A resource file for new teachers: special educational needs (SEN)

Induction standards and SEN: time to reflect?

Individual education plans (Standard 'c')

All the induction standards relate in some way to SENs; standard ‘c’ relates to this area very specifically:

‘Plan effectively to meet the needs of pupils in their classes with special educational needs, with or without statements, and in consultation with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) contribute to the preparation, implementation, monitoring and review of individual education plans or the equivalent.’

You can only demonstrate this standard over a period of time and it was probably not available to you as part of your school experience. So, while you will have had experienced some elements of this standard, you might not have been able to see through a whole individual education plan (IEP) cycle.

Secondary NQTs from Redbridge attending an induction half-day with a SEN focus were asked what had been helpful in their schools with regard to this standard.

The factors they identified included having:

• a differentiation clinic
• good, approachable support staff
• the staff in general sharing their experiences readily and being happy to be observed
• base data about the students
• a clear idea of who to speak to
• plenty of information and updates on students with different types of special needs.

However, the need and desire to know pupils better and to have a greater understanding of their needs remains a significant issue for many.

‘I would however relish the opportunity to know in more detail specific ”stories” of some of the more affected children as I feel this would help me  to understand more clearly the complexities and start to address these or at least understand. The time and effort I believe would be very beneficial in the long term.’

Louisa, second term

Liaising with parents and carers (Standard 'd')

‘Liaise effectively with parents or carers on pupils’ progress and achievements.’

This clearly applies to all pupils, but for learners with SEN the working partnership between the school and home is of particular importance.

Parents know their offspring in a way that you don’t. You, of course, see their son or daughter in a different setting and have insights that they won’t have. Together you can build up a picture of what will really support a learner and, equally importantly, what might be best avoided.

Teamwork (Standard 'e')

‘Work effectively as part of a team and, as appropriate to the post in which they are completing induction, liaise with, deploy, and guide the work of other adults who support pupils’ learning.’

This is very much part of the wider workforce agenda.

Teamwork has long played a huge part in effective SEN support. Establishing a rapport and mutual respect with other team members is essential.

‘I always try to informally catch up with the TAs in my classes. Even just a simple “Hi” over coffee in the staffroom can really help to build bridges and make the right impression. I always introduce TAs to the pupils, and recently I have started asking the TAs if they would be happy to work with not only the ”specified” child, but to help others too. This has been most successful and rewarding.’

Louisa

However inexperienced you might feel as a teacher, you bring your own skills to the team. It is well worthwhile taking the time to reflect on this and also to think about how your skills have developed since you started your NQT year.

Advice for NQTs

What is good practice for pupils with SEN is usually good practice for all and, on that note, the secondary NQTs from Redbridge and Louisa have these final words of advice:

• Talk to kids individually.
• Differentiate questioning to allow praise all round.
• Observe across the curriculum for ideas on delivery/pace/lesson structure.
• Ask pupils what they have enjoyed about the tasks and why, in order to improve lesson delivery.

‘I really believe it is vitally important to be as human as possible in the classroom. In my opinion that means acknowledging pupils as thoughtful and interesting individuals and working with weaknesses – most importantly being open and honest and sharing my own mistakes with the class.’

Louisa

Quick links to legislation and guidance

SEN Code of Practice

During your initial teacher training, legislation and the SEN Code of Practice probably took up a lot of the time allowed for SEN issues. You can order hard copies of the full SEN Code of Practice from the publication centre: telephone 0845 6022260 or email dfes@prolog.uk.com, quoting the DfES reference number 581/2001.

It can also be downloaded from TeacherNet.

Disability and Discrimination Act

School responsibilities under the Disability and Discrimination Act (DDA) have been highlighted recently. The relevant legislation can be found here:

• Disability and Discrimination Act 1995
• Special  Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001
• Disability and Discrimination Act 2005
  This has additions and amendments to the 1995 Act including those relating to education.

All schools should now have accessibility plans, and since December 2006 all LAs and all secondary schools should have been required to have a disability equality scheme (DES) in place. This is reviewed as part of Ofsted inspections.

Guidance about duties under the DDA can be found on TeacherNet.

Other legislation and guidance relating to SEN

Some of these resources may be important to you now you are a teacher. Below are links for those of you who want to refresh your memory or find out more.

• Every Child Matters (ECM)
• The Children Act 2004
  This provides the legal underpinning for ECM.
• Inclusive Schooling: Children with Special Educational Needs (DfES)
  This provides statutory guidance on the practical operation of the framework for inclusion of children.
• Removing Barriers to Achievement (DfES)
  This includes the whole document plus an executive summary.
• Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners (DfES)
• Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners: Maintaining the Excellent Progress (DfES)

Useful websites for SEN information and resources

National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN)

NASEN is the leading professional association for this field of work. The site includes:

• links to other useful websites
• details of membership
• NASEN journals (both research and practitioner based)
• details of forthcoming NASEN events including education shows, seminars and conferences.

