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An Interview with Emma Gray – NASENCO

Emma Gray is currently the Learning Support Teacher in an international private school in Singapore, working mainly across Key Stage One. She has special interests in social, emotional communication and profiles consistent with ASD traits. Emma completed the NASENCO qualification with us at Real Training in 2020. Here is what she had to say about her time studying with us.

What made you choose the Real Training  NASENCO course over other options?

Real Training had a great reputation amongst colleagues for delivering high-quality and easily accessible online learning programmes. Being able to dip in and out of the course depending on my own schedule was a real selling point for me. Working in an international school in Asia, the course appealed to me as a way of keeping a handle on relevant policy, procedure and current best practice in the UK around SEND. 

What was your experience of learning with Real Training? 

My tutor was incredibly supportive when I requested extensions partway through the course. Feedback has been positive and constructive and this has motivated me to do better and develop further. My questions were always responded to in a timely manner, no matter how obtuse they seemed! I especially enjoyed being a part of the forums, collaborating and discussing issues linked to SEND globally, with a diverse group of delegates was a very worthwhile and enlightening experience.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

Completing the NASENCO course has enabled me to feel confident about the provision that I am organising in my setting. I have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to liaise between class teachers, parents and external specialists in order to better support pupils with SEND. The course involved Applied Practice tasks which gave me the opportunities to apply new learning to my setting and served as a platform on which to engage in professional dialogue around SEND. As our school’s curriculum is based on the British curriculum the course has enabled me to stay abreast with best practice in the UK. 

How has the course helped develop you as an educational professional and what do you hope to achieve with the new knowledge/skills in the future?

The course has given me a qualification required to carry out the SENCO role in the UK. As well as becoming well versed in the legal and practical components of SEND practice I have also become aware of the degree of emotional intelligence needed to carry out the role effectively and have a greater appreciation of the diversity that SEND encompasses. Studying at Masters level has been a challenge that has reignited my own love of learning and I now intend to continue to study further.

An Interview with Elizabeth Chadwick – MEd SEND

Elizabeth is currently Head of the Educational Achievement Department/SENCO at the British school in Bogota, Colombia, working with both primary and secondary aged children. Her special interests within SEN include; Dyslexia and Dyscalculia. Elizabeth is also interested in developing her skills further, stating – “I would like to do some professional training in autism spectrum disorder. I find working with students on the autism spectrum interesting, but feel I need better tools to teach them”. After studying with our sister company Dyslexia Action Elizabeth then decided to join our MEd SEND programme at Real Training. Here is how she found her time studying with us.

What made you choose the Real Training courses over other options? 

I had already completed my postgraduate diploma in Dyslexia and Literacy with Dyslexia Action and decided to complete the MEd Send with Real Training as the easy to access online learning element made it the best choice for my situation. I like that the Real Training courses are self-paced, but very well structured to support this way of learning. Real Training courses are diverse and the Enquiry Based SEND module allowed me to further develop my interests within my work setting. I like that I was able to choose my topic and be supported in my decision. My tutor was always available to guide me and help me talk through my ideas.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

Jane was always very supportive and answered my questions quickly. Our tutorials were to the point and useful – Jane often let me talk through ideas which really helped me to organise my thoughts. I felt that the way the tasks were built up was particularly helpful, resulting in the final written task coming together in a logical manner. I never felt overwhelmed by the amount of work. I liked comparing two pieces of literature before plunging into the complete literature review. I also liked that all the tasks could be used for the assessments. I loved being able to read the whole course before starting. It was useful to have an online journal to note my thoughts down in along the way and discussion forums to share ideas and see what other course members were doing. The progress bar really helped motivate me! I have already recommended Real Training to colleagues and at least one is going to apply for the MEd SEND course. Thank you! It’s been a long journey and I’ve finally reached the end…I hope to take the International SENCO course next, but for now…rest!

How have the courses helped make an impact at school?

The course has resulted in the development of an on-going project to teach metacognitive skills to Year 7 students across core subjects. The current students will also benefit from the teaching of explicit maths specific metacognitive strategies. I am now a better-prepared teacher which will benefit my students and the school. Alongside this, I have also improved my relationships within the maths department and have gained the ability to speak with more knowledge-based information during meetings.

