Current News and Updates
Summer 2020
Read MoreSunday, 19 April 2020
Childline has Provided more than 900 Counselling Sessions for Young People Worried about Virus
Education correspondent for the Guardian, Sally Weale, reports that there has been a sharp rise in the number of calls to ChildLine from distressed young people struggling to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on their lives. Demand for help has been “unprecedented”, according to the children’s helpline, which has provided more than 900 counselling sessions for children and young people worried about the virus. Callers said they felt anxious and isolated, particularly with the loss of support that school provides.
Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC children’s charity, said: “The 24/7 news cycle about coronavirus is causing huge worry and anxiety in young people – particularly those who are already coping with many other issues in their lives. While we are all facing events unprecedented in modern times, keeping children safe and providing them with a space to talk about their concerns is our number one priority.”
Parents’ anxieties about the spread of the virus are already impacting on their children, according to ChildLine. “My mum and I have a good relationship,” said one caller, “but she’s really obsessed with the news and she won’t hug me or get very close to me. It scares me to think this will go on for months. She constantly talks about the coronavirus and my anxiety is getting worse.”
ChildLine staff and volunteers are considered as key workers by the government. Although counsellor numbers are down because some volunteers have had to self-isolate, founder Esther Rantzen said their work would continue to be vital in the public health emergency. “We are hearing from children who have been cut off from vital support networks such as school, and friends, and that has increased their feelings of loneliness and vulnerability. They may have pre-existing mental health issues which are exacerbated by the current crisis.”
Speaking in The Independent, Alison Roy, from the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), said: “For older children, [school closure] is a huge loss. So much of their focus and structure has disappeared overnight.
“For younger children, the opportunity to play face-to-face, to be tactile and to be close has disappeared overnight, and that is a huge loss to them – and suddenly they have been thrown into an online world.
“My worry is for all those children who are already withdrawn, and who don’t believe that anyone can really help them, that they will no longer have the structure and routine of school to keep them safe.”
She has noticed that the “lockdown” wording has triggered trauma among children in care who have experienced abuse. They are afraid that adults who support them will not be able to anymore.
The freephone ChildLine number is 0800 1111. More details about contacting the organisation can be found here. Further resources to support schools during the COVID-19 outbreak are available at Mentally Healthy Schools.
Department For Education Publish List of Online Education Resources for Home Education
The DfE have now brought together an initial list of online educational resources to help children to learn at home. The websites listed have been identified by some of the country’s leading educational experts and offer a wide range of support and resources for pupils of all ages.
The list includes subject-specific resources for:
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
All resources are currently being offered for free. However, the DfE is keen to point out that, ‘individual resources cannot replace a school’s properly planned curriculum, and the resources in this list are not intended to do so.’
They may be useful for parents in considering how they could support their children’s education, but the DfE warn that they should not be used in place of existing resources which schools may be using as part of their continued provision for pupils’ education at this time.
This list of resources is not exhaustive and there are many other resources available to schools. Before using these resources, you are referred to the guidance ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): safeguarding in schools, colleges and other providers’, which has further information on how to keep children safe online.
This initial list of SEND resources has been developed with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity and is based on the recommendations of:
- trusted organisations
- charities
- multi-academy trusts
- special education headteachers
That list can be accessed here.
Spring 2020
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Wednesday, 15 April 2020
School Closures may Provide some Opportunities for Professional Development
Here’s a few pointers to get you and your colleagues started on some great free CPD. Keep checking back for any more suggestions.
Ever heard of precision teaching? Heard of precision teaching but never been sure what it is? Used precision teaching but not sure if you were doing it right? Now might be a good opportunity to bring your professional development up to speed with this online training package from SEND Success. It’s free to access and will give you a valuable addition to your teaching and learning toolkit, supporting, not only those with SEND but, all pupils in mastering key facts with fluency and automaticity.
If you are spending a lot of time working from home and seeking CPD opportunities, the EEF are continuing to run their online course on Making Best Use of Teaching Assistants.
If you’re looking for some quick and easy SEND CPD that can be done in short bite-sized chunks, NASEN have a suite of resources on their SEND Gateway. They cover a range of issues, such as, ‘What is autism?’, speaking to parents about speech, language and communication needs, and understanding self-harm.
