Maintaining momentum of SEND reform

Two years into the new SEN and Disabilities system, how do we maintain the changes that are making a difference? A personal view from practitioner Dr Simon Jenner.

Teenage girl with younger downs syndrome girl having fun

On the 1^st September 2014, the biggest changes for a generation in the field of SEN and Disabilities were introduced in England and Wales by the government. These were part of the 2014 Children and Families Act and arose out of work undertaken by the Department for Education and partners.

Create an account to read this article

£7.00+ VAT

One-off purchase

Purchase and Download today

Register for free

No Credit Card required

Register for free
Access to 3 free articles
Free TeachingTimes Report every month

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#43678"
  ["title"]=>
  string(56) "Achieving best value from your Pupil Premium allocations"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(3) {
    [0]=>
    string(9) "Inclusion"
    [1]=>
    string(27) "Inclusion and Pupil Premium"
    [2]=>
    string(13) "Special Needs"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(62) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/ecj61-pupil-premium-allocations/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1497961882)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-43678-3"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(135) "Brian Lamb examines why parents should be at the centre of good school practice on SEND if you want to improve attainment and outcomes."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(380) "... of the child, child’s parent or young person, their aspirations, the outcomes they wish to seek and the support they need to achieve them.” (DfE 2015) The process laid out for discussing objectives and the person centred planning approach encouraged for EHC planning has at its core the same ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(6) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(56) "Achieving best value from your Pupil Premium allocations"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["author"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(14) "Brian Lamb OBE"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(135) "Brian Lamb examines why parents should be at the centre of good school practice on SEND if you want to improve attainment and outcomes."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5780) "outside school and any changes in the pupil’s needs.” A core part of the structured conversation is the focus on targets and outcomes and this is reflected in the code when it requires that;“6.54 The impact and quality of the support and interventions should be evaluated, along with the views of the pupil and their parents. This should feed back into the analysis of the pupil’s needs.” (DfE 2015) The guidance also requires that discussions should be led by a teacher with good knowledge of the child, allow sufficient time to discuss all the issues and will normally be longer than usual parent teacher consultations. The guidance also notes that these conversations involve a considerable amount of skill and that staff should be trained in conducting these conversations as part of professional development (DfE 2015). Education Health and Care PlansThere are similar requirements for conducting an Education Health and Care Plan assessment; “9.21 Local authorities must consult the child and the child’s parent or the young person throughout the process of assessment and production of an EHC plan….. Planning should …have regard to the views, wishes and feelings of the child, child’s parent or young person, their aspirations, the outcomes they wish to seek and the support they need to achieve them.” (DfE 2015) The process laid out for discussing objectives and the person centred planning approach encouraged for EHC planning has at its core the same principles of the structured conversation and early evidence is that is one of the reasons why it has been popular with many parents with 67% stating that their EHC plan led to the child or young person getting the help and support they need. (DfE 2016) A Whole School ApproachSchools also have the requirement to lay out their approach to SEN through their SEN Information Report. This is a statutory documents required by OFSTED. Schools should ensure that the information is easily accessible by young people and parents and is set out in clear, straightforward language. The report is an exemplification of the schools policy on SEN and should be used as a