How have the courses helped develop you as an educational professional and what do you hope to achieve with the new knowledge/skills in the future?

The courses have improved teaching standards and resulted in updated best practice. They have provided me with the ability to have discussions on best practice during discussions with colleagues in the maths department. I also now feel more confident giving advice to my colleagues on teaching methods that work well for students with Dyscalculia. Furthermore, I would now like to continue to study Dyscalculia and become a specialist teacher in this area in the future. Overall, the courses have provided me with a renewed interest in teaching children who are struggling and improved my abilities as a maths teacher in general.

An Interview with Jennifer Root – NASENCO

Jennifer Root is currently working in a school in East Sussex for children and young people aged 7-19. She completed the National Award for SEN Coordination with us here at Real Training this year!  With a particular interest in Autism, she is currently engaged in a project to get the school re-accredited with Autism Accreditation from the National Autistic Society. We asked Jennifer about her experience studying with Real Training, read what she had to say below.

What made you choose the Real Training courses over other options?

I discovered Real Training through word of mouth. One of the other teachers working at my school was just about to start studying through Real Training and recommended them as a training provider. When looking over the course content I felt that it would strongly enhance my knowledge and understanding of the SENCo role, which I had been appointed to post with not much of a robust handover. I found the enrolment process easy and the support from both my appointed tutor and the Real Training team helpful and readily available at each stage of my learning journey. The benefit of distance learning with Real Training was that I was able to be in post whilst simultaneously putting my learning into practice. I was able to liaise with other course members to share experiences, successes and possible strategies to implement in the future. In this way, I still had access to a real learning community, even though our experiences were diverse and roles were across a range of geographic locations. 

What was your experience of learning with Real Training? 

The course was engaging and vital to my development as a SENCo within my school. At times I felt lost in the course content, not knowing where to start, but the online forums through Campus Online and discussion pages were a wonderful source of support and helped me to refocus my thinking and rationalize my ideas. My tutor was a real help, clear and concise in his feedback and supportive in his guidance. This meant that despite my initial fears of writing at Masters Level again (it has been quite a few years!) I was able to reframe my ideas and redraft to ensure that I met the course criteria. I really enjoyed the opportunity to complete the Action Research project. I completed a two-day visit to an outstanding school in Surrey and have maintained links that I made. I have been able to not only return to my setting to implement change, but it has highlighted the real positives already within my school which should be celebrated. I found that the EBSCO library had a wealth of information to delve through and again, whilst initially overwhelming, provided me with a huge amount of academic journals and research papers on which to either support or challenge my own perspectives. 

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

My headteacher Fran Pass commented: ‘The course has enabled Jenny to fine-tune her understanding of SEN and the complexities of ensuring that no child or young person is disadvantaged due to a diagnosis. The course enabled Jenny to route what she already does to a high standard within a theoretical framework.’ I feel that the course has enabled me to create an action plan in order to develop the role and has ensured greater and more knowledgeable support of the children and young people in our school. I look forward to further developing in the role of SENCo and aspire to make links with other SENCos and aspiring SENCos in the local area to share experiences and strategies.

How has the course helped develop you as an educational professional and what do you hope to achieve with the new knowledge/skills in the future?

I feel that now, being a qualified SENCo, I have a greater knowledge and understanding of the role and the ways in which I can lead the staff team to implement change for the benefit of our children and young people. I am now conversant in the theoretical framework and am able to use my learning to underpin my experiences. I found the course hugely valuable and am now more able to perform the role of SENCo within my SEN setting. I encourage any aspiring SENCos to go ahead and enrol on this program, its engaging, varied and informative. Real Training and the tutors invest time and effort into people so that they can really make the most of this learning opportunity.