Thursday, 09 April 2020
Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools’ Guidance Report published by the Education Endowment Foundation
This guidance report offers 5 evidence- based recommendations to support pupils with SEND in mainstream schools. It is intended to provide a starting point for schools to review their current approach to SEND provision and offers practical ideas for implementation.
The 5 recommendations made are:
- Create a positive and supportive environment for all pupils without exception.
- Build an ongoing holistic understanding of your pupils and their needs.
- Ensure all pupils have access to high quality teaching. Interestingly, their 5 suggested strategies are exactly what ILOP’s Quality First Teaching Strategies are based on:
- flexible grouping;
- [seated in ‘Communication & Interaction’ and ‘Person-centred Collaboration’ in ILOP’s QFTS]
- cognitive and metacognitive strategies;
- [seated in ‘Structured Discovery Learning’, ‘Instructional Multisensory Strategies’ and ‘Metacognition’ in ILOP’s QFTS]
- explicit instruction;
- [seated in ‘Primary & Recency Learning’, ‘Key Questioning’ and ‘Feedback’ in ILOP’s QFTS]
- using technology to support pupils with SEND;
- [seated in ‘Person-centred Collaboration’ and ‘Technological Aids’ in ILOP’s QFTS]
- Scaffolding.
- [seated in ‘Primacy & Recency Learning’, ‘Structured Discovery Learning’ and Instructional Multisensory Strategies’ in ILOP’s QFTS]
- flexible grouping;
- Complement high quality teaching with carefully selected small group and one to one intervention.
- Work effectively with Teaching Assistants.
Unsurprisingly, they reiterate the understanding that, ‘To a great extent, good teaching for pupils with SEND is good teaching for all.’
Download the full guidance report and summary here.
Tuesday, 31 March 2020
NASEN Launches New Mini Guide to Improve Health Care for Those with Learning Differences and Autism
‘Uptake of and access to appropriate health care for children and young people with learning disabilities[1] and autism, has been identified as an issue by the NHS. This has led to overuse of medication, in some cases, and others not receiving the treatment and care that they need.’ So claims the opening paragraph of NASEN’s new mini guide for schools, parents and health professionals. Read on to find out what the guide has to offer.
Part of series of mini guides on various topics relating to SEND, NASEN’s new publication aims to:
- Raise awareness amongst education professionals of the health provision and procedures available to children and young people with learning disabilities and autism,
- Inform education settings so they can support children and young people and their parents to access and engage with available health services and
- To raise the awareness of health professionals working with children and young people and their families regarding the support that should be available.
Ultimately the aim is to promote more collaborative and joined up working between stakeholders of different backgrounds be they health or education professionals, parents or young people themselves. As well as improving the knowledge of school-based staff regarding health care, the guide will also help them to support parents, carers and young people, so that they know what is available to them and what to ask for.
To achieve these aims, the guide provides information about current initiatives in the NHS, Clinical Commissioning Groups, annual health checks, the dynamic risk register, Care, Education and Treatment Reviews and STOMP-STAMP. Links to further information are also provided.
The SEND Reforms of 2014 aimed to generate much greater collaboration between the education, health and social care sectors. Joint commissioning of services was high on the agenda of the Children and Families Act (2014). Yet Local Area SEND inspections, national SEND inquiries, along with schools and families are highlighting that joint commissioning is not happening consistently enough across the country. “Health is the hardest nut to crack,” said one keynote speaker from DfE back in 2017.
Whilst this mini guide is not going to resolve these large and complex issues, it does help schools and families understand a little more of how the health services work and what we can reasonably expect from them.
Click here to download the full guide.
[1] Learning disabilities is the term used by the health sector rather than learning difficulties or needs which is the preferred term in the education sector.
Monday, 30 March 2020
UK Government Frequently Updates Guidance to Schools During COVID-19 School Closures
Following initial confusion around who should continue to attend school and who shouldn’t, the Government has sought to provide greater clarification for schools. When the guidance was first published, just over a week ago, many teachers and SENCOs were left wondering whether it meant that all their pupils with EHC plans had to be provided for in school. This led to NASEN requesting further guidance from Government, along with many other questions around the needs of children with SEND. Read on to find some of the key pages and documents to keep your eye on.
