11 minute read
What’s new?
Achieve together
It is important for Achieve together to respond to local needs and as such are excited about their new support services, including in: • Sussex, supporting young people with profound and multiple learning disabilities in line with the National Core & Essential
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PMLD Service Standards.
• St Helen’s, to support young people who are autistic and may present with behaviours which challenge. • Staffordshire, to support young people with learning disabilities and/or autism who benefit from living in their own large flats.
achievetogether.co.uk
bibic, a charity that supports a wide range of developmental and neurological difficulties, genetic conditions, learning disabilities and special educational needs (SEN), have launched a free monthly Live Q&A to help families with questions around their children’s difficulties, due to an increase in demand for their services.
The Live Q&A’s have a new topic each month, run by a bibic Developmental Therapist, who will be happy to answer all of your burning questions. Check out what topic is coming up this month and register for free by going to bibic.org.uk/services/live
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
Specialists in outdoor spaces
dbdplay specialises in the design and installation of exceptional outdoor spaces. “It was really important to us to find a partner that listened and truly understood the outcomes we were looking for when planning our outdoor learning centre and dbdplay did exactly that. They understood the need for a variety of different learning areas to match the diverse needs of our students, the need for unrestricted and ease of movement around the garden with areas of high stimulation through colour, texture, sound and smell.
dbdplay have designed and created an accessible, inclusive and inspiring learning environment for our cohort of inspirational students.” Treloar School and College.
dbdplay.com
Supporting deaf young people
Located in Exmouth, Devon, the Deaf Academy specialises in supporting deaf young people with additional needs in a language rich environment of English, British Sign Language and Sign Supported English. If you’re looking for the next stage in your child’s progression, be that finding a provision that caters for their needs, next steps after primary school or college, come visit them and discover how they know and grow every learner. Visit: thedeafacademy.ac.uk or contact: admissions@thedeafacademy.ac.uk
Become Tommy’s foster care hero
Could you offer a loving home to seven-year-old Tommy around the Chesterfield area? Tommy loves visiting the zoo or riding the newest theme park rollercoaster. Tommy is autistic and receiving support to manage his ADHD. Consistent routines and boundaries help him feel settled and safe. Tommy doesn’t fully understand why he has come into care, so his carers need to be patient, build his self-confidence, offer reassurance and provide him love. If you’d like to know more about Tommy or about fostering in Derbyshire, their friendly team would love to hear from you. Call 0800 083 77 44 or visit derbyshire.gov.uk/fostering
Inclusive Rugby Skills Festival
Fairfield Farm College Sports Leaders course have been working with Bath Rugby Foundation coaches to plan an ‘Inclusive Rugby Skills Festival’ for local primary school pupils with additional needs. The coaches helped them to learn how to organise and deliver a variety of different activities during the planning session. The Sports Leaders worked well as a team and developed some fantastic ideas for the event, which is being planned for October 2021.
ffc.ac.uk
A toolkit to help the 1.4 million children who struggle with speech and language*
With WellComm, you can screen children from 6 months to 11 years for speech and language delays in just 20 minutes, and provide immediate support with play-based activities included within the toolkit.
Instant reports enable you to take action straight away, and the optional Online Report Wizard will automatically generate a personalised profile with a list of targeted interventions. Find out more at gl-assessment.co.uk/WellComm or contact them directly: hello@gl-assessment.co.uk or 0330 123 5375, quoting GL3074. *ICAN annual report 2018-19
IBEForuM hosts Smart School Summit – Saudi (Virtual) to focus on the challenges of the education sector
Saudi Arabia’s education sector is the largest in GCC, with 300 thousand Kindergartens, 5.5M in Primary Education, 1.4M in Higher Education and 128 Thousand in Technical Education. COVID-19 has proven to be the driving force to boost e-learning. This conference is designed to bring together digital learning solution providers from all over the globe that will cater to Saudi’s Vision 2030, modernising and digitising the education sector and solving the challenges of digital learning. For more details, visit smartschoolsummit.com
Autism and Education Conference
11 November 2021
Join the one-day online conference aimed at education professionals. 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
Technology transforming learning
Diagnosed with dyspraxia, twelve-year-old Aidan always found reading difficult. Aidan worked with language therapists, but reading remained problematic, he struggled to keep up with schoolwork. Aidan was blown away by discovering OrCam Read – an intuitive ‘point-and-click’ handheld device that quickly reads full pages of text and screens.
Aidan: “I’m able to do schoolwork by myself now! And I can read and enjoy a whole book on my own.” Aidan’s Mum: “The OrCam Read promotes independent access to text – enabling Aiden to understand and successfully complete teachers’ assignments.” For more information: orcam.com/en/read/
AA & DSA Interactive Guide
The easy-to-use interactive guide to Access Arrangements & Disabled Students Allowance is an intuitive way to find our clinical, JCQ or SACS approved range of assessments, that provide the crucial evidence your students’ need to support their application process. With in-depth descriptions and easy to read reasonable adjustment tables, this downloadable PDF will help you find the right test for your student’s unique examination needs. Find the right assessment for your student:
pearsonclinical.co.uk/aadsanov
Latest online autism training courses
Schudio TV online courses include “Being an Autistic Teacher” and “Autism and Behaviour”.
