Access to learning: high-quality teaching practice and targeted professional training in SEND
Author Siobhan Duvigneau
Date 1st Nov 2021
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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ofsted carried out a qualitative case study (1) of 7 mainstream primary and secondary schools in the UK. The purpose of this research was to determine how the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) were being met, and whether support approaches varied between education providers. Based on the testimony of 21 pupils, their parents, teachers, support staff and staff in external agencies, this focused review provides us with a unique window into how SEND provision and practice could be improved by closing the gap in SEND knowledge and targeted professional training.
Despite uncovering pockets of good practice, it was felt some SEND support wasn’t ambitious enough (see: Key highlights below). Some pupils lacked learning independence, and some were at risk of experiencing a learning loss and/or social exclusion.
Key highlights
| 1 |
The report recommends professional training for teaching assistants that focuses on how to teach subjects from the curriculum. Rob Webster – the author of Maximising the Use of Teaching Assistants (TAs) – argues that instead of focusing on greater curriculum knowledge, TAs should possess a broad set of skills around learning(2). |
| 2 |
In some schools, SEND support consisted of one-to-one (and group) interventions with a key adult – typically a teaching assistant. Pupils appeared to miss ‘entire chunks of the curriculum’, lacked learning independence and seemed over-reliant on their keyworker. As support interventions often took place outside of the classroom, pupils were at risk of a learning loss and social exclusion due to limited opportunities to participate in the same high-quality teaching experiences as their peers. This impacted, most notably, the experiences and overall developmental ambition of pupils needing SEN support without an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). |
| 3 |
Efforts to adopt person-centred approaches and build a secure knowledge of SEND had not entirely closed the gap in understanding. Some practitioners did not always know the pupils well enough to support their individual needs |
Introducing Access to learning
In response, OLT is joining the SEND community’s efforts to address some of Ofsted’s concerns with our new webinar series entitled ‘Access to learning’. From October to March 2022, our acclaimed speakers will share timely, evidence-based information and insights to help close the gap in SEND knowledge and practice, so that all pupils can benefit from equivalent access to high-quality teaching and learning experiences. We’ll be sharing strategies that remove barriers to learning participation, improve identification of the starting point of need, promote learning independence and build self-esteem for pupils with SEND.
Confirmed speakers
Margaret Rooke: 'Supporting and empowering children and teens with dyslexia', now available on demand.
Gwyn McCormack: Individual access skills for pupils with a vision impairment, now available on demand.
Dr Jane Calcutt: Conflict management in schools, live 16 February 2022
Other webinars in this series will be confirmed shortly
References
1. GOV.UK. 2021. Supporting SEND. [online] Available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-send/supporting-send#methodology
[Accessed 18 October 2021].
2. Webster, R., 2021. Why Ofsted is wrong about TA support for SEND pupils. [online] Tes. Available at:
https://www.tes.com/news/teaching-assistants-why-ofsted-has-no-idea-how-use-tas-support-send
[Accessed 18 October 2021].
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