology curriculum. For those who require more detailed specialist support, there are a small number of recognised services with focused multidisciplinary teams assessing and supporting children with tics, Tourette’s syndrome and motor stereotypies and their families. The Department of Health and Social Care funds research into conditions through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition. Since 2018, £2.1 million has been invested into research on Tourette’s syndrome through NIHR’s research programmes.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/587872 Government Response: We welcome the recent report “Speech and language therapy during and beyond COVID-19” by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and its recommendations. We are undertaking the biggest nursing, midwifery, and Allied Health Professional recruitment drive in decades, which includes recruitment of speech and language therapists. In 2020 there were 620 acceptances to speech and language therapy programmes in England, an increase of 28% on 2019. On 23 November 2020 we published a Wellbeing and Mental Health Support Plan for COVID-19, setting out the steps we have taken to strengthen the support available for people who are struggling, including those with communication and swallowing needs. With respect to speech and language therapies specifically for children and young people, last summer NHS England and Improvement (NHSE/I) published guidance making clear that essential services provided in the community, including therapies, should be restarted for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged up to 25 years who have an Education Health and Care Plan in place or who are going through an assessment for one. Department of Health and Social Care

Department of Health and Social Care

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

Petition watch

Require all school staff receive training on SEN children

Require School SENCOs to be fully qualified for the role

All school staff should be required to take a course on children with special educational needs (SEN). Too many school staff don’t have any idea how to engage with SEN children!

School senco’s to be qualified before they take the role and they must have done in depth training on special educational needs. The current role can be filled by a person not qualified for the role and they have 3 years to qualify.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/587365

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/591092

Government Response: Appropriate School Provisions Reforms to teacher training The Teachers’ Standards define the minimum expectations of teachers’ professional practice and personal conduct. These standards set clear expectations that teachers must have an understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND. To support all teachers, we are implementing a ‘golden thread’ of high-quality teacher training reforms. These reforms are designed to emphasise the importance of high-quality teaching and to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed. This includes those pupils identified within the four areas of need set out in the SEND Code of Practice and children in need of help and protection as identified in the Children in Need Review. Further support for the workforce Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) play an essential role in schools, supporting teaching staff to meet the needs of pupils with SEN and ensuring that schools have a clear and effective approach to inclusive education. Every maintained nursery, maintained mainstream school and mainstream academy must have a qualified teacher designated as SENCO. The Department has provided funding to the Whole School SEND consortium since 2018. Funding in 202122 will bring the total funding for this contract to over £8 million since 2018. We have also funded the Autism Education Trust (AET) since 2011 to deliver autism awareness training to education staff in early years, schools and further education settings. Department for Education

Fund more school places for students with special needs It should not be a fight to get children into a suitable special needs school, there should be enough places available. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/585658

Make British Sign Language a language option in the national curriculum Make British Sign Language an option for students to study at school. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/579898

senmagazine.co.uk

Create an emergency fund for ASD (autism) & ADHD assessments The Government should create an emergency fund to deal with waiting lists for autism & ADHD assessments for children AND adults. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/589677

Increase funding for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Provide more funding to CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services). Additional funding should be used for better training and more staff, as well as more sites to make it more accessible. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/575532

More funding for local authorities to assess and support Autistic children What is needed are social workers specialised in Children with disabilities and not safeguarding social workers. Two different assessments and this needs to be recognised. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/585737

Ban Applied Behavioural Analysis for autistic people The Government should ban Applied Behavioural Analysis (sometimes referred to as “conversion therapy” for autistic people), and accept that being autistic is ok and autistic children shouldn’t be subject to “therapy” like this. Many autistic adults can attest to the horrors of ABA. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/578616

Introduce a statutory Mental Health Policy to all schools in England Introduce a specific policy for schools which follows the Mental Health Act 2017. This policy should promote inclusion and reasonable adjustments, with the aim to ensure pupils with significant mental health needs can access education regardless of their limitations. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/584017

SEN114

100

Petition watch

Introduce a statutory Mental Health Policy to schools in England

Create an emergency fund for ASD (autism) & ADHD assessments

Introduce a specific policy for schools which follows the Mental Health Act 2017.

The Government should create an emergency fund to deal with waiting lists for autism & ADHD assessments for children AND adults.

