SENCO

Activities for developing skills

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:57 +0100

Each article includes some pointers for identifying children who may have difficulties in the specific area. The list of activities then follows. Suggestions for using games, group activities, stories and songs are all included. They will be particularly useful to SENCOs.

Does the green paper risk setting the clock back for inclusive education?

scameron — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:29:21 +0100

The Education Act (1981) established a process of stages of assessment which eventually produced a statement of a child's special educational needs. This followed the recommendations of the Warnock Report (1978) on special educational needs which had called for an end to the previous system whereby children were diagnosed and officially ‘ascertained' by their local health authority as belonging to a particular category of handicap.

Working in partnership with parents to support SEN children's education

scameron — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:08:46 +0000

There is no doubt that it is beneficial to work closely with parents, but it is not always easy to do so. How to engage some parents/carers is a daunting task, while working with others who may hold very different views from our own regarding education also presents a challenge: although both parents/carers and the school want the very best for the child, ideas as to what this might be and how to achieve it may at times vary greatly.

Still a long way to go on inclusion of pupils with autism, says report

scameron — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:51:25 +0000

In 2006, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) said ‘autism is no longer thought of as a rare disorder' and it is assumed that this is due to an increased recognition of the needs of individuals on the autistic spectrum. New research has investigated UK assessment policy and practice for mainstream-educated pupils who are diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD).

It reveals:

New disability identification tool

scameron — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:01:03 +0000

As the DDA and Equality Act broaden the definition of disability and the duties of schools, testing has recently been completed on draft tools for helping schools to identify disability

In order to assist schools in collecting reliable and consistent disability information, a toolkit will soon be released by the Department for Education (DfE).

Summer-born children more frequently identified as having SEN

scameron — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:07:52 +0100

Children with summer birthdays are more frequently identified as having a special educational need according to the findings of Month of Birth and Education, a new study by the Schools Analysis and Research Division of the DfE. Moderate learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties, and speech, language and communication needs are particularly over-represented in summer-born pupils.

The positive impact of dyslexia screening

scameron — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:16:53 +0100

The Wordsley School is a mixed comprehensive with over 700 pupils near the town of Stourbridge in the West Midlands. In its last Ofsted report it was described as having a mixed catchment area including wards with very high social deprivation. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is high.

Creating a fairer education system for all

scameron — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:05:58 +0100

Equity in Education is as its subtitle states ‘a manifesto for the reform of education in England'. It makes no use of the terms special educational needs or disability, and makes only a single reference to inclusion (social inclusion). However, it seeks to address problems that have a significant impact on the education of disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people, including those for whom SENCOs have a direct responsibility.

Organising and chairing multi-agency meetings

scameron — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:28:50 +0100

Support for SENCOs
In practice, joint working can be difficult; getting together three or four busy professionals from different agencies can prove a huge task, especially where funding is separate and different agencies have different priorities. These are not reasons to avoid joint working, but they are reasons to make sure that proper arrangements are in place and that everyone involved in a meeting or review comes away feeling that it was worthwhile and that they made a useful contribution.

Multi-agency working with a focus on SEN

scameron — Wed, 26 May 2010 09:42:39 +0100

Support for SENCOs

Reaching SEN parents to raise achievement

scameron — Mon, 10 May 2010 10:59:50 +0100

Support for SENCOs

A quick roundup of the main political parties’ school manifesto points

scameron — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:58:34 +0100

With the 2010 general election looming, if you want to know more about what the main political parties want to do with education should they get the chance, this information sheet excavates the relevant sections of their manifestos for an at-a-glance guide.

Your vital role in partnership working

scameron — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:57:19 +0100

Spring is in the air – well, almost! Could it be time to breathe new life into your ‘partnership working’ arrangements and take a fresh look at how you build and sustain positive relationships? This term we will help you to take stock of the systems and processes you have in place for engaging with parents/carers and professionals from various outside agencies.