creative and positive opportunity to develop and review the approach to SEN. The CoP also makes clear that as part of the report schools should detail “arrangements for consulting parents of children with SEN and involving them in their child’s education” and also “arrangements for handling complaints from parents of children with SEN about the provision made at the school.” (6.79 DfE 2015) While the first couple of years of implementation many schools have tended to recycle existing policies into the new format there is now the opportunity do use report in a more creative way to examine practice and improve their offer. Some of the best practice has seen schools work with parents in the construction and review of the report to ensure it reflects parent’s views of the schools offer and their aspirations. As it is also the report from the school governing body schools have used the opportunity to engage the SEND Governor and Chair. OFSTED and Schools Accountability The SEN requirements for parental engagement are embedded in the Ofsted inspection framework ensuring that there is a synergy between the expectations in the new CoP (Ofsted 2016). As part of the framework there is a very clear focus in the criteria on securing better outcomes for children with SEN to be outstanding;“The progress across the curriculum of disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs currently on roll matches or is improving towards that of other pupils with the same starting points.” And that;“For pupils generally, and specifically for disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, progress is above average across nearly all subject areas.” (Ofsted par 189) This is not tied to floor standards but progress measures;“Inspectors will consider the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in relation to the progress of all pupils nationally with similar starting points. Inspectors will examine the impact of funded support for them on removing any differences in progress and attainment. The expectation is that the identification of special educational needs leads to additional or different arrangements being made and a consequent improvement in progress.”  (Ofsted 2016 par 185) This is in line with ensuring rising aspirations for children with SEND and vulnerable leaners. This message is further emphasised and linked to parental engagement in another section when looking at criteria that schools will judged by include; “how well all staff work with parents, engage them in their children’s learning and keep them informed about their children’s achievements and progress”Also Ofsted requires that;“Before making the final judgement on the overall effectiveness, inspectors must evaluate: the extent to which the education provided by the school meets the needs of the range of pupils at the school including: disabled pupilspupils who have special educational needs.” (Ofsted 2016 par 132) Schools should therefore be in no doubt that focus on producing better progression and outcomes from the CoP are followed through into the inspection regime. This should be especially helpful for SENCO and inclusion leaders within schools in helping to convince more reluctant management teams of the virtue of focusing on SEN. Also for"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(6) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "child"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "centred"
        [2]=>
        string(3) "dfe"
        [3]=>
        string(6) "person"
        [4]=>
        string(7) "centred"
        [5]=>
        string(8) "planning"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(3) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(9) "Inclusion"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [1]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(27) "Inclusion and Pupil Premium"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [2]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(13) "Special Needs"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["tags"]=>
    array(4) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(18) "Improving Outcomes"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [1]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(20) "parental involvement"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [2]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(4) "SEND"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [3]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(23) "structured conversation"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Inclusion

