Finish This… invites your class to be ENO Composers and tasks them with a mission to respond to, and resolve, a purposefully unfinished operatic piece titled ‘Blue, Red, Yellow…’, presented through film and animation straight to your classroom.

It’s a unique musical starting point for your pupils to embrace their imaginations, express themselves and experiment with sounds, music, colour and stories – all through the lens of opera.

What’s included?

• A short film, especially commissioned for young audiences, presenting the operatic stimulus
• Music-making films, to play in the classroom
• Online Teacher CPD, co-delivered by a specialist teacher and the ENO
• Lesson plans and supporting CPD films
• ENO Composer badges and certificates, posted directly to your school
• A toolkit of printed resources, posted directly to your school
• Supporting visual aids for SEND learners including social stories, chat mats, Makaton signing and communication cards
• Access to an online hub with downloadable resources
• An opportunity to have your pupils’ work showcased on the ENO website and turned into a short animated film.

The programme is free to all state, non-fee-paying schools nationwide and has been co-created with teachers, artists and learning specialists.

“Easy to understand lesson plans and videos which guided teachers of all experience and musical levels.”

Teacher from 2022–23 participating school

“It was the most exciting project, broke down so many barriers and was completely inclusive.”

Teacher from 2022–23 participating school

“It has been fantastic! The children had so much fun – every step was accessible to them and allowed them to show their own personalities through their creativity.”

Teacher from 2022–23 participating school

“An immersive, inclusive experience to enable everyone to create beautiful musical compositions.”

Teacher from 2022–23 participating school

The post English National Opera’s FREE and inclusive music-making programme for KS2 and SEND learners appeared first on Teachwire.

30 Second Briefing

Created by educators, Tapestry is an easy-to-use, secure online learning journal helping staff and families celebrate and support their children’s learning in both mainstream and specialist provision.

Every subscription gives access to a wide variety of features designed to reduce workload and assist the development of each setting and school.

1. Engaging with parents

Tapestry understands how important it is for parents and carers to be able to engage and contribute to their child’s learning and development.

Through the use of features such as observations and memos, Tapestry allows educators and families to collaborate in an equal partnership to support their children, encouraging consistent dialogue throughout a child’s time at a school or setting.

Educators can build meaningful relationships with families, strengthening their knowledge of the children and giving families the opportunity to provide valuable input.

2. Support your SEND provision

All children are entitled to child-centred assessment, not just those who are developing typically.

The Cherry Garden Branch Maps framework, available online exclusively with Tapestry, was created specifically by Ofsted Outstanding specialist school Cherry Garden as a resource to support educators working with children with learning differences and disabilities.

Development doesn’t necessarily look the same for all pupils, and the unique interactive orchard provides the opportunity to celebrate progress and engage children and families with their learning.

3. Your curriculum, your way

Tapestry’s Bespoke Frameworks feature gives educators the flexibility to create and upload their own curriculums and milestones directly onto their accounts. Educators can capture and reflect on progress in a way that works for their cohorts and team, whilst keeping the child at the centre of their practice.

The thoroughness screen also provides staff with an ‘at a glance’ view of what has been covered in their provision, aiding future planning decisions.

“Educators can capture and reflect on progress in a way that works for their cohorts and team, whilst keeping the child at the centre of their practice.”

4. Setting activities

Create, store and send custom activities, responding to children’s unique learning needs with Tapestry’s Activities feature. Educators can develop their own catalogue of activities, and choose existing ideas from Tapestry’s activities catalogue.

Relatives can view their child’s set activities on their devices and respond to them with their own observations, providing staff with a full picture of the child’s experiences.

5. Child Login

With Child Login, children can sign into Tapestry securely from anywhere, allowing them to view and comment on existing observations and respond to set activities independently.

Pupils can engage with their learning directly, giving them more autonomy and encouraging them to take pride in their own work.

Educators can add assessments to observations uploaded by the children and provide meaningful feedback on their contributions, working collaboratively with them to add their voice to their journey.

To find out more, visit tapestry.info/features or email customer.service@eyfs.info.

The post 5 reasons to try… Tapestry by The Foundation Stage Forum Ltd appeared first on Teachwire.

It’s a negative spiral – reduced attendance can lead to greater anxiety, with ‘pull’ factors towards home becoming stronger than ‘push’ factors towards school.  

While many children are thriving on the ‘new normal’, according to social enterprise Square Peg, 22 per cent of mainstream pupils were persistently absent in the autumn/spring term of 2021/22. That’s a 117 per cent increase since 2018/19. 

With attendance currently such a hot topic, it’s time to explore what we can do to help. 

Identify risk early 

EBSA risk factors take many different forms – but some are more obvious than others.

Change or trauma, however small, has a profound effect on a child. So moving house, the death of a pet, or the relocation of a friend can be triggers as much as separation from a parent, illness, trauma or death.

Even last-minute changes for drop-off or anxiety during transport to school can increase risk. 

Pupils with autism, sensory needs, ADHD and other SEND are at higher risk, with or without diagnosis.

In the latest data from Square Peg, 37 per cent of pupils with EHC plans and 31 per cent receiving SEN support were persistently absent as of November 2022. This compares with 22 per cent of all pupils.  

Watch for patterns of absence or illness, too. Do they cluster in the run-up to tests or occur off your watch (perhaps in external PE lessons, lunch or after school club)?

Check in with colleagues to pattern-spot problems in specific subjects and with specific staff.

Look out for pupils who struggle or are solitary during breaks; EAL pupils and those with social communication difficulties are particularly at risk. 

Stay abreast of family situations, too. Common EBSA triggers are a new baby, sibling jealousy or conflict, parenting difficulties, parental conflict or separation, and domestic abuse. Young carers are particularly vulnerable.  

Unpack the problem

No two children with EBSA are the same, so it’s essential to meet one-to-one and unpack what is causing school-associated anxiety.

One approach is to use blank cards in a ‘diamond five’ activity – a structured session to help establish the most effective solutions to problems.

Encourage the pupil to identify which aspects of school cause them most anxiety and write the top five on five cards.

Place the biggest barriers at the top of a diamond-shape layout and those that are problematic but less so further down.  

Discuss solutions and write them on the back of each card.

Common adjustments could include going with a friend or named adult; early or later entry to the lesson; not needing to change into sports kit; working in a pair rather than a group; using assistive technology; or working with a desk partition. 

If things worsen, co-develop ‘What If?’ cards.

