Transition programmes for young adults with SEND : what works?

This paper describes the evidence base for transition programmes for young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Schools, colleges and providers of careers and enterprise programmes are invited to use this evidence to inform the programmes that they are running and developing. The paper draws together academic and ‘grey’ literature (such as policy papers, speeches and programme evaluation reports), with the aim of, first, clarifying the impacts from transition programming and, second, exploring what effective practice looks like.Careers and Enterprise Compan

SENCO induction pack: Supporting you at the start of your journey

This induction pack has been designed by SENCOs for SENCOs as a useful reference tool that can be used from day one of undertaking this important role. It can be a valuable asset to both new and experienced professionals alike and we would recommend it to all SENCOs. We understand that the role is context-specific and so, instead of trying to prescribe a single approach, this induction pack sets out the key operational considerations so that SENCOs can make more informed decisions. This SENCO Induction Pack has been developed by Leading Learning for SEND Community Interest Company as part of a suite of resources developed by the Whole School SEND Consortium3, hosted by nasen4, to embed good SEND provision in schools. This project was funded by the Department for Education. As such, the induction pack includes references to a broad range of organisations, resources and documents from across the SEND community. This is in keeping with one of the wider principles of Whole School SEND, which is to maximise the use of existing resources to save schools time and money.Department for Educatio

Resilience, Reflection and Reflexivity

Historically the teacher resilience literature has tended to focus on the individual (Day, 2017), their ability to manage stressors and risk factors and to draw on protective factors (Howard and Johnson, 2004). More recently the emphasis has shifted from analysis of the individual, towards understandings which emphasise the interaction between individuals and their environments (Ungar, 2012). Focussed more on the latter rather than the former, this chapter moves away from the potentially damaging effects of a ‘pull yourself together’ mentality, in favour of analysis which contextualises teacher resilience. Teacher resilience is viewed more in terms of the space where an individual’s capacity to navigate challenges interacts over time with their personal and professional contexts (Beltman, 2015). The desired outcome of this meeting between individual and context is a teacher who experiences professional engagement and growth, commitment, enthusiasm, satisfaction, and wellbeing (Beltman, 2015) and thus is able to act in a personally, socially and emotionally responsible way. The nexus between professional challenge and teacher satisfaction is explored through two case studies presented in this chapter and the subsequent discussion which addresses the inclusion of children with additional needs (both special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) and able and talented).N/

What makes supported internships an effective approach to VET?

Internationally, there have been varied attempts to secure the inclusion of young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Vocational Education and Training (VET). This paper investigates supported internships (SIs), which are programmes that include college courses in numeracy and literacy, workplace learning, and broader life skill development. Drawing on an empirical study of one SI in England, this paper focuses on the pedagogic structure of SIs to explore how systematic instruction combines with elements of the workplace environment to bring about successful vocational learning for young people with SEND. It considers whether the expansive-restrictive conceptualisation of apprenticeship learning explains successful outcomes within an SI. A case study approach using a qualitative methodology of semi-structured interviews was adopted to explore the experiences of people involved in the SI. These included two job coaches, four colleagues, six interns and three graduates from the SI. Thematic analysis revealed this SI facilitates workplace learning for young people with SEND because it models an expansive (not reductive) approach to internships. Systematic instruction did not result in restrictive learning because of role design and broader organisational features. A key facilitating aspect was that the design of the internship fostered opportunities to develop identity through crossing boundaries. Implications for the design of SIs (to facilitate social inclusion and ensure employment outcomes for young people with SEND) are discussed

Careers coaching for social justice: the case of school leadership and inclusive education for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities

