GTC creates new online resource for teachers working with special educational needs pupils.
Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:52:08

Making SENse of CPD - a new resource to support professional development for special educational needs in mainstream schools – has been published.

The resource is produced by the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) and draws on work with a number of schools that employ particularly successful CPD strategies for special educational needs. It has been published through the GTC professional network for CPD leaders, Connect.

This work forms the first strand of a GTC project to gain a better understanding of the professional development needs of teachers regarding special educational needs in mainstream schools, to support mainstream schools to build capacity for relevant professional development and to share experience and good practice in special educational needs.

The project brings together practice, policy and research to help share experience and good practice in special educational needs, to better understand professional development needs in this field for teachers in mainstream schools and to support mainstream schools to build capacity for relevant CPD.

The resource includes:

• ‘Light Bulb’ moments’ – practical examples of CPD strategies that work in the project schools, and that can be adapted to suit other schools’ own situations.
  Working collaboratively with teaching assistants – how the project schools deploy, train and support TAs
• What research tells us about the role of the specialist in professional development – collaboration with external teams and special school outreach workers
• CPD for SEN practice examples from the schools
• Opinion pieces from practitioners with activities to support discussion of how their suggestions might apply to other schools’ own situations
• Activities to explore the meaning of an inclusive ethos; the characteristics of effective professional development; tensions in the fields of special needs provision; the Disability Discrimination Act
• Links to further resources and information

The resource file is available through the GTC website and will be used by members of the Connect network at forthcoming events as well as reaching a wider audience through the GTC’s other networks, Engage, for new teachers, and Achieve, promoting racial equality.

The GTC will also be working with teachers and key national stakeholders in special needs education to look further at the project findings, its implications for professional learning and practice and how specialist expertise in special educational needs can best be shared across the system and policy direction.

GTC Chief Executive Keith Bartley said: “It is vital that teachers working with pupils with special educational needs are properly supported to benefit from effective, sustained professional development.
“Our resource draws on a number of successful examples of good practice from schools across England, as well as recent policy and research, and aims to support these teachers in their day-to-day working.
“Working alongside teachers and other partners, we are now further investigating the professional development needs of teachers regarding special educational needs in mainstream schools, to help inform advice to Government.”