Newsletters

Achievement for All

Since its implementation in September 2009, the 10 targeted local authorities (LAs) involved in the Achievement for All (AfA) project have embraced the principles and key aims to improve outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Progression Guidance

Since the launch of the Progression Guidance materials in September 2009, over 98 per cent of local authorities (LAs) have ordered the materials. In addition, LAs and schools have been accessing the associated data sets available on the National Strategies web area.

Guidance on monitoring progress, assessing attainment and planning next steps for young children with SEN

Children within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with special educational needs are entitled to high-quality early years provision based on the EYFS framework, its principles and commitments. They should be supported in pursuing unique paths in their learning and development toward the early-learning goals.

SEND inclusion network meetings

Network meetings have been a regular feature of the National Strategies programmes for Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD), with local authority (LA) colleagues consistently reporting how valuable they have found them.

SEND regional hubs

The 10 regional Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) regional hubs have continued to move apace in 2009–10, working on three national development strands with most hubs also having an additional regional strand.

Transition Support Programme

Over the last year, the National Strategies Transition Support team has worked directly with 42 local authorities (LAs) identified as most in need of support to develop transition services for disabled young people as they enter adulthood. Between September and December 2009, all LAs completed a second moderated self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ2).

The Lamb Inquiry – Increasing parental confidence in SEN

The Lamb Inquiry, published in December 2009, was established to advise on effective ways of increasing parental confidence in the Special Educational Needs (SEN) system. During the Inquiry, interim reports were produced about SEN and disability information, the quality and clarity of statements, and inspection and accountability. The final report calls for a strengthening of the relationship between parents, schools and local authorities focusing on outcomes for children with SEND.

Narrowing the Gaps

Details of the Narrowing the Gaps: from data analysis to impact – A practical guide publication.

The National Challenge G+T project

Details of recently produced material which support the National Challenge G+T project

Leading teachers for G&T education

A small selection of strategies a leading teacher might use to promote talk in the classroom.

G+T discussion groups

An update on the gifted and talented discussion groups

Quality Standards 1

Examples of ways in which schools are using the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) with pupils

Quality Standards 2

Examples of ways in which schools are using the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) with pupils

What’s new in gifted and talented education?

Details of recently produced Gifted and Talented materials

The Behaviour Challenge

LAs plans to improve behaviour for their next Ofsted inspection.

Anti-bullying

The spring 2010 e-newsletter tells you what's happening, what's new and what's coming up in 2010-11.

Partnerships and the development of Short Stay Schools and alternative provision

Outlining a range of consultations focusing on the development of Short Stay Schools and alternative provision, timelines are provided for the set periods.

Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning and local authority self-review

A report on a series of very successful consultation events for our 60 tracker schools and local authority (LAs) representatives, autumn 2009.

Attendance

The National Strategies have developed two detailed resources to help support and assist schools and Children's Services in improving attendance and reducing persistent absence.

NPSLBA

The National Programme for Specialist Leaders in Behaviour and Attendance (NPSLBA) continues to exceed expectations and targets.

Narrowing the Gaps

Raising the attainment of FSM pupils is a key national priority for the spring term, with the launch of new National Strategies work in this area.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

The implementation of the Achievement for All project, being piloted in ten local authorities and 460 schools is now underway.

Behaviour, Attendance and SEAL

Autumn 2009 saw a lot of activity across Behaviour, Attendance and Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) including the introduction of a new persistent absence (PA) strategy based on recent data analysis and the launch of the Behaviour Challenge, informed by the Steer Review (April 2009) and a new Ofsted inspection framework.

Using Data for Improvement

A range of new data resources are now available on the National Strategies web area for individual, team, subject and senior leader use. These offer help to schools and LAs to analyse their data when evaluating the progress and outcomes of vulnerable groups.

Narrowing the Gaps: Free school meals (FSM) and Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA)

Narrowing the Gaps: Gifted and Talented (G+T) provision

Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Behaviour, Attendance and Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)

Narrowing the Gaps

Following the publication of Breaking the Link and the government’s White Paper commitment to narrow attainment gaps, a wide range of development is under way at school, local authority (LA) and national level. 

Special Educational Needs

The key priority for the Special Educational Needs (SEN)/Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD) team is to narrow gaps and accelerate the progress of vulnerable groups, particularly pupils with SEN.

Gifted and Talented

The Gifted and Talented (G+T) programme has a sharp focus on unlocking the potential of more able underachieving, disadvantaged pupils across all phases of education, alongside wider activity to embed the G+T quality standards and improve learning for all pupils.

Social and Emotional Aspects of Development (SEAD)

Programme priorities for the summer term: Social and Emotional Aspects of Development (SEAD).

Pupils eligible for free school meals

Pupils eligible for free school meals; the ABC project.

Children and young people in care

Children and young people in care and the Devon approach

Working with the Classroom Quality Standards 1

The Classroom Quality Standards for Gifted and Talented education: A subject focus is currently being used by schools and teachers as a self-evaluation and improvement tool. Many local authorities (LAs) have initiated pilot projects in volunteer schools to trial effective approaches.

Working with the Classroom Quality Standards 2

Working with the Classroom Quality Standards (CQS) to address underachievement by ensuring good progress of more able gifted and talented pupils in English

Leading teachers for gifted and talented education

Many leading teachers are developing effective practice and expertise which they share through their local authority (LA) Gifted and Talented (G+T) network meetings.

What's new in gifted and talented education

The National Challenge; G+T and High Performing Specialist Schools; Guidance on preventing underachievement.

Forthcoming resources

Gifted and Talented Black pupils' achievement CPD module and briefing pack

Progression Guidance and CPD Materials

The Progression guidance, to be published this term, will focus on those working below Level 1 of the National Curriculum and provide pupil–level matched data.

The Inclusion Development Programme

Working with Dyslexia Action, I CAN and ACER, the National Strategies have produced a number of resources to support the Inclusion Development Programme (IDP). The resources provide advice through web-based materials which include teaching and learning resources, training materials, video clips, guidance on effective classroom strategies and sources of more advice and training.

Achievement for All

The National Strategies are currently working with the DCSF and National College for School Leadership (NCSL) to develop the Achievement for All project. It aims to improve the outcomes of all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

School Improvement and the Special School SIP Programme

From April 2009 the team leading the School Improvement Partners (SIP) programme for special schools and inclusion merged with the Special Educational Needs (SEN) team to ensure better alignment of shared strategies and associated programmes.

The Aiming High Transition Support Programme

The National Strategies Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD) team is currently working with the National Transition Support team, managed by the Council for Disabled Children, and the Children’s Health and Maternity Care Partnership.

Compliance with the SEN statutory framework: A self-evaluation resource

The aim of this new resource is to support statutory assessment teams in local authorities (LAs) to assess the extent to which each requirement is being implemented, and to identify areas for further development.

The Lamb Inquiry – SEN and Parental Confidence: Update

The Lamb Inquiry, chaired by Brian Lamb, was set up to advise the Secretary of State on the most effective ways of increasing parental confidence in the Special Educational Needs (SEN) assessment process. It has been asked to consider a range of ways in which this can be achieved, before reporting to the Secretary of State in September 2009. The following are updates relating to specific areas of the Inquiry.

Update from the Regional SEN Hubs

The 2009–10 Hubs programme builds on and expands last year’s three national strands of work.