Achieving best value from your Pupil Premium allocations

20 Jun 2017

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#43477"
  ["title"]=>
  string(42) "SLT 7.6 SEND Reforms – where are we now?"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "Leadership"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(49) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/slt76-send-reforms/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1489404352)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-43477-1"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(215) "After years in the making, the SEND Reforms are now in the process of being embedded. It makes it a good time to reflect on what is involved in implementing the new system and the cultural shift that lies behind it."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(331) "... say whether this is a blip or atrend.Embedding the changesWhile many parents involved in EHC Plans have expressed satisfaction with the move toa more person-centred planning approach and the greater control this has given them,it has proved to be time-consuming, This has led to difficulties with ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(42) "SLT 7.6 SEND Reforms – where are we now?"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(215) "After years in the making, the SEND Reforms are now in the process of being embedded. It makes it a good time to reflect on what is involved in implementing the new system and the cultural shift that lies behind it."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5670) "is not a criticismof the people involved, but of the way statements were written as opposed to theintention behind the move to replace statements with EHC Plans. Giving parents theoption of a personal budget is further evidence of the importance being attached toparents feeling they have greater control over the decision-making process. Althoughpersonal budgets have been used for aspects of social care and for health, they area new concept in education and it is taking a little while for the advantages to berecognised.The cultural shift is seen, not only in terms of parents and families having greaterinvolvement in the support their own child needs, but the government hopes they willhelp to move forward the SEND system as a whole. This is most apparent in the waymany have helped their local authority to compile the Local Offer, often through theParent Carer Forums that exist in most areas or other parent / carer groups, as well asthrough individual contributions. Now Local Offers have been in place since September2014, parents and other interested parties remain involved by sending in suggestionson what could be improved, for instance in terms of presentation or content. LAs have aduty, not only to publish the comments they receive, but also to explain what they havedone to address them. These can be viewed on each LA’s Local Offer website.Children and young people with SEND are likely to need the support of other servicesin addition to education. Those with more complex needs may need the involvementof both health and social care. The Every Child Matters agenda and the Children Actthat followed it, was a previous attempt to encourage the three services to work moreclosely together. As a result, education and social care have usually been combined atLA level under a single Director of Children’s Services, instead of having a Director ofEducation and a Director of Social Care. The service that has remained outside has beenhealth, partly due to geographical boundaries not being coterminous and perhapsalso due to the health service having even more reorganisations than education. TheSEND Reforms signal a real attempt to include health, as is apparent in the change fromstatements to EHC Plans. There should also be a Designated Medical Officer (DMO) or aDesignated Clinical Officer (DCO) to act as the link between the local NHS and the LA.In addition, much of the documentation about the reforms has been badged by boththe Department for Education (DfE) and the Department of Health (DoH), which is ahopeful sign of progress.Moving to school level, another change in culture has been the emphasis on everyteacher being responsible for the progress of every pupil they teach, with the SENCOThe Local OfferLAs are responsible for compiling a web-based Local Offer, which lists the provision for SEND available in thelocal area, as well as provision used outside the area.Schools are responsible for making a contribution to the LA’s Local Offer.At least annually, LAs must publish the comments they have received and what they have done about them.In this way, it is hoped that the SEND system will be driven forward in a cycle of continuous improvement.15Vol 7.6School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comTrendsEvidenceineducationtaking on a more strategic role. Of course, how this works out in practice will vary fromschool to school, depending on the size, the age range and needs of the pupils, a wellas many other factors. For primary schools, as teaching is mostly in the hands of a classteacher, the idea of taking responsibility for all pupils in the class will be nothing new.It may be a different situation in secondary schools, where subject teachers are dealingwith a moving population of pupils during the week and getting to know how to meetthe needs of each individual is far more of a challenge.It is rather too early to draw conclusions about how significant the move fromhaving the separate categories of School Action and School Action Plus reduced to asingle category called ‘SEN Support’ will prove to be. Again, the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’cycle that goes with the change, may not be very different from what schools wereimplementing before. On paper, the main difference would appear to be that outsidespecialists – in as far as they are available – can be called in at any time, rather thanwaiting until a child has moved to School Action Plus.The reduction in categories could be seen as part of a pattern of reducing thenumber of categories from five stages in the first Code of Practice (1994), where theSEN Register was the first stage; to four in the 2001 Code, which did not require aregister to be kept; to three in the present Code: SEN Support, EHC needs assessment,EHC Plan. What will be interesting will be whether the change to SEN Support leads tomuch difference in the overall numbers being identified. In the last few years, numbersof children with statements / EHC Plans has remained constant at around 2.8%, whilethe rest of the SEN population has fluctuated between 15.1% and 18%. Although theWhite Paper, Educational Excellence Everywhere (DfE March 2016), quotes the lowestfigure yet of 15.4% for all pupils with SEN, it is too early to say whether this is a blip or atrend.Embedding the changesWhile many parents involved in EHC Plans have expressed satisfaction with the move toa more person-centred planning approach and the greater control this has given them,it has proved to be time-consuming, This has led to difficulties with keeping up with thedemand for new assessments, (which may or may"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(6) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "child"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "centred"
        [2]=>
        string(3) "dfe"
        [3]=>
        string(6) "person"
        [4]=>
        string(7) "centred"
        [5]=>
        string(8) "planning"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(10) "Leadership"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Leadership

SLT 7.6 SEND Reforms – where are we now?

