Developing pupil motivation using 10 evidence based strategies. Teaching Assistants (TAs) play a vital role in supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in the classroom. One of the most important aspects of their work is to help these pupils develop a strong motivation to learn. This is crucial because pupils with SEN may face … Read more
10 Teaching Assistant Interview Questions & Answers: Your Complete Guide to Landing the Job (Free PDF) Landing a teaching assistant position requires thorough preparation for the interview process. Whether you’re applying for SEN teaching assistant roles or learning support assistant (LSA) positions, the questions you’ll face are designed to assess both your knowledge of TA … Read more
Sensory Play Activities: Jelly Play Who doesn’t love sensory play to keep their children occupied, off screens and having fun? We have been trying out a range of sensory play activities this year as with 5 children in the house days out can quickly get expensive. This year we have had a few behavioural challenges … Read more
A Spooky Sensory Experience. Are You A Monster? Halloween Sensory Story is similar to Are You An Elf? and Am I a Pirate? These are “Dressing Up” Sensory Stories. The idea is that each element of the story will be revealed from a bag or box and worn by the learner, this means these sensory … Read more
Leading a Team: Seeing Yourself as a Leader This post is based on “Leading a Team” training I delivered to colleagues in Kent special schools. It is aimed at ECTs, Teachers, and HLTAs. Anyone stepping up to lead a class in a special school becomes a leader of a team. This is usually of a … Read more
Teaching in the Educational Metaverse When Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook’s rebranding into Meta in October 2021 the word Metaverse spread throughout the world. To see the potential benefits and pitfalls of this for education we need to look beyond the publicity and hype. Now in 2023 usage and hype have plummeted which allows us to … Read more
A Discussion on Children Masking at School and Home. This is a record of the #SENexchange discussion from 2nd February 2022 about children who mask. We based the chat on the article: The tip of the iceberg: SEND, masking and multiple needs written by regular discussion contributor Sara Alston. I have edited some responses for … Read more
What is ableism? Discrimination or prejudice against people with disabilities. An example could be a school trying to ‘train’ a child to present as more neurotypical. This can lead to distress, or a need to mask then stress building as well as longer-term impact A beginners guide to Ableism tapestry.info/a-beginners-gu… This topic is so important. … Read more
Who doesn’t love a chance to dress up! This pirate themed sensory story is a little different to our others. I have tried to make it accessible to learners who need minimal language and repetition. I have tried to write for the earlier stages of our sensory story progression stages. Through this pirate adventure, learners … Read more
Teachers Interaction styles and Impact on Learning Individual interaction styles can have a huge impact on learning. When working with young people with SEN there are many different strategies and approaches to engage them in learning. What is often overlooked is the adult’s interaction style. This can influence not only engagement but behaviour, wellbeing and … Read more
A Reformed Functionalist. Acting in a certain way to get out of something is commonplace for many children and young people. And adults come to that. If you have attended a PBS (positive behaviour support) course or any behaviour training you may have heard the term “functions of behaviour”. Attempts to get away from, out … 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
The Town and Country Sensory Story was written for the cornerstones industrial revolution topic. This was designed to be meaningful for PMLD learners as well as their peers so they can all take something away from the shared experience of multi-sensory storytelling. If you are interested in finding out more about sensory stories have a … Read more
100 EHCP Targets – Peer Interactions, Social Interaction. It is not uncommon to see EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plans) targets linked to Social Skills, Play and Peer Interactions However these often present unique challenges to children with SEND and especially autistic children. These challenges go beyond “they don’t know how”. It is much more … Read more
Why should you give children breaks during the day? This post was inspired by an overheard conversation and links two issues. Access to planned interventions and the provision of learning breaks throughout the day. A parent of an autistic child was questioning whether a school should have stopped their child from attending their sensory circuit … Read more
Our Charles Darwin: Voyage of the Beagle multi-sensory story was originally created for a Key Stage 4 class, linking with the Cornerstones Curriculum topic “Darwin’s Delight.” This story was designed as part of our Stage 5 immersive storytelling series, which features more advanced language, layered imagery, and opportunities for deeper exploration. While the vocabulary and … Read more
Lessons and Activity Ideas For an SEN Teaching Interview Our recruitment and interview process posts are very popular. However we haven’t talked about the teaching interview activity. One of the questions we get asked is around the teaching side of the interview process. Candidates for teaching positions almost always have to demonstrate their teaching skills … Read more
If your child has a disability or issues with mobility, it’s important to make the home environment comfortable, safe and accessible. The traditional home layout will not always work. Especially if your child uses a wheelchair. When it comes to modifying the home it’s important to create a space where your child isn’t just safe … Read more
50 Free DIY Maths Manipulatives In this post, we will look at two great resources to buy and two free to make maths manipulatives. As an SEN teacher, you will be used to making the most of what you have. Specialist Sensory toys, resources, and equipment are usually very expensive. This means SEN teachers need … Read more
Why Developing Communication is a Safeguarding Priority it is essential you ensure developing child voice for non-verbal pupils is a top safeguarding priority. You cannot overstate the importance of providing children with opportunities to demonstrate choices throughout their education. In early years education, this is acknowledged through EYFS documents (Early Years Foundation Stage). If you … Read more
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