There is lots to celebrate in West Sussex!

Take a look at the range of good inclusive practice in our schools showcased on the Celebration of Inclusion pages on Tools for Schools.

Examples include supporting pupils’ emotional wellbeing, working with Traveller families, supporting sensory needs, using the Zones of Regulation…and much more.

Although June is the month to shine a light on the great inclusive practice in our schools, the story does not end here. If you would like to share your examples of good inclusive practice, please email celebratinginclusion@westsussex.gov.uk. 

The SEND and Inclusion team can provide advice and support to help capture the information, including anonymisation, information and data sharing consent. We hope that the Inclusion Framework and its 4 aspects: Ethos, Leadership, Personal Development and Wellbeing, and Quality of Education, will help you to identify further good practice examples.  Local Authority officers will also continue to nominate schools and settings that we can contact to explore their inclusive practice.

Once again, this June marks another Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month in the UK.  This national month of celebration is being marked by Traveller communities and organisations up and down the country, with lots of events and activity happening online and on social media this year. 

Some West Sussex schools are also taking this opportunity to learn more about Traveller history and different ways of life, with several really exciting events planned for their children.  This is a fantastic opportunity for Traveller pupils to celebrate their heritage and for all children to learn more about their classmates and their local community.

Please find below a link to EMTAS’s 2021 Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month newsletter:  

https://schools.westsussex.gov.uk/Article/86817

 This year’s newsletter includes:

-      Lesson plans (KS1) focusing on the Traveller artist, Gabi Jiminez

-      A focus on Roma children’s art and also the Roma history of the holocaust

 -     Links to a range of teaching resources from Friends, Families & Travellers

 -     Videos on a wide range of topics including:     

• Career options & aspirations for young Travellers
• Short films and documentaries about different aspects GRT heritage such as music, poetry and catapults
• Key figures in the recent history of championing Traveller rights

In addition, all previous GRT History Month newsletters and resources are still available online.  Please use the following links to access past publications:  2018     2019    2020    plus the  GRT History Month Resource Page

If you have any further queries regarding anything this year’s GRT History Month, please do not hesitate to contact tes@westsussex.gov.uk

EMTAS (Ethnic Minority & Traveller Achievement Service) hold a number of different regular network meetings for schools, focussed on different aspects of support for minority ethnic pupils.   These meetings are an opportunity to share good practice and discuss current challenges, as well as building links with other relevant teams or organisations, sharing CPD and current research and providing opportunities to build supportive links between schools.

Meetings are usually held on a termly basis and are currently being held virtually via Microsoft Teams.  To request attendance at any of these network meetings, please contact the relevant EMTAS Advisory Teacher.

EAL Support Networks

Currently held termly in some areas, where requested.  EMTAS Advisory Teachers are happy to discuss new EAL networks or alternatively, to attend existing locality meetings:

• Crawley, Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Cuckfield, East Grinstead, Hassocks – haynes@westsussex.gov.uk
• Chichester, Bognor Regis, Felpham, Barnham, Westergate, Bilingshurst, Manhood, Midhurst, Petworth, Southbourne – stogiewicz@westsussex.gov.uk
• Worthing, Durrington, Angmering, Littlehampton, Horsham, Lancing, Shoreham, Steyning, Storrington – wojtas@westsussex.gov.uk

Diversity & Inclusion Support Networks – focus on promoting equality & adopting anti-racist approaches

Three area meetings, each held once per term by the relevant EMA Advisory Teacher (areas listed above) - teresa.haynes@westsussex.gov.uk , joanna.stogiewicz@westsussex.gov.uk & pawel.wojtas@westsussex.gov.uk

Traveller Education Support (TES) Network – focus on GRT pupils

Termly meeting held for the full county – clare.painting@westsussex.gov.uk

Refugees & Asylum Seekers Network

Termly meeting held for the full county, currently separated for primary and secondary – teresa.haynes@westsussex.gov.uk

UPCOMING DATES:

• Mon 5th July 2-3.30pm Felpham & Bognor: EAL network
• Tue 6th July 2-3.30pm Chichester: EAL network
• Wed 7th July 2-4pm Area West: EAL network training for NQT/RQTs (Part 2)
• Mon 12th July 2-3pm Area West: Diversity & Inclusion Support Network

(Contact joanna.stogiewicz@westsussex.gov.uk for any of the above)

PLEASE NOTE: For any future network meetings that are held in-person rather than virtually, there will be a charge for academies.

