Numeracy for Children with Special Educational Needs: Part II

In ECJ 6.2 we introduced you to some of the brilliant work being done in Turkey to help students develop numeracy skills. Professor Hakan Sari, Hatice Gokdag, Tugba Pursun and Dr Seyda Sari revisit this topic, highlighting the results of a new study on effective numeracy development in special schools.

Introduction

In 2016, following on from a Ministry of National Education Report (2015) in Turkey, researchers at the University of Konya (Turkey), carried out research into effective numeracy in special schools. Both the report and findings from 30 teachers in Meram Special Education School (10–14 year olds) who participated in the research through interviews, showed that to develop numeracy learning in special schools or in schools where students with SEN are taught, schools should:

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      string(5636) "An app to help young people with autism and the multidisciplinary team that supports themTeachers and SENCOs have been working in a uniquely challenging environment during the pandemic to educate children with SEND. They have tried to support learning needs from a distance. But there have been limited opportunities for interaction, individual attention, and one-to-one support.A recent report from the Education Endowment Foundation[1] drew many stark conclusions about the widening of the gap between disadvantaged KS1 youngsters and their peers resulting from school closures during the pandemic. This report, alongside that from the Sutton Trust[2], does not specifically measure the impact on children with SEND. But many point to the National SENCO Workforce Survey 2020[3] and the Ofsted[4] ‘Remote Education’ research based on YouGov survey data which do.A role for technology?While technology has been used to provide some sort of educational continuity, it has not been an unqualified success. It is not a panacea for all SEND children.  Some Special School leaders in the YouGov survey said  pupils with complex sensory needs, who find it difficult to engage with a screen, need resources that are ‘tangible’ rather than ‘digital’.Bath Spa/Nasen revealed issues with provision and differentiation as teaching moved online in response to the first national lockdown.  72 per cent of respondents stated their school experienced challenges with providing virtual support for SEN children. 80 per cent found it difficult to provide differentiated learning online.Ofsted/YouGov found 59 per cent of parents of pupils with SEND, compared to 39 per cent without, said their child had disengaged from learning.Supporting children with autismConsider just one example: autistic children.  Typically, those on the spectrum prefer routine and consistency and do not cope well with unexpected changes and disruption.  Their parents reported wellbeing concerns, with heightened anxiety levels and poorer performance as a result.Yet anyone who has worked with autistic children will tell you there are many positive attributes to exploit, such as immense loyalty, honesty, and great focus organisational skills being a few among many. I myself have seen examples of a school leveraging an autistic pupil’s profound interest in film making, using technology to improve his social interaction and communication skills as well as giving his imagination the opportunity to blossom.  Another’s almost obsessive fascination for lifts, the facts and figures associated with their specification, and their design manuals etc. was catered for with a collection of digital sources to develop his literacy and numeracy too.Finding appropriate technologyProviders need to consider whether technology will be used to deliver online teaching or simply to support online learning. If the youngster is receiving wraparound multi-agency support from teachers, parents and health professionals then they will need collaboration and communication tools. These ensure all parties can keep in touch and that the child and their family are not socially isolated.Well-designed technology can be the key to helping neurodiverse students to develop independence/complete tasks without additional support. This is hugely important if they are to develop confidence and get a sense of achievement. It also must be tailored to the child’s sensory and learning needs. There is little point in choosing technologies which are loud for a pupil particularly sensitive to noise or heavily text -based resources for someone who needs visual cues. Good technology for young people with autism will offer:An easy-to-use interfaceLinks to/embedded appropriate resources and activitiesThe means to track progress and emotionsCommunication/collaboration tools directly engaging therapists/health workers etc. in actively supporting familiesAdvice/guidance for parents/teachersAn app designed by a parentDebbie Craig is the mother of a child with autism. She created an online learning and wellbeing platform called BOOP to improve communication between those involved in the education of SEND children including teachers, parents and healthcare professionals. The app was recently awarded Innovate UK funding in recognition of its value in helping families to navigate remote learning during the pandemic and its aftermath.The app was recently awarded Innovate UK funding in recognition of its value in helping families to navigate remote learning during the pandemic and its aftermath.Debbie’s son came up with the name and BOOP has been designed to bring together all the features and functionality young people with autism require. 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ICT and Apps

Boop - An App That Provides A Wraparound Solution For Young People With Special Needs

