Are you looking to promote healthy classroom environments and support the planet at the same time? Every school administrator makes furniture choices that have a direct impact on student health and the environment. The challenge is most of you don’t understand how significant that impact is. Let’s level set. Traditional school furniture is silently killing … Read more
Challenging Conversations: Communication Strategies for Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) As a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in a UK school, you face numerous challenging situations that require effective communication skills. Whether it’s discussing sensitive topics with children and families, delivering difficult news, or collaborating with other professionals, navigating these conversations can be daunting. By Developing your … Read more
In the dynamic landscape of primary education, the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) stands at the helm, steering schools toward excellence. Comprising key figures such as the headteacher, deputy headteacher, and subject coordinators, the SLT plays a multifaceted role. From ensuring the smooth functioning of the school’s physical infrastructure to shaping educational provision and influencing practice, their responsibilities … Read more
Ensuring Typicality in Lesson Observations: Why it Matters for Ofsted Inspections Ofsted inspectors state they aim to observe classroom teaching and learning as it normally occurs in a regular school week. Witnessing aspects of typicality and embedded routines is crucial to understanding the efficacy of a school’s pedagogy and curriculum implementation over time. It would … Read more
School Leader Interview Data Tasks Data tasks will be included during and deputy, assistant or headteacher recruitment process. They are an essential part of succeeding in school leadership roles. Mastering data tasks is the key to landing these positions and approaching them with confidence will help. Understanding data analysis and interpretation is a crucial skill … Read more
Ditch the Chaos: Transform Your Classroom with Student Jobs That Actually Work Three weeks into my first teaching job, I was drowning in pencil sharpening requests and lost reading books. Sound familiar? That’s when I revolutionised my classroom management with a robust student jobs system. Five years and countless refined strategies later, I’m sharing what … Read more
Essential Ingredients for Maximising Learning. How can we maximise Learning for pupils in our classrooms? Research shows that learning is most effective when done in an active, engaging manner that combines behaviour, cognition, and emotion (Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007). Recent neuroscience advances explore the links between emotion, social functioning, and decision making, providing new insights … Read more
This is a record of an #SENexchange online discussion on Making Schools Listen: Amplifying Parent Voice in Education. This aligns with value 5 of the School of Joy Approach – community and coproduction. A few years ago I co-wrote a post with Claire Ryan on school/parent partnership. I wrote it from the perspective of the … Read more
A collection of resources to support the transition of children back to school during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. As with all inclusiveteach resources these are free to use and designed for pupils with SEN. I primarily work with autistic pupils and need engaging, simple visuals to aid their understanding. We now know that the pandemic … Read more
The Mr Potato Head scavenger hunt is a great accessible activity that can be set up for AAC (Augmentative and assertive communication). There are many other activities you can use Mr Potato Head for: Following Instructions Developing Fine Motor Skills Team work and interaction Emotions Playing with food Problem Solving Sequencing Senses (Worksheet available below) … Read more
Year Six into Year Seven Every secondary school runs a year 6 to year 7 transition programme of some sort, comprising a few visits, summer holiday events and open evenings. Children with EHCPs and on the SEN register generally get something extra. Fran from Square Peg shares her thoughts and led an SENexchange discussion. The extent … Read more
An Egyptian Sensory Adventure This sensory story is for our Ancient Egypt topic. Pharaohs, pyramids and camels all feature in our Egypt sensory story. As with the other stories it is written with a certain need type group in mind. I am fortunate enough to have access to a Multi-Sensory room. This means I can … Read more
This winter themed Sensory Story has been written for our “Time” topic where we are exploring the seasons. Snow Bear provides plenty of opportunities for exploring the cold of the Arctic. I have included a subtle message about climate change which depending on the age group you use it with may be useful to tie … Read more
An Autumn Sensory Story This is due to be the first in a series of 4 stories (1 for each season). Check out he winter sensory story – Snow Bear. Please take a few minutes to watch the video of my daughter reading it! The idea that each sensory story will have a unique feel … Read more
Over 30 suggested strategies for effective behaviour management. #Education #Teaching.
ECT Advice: Flipping the Narrative on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Collated by the inspirational Elly Chapple this list of top tips and ECT Advice (Early Career Teachers) and those working in education is essential reading. It features contributions from top educational authors, teachers, parents, SENCOs, school governors and caring passionate people. All of the … Read more
Every successful placement requires the best possible communication and working relationship between parents and carers and schools
You can call it challenging behaviour but these events really demonstrate is a highly anxious,frustrated or traumatic reaction to stress, Autistic children are not any more prone to behavioural incidents than other children so we need to look deeper if our interactions or environment is leading to issues.
Inclusive education is at the heart of education thinking in the UK but seems constantly challenged by policies such as Zero Tolerance behaviour and spending cuts that remove the support so important for our children to thrive in school.
In this post I am classing reluctant learners as those who often do not finish tasks, they may do the minimum to get by or even flat out refuse to take part. As inclusive teachers we constantly have to be mindful of the drivers of the child’s behaviour. The key to creating engaged learners is to know the child and the barriers they face. Some issues may go deeper and require additional specialist support. A class teacher dedicated to engaging their students can have a huge impact on the students experience of education and their outcome in life. Engaging learners is as much about emotional confidence as intellectual propensity so make that bond and enable all to achieve
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