Firstly, keep monitoring this document as it is the guidance for parents and carers. It will be helpful to you to know what is being put out for parents and carers and to pass this onto them through your online networks. Government is currently updating these documents at frequent intervals, so don’t assume you’ve seen the latest version.
| The key principles are:
· If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be. · If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them. |
Remember that specialist support may be able to be provided through online platforms, and if it is safe and possible to do so then this option should be considered first before accepting children in school. The greatest affected will be special schools, who are serving the needs many children with EHC plans and providing for children with daily health care and medical needs. Each child should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
- Guidance for schools on maintaining educational provision was published last week but lacked clarity on the criteria for children who should stay in school.
- Guidance on vulnerable children now gives greater clarity to schools on provision for children with EHC plans, following some earlier confusion around who should be provided for in schools. Paragraph 20 onwards is particularly relevant to SENCOs.
- More recently, guidance has been published with advice on social distancing in educational settings for those still attending school, including those with EHC plans and vulnerable groups.
Meanwhile, NASEN have launched a COVID-19 FAQs page for SEND leaders during this period. This would be worth returning to at intervals. The DfE have also set up an advice line for anyone wishing to contact them directly to discuss their concerns. They can be reached on 0800 0468687. Lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and weekends 10am to 4pm.
The Key have also published a helpful article on safeguarding vulnerable pupils during this period, some of whom will have SEND.
Online Safety Charity Offers Schools and Teachers Advice on Delivering Remote Learning Safely
Whether your school is closed or not, you may be considering moving learning online. SWGfL, a charity devoted to promoting online safety for schools, are giving the lowdown on organising classes online so that safeguards are adequately considered and are trouble-free. There are a variety of online options that schools may consider, ranging from merely setting homework or providing access to online resources through to video tutorials and interactive video conferencing. Staff capability and the age of your children is going to determine your approach. Maintaining safety for both you and your pupils will be paramount.
SWGfL states that ‘whilst there are no expectations for you to do so, if you do decide to use audio and video for real-time online teaching, here are some things you might want to consider to help to safeguard staff and children’.
- Policy
- Systems
- Technology
- Location/Environment
- Education
- Behaviour
- Recording
- Personal Data
- Safeguarding
- Further Reading
You may have already heard of the success of Holly King-Mand’s online English lessons done through Facebook. Since the school closures, her daily 30-minute English lessons have seen her followers soar from 74 to over 18,000. She now teaches children from four continents at the same time!
To some teachers, this sounds like a technological nightmare, triggering hot sweats at the very thought of fathoming the mysterious technology required to achieve this. To others, this will seem like the most exciting, innovative step forward into 21st century teaching and learning that they have encountered yet! However, such excitement must be temporarily constrained to give schools the opportunity to consider the online safety implications and ethics of such teaching platforms.
It isn’t just the safeguarding of children that needs to be considered either. Consider also the potential vulnerability of teachers engaging with children online, if not supported by clear policies. Consider also the diverse needs of children with SEND. Some of these children may actually thrive with online learning; it sits so well with their neuro-diverse thinking. Yet others may find the technology just as bewildering as some teachers! Then there are those who do not have access to the technology, lacking the internet connection at home or not owning a laptop or tablet.
Whatever solutions you arrive at, ensure you think of the needs of children with SEND and whether your solution will include or exclude them.
Click here for SWGfL guidance.
Sunday, 22 March 202
Information for SENCOs on the Current School Closures and Assessing the Needs of Pupils with SEND
The government has now published guidance on the list of key workers needed during the current school closure measures to restrict the spread of coronavirus. They have also given guidance on criteria for children who should remain in school and those who should be at home. Guidance for schools indicates that children with EHCPs should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, but it is not a ‘requirement’ for all children with EHCPs to attend school. Information for families has also been provided.
The Government has asked parents to ‘keep their children at home, wherever possible, and asked schools to remain open only for those children who absolutely need to attend.’
