Melissa Quinney reports on a transformative new space at Asfordby Hill Primary School in Leicestershire. Asfordby Hill recently upgraded their school grounds with a 7m x 4m Outdoor Eco Classroom with a 3.8m partition. ‘The Pod’ now provides two functional rooms for learning and support activities. From emotional literacy support to music tuition and Lego therapy sessions, the staff and students make full use of the versatility of their Outdoor Eco Classroom. Here are some comments from the staff at Ashford Hill: ‘The two rooms of the cabin are used for different purposes, simultaneously witho ..read more

We’re not doing enough to give our children the visual literacy skills they need in order to explore the modern world with confidence, says Katie Leonard. This new golden digital age has prompted governments to deprioritise creative subjects. As a result, the arts might find itself quite low on some lists of education priorities. Cultural education can therefore, often seem like a ‘nice to have’ rather than an essential element of the curriculum. But in an increasingly visual world, dominated by images and videos, that assumption is one that hinders more than it helps our pupils, regardless of ..read more

Hazel Richards and Stephanie Brewster question whether the new NPQ qualification will equip SENCos with the theory and critical reflection needed to challenge, develop, and transform existing school policies and practices. The national professional qualification (NPQ) will become the mandatory qualification for SENCOs from September 2024, replacing the NASENCO qualification. Teaching of the NPQ for SENCOs will begin in autumn 2024. Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators are the key point of contact and support for children and young people with SEND, their carers, and teaching colleagues. The ..read more

Matthew Lee on what SEN professionals should know before making the move to international schooling. If you are looking at applying for an international SEN vacancy, you need to be selective about the schools to which you apply, as there is a much wider range of schools internationally, each with very different ways of working. If you wish to remain in a more British based setting for your first international placement, look out for a COBIS school which has recently completed a BSO inspection so you can read the inspection report. You can find these on the ISI or PENTA website, if they’re not ..read more

For my 21st birthday, my sister Zena paid for me to have singing lessons, as I was always on the karaoke. When I arrived for my first lesson it was with one of the Journey South brothers, Karl Pemberton. He had been on X Factor, so I was shy singing in front of him. But it has flourished from there. When I heard of the death of my friend Ziggy, I felt all sorts of emotions. I was struggling to stop thinking about it and felt so sad and shocked. When I went to my social group, Autism Matters, where Ziggy had also attended, a lot of the other members were also feeling a mix of emotions. For peo ..read more

Sharon Smith’s top tips on including pupils who have Down’s syndrome when you plan a residential school trip. Every pupil in your school is entitled to full inclusion in all school trips—this includes residential trips. Excluding pupils who have Down’s syndrome from trips or treating them worse than other pupils, can be seen as direct or indirect discrimination. Here are some tips for making sure your trip is inclusive of pupils who have Down’s syndrome: Start with an assumption that pupils who have Down’s syndrome can attend school residential trips—many have done so successfully. Ensure th ..read more

Tough approaches like zero tolerance and seclusion don’t work, says Ben Higgins. We need a more person-centred and trauma-informed approach in education. For most children and their families, schools are safe, welcoming places, playing a central role in child development. However, for some children, particularly those with additional needs, inappropriate over-reliance on restrictive practices used to maintain ‘good order’ (as per the national guidelines) can make attending school a traumatic experience. Restraint is a reactive response to manage distress. There is growing recognition across s ..read more

An innovative inclusive playground encourages children with diverse abilities to enjoy sharing the same play space, writes Deborah Gundle. A key aspect of the new playground is the use of comprehensive non-verbal picture symbol communication boards, which transform the play experience for children with diverse abilities by providing a non-verbal language which is easy for everyone to use. The boards greatly facilitate the engagement of non-verbal children with other non-verbal or verbal children. ■ Fair Play playground from a bird’s eye view. There are five boards placed strategically around t ..read more

The authors of this publication combine extensive experience in the fields of education, neurodiversity, teacher training, tutoring and consultancy. Paul Ellis broadcasts regularly on educational topics and has written or edited more than a dozen educational books. Professor Amanda Kirby is an emeritus professor at the University of South Wales and has a PhD related to neurodiversity, and has extensive personal and professional experience in this field. The third author, Abby Osborne, currently works at the University of Bath’s Centre for Teaching and Learning, supporting colleagues to implem ..read more

In this story by Betsy Griffin, Betsy and Clementine the puppy are making their way home through the forest. The post Sing your own song appeared first on SEN Magazine ..read more