SEND in a mainstream school - my experiences

How to face SEND situations in a mainstream school was and still is a daunting process for me. Knowing that in September, I will be responsible for the Teaching and Learning for an entire class is hard to fathom, although a challenge I am going to relish. Most children spend from 8.30 - 3.15 at school (give or take those who arrive early or stay late for extra-curricular activities) and if you include the added time for them to get to school and back, it equates to roughly 8 hours of the day. We at school see these same children for most of the day, 5 days a week, 40 weeks of the year, and sadly for a few, we are the ones to teach them about not only Maths, English, Science, and the other subjects, but also how to go through life as model citizens and into adulthood.

Now in pretty much every school, there are children who are born with or develop Special Education Needs and Disabilities. These can range from mild to severe types covering anything from (not an exhaustive list) Dyslexia, Down Syndrome, Autism, Emotional and Behaviour Disabilities, Visual and/or Hearing Impairments, Epilepsy, ADHD and Discalculia. In the past two years I have worked alongside children with some of these disabilities and it provided me with an insight into their way of thinking and also what to say, how to react in difficult situations, differentiate learning, involve them with group activities and ensure that they feel safe in their learning environment.

My cousin was born with severe epilepsy and this has affected the processing of his brain resulting in the slow development of learning. He has 3 siblings including a younger one and the older two have been young carers for him for a number of years. He absolutely loves playing with trains, watching DVDs and whenever I visit he insists I join in with what he is doing. 

Last year I worked at during a Summer School programme and one of the group had Asperger Syndrome and he demonstrated some of the traits that are associated with this: having an overwhelming need for organisation and structure, tending to be on his own a lot, obsessed with certain subjects and knew a greater understanding about them. He was extremely intelligent and could hold a conversation that for someone his age would usually find difficult or simply uninteresting. Recently I visited a secondary school to see the transition from primary and shadowed a student who was very similar. He knew a lot about dinosaurs and in his DT lesson not only designed a stereo speaker stand in the shape of a T-Rex but made sure the plastic casing was as smooth as possible before moving onto the next stage of the project (part of the obsessive nature). 

During my role as a TA I worked in Year 6 class which had a boy and a girl with ADHD although both showed different symptoms. The boy used a blue spiky cushion to sit on because he has what is known as Hyperactive or Impulsive ADHD, where he liked to fidget in his seat, always seemed to be on the go, and playing with blu-tac seemed to be one way to keep him occupied and on task (this can also be a soft ball or something easy to squeeze and release pressure). The girl was similar and often worked herself up by listening to comments made of her both in the class and out in the the playground, resulting in the loss of temper and acts of defiance (linked to Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder). 

Later in the same role I went into another year group and worked 1-1 with a boy who was going through the statementing process which would eventually lead to going to a different school where his needs would be suitably matched for his teaching and  learning. Gaining his attention for even a small space of time was difficult, he had a mixture of ADHD, ODD and CD; refused to go into lessons, do any work, complete many tasks, would often lose his temper, hide when he was avoiding me or someone else and throw things across the room if not getting his own way. Despite all of this he was; kind to others and always quick to apologise once he realised he was in the wrong; creative in his learning and he loved to paint, complete jigsaws and made lots of those loom bands that were all the craze this year;  and when he did want to learn he tried his best and didn't want to let me down. This I felt was one of the reasons I was asked to work with him because the school saw the healthy teacher-pupil relationship and felt that my time was best spent ensuring this boys school day was spent as productive as it possibly could be and to make him realise that school isn't a bad place to go. 

Recently I visited a Special School in my local area and spent the entire day with a group of 7 autistic children between the ages of 4 and 6 but were all similar in their developmental stage. The classroom leader and her colleagues knew these children inside and out- this included the children's Behaviour for Learning (Levels of Attention, Communication Skills and Social Skills), Strategies to employ to aid their learning, Timetables for each individual child were on a board, using PECS, which is a valuable tool developed in 1985 as a unique augmentative/alternative communication intervention package for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and related developmental disabilities. 