Delivered by Lynn McCann and her team from Reachout ASC, these courses bring practical understanding and support ideas for parents, teachers and care staff supporting autistic people from an autistic perspective. Personal memberships offered from just £10 per month, and whole school memberships. Perfect for whole school CPD training with accreditation.
schudio.tv
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
SEND Bitesize
SEND Bitesize is a half termly bite sized e-briefing, digital and printed, offering you information in the areas of Special Educational Needs and Disability. Your number one guide for SEND.
Written by teachers for teachers. SEND Bitesize is part of the SEND Group Family. Bringing insight and knowledge together in one place. Bringing together the latest SEND knowledge, information, research and resources in one easy to digest e-briefing. Designed and curated for SEND professionals by SEND professionals.
sendbitesize.co.uk
Play equipment from Sovereign
As education sector professionals, you know how critical genuine SEN experience and expertise are in delivering outstanding play and learning environments that are easily accessible to all. From exploring and stimulating their senses, to interacting and participating in activities with their peers, Sovereign’s range of bespoke SEN play equipment has been carefully designed and developed over nearly 30 years to promote inclusion and beat isolation in the playground. From the initial consultation and creative proposals through to manufacture, installation and aftercare, you can relax and know you’re in safe hands. Get in touch and together we can make a difference.
beechwoodcollege.co.uk
Sunken Trampolines
Sunken Trampolines are delighted to announce that they have been chosen to be the UK distributor of Global Playgrounds products, which include Bird’s nest swings and playground trampolines. Global Playgrounds are innovators in trampoline design and have produced wonderful shapes enabling schools to have exciting patterns and trails. For more information please visit their website:
sunkentrampolines.co.uk
Online education provider
The Support School (TSS) are an established online education provider with experience in meeting the needs of students with SEND and EAL and working with over 240 students worldwide.
TSS provides online support classes, mentoring and training for SEND and EAL staff and the work with schools, both at home and in the international school community. All their staff are experienced UK registered teachers and follow the UK safer recruitment practice. When you just need a teacher for a few hours, need accredited training, or you are looking for accredited educational courses for specific student cohorts, then TSS could be the answer.
thesupportschool.co.uk
Free building design and planning service from TG Escapes
At this time of year many educational establishments are preparing Condition Improvement Funding bids. If you are looking for a new building and planning to apply for CIF or any other funding, TG Escapes will be happy to provide free building designs to support your bid. They offer a complete design and build service and have successfully delivered 100’s of buildings for SEND through the UK. Rated 4.9 out of 5 based on 159 reviews.
For more information call: 0800 917 7726
Email: info@tgescapes.co.uk Case studies at: tgescapes.co.uk
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.
Special Education for ages 5 to 25
St Piers School and College offers day and residential placements for children and young people aged 5-25 with learning difficulties and a range of needs including epilepsy, autism, and related conditions. From the moment students arrive at St Piers, they are supported to progress as learners and as unique individuals. Putting young people at the centre of everything they do with the expert team developing social skills and independence. Helping each learner to build their imaginative power, confidence, and self-esteem, enabling them to fulfil their potential and preparing them for their lives ahead. For more information, please see our website stpiers.org.uk or email education@stpiers.org.uk or call 01342 831348.
Optimal flexibility to meet daily needs
A Staffordshire family’s son was born with global developmental delay and epilepsy and has no mobility. One of AAT’s Chilli Bean variable postural support cushion seats meant he was comfortable.
“What works for him one day may not be suitable the next,” explained mum. “The Chilli Bean is perfect: we’re able to adjust the contouring and firmness of the seat.” AAT provides technical training, demonstrations, and free client assessments.
aatgb.com/booking-form
Bett returns to ExCeL London
On 19-21 January 2022 returns to reunite the global education community. Discover three days of free-to-attend, inspiring content and professional development, networking opportunities, and innovative product demonstrations from hundreds of exhibitors.
Returning for 2022, day three of Bett will feature a special focus on SEND and inclusion content, including Sally Phillips who will share a parent’s perspective on SEND education, Carol Allen and John Galloway on Universal Design for Learning, and more. You’ll also have access to a range of exhibitors showcasing assistive technologies ensuring a student-led learning experience and helping develop SEND students as independent learners. Registration now uk.bettshow.com
Could this be you?
Adopting a child is a transformative and exciting experience, but understand that it can be daunting at times. Rest assured, Adoption Counts will be by your side, guiding you from the moment you enquire to the day your child joins your family and beyond. The experienced team has a breadth of skills and knowledge to support and help you with anything you need. 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:
