Issue UD.30

School-based research – Some practical formats

A set of documents to help you plan your school-based enquiry.

11 Feb 2014
24mins

Conducting your own enquiry

A daunting prospect for many, Joy Mower relates her personal experiences setting up and carrying out a research project in her own school setting, and provides some helpful reflections on the main issues to consider when planning your own project.

11 Feb 2014
24mins

Special Needs

The value of collaborative research

The coming together of individual schools to research and understand specific issues in greater detail is essential in this current climate of rapidly-shifting policy and practice. Here, Janet Kane and Nicola Joyce examine the importance of collaborative research within their own partnership of schools.

11 Feb 2014
24mins

Special Needs

Understanding action research

What is action research, and why is it so useful? Alison Ekins provides an introduction to this increasingly popular approach to school-based enquiry, with some useful advice for aspiring practitioner researchers.

11 Feb 2014
24mins

Special Needs

Paving the way

The experiences of the various SEND pathfinders will prove vital when the SEN policy changes come into force this September. Seán Bracken reports on a recent event in the West Midlands, which focused on sharing best practice, as discovered by local pathfinder teams.

11 Feb 2014
24mins

Special Needs

Changes to the system – A special school’s perspective

With a broad spectrum of complex needs to cater for, special schools face a difficult few years as they negotiate major changes to the school system. Daniel Lewis, headteacher of a special school in Kent, reflects on the implications of these changes within his own school setting.

11 Feb 2014
24mins

Special Needs

Working together for workforce reform

The requisite for greater multi-agency cooperation is a welcome addition to the SEN code of practice. Here, Anne Hayward takes a look at the new relationships, structures and developments that will be needed to ensure all services are able to respond positively and effectively to the new SEN reforms.

11 Feb 2014
24mins

Special Needs

The Children and Families Bill – Some reflections on the future

Although mostly well-received, there’s no denying the proposed changes to SEN legislation are ambitious and will take much coordination to get right. Jonathan Fawcett discusses the obstacles practitioners should expect to face as the government’s planned changes to SEN policy filter down into practice.

11 Feb 2014
24mins

Special Needs

The draft code of practice: An overview

From October to early December last year, the DfE consulted on the new SEN code of practice and on replacing SEN statements with 0 to 25 education, health and care plans. As we await the release of the public feedback, Alison Ekins summarises the key issues for schools.

11 Feb 2014
24mins

Special Needs

ECU 30 Editor’s Comment

Welcome to this special edition of Every Child Update. In this issue, we have decided to focus specifically on, first, the changing and evolving SEN policy that we are slowly moving towards, and second, the importance of practitioner research and evidence-based practice in responding to these changes.

11 Feb 2014
24mins