Supporting autistic children to return to school post-lockdown The return to school after lockdown 3.0 could be challenging for students with autism. Drawing on experiences and lessons learned from the first national lockdown, Dr Pooky Knightsmith advises on how we can best support them
SENCOs under siege The Covid-19 pandemic has heaped much more pressure on an already stretched SEND system. In part one of a new series on the state of our SEND system, Daniel Sobel considers the key problems and outlines how we must move forward...
SEN: Getting the last five minutes of your lesson right The last five minutes of any lesson is vital if we are to avoid disengaged students, sensory overload, and anxiety – especially for those with SEN. Sara Alston advises
Remote education: Supporting learners with SEND (and their families) Reports from Ofsted and the National SENCO Workforce team have raised concerns about how SEND pupils are faring during remote education. Dr Helen Curran explores the findings and offers her tips and strategies for supporting those with SEND during Covid-19 and beyond
Developmental Language Disorder in the mainstream classroom What is Developmental Language Disorder and how can mainstream teachers support students with the condition in lessons? Sue Marr advises
Moving beyond the label: Needs not diagnosis... For many parents and too many professionals, the diagnosis is seen as a magic answer and the solution to a child’s difficulties – but it is not. Sara Alston discusses the risks involving diagnostic labels and looks at how we must provide SEN support based on need 1 comment
Seven tried and tested strategies for working with autistic students The autism resource provision led by Kate Goodwin and her team achieved national recognition at the Nasen Awards 2020. Here, she discusses their approaches and offers seven strategies that mainstream schools might adopt to support autistic learners
Behaviour: Verbal and non-verbal communication There are many children who expend much of their time and energy trying to decipher adult communications and masking their responses with ‘poor behaviour’ when they feel that they have misunderstood. Sara Alston looks at verbal and non-verbal communication
Creating inclusive classroom environments: Practical advice & ideas How can we best support pupils who struggle with behaviour or emotional wellbeing? What does a positive, inclusive classroom environment look like? Virtual school headteacher Darren Martindale offers some advice and ideas
Language and communication strategies as part of good pedagogy Language challenges are often considered as part of SEN strategies. However, Daniel Sobel and Sara Alston argue for language and communication strategies rooted in general good pedagogy and offer five easy classroom tips 1 comment
Back to School Guide: Teaching & Learning In this 12-page guide, we consider what teaching and learning should look like in schools from this September when all pupils are due to return following the Covid-19 lockdown...
September re-opening: Lessons from the special school sector During the lockdown, many special schools remained fully open to provide support for SEN learners. Kelley Fray considers what lessons they have to offer mainstream schools ahead of wider re-opening
Vulnerable students: Planning for transition back to school As increasing numbers of students return to school, Daniel Sobel outlines a framework he says all schools can use to ensure the right support is in place to ensure a successful transition for vulnerable students 1 comment
Inclusion: Making group work effective for all students Inclusion and group work can go together well – but can also raise fears in students of a Lord of Flies-type hell. Daniel Sobel and Sara Alston advise
An easier way: The nine Rs of differentiation In writing their new book on differentiation, Daniel Sobel and Sara Alston drew on expert advice to create a list of easy and quick things that would result in real differentiation for most children. The best news of all, they all begin with R...
Case study: Pastoral excellence at Kennington Park Academy Kennington Park Academy supports excluded pupils aged five to 11. Laura McPhee finds out more about the school's ethos and approaches, including its excellent pastoral and PSHE work
Language difficulties: Assessment and action Given the importance of language skills, the assessment of difficulties early on is vital. SENCO Nicky Parrott discusses her schools’ approach to spotting problems and some of their interventions to improve outcomes
Working effectively with vulnerable children There are many things schools and teachers can do – both little and large – to understand and support vulnerable children. Educational psychotherapist Angela Greenwood advises
Persistent absence: What can schools do? One in 10 pupils are considered to fall into the category of being persistently absent, meaning they miss 10 per cent or more of school sessions. So why do these pupils continue to stay away and what can schools do about it?
Differentiation: Time to rethink our approach? Differentiation for pupils, including those with SEN, is important – but it does not have to be all-consuming for the teacher. Daniel Sobel and Sara Alston discuss some simple adjustments to our thinking and teaching
SEND: Engaging with your parents In the last of three articles on parental engagement, Dorothy Lepkowska looks at SEND – an issue where effective and open collaboration and communication between parents and schools is vital
Attachment and SEMH: Supporting our children Pikemere School has been working to prioritise issues of Attachment as well as social, emotional and mental health challenges. Emma Lee-Potter explains how the school trains its staff and supports pupils
Observing vulnerable students during lessons For teachers with challenging or vulnerable students in their lessons, observations can become all the more stressful. Daniel Sobel looks at how we must observe the pupils in question and not the teachers...
Creating and promoting a climate of inclusion Pupils who are labelled as naughty children almost always have underlying complex needs ranging from Attachment difficulties to undiagnosed conditions such as autism or ADHD. Exclusion is the last thing that these children need, but what can we do to avoid taking this step? Jackie Ward advises
Understanding and supporting SEMH pupils Drawing on the outstanding work of Adelaide School, a special provision in Cheshire catering for pupils aged nine and upwards, Sarah Barlow offers advice to mainstream schools on supporting students who face social, emotional and mental health challenges