It was a special day for the class because the entire Primary school were taking part in their Christmas production in front of family and friends and even the local mayor. I helped make some costumes, dress children, even helped a boy dance on stage in the middle of a song, joined in with playground duties, made Santa Claus and his Elves out of milk cartons and tissue paper. It was an eventful day and it gave me a lot of ideas an insight into how I can adapt my approach to working alongside children with Autism. In my current school there are two children in KS2 and are both quite different. One is high functioning and I would consider a social member of his class whereas the second child is also high functioning but tends to be on his own during outside play. I have found his likes playing basketball and when it his year group's day to play, I often referee and make sure the others allow him to join in and have fun. He loves Formula One and this is one of his special interests that children with ADHD often develop. If I were to be teaching him, I would use this as a way to introduce learning, by giving him an article to read, discuss, write about, create a story based around the topic. 

I have to read and work through a series of modules using http://www.idponline.org.uk/ 
which is part of the government's strategy to improve outcomes for children with special educational needs and was first outlined in Removing Barriers to Achievement. This is part of both my school and University training, and covers the main 4 SEND areas: Autism, Behavioural, Emotional & Social Difficulties,  Speech Language & Communicational Needs, and Dyslexia.  In this learning I will assess what I already know, then read up on the research and carry out any relevant tasks, and finally assess what I have learnt. 

Ultimately my learning has only just begun and will never end especially SEND but I am glad that I am receiving training from a range of people including the schools SENDCo, University, the online learning, individual children themselves, and colleagues who have experienced similar situations.

The Lead Up to Christmas

This blog post is slightly different to the norm. Yes it does contain anecdotes from my last week at school but please read until the end to see my 'Lead Up To Christmas' poem, which formed part of my end of year assessment for the University of Reading.


This was the first week in a while I happened to spend each day at school and this was very much needed. There were a lot of things to bring and take home from school each day including; presents for some of my colleagues (Mentor and Year 6 teachers), cards for pretty much everyone else because without their advice, help during my time at school, showing me where various materials were, and inviting me into observe their lessons, I would not have been able to achieve as much in my first term. As well this I brought some sweets in for both Year 6 classes and was for two reasons:


1. In my class I introduced table points last week as a reward for tidiness, outstanding behaviour and most of all teamwork.
2. In the other Year 6 class I gave a lesson on making Christmas Decorations and said that I would choose 6 winners of the best design.


The decorations were on flat paper that the children had to colour in, add tissue paper to and then slot together to make into 3D. The snowmen and trees looked brilliant and I was proud of each of them giving their own spin on the artwork.


Twice I visited the local church to assist with the Nativity play in which the Year 2's silently acted out the scenes and the Year 6's read out passages from the Bible which linked into each scene. I was asked to lead 3 different processions (for the main characters) around the church in time to each relevant song - Little Donkey for example when Mary and Joseph were heading to Bethlehem. On Friday the entire school descended down to the church and it was literally packed to the rafters with parents, teaching staff and children. Coming from an acting background I know how important being on stage is and all of the children acted beautifully and looked amazing onstage in their final montage. The Year 6's read each passage carefully and at the end of the service also said Merry Christmas in a range of languages to show how diverse we are as a school and church community. My wreath was given to the presiding priest and in the middle I had added a piece of writing with the schools logo, motto, a thank you message, and end line from our school prayer.


Most of the week was full of making things whilst listening to festive songs or watching a film being played on the IWB, this I feel is a great time to be creative and allowed the children to express themselves without any big focus on grades or attainment.


For one of my University tasks, I was asked to send in a 200 word piece of writing to test my Grammar Subject Knowledge. I decided to put forward a poem because in this I am able to show some of my own creative skills whilst ensuring it is full of grammatical phrases and content.


Here it is:


It’s the lead up to Christmas and where to begin? 
I could start with a song but what could I sing?
The Coca Cola advert is out so it must be December:
no wait silly me I must be mistaken because it came out in November.

With so many Christmas parties to attend and lots of people to see,
I’m counting 5 portions of; turkey, parsnips, potatoes and brie.
Every year it’s the same and jumpers are to be worn,
mixed with a game of monopoly, relationships will be torn.