The latest Government guidance states that ‘… all childcare settings (including early years settings, childminders and providers of childcare for school-age children), colleges and other educational establishments, remain safe places for children. But the fewer children making the journey to school, and the fewer children in educational settings, the lower the risk that the virus can spread and infect vulnerable individuals in wider society.
‘Schools, and all childcare providers, are therefore being asked to continue to provide care for a limited number of children – children who are vulnerable, and children whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response and cannot be safely cared for at home.
‘Vulnerable children include children who are supported by social care, those with safeguarding and welfare needs, including child in need plans, on child protection plans, ‘looked after’ children, young carers, disabled children and those with education, health and care (EHC) plans.
‘We know that schools will also want to support other children facing social difficulties, and we will support head teachers to do so.’
The guidance asks that the following principles are adhered to in determining which children will stay at home and which children will remain provided for in school.
- ‘If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be.
- If a child needs specialist support, is vulnerable or has a parent who is a critical worker, then educational provision will be available for them.
- Parents should not rely for childcare upon those who are advised to be in the stringent social distancing category such as grandparents, friends, or family members with underlying conditions.
- Parents should also do everything they can to ensure children are not mixing socially in a way which can continue to spread the virus. They should observe the same social distancing principles as adults.
- Residential special schools, boarding schools and special settings continue to care for children wherever possible.’
Note that it is not a ‘requirement’ that all children and young people with Education, Health and Care plans attend school during the period of closure. Decisions should be made locally based on risk assessments of health and safeguarding. NASEN comments that:
- ‘The guidance is now clear that some children will be safer at school (or in their usual educational setting) whilst others will be safer at home. Schools, LAs and colleges are advised to make this decision on a case-by-case basis.
- The general principle is that children should be at home if it is safe for them to do so.
- For schools, the list of keyworkers includes teaching staff and any specialist education professionals required for schools remaining open. We understand this to include support staff and therapeutic staff in the broadest sense.
- The government is making plans (in partnership with LAs) for alternative transport arrangements for children to attend the best educational setting for them if they are attending school (section 1.7 of information for families)
- The legislation will relax the Children and Families Act in relation to ‘named schools’, but protections around the nature and level of provision remain.’
Saturday, 21 March 2020
MIME Inclusion Index Measures Level of Inclusion of SEND Pupils in Education over England’s LA Areas
An organisation that considers inclusion a critical issue has explored creating an index from 12 measures across areas such as the proportion of pupils with SEND supported in mainstream schools, attainment, exclusions and overall numbers of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). MIME, an organisation that aims to use public data to communicate complex information in the education sector, explored the possibility of measuring the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They have combined public data sources to create overall inclusion scores by local authority area.
The inclusion score looks at:
- Exclusions – rates of exclusion of SEND pupils
- Assessment – proportion of SEND pupils with an EHCP
- Placement – school placement of pupils with an EHCP
- Attainment – attainment and progress scores of pupils with an EHCP
For an area to score highly, it would have a high percentage of pupils with SEND supported in mainstream education. Pupils with SEND would have fewer exclusions, plus good attainment and progress.
Their analysis of inclusion revealed that:
- London LA areas tend to have high scores across the index, particularly for attainment and exclusions
- Yorkshire and the Humber have a high average score for assessment
- Local authority areas in the East of England are the highest scoring for placement of EHCP pupils.
Full details can be found here.
- Exclusions
- London has lower exclusion rates of EHCP and SEN support pupils than the rest of the country
- Rates of exclusion of EHCP and SEN support pupils vary substantially across England, even within regions
- Areas with relatively large SEND cohorts with social, emotional and mental health needs, and those with higher levels of deprivation tend to have higher exclusion rates.
MIME concludes that the very high rates exclusion of SEND pupils in some areas is concerning for those interested in making schools more inclusive.
- Assessment
- There is large variation between LA areas in the proportion of SEND pupils who are issued EHCPs
- Larger EHCP cohorts typically have higher average attainment and lower exclusion rates
- More deprived areas tend to have smaller EHCP cohorts.
