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Special Educational Needs and Disability Update 24 2008
Bercow Review:
Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs
In September 2007 Ed Balls and Alan Johnson asked John Bercow MP to lead an independent review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). It was the first major review of this kind in seven years. The Final report, along with the Government’s response, was published in July 2008.
The review looks in depth at how to improve services for children and young people with problems ranging from severe speech and language impairments to a vocabulary limited by social reasons, such as a family background where communication between family members is limited.
Alongside recommendations for Government, John Bercow urges parents to help their children gain vital
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Transforming Short Breaks for Families With Disabled Children
21 Local Areas Announced as Pathfinders
Education and Care Services Ministers Andrew Adonis and Ivan Lewis, announced on 14 January the start of a three-year transformation in short break services for disabled children. Twenty-one local areas will launch the first wave of a £370m investment for local authorities that will extend to all of England from 2009. This investment will provide many more disabled children with enjoyable and valuable experiences away from their parents and carers. In communication skills by sharing activities like family meals or outings where conversation is the focus.
It also looks at the extreme consequences communication problems can lead to – from initial frustration at not being able to express oneself, to bullying or being bullied at school, fewer job prospects and even the descent into criminality. The Report can be viewed at
The Government response press notice announcing a £52 million package to tackle communication problems can be viewed at
www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2008_0141
turn parents and carers will have the well earned chance to take a break from their caring responsibilities.
Evidence for the ‘Aiming High for Disabled Children’ review found that short breaks are seen as the highest priority service for families with disabled children. ‘Aiming High for Disabled Children’ will deliver a total of £430 million plus to local authorities in new investment in disabled children’s services during 2008-11 and additional funds to PCTs. To keep up to date with progress on ‘Aiming High for Disabled Children’, read the latest Programme News at
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/socialcare/ahdc/news/
Support for Children with Dyslexia
DCSF have announced a package of measures to improve support for children with dyslexia. On 6 May 2008, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families announced that Sir Jim Rose has been asked, in the light of evidence, to make recommendations on the identification and teaching of children with dyslexia. He has also been asked how best to take forward the commitment in the Children’s Plan to establish a pilot scheme in which children with dyslexia will receive Reading Recovery support or one-to-one tuition from specialist dyslexia teachers.
Further information is on
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen/
Planning and Developing Special Educational Provision
The Education and Inspections Act 2006 introduced changes in the ways that proposals can be brought forward and determined for the establishment, alteration or discontinuance of schools including special schools and special provision. New regulations and guidance were
The Department is also:
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providing Dyslexia Action with funding of £250,000 over three years so they can run ‘Partnership for Literacy’ pilots in a further 10 schools. These pilots include evaluating the impact of specialist tuition on the progression of children with dyslexia – contributing to evidence of best practice.
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providing the British Dyslexia Association with funding of £150,000 over the next two years to develop their helpline. This will enable them to expand their information and advice service to parents and teachers, who want to know more about best practice in identifying and supporting children who may have dyslexia.
Issued in summer 2007. The guidance includes Planning and Developing Special Educational Provision which sets out a new requirement on local authorities and other proposers to demonstrate when proposing reorganisation of SEN provision that alternative arrangements will lead to improvements in the standard quality and/or range of SEN provision.
The new regulations and guidance can be found on the Department’s School Organisation website at
Special Educational Needs and Disability: Update 24
Information and guidance from
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST)
SENDIST hears and decides parents’ appeals about their children’s special educational needs and claims of disability discrimination in schools. Inevitably some people find going to SENDIST daunting, and the Tribunal makes available information to help parents, local authorities and schools through the process.
The booklet Special Educational Needs: How to appeal, includes the appeal form. Whenever the Tribunal accepts an appeal, it sends the local authority guidance Preparing the LEA case. It also sends parents a DVD Right to be Heard which helps them understand what to expect at a hearing, and additional guidance How to prepare your case.
Revised guidance on the education of children and young people with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD)
DCSF has issued guidance on educating children with BESD — which reminds schools, early-years settings and local authorities of existing advice on improving outcomes for these children through:
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whole-school promotion of positive behaviour
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whole-school promotion of mental health
The booklet Disability Discrimination in Schools: How to make a claim includes the form for submitting a claim. Whenever the Tribunal accepts a claim it sends the school or local authority which must respond Answering a Claim of disability discrimination: a guide for responsible bodies. Parents also receive Explaining your claim: guidance on preparing a case statement.
Parties also receive guidance on presenting information about schools in SEN appeals, who can attend hearings and coming to Tribunal. If at any point parties are unclear about what to do they can contact named individuals who will answer their questions.
For copies of any of the Tribunal’s SEN appeals guidance, contact its SEN helpline on 0870 241 2555 or email tribunalqueries@sendist.gsi.gov.uk. For DDA claims guidance contact the Tribunal’s Discrimination Helpline on 0870 606 5750 or email
disabilityqueries@sendist.gov.uk
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the application of principles and processes contained in the SEN Code of Practice alongside guidance set out in School Discipline and Pupil Behaviour Policies
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the application of the Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005.
Schools, early-years settings and local authorities may find the guidance helpful in supporting the further development of good practice.
Further information can be found at
www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/behaviour/schooldisciplinepupilbehaviourpolicies/besdguidance
Special Educational Needs /Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (SEN/LDD) Progression Guidance Project 2008-9
Between April 1 2008 and July 2009 the National Strategies are working with DCSF to develop progression guidance for pupils with SEN/LDD including those working below level 1 of the National Curriculum.
The progression guidance project is designed to support the development of a clear understanding of what constitutes good progress for pupils with SEN/LDD. It will do this by:
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providing guidance on what is good progress for pupils with SEN/LDD
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developing the capacity of RAISEonline
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developing training materials.