It should promote inclusion and reasonable adjustments, to ensure pupils with significant mental health needs can access education regardless of their limitations.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/589677

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/584017

More Funding For SEN Children To Access Appropriate School Provisions

Government funding required for an autism training support scheme

Changes need to be made so more funding is available for schools and local authorities to offer better provisions for SEN children, especially those who do not fit the criteria for special needs EMS/mainstream schools. So no other child falls through the system.

To Create a scheme for autistic adults and adults with learning difficulties, to break the stigma around adults with learning difficulties, such as autism. As 80% of us are facing poverty and unemployment, as the education system struggle to support those with learning and educational needs.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/584129

Require schools teach about special educational needs & mental health disorders

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/590723

Replace “Special Educational Needs” within the Children & Families Act

All schools, primary and secondary, have to educate students about different types of special needs; including autism, Asperger’s, ADHS and Down’s syndrome, and also mental health disorders.

The use of “Special Educational Needs” in the Children & Families Act (2014) and Code of Practice (2015) is outdated. It does not accurately describe the provision that many children need. It should be replaced with the term “additional needs”.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/589059

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/584547

SEN114

senmagazine.co.uk

Play

senmagazine.co.uk

Assistive technology

101

SEN114

Moving and handling

103

PROUD TO HAVE BEEN DELIVERING OUR MOVING & HANDLING TRAINING SOLUTIONS TO SPECIAL SCHOOLS FOR 25 YEARS!

Solutions Training provides bespoke moving and handling solutions to schools that have pupils with unique moving & handling demands. We have recognised that this specialist sector requires tailored training that is focused on the individual pupil and the varying equipment used to assist their mobility needs. We have developed a bespoke online ‘People Moving People 2021’ course which educates its learners on the theory of moving and handling principles developed in line with best practice as of 2021. It is the most comprehensive course of its type and has been widely praised by the special education sector as being speciﬁc to them and the daily challenges they face within their roles.

Our online course is complemented with the inclusion of video conferencing practical skills training which is tailored to each schools’ requirements. This training is based on teaching your staff on the correct usage of the manual handling equipment they use. We provide them with the technical skills to enable them to compliantly, competently, and conﬁdently move and handling their pupils ensuring no child is excluded from activities of which abled bodied pupils easily participate in. Our mission is to ensure that special school staff are equipped with the very latest knowledge and skills to ensure their pupils are moved and handled in a manner that is safe, comfortable, and digniﬁed manner.

A free demo of our online “People Moving People 2021” online course can be run at

solutionstraining.co.uk

Autistic children can benefit from attention training – new study Attention training in young people with autism can lead to significant improvements in academic performance, according to a new study.

Psychology, says: “Attention is a fundamental cognitive process and better controlling it can have an impact on other behaviours, as well as on learning ability.”

Researchers tested a computer programme designed to train basic attention skills among a group of autistic children aged between eight and 14 years old.

Half of the group used a computer programme called CPAT – Computerised Progressive Attentional Training, that was developed in an earlier project by the Birmingham team in partnership with researchers at Tel-Aviv University in Israel. The second half of the group were given ordinary computer games to play.

They found participants achieved improvements in maths, reading, writing and overall attention both immediately after undergoing the training and at a three-month follow up assessment. Their results are published in Autism Research. Lead researcher, Dr Carmel Mevorach, in the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Human Brain Health, and School of

Immediately after completing the training the CPAT group showed improvements in the number of isolated words they could correctly identify and read in 10 minutes. They were also able to increase the number of words they could copy. In maths, the CPAT group improved their scores by more than 50 per cent. All these improvements were maintained when the children were re-tested three months after completing the programme. In contrast, the control group participants showed no evidence of improvement in any of the three areas. The next stage for the research is to carry out a larger clinical trial to establish the potential impact of the intervention. The research was funded in the UK by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, and by the European Union’s Erasmus Programme.

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

104

CPD, training and events

Webinar with Dr Margot Sunderland (child expert, award-winning author)

Using arts and imagery to help children and teenagers talk about their life

Centre for Child Mental Health 020 7354 2913 info@childmentalhealthcentre.org childmentalhealthcentre.org/ webinars

New Skills Academy

Webinars with Dr Dan Hughes (international expert, psychologist & clinician, founder of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy)

Development trauma: Blocked trust and blocked care Traumatised children: Why pace heals (play, acceptance, curiosity, empathy)

icepe.eu/cpd/ADHD

Webinar

childmentalhealthcentre.org/ webinars

info@childmentalhealthcentre.org

newskillsacademy.co.uk/courses/ teaching/?ref=32

0330 122 5684

icepe.eu/cpd

icepe.eu/cpd/Understanding_ Autism

Centre for Child Mental Health 020 7354 2913 info@childmentalhealthcentre.org

Supporting teachers online since 2001, our fully online and part time professional development courses cover a range of areas of special education.

