MMU CPD Cluster Twilight
Developing high quality inclusive
provision through ITT placements
at Priestnall School
By
Gareth D Morewood
Director of Curriculum Support, Priestnall School, &
Rachel J Wyllie and Emily J Watson
MMU PGCE Students
17th January 2013
Setting the scene…
• A truly comprehensive secondary school
with approx. 1210 students aged 11-16
• Priestnall School – ‘outstanding’ (OFSTED,
2011) including ‘outstanding’ provision for
young people with SEND (OFSTED, 2004,
2008, 2011)
• Working with a range of students and
trainees
Teaching Agency and SEND
• A member of SEND Expert Reference
Group
• Considering SEND elements of ITT courses
• Developing a ‘whole-school’ model of
training, development and support for
young people with SEND and changing
school populations
What is going to happen?
• Give you a context where including young
people with SEND has recorded some
success
• Highlight some of the new ways of
working that this research demonstrates
• Offer some ideas on how to meet the
challenges facing the inclusion of young
people with SEND in mainstream schools
‘Our proposed reforms respond to the
frustrations of children and young people
and the professionals who work with
them. We want to put in place a radically
different system to support better life
outcomes for young people; give parents
confidence by giving them more control;
and transfer power to professionals on
the front line and to local communities.’
Support and Aspiration (DfE, 2011, p.4, para 4)
Next steps…
• Training and Development
• Single School Category
• Single Assessment – EHCP
• Widening access to provision
• Local Offer – LA but schools as well?
• Parents/Carers – giving greater control –
controversial?
• Personal Budgets
• School Funding reform
• Preparation for adulthood – independence
• SEN Pathfinders
So what about Priestnall?
• Student Passport
• Single Category – School Support Stage
• Trainee Educational Psychologist working
with us and 6 feeder primary schools
• Ongoing whole-school literacy focus
complimented by some detailed analysis
and new interventions
• Developing the existing CPD offer to
ensure ongoing personal development
Does Every Child still Matter?
• Being Healthy
• Staying Safe
• Enjoying and Achieving
• Making a Positive Contribution
• Economic Wellbeing
21st Century Children
• The young people in our schools are very
different now, than 15 years ago ...
• Neo-natal survival rates mean more
children are surviving with complex needs
and are now in our classes ...
• Learning & Teaching is different now; it
has to be ... so we have to evolve too …
A Whole-School Approach ...
• Our success has been built upon a truly
whole-school approach
(see: www.nasentraining.org.uk)
• Training for ALL staff is an important part
of improving provision and outcomes
• A corporate responsibility essential in this
evolving provision for all students
Also remember ...
‘The education of the peer
group is an essential part
of moving towards a truly
inclusive community’
Gareth D Morewood, 2011
What about attachment?
• Attachment behaviour is there to ensure the
•
•
•
survival of the child
Attachment is an affectionate bond between two
individuals that endures through space and time
and serves to join them emotionally
Attachment experiences are fundamental to
emotional/social/physical/cognitive development
Good early attachments serve to promote
resilience to later traumatic experiences
Developing attachment…
• The foundation of attachment is the early main
•
carer/child interaction
Attunement refers to the interaction between a
parent and child when the parent
– is available to the child
– is able to understand its needs
– responds appropriately to meet needs
– communicates that the child is valued,
understood, is able to effect change, is safe
Positive attachment cycle…
NEED
AROUSAL
RELAXATION /
TRUST /
SECURITY
SATISFACTION
Negative attachment cycle…
NEED
Arousal
HYPERAROUSAL or
DISSOCIATION
REJECTION
Characteristics of negative
attachment…
• Inability to regulate emotions. (rage, panic,
•
•
•
•
depression, impulsivity)
Basic mistrust (if someone is nice it must be a
trick)
Low self esteem/high shame (I am bad, I deserve
to be hurt)
Need for control (I need to take care of myself, I
don’t trust/understand others)
Learning difficulties (concentration, self belief,
dissociation)
Student A…
• Research was based around a year 8
student with complex attachment
difficulties
• The need to provide positive attachments
and reduce risks; especially homophily
• And to develop an increased sense of
worth and value for education
The specifics…
• Development of rational and consistent
model
• Evolution of support – considering the
research
• Developing pedagogy – understanding the
influences in real terms
Factors that improve
resilience include:
From training delivered in school I identified
important factors in supporting A:
• Supporting a good educational experience
• Having a named, key supportive adult
• Developing his talents and interests
Literacy and PE…
• GCSE PE is not all practical…
• Difficulties can be experienced in theory
elements of courses for those with Specific
Learning Difficulties (SpLDs)
• With 60% of the course being practical
and 40% theory, it is important to support
SEND in both elements
Literacy & reading – new focus ...
Assessment of Specific Learning
and Literacy needs (SpLD)
• Priestnall have developed the use of
LUCID’s LASS 11-15 software to assess
whole year groups...8 adaptive
assessments in one sitting:
Visual Memory
Auditory-verbal memory
Sentence Reading
Phonological processing ability
Reasoning
Spelling
Phonic reading skills
Single word reading
Identification and assessment…
• After identifying a specific need we used
software to assess the student further
• Lucid EXACT (an extension of the LASS
product) was used to provide specific
detail
• Along with my classroom observations
Observations; considering the
context…
• Adaptation of language
• Tasks explained separately
• Use of questioning
• Specific scaffolding – e.g. English lesson
• Presentation of worksheets and lesson
materials as per guidance
Considering the specifics…
• Literacy difficulties can have a significant
impact upon students across all subject
areas
• This was particularly evident with the
theory elements of the GCSE PE curriculum
Planning and developing…
• From the research, observations and
assessments I was able to develop my
personal strategies
• The success of the inclusive strategies were
evaluated and developed to ensure the
continual development of my teaching skills
in creating an inclusive learning
environment for all students
One size does not fit all…
• After considering the research,
observations and my own developing
practice – one strategy does not work
across the board
• Engagement and inclusion are more secure
when consideration is given to each
student’s individual needs
A timely reminder …
Every Child does still Matter …
• Being Healthy
• Staying Safe
• Enjoying and Achieving
• Making a Positive Contribution
• Economic Wellbeing
Conclusions and publications…
• Morewood, G. D. & Wyllie R. J. (2013) Music,
attachment and homophily; developing
positive experiences and reducing risks. A
case study. In press
• Morewood, G. D. & Watson, E. J. (2013) Literacy
and PE? A case study exploring the
developing strategy in supporting a student
with specific literacy needs in a mainstream
secondary school. In press
Learning isn’t always the same ...
Thanks for listening...
Gareth D Morewood
Director of Curriculum Support [SENCo]
and
Rachel J Wyllie and Emily J Watson
MMU PGCE Students
www.gdmorewood.com