An Interview with Wirdani Yusoff – Leadership of Inclusive Practice

Wirdani Yusoff is one of our international students, currently working in Istanbul Turkey as a lecturer at a university. She specialises in Moderate Learning Difficulty, Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Hearing Impairment and Visual Impairment. Wirdani studied the Leadership of Inclusive Practice course, the first mandatory module in the Masters in Leading Inclusive Education which we deliver in partnership with Middlesex University. Read on to see what Wirdani had to say about her experiences studying with us at Real Training and what the course has done for her career.

What made you choose the Real Training courses over other options?

I received a recommendation via Middlesex University, London.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training? 

I have always been interested in pursuing my study in the area of inclusive education especially in the UK, but since I am working in Turkey it is rather difficult to do so. Real Training has bridged that gap by offering an outstanding online learning platform partnered with Middlesex University so that I could take up courses/modules in the area of my interests and learn from anywhere in the world. The portal displays excellent tools and features showing progress, engaging delegates through forums, and a virtual notebook which is useful to support note-taking and share options with the course leader. Tutors/Course Leaders are easy to get hold of and I often receive swift responses from them when help and support are needed.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

The course has totally changed my view in dealing with students who are often marginalized by society. I have also successfully changed the perspective of my colleagues through a change project I undertook as a part of a requirement for the Practice Analysis Assignment. As a result of the project I led, students’ performance has increased significantly by 40%.

How has the course helped develop you as an educational professional and what do you hope to achieve with the new knowledge/skills in the future?

Fostering an inclusive environment in an educational institution starts with the upper management particularly leaders. This course has helped me become an effective, better leader. Its learning activities, reading materials, and assignments have opened my mind wider to understand more critically, develop my skills, and have practical experience leading and managing a project even better than I had done before. It goes without saying that in the process there are also difficulties I have encountered but in the end, it has been a worthwhile ride. Continuing along these avenues of leading inclusive education, I would definitely continue to use what I have learnt for a future reference to success.

An Interview with Ian Woollard – CCET Intensive

Ian Woollard is the Vice Principal of an International school in Japan, working with children from ages 3-18. Speaking about his particular interest in SEND Ian said “I have always had a strong interest in the social, emotional and behavioural aspect of SEND. I’m always wondering what a child’s behaviour is trying to tell us about the difficulties they are experiencing”. Ian attended one of our 3-day CCET Intensive events held in Singapore in 2019.

What made you choose the Real Training course over other options?

I was looking for an online course that I could complete whilst still at my current school in Japan. Even though I wanted an online course I also wanted the course to have a face-to-face component as I feel that paradigm works best for me. The fact that I could attend the face-to-face part of the training in Singapore was a huge bonus as I wouldn’t have been able to travel to the UK. I had heard about Real Training from word-of-mouth but it was only when I searched for courses online that I saw the name and recognised it. The information about the course that was provided was very clear including what qualifications it would lead to.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

I found the CCET intensive course to be an enjoyable and informative course with high-quality resources and support. I would recommend Real Training. The Campus Online learning environment, the support from tutors, and the course content were all excellent. In particular, I would commend the tutors who were friendly, approachable and prompt in their feedback. I never felt worried about bothering my tutor with any questions I had. I would also like to commend Real Training for how they supported students through the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating flexibility and understanding. Despite completing the course at this challenging time, the experience was very smooth.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

I am already starting to build the course into my practice. As a small international school, we do not have the same access to support services as a school might have in the UK. This means we have to handle a lot more in-house. The CCET qualification allows me to expand the in-school testing and assessment that we can provide for SEND students enabling us to have more informed conversations with parents and teachers and to better target support.

How has the course helped develop you as an educational professional and what do you hope to achieve with the new knowledge/skills in the future?

For me personally, I came away from the course with an increased understanding of assessment and testing which helped me to see more clearly how those things fit into the complex puzzle of SEND support and provision. I am not sure about where I would like to go in the future with my professional career as I am in a complex role at school and balancing a lot of different priorities. However, if the opportunity arises I would perhaps like to develop my understanding of specific areas of SEND. I would definitely consider using Real Training again in the future for this.