ICEP

Autism course equips teachers, parents and other practitioners with evidence-based strategies to meet the needs of children and young people with autism, from preschool to further education.

Attachment: What every teacher and child professional needs to know

New Skills Academy pride themselves on providing the best online education courses to further your career. Their experienced tutors have meticulously created some incredibly well received diplomas. Their diverse portfolio includes courses in the following areas: Autism Awareness Diploma; ADHD Diploma; Asperger Syndrome Awareness Diploma. Use Code SEN76 for up to a 76% discount on all courses this month.

ICEP Europe Online CPD Courses

ICEP

Rebound Therapy Training Courses

“ReboundTherapy.org” the official UK body and international consultancy for Rebound Therapy™. Responsible for the development and delivery of the genuine accredited and approved staff training courses with founder Eddy Anderson Founded 1972 reboundtherapy.org

Webinar

Attachment play for primary aged children (5-10 years)

Centre for Child Mental Health 020 7354 2913 info@childmentalhealthcentre.org childmentalhealthcentre.org/ webinars

Please check all details with the event organiser before you make arrangements to attend.

Centre for Child Mental Health 020 7354 2913 childmentalhealthcentre.org/ webinars

ICEP

The Teaching Hope & Optimism course allows you to boost your own hope and optimism while learning how to enhance the psychological fitness and resilience of others. icepe.eu/cpd/Teaching_Hope__ Optimism

Accredited Counselling, Wellbeing, Arts Psychotherapy Training (part-time)

Diploma in counselling skills with children (using the arts) Diploma in counselling teenagers Diploma in traumainformed schools Diploma in wellbeing practice for children and young people The Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education 020 7704 2534 info@artspsychotherapy.org artspsychotherapy.org

SEN114

ADHD course where you will learn how to implement research-validated approaches to ensure that children and young people with ADHD reach their full potential in education and beyond.

SEPTEMBER 2021 21 September 2021 Equals

Semi-formal Curriculum (SLD/ MLD) by Peter lmray The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

21 and 22 September 2021 National Autistic Society

Understanding stress and anxiety in autism This one-day course explores how you can help autistic children and adults to reduce stress and anxiety, how to understand their behaviour, and how to support them during difficult times. autism.org.uk/training

21 and 22 September 2021 National Autistic Society

Autism and SPELL in higher education Online training

An introduction to autism and the SPELL framework for higher education professionals. autism.org.uk/training

senmagazine.co.uk

CPD, training and events

senmagazine.co.uk

105

SEN114

106

22 and 23 September 2021 National Autistic Society

Social Stories This workshop aims to support people in understanding how to develop and use Social StoriesTM autism.org.uk/training

24 and 25 September 2021 MA Exhibitions

Music & Drama Education Expo 2021 Business Design Centre, London

Register free for Europe’s largest conference and exhibition for anyone involved in music & drama education musicanddramaeducationexpo. co.uk

24 September 2021 nasen

nasen Live 2021 Face to face

OCTOBER 2021 5 October 2021 Equals

Informal Curriculum (P4-P5) 5th October 2021 by Peter lmray The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

5 October 2021 National Autistic Society

Understanding autism in the workplace Increase your understanding of autism and identify and implement reasonable adjustments for your autistic colleagues. autism.org.uk

5-6 October 2021

09:30 - 16:30

Terrapin

nasen Live is back! Tickets are now available for this unmissable SEND CPD Conference for all education professionals.