- Placement
- There is evidence of inconsistent decision making on school placement of EHCP pupils across different regions
- The index scores areas with a greater proportion of EHCP pupils in special schools as less inclusive
- School placement is influenced by both the availability of provision and deprivation.
MIME concludes that a more inclusive system would ensure better provision in mainstream education with an appropriately trained workforce.
- Attainment
- EHCP pupil attainment is particularly high in London LA areas
- Relatively large EHCP cohorts tend to achieve better average attainment
- EHCP cohorts in more deprived areas tend to have worse Attainment 8 and Progress 8 scores. However, higher deprivation is correlated with better progress at KS2.
Click here to see the inclusion index scores for your area.
Autumn 2019
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Last year, the House of Commons Education Select Committee launched a formal inquiry into SEND. The Committee (made up of 11 MPs) has now published its report. The National SENCO Workload Survey – One Year On. One year ago, the NEU, nasen and Bath Spa University conducted a joint research project exploring SENCO workload. The survey received over 1900 responses. Their work and research into the role of the SENCO, in particular workload, is ongoing. The survey fed into a number of projects, including the Whole School SEND ‘Effective SENCO Deployment’ project. This new survey aims to review and add to the existing research. It is open to everyone working in education, whether you were part of the original survey or not. The survey aims to explore: You can access the survey by clicking here. The survey will be open from 25th September until 16th October. The full report from last year’s survey can be found here. News and Updates RESOURCES AND CPD A Soundfield system is a sound system for schools that improves the learning environment for the pupils by improving the sound environment in the classroom. STRATEGY AND POLICY The Public Accounts Committee have launched a new inquiry to consider whether children with SEND are being supported effectively and the outcomes of that support. They will consider the funding, spending and financial sustainability of SEND support. RESEARCH An EEF trial of ‘Improving Working Memory‘ shows +3 months’ gain in pupils’ maths attainment. A HIDDEN GEM! Rising Stars have issued a free assembly plan that teaches children to recognise resilience as an important character quality.
The enquiry set out to examine:
• how well children and young people with SEND were being assessed and supported;
• how well the system implemented the 2014 SEND reforms;
• whether funding is adequate and properly distributed;
• what co-operation between education, health and social care sectors looks like;
• and what difference the reforms have made to young adults with SEND.
Conclusions and recommendations
Overall, the 38 conclusions and recommendations of the report and a damning of every professional stakeholder body in the system, including the Department for Education who are accused of significantly underfunding the system. You can read the full set of conclusions and recommendations here and the full report here.
The committee believes that ‘the 2014 reforms were the right ones and that if the challenges within the system—including finance—are addressed, local authorities will be able to discharge their duties sufficiently’. It recommended that ‘when the Government makes changes to address those challenges, it should avoid the temptation to address the problems within the system by weakening or watering down duties or making fundamental changes to the law’.
It concludes that ‘the Department for Education set local authorities up to fail by making serious errors both in how it administered money intended for change, and also, until recently, failing to provide extra money when it was needed’.
The report identifies the significant shortfall in funding as ‘a serious contributory factor to the failure on the part of schools and local authorities to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND’ and seeks ‘a systemic cultural shift on the part of all parties involved’. It refers to the Departments for Education, Health and Social Care as avoiding accountability and trying to ‘pass the buck’, with Local Area Inspections from CQC and OFSTED as being insufficient. They call for these to be part of an annual inspection process which is rigorous and properly funded, holding local authorities and health bodies to account.
The Committee do not regard the Department for Education as ‘taking enough responsibility for ensuring that its reforms are overseen, that practice in local authorities is lawful, that statutory timescales are adhered to, and that children’s needs are being met’. Their concern is ‘that the Department … left it to local authorities, inspectorates, parents and the courts to operate and police the system’.
Let’s hope change is on the horizon.
• Current issues which are pertinent to the SENCO role, including whether you think SENCOs should have protected time for the role
• The impact of the National SENCO Workload Survey
They are keen to gather voices from varying perspectives, including head teachers, teachers, support staff and Local Authorities, so share this with your colleagues.
The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Participation is voluntary and you can withdraw at anytime, without reason.