Establish which specific scenarios worry the pupil most, and explore responses that would help.

Solutions can go on the reverse side of flashcards for a keyring or on a foldout pocket resource, such as these from Bromley Education: tinyurl.com/tp-WhatIf  

Flex the system 

‘Flexible’ and ‘individualised’ should be your watchwords if you want things to improve.

We need to change the way we look at schooling for pupils with EBSA.

This calls for some flex in the system from senior management. Agree reasonable adjustments and individualise the school experience in response to the child’s needs and their triggers.

Enable staff to do home visits to build a solid partnership with families and carers to inform strategies.

You could also allow a reduced timetable with shorter days, later starts or earlier finishes, and a graduated approach to building back up at the pupil’s pace.

Familiar adults are critical. Provide pupils and parents with consistent staff to meet them in the car park, at the entrance, or outside the dinner hall.

There should also be a dedicated staff member for overseeing EBSA pupils.

Plan adjustments to the environment and curriculum, modifying demands without lowering expectations (see the panel at the end of this article for examples).  

After extended withdrawal from school, plan how you can successfully ‘ladder’ the pupil back in. Build attendance back up in tiny increments with pauses, where needed, along the way.  

Be universal and consistent 

Create a one-page profile outlining personalised support and save it in an easily accessible, shared area.

Communicate to all staff, not just teachers, how critical it is that they read and maintain the same strategies consistently and make them aware of the difference it can make.

Stick rigidly to the child’s new structure, ensuring predictability and consistency.  Enable agency, too.

If anxiety begins to build, have a dedicated circle of staff for the pupil to check in with, ensuring at least one is available at any point in the school day. 

Ensure whole-school responsibility 

As any aspect of school can exacerbate the problem, it’s important that EBSA is understood at a whole-school level, with a supportive culture directing good provision.  

Train all staff, not just teachers, in mental health, anxiety and school avoidance, and establish a culture of sharing concerns about children who may be at risk.

Bring in ELSAs (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) and specialist training on autism, ADHD and masking. 

Finally, emphasise that all pupils are different but equally valued and that they belong.

Increase and extend buddying, and ensure policies and procedures on behaviour, bullying and equality are clear and are followed.

You can also increase pupil voice, targeting at-risk pupils; to understand EBSA better, their voices must be heard. 

10 strategies to reduce anxiety  

1. Use alternative formats like mini whiteboards for responding to questions. 

2. Build a familiar activity from home that pupils like into the start of the day. 

3. Use a visual timetable and prompts, building up to a three-part First, Then, Next board. 

4. Offer access to quiet/low sensory spaces and a preventative break card. 

5. Discuss seating changes before they are implemented; keep affected children away from (and out of the sightline) of more challenging peers. 

6. Smile and make pupils feel welcome, particularly in corridors, playgrounds and the dinner hall. 

7. Build choice-based activities into the day.  

8. Individualise their timetable, with early exits, later starts and support options for breaktimes and lunch. 

9. Do not call them out to the front, and avoid sanctioning the whole class. 

10. Give the pupil more open-ended ways in to the curriculum and home learning tasks that are creative or opinion-based rather than strictly right or wrong. 

Liz Hawker is a SEN specialist and parent in Kent. Follow her on Twitter @hawkerl1 and see more of her work at oneinfive.org.uk

The post EBSA – What to do when pupils are avoiding school appeared first on Teachwire.

Once, while working in a special school, I saw a non-verbal student speak for the first time ever!

In class, we had been working with the picturebook Handa’s Surprise for about four weeks, exploring the story with drama games, instruments, words, and movement, and often having great fun pretending to be the animals from the book.

One week, I turned the page of the book, and a normally non-verbal student said, “monkey” while pointing to the monkey taking the banana from Handa’s basket!

Their TA and I were stunned (and a little emotional). Other pupils, teachers, and parents were delighted.

From then on, the child became verbal in other areas of their life too.

They probably would have become verbal without drama, but I think our activities might have sped the process up, and others thought so too.

This pupil loved drama games, participating, and opening up in class more so than they did in other subjects.  

Drama can be an experimental, playful, and creative space, where mistakes are not only allowed, but encouraged.

This can be particularly liberating for SEND students.   

Drama for acceptance 

Too often, SEND pupils are required to shrink themselves to fit in. But drama is a place that allows them to expand and express themselves.  

Things I will often be found saying in the drama class are: “There is no wrong way”, “Don’t worry about what others think”, and “Do the first thing that comes into your head”.

However, not all drama activities are helpful. There are some harmful drama games out there that can panic children and make them feel rejected.  

When choosing content, I recommend making sure you choose games and activities that bring the class together. Avoid drama games that have winners and losers.  

Drama for focus 

I’ve seen children who usually struggle with focus pay attention well in the drama classroom.

Pupils with ADHD can find drama practically engaging.

A well-planned drama lesson should be fast-paced, and engage students physically, vocally, creatively, and mentally.

When performing a live improvisation in front of the class, there is no room for your attention to drift!  

There are many drama activities to help students slow down and focus, too, such as relaxation exercises to music, Stanislavski’s circles of attention, Lee Strasberg’s imaginary object exercise, and counting to 20 as a group.  

For counting to 20 as a group, each number is said by one person at random. If two people say the number at the same time, the group go back to number one.

It’s a great activity to calm the energy and bring the class back to focusing on a common goal. 

Drama for inclusivity 

When taught well, drama is a subject that offers a safe space to express creativity, to work in teams, all while increasing confidence. But when taught badly, it can further exclude.   

‘Yes, lets’ is one of my favourite warm-up games, as everyone’s ideas are welcomed and executed.

This involves proposing an idea to be mimed, and a positive response (think improv basics). For example, you might say, “Let’s all read a book” and everyone shouts, “Yes, lets” – at which point you all mime reading a book.

You might continue, “Let’s all ride a unicorn”. Pupils reply “Yes, lets”, and you all mime riding a unicorn.  

After you give a few examples, and when the game is in full swing, ask students to put their hands up if they have an idea.

Explain that all ideas, except for violent ones, are welcome. Try and give as many pupils as possible a go, and encourage (but don’t force), reluctant children to offer an idea.  

Dyslexia and drama 

Drama can be very empowering for students with dyslexia. I have dyslexia and for a long time, drama was the only subject I was good at.

It was a place I didn’t have to worry about words, or numbers, or remembering information. I could use my imagination, and verbal reasoning skills, which were my strengths. It was one of the few practical subjects where I could get up on my feet and do.  