13 Mar 2017

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#43680"
  ["title"]=>
  string(45) "Whole person Whole school Whole lot of impact"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(4) {
    [0]=>
    string(13) "Mental Health"
    [1]=>
    string(10) "Resilience"
    [2]=>
    string(13) "Special Needs"
    [3]=>
    string(9) "Wellbeing"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(63) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/ecj61-whole-person-school-impact/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1497962010)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-43680-1"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(115) "Jennifer Shearman and Bea Stevenson write on developing a strategy for emotional health, resilience and well-being."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(337) "... UK organisation focused solely on the examination of how character and virtues impact on individuals and society.  A key conviction underlying the existence of the Centre is that the virtues that make up a good character can be learnt and taught. The Jubilee Centre’s Framework for Character Education in ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(6) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(54) "Whole person Whole school Whole lot of impact"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(6) "person"
      }
    }
    ["author"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(13) "Bea Stevenson"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(115) "Jennifer Shearman and Bea Stevenson write on developing a strategy for emotional health, resilience and well-being."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5667) "from ourselves. We produced a brief introduction to hospitality as a theological understanding of learning to live well together and then asked the 20 participating schools to draw on this in designing their pedagogy using an approach called ‘What If?’ Learning.One Year 5 lesson involved investigating the durability of rocks. The class was divided into groups, each with a scientific investigation to undertake.  The teacher’s objective was for pupils to show curiosity towards the views of others. Midway through the session when pupils had formulated hypotheses and were planning tests, the teacher introduced ‘unexpected changes’ to the groupings. Children had to engage differently and ‘think about how to work as a team.’ The teacher observed children empathising with the child joining their group who had not contributed to their investigation plan. The group needed to be inclusive, ‘welcoming’ and ‘respectful’ while listening to each other’s viewpoints.  There are a number of interesting features to highlight in this example.The character emphasis developed more than individual grit. It focussed on learning to live well together.Character education was not an add-on to the science. It turned ‘gaining knowledge of science of rocks’ into ‘learning how to work well as a scientist’.What had changed was the framing of the lesson, rather than the content (i.e. learning how to work well as hospitable scientists rather than accumulating knowledge to perform well in a test).Now for the big question – does an approach like this work? That was what the DfE wanted to know. We could have answered this by testing pupils’ academic performance. But how do we find out if they have developed their character through the project? To do this we used ambiguous situations to test the pupil’s responses to those they perceived different from themselves.What we discovered is that after the project the pupils were less likely to make negative judgments on other children in ambiguous situations.  So yes, the approach appears ‘to work’, which is good news. But to focus only on such measurable outcomes is to miss the important point: that children’s well-being, and society as a whole, will be much enhanced if children’s education is reframed from its current focus on individual performance to a focus on how learning contributes to living well together.” Professor Trevor Cooling, National Institute for Christian Education Research, Canterbury Christ Church University.The Character Charity How To Build Characterful Schools?Every passionate educator knows that developing their students’ character will be vital in shaping their overall success both personally and professionally. Just as each new generation of parents, carers and teachers aims to impart their wisdom to their children, each new generation of academics aims to create a common language that can drive changes in character education at an institutional level.  In the UK, The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtue, based at Birmingham University, is the leading UK organisation focused solely on the examination of how character and virtues impact on individuals and society.  A key conviction underlying the existence of the Centre is that the virtues that make up a good character can be learnt and taught. The Jubilee Centre’s Framework for Character Education in Schools outlines a four-part typology of virtue – Moral, Civic, Performance and Intellectual.  At an international level, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is leading on this.  In terms of character education its main aim is what it calls ‘global competency’, which provides a framework of education which puts social and emotional skills, as well as attitudes and values, on an equal footing with hard disciplinary knowledge.The challenge now is maintaining commitment to a common language of character, which we can all use to communicate effectively with each other; whether you are a Year 6 child or government minister we should all be using the same language when we talk about character. This will help us avoid confusing ourselves with character clichés and catch-all buzzwords.  Development of character requires constant practice in a formal, taught environment, which engages children directly and helps them apply the skills they need. So what works?Here are 3 ways that evidence shows can develop character values in children:Mentoring – individual tutoring and pastoral guidance in a formal setting is proven in research to help students deemed to be ‘at risk’. Careful screening and ongoing supervison of volunteers, monitoring implementation and the long-term commitment of volunteers lead to more successful programmes. (Fostering and measuring skills: improving cognitive and non-cognitive skills to promote life time success: Tim Kautz, James J. Heckman, Ron Diris, Bas ter Weel, Lex BorghansSocial action is one of the most empowering things a young person can do. Volunteering, fundraising and campaigning allow the development of skills such as teamwork and leadership, #iwill is an example of an organisation which makes this possible and it is currently working with Ofsted to share best practice.Whole school approach: At a recent Teach First impact conference Alan Milburn, the Government’s Social Mobility ‘Tsar’, said “schools that had “cracked the code” on social mobility use the pupil premium strategically, build a high-expectations culture, focus on the quality of"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(6) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "child"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "centred"
        [2]=>
        string(3) "dfe"
        [3]=>
        string(6) "person"
        [4]=>
        string(7) "centred"
        [5]=>
        string(8) "planning"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(4) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(13) "Mental Health"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [1]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(10) "Resilience"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [2]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(13) "Special Needs"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [3]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(9) "Wellbeing"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
    ["tags"]=>
    array(4) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(19) "Emotional Wellbeing"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [1]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(23) "Fair Education Alliance"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [2]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(25) "Implementation Strategies"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [3]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(8) "Pedagogy"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Mental Health

