14 minute read
Book reviews
Exploring Science with Dyslexic Children and Teens:
Creative, multi-sensory ideas, games and activities to support learning D Hudson
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Diana Hudson has taught science in secondary school for over 35 years. She has training and experience in working with neurodiverse students and has held posts both as Head of Biology and SENCO at different times in her career. In this book she sets out to make science accessible, enjoyable and memorable through the use of multi-sensory approaches that include making models, games and composing songs and poems.
Hudson outlines some of the possible reasons that students with dyslexia might struggle in science and provides some examples of specific areas of the school science curriculum that can be particularly challenging. She then matches these to tried and tested classroom activities that are creative and interactive to support engagement and secure learning.
The chapters include symbols that guide the reader’s understanding and indicate which pages can be photocopied and downloaded from the publisher’s website and in the appendix there is a guide to useful websites and sample templates.
This is a useful and practical resource for teachers and parents of children over the age of nine and its multisensory approach helps make learning memorable and engaging.
Jessica Kingsey Publishers ISBN: 978-1-78775-386-0 Price: £13.99
Jessica Kingsley Publishers ISBN: 978-1-78592-633-4 Price: £10.99
How Can I Remember All That? Simple Stuff to Improve Your Working Memory
Dr T Packiam Alloway Illustrator: D O’Connell
Dr Pakiam Alloway PhD is an awardwinning psychologist, professor, author and TEDx speaker. She specialises in working memory and its role in learning. In this book, she shares her knowledge about working memory from a child’s viewpoint and in a way children could understand. The book has been devised for adults to read with a child and it tells the story of ‘Tommy’ who has working memory problems. It details what it is like for him in the classroom and on the playground.
Working memory is described as ‘the brain’s Post-it Note’, storing information. The author explains the difference between short-term, long-term and working memory and why some people have more difficulty with their working memory than others. This book explains complex concepts in a very childfriendly way and the tips to improve working memory are interesting and include specific foods, essential oils and running barefoot. The book also includes a section providing information for parents, additional resources and further recommended reading, websites and organisations.
An excellent book that will support children and students in understanding why some aspects of learning are problematic, illustrating the classroom situations in which working memory failures frequently arise and the profile of difficulties typically faced by students with working memory issues.
by Mary Mountstephen
A Head Full of Ethos:
A Holistic Guide to Developing and Sustaining a Positive School Culture A Di-Finizio
The author has taught in seven schools in deprived areas of London, Bristol and Cardiff, and has successfully led three schools from being amongst the lowest performing in the country to achieving outcomes well above expectations. His innovative practices have been successfully applied in many schools that he has worked with and supported.
Di-Finizio states early on in the book his belief about the influence school leaders can exert at all levels in setting the tone of the school’s spirit and links to underpinning principles. Happiness is seen as a wide-ranging and vital component of outstanding and flourishing schools and, conversely, schools with unhappy working environments are seen as detrimental to school improvement and student attainment.
This book explores the elements of school improvement that the author has found successful and he writes with clarity , sincerity and passion about his professional journey.
Those aspiring to headship, or new to their post would find this an inspiring and supportive read. It recognises the power of a positive and holistic school ethos that can support real and lasting change.
Crown House Publishing ISBN: 978-1-78583-587-2 Price: £19.99
Bloomsbury Education ISBN: 978-1-4729-8448-7 Price: £14.99
Feel Free To Smile:
The Behaviour Management Survival Guide For New Teachers N Cunningham-Smith
Nikki Cunningham-Smith has worked as an assistant headteacher, SENCO and centre lead in a pupil referral unit and she writes a behaviour blog for The Times Educational Supplement. In this book she draws on her experience in alternative provision settings and provides insights into ways to deal with common behaviour scenarios in primary and secondary classrooms.
In the introduction, the author acknowledges the stresses that face teachers, particularly in relation to the behaviour of pupils and the need to ‘find humour in the horror’. The chapter headings have engaging titles that cover a series of common scenarios related to challenging behaviour in the classroom, from completely losing control of a lesson to being outsmarted by the class clown.For each scenario presented, practical strategies are offered, based on the needs of the pupils.
There are some great tips and strategies in the book that will be of value to many teachers and the book includes interactive ways to engage with students, as well as case studies and reflective activities. This is a book that new teachers would find supportive, informative and a source of informed professional guidance.
Sense urges Government not to delay Covid Inquiry after new data shows impact on disabled people
The national disability charity Sense is calling on Government to ensure that the experiences of disabled people will be a key focus of the Covid Inquiry campaign, after new data from the Office for National Statistics has revealed the impact of the pandemic on disabled people.
