This is an extract from Social Work Law: Applying the Law in Practice by Michelle Evans and Denise Harvey, ISBN 978-1914171802 and published by Critical Publishing Ltd Introduction This chapter starts with a disclaimer, and that is: my aim is not to make you a legal professional but rather to consider the law as it relates specifically to social work practice within the wider context of the English legal system. This is something I find myself saying to students at the beginning of the semester when teaching this law module as part of the social work programme. Often students believe that taki ..read more

The extract below is from Classroom Talk by Rupert Knight Chapter 1 Introducing and mapping debates around classroom talk 1.1   Chapter overview This chapter will outline: what is meant by classroom talk and the scope of the book; why an evidence-informed approach is important; how you can make sense of research in this field; key debates and questions to be explored. 1.2   Introduction: what is meant by classroom talk and what is the scope of this book? Take a walk along a school corridor, pause outside a classroom door and listen. There are voices, but whose voic ..read more

This is an extract from Writing Analytical Assessments in Social Work, 3rd ed by Chris Dyke. 1.1      WHO’S IT FOR? I wrote this book for an audience of professionals writing assessments, but this isn’t how I write my assessments. Unfortunately, professional reports too often miss their mark, losing sight of their intended audience while ‘feeding a system’ – in other words, completing a task as a matter of compliance, rather than to achieve a purpose in someone’s life. These reports are about form, not substance. Your managers will read your assessments, and so will ot ..read more

This is an extract from the second edition of The Social Worker’s Guide to the Care Act 2014 by Pete Feldon. Introduction This chapter describes what the legislation has to say about the role of social workers and outlines the circumstances where professional judgements made by social workers will be relevant. The references to relevant judgements occur in each of the sections of the care and sup- port planning pathway, and there isn’t a single list of the judgements that may need to be made. As would be expected the components of professional social work judgement are not articulated in the s ..read more

This is a review of Nurturing Professional Judgement by Benjamin Knight. Click on the title or the link below for more information. Nurturing Professional Judgement by Ben Knight is an inspiring, thought-provoking, and useful book. It has been inspiring for me, as it has led me to explore ways of inquring into what underpins my own, and colleagues’ professional judgement.  It is thought-provoking, as it poses questions about how teachers make decisions in classrooms and how judgement can be categorised and made explicit.  It is useful, as it provides answers to the question, ‘How ca ..read more

This is an extract from A Critical Guide to the SEND Code of Practice 0-25 Years (2015) by Janet Goepel, Jackie Scruton and Caroline Wheatley.   Click to find out more This chapter provides: an understanding of the framework for the SEND CoP within the context of past legislation and guidance; identification of the current principles underpinning the current CoP; a consideration of definitions and terminology within the field of SEND; a discussion of medical and social models of disability. Legislation and guidance The 2015 SEND CoP makes reference to other relevant legislation which ca ..read more

This is an extract from Good Autism Practice for Teachers by Karen Watson. Communication Autistic children have a broad range of communication abilities including, but not limited to, spoken language (Blume et al, 2021). This was historically referred to as ‘communication difficulties’ under the umbrella term ‘triad of impairment’. However, the phrase communication difficulties doesn’t fully encapsulate the range of ability and need, and the individualised nature of communication. Just because a child doesn’t speak, it doesn’t mean they have nothing to say. Some children you work with will be ..read more

This extract comes from the fourth edition of our best-selling text A Complete Guide to the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Teaching by Lynn Machin, Duncan Hindmarch, Sandra Murray and Tina Richardson.  PROFESSIONALISM: UNDERSTANDING ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING What are your roles as a teacher? As a teacher, one of your main roles is to motivate your learners to develop their ability and aspiration to learn. You may read about delivering training and facilitating learning, but in reality, you do much more than that. Your role is not just about teaching your ..read more

Review by Megan Stephenson, Leeds Trinity University The author presents their research and findings in an accessible and informative way.  Thinking for primary writing is a compelling and insightful book aimed at all primary educators who are passionate about nurturing and developing the writing skills of children through the lens of creative thinking. Copping uses his years of experience and reflective evaluations borne from his PhD research to blend practical strategies with theoretical insights. The result is a creative and valuable resource for those seeking to understand the complex ..read more

Christopher Roberston of the SENCo Forum Advisory Group has reviewed Developing Your Expertise as a SENCo edited by Helen Knowler, Hazel Richards and Stephanie Brewster which we published on 3rd October 2023. Our thanks to him for his time and attention. This is a succinct, thoughtful, and rigorous guide to the role of the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). It has been carefully edited and its contributors have successfully blended practice focused discussion and advice for aspiring, new to role and experienced SENCos working in a range of settings with critical research-based anal ..read more