Whole person Whole school Whole lot of impact

20 Jun 2017

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#40258"
  ["title"]=>
  string(40) "Why every child needs a one-page profile"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "Leadership"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(64) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/whyeverychildneedsaonepageprofile/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1356095546)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-40258-0"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(258) "Getting to grips with the needs and personalities of your new class is often a daunting task. Tabitha Smith explains how implementing one-page profiles in her school has helped teachers to get to know their students… and students to get to know themselves."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(352) "... to get toknow Laura, as she was quiet in class.Laura’s mother happened to be Helen Sanderson, theDepartment of Health’s expert advisor in person-centredplanning. Helen knew that the personalised approachesshe was developing professionally could help Laura’steacher get to really know and understand her daughter,but that ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(49) "Why every child needs a one-page profile"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "child"
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(258) "Getting to grips with the needs and personalities of your new class is often a daunting task. Tabitha Smith explains how implementing one-page profiles in her school has helped teachers to get to know their students… and students to get to know themselves."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5657) "88Vol 4.5School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileLeadershipResourcesWhy every childneeds a one-pageprofile89Vol 4.5School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileLeadershipResourcesGetting to grips with theneeds and personalities of yournew class is often a dauntingtask. Tabitha Smith explainshow implementing one-pageprofiles in her school hashelped teachers to get to knowtheir students… and studentsto get to know themselves.One-page profiles began for the simplest ofreasons – Laura was shy in class.One day eight years ago, Laura who wasthen in Year 2, went home to her mother intears, saying the teacher had told her off for wearingthe wrong trousers in PE. Laura’s mum went to see theteacher and the teacher explained that she had not toldLaura off, but had pointed out that if she only had shortsand not jogging bottoms, then her legs would get cold.She also said that she had not really been able to get toknow Laura, as she was quiet in class.Laura’s mother happened to be Helen Sanderson, theDepartment of Health’s expert advisor in person-centredplanning. Helen knew that the personalised approachesshe was developing professionally could help Laura’steacher get to really know and understand her daughter,but that no teacher would have time to read the detailedpersonal profiles and plans being used in health andsocial care. So, Helen created a one-page version forLaura – a one-page profile.The first section on a one-page profile is anappreciation. It asks what people like or admire aboutthe child. Helen involved Laura’s extended family incontributing to this. It was lovely for Laura to hearwhat her family liked and admired about her. It reallyboosted her confidence. Then over a hot chocolate ina café, Laura and Helen thought about what to writein the next section, the one entitled ‘What is importantto me’. Laura and Helen wrote about Laura’s yellowTeddy, Sunny, who slept on her bed, her three cats, thestick insects and wondering if their eggs would hatch.Then Helen and her husband completed the third partof the profile, which asked what they knew as Laura’sparents about the best ways to help and support her.They recognised that Laura found change difficult andneeded lots of reassurance, and that she could perceive asmall negative comment as a big telling off. Laura drew a Helen and Laura90Vol 4.5School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileLeadershipResourcespicture of herself for the background of the profile and Helen made an appointment toshare it with her teacher.“This would have been very useful to have had at the beginning of the year”, saidthe teacher. She talked about how helpful this information would be at some of theimportant transition times, like children coming from nursery into school, and movingfrom class to class. Helen, Laura and Laura’s subsequent teachers updated her one-page profile every year.Laura was a pupil at Norris Bank primary school, where I am deputy head, and thesedays every single child in our school has a one-page profile.A successful pilotWe first trialled the one-page profile concept with a whole class in 2008. One of ourYear 3 classes hadn’t gelled well and we were keen to try something that would helpthe children get to know more about each other and themselves. We felt that one-page profiles offered a simple way of putting the learner in the centre of the educationprocess. By asking children themselves to reflect on what they are good at, what’simportant to them and how to support them, they are encouraged to develop self-reflection. In turn, the teachers were able to get to know the children as individualsand personalise how they were taught. Parents’ expertise on their children is alsogathered and included on the one-page profile.The pilot worked so well that we decided every pupil should have a profile by June2010. Soon we realisedwe were to be the firstmainstream primary schoolto incorporate one-pageprofiles throughoutthe curriculum for allchildren and also for staff,as an aid to their careerdevelopment.The benefits ofthe one-pageprofileThe profiles are considered‘live’ documents becausethey are frequentlyupdated and are usedthroughout the schoolyear. They offer insightto teachers meeting newpupils for the first time andthey add value to parent/teacher meetings, becausethe child now has a realvoice in the discussion. Achild’s one-page profilebegins its developmentat the very first meetingbetween the child, parentsand Reception teacher, andYear 6 children take theirprofiles with them to theirsecondary school.The making of one-page profiles slots neatlyinto different aspects ofthe PHSE (Personal Healthand Social Education)curriculum – and duringthe spring term, when thechildren work on the SEAL Laura’s first one page profile91Vol 4.5School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comPrimaryFileLeadershipResourcesunit “Good to be me”, the one-page profile postcards are revisited and updated. Thesocial, moral spiritual and cultural (SMSC) aspects of learning are also covered by theprofiles, with children being encouraged to develop their own sense of self worth.As a teacher, I need to ensure that the children are prepared for life. One-pageprofiles give our parents and staff an opportunity to interact with a child individually.The pupils feel valued and it is very personal to them. They are proud of themselveswhen they can see a difference in their development.More than just gradesHuw, dad to one of our Year 5 pupils, Hannah, told me what happened when he andhis daughter sat down to"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(3) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "child"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "centred"
        [2]=>
        string(6) "person"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(10) "Leadership"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Leadership