An Interview with Kerry Jordain – CPT3A & Free AAU

Kerry Jordain is the specialist assessor for SEND & EAA at Brixham College, she specialises in Autism and Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD). Kerry completed the CPT3A qualification with us at Real Training in 2015. Since then she has kept her knowledge up to date by enrolling on our free Access Arrangements Update course, she has highlighted some of her experiences with us and why she was happy she enrolled on our free AAU Course in 2020!

What made you choose the Real Training courses over other options?

Real Training was a recommendation via a colleague from a further education college.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

I was initially concerned about going back to learning after some 25+ years; however, the way Real Training lays out the course, the materials supplied and the portal are all excellent and easy to follow once you get the hang of it. Additionally, tutors/course leaders are easy to get hold of via email if you do get stuck. In the past, after I completed my CPT3A with Real Training, I did other refresher courses. However, when I received an email stating ‘free’ refresher course I decided to try it and am so glad I did. It was concise and easy to follow, it only tells you what ‘you need’ to know and the ability to access discussion forums as well as revisit the refresher course whenever needed is exceptional.

How have the courses helped make an impact at school?

I now run the EAA aspect for exams and line manage TAs and invigilators during the course of mock and formal exams. I also carry out assessments on pupils who have been alerted to the SEND department as struggling – I can then write reports to the teaching staff on my findings and some strategies to use. I also carry out assessments prior to pupils seeing an Educational Psychologist. This is cost-effective to the school and also saves a lot of time, meaning we get Educational Psychologist recommendations very quickly and are able to implement strategies to assist the pupil.

How have the courses helped develop you as an educational professional and what do you hope to achieve with the new knowledge/skills in the future?

The course has given me not only the knowledge to carry out my ‘ever-growing’ role of specialist assessor and EAA office; it has also given me the confidence to attend and run meetings with senior members of staff to implement various ways of tracking a child which will produce the evidence required by JCQ. I have also run a number of TA and invigilator training sessions to ensure JCQ regulations are adhered to. The confidence I have gained by completing this course and achieving CPT3A has helped no end in my work life but has also had an impact on my private life, whereby I feel confident to tackle new or unfamiliar situations.

An Interview with Taneisha Pascoe Matthews – Full MEd

Taneisha Pascoe Matthews has a special interest in Autism, she is a mother of two boys who are both autistic and she uses her knowledge and social platforms to advocate for children with Autism whilst also working in a London Secondary school. Taneisha began her studies with us in May 2015. She completed her full Master of Education in SEND here at Real Training. Taneisha completed the National Award, Autism Spectrum Conditions module, CPT3A and Enquiry to achieve her full Masters. After 4 years of study over a variety of modules, here is her journey through our MEd SEND programme and her thoughts on studying with Real Training.

What made you choose the Real Training courses over other options?

Real Training was the obvious choice for me based on recommendations from two teachers at my school who were completing the National Award for SEN Coordination. They spoke well of the course by highlighting both the practical aspects as well as theoretical areas. Within a year they had moved on to lead SEND Departments which created the opportunity for me to get on the course. The flexibility it afforded with 100% online was exactly what I needed. Once I completed the first course with Real Training and experienced first-hand the amazing culture of support and the readiness to confidently undertake the SENCO role, I decided that I was going to complete a full master’s degree.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

The learning experience at Real Training exceeded my expectations. The courses I completed were well written and I was surprised by the skills gained with the courses being 100% online. I was supported throughout by my tutors and it was easy to navigate the Campus Online platform.

How have the courses helped make an impact at school?

I completed the NASENCO course in 2016 and by 2017 I was hired in my current school as Head of Learning Support. I have received some lovely comments from staff about the impact on their teaching based on CPDs I have led. While completing the Enquiry-based project I did an investigation into the ability of staff to make reasonable adjustments for autistic pupils. This has become part of my advocacy on social media platforms. I host a Facebook page called One of Many Autism Voices, providing strategies and UpToDate information for families and educators. As a school, we are known to be a school making reasonable adjustments to SEND learners.

How have the courses helped develop you as an educational professional and what do you hope to achieve with the new knowledge/skills in the future?