27 Feb 2021

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      string(4834) "school.” (Required SENCO LearningOutcomes, TDA, 2009).As Course Director of the National Award for SENCoordination at Canterbury Christ Church University,I have always been mindful of the tensions that existin delivering a Masters level course that is mandatory.Whilst the benefits of the National Award for SENCoordination and of studying at Masters level forSENCOs since 2009 are apparent (Petersen, 2010;Ekins, 2012), it must be acknowledged that theseprofessionals have not made a conscious choice aboutmoving into academic study at Masters level. For some,therefore, the requirement to engage in a Masters levelcourse is not a welcome one, for all sorts of reasons,including the fact that at the same time as undertakingthe Masters level course, they have just started in a verychallenging and complex new role in school, as well aspersonal or school based factors making the requirementto study at that time more difficult.As Course Director, I acknowledge these challengesand difficulties for the SENCOs, and have thereforeworked proactively to ensure that a very particularteaching and learning approach has been developed andutilised throughout the course to enable the SENCOsto engage more effectively in the required learningwithin the course, and, most importantly, to see the■■■A framework for developing practice and practitioner enquiry ■■■■■�……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………direct relevance of it for their role in school. Central tothis is to highlight for the SENCOs ways that they cantransfer skills and understandings from the course intotheir own school context to support the developmentand transformation of practices within their schoolsetting.Implicit within this approach is the need to supportSENCOs to engage with three key principles:1. Understanding of the need for whole schooldevelopment/transformation within the context ofrapid change within educational and SEN systems2. Understanding of strategic leadership3. Effective identification of priorities for change anddevelopment.The wider application of the framework for developingpractice and practitioner enquiry is also emphasisedthroughout the course to help SENCOs to embed it as aschool wide approach for reflection and development.■■■ Understanding the process of changeImposed implementationThe education system in recent years has beencharacterised by government led initiatives which havearguably ‘deprofessionalised’ the teaching profession.Through the Labour Government it therefore becamecommonplace for changes in teaching and learning tobe imposed upon schools: the National Literacy Strategyand the National Numeracy Strategy (then the NationalStrategies) are clear examples of this, with frequentnew strategies or interventions produced centrally tothen be implemented within school settings. Such anapproach to top down, government led developmentinitiatives led schools into a period of imposed change:some interventions even provided ‘scripts’ to ensure thatthe teacher or adult delivering the intervention said the‘right’ thing to pupils as they engaged in the teachingand learning process.Whilst it must be acknowledged that there were somebenefits in a national strategy to raising standards inliteracy and numeracy, the underlying approach whichimposed change regardless of the school based need forchange does need to be critically questioned.Such a policy suggests that change is desirable orexpected, regardless of the actual benefit to the pupilor school cohort. Often schools changed practicesby implementing imposed interventions of schoolimprovement strategies, without actually engaging incritical review and reflection about the need for it atthat time within their particular school context. Thisled to schools becoming overloaded with new initiativesand strategies for school ‘improvement’ without enoughtime being provided for rigorous understanding ofand evaluation of the ‘improvement’ sought. At timeseffective practices were put aside to make way forimposed new initiatives or approaches.Another concern was that this pattern of imposedchange, without reflection, also tended to be replicatedwithin schools themselves. When a new interventionstrategy or school improvement initiative had beenimplemented, this approach was perpetuated within theschool setting without actually reviewing or evaluatingthe impact upon pupil progress, or the changing needsPolicy"
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Professional Development

A framework for developing practice and practitioner enquiry

20 May 2013

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Deploy the best staff to support disadvantaged pupils, developing skills and roles ofteachers and TAs rather than using additional staff who do not know the pupils well.6. Make decisions based on data and respond to evidence, using frequent rather thanone-off assessment and decision points.7. 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Rural secondary schools had lower results among disadvantagedpupils, compared with schools with otherwise similar characteristics.■ Converter academies were associated with higher attainment amongdisadvantaged pupils at both primary and secondary level, and greater18Vol 7.2School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comReportsLeadershipBriefingSchools in England face a deepening problem in recruiting enough teachers, thisNAHT survey shows, creating a growing role for teacher recruitment and supplyagencies which add cost and complexity to teacher recruitment for schools.Alarmingly, schools are reporting that agency fees to find teachers can cost up to£10,000 for a single appointment.As well as concern about the number of teachers, the research has shown that schoolsare struggling to recruit people with the right kind of skills, which requires moreinvestment in the professional development of teachers, both at a school and at anational and regional level.Key findings■ Across all roles, the survey showed a growing problem with the recruitment ofteachers and school leaders, and increasing numbers of cases where schools wereunable to recruit at all.■ Overall, a very high proportion (79 per cent) of those who had advertised vacanciessaid recruitment was problematic; 59 per cent recruited with a struggle and 20 percent were not able to recruit at all.■ Where schools were not able to recruit at all, they said this was most commonly thecase in relation to:❏ teaching roles with a teaching and learning responsibility (TLR) payment (33per cent – these are middle leader roles such as head of department or head ofsubject or key stage)❏ teachers on the upper pay scale (31 per cent)❏ teaching roles with a special educational needs (SEN) allowance (27 per cent)■ Looking at main middle leadership roles in schools – that is, posts with a TLR andSpecial Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) – only 14 per cent of roles wererecruited to with ease. Fifty-six per cent were recruited with difficulty, and for 30 percent of cases, the school failed to recruit.■ Schools also said they struggled to recruit to school leadership roles, with schoolsstruggling to recruit headteachers/principals in 72 per cent of cases, deputy head/vice principal in 64 per cent of cases and assistant heads in 63 per cent.■ The main reasons given why schools struggle to recruit are the overall shortage ofstaff (in 52 per cent of cases) and the suitability of staff applying for vacancies (47per cent). The report highlighted the growing and changing demands on teachers,arising out of an increasingly punitive accountability framework that sets"
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Leadership