Taking the lead in professional development to support SEN

scameron — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:53:39 +0000

Leading development and supporting colleagues
In this issue we focus on the important part of a SENCO’s role: leading, developing and supporting colleagues in their approaches to pupils with SEN. We have touched on this in previous issues this term as it’s such an integral part of your work, so now we offer a self-evaluation tool for you to use in considering your effectiveness.

Getting coordinated – planning and communication

scameron — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:42:03 +0000

Coordinating provision
The days are getting longer and spring is almost sprung, so that means that we are nearly two-thirds of the way through the school year. Time to start thinking about arrangements for the next academic year, and the approaches and interventions you will put in place to meet the needs of pupils with SEN and/or disabilities. This week, we provide some pointers on coordinating provision.

Using evidence about learning, teaching and assessment to inform SEN practice

scameron — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:09:18 +0000

Support for SENCOs
The national training for new SENCOs will be looking at how to:

Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT): helping students solve their own emotional problems

scameron — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:37:29 +0000

This technique requires individuals to actively explore their current resources, as well as future hopes and aspirations, as opposed to focusing on present problems and their historical causes. It was originally developed at the Brief Family Therapy Centre in Milwaukie by Steve de Shazer and his team in the early 1980s, originating in a focus on the inconsistencies to be found in problem behaviour. The strategies are extremely useful when used with young people, in terms of developing their sense of personal agency and responsibility.

Identifying barriers to learning and their implications for inclusive teaching

scameron — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:02:35 +0000

The national SENCO training addresses the need for knowing about high incidence SEN and disabilities and how they can affect pupils’ participation and learning. In this issue, we suggest ways of improving your own knowledge, but just as important, how to share that knowledge and understanding with colleagues.

Support for SENCOs

As SENCO, you need to know and understand:

Does your school’s professional learning help to enhance its SEN provision?

scameron — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:27:32 +0000

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
Robert Collier

With Happy Days’ Henry Winkler fronting a new DCSF campaign focused on improving attitudes towards children with SEN, now is a great time to explore the ways in which all professional learning in your school feeds into enhanced SEN provision. This week’s CPD Update helps you to do just that…

Statutory and regulatory frameworks – what every SENCO needs to know

scameron — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:49:47 +0000

We set out in the last issue the core aims of the new SENCO training and our intention to help you keep up to date with your own professional standards if you are not part of this programme. In this issue, we look at the SENCO’s responsibility to have an overview and understanding of statutory and regulatory frameworks. With this knowledge, you will be well placed to advise senior colleagues and governors, and fulfill a strategic role in school.

National training for new SENCOs: what will it cover?

scameron — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:13:06 +0000

Happy New Year to you!

Any New Year resolutions? Apart from the less eating/drinking-and-more-exercise type of intentions, you may be thinking of some professional goals this term. The roll-out of national training for new SENCOs began last September, with some providers just getting going this month, so we thought it might be timely to put you in the picture about what the training will cover. Over the coming term, we will help you to audit and update your own professional standards, whether you’ve been a SENCO for two years or 22 years.

End of term review and reflection

scameron — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:02:58 +0000

You’re probably well into the ‘Christmas experience’ now with nativity plays, parties, visits from Santa, carol concerts and discos being dominant features of the last two weeks of term. In some schools, this time of year is more hectic than normal but sometimes, there are opportunities to steal away from the various festive activities and take time to reflect on the autumn term and prepare for the spring.

Technology and SEN

scameron — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:46:41 +0000

There is an ever-expanding range of technology to support children with SEN and disability. It can facilitate inclusion, improve access to the curriculum, enable pupils to work independently and of course, is often very motivating. Yet SENCOs and teachers in many schools (especially mainstream) have still to discover the potential of up-to-date hardware and software for pupils with SEN. This issue we encourage you to spend some time in finding out what technology can offer.

Are the Disability Discrimination Act obligations too burdensome for schools?

scameron — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:09:23 +0000

What are the obligations under the DDA?