Why every child needs a one-page profile

21 Dec 2012

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#40920"
  ["title"]=>
  string(24) "Moving towards inclusion"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(13) "Special Needs"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(55) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/moving-towards-inclusion/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1382357915)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-40920-0"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(223) "Children with severe disabilities are often the most marginalised in society. Yet child-focused programmes that concentrate on promoting independence can yield excellent results, say Di Rickard and Michael Sutoris."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(397) "... decision-makingregarding the provision of services to meet their needs. It aims to putchildren’s and families’ aspirations at the heart of service delivery through person-centred planning and by improving co-operation between the various servicesthat support children with disabilities, in particular local authorities and healthservices.http://www.education ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(24) "Moving towards inclusion"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(223) "Children with severe disabilities are often the most marginalised in society. Yet child-focused programmes that concentrate on promoting independence can yield excellent results, say Di Rickard and Michael Sutoris."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "child"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5744) "Vol 3.6 n www.teachingtimes.comDisabilityEvery Child Journal16Moving towardsinclusionChildren with severe disabilities are often the most marginalised in society. Yetchild-focused programmes that concentrate on promoting independence can yieldexcellent results, say Di Rickard and Michael Sutoris.The Children and Families Bill (2013) is the latest in a line of policyinitiatives setting out expectations for how disabled children and theirfamilies should be informed about and involved in decision-makingregarding the provision of services to meet their needs. It aims to putchildren’s and families’ aspirations at the heart of service delivery through person-centred planning and by improving co-operation between the various servicesthat support children with disabilities, in particular local authorities and healthservices.http://www.education.gov.uk/a00221161/www.teachingtimes.com n Vol 3.6Disability Every Child Journal17“An importantaspect of theprogramme isthat the goal is, ifpossible, alwaysstated in the child’sown words.”The spirit of these reforms was anticipated in the Royal Borough of Greenwich whentherapists from the Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust (formally Greenwich Teaching PCT),education staff from two special schools – Willow Dene and Charlton Park Academy– got together to consider how best to promote independence and social inclusion foryoung people with significant physical disabilities. They decided to approach the MOVEPartnership to provide an integrated family-centred service that would allow the youngpeople to have as many opportunities as possible to practise the movement skills theyneeded for everyday life, rather than being reliant on ‘treatment’.The MOVE Partnership is a UK-based charity working with local authorities,schools and organisations to improve the mobility skills of children and adults, who havedisabilities and/or complex needs, in order to achieve maximum independence in sitting,standing and walking through the MOVE Programme.The MOVE programmeThe programme provides a means of delivering the joined up services which form thecore of recent government directives. It has been developed to meet the protocols,government recommendations and cultural and legislative needs of