ILOP (Inclusive Learning Online Portal) is now up and running and requests for strategies have been coming in since September from teachers wanting to enhance their inclusive practice. Teachers in over 70 schools now have access to a range of strategies and resources to include all children in daily English and mathematics lessons. In addition, they can also access a range of specialist strategies for children who require short-term intervention to develop understanding of key skills.
PC Werth
Connevans
National Deaf Children’s Society
The SENCO Induction Pack is designed to support new SENCOs at the start of their journey before they complete the NASENCO qualification, and I am sure will be a good accompaniment to our New2SENCO course.
Summer 2019
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RESOURCES AND CPD Action for Happiness have published the Keys to Happier Living Toolkit for Schools. The Toolkit is an engaging, accessible and evidence-based programme to promote the emotional wellbeing and resilience of children aged 7-11. See here for more information on the Toolkit See here for download details. In a speech to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) on 3rd May 2019, the Education Secretary launched a Call for Evidence on the funding arrangements for pupils with complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The online survey is available here. The DfE have also asked the Council for Disabled Children to organise a small number of workshops across the country, so that they can discuss the themes in this call for evidence in greater detail. If you would like to attend one of these events, please register your interest here The Department for Education has decided not to go ahead with including self-regulation in the new Reception baseline assessment because the trial showed it was not possible to measure the proposed tasks effectively. They also took longer on average than the other tasks for mathematics, and early literacy, communication and language. Have you come across ResearchED Magazine yet? It’s published in partnership with John Catt Educational Publishing, and it’s free! It’s designed to provide a quality platform to further help the teaching profession connect research and practice in the classroom. It supports educators at all levels by encouraging and provoking debate surrounding research, evidence and best practice. Sign up for the ResearchED newsletter and have the magazine sent to your door for free until December 2019. To subscribe see here The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is looking to recruit volunteer schools to carry out pilot research into 18 high-potential projects. More than half of all schools in England – as well as many early years and post-16 settings – have taken part in an EEF trial. They currently have opportunities available across Early Years and all Key Stages. Visit here for details of the projects. To find out more, or to register, contact the Membership Services team on 01296 432 339 or visit here and here 
Take a look at these free CPD resources to add to your school’s shared training library. Choose which box set takes your fancy and Teachwire will send a complete series of teaching ideas and expertise direct to your inbox. It’s completely free, and you’ll get pdf downloads of all the material to add to your own library of professional development.STRATEGY AND POLICY
RESEARCH
A HIDDEN GEM!
Calibre Audio Library offers group membership of their download and streaming service of audio books for people with sight problems, dyslexia or another disability which prevents them from reading print. This includes an extensive children’s library.
Spring 2019
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Updates Invitation to attend Professional Learning Online Open Evening with Edge Hill University http://createsend.com/t/y-93B36951279A6F54 Resources and CPD: Early children’s language resource #1 Early children’s language resource #2 Robot technology being used to support children with long-term or chronic illness The robot helping a seven-year-old boy go to school Strategy and Policy: Pre-key stage standards and P-Scales Research: Prevalence of the developmental condition known as dyscalculia Evidence around grouping pupils by attainment A hidden gem: Newsletter Inclusion Newsletter 9 – Spring 2019
Contact ‘No Isolation Robot’ hereGuidance about staff wellbeing
Download the booklet here
The Health and Safety Executive has a freely available tool for identifying work-related stress here
Autumn 2018
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Updates from SEND Forum handout and links RESOURCES AND CPD The Communication Trust – Primary Training Pack The Communication Trust have developed a training programme of support for schools to help them improve the quality of teaching and intervention for children with Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). The resources are freely available for you to download and use in your own settings. These include: Visit: https://tinyurl.com/y7klogkf NASEN have produced a free downloadable booklet dealing with the issue of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). The booklet defines ABI as an injury to the brain that occurs after a period of normal development. Even if you think you have no children at your school with ABI, you may be surprised at the children who can be overlooked. In fact, traumatic injury, caused by falls, road accidents or sports injuries, are prevalent in 24 to 31.6% of the population of young people in the UK. