SEN: Are you listening? Are you listening to your SEN students? Teacher and SEN expert Adele Devine discusses some strategies and resources she has found effective in special schools to help support your students by reducing their anxiety and building good mental health
Inclusion: We learn better together... How can schools provide pupils of all abilities and backgrounds with access to a high-quality education? Laura McPhee discusses how her school has built and maintained an inclusive learning environment
Looked-after children and Attachment Theory Looked-after children continue to struggle in our education system. Inclusion expert Daniel Sobel looks at why this is, including a focus on Attachment Theory and how we might reduce the high number of exclusions for this cohort
Challenging schools: Five recurring themes Every school is different and must tackle its challenges in a way to suit its own circumstances. However, Daniel Sobel has seen some generally recurring themes in schools that could be classed as ‘vulnerable’ or ‘challenging’
SEND reforms: Still no real culture change It is now more than two years since schools were required to implement the new SEND Code of Practice. Now the Scott Report and local authority inspections have thrown more light on current practice. Are the changes really delivering for our SEND children?
Planning a new SEND building Developing new facilities and buildings to cater for pupils with SEN and disabilities can be a challenge for schools. Gareth Barber discusses the requirements, offers expert advice, and looks at a case study of one school’s building project
The SEN Information Report Schools are required to present a wealth of information on their websites and key among this is the SEN Information Report. Inclusion and SEN expert Garry Freeman advises
Teaching pupils with sensory difficulties Teaching children with autism sensory difficulties can provide specific challenges for classroom teachers. Kristina Symons breaks down some of the most common challenges for pupils with autism and offers her advice
Recruiting the perfect SENCO for your school Schools are finding it hard to recruit successful SENCOs. Daniel Sobel believes this is down to the changing requirements of this broad and vital position. He looks at the modern SENCO role and advises on recruiting effectively 2 comments
Tackling the bullying of pupils with SEND Disabled students and pupils with SEN are more likely to be bullied – a hard truth that is too often overlooked. Drawing on work by the Anti-Bullying Alliance to develop effective practice to tackle this kind of bullying, Sophie Keenleyside offers some practical advice to primary school leaders
SLCN: Spotting problems and supporting students Speech, language and communication needs can often pass under the radar or be misdiagnosed and early recognition is key to supporting pupils effectively. Kristina Symons looks at how we can spot the signs in key stage 1 and what kind of in-school support and interventions we might offer
Autism: 10 tried and tested strategies Teacher and author Adele Devine offers 10 strategies for supporting children who are on the autism spectrum in the mainstream school setting
Autism: Supporting autistic girls in the primary school setting There are many more autism diagnoses for primary school boys than there are for girls, but this does not mean that girls do not have autism. Emma Lee-Potter speaks to expert Sarah Wild about what more primaries can do to spot and support girls with autism
Autism: Introducing the AP Gang The AP Gang is Riverside Primary’s simple but effective programme to involve older pupils in offering often crucial daily support to learners with autism. Headteacher Kay Robertson explains more about the innovative project
Achieving effective differentiation Differentiation is accepted as part of teaching, but do we really offer true differentiation to all students, including those with SEN? Daniel Sobel says that too often we don’t. He looks here at a more nuanced and investigative approach to differentiation
Oppositional defiant disorder in the classroom Pupils who present with ODD – oppositional defiant disorder – are often very challenging for classroom teachers. Dr Nicola Davies looks at what ODD is and how teachers might support those with the condition 17 comments
FAQs: SEND Inclusion expert Daniel Sobel writes regularly for Headteacher Update on issues of SEND best practice. Here he tackles some FAQs
An SEND self-audit framework How effective is your school’s overall SEND provision? Inclusion expert Daniel Sobel urges you not to wait for problems to develop, but to self-audit your SEND using the following framework
SEND: A new form of accountability planned From May 2016, there will be inspection of local authority SEND services. The Pathfinder final report suggests some accountability is needed, but what are the implications for schools?
Autism and girls... Gender bias in autism preconceptions and diagnoses are resulting in the needs of many girls who have the condition going unmet. Sophie Walker reports
The challenges of ADHD Children who suffer with ADHD face daily challenges during their school life. Daniel Sobel discusses how teachers and teaching assistants can best support these pupils 4 comments
Approaches to SEN support Award-winning teacher Jacky Wyatt offers some insights into effective approaches to support pupils with SEN during their time at primary school
EHCPs: Getting out of the SEN maze Education, Health and Care Plans are a key part of the new SEN reforms. Legal experts Melinda Nettleton and John Friel tackle some of the myths and outline the responsibilities of both schools and local authorities
Reviewing the SEN register With the SEN reforms well underway, Jane Friswell looks at the on-going process of moving pupils into the new SEN Support category.
SEND reform – what has been achieved? The SEND Code of Practice is full of high hopes and good intentions. Almost a year on from its publication, are these now translating into the SEND provision that had been anticipated? We look at the unfolding of SEND reform in our schools