I’m not alone as I’ve taught dozens of students with dyslexia since, who also love drama as it’s a subject where they get to use their strengths and forget about their weaknesses.

Try different explanations

People receive information in different ways, and for inclusivity, I believe it’s important for the teacher to communicate using several methods.

I often explain an activity in two different ways, or sometimes three, always using words, tone of voice, movement, and facial expressions to communicate.

Because for some children, visual signals can really help them.  

For example, if I have a SEND student in the class who responds well to pictures, I will make sure to include visuals in my explanations for the whole class.

If I ask the class to imagine it’s snowing, for instance, I will pretend to be very cold, and may even hold up a picture of snow.

I am likely also to play a piece of music that sounds snowy too, so that pupils have audio and visual guides to improvise with as they go on their snowy adventure.  

How to deal with overwhelm

If a pupil becomes overwhelmed, try and keep the class energy calm. Some focus drama games, breathing exercises, or mindfulness activities might help to bring down the energy of the group.

Offer the overwhelmed student a quiet place to sit, and explain that they may watch and join in when they are ready.  

If the class is independently rehearsing short scenes or improvisations, some SEND students might benefit from rehearsing in a quiet space, away from the rest of the class. This can prevent other children practising becoming a distraction, or being too overwhelming for them.  

5 steps to successful drama lessons

1. Outline the content of the class at the start of the lesson to help SEND pupils who respond well to structure. Many children with SEND find it comforting to know what to expect. If possible, write this on a board to help anchor these pupils. 

2. No idea is too silly in drama. Encourage and praise pupils when they share their creativity. 

3. One way to start the class is to get children into a circle and then ask them to do a vocal warm-up. For example, ask them to moo, meow, or woof to the tune of ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star’. Or you can do some tongue twisters, or funny sounds, all together.  

4. Follow this up with a quick movement warm up. For example, ask the class to imagine chewing on a big toffee, or biting into a rotten apple, or that they are a tiny seed growing into a beautiful flower, slowly.  

5. For inclusivity, never tolerate any unkind comments, looks, gestures, or laughs. If this happens, take the offending pupil aside and explain kindness and acceptance are essential in drama. If this doesn’t improve the behaviour, you may need to remove them from the group temporarily. 

Sam is a former drama teacher at schools and Youth Theatres. She is the author of 100 Acting Exercises for 8–18-Year-Olds, published by Bloomsbury.  

The post Drama games – Help SEND pupils explore what makes them unique appeared first on Teachwire.

At Westlea Primary in Swindon, our children’s journey is not about achieving the best test results. Rather, it’s about encouraging the best attitudes and behaviour across the board.

We focus on teaching skills for life that will help all our learners – whatever their abilities or background – to thrive long after they leave us.   

It’s this commitment that saw us win the nasen Award for Primary Provision in 2022.

With our child-centred approach, and an understanding that we all have different pathways, we’re building confident and enthusiastic individuals who want to be ‘good citizens’ and achieve.

The actions and activities we take part in each and every day have greatly benefited our pupils, and could help yours too. 

British values in primary school

As educators, we must think about practical life skills that all children need to thrive in the long-term.

Each term at Westlea, we look at a different British value that we link to current affairs.

This term is ‘individual liberty’ with a focus on equality, liberty and freedom for all. The children also watch Newsround every day. This encourages debate and discussion in every class – and explore what life is like beyond school; beyond Swindon; beyond the UK. 

For every year, we also create and promote year-group aspirations that are completely non-curricular.

Whether that’s walking in the woods, swimming lessons, or linking up with a local charity, these simple activities add exciting, practical milestones to the school calendar. 

On a peer-to-peer level, our prefects in Year 2 and Year 6, and our council reps from Year 2 upwards, collaborate to tackle topics like bullying and supporting the local community.

Any pupil can put themselves forward for the role, and we have a real mix onboard.

Leadership skills, empathy, communication and representation are among the key personal skills that children get out of it.

In fact, we have found the more that pupils are involved in interventions, discussions and buddying schemes, the more invested they are in achieving inclusion, and addressing any inequities they find.  

Role models for kids

It is vital that pupils with SEND can see what they can aspire to beyond the school gates.

As a result, role modelling is another approach we prioritise.

We invite former pupils with SEND who have progressed beyond school, in careers and education, into school to share their stories great and small.

This has ranged from medal-winning Paralympians to inspiring Year 10s and 11s who are now navigating their next choices.

We often invite university and college students back too. This way, children and their parents can see how they have moved on, and what their current goals and aspirations are.  

Whether in special Q&A sessions or assemblies, we make sure we include a wide variety of speakers. Especially those with SEND.

It’s a simple and powerful way to show that having a special need or disability needn’t hold anyone back.

One day, perhaps, those children watching will return with tales of the exciting impact they have made so far. 

On a broader level, we also work with the wider community. We engage with local police, nursing staff, firefighters etc, to provide practical tools on how to be a better citizen.

It’s all about exposing them to new career pathways and other role models. 

Inclusion in schools

We’ve worked hard to build a school environment that is fully inclusive to all learners.

Our on-site special resourced provision for children who are physically disabled, plus our unit for children with complex needs, sits at the heart of Westlea.

By actively making such resources highly visible and integrating children with SEND into mainstream classes and extra-curricular offerings, all pupils can grow used to being around a whole spectrum of needs, such as attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and more.  

All our pupils learn to understand and celebrate difference, and do not have an issue with it within school or outside the school gates. They see that this is how communities work. 

Full participation

While we love the inclusive framework we have created at Westlea, we also recognise that the outside world is sadly not always accommodating to the needs of children with SEND.

Rather than accept the inequalities, our staff go above and beyond to eliminate segregation, and make sure everything necessary is in place wherever we go.  

In an upcoming trip to the mayor’s parlour, for instance, we have made detailed risk assessments, and worked hard to ensure that appropriate resources such as ramps are in place for pupils who have wheelchairs.

The result is sure to be a fantastic day out for every pupil, with no one left behind. 

Ensuring full participation can also mean modifying our approaches to tasks within the structure of our timetable. Whatever it takes to respect the needs of individuals, and allow everybody to grow.

In our nativity play last year, for example, one student who was challenged by the pressure of performing to a large group was invited, instead, to perform at the dress rehearsal – which their parents came to watch.

As a result, they too developed confidence, courage and determination, in a situation made appropriate for their needs. 

Regardless of your pupils’ starting points or disabilities, every young person has the potential to succeed at something.