The publication arm of NASEN has, over many years, produced high quality books and leaflets to support teachers and teaching assistants. NASEN now has a publishing partnership with David Fulton Publishers, a highly respected publisher of SEN books and part of Routledge. The NASEN site has book ordering facilities and, if you are a member, there is a discount on all books ordered through their bookshop.

Special Needs Education

Special Needs Education includes The Essential Guide, which covers a range of SEN areas including administration, education and assessment, and professional development as well as educational resources and suppliers. Both print and online versions are available.

Department for Education and Science (DfES)

Two DfES sites are particularly relevant for SEN-related issues: the SEN website  and the Standards website. Legislation, regulation and guidance documentation including the Code of Practice can be found on, or obtained through, the SEN site.

Local authorites

Your own local authority (LA) website will usually provide information about support for children and young people with SEN in your area and how this is accessed. Many LAs also produce helpful support materials for teachers.

Specific areas of SEN

Some sites relating to specific areas of SEN are listed below. This is not an exhaustive list but it provides starting points for the SEN topics that you are most likely to come across as an NQT in a mainstream classroom.

The list includes a number of sites relating to specific groups of SEN. All listed are either aimed at professionals or at those with the SEN, their families and those who support them. All are balanced in their views and information.

When looking at other sites, it is worthwhile just checking who the audience is and what the aims of the group or organisation are so you are aware if it is promoting just one particular view.

Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (AD(H)D)

Addiss is the website for AD(H)D Information Services.

Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

The National Autistic Society has information about all aspects of autism including Asperger Syndrome.

The DfES SEN website also has a section on ASD.

Behavioural, social and emotional difficulties

Behaviour4Learning is a resource site for teacher trainers and trainees commissioned by the TDA. It is also very useful for teachers including NQTs. It includes a PDF: SEN in mainstream schools: A guide for the beginner teacher.

Learning Behaviour: The Report of the Practitioners’ Group on School Behaviour and Discipline was published by DfES in October 2005. It includes links to a wide range of resources.

Cerebral palsy

SCOPE

Down’s Syndrome

Down’s Syndrome Association

Dyslexia

British Dyslexia Association

Dyspraxia

The Dyspraxia Foundation

English as an additional language

The Multiverse website is a resource bank similar to Behaviour4Learning and was also commissioned by TDA .

DfES: Ethnic Minority Achievement

Gifted and Talented

DfES: Gifted and Talented

The National Association for Able Children in Education

National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth

ICT

British Educational Communication Technology Arena

Inclusion

National Grid for Learning

Disability Equality in Education

Research of the Month: Inclusion

Medical conditions

BBC Health includes information about the three most common medical conditions found in schools: asthma, epilepsy and diabetes. There are links to sites specific to each condition.

Sensory impairment

Royal National Institute for the Blind

Royal National Institute for the Deaf

Speech and communication difficulties

Afasic

Case study

Induction support and special educational needs

The GTC Survey of Teachers 2006 showed that all teachers want further professional development opportunities and support in order to offer the best possible standards of teaching and learning for children with SEN.

There is always more to learn, but knowing where to start is a huge challenge.

This case study showcases how the London Borough of Redbridge introduces SEN through its primary induction programme.

What did they do?

Chris Green, SEN CPD coordinator for Redbridge, describes the day:

‘I arranged the day in the style of a conference with input from joint services. These included the speech and language therapy service (SALT), the educational psychology service (EPS), outreach support services and the school nursing co-ordinator.

‘A particular success was the input from the parent link co-ordinator (independent of the local authority). She took away a lot of the fear that the NQTs had about meeting parents at their first formal parents’ evening, which for many came up before the first half term.

‘The learning conversations which took place throughout the day were also particularly successful. These gave our NQTs a chance to find out about the work of each service, how their schools can access them and what they, as NQTs, should or could do if any of the services were involved with any of their pupils.

‘The heads of service brought along resources and photos, ICT programmes and visual timetables so that the NQTs had time to familiarise themselves with a range of ideas to support their teaching.

‘We ended with a special needs/inclusion “question time”, with some heads of service forming the 'expert' panel.

‘Without doubt, this was the best SEN induction we have run and I have had comments back from headteachers and SENCOs saying that their NQTs really found it a worthwhile day.’

What made it work?

