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 1 comment
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
The rising tide of sensory troubles: Low-level behaviours (part 3) In this three-part series, inclusion specialist Joanna Grace addresses the sensory challenges that many pupils face. In her final article, she considers some of the smaller sensory behaviour challenges and offers us some classroom strategies
The rising tide of sensory troubles: Explosive behaviours In a three-part series, inclusion specialist Joanna Grace addresses the sensory challenges that many pupils face. In part two, she considers explosive sensory behaviours – and how not to react
The rising tide of sensory troubles: An overview In a three-part series for Headteacher Update, inclusion specialist Joanna Grace addresses the sensory challenges that many pupils face, the resulting behaviours we may see in schools, and how teachers should handle these problems
Case study: Inclusion – the secret to success at Thames View Thames View Infants Academy is in the top three per cent of schools for attainment but is located in the most deprived ward of the sixth most deprived authority in the country. Suzanne O’Connell finds out how inclusion is at the heart of what they do and the secrets to their success
Attachment-aware schools Attachment-aware and trauma-informed practice can help to support some of the most vulnerable pupils in our schools, including those who are looked after. Virtual school head Darren Martindale advises 1 comment
Supporting looked after children in your school Specific support for looked after children is essential if they are to thrive. Darren Martindale focuses on three key elements – the designated teacher, the Personal Education Plan, and the virtual school head
Vulnerable pupils: Parent-school meetings In Headteacher Update this year, Daniel Sobel will be tackling common problems and questions when it comes to supporting vulnerable pupils in school. In his first article, he looks at the challenges and secrets to successful parent-school meetings
Case study: Therapeutic provisions in a special school setting Drawing on their work at a special school in Barnet, Jessie Ellinor and Lola Alvarez-Romano explain the therapeutic provisions on offer, advocating support and wellbeing for children and their families
Inclusion, equality and the law There are a range of statutory requirements that all schools must meet to ensure the inclusion of children and young people with disabilities and SEN. Navin Kikabhai looks at what the law requires and offers best practice advice
Supporting speech, language and communication needs The recommendations from the Bercow: Ten Years On review can help primary schools to ensure that pupils’ speech, language and communication needs are properly supported. Mary Hartshorne explains
Interventions: Pre and over-learning The one teaching intervention that could most benefit a range of pupils, including EAL and SEN, is – according to Daniel Sobel – the use of pre-learning and over-learning. He discusses these concepts, including how they can be introduced in the classroom
Speech, language and communication needs – how does your school measure up? Effective support for children with speech, language and communication needs is essential, but how does your school measure up? Ten years on from the Bercow Review, Mary Hartshorne looks at the situation today and gives primary schools a checklist for best practice
Inattentive ADHD The hyperactive version of ADHD is well-known and often spotted, but students with inattentive ADHD frequently go undiagnosed, as Daniel Sobel knows from his own experience
Attachment theory in schools The implications of attachment theory are becoming more and more relevant to the work of schools. Professor Elizabeth Harlow looks at the research and signposts a range of resources, training and support
SEN: It’s goodbye to P scales They were never flawless, but P scales have become the accepted currency of SEN attainment. Now they are set to go, Suzanne O’Connell looks at what’s replacing them and what schools think about it 1 comment
Dyslexia: The inside story Ahead of her appearance at the TES SEN Show in October, Kate Griggs, founder of the charity Made By Dyslexia, outlines what dyslexia is, how it affects learning, the skills that dyslexic children often have, and how we can support them
