The impact of outreach work

What we can learn from research into the role of the specialist?

Research shows that there is a role for the specialist in professional development. The specialist can provide guidance and a structure for the process, as well as the content of professional learning, in the following ways:

• input, eg workshop-based instruction/modelling for new skills; plus theories and knowledge base
• ongoing support (formal & ‘on call’) over a considerable time period – ‘environment for learning’ based on teachers’ starting points
• observation & feedback for experimentation
• coaching in new techniques & strategies
• encouragement for peer support in a whole-school context.

Read the case studies and outcomes of a recent GTC commissioned research project into strategic CPD leadership.

Read the latest EPPI review:

What do specialists do in CPD programmes for which there is evidence of positive outcomes for pupils and teachers?

The EPPI-Centre conducts systematic reviews of research evidence across a wide range of topics. Find out more by visiting the EPPI-Centre website.

All the schools in the sample greatly valued the following:

• support for the SEN team from the local authority (LA)
• special school outreach services
• strong liaison with external agencies.

The type of support that was utilised included:

• LA and agency specialist input to working parties
• support at points of transfer
• advice and training on provision mapping
• facilitation of SENCO networks
• TA training and network facilitation
• regular liaison meetings to discuss pupils
• whole-school training and individual coaching.

See also Teachernet regarding Local Authority Outreach Services:
www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen/asds/asdgoodpractice/LEAOSS/

Examples of development activities at Swiss Cottage School, Camden

Swiss Cottage School is a specialist special school in the London Borough of Camden for 143 children aged 2–16 years with a range of SEN. Kay Bedford is the head teacher.

All the children have learning difficulties, and other associated difficulties, including communication, physical and ASD. Over 55% of the children have English as an additional language  and are entitled to free school meals; 26% are on the Children in Need Register. Children’s achievements range from P Level 3 to National Curriculum Level 4.

There are 82 staff on our payroll, and physiotherapists, occupational therapists , speech and language therapists and psychotherapists are based or work at the school.

The school opened in 1995 as the result of an amalgamation of two existing special schools on the site. Since it opened, it has had three Ofsted Inspections, and been ‘outstanding’ each time; one of the few schools in the country to have achieved this. It is also a Champion Investor in People organisation and has numerous other curriculum awards.

There are plans to open a new SEN School for 230 children aged 2–19 years on the site, together with a new secondary school for 1200 children, in 2011.

Outreach work

The key vehicle for outreach work is observation. Teachers will either observe other teachers in the school or teachers in other schools. This is followed by a learning dialogue to discuss what was happening in class and the rationale of the planning and approaches. The teachers agree about any changes that might be trialled and a follow up meeting is arranged for three months later to see the impact and offer further support.

Internal development and training

What the school said: ‘Our training and professional development programme is designed to ensure that the day to day behaviour of staff is aligned with their espoused values.’

• Mentoring and coaching is a key vehicle for developing expertise and capability as people learn more if they do the thinking: this moves the school from a ‘telling’ culture to one where individual responsibility is taken.
• Training time is made available for teaching assistants (TAs). Only full time contracts are issued so that the beginning and end of the day can be spent on specific specialist training. TAs spend one hour a week with a teaching team and one hour a week in a whole-staff shared thinking session.
• All staff and TAs keep development portfolios to show evidence of impact – the emphasis is always on impact.
• There is an emphasis on developing emotional intelligence as the school believes that relationships are a key to success.
• TAs are trained to the highest level alongside teachers, with opportunities for development at all levels, for example from basic literacy and numeracy to degree level, to offer progression.
• Meetings are used for reflection time, debate and finding solutions for issues through the whole staff working together.
• There is an emphasis on developing the skills of all staff to work with other adults in the classroom. Teachers and health professionals work alongside each other to develop joint understanding of other professional practices and approaches, creating teams of ‘para-professionals’ who are fully integrated and trained.
• Skills are developed by using observation and learning dialogue, by setting high standards, by ‘walking the walk’ and by on-going training.

Wish list

• Mentoring should be compulsory in all schools, with sufficient follow-up and support.
• There should be national head teacher and SLT training in how to develop an inclusive culture, with modelling provided for the standards and attitudes expected.
• More occupational therapists and physiotherapists are needed. Employment issues need to be addressed, such as parity of pay with other professionals who are working alongside them; and provision of cover by the health authorities so that when a health professional goes on leave or is sick the child does not lose out.