The courses I have completed have developed my SEND knowledge to expert level and provided the skills to complete my job with the level of competence that is needed to make a difference for young people. I have been promoted to Assistant Headteacher in the past year and have spoken at several educational conferences both locally and internationally (via Zoom). I am now the specialist assessor for exam dispensations at my school.

Peter Willis, Assistant Head and SENCO at The Bewdley School & Sixth Form was kind enough to share his experiences of completing his MEd SEND through Real Training.

Thank you Peter for taking the time to do so! Check out the video below.

Achieving the Master of Education and SEND Programme (MEd SEND) 

To achieve the Masters’ qualification, our MEd SEND Graduate 2020 Peter Willis chose to study the following courses:

• National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCo) – 60 credits
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs – 30 credits
• Evidence and Pedagogy for Inclusion (EPI) – 30 credits
• Enquiry-based SEND Practice – 60 credits

Real Training SEND Programme – Teach Primary Awards 2019 Winner

Our masters-level SEND Programme has won the top 5 star award in the CPD category of the Teach Primary Awards 2019. We are delighted that the programme has been recognised as a valuable learning structure for education professionals in a primary setting, allowing them to gain effective and relevant practical skills and knowledge to support their students with additional needs. The professionals can also combine modules on the programme to achieve a range of postgraduate qualifications, which are validated by Middlesex University.

Are you looking to achieve an MEd in SEND in the future? 

If joining our MEd in SEND is of interest, there is still to apply for our 15 September cohort, a list of our modules and qualifications can be found here. Each module is delivered online and can be completed anywhere in the world. Each course comes with dedicated online tutor support through our bespoke online learning platform Campus Online. Whenever you are ready to enrol for your a MEd SEND module, you can complete an online booking form here. Alternatively, do not hesitate to contact one of our courses advisers if you have any questions regarding the SEND Programme by calling us on +44(0)1273 358080 or email us on info@realgroup.co.uk. 

We are always eager to collect the thoughts of our delegates and their learning journey. The majority come after they have completed their course. However, given the current circumstances, we felt it would be insightful to reach out to some of our current delegates to get their views on their course experience so far, and how studying during a global pandemic has affected their progress.

An interview with Eugene McFadden – NASENCO, intensive CPT3A

Eugene completed his intensive CPT3A course in 2017, and two and a half years later, joined Real Training again to begin his NASENCO qualification in January 2020, just as the enormity of the global pandemic was beginning to make itself clear. Here is his story so far.

How did you find out about Real Training and the CPT3A course?

“I became an assistant SENCO 3 or 4 years ago maybe, and I needed to do the access arrangements course because no-one else in the school was trained. I was speaking to one of the other SENCOs who said “You’ve got to do the Real Training one – it’s a lot quicker when you do the intensive course.” Because work is very busy and I have kids, I thought I’d rather have one, intensive hit. It was a really, really good course. It just worked really well. It was really professionally done, really well tailored to what was realistic and what we needed to do.

You’re now studying NASENCO with us. Tell us about why you chose Real Training for this qualification.

“I was looking around at other NASENCO courses, which looked mind-numbing, and then I saw Real Training’s course. For one, it was cheaper than local council’s one, and the fact that it’s all online and flexible. Some [school] weeks are 60 hours, so fitting things in is a bit of a nightmare, but with a course like this, I can think “oh, I have an hour to myself, I’m just going to hit it hard and do something”. The access to the big database is really helpful as well. I really like the bar at the top1. It’s actually really, really positive when you’re really busy.”

How has your experience with the online NASENCO course been versus your expectations, and versus your intensive experience with CPT3A?

“The intensive works really well with CCET as you’re learning to do one specific skill in testing, so you really want that intensity. This (NASENCO) is a bigger-picture thing. You need to step back and digest more. I have a two-year old who doesn’t sleep through the night yet, so I’d find myself rocking her to sleep at 2am reading things I’d downloaded. It gives you a chance to just think, make the notes and everything. A lot of the bigger articles I ended up printing out, to put in a folder where I can take it home and read it at my leisure.”

What parts of the NASENCO course have you found particularly interesting so far?