We have a moral duty to help unlock their future aspirations.

By working together, building the crucial skills children and young people need today, they can all have a bright future beyond the primary school gates.

How to promote social integration

• Look at proactive inclusion through clubs, school trips and extra-curricular activities 
• Create bespoke timetables and adapted teaching, where necessary 
• Seat pupils in class with those outside of their normal group of friends 
• Encourage children of different ages and abilities to play together 
• Think outside the box and create your own in-school birthday parties so everyone can join in the fun 
• Have a playground buddy system where children are trained to support others who might be struggling 
• Have trained ELSAs in school who are available to support both in the classroom, 1:1 and out on the playground 
• Hold assemblies with a range of themes, and linked to a range of beliefs 
• Have a broad and balanced, outward-looking curriculum which is accessible for all 

By modelling and encouraging social interaction we can help prepare all pupils for the future social aspects of their lives, as well as developing tolerance and understanding among children across school. 

Sarah Sumner is headteacher at Westlea Primary in Swindon. In October 2022, the school won the nasen Award for Primary Provision. Learn more and register for the 2023 nasen Awards at nasen.org.uk/awards 

The post Skills for life – Preparing SEND pupils for the post-primary world appeared first on Teachwire.

Formerly known as Autism Awareness Week, the National Autistic Society changed the name of this annual event in 2021 to Autism Acceptance Week.

Autism Acceptance Week aims to raise funds to support the 700,000 autistic people in the UK. Money raised goes to delivering plans to transform society into one that works for autistic people.

The theme for 2023 is colour.

When is Autism Acceptance Week?

Autism Acceptance Week 2023 takes place from 27th March to 2nd April.

JUMP TO A SECTION

• Great ways to help autistic pupils
• Official resources and fundraising
• Social skills lesson plan
• Problem solving lesson plan
• Autism Education Trust resources
• Make storytime more engaging
• Advice for working with autistic children
• Making PE lessons better for autistic pupils
• Autism in girls

Great ways to help autistic pupils

This free eight-part series will give you practical advice for helping the autistic children in your class. There’s advice for helping autistic pupils to open up, how to make your school less threatening to autistic pupils and more.

Official resources and fundraising

If you plan to raise money for Autism Acceptance Week, join in with the Spectrum Colour Challenge. Ideas for taking part include:

• hosting a colour quiz
• wearing a different colour each day
• having a rainbow-themed bake sale
• making meals featuring only one colour
• having a crazy hair day or fancy dress day
• hosting a colouring competition or art day

Download fundraising resources including posters, quizzes and more from the official website.

Elsewhere on the National Autistic Society website you’ll find lots of education resources, including Understanding autism online training. You can also sign up to an autism practice education newsletter.

Social skills lesson plan

Learn how to bring autistic children together in a structured, interesting task that will help them learn to get along together, celebrate their skills and help them learn new ones. Download the lesson plan for free.

Problem solving lesson plan

Help the autistic children in your classroom to tackle problem solving tasks in maths and science with this free lesson plan.

Autism Education Trust resources

The Autism Education Trust has a range of education resources on its website, including case studies about good autism practice in schools and advice for creating positive relationships between home and school.

Make storytime more engaging for autistic learners

This short video from Beyond Autism features seven simple ideas about how to help instil a love of reading and make story time engaging and fun.

Working with autistic children

Lynn McCann from Reachout Autism Support Consultants explains how a tweak to your classroom or daily routine can bring huge learning benefits…

Autism is a lifelong condition and a different way of thinking. It affects boys and girls but often in different ways.

We can’t change an autistic child into one that thinks in a typical way. Instead, we need to understand how they think and build on that to help them learn.

Making your classroom environment simpler can have a calming effect on all children, but especially autistic pupils who are easily overloaded and distracted by the multitude of sensory messages.

They can find it difficult to know what to filter out, and those with hypersensitivities can find a ‘normal’ amount of noise, smell, touch or movement painful.

“Making your classroom environment simpler can have a calming effect on all children, but especially autistic pupils”

Others may need extra movement or other sensory input just to feel grounded in the space they are in. Here’s some ideas that may help:

• Leave clear spaces around whiteboards and between display boards. Try and keep displays simple.
• Make sure that the child’s desk is easily accessible so they don’t need to navigate obstacles or pass lots of other children closely to reach it.
• Check light levels, noise from other rooms and smells. Cut down on things hanging from the ceiling.
• Use table top vocabulary or maths reminders, rather than word or number walls, and only get them out as needed so they are not there all the time.

It’s always best to start with a minimum amount of sensory input and let the child tell you what they can cope with on top of that. As they settle in, involve the autistic child in discussion about what could go on the walls or on their tables.

Think about structure

Autistic children thrive on predictability. However, with preparation and support to understand how to manage the new situation, many autistic children can cope with new things.

It’s the unexpected that is likely to cause great distress for them. Try these ideas:

• Use a visual timetable and encourage the child to use it at every change of activity.
• Do what you say you will do, when you say you’ll do it, as much as possible. Don’t promise things you are unlikely to be able to do.
• Have the equipment the pupil might need easily available and well labelled. Start by putting maths or writing equipment in different coloured bags, for example.
• Use a visual schedule to help autistic pupils learn how to do things by themselves, such as getting ready for PE, packing their bag at the end of the day or tidying up.
• Try not to assume anything. If they are refusing to do something, do they know how to do it?
• Break down work tasks into manageable, clearly explained chunks. Fold a worksheet so only one part can be seen at a time or draw a coloured box around the part they need to do first.
• Use the words ‘first, then, last’ to help the child work through a task. Give them their own copy of a book.
• Pictures and written instructions are easier to refer to and remember than verbal instructions. Make them positive and encouraging.
• A workstation is a place to quietly get on with a set of tasks independently, without distractions. Some autistic pupils really benefit from having this space and structure to work with.

Boost inclusion

Social interaction is a two-way process. Working with your class to include and support an autistic child is important. Think about the following:

• Make plans to support your autistic pupil in interacting with his or her peers. This could be by setting up a games group, a buddy system for playtimes or by supporting partner work in class.
• Play and lunchtimes are unstructured times that can be a sensory nightmare. Allow autistic pupils to do things they like and help them find a calm space to refresh their batteries if that’s what they need.

Keep learning

Reading up about autism is helpful for teachers, but don’t assume the child in your class will be just like the ones you read about. My best advice is to get to know your pupil and their strengths, as well as their difficulties.

