Special Educational Needs: information, resources and ideas for early career teachers

SEN practice examples: learning from Engage network members

We asked Engage members to share aspects of their special educational needs (SEN) practice that had been particularly successful in their schools.  Here we profile the SEN resources and strategies on a range of practice that Angelika Hickey, from County Durham and Debbie Amato, from Gillingham have developed.

• Developing effective communication systems
• Lesson planning for pupils with SEN

Here we have pulled together the key principles from their and other Engage members’ practice:

• Principles into practice

And to support the development of your teaching of pupils with SEN, here are some of the effective CPD strategies that Engage teachers have highlighted:

• CPD for SEN

Core standards, inclusion and induction

We have developed a set of tables that link the themes of the core standards to inclusion, SEN and disability.

The induction process is designed to help NQTs develop professional knowledge and practice. It is a key part of a teacher’s early professional development. Throughout induction NQTs need to develop skills and professional awareness that prepare them both for their immediate context and the national context.

By maintaining a balance between these two aspects of induction and early professional development, teachers will develop an awareness of inclusive teaching within and beyond their current school.

In September 2007 new professional standards for teachers were published. The core standards include many references to inclusion and SEN.

Research to support inclusive teaching

The GTC believes that teaching should become an increasingly research-informed profession. Our Research of the Month (RoM) feature provides accessible summaries of educational research.

The following RoM summaries are pertinent to inclusion and SEN:

• Improving pupils' behaviour through multi-agency working
• Primary school pupils with emotional or behavioural difficulties (EBD)
• Inclusion and pupil achievement
• Positive alternatives to exclusion
• Consulting pupils about teaching and learning
• Parental involvement in their children’s learning

See also the Engage Network’s resource file:

Engaging with research: Behaviour for learning.

Inclusive Quality First Teaching and the Inclusion Development Programme

The first of the National Strategies’ three Waves of Intervention is ‘Inclusive Quality First Teaching’.

There are two key questions to help teachers assess their effectiveness in Wave 1:

• Are all pupils making progress?
• Are individuals making the progress expected, given their previous attainment?

All teachers are expected to set targets for all pupils that help them progress as far as possible.

Teachers can find the Wave 1 guidance from National Strategies on the Standards website. 

The document entitled ’Leading on inclusion’ is particularly useful.

In spring 2008, the National Strategies will be sending CPD materials to schools. Their Inclusion Development Programme (IDP) aims to enhance teachers’ knowledge and skills teachers at Wave 1. The first set of materials will cover speech, language and communication needs and dyslexia. 

More information on the IDP.

The National Strategies programme is aiming for a closer alignment of school improvement and SEN. There will be more support for schools through the IDP as well as more challenge in terms of focusing on progress and attainment of pupils with SEN. Assessment for learning and improved use of teacher assessment will become key features of the National Strategies inclusion programme.

There is now a dedicated National Strategies SEN and inclusion website.

Sharing practice and experience

We are collecting examples from Engage members’ practice to put into this section.  They will be added in the coming months.

We will be constantly adding to this page, so contact us with any examples of practice related to:

• effective SEN related CPD
• successful placements in a special school as a trainee teacher
• working with other adults to achieve the best learning for SEN pupils
• specialist teachers’ contribution to your professional development
• anything else related to your SEN practice.

If you would like to share your practice, email engage@gtce.org.uk with your name, school, phone number and a sentence or two about your successful practice and we’ll get in touch.