The new data shows that:
• Around twice as many disabled people (40%) reported feeling lonely often, always or some of the time compared with non-disabled people (18%). • Disabled people reported wellbeing concerns more frequently, including feeling stressed or anxious (79%), their mental health being worse (50%) and feeling like a burden on others (23%) compared with non-disabled people (68%, 31% and 7% respectively). • A larger proportion of disabled people said they thought life would never return to normal (18%) compared with non-disabled people (11%).
More than 40,000 people have signed Sense’s petition for disabled people to be kept at the heart of the Covid Inquiry:
https://www.sense.org.uk/covidinquiry
Sense Chief Executive Richard Kramer said: “The impact of the pandemic on disabled people and their families, who have been one of the groups hit hardest by this crisis, has been devastating. Disabled people simply should not have experienced the lack of information, support and consideration that they have throughout the last two years, and this data shows the terrible consequences this has had.”
Sense is a national disability charity that supports people living with complex disabilities, including those who are deafblind, to communicate and experience the world. Sense supports children, young people and adults in their home and in the community, in their education and transition to adulthood and through its holidays, arts, sports and wellbeing programmes. In addition to practical support to families, Sense also offers information advice, short breaks and family events, and campaigns for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life.
For more information please visit www.sense.org.uk
Making Shakespeare accessible
Francesca Ellis describes the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation Theatre Festival’s work with SEN schools.
Every year since 2000, hundreds of thousands of school pupils across the country have taken part in the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation (CSSF) Theatre Festival. It is the world’s largest youth drama festival and sees young people performing abridged Shakespeare plays on professional theatre stages. We engage a diverse range of children and young people from all backgrounds, and over 21 years we are proud to have worked with hundreds of special educational needs schools, supporting teachers to make Shakespeare accessible for their students and unlock their potential.
Working with Shakespeare’s plays offers teachers and children the chance to encounter a host of fascinating characters in all kinds of scenarios and explore important themes that still resonate with us today. Inclusivity is at the heart of CSSF’s work, and over the years we have seen just how much scope there is to get creative with Shakespeare’s plays, particularly for SEN schools. We’ve seen Makaton Macbeths, dances on the theme of love, revenge and jealousy, a sung version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and a host of other imaginative
approaches to the plays. CSSF Associate Artist Iain Jones, who works directly to support teachers and students at SEN schools, said: “SEN students often share a level of creativity that can be magical. In 2019, Bedelsford School performed The Tempest for the Theatre Festival. The students asked the question ‘what is a Tempest?’ They decided it was a ‘Big Windy Thing’. This led them to make an amazing prop by attaching a
windsock to a large desk fan. The sensory approach that SEN teachers instinctively bring to the plays is highly theatrical and a joy to watch. Their energy, commitment and connection with the students is inspirational.”
For this year’s performance, Bedelsford School in KingstonUpon-Thames have worked with Much Ado About Nothing. One of the themes they have been exploring came from the line of text “There was a star danced, and under that I was born” and each student had made a star with their face in the middle. Iain notes that for the children, “being born under a star meant that they would always find happiness. It wonderfully embraced a theme of remaining positive, even when things are tough.”
Bedelsford assistant headteacher Jessica Webb also found the theme of deception and lying in Much Ado About Nothing made for a rich exploration with her students: “We have done lots of work with our music therapists looking at how we express our emotions and what we would do if someone was lying to us. Our students, and others with disabilities, are more likely to be abused in this way so we wanted to give them opportunities to sense when something might not feel right, and to think about the people who might be able to help them.” For Jessica, the universal nature of Shakespeare’s plays provides plenty of opportunities to link with the school’s wider curriculum and support the students’ social and emotional skills for the future.
In the wake of the pandemic, CSSF worked hard to ensure that the festival could continue despite school and theatre closures, with a full online programme that schools embraced with impressive creativity and innovation. This enabled Bedelsford School to make the project even more inclusive for children and young people with clinical vulnerabilities. Jessica says: “A child might not be able to attend school because they’ve had a really bad night or they’re in hospital, but they can always access the content and their learning online. We had a student who had their bedroom turned into a magical forest.”
The online programme, which Bedelsford is running this year in parallel to a live performance featuring ten pupils at the Rose Theatre, is also a fantastic opportunity to include the children’s families. Tim Godwin, an artist and drama teacher collaborating on the project with Bedelsford, said: “We have a boy who has been in and out of Great Ormond Street Hospital but using tech we can have a conversation with his family and find out when he can sing a song. We were at his bedside. We also have grandparents tuning in from around the country.”