See Kay’s full ideas expressed in a different form in Activity 1: 'What do you think?' Or visit the Swiss Cottage School website.

Examples of development activities at Sunfield School, West Midlands

Sunfield School is a residential school for children with severe and complex learning needs. Day students have recently been admitted for the first time and respite care is also offered. Lesley Gaukroger is the head teacher, and GTC Council Member Barry Carpenter is Chief Executive.

The school is a charity with a staff of 460. The role of research in education is seen as vital as it is important to have a robust evidence base, and this is reflected in the school having a Research and Development (R&D) faculty with three workers dedicated to supporting research, as part of the Professional Development Centre. Research informed staff training is a key feature of the school.

This PDC is run as a business and in this way it can include a wider audience for its strong professional training and development expertise. The business has to break even but it doesn’t seek to make a profit, using any money generated to develop further resources and courses at cost.

The school was judged as outstanding by Ofsted in Autumn 2006.

Outreach work

• The Professional Development Centre (PDC) meets the needs of Sunfield staff but offers the same courses to every mainstream school in the region, and opens up courses to all special schools nationwide.
• The PDC has formal links with University of Worcestershire, and many courses are accredited.
• The school aims to be very flexible in the packages it offers. It has long run assessment and outreach services.
• The Sunfield training programme is determined by an advisory group, chaired by the head.  Local heads discuss what is on their schools’ development plans, government initiatives, research findings and so on, and decide on a programme which aims to meet most needs.
• As in Swiss Cottage, observation and monitoring are popular options for training. Teachers come to Sunfield to observe teachers in class and can ask questions based on specific examples. Sunfield staff go into schools to observe teachers in situ and then discuss options for developing practice based on the teacher, the context and how the child seems to learn best: a very personalised service. This is followed up by further visits and discussions.
• A wide range of resources are published and for sale, at low cost. The most recent is a DVD born of a two-year research project on teacher training needs
• Every term there is a TA conference on an aspect of effective learning support.
• The PDC has recently opened an outreach centre in Aylesbury, Bucks (Sunfield @Booker Park School) which offered short courses in the summer on a trial basis.
• The school has an outward looking approach – it draws on and contributes to research in the international arena.  Different countries have the leading edge on different issues (for example USA – Foetal Alcohol Syndrome; Croatia – chromosomal disorders; UK – autism) so it is important to go out into the wider research community to get a broader view

The TEACCH programme

TEACCH is an American evidence-based service, training and research programme for individuals of all ages and skills levels with autism spectrum disorders.

• The TEACCH programme is offered to Sunfield staff and to external audiences.
• It involves a five day course which necessitates two trainers from the United States to be present. Three Sunfield teachers and one TA have been trained. The method is a formal input followed by planning followed by practice with individual children. Observation and coaching are key elements of the programme.

For further information see:

• TEACCH website
• National Autistic Society
• Autism resources
• Autism Independent UK

School strategies

• Staff training needs are huge due to the range of staff in the school – care workers; catering and nutrition staff; teachers and TAs; premises and grounds staff. Each department head will have a performance management / appraisal meeting with each member of staff to find out their development needs.
• Progression is built into all of the development programmes, whether they are aimed at teaching or other staff. They range from one-day courses which aren’t accredited to NVQs to foundation degrees and beyond. Funding is available for such courses, and fully supported.  Such an approach to developing the staff has led to high retention of staff.
• The school has undertaken environment research into the set-up of classroom and colours (the walls are being painted in a mauve colour as it was proved to be the most calming) and is working with a local designer to make ergonomic furniture according to the children’s wishes.
• The school aims to make all materials and resources accessible, for example, four different versions of a story book at different levels of text, symbol and image.

Wish list

Barry Carpenter believes that new pedagogies are needed to meet the needs of all the children in our schools. He says we haven’t got it right for children currently in schools and there are new conditions being presented in schools such as foetal alcohol syndrome; pre-term birth children; chromosomal disorders.

Read Barry’s full views as part of Activity 1: What do you think? or on the Sunfield School website.