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Managing behaviour as a SENCO

scameron — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:35:15 +0000

Support for SENCOs
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Including pupils in Christmas performances

scameron — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:47:35 +0000

Many teachers will be thinking about Christmas celebrations now and planning end of term performances. This issue, we make a plea for all children to be included – especially those with special educational needs and disabilities – with some ideas on how this can be achieved.
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Study skills for SEN

scameron — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:16:27 +0000

The term ‘study skills’ means lots of different things these days and encompasses everything from revision techniques to thinking skills.
Support for SENCOs
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Reading across the curriculum

scameron — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:08:35 +0100

Reading is such an important skill. Being able to read impacts on learning and achievement in every area of the curriculum and children who struggle will encounter barriers to learning throughout each day in school. Weak reading skills also prevent pupils from reading for pleasure and enjoying the whole wonderful world of fiction, not to mention reducing their ability to cope and be independent in the real world.
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Developing speaking skills and language development

scameron — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:43:48 +0100

Support for SENCOs
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Developing attention skills and memory

scameron — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:18:21 +0100

Getting children to sit still and pay attention is an important component of establishing an effective learning environment, but for children with SEN, this can be a particular issue.
Support for SENCOs
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Differentiation: output (3)

scameron — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:58:11 +0100

This is more than a teacher setting an ‘open ended’ task and waiting to see what each learner produces; it involves careful planning of objectives, consideration of learning styles and providing opportunities for pupils to respond to tasks in a variety of ways.
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Differentiation: support (2)

scameron — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:51:01 +0100

In part 2 of our mini-series on differentiation we’re looking this week at different types of support. Often, this is interpreted as ‘teaching assistant support’ – an extra adult in the classroom to provide additional help and encouragement to pupils who need it; but in fact, support can take a variety of different forms.
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Differentiation: input (1)

scameron — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:48:09 +0100

We’re starting a three-part mini-series on differentiation this week. Helping colleagues to match pupils with appropriate tasks, resources and support is a big part of the SENCO role and influential in developing effective whole-school approaches to meeting special educational needs. If you can crack this, you’re well on the way to minimising the barriers to pupils’ learning and achievement, and will certainly make your own job much easier.
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Whole school approaches to SEN and inclusion

scameron — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:54:19 +0100

Inclusive approaches are the bedrock of good provision for pupils with special educational needs. No matter how well planned and effective your intervention programmes might be, everyday classroom teaching plays a hugely important part in a child’s learning experience and must be of the highest quality if those with SEN are to make progress.
This term, we will be looking at how you as SENCO can support colleagues in developing strategies which enable all pupils to ‘achieve and enjoy’ in mainstream classrooms.
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Learning from home with ICT

scameron — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:32:54 +0100

Despite all she’s been through, Catherine Jones remains surprisingly upbeat. A 47-year-old single mother of two sons, she has faced the usual obstacles while raising her family. But in Catherine’s case there was always an added difficulty: Michael, her elder son, aged 15, is autistic and hates school so much that four years ago he came close to killing himself. Today, however, he is in Year 11, preparing to take his GCSEs and talking enthusiastically about his plans for post-16 study.
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Good SEN practice: Golden Rules for adults

scameron — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:44:36 +0100

Organisations often set rules as benchmarks for action, statements of values or guidelines for behaviour. Many schools in the UK have adopted the principles of Jenny Mosley’s Circle Time model, which has at its heart 10 Golden Rules for children to follow. But what about rules for adults? Thinking about how adults are expected to behave can be just as important when establishing an ethos for a school.
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Audit commission: SEN budgets

scameron — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:07:20 +0100

It’s a harmless enough request, but one that invariably leaves some SENCOs nervously shuffling their papers. ‘Could you put your hand up if you are absolutely clear what your income is for special educational needs/additional educational needs?’
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Tips for SENCOs: finishing the school year

scameron — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:39:43 +0100

The end of term is in sight and you are looking forward to a well earned rest, possibly with some sun and sangria, or the equivalent. But ‘leaving things tidy’ in school will be worth a bit of extra time and effort if it means you can begin your holiday with a clear conscience and a feeling that everything is in place for September.
Support for SENCOs
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SEN provision maps + Helpsheet 23

