Welcome
I hope you all had a restful half term.
We are really pleased that all Primary Schools should now have received their new SEND Profile Tool. Many schools have already commented on how useful this tool will be in developing greater awareness of and strategically planning for SEND across the school. There will be another online training workshop for this on Tuesday 5th December 3.45-4.45pm (repeated from the summer term). Book your place here to find out more about the SEND profile tool and how to use it. SEND profile tool workshop | DES (devoneducationservices.co.uk)
If you are a primary school and have not received your SEND profile tool yet, please do get in contact (Hannah.chamings@devon.gov.uk). Secondary schools, your SEND profile tool should be with you in the next few weeks.
Secondary SEND Forum – last chance to book
If you are a secondary leader of SEND, don’t forget to book onto the Secondary SEND forum on 15th November for your chance to work with DCC and other secondary colleagues to discuss common themes and concerns related to supporting students with SEND and, more importantly, share ideas, solutions and good practice with each other. Book your place here Secondary SEND forum | DES (devoneducationservices.co.uk)
Devon SEND Transformation Plan
A new Devon SEND Transformation Plan has just been published detailing the seven key strands of work which aim to address the significant challenges that the local area faces in relation to SEND and Inclusion and improve the experiences of children, young people and their families in Devon. It also shows how the work to address the four areas of weakness highlighted in the Ofsted report (2022) is incorporated into the wider plans for transformation. You can read more about the Transformation Plan here Devon’s SEND transformation programme strands - Education and Families - NEW
Guidance about emotionally based school non-attendance launched
Devon County Council have published new guidance for schools and families on taking a relational approach to emotionally based school non-attendance (EBSNA). This occurs when stress exceeds support and anxiety builds up to the point that a child or young person cannot go to school. Read the guidance on the SEND Local Offer site. A relational approach to emotionally based school non-attendance (EBSNA) - Support for schools and settings (devon.gov.uk)
- Check the SEND information on your school website is up to date e.g. SEND policy, SEN Information report and link to Devon Local Offer
- Look at your SEND Profile Tool with SLT. Begin to consider how you can use this to support SEND planning and provision across your setting.
- Carry out a learning walk or observations in classes to monitor the provision for pupils with SEND.
- Spend some time with the pupils gathering pupil voice – how are things going for them? What’s working well? What’s not?
- Make sure you’ve met with the SEND governor to discuss key priorities for the term/year and share your SEND Action plan
Message from Public Health Nursing re Medicine Management and training in school
Please can you support the completion of this questionnaire (only 9 brief questions and will take about 5-10 minutes) so the Public Health Nursing service can get a better understanding of the training received, or needed, in education settings in relation to medicine management.
Please click on the link below to access the form.
https://forms.office.com/e/bVcLv4az1K
Launch of DLD bubble resource
If you were able to attend one of the recent SENDCo network meetings, you will have heard us talking about a new, free resource to help schools with their planning of support for pupils with language needs.
The DLD bubble resource is now live, and can be accessed here. You’ll see that it is based around the six areas of language under consideration when SaLTs are assessing for Developmental Language Disorder.
These are Learning and Memory; Speech (including phonological awareness); Words; Sentences; Discourse (narrative) and Social Language.
Pages 5-12 of the resource provide general information about DLD, and p14 provides a format for highlighting an individual pupil’s strengths and needs across the six areas of language. This form can be downloaded to be saved as part of a pupil profile. From p15, you can jump directly to the area of language you want to focus on , and you will find links to information, strategies, activities and resources for each area, to support you in your planning. This resource is useful for both primary and secondary settings, and complements the other resources we highlight in the C&I identification and planning short webinars, which you can find on our website.
Click here to view all, including support for parents: Support from the Communication and Interaction Team - Education and Families (devon.gov.uk)
Recommended training: AET - Autism and Anxiety – online 28/11/2023 - 10.00-12.00
This module on autism and anxiety in schools will provide delegates with an understanding of what we mean by anxiety, how it appears in autistic children and young people (CYP), what the key triggers are, and what teaching staff can do to support autistic pupils.
More details: AET - Autism and Anxiety | DES (devoneducationservices.co.uk)
New speech, language and communication training offers for teachers in Devon
There are new courses about speech, language and communication needs available to teachers across Devon schools this term. These courses aim to increase teachers’ understanding and awareness of speech, language and communications needs (SLCN) and their impact on learning for primary and secondary age children.
Get more details and links to the courses and webinars on our education and families website.
Important date for your diary for children with visual impairment: 17th Nov 23
For next year's SATS, all schools needing to order modified versions of the tests, (enlarged print, modified large print, contracted and uncontracted braille) will need to use the modified test order form on the PAG, by Friday 17 November. There is a handy timeline in Section 3 for other useful dates 2024 key stage 2 assessment and reporting arrangements - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Useful signposting:
Video guides: Using your hearing devices
Call Scotland have created a handy poster for using Windows 10 accessibility functions to support CYP with VI. Download your copy below
Long covid kids: Useful contact for support for children and young people with long covid
Educational Psychologists - national industrial action
Members of the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP) have voted in favour of industrial action in many local authorities across the country, including Devon. There are concerns around the future of the educational psychology (EP) profession, in the context of a national shortage of EPs and increasing demand for EP services to schools and families.
This means that many educational psychologists will be working their contracted hours only between Monday 6 November and Friday 15 December 2023, and will be on strike on Wednesday 15 November and Wednesday 13 December 2023.
EP advice for education, health and care needs assessments will remain a priority for the service in Devon, however, there may be some delays. Other aspects of EP work may also be paused or delayed.
Look out for the next SEND Update 20th November 2023
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