Tim also highlighted how the online format had unintended benefits for children and young people at SEN schools: “Our online performance last year took place over six weeks, we were able to do it each day. Very few of our children really benefit from a one-off event, they benefit far more from things being repeated.” For Tim, it was also a way to keep the children motivated and engaged: “Using tech allows us to go in with a burst of energy and to keep going despite the pandemic. There is nothing that can stop us! This is what all the children need to aspire to, nothing is going to stop them.” The online
About the author
Francesca Ellis is Head of Creative and Programmes at Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation.
shakespeareschools.org
format was so successful that CSSF launched its inaugural Film Festival at the end of 2021 and SEN schools have found it particularly rewarding to have a film that they can play for students time and again.
Jessica received CPD sessions from CSSF that have enabled her to adapt the plays to meet her students “where they are at” and use a range of tools including play through song, dance, call and response, artwork, Makaton, projection, text, costume, sensory props and even hydrotherapy.
Shakespeare’s plays are packed with characters who are extraordinary in some way and as Tim notes, this can be really validating for students in SEN schools: “In Much Ado About Nothing there is a character with autistic traits called Don John who says, ‘let me be who I am and seek not to alter me’. And that is our children’s experience every day in the neurotypical world”. For Jessica, participating in the CSSF Theatre Festival was a recognition of everything that children in SEN schools can achieve: “Our learning was accepted and celebrated in a way that it hasn’t been elsewhere. Our voice is valid”.
Coram SSF are currently recruiting schools to take part in the 2022/3 academic year. If you would like to know more, please visit shakespeareschools.org and contact the charity on hello@coramshakespeareschools.org.uk, 0207 601 1800.
Switching gears to make public transport more accessible for our SEND community
Carly Newsholme highlights deficiencies in public transport for SEND users, and offers suggestions for improvement.
The current public transport landscape is a troubling one, and more needs to be done for our Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) community to feel comfortable.
According to research from the Department for Transport, disabled adults appear to rely more on the bus than nondisabled adults. A 2020 report revealed that when asked about how easy it is to use public transport, 54% of non-disabled respondents said it is very easy, compared with 37% of disabled respondents. Reasons for this included the distance to the bus stop being too far and greater complexity for journeys with more than one part.
It’s important that this imbalance is addressed, so we can get to the core of the issue and implement changes. The above connotations coincide with my findings at college; the Foundation Studies students I work closely with have commented on the complex nature of making long journeys and buying train tickets.
The options when purchasing tickets are vast, with many variations to choose from such as off-peak, single and so on. To add to the confusion, ticket machines can prove difficult for SEND individuals as they aren’t user friendly, which becomes an issue when machines are the only option to buy tickets. On many occasions, students have been unable to work the ticket machines, meaning they use public transport without a ticket, which often results in them being penalised.
■ Purchasing a ticket.
What we need to see are SEND-friendly ticket machines which are simple to use and implement assistive technology, audio options and larger fonts.
Beyond Autism reveals that 700,000 people in the UK are on the autism spectrum. Given this significant proportion of our population, it’s essential to tailor transport to their needs. Many of those with autism can often experience sensory overload in loud or disruptive environments, which can often occur on public trains and buses. This can be detrimental to an autistic individual’s behaviour; I’ve often seen students appear distressed because of noisy train experiences.
Designated quiet spaces on public transport would help in combating this issue, allowing autistic and other SEND individuals a safe space to retreat to when feeling overstimulated.
Research from a UK Parliament report outlined that as of December 2020, 20-21% of adults in the UK reported having a disability. It has been estimated that approximately 70% of these disabilities are invisible. One way to make these
individuals feel more comfortable when using public transport is having designated seats, similar to the seats allocated to elderly people.
Local services may benefit from taking a leaf out of Northern’s book, which has recently implemented free priority cards for those with visible and non-visible disabilities; this is essential for avoiding embarrassment and helps the person feel more confident when asking for a seat.
A key driver for change is community engagement. Keighley College recently hosted a Student Voice Forum, where Transdev, West Yorkshire Bus Alliance and Ahead Partnership came to speak with SEND students to see how the service could be improved.
Key points for discussion focused on providing additional SENDtrained staff on public transport, which will help significantly with
About the author
Carly Newsholme is the Course Leader for Foundation Studies at Keighley College. Managing three courses for SEND students,
keighleycollege.ac.uk/ @KeighleyCollege @hkeighleycollege
those who need support. Some bus drivers are informed to drive those who feel unsafe to the bus station for help; this is a step in the right direction and should be rolled out on a national scale.
Although services have become more accommodating over the past years, there is still a long way to go. Discussions between transport service providers and members of the public need to happen more regularly, and government lobbying and open conversations with local MPs should be encouraged to drive positive change across the country.