scameron — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:51:38 +0100

Many SENCOs are now very familiar with the use of provision maps for listing interventions and detailing the ‘who, where and exactly what’. To a large extent these have replaced individual education plans (IEPs) and have resulted in a welcome reduction of paperwork. This issue we provide some timely reminders of what to consider when drawing up your provision maps for next term.
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Updating SEN policies - young carers

scameron — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:52:07 +0100

Support for SENCOs
There is a statutory requirement for schools to have policy statements or documents covering a number of areas; those most relevant to SENCOs and INCOs are:
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Links between SEN and gifted & talented: part 2

scameron — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:45:46 +0100

Last SENCO Week we looked at the issues surrounding pupils with DME (dual or multiple exceptionality) – those with high ability in one, or some, specific areas but also experiencing difficulty in some aspect of education. This week we consider some strategies for support and how to help pupils fulfill their potential.
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Links between SEN and gifted & talented: part 1

scameron — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:55:58 +0100

Lots of SENCOs find themselves in the role of G&T coordinator as well as having responsibility for pupils with SEN. In fact, some schools include their G&T youngsters in the SEN or AEN (additional educational needs) category. They are recognised as having specific learning needs and as such, deserve an equal amount of attention. Even if you are not the G&T coordinator, you may well be involved with individuals who are ‘twice exceptional’ - they are very able in one area, but have difficulties in another.
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SEN assemblies and circle time + Helpsheet 22

scameron — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:31:47 +0100

Support for SENCOs
There is a vast array of assembly ideas –some of the best can be found in Gerald Haigh’s Primary E-Assemblies, but as we mentioned last week, assembly time can also present the perfect opportunity for you as SENCO to get over some important messages to pupils. These might include:
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Low incidence special educational needs

scameron — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:10:32 +0100

The majority of low incidence children will attend special schools where their needs can be met by specialist staff and resources. Increasingly, however, many of these pupils are included in mainstream schools, sometimes on a part-time basis, and SENCOs are tasked with ensuring that staff understand and cater for their learning needs.
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Working cooperatively: educational professionals in the classroom

scameron — Tue, 19 May 2009 09:59:41 +0100

A confusing wave of acronyms has now entered the classroom. Pupils are presented with an array of professionals in the school environment on a daily basis. Teaching assistants (TAs), learning support assistants (LSAs), specialist teaching assistants (STAs), behaviour support assistants (BSAs) and higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs) are just a few of the ‘extra’ adults now working with individual pupils or as general support in today’s classrooms.
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Review meetings with SEN students

scameron — Mon, 18 May 2009 10:55:13 +0100

Support for SENCOs
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Study skills and revision: advice for SEN + Helpsheet 21

scameron — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:27:24 +0100

The exam season is upon us, and you may well be considering revision support for groups of SEN pupils. However, a more effective approach is to teach them explicitly how to learn and remember what is covered in lessons on an all year round basis.
Download Helpsheet 21 for help with this.
Support for SENCOS
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Providing reading and literacy support to older children

scameron — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:20:43 +0100

One of the main roles of the SENCO is designing and implementing support for pupils who have weak literacy skills. Reading, in particular, is such an important part of learning and achieving that struggling in this area often means struggling in all areas of the curriculum; this can lead to low self-esteem and sometimes adverse behaviour, so literacy support is always a priority. This week we consider strategies for older pupils.
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The 21st century SENCo

scameron — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:16:07 +0100

With the advent of Every Child Matters (2003) and the new Key Stage 3 curriculum (2008) the role of the SENCO has changed. The 21st-century SENCO is required to do much more, have a wider range of skills, and deal with an immense range of tasks on a regular basis.
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SENCOs providing CPD for colleagues: auditing priorities + Helpsheet 20

scameron — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:50:47 +0100

Over the next few weeks we will be providing some specific ideas for supporting pupils in reading, handwriting and study skills development, but first suggest that you survey colleagues to find out what their priorities are for CPD in terms of SEN and inclusion.
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