The National Strategies and DCSF are currently undertaking research and consultation with a range of LAs, schools and others. This is major piece of work and the National Strategies and the Department aim to ensure that all stakeholders have the opportunity to express their views and contribute to this work where appropriate.
The National Strategies and DCSF are seeking views on:
The key principles
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How RAISEonline and/or any other/systems to track and evaluate the progress of pupils with SEN/LDD is used |
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How RAISEonline can be developed to include this group of pupils more effectively |
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How Local Authorities currently determine what constitutes good progress for
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The National Strategies are currently (up to the end of October) visiting LAs and schools where effective practice has been identified.
For any further information or to share any examples of effective and innovative practice please contact
Pauline Pitman pauline.pitman@nationalstrategies.co.uk or
jenny.digges@nationalstrategies.co.uk
Special Educational Needs and Disability: Update 24
Improving Parental Confidence in the SEN assessment and statement process
The Lamb Inquiry
The Lamb Inquiry was established as part of the Government’s response to the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee Report Special Educational Needs: Assessment and Funding. The Lamb Inquiry, under the chairmanship of Brian Lamb, the Chair of the Special Educational Consortium, will investigate a range of ways in which parental confidence in the SEN assessment process might be improved.
To advise him, Brian Lamb has brought together a diverse group of expert advisers and a broader reference group of professionals and parents. These two groups represent extensive networks and bring a wide range of experience to the process of evidence gathering.
Early Years and Schools Workforce
The Lamb Inquiry has been asked to:
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consider a range of ways in which parental confidence in the SEN assessment process might be increased;
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commission and evaluate innovative projects in these areas;
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draw on the evidence of other work currently commissioned by the Department;
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take into account the evidence of the submissions to the two Select Committee Reports in 2006 and 2007.
Further information can be found at
The Department, working with the National Strategies, the Training and Development Agency for Schools and leading voluntary organisations, has launched the Inclusion Development Programme to improve the confidence and skills of the early years and schools workforce in meeting the needs of children with SEN and disabilities. This year’s focus will be on communication, speech and language needs and dyslexia; next year will be autism spectrum disorder; and the final year in 2010 will be on behaviour, emotional and social difficulties.
www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/primary/features/inclusion/sen/idp
Publications
Copies of the Department for Education and Skills publications mentioned are available from the Publications Centre,
Tel: 0845 602 2260
Fax 0845 603 3360
Email dcsf@prolog.uk.com
Solutions For Schools Is A Priority For Integrated Neurocare
Exclusion from schools because of a range of issues from epilepsy and cerebral palsy to bad behaviour and attention deficit disorder are becoming key areas of activity for Integrated Neurocare - the independent child neurology service.
Gwilym Hosking, Clinical Director of Integrated Neurocare, speaking at Paediatrics 2000 being held at Olympia, said:
"If children with neurological problems - no matter how minor - are to have a proper chance and access to appropriate education, it is vital that clinicians and education specialists work together for their best outcome. It is the child's future that is important, and every step in his or her education vital.
"Much is made about the behaviour of some young people but often this can be due to real neurological or developmental problems. One only has to look at the increasing number of adults today being diagnosed with ADHD, and to hear how they had struggled through life as a child with the condition untreated to know how important it is to address these problems at the earliest age."
At Integrated Neurocare educational psychologists work together with paediatric doctors and therapists to find the best solutions to help children and youngsters make the best of their capabilities.
In addition, it is now preparing to undertake Statementing in an endeavour to help health and local authorities make appropriate provision for the treatment and schooling of children.
"What is needed now is proper provision for and within paediatric and child health services at all levels" said Dr Hosking. "Where appropriate priority is given to neurological and developmental conditions, it can make a major difference to the rest of a child's life. Who are we to deny them this?"
Distributed by PR Newswire on behalf of Integrated Neurocare Ltd.
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Every Child Matters
Children with Hidden Disabilities are children who require differentiated educational programs and/or services beyond those normally provided by the main stream school program in order for them to realize their contribution to self and society.
Identification Of Hidden Disabilities
Every Disabled Child Matters
c/o Council for Disabled Children
National Children's Bureau
8 Wakley Street
London
EC1V 7QE
Tel +44 (0)20 7843 6082
Fax +44 (0)20 7843 6313
EDCM Local Authority Charter
English local authorities can get involved in the campaign by signing up to our Local Authority Charter.
Supporters can find out how to help make this happen by downloading Making Disabled Children Matter Locally and clicking on take action! below...
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Free Laptops And Broadband For Families With Children In Wakefield
Computers
are no longer a luxury for the few, but these days are just as
essential a part of education as books, pens and paper. That's
why I've launched a new scheme with the Prime Minister Gordon
Brown offering free laptops and broadband access for thousands
of families in our area - and across the country.
The scheme aims to make sure that children without the internet
at home aren't don't face disadvantages to their learning.
It will give children the opportunity to do coursework and
research on the internet - helping them succeed in school and
get the skills they need to get good jobs in the future.
Trials of the programme showed that children who benefited spent an hour more each week learning online, compared to their classmates who already had the internet at home. And 81 per cent of parents believed that home access had increased their involvement in their child’s learning.
We’re leading the world with the way we use technology in learning and we’ve shown our commitment to this by making ICT the backbone of every lesson in the new primary curriculum. We’re investing £300 million in this project so that children who need the most support have access to the resources they need at home.
It will also help parents get more involved in their child’s education, develop new skills and apply for jobs online.
I would urge all parents across our district to check whether they qualify under the ‘Home Access programme’. Families with a child in years 3 to 9 at school and eligible for free school meals can apply for a laptop and broadband access by calling 0333 200 1004 or visiting www.homeaccess.org.uk