Wokingham Borough Connect
 Welcome to the January 2025 edition of the SENCO newsletter. This edition includes:
- Update from Jamie Conran, Head of SEND
- Update from Helen Jackson-Brench, Area SENCO
- Training opportunities
- An update about SALT and OT resources
- Information about Exceptional Needs Funding
- Links to an article about Dyslexia
Update from Jamie Conran, Head of SEND
Happy new year! I hope you managed to get some rest after what felt like a very long autumn term.
In the first edition of our SENCO newsletter in September, I referred to our SEND Team staffing situation and an ongoing restructure. There has been a lot of activity since this time, and I am delighted to share that significant investment in the SEND Team was approved by our Corporate Leadership Team, with an extensive recruitment drive over the autumn term.
We welcomed several new, permanent staff on 2 January, with more new faces arriving over the coming weeks. This includes a SEND Senior Case Manager, Complex Case Practitioners, and SEND Casework Practitioners. They are all completing our newly developed SEND Induction Programme, which will include direct contact and visits to schools over the course of this spring term (from February onward).
This is a really positive development for our SEND Service, and we hope you will feel the impact of a permanent, stable workforce, and work really closely with them. For now, please bear with us as staff get to know Wokingham Borough and find their feet in their new roles.
I also referred to a new and exciting EHCP Audit Programme. This has now been launched, and as I wrote last time, having SENCOs engaged will be a huge asset and positive development in ensuring we produce and maintain high quality EHCPs for our children & young people in Wokingham Borough.
If you would like to be a part of our first few rounds (to establish a baseline) of auditing, please contact our SEND Practice and Quality Lead, Sally Furness directly sally.furness@wokingham.gov.uk
I hope the new year has got off to a good start for you all, and look forward to seeing you at our next SENCO network event.
 Update from Helen Jackson-Brench, Area SENCO
I hope you all had a lovely break and that the new term has got off to a good start.
Thank you to everyone who was able to come along to the SENCO Network Meeting at St Crispin’s in November. Patrick Pritchett updated us all about the services that the Me2Club offer.
They use volunteers to support pupils with SEND to access clubs and activities outside of school. If you have pupils who you think would benefit from this support or pupils who might like to volunteer, you can find out more on the Me2Club website.
Sally Furness also shared a new Annual Review Guidance document with useful advice about how to carry out the process effectively. You can find the Annual Review Guidance on the SENCO Hub.
The Commissioning Team spent time gathering SENCOs’ views about the current outreach services that we have. There were some really productive discussions about what is working and what gaps there are. They will use this information to develop the existing offer. More information will follow in the future.
Thank you also to all of the SENCOs who have invited me to visit your schools. I have now visited almost all of the WBC schools and have seen some truly fantastic examples of inclusive practice. If I haven't yet visited or organised to visit your school, please do drop me a line.
The Area SENCO team has continued to support SENCOs and school staff in various ways. If you would like support with a specific area of SEND provision or if you would like to talk through your next steps with developing your SEND provision, please get in touch.
I look forward to seeing those of you who can make it at the next SENCO network meeting on January 20th.
 Training opportunities
If you missed the recent SENCO refresher training session on EHC Needs assessments, you can access a recording of the session on the SENCO Hub.
The next SENCO Network Meeting will be held online on January 20th at 3:30pm. We will be joined by two of our EPs who will be discussing neuro-affirming language.
They will share a resource that SENCOs can take back to their own schools in order to roll the training out more widely to staff. They will also be sharing some training opportunities that are available free of charge to schools on supporting pupils with Autism.
Addington Outreach and Inclusion Service (AOIS) are offering a range of workshops this term on the following topics:
- Using Picture exchange – Making it work for your class
- PDA
- Early Cognition and Maths
- Supporting Children with Down Syndrome in Primary
- Food Aversion
- An introduction to Bucket Activities
You can book places on their website.
NASEN have a wealth of free training courses and webinars available on topics such as:
- Understanding executive functioning
- Understanding anxiety and creating a supportive learning environment
- Promoting mental wellbeing in your Setting
- Understanding behaviour as communication
There are lots more resources and training opportunities available on their website.
OT and SALT information packs
The OT and SALT packs have now been added to the password protected area of the SENCO Hub. The SALT documents contain a wealth of advice about how to support pupils with a range of speech language and communication needs.
The Occupational Therapy pack includes guidance about how to support pupils with fine and gross motor skills including handwriting, and sensory processing difficulties. It also includes a section on Sensory Circuits.
Remember to login before trying to access the packs. You will find the password protected area at the bottom of SENCO Hub front page. If you are having trouble logging on, you can email edpartnershipteam@wokingham.gov.uk
Exceptional Needs Funding (ENF)
A number of SENCOs have enquired about how they can access ENF for pupils. ENF is for pupils with complex SEN who may be entering the local education system for the first time.
This might be pupils who are new arrivals into the country or the borough who have a high level of need that is likely to lead to them getting an EHCP. It may also be considered for pupils who have experienced a life-changing event that has significantly impacted their access to education.
ENF is not for pupils who already have an EHCP or who are moving from one WBC setting to another. More information about the criteria and application process for Exceptional Needs Funding can be found on the SENCO Hub.
Dyslexia - the myths, the facts and how to help
Dyslexia can be a contentious subject with many different opinions about what it is, whether it should be diagnosed and what should be done about it. The TES magazine have an interesting article about a new agreed definition and how we should go about diagnosing and supporting pupils with reading and spelling difficulties.
It reinforces what we know about the need to support all children who are struggling with oral language, phonics, understanding texts or learning how to write regardless of whether they have a diagnosis. It also lays out a helpful 4 stage process for identifying and supporting children with difficulties. You can read more in the TES magazine.
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