Conference and exhibition

nasen.org.uk/events/nasenlive-2021

28 September 2021 Equals

Pre-formal (PMLD) Curriculum by Peter lmray The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

30 September 2021 Equals The Engagement Model and the Pre-Key Stage Standards by James Waller The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

SEN114

EduTech Africa Virtual 2021

Register your free ticket now for EduTech Africa Virtual 2021. Will bring insights from more than 80 speakers across a series of live presentations, panel discussions and technology showcases. https://bit.ly/3edkLVV

8-9 October 2021 MA Exhibitions

TES SEN Show

Neurodiversity, Autism and ASD, wellbeing and SLCN are just some of the many topics covered in high-quality CPD seminars at the Tes SEN Show (8-9 October 2021 | Business Design Centre, London). Book your seminars for just £20 +VAT! tessenshow.co.uk/london/ seminars

Autumn CPD Term 11 October 2021 - 5 December 2021 Designed for teachers and other professionals who wish to up-skill, each course will give you the tools and understanding to get the most out of your students. icepe.eu/cpd

11-12 October 2021

20, 21 and 22 October 2021

1st Arabia

National Autistic Society

The 2nd Saudi International Pharma & Medialab Expo 2021 VOCO Hotel Riyadh

This is a unique platform in the Kingdom which has brought the laboratory and clinical industry from all over the globe to showcase the latest inventions in laboratory technology. saudimedlabexpo.com

12 and 13 October 2021 National Autistic Society

Sexuality, relationships and autism training Explore issues related to autistic people and sexuality including boundaries, friendships and relationships. autism.org.uk/training

EarlyBird Plus licensed user training

This licensed user training is for professionals looking to support parents and carers of autistic children aged four to nine through our EarlyBird Plus programme. autism.org.uk/training

29 October 2021 Community Therapy

Learning to use the Therapy Outcome Measure (TOM) Virtually

One-day training workshop with Prof Pam Enderby. Delegate fee £175. For further details, visit communitytherapy.org.uk

NOVEMBER 2021

12 October 2021

9 November 2021

Equals

Formal Curriculum (SLD/MLD) by Peter lmray

The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

Logically Illogical A personal history of autism by Ros Blackburn

The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

14 October 2021 Equals

Relationships and Sex Education by Peter lmray

The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

18, 19 and 20 October 2021 National Autistic Society

Teen life licensed user training

Delivered live online this licensed user training is for professionals looking to support parents and carers of young autistic people aged 10 to 16.

10 and 11 November 2021 National Autistic Society

Understanding and supporting autistic people

An introductory course based on the SPELL framework that builds your knowledge of autism and how to support autistic children and adults. autism.org.uk

16 November 2021 Equals

Teaching mathematics by Peter lmray The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

autism.org.uk

senmagazine.co.uk

CPD, training and events

107

Want a digital version of

SEN Magazine?

Each issue of SEN Magazine is now available online at issuu.com/senmagazine

Just £6 per issue or £24 for the next six issues Back issues also available

Get your digital SEN Magazine now at issuu.com/senmagazine

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN114

108

CPD, training and events

11 November 2021

23 November 2021

8 to 10 December 2021

National Autistic Society

Equals

Learning and Teaching Expo

Autism and Education conference

Teaching play and leisure by Peter lmray

Our one-day online conference aimed at education professionals. Increase your understanding and knowledge of autism and best practice in supporting autistic children at school.

The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit

autism.org.uk

26 November 2021

11 November 2021 Revolution Events

The Education People Show

The Kent Event Centre, Detling REGISTER NOW for your FREE place. Engage and learn from industry leaders through the educational seminar sessions, inspirational keynotes and the extensive education suppliers. theeducationpeopleshow.co.uk

17-18 November 2021 National Autistic Society

Understanding stress and anxiety in autism This course explores how you can help autistic children and adults to reduce stress and anxiety, how to understand their behaviour, and how to support them during difficult times. autism.org.uk

17-18 November 2021

The School & Academies Show NEC Birmingham

equals.co.uk

Equals

Moving on 14-25 curriculum and accreditation by John Hartley

The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

30 November 2021 Equals

Teaching communication by Peter lmray

The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

DECEMBER 2021 1-2 December 2021 IBE Forum

Smart School Summit Virtual

This conference will bring together the digital learning solution providers from all over the globe that will cater to Saudi’s Vision 2030. smartschoolsummit.com

21 November 2021

7 December 2021

Equals

Community Therapy

MAPP - Mapping & Assessing Personal Progress by Mike Sissons

The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

SEN114

Communication partner training - for acquired neurological conditions Virtually

A clinical course for speech and language therapists to build practical skills in delivering communication partner training. Delegate fee: £95 For further details, visit communitytherapy.org.uk

Hong Kong

In 2021 the Expo enters its eleventh year. It continues to provide a platform for education buyers, governments, school leaders, teachers and educators in Asia to discover and source the latest developments in educational resources and learning technology.

