Welcome
**NEW** SEND Support Consultations for Schools
To offer a greater level of support and advice to schools, the SENCo helpline is being repurposed from 19 March 2024. It will be replaced by an online consultation meeting with a multi-professional group consisting of SEND advisory teachers, Educational Psychologists and managers from the Statutory SEND team.
The 30 minute consultations will facilitate a solution focused discussion with settings around any questions or concerns related to SEND policy, practice and provision and will provide advice, support and signposting. Specifically, we encourage consultations to be booked to discuss any concerns around attendance for a child or young person as well as where an EHNCA has been declined or there has been a decision not to issue an EHCP following an assessment. The consultation is not an opportunity to challenge any EHCP decisions that have been made but will provide a space to consider possible next steps and offer further support.
Consultations may be booked for one of the following reasons:
- To discuss next steps following a refusal to assess/issue an EHCP
- For advice when you are considering making an EHCNA – is it appropriate? Are there other things that could be put in place?
- For support/signposting for any concerns relating to individual/groups of children or wider SEND needs within your setting.
- If you have concerns around a CYPs attendance (not just those with identified SEN)
The SEND Support Consultations will begin on Tuesday 19 March and will take place on a Tuesday or Wednesday each week from 12 to 4.30pm.
More information can be found here SEND Support consultations for schools - Support for schools and settings (devon.gov.uk)
We hope that schools find this a supportive opportunity to reflect on situations and work collaboratively to consider possible solutions and next steps. As with any new initiative, we will be seeking your feedback to review the support on offer and help inform its development over time.
Best wishes, Hannah.
Hannah Chamings, SEN and Disabilities Adviser, Devon County Council
hannah.chamings@devon.gov.uk
Join us for our annual SEND conference at Sandy Park, Exeter. The day of informative and inspiring talks and networking opportunities will explore how we can all build and strengthen a collaborative approach to leading, supporting and transforming SEND provision for our children and young people, and their families, across Devon.
We are thrilled to have two fantastic keynote speakers Natalie Packer, author of 'A Teachers Guide to SEND' and 'The Perfect SENDCo', and Mikey from Mikey’s Wish Foundation.
This conference will provide all school leaders, including SENCos, Head Teachers and Trust SEND leads, working across all settings, with the opportunity to reflect on their current practice and provision and consider how we can all work together to develop our practice and achieve the very best for our children and young people.
Update from Education Psychology Team
As part of the SEND Transformation Programme, an aspect of this work is to focus on supporting children and young people who are experiencing Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA), that can lead to long term non-attendance if not identified and supported at an early stage. |
|
 |
Work is currently taking place to identify the services that offer support around this cohort of children or young people, and to provide a clear map or pathway of where schools can go to for support around EBSA.
In addition, we’d like to hear from schools, as to what has worked well for EBSA, what barriers they face when supporting a child or young person with EBSA, and moving forward, what resources, interventions, support or services would help settings in meeting the needs of children or young people with EBSA.
To give your views, please complete this brief survey https://forms.office.com/e/8xRrJVxFVm
The deadline for completion is Friday 28 March 2024. Please contact Dr Rachel Edmundson, Senior Educational Psychologist at Rachel.edmundson@devon.gov.uk should you have any questions, insights or further comments in relation to this work.
Need effective strategies to support areas such as attention and concentration, memory and processing and how children learn to read and spell?
Devon Psychology in Action Guides offer useful techniques for you to implement in your school.
 |
|
Celebrate Sign Language Week: 18 to 24 March 2024
In partnership, with the British Deaf Association (BDA) Signature will be hosting the UK’s largest British Sign Language lesson online with primary schools across the UK during Sign Language Week 2024.
The lesson will be available from 10am on Wednesday 20 March 2024.
|
The lesson will give you and your school the opportunity to learn BSL from a Deaf teacher, as well as wider benefits for children such as improved communication skills and confidence, new ways for them to express emotions, and an appreciation of the diverse cultures of the UK.
You can also watch Goose by Laura Wall, signed in British Sign Language by Debra May, Devon County Council Advisory Deaf Inclusion Worker, or a video containing British Sign Language signs associated with social media created to support digital safety.
For more information about British Sign Language, please contact your local Teacher of the Deaf or visit Devon Education Services shop for courses.
 |
|
Boccia Leaders Award Workshops
Boccia is an inclusive, tactical, and exciting sport which can be adapted to suit any audience. The Boccia Leaders Award is a three hour workshop to introduce the fundamental skills and knowledge required to deliver boccia.
|
What is the cost of attending the course?
It’s free! This is being fully funded by Active Devon through the School Games programme. Plus, every school that attends will receive a free Boccia kit worth £150 to support the delivery of Boccia at their school.
Workshop Dates
We are running the workshop twice on one day. Please only sign up to attend one.
Workshop 1
Date: Monday 18 March 2024 Time: 9.30am to 12.30pm Venue: St James School, Summer Lane, Exeter, EX4 8NN
Workshop 2
Date: Monday 18 March 2024 Time: 1.30pm to 4.30pm Venue: St James School, Summer Lane, Exeter, EX4 8NN
This qualification will provide you with the essential knowledge and skills needed to assist a qualified Swimming Teacher in delivering high quality inclusive swimming lessons in a range of settings, for example at a leisure centre, swim school or club learn to swim programme.
If you require any further information about this course please contact Lisa Alford on lisa.alford@activedevon.org or 07582 350349
Early bird tickets are now available for the NAPLIC conference 2024. This year’s theme is Developmental Language Disorder (DLD): the latest research and practice.
The conference programme includes presentations giving a family’s perspective of DLD, friendships in children with DLD and embedding universal, targeted and specialist models of working in schools. Henrietta McLachlan from ELKLAN will also be looking at Information Carrying Words. Full details can be found here.
NAPLIC is a national organisation of teachers, speech and language therapists and other professional. The website hosts a range of free DLD resources for schools and families which include short videos on supporting students with DLD as well as ‘top tips’ which are idea for sharing during weekly SEND briefings.
Our ‘Autism & Us’ programme delivered this academic year will once again be offered during the forthcoming Summer term of the 2023-24 academic year for parents/carers of Devon DCC primary and secondary school children, pre or post diagnosis.
We are delighted to announce that we are offering access for families of children and young people who are currently on the autism assessment pathway, in addition to families who have received an autism diagnosis.
Attending the ‘Autism & Us’ parent programme gives you an opportunity to develop your understanding of autism and look at practical solutions to managing and supporting your child’s presenting needs, whilst also connecting with other parents/carers.
 |
|
From 2 to 8 April, World Autism Acceptance Week will be celebrated across the UK, and we've got everything you need to raise peer awareness in your setting.
Last year, over 19,000 professionals accessed resources, suitable for every key stage. Once again, we will be working in partnership with The National Autistic Society and Ambitious about Autism to bring you our 'Let's Learn About Autism' & ‘Autism Re-explained' Packs.
|
|