My home is full of candles and each one burns bright like the Nativity Star,
I’d rather be inside keeping warm than driving through the snow in my car.
With 24 spaces on my calendar I am counting down the days,
being an adult doesn’t stop me being a child in any which way.


Spare a thought for those who are far away from loved ones and on their own.
It doesn’t take long to visit those nearby, or even to pick up a phone.
In the lead up to Christmas remember those who are no longer with us –
and those who are around you spread the love and make a lot of fuss.


Now all that remains is to say a very Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year.


PS: In my next post I will concentrate on my recent visit to a SEND school, in which I worked with 7 autistic children and gained some fantastic experience as well as advice from the teaching staff.

2nd Term passed and a lot to look forward to next year

This week is memorable for many reasons. Firstly the Choir sang at the local conference centre alongside many other schools who use the School Music Service, I finished a science project I had been working on for the past two weeks, my tutor has noticed an improvement in my teaching, and it was my last day at University until we all go back in January.

Last week’s reflection was focused on achieving Standard 8, and in particular 8.1, which for some people can be difficult especially as it often requires juggling work and study with something to attend at lunch and after school. Luckily for me I have always been a busy person both in childhood and as an adult by joining the local Scout Organisation, coaching a football team whilst studying my degree, and running with a local running club during the past two years (proudly won their club championship and am also men’s captain).

I had to swap my break duty with a colleague on Tuesday due to a final rehearsal at the centre and this shows interpersonal skills because I need to strike a chord with those I work with and not expect someone to simply cover me because I need it. During the event I assisted the Music Teacher in making sure our students were kept both safe and on task- we were the best behaved in my opinion. If you know me I am all for making friends and did just that by introducing myself to all the other teachers from the other schools. You never know who you could meet at a job interview or on a course and teaching is a small community. One of the schools had a problem with a song that I knew and the teacher was thankful for me briefly singing along.The evening was a huge success and many parents and school friends attended to watch the performance. I felt extremely proud of the students and can’t wait until I am able to organise a choir to go to such an event.

Finishing my circuit game for a Science Evening that took place during the week was one of my mini-projects althoughI kept experiencing problems with certain parts of the circuit. However, when I added a second battery, it allowed the bulb to become brighter and despite originally wanting to use a buzzer (it’s a game in which you slowly and carefully manoeuvre a looped piece of wire around a windy path from one end to the other). Some of my class helped to put it together and a few were chosen to be Science Ambassadors as well for the event.

2nd Half Term University Observation

Wednesday loomed and I was nervous about teaching in front of my tutor but prepared myself as well as I could. The last Math’s lesson I was observed in, gave me a few things to progress and improve on including; Subject Knowledge, use of assessment, praising appropriately and explaining why, and giving a plenary. I managed to do all of these however didn't give a good plenary and this is something I need to work on. I rushed it and forgot to include the LO although during the lesson I did point out to the class that they had managed to achieve each of the Success Criterion and explained why I moved them around the classroom (recent assessment and also to get year groups working together). With the starter I assessed quickly who grasped the concept of the lesson and didn't move onto the main task until I was confident everyone was ready to do so.

During my last two days at University I helped to deliver a SEND presentation on Down Syndrome and learnt a lot from other presentations who focused on Autism (4 groups), another Down Syndrome, and how Support staff are used in the classroom. Ours was 2^nd to last due to the majority of the group coming from Group C. In hindsight I wish the course would have given the list of topics and said all needed covering so first come first serve. The actual result was a few similar presentations and a lot of us felt it could have been more useful with a group looking at ADHD for example or even someone with Speech and Listening Difficulties.

Two ladies from the a local LEA came to discuss life after training and how to apply for our first teaching job. It is scary to think that in a few months we will be searching for jobs, whether it be our training school, second placement or other. I have been in many interviews although this is going to be one of the most important ones in my life ranking alongside both my University interview and the one I did to get on this course.

I am yet to start thinking about 2015-16 especially with January to come.