multi-agencydisability services across Europe using a method of meeting the needs of those peoplewith complex physical disabilities who have not learned to sit, stand, walk or transferspontaneously by the age-appropriate stage of development, or for those who have lostthose skills. It can be used for all age-groups and in pre-school, special or mainstreamschools, residential or leisure settings.MOVE provides a multi-agency common language in which to describe and analysea young person’s abilities and agree on an age-appropriate approach to working withthem towards their own or their family’s personal goals. The entire focus is on the personalgoals of the child, with clear achievable outcomes to maintain the motivation of thewhole multi-agency team including the child and their family. An important aspect of theprogramme is that the goal is, if possible, always stated in the child’s own words.The goal setting process is driven by the child and the family at the initial assessmentmeeting, which also involves the Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) and/orTeaching Assistant at the school, together with health care professionals, including thechild’s designated therapist.PhilosophyThe central philosophy of the MOVE Programme is that movementis the foundation of learning and necessary for the development ofbody image, spatial concepts, understanding of the environment, as amethod of communication and for making choices.The aim of the programme is therefore, through collaborativeteam working, to offer these movement opportunities at the age-appropriate stage in real-life situations to children with disabilitiesand so open up the world around them. Every activity throughout thechild’s day is utilised as a learning opportunity and it is this increasein regular, real-life practice that facilitates the child’s independentabilities, confidence and self-esteem.The programme is not prescriptive, and nor is it a therapytechnique. It does not come into conflict with any other therapy orlearning approaches but provides a structure which sets out to drawtogether good practice by encouraging collaborative working at alllevels, giving equal worth to the input, knowledge and skills of everyteam member.No child is seen as having too severe a disability to be included.Through identifying and being able to record small improvements,http://www.willowdene.greenwich.sch.uk/http://www.charltonparkacademy.com/http://www.move-europe.org.uk/http://www.move-europe.org.uk/www.themovepartnership.org.ukVol 3.6 n www.teachingtimes.comDisabilityEvery Child Journal18progress is possible beyond the point where the child appears to have reached a plateau.In Greenwich, the MOVE Programme was initially piloted with young people in the twoSpecial Schools – Willow Dene and Charlton Park Academy. As the benefits became clear,it was decided to make the programme more widely available across the borough. Thisresulted in the development of a three-year agreement between The MOVE Partnership,the Royal Borough of Greenwich and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. A whole systemchange was developed with the parents at the centre of integrated frontline deliverywhich is guided by integrated processes, strategy and governance.The aim of this agreement was to make the MOVE Programme universally available torelevant young people"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(5) {
        [0]=>
        string(5) "child"
        [1]=>
        string(7) "centred"
        [2]=>
        string(6) "person"
        [3]=>
        string(7) "centred"
        [4]=>
        string(8) "planning"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(13) "Special Needs"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Special Needs

Moving towards inclusion

21 Oct 2013

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Create an account to read this article

£7.00+ VAT

Register for free

Cookies