Don’t feel overwhelmed by what you might not know. Instead, ask for advice or help earlier, rather than later.

Here are some final ideas:

• Work as a team with your TA by planning together so that you both get to know the child well. Ideally you should be teaching the child yourself throughout the week.
• Getting to know the professional working with your autistic pupil and building an excellent relationship with them will bring huge benefits for all.
• Try and remain positive and calm. Behaviour is simply communication – try to ‘read’ what your pupil is trying to tell you.
• Build a good relationship with your pupil’s parents and accept advice and information from them. You’re in this together so find a structured way to communicate that suits you both.

Senior advisory teacher Victoria Honeybourne offers some tips for putting autistic pupils at ease when in school, but outside the classroom…

Pupils on the autism spectrum can find the mainstream classroom environment confusing and challenging, but what about the rest of the setting?

Schools aren’t usually designed for autistic pupils, and shared spaces can be just as difficult to navigate as the classroom itself.

It may not be possible to redesign your entire school, but some simple adjustments can make a big difference.

Differences in perception

Pupils on the autism spectrum can often experience sensitivity to sensory stimuli. They may be over- or under-sensitive to any of the senses – touch, smell, taste, sight or sound.

Complex patterns and colours may appear overwhelming and disorientating, or background noise can appear amplified, making it difficult to concentrate.

In addition, some pupils experience difficulties with proprioception – awareness of where their body is in space. Some may appear clumsy, stand too close or too far away from others, or may ‘hold on’ to walls and furniture to help them move around a room.

All of these differences can increase anxiety and frustration, making it difficult to focus, interact and cope. For many pupils sensory overload is not only uncomfortable but actually painful, and some pupils may go into ‘shutdown’ or ‘meltdown’ as a result.

So how can we make shared spaces more autism-friendly?

Navigating the school

Corridors and open shared spaces can present specific difficulties. With space at a premium in many schools, it can be easy for these areas to become cluttered, crowded and used for multiple purposes.

Define the use of each space. Create different ‘zones’ through colour-coding, clear signs and helpful visuals. Furniture or display boards can also be positioned to create specific areas, such as a cloakroom or silent reading area.

Use natural lighting where possible. It can become a habit to turn lights on when they’re not needed – some autistic pupils can be particularly distressed by fluorescent lighting.

“Create different ‘zones’ through colour-coding, clear signs and helpful visuals”

Low tables and storage boxes can be difficult for children with poor spatial awareness, so keep furniture against the wall to prevent trips and bumps.

Brightly coloured walls brimming with work and posters are a feature of many schools, but can be overwhelming to some autistic pupils. Keep displays tidy, relevant and use neutral background colours.

Narrow corridors can induce anxiety in pupils who are uncomfortable in groups of people. Dismiss one group of pupils at a time, or else introduce a one-way system.

Assemblies and larger gatherings

Larger gatherings can also create anxiety for some pupils. Some children may feel more comfortable at the end of a row or near the back rather than at the centre of a crowd of people. Others may find it difficult to know how close or far away to sit from other pupils.

You could try using masking tape to indicate the distance needed between one row of pupils and another, or have a clear rule (one pupil per carpet tile, for example).

“Larger gatherings can also create anxiety for some pupils”

Visuals can also be helpful to give all pupils some clear guidelines (eg ‘When queueing, the person in front should be an arm’s length away’). Space out rows of chairs so that pupils do not feel squashed.

Remember too that some pupils on the autism spectrum may be particularly sensitive to noise. If a video or music is playing, they might be more comfortable sitting further from the stage or away from speakers.

Social times

Morning breaks and lunch hours are often cited as times of difficulty for autistic pupils, typically due to the lack of structure and emphasis on socialising.

Structured activities and games led by an adult may help some pupils understand how to participate.

Create a space (indoors or on the playground) for arts, crafts and toys. This will allow autistic pupils to engage in an individual activity while still being in the company of others, reducing their feelings of isolation and loneliness while removing the anxiety of having to interact.

Buddy benches may also be beneficial. Provide a bench where any child can sit when they would like to join in with others or are feeling lonely.

“Structured activities and games led by an adult may help some pupils understand how to participate”

Other pupils can be encouraged to keep an eye out and help those sitting on the bench to take part in whatever they’re doing.

Clear zones can be helpful on the playground. Signpost which areas are for running, which are for ball games, where toys can be played with and other similarly zoned activities.

Some autistic pupils will need to spend social times alone; the interactions of lessons can be enough for them, and they’ll require ‘alone time’ in order to recover.

Provide quiet spaces which are kept quiet and peaceful. Allowing any pupil to make use of these whenever they need to will reduce any stigma that might become attached to them.

Mealtimes

Dining halls can be especially difficult due to the mass of smells, people, noises, tastes, textures and movement that children will encounter in them. A child with heightened senses might be able to hear every crunch and every rustle of a crisp packet as loudly as their own!

Devising clear dining hall routines for lining up and eating can be helpful, as can providing quieter areas.

Adjustments of this type to the wider school environment will typically help many pupils, not just those on the autism spectrum. As pupils become older, encourage them to take more responsibility for developing their own individual coping strategies for their personal needs.

This will empower them to be able to cope independently with secondary school and subsequently everyday life.

Victoria Honeybourne is a senior advisory teacher, writer and trainer, and has a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome. She is the author of Educating and Supporting Girls with Asperger’s and Autism.

Make PE lessons better for autistic pupils

Special needs teacher and author Adele Devine shares some advice for opening up gym classes and team games to students on the autism spectrum…

You arrive at work and are handed a dirty, smelly PE kit. “Get dressed and be on the field in five minutes!” You try to protest, but get shouted at. Maybe it’s rugby, rounders or hockey? It’s raining and your head’s starting to ache. You weren’t expecting this.

How would you feel? The school day can be a social minefield for a student on the autism spectrum. Anxieties from noises, unexpected changes, smells and social pressures can all cause genuine pain, and adding a PE lesson may feel like we’re rubbing salt in the wound.

Just think of the obstacles that autistic learners can expect to face in PE. In addition to overwhelming anxiety, there will be the need to put on different clothes in the environment of a changing room, which can present issues with regards to their personal space and body confidence.

Throughout the lesson, they may feel a near constant uncertainty over where to stand, what to do and what’s happening next.

Then, after all that, come the PE activities themselves and all that they entail – choosing teams, the way team games can highlight a child’s lack of coordination (which will be made even worse if the child has a tendency to perfectionism) and the general lack of order.