MARCH 2022 1 March 2022 Equals

Teaching reading and writing by Peter lmray The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit

LTExpo.com.hk

equals.co.uk

8 to 9 December 2021

10 March 2022

Asia-Pacific International Schools Conference (AISC)

Equals

Bringing together school communities to explore topical education issues and international speakers who will provide expertise and provide actionable strategies which can be implemented in class and school.

The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

The engagement model and the PreKey Stage Standards by James Waller

equals.co.uk

aisc.com.hk

JANUARY 2022 11 and 12 January 2022 National Autistic Society

Autism and SPELL in higher education

An introduction to autism and the SPELL framework for higher education professionals. autism.org.uk

FEBRUARY 2022

18 March 2022 Equals

Moving on 14-25 curriculum and accreditation by John Hartley

The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

8 February 2022 Equals

Teaching thinking and problem solving by Peter lmray The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit equals.co.uk

15 February 2022 Equals

Teaching independence by Peter lmray

The session will take place between 3:45 and 5:15pm To learn more or to book a place please contact admin@equalsoffice.co.uk or visit

Please check all details with the event organiser before you make arrangements to attend.

equals.co.uk

senmagazine.co.uk

SEN resources directory

109

SEN resources directory Information, advice and support for all things SEN. NEW! Full directory now available on the SEN Magazine website - senmagazine.co.uk/main/resources ADHD

Learning disability

Rebound therapy

ADHD Foundation

BILD

ReboundTherapy.org

Training and awareness raising around ADHD. adhdfoundation.org.uk

Charity offering support and information on learning disabilities. bild.org.uk

The UK governing body and international consultancy for Rebound Therapy. reboundtherapy.org

Law

Autism National Autistic Society

Douglas Silas Solicitors

Help and information for those affected by ASD. autism.org.uk

Douglas Silas Solicitors are the legal experts specialising exclusively in SEN, helping parents successfully throughout the SEN process. SpecialEducationalNeeds.co.uk

Cerebral palsy Action CP Charity raising awareness of issues facing children and young people with cerebral palsies. actioncp.org

Literacy National Literacy Trust Literacy charity for adults and children. literacytrust.org.uk

Mental health

Down’s syndrome Down’s Syndrome Association Information, support and training on Down’s syndrome. downs-syndrome.org.uk

Special education needs nasen Organisation for the education, training and advancement of those with SEN. nasen.org.uk

Visual impairment The Partially Sighted Society Bold-lined exercise books and resources for schools and individuals for visual impairment and visual processing difficulties. partsight.org.uk

MIND

RNIB

Advice and support for people experiencing a mental health problem. mind.org.uk

Support and advice for those affected by visual impairment. rnib.org.uk

Dyslexia British Dyslexia Association Information and support for people affected by dyslexia. bdadyslexia.org.uk

Dyspraxia Dyspraxia Foundation UK Dyspraxia advice and support. dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk

Epilepsy Epilepsy Action Advice and information on epilepsy. epilepsy.org.uk senmagazine.co.uk

The esSENtial read

Looking for specialist help? Equipment? Resources? Visit the new SEN Magazine Resource Directory online. senmagazine.co.uk/resource-directory If there’s something you’d like us to include in the directory, please let us know! Send an email to feedback@senmagazine.co.uk, mentioning “Resource Directory” in the subject line.

SEN114

110

About SEN Magazine

Contribute Please email press releases, comments and article ideas to Steve at editor@senmagazine.co.uk

Subscribe To subscribe to SEN Magazine, contact 01200 409800 subscribe@senmagazine.co.uk For digital subscriptions, go to issuu.com/senmagazine

Advertise For the best advertising packages, contact Denise on 01200 409808 denise@senmagazine.co.uk

SEN newsletter

Monthly online SEN digest A quickish read, with links to longer articles Available monthly to 63,000 recipients And it’s free! Read the latest issue at

senextra.co.uk

Sign up for your monthly SEN email update at senmagazine.co.uk (click on Newsletter) or email newsletter@senmagazine.co.uk

SENextra Free monthly online magazine senextra.co.uk SEN Magazine Ltd. Chapel House, 5 Shawbridge Street, Clitheroe, BB7 1LY Tel 01200 409800 Fax 01200 409809 Email info@senmagazine.co.uk senmagazine.co.uk SEN114

SEN Magazine - SEN114 - Sept/Oct 2021

Articles inside

Point of view: solicitor