“There’s the wider reading; you’ve got the Lamb report, you can see how one thing informs another, which is actually really important. It’s interesting to have a timeline of when things happened and why. We’re kids of the 80s and things were very different back then. It’s good to have that time to just think and take it apart.”

Have you been able to put anything in particular into practice already?

“Well, ironically, I’ve been interviewing people for HLTA jobs through Google Meets. It’s been interesting to be having discussions with them, and having interviewed successfully, I’ve got someone to train up. I thought about how my training on the NASENCO course has informed me  and have been giving them reading to do from that course, which is quite helpful. So yeah, it’s definitely been having an impact. It’s interesting because I’ve been reading about outreach work into primary schools, because we’re quite a big MAT, and we’re going to have some primary schools placed in our secondary school for a few weeks for summer term 2. I want to incorporate that as my primary placement.”

How has the current lockdown situation influenced your studies?

“It’s actually given me more time to do it! It’s difficult, because the first few weeks were just trying to set things up, and I’ve been into school a fair bit as well running things on certain days, especially for some of our higher-needs kids. But the days when I’m home… the first few weeks were difficult, trying to get my head-space around being at home and working while at home with kids running around. Once I got the hang of it, I thought I’d set aside a day here and there, turn the emails off, and crack on with the NASENCO course. There’s always someone knocking on the door with a problem [when you’re in school]. My quality of life has actually improved – I’m not working 60 hours a week and have time to spend with the kids.”

What are your hopes and expectations for the rest of the course?

“Definitely to get it done – that’s the first thing! Definitely start to use what I’m learning to move forward. I’ve already kind of moved forward. I’ve been on a journey with my TAs (I’ve got TAs and HLTAs), and I’ve been on a journey with everyone’s practice board [a reflective practice of how staff are working with SEN pupils], tweaking that practice, fine-tuning it more and more. It’s good, because a lot of the things I’ve come across I already believed or knew or learned about already, so it’s nice to have those things reinforced. My focus has been on wave 1 teaching, and I’ve brought the SEN team so far, and now it’s all about raising all teaching and learning – the best input for an SEN kid is going to be in the classroom, the teacher teaching them right – it’s now given me that confidence to start addressing the bigger picture. It’s like “that’s gone alright, now we need to start doing this…” A rising tide raises all ships!”

¹ Campus Online holds a comprehensive online library containing all of the reading necessary for completing the courses. Additionally, access to EBSCO online journal databases allows for further reading to expand knowledge and understanding of the course material.

Dawn Johnson – SENCO, North West Kent Alternative Provision Service – NASENCO Course

What drew you to study with Real Training

I have heard of Real training as a reliable provider from a number of colleagues. Your company has a good reputation, and my DH/SENCO at the time had already mentioned your course before we had a little reshuffle of roles and I began to transition out of the English classroom and into the SENCO role.

How your learning journey has been vs your expectations so far

I have completed online training, including a PAPAA one-year course in the past with other providers and am very impressed with Real Training’s approach to online learning. I have found the site incredibly easy to use, the resources are quite varied and the discussion boards are well organised and easy to use. I am still learning how to use EBSCO but am sure, once I am used to the process, it will become faster and easier to access exactly what I want (I have only been enrolled since the end of April, so have not used every element of the site fully yet). The online notebook is very useful as I can make notes as I read or access slideshows. Overall, I would say it is a surprisingly well-presented, flexible course with an intuitive design for users.

What elements have been of particular interest/use to you so far

I have engaged far more with the discussion activities than on any previous course and have found the notebook, library of previous essays and general range of resources very helpful.

How you are managing your time to complete the work

I am stuck at home shielding with my husband who is also working from home. I work on the course more in weeks where I am needed less for school-based work, as I also run whole-school CPD and, during the lockdown, we have had to adapt this rather a lot! The flexibility to use the course from half an hour to a whole day at any point has made this possible.

How the current lockdown has affected your learning journey

I have had a lot of tasks to complete at home for school but have had a lot more time than I had anticipated for the course. I was taking on areas of SENCO work while still preparing all of my classes for GCSEs and only working 3 days a week prior to Covid-19 – in a way, the lockdown has helped a lot with my availability to train! Being able to continue to work and train on something useful and relevant while shielding has definitely helped me to maintain good mental health during this time.