Short Breaks are fun, leisure and social activities for disabled children and young people outside the school day.

As we approach summer, Short Break providers are busy planning a fun-packed programme of activities and we are hoping that the weather will be warm and sunny. Some organisations are running with reduced numbers but remain committed to supporting as many children and young people as they can and making sure that they have fun. Some virtual Short Break activities will continue, as these have proved very popular with some children and young people.

The updated Short Breaks Statement for 2021-2024 (Short breaks for disabled children - West Sussex County Council) acts as a guide for parent/carers and includes everything they need to know about Short Breaks. It provides links to a range of support services and organisations. We are grateful to the West Sussex Parent Carer Forum for shaping the content of the Statement.

We will also continue to update the Short Breaks wiki with helpful information and activity ideas.

Join Young Voices youth forum this summer for some fun, chat, games, picnics, and creative activities. We are offering free sessions on Zoom, plus two face to face outdoor sessions (British weather allowing!)

Sign up in plenty of time and we’ll send you a free pack of goodies to use during the sessions, including snacks, art materials and games.

Our sessions are for 5 to 25 year olds with SEND; siblings and family welcome to join in! Some activities are aimed at more specific age groups, others open to all.

Find out more and sign up here yourvoice.westsussex.gov.uk/young-voices, where you can also take part in our discussion boards, online gallery, and quick polls.

We are intending to hold a SENCO Conference (hopefully face to face) in spring 2022 and would like to engage with schools in planning the agenda. 

We are setting up a SENCO Conference 2022 working group that will plan workshops and keynote speakers.  We envisage that there will be two on-line meetings, one on 15 September 2021, 10.00 – 11.30am and one in January 2022, and we would very much like to have input from schools. Please email Kathryn.Kellagher@westsussex.gov.uk if you would like to be part of this. 

We would also like to hear from you what you like to see included in the next conference.  Please email Kathryn.Kellagher@westsussex.gov.uk with your suggestions for workshops or any other comments you would like to make about the conference.    

The session will consider all stages of support i.e. SEN Support, EHC needs assessment and monitoring and review of EHCPs.

We would like to work with parents/carers who represent all these different stages and are able to tell us what has worked well for their child/young person, what could have worked better and what they think might improve things for them and for other families.

We are seeking a cross-section of families with children/young people of varying ages and experiences.

The sessions will be conducted by an impartial SEN consultant and will be relaxed and informal.  They will be held in four different venues across West Sussex during the Autumn Term 2021. 

How do I get involved?

If you are interested in joining one of these sessions, please email Kathryn Kellagher with your contact details (email, preferred phone number, full address) answering the following questions:

1. Does your child/young person have SEN?

2. How are they supported? Please use one of these descriptions:
   
   SEN Support
   Going through EHC needs assessment or has been assessed in the last year
   Has had an EHCP for over a year
   Other – please explain
3. How old is your child/young person?
4. Which area of West Sussex do you live in?

If you are unable to email Kathryn please either seek support from your child/young person’s setting or call 033022 28735 to speak with her (Kathryn works part-time, so do leave a message if you reach her answerphone).

What happens then?

We will get back in touch with you to confirm the session details and to check whether you have any additional accessibility requirements.

Numbers will be restricted, and consideration will be given to achieving a balance of representatives in each session.

If you are not offered a place in a session, we will ensure you are offered an alternative way of sharing your contribution.

 Please contact us by 23^rd July 2021 to be considered for the session.

Hello!

We are Jacqueline Martin and Nikki Ludlam and we have been recruited to the newly created role of Specialist Advisory Teacher, Jacqui in the North and Nikki in the South and West of the County. Our aim is to support some of our vulnerable learners with EHCPs as they transition from Year 6 to Year 7.  Our support will then also remain available to secondary schools and parents throughout Year 7, so that we are quickly available should any queries or concerns arise.

We offer support and guidance, and signpost to other services and generally ensure that families and schools work together to meet the young person’s needs.  Although we will not be directly teaching or assessing students, we are experienced Specialist Teachers and are able to offer oversight, guidance and support in a timely manner.

The allocation of our caseloads is undertaken by Team Managers, and schools can raise the possibility of an enhanced transition service should it be identified as a cause for concern at the Annual Review for Y5 pupils.  If you feel that you have pupils that fit these criteria please contact your SNO (Special Needs Officer) in the first instance.