This paper focusses on emancipatory careers coaching for social justice and proposes a practical tool for use with school leaders who are working to improve the inclusiveness of their schools. It draws on a study of 75 school leaders working on a programme of peer review in a city in England. The programme was named the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Peer Challenge Programme and through it, participants worked collaboratively to evaluate and improve the quality of inclusive practice in the City’s mainstream (ordinary) schools. The study used inductive qualitative content analysis (QCA) to form a coding agenda which was then applied to a deductive analysis of 24 SEND Peer Challenge school reports. These reports were collaboratively produced by leaders engaged in the SEND Peer Challenge Programme to summarise the outcomes of the process. Following final QCA reduction, the research identified six value constructs that were live and relevant for school leaders in the City related to collectivism, collaboration and mutuality. These value constructs are also live in the field of inclusive education more widely. Drawing on the six value constructs, we propose practical strategies for emancipatory careers coaching. These strategies can be applied by individuals who provide careers coaching for school leaders engaged in the process of school improvement for SEND and inclusion.Acknowledgements The paper draws on a study of peer review among school leaders working in a City in England (Derby) on the SEND Peer Challenge Programme. This programme was part of a city-wide project of school improvement known as ‘Whole School SEND and Inclusion’ (henceforth referred to as the City Project). We acknowledge the support given to this project by the Department for Education and the Derby OA Executive Board who funded the City Project as the basis for this study. We also acknowledge the support of participating stakeholders in the city, including schools and their communities. To further acknowledge our funder and participants, we preface the paper with the following account of the City Project’s impact to date. At the end of the City Project’s first year there were indications of positive impact. There was an overall decrease from 2017/2018 to 2018/2019 in permanent exclusions in the city. Permanent exclusions describe the process by which schools remove pupils from the school role with follow up funding for alternative school placements or alternative education. This decrease was larger amongst schools who engaged in a peer challenge and there was evidence of an association between SEND exclusions and engagement in the SEND peer challenge. The reasons for this are yet to be confirmed. Lead peer challengers were also reporting that recommendations were being implemented in schools to improve schools for SEND. Full reporting on these impacts is beyond the scope of this paper

Developing more inclusive schools for pupils with special educational needs: key messages for school leaders and communities

This paper will provide an outline of a unique local area project of school improvement for inclusion and special educational needs called the ‘SEND Peer Challenger programme’ so that its principles might be understood and/or emulated by school leaders who are looking for new ways to improve provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SENDs) in general classrooms. Its aims are to: Provide an example of how researchers in universities, front line educationalists and local governors can collaborate to deepen the reach of school improvement initiatives for SEND and inclusion in mainstream schools. Share the findings of a research study that cast light on the character of effective leadership and management for high quality SEND provision in mainstream education. Explore the implications of these findings for researchers, local governors, and school leaders through understanding the elements of high-quality SEND provision in general classrooms. Operationalising leadership and management approaches to improve SEND provision in general classrooms.Funded by Derby Opportunities Area and Department for Educatio

Teachers’ Continuing Professional Development: Action Research for Inclusion and Special Educational Needs and Disability

In 2022, the authors of this paper were awarded with three years’ government funding to support seventy-five English schools and Further Education colleges with the running of their own Action Research for inclusion and special educational needs projects (ISEND). Based on the funder’s interest in the identification and scaling-up of the evidence-base for SEND practice, this reflective account analyzes the evidence-base drawn upon and created by the Action Researchers for ISEND and the efficacy of the approach. Adopting an interpretivist, qualitative approach to content analysis, this paper analyzes data from the first seven completed Action Research for ISEND projects. Aligned with Dewey’s scientific model of reflection, analysis shows the Action Researchers for ISEND draw upon a complex synthesis of contextualized understanding, broadened horizons (including collaborative working and study), deepened and/or reshaped understandings, and data analysis to form their theorizations of praxis. Bearing no relation to evidence-based practice, the Action Researchers for ISEND adopt a constructivist ontology towards the inclusion of children with SEND, which challenges positivistic paradigms of “what works” in SEND and embeds a praxis of democracy which frequently includes the voices of learners with disabilities in decision making processes

The Language of SEND: implications for the SENCo

The central tenet of this chapter is that language matters. Over the centuries as human beings have represented and categorised both themselves and others in different ways, so interpretations and the language of disability (physical and learning) shape-shifts altering through time (Goodey, 2016). The language of disability and the societal and political values which underpin it are therefore not cross-historical – let two or three generations pass and the labels associated with disability alter. Sometimes such changes in language usage can seem little more than semantic fashion or a professional challenge to keep up-to-date with. The language of disability is however more than fashion and political correctness (Mallett and Slater, 2014), for words gain their meaning from the manner in which they are used (Wittgenstein, 2009). This chapter argues the language of special education shapes SENCOs’ values, expectations, assumptions, responses and practice. Through an exploration of historical and current language usage, this chapter analyses the language of special education and the implications for the school community.N/