We asked Chris to reflect on the structure and planning of the day to see if she could identify what made it a success. She identified the following points:

• Sending personal letters of invitation to each NQT as well as letters to headteachers and SENCOs.
• Considering SEN in the context of current legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act as well as the relevant induction standards.
• Timing the day so that it took place as early as possible in the autumn term.
• Asking the NQTs to think in advance about the needs of individual children in their classes.
• Providing opportunity for Learning Conversations which focused on meeting these needs more effectively.

And the NQTs?

Responses from the NQTs themselves were overwhelmingly positive. Some of the things they highlighted were:

• the interactive workshop-style training course
• the external agencies coming in and enlightening us with useful resources and information
• the ‘talking to parents’ session – helpful guidance to an intimidating area
• the talk about communicating with parents because it helped NQTs to have the confidence to share information
• the discussion about interacting and approaching parents because I was particularly nervous on using specific terms/negative points – now I know how to go about it
• looking at activities/strategies and resources for ideas on how to support children with SEN
• having the opportunity to view resources, which are accessible to us
• the learning conversations section gave me an opportunity to think about certain children in my class and what I can do
• the learning conversations section was very useful – very personal as it allowed individuals to gather information specific to them
• learning conversations – good time for reflection on my class and the action I can take
• all of it! Discussion with other professionals was really beneficial and seeing resources to use and sharing ideas was really great too.

What next?

When asked if there was anything else they could suggest that would help them in their first year of teaching, the NQTs’ suggestions included:

• Provide a second ‘following’ session, early in term two. This would provide the contacts NQTs need for more in-depth, experience-based questions.
• Provide a SEN handbook for NQTs with guidance on who to contact and when.
• Explain which department in the LA service is relevant for different needs that children have.

Chris is now planning another session for the summer term and is also considering the idea of the SEN handbook for NQTs.

Want to know more?

Take a look at the agenda (PDF, 23kb) for more ideas about the day.

If you are an LA induction manager and would like to ask Chris more about this work, then email engage@gtce.org.uk and we will be pass your queries on.

Accessing support as an NQT – a longer term view?

Early support needs, both for SEN issues and other aspects of NQTs’ work, are often short-term or immediate ‘survival’ needs. After you have completed one or two terms as an NQT you will hopefully feel more able to consider medium and longer-term support needs for your professional development and to begin to plan for them.

As far as work with SEN pupils is concerned, if you have been in a stable role you will now know your class(es) rather better than you did at the start of the autumn term.

You will also know yourself as a teacher rather better. You will have had opportunities to reflect on your teaching skills and to have thought about how these have developed and what your next areas for improvement are. You will have a better idea of where your gaps are and can identify these with your induction tutor, line manager and SENCO.

Think about what sort of support you are looking for, for example:

• to be able to share concerns and make sure you are on the right track, for example about the progress of a pupil
• to get some advice about key issues such as appropriate resources or teaching strategies and support for implementing them
• to talk through how you are going to do something and then discuss the results and what you have learnt from the experience
• to obtain information about such issues as SEN CPD in your LA , Masters credits at you local HEI, and specialised SEN courses
• to work alongside someone to see how they approach such tasks as assessing needs, working with parents, contributing to an annual review or individual education plan (IEP) review meeting
• to explore possibilities with other colleagues through team teaching, mixing groups, observing each other and providing feedback
• to have time to visit other colleagues’ classrooms or other schools to get a feel for different ways of doing things
• to have time to undertake your own professional learning with the support of a mentor, eg towards a Teacher Learning Academy presentation or an accredited course.

You may find it helpful to look at the National Framework for Mentoring and Coaching (PDF, 236kb). It is only five pages long so is very accessible for a busy teacher but it is also very thought-provoking. It will help you to identify what you want from professional relationships with colleagues and also what you can offer.

Finally, when seeking support and guidance in working with a pupil who finds learning difficult, the following tips and comments from teachers and educational psychologists may be helpful:

• Keep it simple, keep it short, keep a clear focus.
• Provide, or be prepared to provide, examples.
• Avoid long, rambling stories, anecdotes and repetitive daily lists of unacceptable behaviour! An objective description of the observed learning behaviour, when it occurs and how frequently is much more helpful (unless, of course, keeping a daily record is part of a programme).
• Be clear and objective. Say what you have seen. Say what you have tried. Say what happened next.
• Avoid making judgements as to why you think the young person responded in a particular way unless you know for certain. What you think they might have been thinking can be a red herring and get in the way of finding solutions that will work!

Incidentally, these tips are also useful to bear in mind if you are asked to provide an annual review, an IEP review or any other report on a child’s progress.