With that in mind, here are 10 supports that can go a long way towards making PE lessons more inclusive for students with autism.

First impressions

Set aside specific areas for warm-up activities. Seeing a big ball to bounce on, equipment for practising balance skills or a goal for shooting baskets will mean the student can immediately see there’s something they can go and do.

Create an atmosphere where there’s clear order, and establish rules so that students know when it’s time to stop and listen. Rules and order make things feel safe.

Changing rooms

Changing for PE may trigger anxieties. Providing a set space so that personal belongings can be kept in order can make a massive difference.

Could changing be staggered to avoid the rush? A visual schedule may help prompt students on what to do next. Do they know why it’s important to change for PE?

A Social Story (see carolgraysocialstories.com) may help explain this in a non-threatening, factual way.

Time

Sometimes all the autistic student needs is time to process and adjust to the environment. Allow some time at the start of the session before any demands are placed.

Be aware that they may take a little longer to process when you speak to them. Use their name to gain their attention and keep language quite simple. A visual sand timer or clock display may help those who find PE activities difficult to endure.

Routine

The unexpected can trigger anxiety. A set routine will allow the student to know that there’s predictability and order to your session.

Start with setting out fun things to explore, then have the same warm-up, followed by an activity and a similar cool-down at the end. The more the student with autism gets to know a pattern, the safer and happier they’ll feel.

Schedules

Providing a visual schedule to break down the stages of the session can make a huge difference. You don’t need to go cutting out pictures and laminating – try using large flipcharts or dry wipe boards and breaking the lesson down into three or four sections, with stick figures showing what students will do.

Cross things out as you go. Think how we count down the stops on the train. Knowing helps…

Visuals

A visual can let the students to see exactly what you’re trying to explain. It’s a point of reference they can refer back to if they don’t process as quickly.

Visuals reduce the need for lots of verbal instructions; it can be easier to tolerate instruction from a visual than from a teacher.

Space

When discussing this article with our PE specialist Amy Harwood, the first of her many useful suggestions was “Floor spots”.

She always carries multi-coloured rubber floor marking spots, since they help to show students exactly where they need to be, providing an instant visual for many different types of activity.

Support

Find out about the individual student. What are their motivators? What will they find challenging? Observe and set them up to succeed.

Don’t allow the choosing of teams – this is a cruel tradition which can only cause social discomfort. Why not select teams in different ways? Maybe one week do it by the benches the students have sat on; another week, number them ‘1, 2, 3, 4’ or hand out differently coloured bibs.

Breaking things down

Providing a visual breakdown can make things less overwhelming. Skills develop in stages, so before playing tennis they must first learn to throw and catch, handle the racket and hit balls served to them.

Set things up so that there are opportunities for students to practice discreet skills. Without a visual breakdown the student may feel frustrated that they’re not instantly perfect and give up.

Praise

All students respond to praise. It’s an essential and easy way of providing positive feedback, showing that the student is on track and building their self esteem.

Look at what they’re achieving and show them that you appreciate their efforts and that they’re getting better all the time.

Reward charts may help some students, but not all. Keep smiling, be overly patient and be predictable. Never, ever shout!

Final thoughts

As the retired pro basketball player Michael Jordan once pointed out, “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

We must set our learners with autism up to succeed by pre-empting and providing the supports they may require.

Most importantly, we must build their self esteem and confidence so that they believe in themselves. Reveal their potential and praise them for having a go!

Autism in girls

Signs of autism can often be masked by girls to fit in, feel safe and gain acceptance – but it can take a heavy toll for those on the spectrum. Take a look at the following articles to learn more about autism in girls and how you can support autistic girls in your classroom.

• How to spot signs that may be hidden, by Sarah-Jane Critchley
• 10 things one girl wants her teachers to know about autism, by Libby Scott
• What it’s like to be a girl with autism, and to parent one, by Rachael Lucas
• How autism affects girls and their social relationships, by Felicity Sedgewick

The post Autism Acceptance Week – Best ideas and teaching resources appeared first on Teachwire.

He attended a small, village school, known for being excellent at inclusion.

They had a fantastic SENCO, who called me in tears.  She didn’t want to suspend this bright but vulnerable boy.

The SENCO knew that SEND children are six times more likely to face school exclusion than typical peers.

She didn’t want Jack, an autistic, ADHD child with a Pathological Demand Avoidant (PDA) profile to become another statistic. 

I was an advisory teacher at the time for the Advisory Teaching Service.

During the four-and-a-half years that I worked for the service, increasing amounts of time was spent reducing the number of school exclusions. 

We were seeing high numbers of schools unable to cope with behaviours of concern – arising from dysregulated SEND children – who weren’t getting the right support. 

I also began seeing an increase in persistent absence (PA), sometimes falsely described as ‘school refusal’. 

Persistent absence

In truth, this is exclusion by a different name. The rise in PA is a national problem. Although figures vary from year to year, amongst this cohort again, the DFE suggest that 56 per cent have an identified SEND.

Data from Not Fine in School indicates that a further 43 per cent have unidentified SEND needs.

From experience, I know that all the children I have supported to reintegrate into school after PA were neurodivergent (ND). They were mostly autistic or ADHD, but several were dyslexic, dyspraxic or had a variety of ND needs. 

Teachers agree that the best place for a child to be is in school. We can’t help them if they don’t attend, and yet, over the last decade the number of children excluded from education, whether due to behaviours that challenge, or emotionally based school absence (EBSA), has increased. 

During my time at the Advisory Teacher Service and then as a SENCO in a small specialist school supporting children with EBSA, I developed the following strategies to help support SEND pupils back to full attendance. I still use these now to give intensive support to schools. 

Different types of stress response

Meltdown and shutdown are two forms stress response that can end in school exclusion.

The school system currently views these two types of behaviour differently, although both can result in attendance issues.

Schools often see frequent meltdowns as behaviour challenges. Settings often feel they have no choice but to exclude the child. 

They often view shutdowns, however, quite differently. These can be the result of burnout, which may lead to a child becoming an anxious non-attender.

Both these issues are behaviour-based forms of school exclusion and are more prevalent for SEND children. 

It’s important to recognise that the causes of behaviours of concern are likely one of the three stress responses, known as fight, flight or freeze.

Stress dysregulation

We should understand that the dysregulation exhibited by both children close to school exclusion, and those with regular PA (defined as missing more than 11 per cent of sessions in a measurable period) are triggered by stress.