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/ycqvn4pz Children and young people with SEN and Disabilities are much more at risk of child abuse and neglect than most children. In recognition of this, the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) have produced a series of leaflets for professionals, parents and carers, and young people themselves. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/yd3ufq8s STRATEGY AND POLICY SENCOS and Head Teachers often enquire whether their SEN register is in line with the national average or not. The most important thing is not that your school is concurrent with the figures for the national average, but that you have the right children identified for Special Educational Provision. This means having a clear policy for identification and evidence that all pupils on your SEN register meet the criteria given in your policy, in line with the Code of Practice. Nonetheless, if you are curious about the statistics then the number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) has increased for a second consecutive year from 1,244,255 in January 2017 to 1,276,215 in January 2018, an increase from 14.4% to 14.6% of pupils. The percentage of pupils with a statement or EHC plan has increased to 2.9%. For other statistics, see the statistical release published earlier this summer. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/q49hl6p This is an interesting report regarding parents’ responses to LA funding cuts and their crowdfunded campaign to challenge central Government on their funding of SEND. Quite a remarkable turn of events! Visit: https://tinyurl.com/y7m9u7qm Schools will be asked to monitor children’s happiness and mental health in a bid to tackle growing levels of anxiety among young people, the Prime Minister has announced. The new measures are part of a wider mental health strategy which will see thousands of therapists sent into classrooms, and annual publication of a ‘happiness index’ tracking the state of the nation’s youth. Theresa May will also appoint the UK’s first minister for suicide prevention and £1.8m funding for the Samaritans, as she pledges to “end the stigma that has forced too many to suffer in silence”. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/y9qe9ens RESEARCH BBC 5 Live Investigates reports that the Education Policy Institute (EPI) research suggests the number of referrals to child and adolescent mental health services in England has increased by 26% over the past five years. Its report also reveals one in four referrals was either rejected or deemed inappropriate for treatment. The Department of Health said it was investing an additional £1.4bn into mental health services for children. To read the full article visit: https://tinyurl.com/y9dqaz69 What is pathological demand avoidance (PDA)? The National Autistic Society have published new information on this condition. PDA is a behaviour profile within the autism spectrum. The NAS website now explains what PDA is, the characteristics of PDA and how to begin the assessment process. They give guidelines for parents and education staff. Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is increasingly, but not universally, accepted as a behaviour profile that is seen in some individuals on the autism spectrum. If you would like to know more, visit: https://tinyurl.com/yasd7nxa A HIDDEN GEM! The National Deaf Children’s Society has produced a free online resource aimed at supporting primary school teachers in helping pupils to develop their working memory. Although aimed primarily at deaf pupils, the resource, titled ‘Memory and Learning’, is equally effective for all children. It includes a short video where Lynda, a Teacher of the Deaf, introduces the resource, and a link to the instructions and downloads. Don’t forget to do some pre- and post-intervention assessment to evaluate the effectiveness for each pupil, even if it is just an assessment of how many things they can remember! Thanks to Deborah Webster, St. Helens, for highlighting this excellent resource. Visit: https://tinyurl.com/y9znedew Updates RESOURCES AND CPD A Soundfield system is a sound system for schools that improves the learning environment for the pupils by improving the sound environment in the classroom. STRATEGY AND POLICY The Public Accounts Committee have launched a new inquiry to consider whether children with SEND are being supported effectively and the outcomes of that support. They will consider the funding, spending and financial sustainability of SEND support. RESEARCH An EEF trial of ‘Improving Working Memory‘ shows +3 months’ gain in pupils’ maths attainment. A HIDDEN GEM! Rising Stars have issued a free assembly plan that teaches children to recognise resilience as an important character quality.
ILOP (Inclusive Learning Online Portal) is now up and running and requests for strategies have been coming in since September from teachers wanting to enhance their inclusive practice. Teachers in over 70 schools now have access to a range of strategies and resources to include all children in daily English and mathematics lessons. In addition, they can also access a range of specialist strategies for children who require short-term intervention to develop understanding of key skills.
PC Werth
Connevans
National Deaf Children’s SocietyThe SENCO Induction Pack is designed to support new SENCOs at the start of their journey before they complete the NASENCO qualification, and I am sure will be a good accompaniment to our New2SENCO course.
