Wokingham Borough Connect
 Welcome to the October edition of the SENCO newsletter. This edition includes:
- Update from Helen Jackson-Brench, Area SENCO
- Training opportunities from LSS and Addington Outreach
- New Local Offer leaflet for parents and carers
- Update about the Multi-Agency Inclusion Clinic (MAIC)
- Information about the Me2 Club
- Two surveys for you to complete on the Boxall Profile and on wheelchair users in schools
 Update from Helen Jackson-Brench, Area SENCO
Work on the Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) guidance is going well. We have now had two mapping workshops. In the first one in July, representatives from schools, health, outreach and support services and parent support organisations all got together to map out what support is available in WBC for pupils experiencing difficulties in one or more of the four categories of need.
On 26 September the operational working party met to map out what general strategies schools could be expected to implement under headings such as teaching and learning strategies, pastoral support, leadership and management, and transition. The picture above shows the working party discussing expectations and strategies that could go into the new guidance.
The Area SENCO Team has collated all of the information and the next step is to edit and redraft each of the sections. We are aiming for the guidance to be ready for its launch in the spring term.
It was lovely to see so many of you at the recent SENCO Network Meeting. Over 80 per cent of our schools were represented at this meeting. The recording of the session is available on the SENCO Hub for anyone who missed it.
Our next meeting will be on Thursday 28 November at 3:30pm. We would love to hold this meeting in person at one of our schools. If you are able to host this event, please email me at helen.jackson-brench@wokingham.gov.uk.
We have carried out further work on the SENCO Hub. You will now find new pages on the SENCO newsletter, SEND Local Offer and SEND Support in nursery settings. You will also notice that the login only pages for SENCOs are now active.
In these pages, once you are logged in, you will find the recording of the latest SENCO Network meeting, materials from the first SENCO Induction session and the EBSA toolkit and videos that Lauren Dobson talked about at the recent network meeting.
We had our first SENCO Induction session at Shute End on 30 September. Thank you to the 14 SENCOs who joined us to find out more about WBC services and to learn about the role of the SENCO, the legal framework and the graduated response. The slides from this session have been uploaded to the SENCO Hub.
We are looking forward to the next one on 22 October when we will be looking at what makes a good EHCNA request and how schools might evidence the assess, plan, do, review cycle through IEPS, learning plans, provision maps or pupil passports.
 Training opportunities
The Learning Support Service are offering a range of Bitesize Training this year on the following topics.
- Wednesday 2 October – Identifying Maths difficulties, including Dyscalculia.
- Wednesday 6 November – Strategies to support Maths Difficulties, including Dyscalculia.
- Wednesday 4 December – Maths Anxiety
- Wednesday 8 January – Reading for Motivation and Engagement
- Wednesday 5 February – ADHD
- Wednesday 5 March – Mind Mapping
- Wednesday 2 April – Teaching Assistants – How to scaffold Learning.
- Wednesday 7 May – Support for Interpreting Assessments
- Wednesday 4 June – Spelling – Morphology
- Wednesday 2 July – Identifying Dyslexia
Videos will be sent to schools and uploaded to the hub
Addington are also offering a range of training opportunities through OLT. They will be covering the following topics this term:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Attachment and Trauma
- Dyspraxia and Motor Coordination Difficulties
- Speech, Language & Communication Needs
- Understanding & Supporting Behaviour
Each course will be delivered by a dedicated Addington School Specialist Tutor.
Each course equates to roughly 16hrs online CPD training at your convenience.
More information on course content can be found at: Addington Outreach and Inclusion (AOIS) homepage
These courses are FREE OF CHARGE to any Wokingham School Staff
Bookings deadline: 16 October 2024 - 1pm
First come, first served basis, please apply as soon as you are able, places fill up quickly
To book your place on one of these courses please follow the instructions online or use the OLT Booking Link
Local Offer leaflet for parents and carers
All schools must signpost schools to the SEND Local Offer in their SEN Information Report. Julia Bedser, our Local Offer Coordinator has produced a leaflet for parents explaining what the local offer is and how to access it.
You will find a copy of the leaflet on the Local Offer Page on the SENCO Hub. Please feel free to download this and share with your families and invite them to sign up to receive this directly on our website.
Multi-Agency Inclusion Clinic (MAIC)
The Multi-Agency Inclusion clinic runs fortnightly on a Thursday, during term time. The purpose of the Multi Agency Inclusion Clinic (MAIC) is to provide advice and signposting for schools to support CYP who are at risk of experiencing long-term absence.
Schools can find more information as to how the MAIC runs, the MAIC schedule, details of the panel members and the referral form on the Schools Hub Other support documents page. You will also find a link on the SENCO Hub page.
Thank you to all schools who took part in the piloting of the MAIC during the summer term. Your feedback has been taken on board but we are always open to constructive feedback to improve this service to meet the needs of the CYP of Wokingham borough.
Please note, as of September 2024, any referral without parental consent cannot be brought to MAIC. Should gaining parental consent be an issue, please contact the Children’s Commissioning Team at childrenscommissioningteam@wokingham.gov.uk to discuss this further.
Any queries or feedback should also be directed to the Children’s Commissioning Team.
 Me2 Club for children with additional needs
Me2 Club is an inclusion charity for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities in the Wokingham and Reading Boroughs. Their purpose is to tackle the social isolation and loneliness experienced by children not being able to access mainstream leisure activities. They are unique as we do not require a formal diagnosis to offer support.
They support children and young people aged 5-19 to take part in mainstream activities by recruiting and training volunteers to ‘buddy’ 1:1 with them (2:1 when required) so they can join in and have fun.
With their help children can access a wide range of activities including sports clubs, uniformed groups and drama classes, giving them a chance to build independence and vital life and social skills.
Please keep their information to hand and share with any families you feel will benefit from this free services.
You can find out more on the Me2 Club website
 Have your say
Boxhall Profile
As part of a working group focusing on SEMH provision and needs (particularly EBSA) we are looking to gather your thoughts and opinions around the use of the Boxall Profile.
This information will inform our commissioning intentions going forward. Thank you to those schools who have already completed the 5-minute survey; your input is extremely valuable.
We would really appreciate input from all schools, especially secondary schools. Please feel free to forward this onto any relevant staff in school who could also share their views.
We would appreciate it if you could submit your answers by Thursday 17 October 2024.
Wheelchair users
Please could you share the following survey with any young wheelchair users or parents or carers of wheelchair users from your settings (information provided by Whizz Kidz):
Whizz Kidz is the UK’s leading charity for young wheelchair users. We create opportunities for young wheelchair users to get the equipment, skills and confidence to go further.
Earlier this month, we launched the largest UK survey of young wheelchair users and schools. The Whizz Kidz School Report: Young Wheelchair Users in Education Survey aims to shine a light on positive and negative school experiences. We want to identify gaps in support and find ways to increase and support inclusion in schools.
Why This Survey Matters: Wheelchair accessibility and inclusivity are crucial to creating a supportive and equitable educational environment. By encouraging education professionals in your local community to participate in this survey, they will contribute to a comprehensive study that seeks to identify current challenges and opportunities for enhancing accessibility for all students.
The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, is anonymous, and will close on 25 October 2024. The survey is available here - Supporting Young Wheelchair Users in School (jotform.com)
|