Neurodivergent children are likely to have higher levels of stress, for neurological reasons, and because the world is designed for neurotypicals. 

In our classrooms, we tend to focus on children who, like Jack, frequently meltdown. 

This is because that kind of explosion can be deeply upsetting for us and for the child.

Meltdowns demand our immediate attention and often send us into a stress response of our own. Sometimes we feel compelled to act. 

However, other forms of stress response, such as flight risks, can be equally concerning.

For example, if Kasper, our ADHD/ dyslexic learner, is constantly running away, we may be (rightly) focused on his health and safety. In taking this action, Kasper is also excluding himself. 

It’s understandable, too, that we may miss Mabel, our lovely, polite, dyslexic and dyspraxic pupil who is fawning to mask the freeze mode in which she finds herself. 

Yet she will not be able to mask indefinitely. When the mask slips, she may no longer be able to attend school. 

What Jack, Kasper and Mabel all have in common, apart from their neurodivergence, is their stress.

If we do what we can do help them regulate and lower the stress, this will mitigate behaviours of concern.

Our response must be bespoke, but using sensory, calming activities often gets good results.  

Teacher stress

Teachers are time and resource poor. We love the kids! That’s why we play this game, but it’s tough working with dysregulated children. Stressful and tough.

When we are stressed, it’s difficult to be curious, which means it’s hard to find a new way of doing things. This is especially true if the child’s behaviour causes emotional contagion and compassion fatigue. 

You can’t always have the answers. It’s best to ask someone with a fresh pair of eyes to help you look at the situation.

This could be a colleague from your school, or another setting. It could be an advisor from the MAT or LA. Either way, it may help you gain perspective. 

Relational practice

Here is where your relational practice comes in: what do you know about your pupil? What do you know about their family/ home life? What are their special interests and how can you use them to motivate the child?

Even if you are certain that you know the answers to all these questions, it’s worth reviewing, especially if these has been a sudden, dramatic change in behaviour. 

Really get to know the family, if you can, too. Parents and carers are often accused of being in cahoots with their dysregulated child.

The 2020 survey by the charity Autism UK, showed 87 per cent of schools believed that PA was down to issues with the parent or family.

Conversely, 91 per cent of families believed their child’s school-based anxiety was caused by mental health, sensory needs or was triggered by bullying.

Although this represented a few hundred parents, whose children only fell into one category of SEND, it goes some way to illustrating that there is a mismatch between what schools and parents see as the root cause of the issues, making it harder for these key players to work together. 

Work together

Act together with the child, their family and key professionals to form a plan.

A risk assessment is a great place to start, but a consistent behaviour support plan can be highly effective.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach. You are likely to need to employ a variety of strategies over an extended period to see real and sustained change, but it can happen.

With consistency and perseverance, you can help to reduce stress for Jack, Kasper, and Mabel so that they’re able to fully attend school, without exhibiting behaviours of concern.  

Catrina Lowri is a former SENCO, and founder of Neuroteachers, which helps educational settings work with their autistic and neurodivergent learners to find simple solutions for inclusive practice. Follow Catrina on Twitter @neuroteachers and learn more at neuroteachers.com

The post School exclusion – how to support SEND pupils in primary appeared first on Teachwire.

Sounds like music to the ears, right? Nevertheless, there can be certain situations where students remain calm and focused due to the actions of teachers who simply know when to leave well alone.

Mental overload

Take, for example, what we’ll call here the ‘habit’ of fiddling and twiddling with things. It’s a behaviour you may notice far more among autistic students, but please don’t assume it means they’re not properly listening to you. If anything, it’s more likely to be the opposite. Rather than distracting them from the lesson, some students’ fidget toys may in fact be the very coping mechanism that enables them to be attentive.

Autistic youngsters have highly reactive nervous systems. Their brains are constantly busy processing information that the rest of us can easily ignore as ‘background data’. Trying to then attend to auditory information at the same time is no walk in the park if you have autism.

The mental overload caused by trying to focus on a lone voice in a busy classroom can overspill into physical movement. How can you stay in your seat and continue to be polite whilst all this is happening to you? The answer is that you find something to fiddle with.

My autistic son Bobby, aged 18 and currently attending university, is now able to put into words the kind of insights he couldn’t express when he was in his early teens. “I’ve found that I can’t keep still, and need something to fiddle with,” he says. “My body is highly irritable sometimes, but having a fidget helps to calm me physically, so that I can focus mentally.

“Things like ‘simple dimples’ and fidget spinners can be really useful for work, because they can help you focus when you’re thinking about something. It matters that your hands are latched onto something when your brain is busy processing. It gives you a sense of calmness. It means you don’t have to rotate chairs or tap desks.”

Brain regulation

In specialist schools, where students can find focusing on tasks extremely difficult, occupational therapists will often timetable calming, physical activities ahead of lessons with heavy cognitive demands.

Robert Monk is an OT at the Seashell Trust – a school and college that supports students with profound and complex learning difficulties. He describes how, “Our team of sensory-integration trained OTs work with students to identify sensory strategies, which may include the use of fidget toys and/or twiddles. For some students, this tactile stimulation can help them concentrate and focus on a task.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there will be students with similar sensory needs in mainstream settings. In mainstream schools, teenagers with sensory processing differences often end up having to find their own ways of regulating their busy brains, and a common one tends to be fidget toys.

Incidentally, this isn’t limited to just students with autism. Sensory Processing Disorder is usually part of autism, but stands distinct from it, and will often present in other conditions too. So how can you tell when someone is being genuinely inattentive, or merely fidgeting a little because it helps them to focus?

Personal context

The key to answering that is to understand the personal context – and it’s in these sorts of areas that Education, Health and Care Plans can often overlook crucial information. Getting it right depends on great SENCOs asking students and their families appropriate questions to ensure that any important coping mechanisms are included in their support plans.

What do you find calming when there’s a lot going on? What helps to focus you? Is there anything that’s worked for you in the past? If these self-regulation tools aren’t given attention, then things can, and often will go wrong.

“I get the impression that some teachers see it as more of a distraction,’ says Bobby. “I think it’s because when fidget spinners were popular around 2017, everyone started jumping on the bandwagon. But whereas they may be a distraction for others, they really aren’t for people with autism.”