Your hopes/expectations/ambitions for the remainder of the course and beyond

Well, if we are talking hopes and dreams, I dream of a world where nobody has to use Harvard referencing ever again! (I completed my PGCE in 2000, that’s a long time to forget how to do these things…) Ultimately, I hope to be able to furnish myself with the theory and knowledge to succeed on my return to school, when I assume more of the role and responsibilities of the SENCO post. I would like to know I am doing everything I possibly can to support our pupils and this course will help me to ensure this. I have considered possibly using the points from the NASENCO course and my PAPAA to go on and complete a Masters…we’ll see.

Vicky Bradley – CPT3A Delegate

What made you choose the Real Training course(s) over other options?

Real training was recommended to be by a SENDCO forum that I am part of (on Facebook). I enquired into how other SENDCOs had qualified to submit access arrangements and a few members of the group had said that they trained with Real Training and that it was a really useful course. It was really easy to enrol on the course and it provided me with not only the qualification that I needed but a much more detailed understanding of psychometric testing, which I did not learn about on my NASENDCO award the previous year.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

CCET – The course was really well thought out and made some quite complex concepts understandable to me. The face to face session were brilliant with a small group of us going through the three days together, we were able to discuss with others and ask questions that you rarely get to ask when you are in school.

The online tasks were clear and well supported with good resources. It was easy to follow instructions and the tasks made sense in terms of the work that we had done in the face to face sessions previously. The examples of best practice/work submitted were particularly helpful.

My tutor has been amazing, she responds so quickly to any questions that I have and any work that I submit. Comments are always clear and helpful; I have learnt a lot from doing this course and from my tutor.

I would recommend real training to anyone looking for similar courses, the online platform is easy to use, clear and provides all of the support materials needed. The tutors are excellent and very quick to respond to questions and mark the work submitted. I feel that I have learnt a lot and have a great understanding of psychometric testing now.

AAC – I would recommend real training to anyone 100%. Information is so clear and guidance is easy to follow. Tasks are set out clearly and success criteria is understandable. All resources that I needed were there for me. Everything is easy to find and easy to use.

Tutors are excellent, always available to answer questions or provide guidance and very quick to mark any work submitted. Sophia was so helpful, always available to answer questions and so quick with replies and marking submissions. She was very knowledgeable and gave me useful and constructive feedback.

Excellent resources, I particularly found the examples of good work helpful.

Thank you to everyone in the Real Training team, I have had an excellent experience and enjoyed the course.

How has the course(s) helped make an impact at school?

CCET – I now have a greater understanding of how to deliver tests, interpret the results of tests, and feedback to parents in written and verbal form. I know how these can be used for exam arrangements as well as to inform good practice within the school. This course has really changed my understanding of reports that I receive from Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists and other external agencies.

AAC – This course has enabled me to give students specific feedback about areas of strength and further development.

When I trained to be a SENDCO, I had very little understanding of access arrangements, the rules surrounding them and how to apply for them. The AAC course enabled me to ensure that students have the correct access arrangements in place, that I can clearly explain these to students and their parents so that I am making sure that my students have a fair chance at success.

How has the course(s) helped develop you as an educational professional and what do you hope to achieve with the new knowledge/skills in the future?

CCET – The course has enabled me to better understand the strengths and areas for development of my students and in turn what we can best do to support them in their learning. I am able to understand and interpret results in Educational Psychology reports much more easily, which in turn lead to the students in my school receiving the right support provision. I hope to continue to develop my knowledge and understanding in order to continually provide the best support possible for my students.

AAC – I now have a really clear understanding of access arrangements, how to apply for them and the rules surrounding them. I am looking forward to seeing what impact this will have on the students that I work with and their exam grades.

Are you looking to become a qualified access arrangement like Vicky Bradley? If you would like to learn more about psychometric tests and how to apply the results for access arrangements, you can visit our CPT3A online course page here. Alternatively, feel free to speak to one of our courses advisers here.