As Special Needs Officers (SNOs), we support schools in meeting the needs of learners with EHCPs and attending high priority annual reviews and other meetings. We act as the link between schools and the Special Educational Needs Team, working closely with our Team Managers. Another important aspect of our work is to provide relevant training to school staff in relation to the meeting the needs of learners with SEN, with specific focus on EHC Needs Assessment and EHCPs.

My name is Emma Spurle.  I joined the team in January 2021 as full time SNO for the West of the county.

I have taught in West Sussex schools for over twenty years and have been SENCo at several primary schools in the Bognor and Chichester area. More recently, I worked at Fordwater Special School leading the primary department, teaching a class of young children with complex needs, many of whom had a diagnosis of Autism. In September 2019 I set up and led the new SSC provision for children with Speech and Language Needs at Horsham Nursery school. My particular areas of interest are in Speech and Language Difficulties and Autism. I have been trained as an Attention Autism Advanced Practitioner by Gina Davies and am passionate about the positive impact the intervention can have.

I am delighted to be in post and very much looking forward to getting out into schools as soon as possible.

Over 20 schools and settings have taken part in the Inclusion framework peer support sessions which have been facilitated by the SEND and Inclusion team.

These are free to attend, small group sessions that support the use of the inclusion framework and  provide school staff from different schools and settings with an opportunity to support each other on their inclusion development journey. Facilitated by members of the WSCC SEND and Inclusion team, each session focuses discussion on the area / aspect of the inclusion framework most relevant to each school.

"It’s exactly what you want: present your ‘sticking’ point and then use the groups experience and knowledge to build a plan."

"We all learn from each other. Great to hear that others have similar issues."

School feedback after attending a peer support session

An action learning set format is used during each peer support sessions and attendees are invited to share their school context, what is working well and to raise an aspect of inclusion that they would like support with.  The Inclusion Framework is used as a reference tool to identify their strengths and areas for development. 

Set your staff and pupils up for the new school year with an assembly that will help to identify and support young carers. The Assembly Plan below was designed by the West Sussex Young Carers Family Service and it can be delivered by staff and/or pupils in your school.

It is one of the many tools and resources developed to enable school communities to best identify and support this vulnerable group of young people to achieve academically whilst in a caring role. All the resources are available here - Young Carers in Schools | West Sussex Services for Schools

Lesson plan: Assembly

Title: Supporting young carers in school
Audience: Year 7 - 11 students
Exercise:  1
Approximate time: 30 minutes

Materials:  ‘Out of Time’ DVD, projector with DVD player and audio, SMART board/pens, props e.g. apron, mop and bucket, saucepan, sieve, empty pill bottles, towel, cheque book, shopping bag, lever arch file (homework), translation dictionary, phone,’ bag of worries’, listening ear, shower cap, empty wine bottles or cans, adult problems, washing line with pegs, laundry basket, shoulder to cry on etc. A volunteer from the audience.

Aim/outcome: To raise awareness of young carers and the tasks they might be undertaking - for further discussion in lessons and PSHE (see lesson plans)

Activity:

Introduce the ‘Out of Time’ DVD, explain it was written and produced by young carers in West Sussex together with a local theatre company, Making Theatre Gaining Skills. It shows two versions of the same day in the life of a young carer at school – one not so good and one good.

Play the DVD (10.7 mins– ask the audience which day they preferred and why. Then ask the audience how they would know someone was a young carer - brainstorm with the audience a list of physical tasks and emotional responsibilities a young carer may have and add to flip chart/whiteboard (5 mins).

Ask for a volunteer from the audience to come and stand at the front of the audience – ask the audience, ‘What are all the things a young carer might be doing?’ When they mention a physical task or emotional response for which you have a prop give it to the volunteer to hold (10 minutes).

The idea is that the volunteer will end up weighed down juggling lots of tasks and emotional responsibilities. Highlight the fact that there is an emotional impact of caring for someone (worry, stress, adult problems, shoulder to cry on, limits to social life etc) in addition to the tasks a young carer might be undertaking.

Close the assembly by stating the support available in your school for young carers and people to talk to, include their photos and contact details on any information shown e.g. School Nurse, Pastoral Lead, Head of Year, teacher, support staff etc.

Questions for the facilitator to consider prior to running this session:

1. Is it ok for young carers to be treated differently from other students? If so, when? If not, why not?
2. How might young carers be best supported in your school?
3. Who’s responsible for putting this support in place?
4. What policy and procedures are needed to endorse and inform the practical support?
5. What help, advice and support is available from other organisations?