A parent who shared her experiences with me and co-author Gareth Morewood for our book Championing Your Autistic Teen at Secondary School told us that her son used to take Blu Tack with him to primary school. She recalled how his fidgeting was occasionally used as a punishment – ‘You can’t have your Blu Tack until you do this piece of work!’ As she recalled, “All the ‘punishment’ did was make him cry, and the work never got done!”

As Gareth often likes to point out, we wouldn’t remove wheelchairs or hearing aids from students, yet we’ll often deny young people their own coping mechanisms through the unintended consequences of wider systems and policies.

I’m therefore hoping that as you read this article, you’re starting to wonder whether your school’s policies support the use of self-regulation tools or encourage a blanket ban on them. If it’s the latter, I’d venture that a rethink might be in order so that your setting can be inclusive, and adhere to that all-important need to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for your SEND cohort.

Whilst fidget toys can help regulate busy brains, comfort items can be similarly important for reducing anxiety. In my last article for Teach Secondary, I wrote about how anxiety can quickly accumulate for people with autism, who will have difficulty in regulating their emotions when that happens. It’s what I call ‘the double whammy’, and it can lead to very obvious signs of overload.

Comfort items can form part of a raft of strategies to mitigate this risk. A typical comfort item might be a favourite possession from home. Sometimes it can just be an image. Bobby used to have a keyring with laminated photographs of his special interests that he could look at. The photographs would flood his brain with positive, soothing feelings, and drown out some of the ‘noise’ from his otherwise alien surroundings. Comfort items don’t always need to be on show – sometimes just knowing they’re available can make all the difference. Be led by the student.

What about the argument that allowing comfort items and fidget toys in class sets an unhelpful precedent? In my experience, concerns around whether peers will understand this ‘special treatment’ are generally raised by schools where leaders haven’t recognised the need for peer training to reinforce the policy exceptions that sometimes need to be made for students with SEND.

Difficulties will only arise when it hasn’t been explained that fidget toys are as important to some students as wheelchairs might be to others – and that no one would dream of banning wheelchairs on the grounds that they provide certain students with an unfair ‘advantage’ compared to their peers.

Collective solutions

If a fidget or comfort item is genuinely incompatible with the rest of the class being able to focus, enquire about what could be used as a less distracting alternative that performs the same job. The important thing is not to impose your own solution, but to work with families on finding one that suits all of you.

When considering all of this, I’d recommend you ponder one of my favourite quotes from the American poet, Robert Frost: ‘Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it has been put up.’

When they feel secure, and in their own time, students will gradually reduce their reliance on fidget items. And if they don’t – so what? Inclusion doesn’t happen by making everyone else like us. It happens through accepting that some brains need different conditions in which to learn.

Debby Elley is the co-founder of AuKids magazine and a parent to twin sons, both with autism; Championing Your Autistic Teen at Secondary School, by Debby Elley with Gareth D. Morewood, is available now (£14.99, Jessica Kingsley Publishers). Browse more resources for Autism Acceptance Week.

The post Classroom behaviour – Why banning ‘fidget toys’ can do more harm than good appeared first on Teachwire.

1. Quick & simple set-up

No specialist knowledge or expertise is required to use the WellComm Toolkit – the easy-to-use reporting system is there to help everyone from teachers, SENCOs, speech and language therapists and teaching assistants. The aim is to provide easy-to-use support for everyone involved with children.

2. Everything you need in one toolkit

The toolkit contains all you need to screen, support and help develop your pupils. Each kit also comes with The Big Book of Ideas, which contains 150 age-appropriate activities and strategies, as well as an optional Online Reporting Wizard.

3. Personalised approach

The toolkit doesn’t just focus on results, but also making sure that the individual needs of each pupil are met. The Big Book of Ideas provides play-based activities to help you understand a child’s needs and ensure that appropriate action can be taken. Early intervention is vital in ensuring that a child does not fall behind.

4. Use as many times as you need

The WellComm Toolkit can be used repeatedly, allowing you to screen as many times as you need and measure the impact of what you’ve put in place for each pupil. Each section within the toolkit works together to create a structured and personalised approach to teaching and learning.

Find out more by visiting www.gl-assessment.co.uk/wellcomm

The post 4 reasons to try… the WellComm Primary Speech and Language Toolkit appeared first on Teachwire.

30 Second Briefing

1. Demonstrating progress

Tapestry is the exclusive online home of Cherry Garden Branch Maps. Combining their teaching experience with building on parts of the Routes for Learning framework, Ofsted Outstanding specialist school Cherry Garden created this child-centred approach, which demonstrates lateral progress to support educators working with children with learning differences and disabilities in Early Years and KS1/KS2.

Our development team collaborated with the school to add the framework to Tapestry, designing an interactive orchard that celebrates each child’s progress with educators and families.

2. Your children, your curriculum

Adapt your Tapestry account to your needs and support your unique provision with Bespoke Frameworks. This feature gives your school the flexibility to create, upload and share your own curriculum, assessment framework, or milestones directly onto your account, so you can capture learning and reflect on progress in a way that works for your cohorts and your team.

With Bespoke Frameworks, educators can monitor progress linked to the Engagement Model or specific outcomes from a child’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

3. Engagement tool

Designed to support the building of meaningful relationships with families, Tapestry enables you to share valuable feedback through Observations which can be added and replied to by educators and parents/carers.

With the Activities feature you can create, store and send bespoke activities to be done at home/school for groups of children or an individual child, responding to their unique learning needs. And Memos allows staff to communicate efficiently with parents and carers, sharing news and updates including documents, pictures and videos.

“[Bespoke Frameworks] gives your school the flexibility to create, upload and share your own curriculum, assessment framework, or milestones directly onto your account.”

4. Free CPD when you need it

Tapestry’s CPD feature offers effective training to support your staff with building their pedagogical knowledge to inform their professional judgement. Our experienced education team are continuously creating engaging and interactive content that your team can access at a time that works best for them.

Examples of courses currently available are Additional Support Within Mainstream Education, Alternative Communication Approaches, and An Introduction to Ableism.

5. Support and facilitate reflective practice

Tapestry Reflections provides a space for educators to share and discuss thoughts, experiences, and actions; identify and plan changes to make sure all children are accessing your provision, and record their impact; monitor trends and gain insight into the pedagogical knowledge and confidence of your staff, to then tailor training and support to the needs of individuals and the team; and develop personal reflective practice, recording your ideas, initiatives and their impact on your teaching.

To find out more, visit www.tapestry.info or email customer.service@eyfs.info

The post 5 reasons to try… Tapestry Online Learning Journal appeared first on Teachwire.