SLT 7.2 Report update

18 Dec 2015

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      string(5058) "ReportsImproving Progression ToSustainable UnsupportedEmployment:A Review Of  Strategies Developed ByWorkstep ProvidersIn this report, Ofsted reviewsthe ‘Workstep’ employmentprogramme – which supportsdisabled people aged 16+ ingetting and keeping a job. It isfunded by the DWP.Although the proportion ofparticipants progressing intosustained, unsupported employmentis improving, it remains far too low.The most successful programmes,Ofsted found, were clear abouttheir aims, taught locally requiredskills and didn’t ask employers toemploy young people as a favour, butbecause they had the relevant skills.Inspectors visited 21 providersof Workstep programmes andinterviewed 80 participants and 49employers between December 2008and March 2009.When was it published?February 2010, by Ofsted(commissioned by the Departmentof Work and Pensions.)Key FindingsDWP data indicates thatprogression into sustained,unsupported employment rosefrom 4.1% of Workstep participantsin 2004 to 9.8% in 2007–08.When providers used formalagreements about progressing intounsupported employment early inthe programme, participants hadgreater expectations and madebetter progress.■■Training, coaching andapproaches to learning matchedto the needs of individuals weremost successful.Participants who needed toimprove their literacy, numeracyand language skills did notalways receive specific trainingor encouragement. Few of theproviders had specialist staff, andsome participants were allowedto avoid tackling their needsaltogether.Although some of the providershad good partnerships withspecialist literacy and numeracyskills providers, too few of thesespecialists related it to theparticipants’ employment needs.Detailed progress reviews werevery effective.The most effective providersdeveloped participants’ skills tomeet local employer’s needs.Successful providers promotedthe skills participants wouldbring with them – rather thantelling employers they would bedoing the participant a favour.Partnerships with wider specialistsupport agencies were crucial.The best providers sharedpractice, used peer review andused improvement planning.A lack of flexibility in interpretingthe Workstep funding modeldeterred some participantsaltogether. (Some projectsturned away school leavers andpeople who had just left thearmed forces – even though■■■■■■■■■these groups could benefit.)In the 12 local authorities visited,awareness of the Workstepprogramme in the wider councilwas poor. The result was that toofew council departments offeredsuitable employment or placementopportunities to participants.In addition, strategic planning withinkey departments, such as economicdevelopment, was insufficient toensure a higher profile for Workstepparticipants when new businessescame into a council’s area.Providers with participantswho transferred from theprevious sheltered employmentprogramme found it moredifficult to place people.RecommendationsProviders should:use participants more effectivelyas mentors, both for otherparticipants and with employers.develop close relationships withemployers and, ideally, developwritten agreements for mockinterviews, guaranteed interviewsand pre-employment training.work with a range of partnersand support agencies, such astraining providers, access to workand health care professionals.Improving Progression ToSustainable UnsupportedEmployment: A Review OfStrategies Developed By WorkstepProviders■■■■■■http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Post-16-learning-and-skills/Read-about-this-new-section/Provision-funded-by-the-Department-for-Work-and-Pensions/Improving-progression-to-sustainable-unsupported-employmehttp://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Post-16-learning-and-skills/Read-about-this-new-section/Provision-funded-by-the-Department-for-Work-and-Pensions/Improving-progression-to-sustainable-unsupported-employmehttp://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Post-16-learning-and-skills/Read-about-this-new-section/Provision-funded-by-the-Department-for-Work-and-Pensions/Improving-progression-to-sustainable-unsupported-employmehttp://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Post-16-learning-and-skills/Read-about-this-new-section/Provision-funded-by-the-Department-for-Work-and-Pensions/Improving-progression-to-sustainable-unsupported-employmehttp://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Post-16-learning-and-skills/Read-about-this-new-section/Provision-funded-by-the-Department-for-Work-and-Pensions/Improving-progression-to-sustainable-unsupported-employmehttp://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Post-16-learning-and-skills/Read-about-this-new-section/Provision-funded-by-the-Department-for-Work-and-Pensions/Improving-progression-to-sustainable-unsupported-employme"
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Inclusion

Improving progression to sustainable unsupported employment

27 Feb 2010

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