We are delighted to partner with nasen to deliver the Universal SEND Services Programme
Online SEND CPD Units
In an ideal world, every learner’s journey through education would be marked by inclusivity, ambition, and unwavering support. Unfortunately, the reality is that many children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) continue to face obstacles in their pursuit of educational attainment and high outcomes.
The Universal SEND Services programme’s ambition is poised to reshape the landscape of education, ensuring that all learners with SEND are given every opportunity to thrive both within education settings and beyond.
A Setting-Wide Approach to Support
One of the core principles of the Universal SEND Services programme is the recognition that SEND is not a niche concern but a collective responsibility. By making SEND a central focus, educational institutions set the stage for a more equitable learning environment.
Embedding SEND in Every Policy
SEND should be seamlessly woven into the fabric of every policy. The Universal SEND Services programme advocates for an approach where the needs and opportunities for children and young people with SEND are intrinsic to every policy, not tacked on as an addendum. This ensures that inclusivity becomes a fundamental part of the educational ethos.
Preparation for Adulthood from the Earliest Stages
The journey towards adulthood begins in the classroom. Recognising this, the programme encourages school and college leaders to consider preparation for adulthood from the earliest stages of curriculum design. By integrating this perspective, learners with SEND are better equipped to navigate life beyond the classroom, fostering a holistic approach to education.
Reflective Professionals
The backbone of any successful education system is its educators. The Universal SEND Services programme emphasises the importance of reflective professionals who continuously evolve to meet the diverse needs of their learners. Teachers are encouraged to embrace adaptability and innovation in their teaching methods, ensuring that each child’s unique potential is unlocked.
Early Identification and Effective Support
Early intervention is key to unlocking the potential of learners with SEND. The programme equips teachers with the tools and knowledge to identify needs at an early stage, allowing them to tailor their teaching methods effectively and provide robust provision and support. This proactive approach ensures that children receive the support they require before obstacles become insurmountable.
Valuing the Expertise of Parents and the Voice of the Learner
True inclusivity involves collaboration and co-production. The Universal SEND Services programme recognises the critical insight of parents and carers and the voice of the learner as invaluable assets in shaping the educational experience.
The Universal SEND Services programme stands as a beacon of hope for children and young people with SEND. It is a call to action for all stakeholders in education, from leaders and educators to parents and learners. By prioritising SEND, embedding inclusivity in policies, and fostering collaboration, we can create a brighter future where every learner’s ambitions are within reach, within the context of education and beyond.
Online SEND CPD Units
A crucial cog in the Universal SEND Services programme is the interactive, e-learning suite. This series of 20, online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units is designed to support all education professionals, at any level, who work with learners in schools and further education settings to deliver an inclusive experience for every learner.
Funded by the Department for Education, and developed in partnership by Whole School SEND and Real Group, these free-to-access units take 20 minutes (each) to complete and are supported by live online networking sessions, facilitated by regional SEND leaders.
Overarching themes for these units include:
- Safety and belonging
- Language and communication
- Social and emotional mental health (SEMH)
- Sensory profile
- Access to learning
- Preparing for the next stage (including transitions)
Within these units, delegates will be given the tools to improve their understanding of and confidence in supporting additional needs, as well as practical strategies to implement within their context. Each unit contains first-hand accounts from learners with SEND, as well as their families and education professionals that support them in school and further education settings. Additionally, delegates will have the opportunity to collaborate with other education professionals, using the Discussion Forum.
This series is delivered on our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Campus Online.
Register to access these free CPD units here.
Unit 1: (Click to zoom in)
Course structure: (Click to zoom in)
Example activity:
Today is Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Awareness Day!
Did you know that 2 children in a class of 30 have a DLD? This is just one of the many surprising facts about DLD.
Our Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) module builds understanding of the theories, research and practical skills that can be used to make a positive difference and improve the outcomes for people with DLD and other SLCN. Discover more
Also, please join us in celebrating the collaboration between RCSLT, Afasic, NAPLIC and Speech and Language UK’s who have worked alongside people with DLD and their families to create a new vision for the future. See ‘A vision for Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) for the UK‘ for more information.
Alison Ford – iSENCO
Alison Ford is Head of Inclusive Education & Therapy at The Overseas Family School, a non-selective international K-12 school in Singapore.
Completing our International Award for SEN Coordination course while working in her previous setting, allowed her to progress in her career. Alison is particularly interested in Autism, Social Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health, and Family Support.
What made you choose the Real Training course(s) over other options?
I heard of the iSENCO course through a colleague who had also completed it. He recommended the program and found it very accessible. I was looking for a flexible online learning course with a view towards completing a master’s degree. I liked that the iSENCO was a self-paced, stand-alone certification that I could also use to build up credits towards the MEd.
What was your experience of learning with Real Training?
I found the online learning platform intuitive and my tutor was very personable and responsive. The support from others in the program was also valuable as we tried to find our way around. My only suggestion at the time was to have some collation of the assessments to help me plan my workload and approach the course from the beginning. Once I had collated and got my head around this myself, I found the tasks much less overwhelming!
How has the course(s) helped make an impact at school?
My final project was an essential part of the service development at my school at the time. I have since moved on to a leadership role at a much larger school, and what I learned from the iSENCO forms the foundation of my role now as I lead the strategic development of our whole school provision for therapy and learning support. The iSENCO was a good learning process for me to plan and think strategically, and it helped to better inform my role now in a much larger setting.
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?
I think the iSENCO helped to develop my confidence and expertise in strategic service development. I gained an understanding of what it means to be a leader, the different approaches to leadership, and how my own personality and life experience may shape my own approach to leading others. Career-wise, the iSENCO is a good certification to show employers that you have training and experience in leading and maintaining organisational change.
Lastly, what are the top 3 things you are looking to do within your setting, since completing the course?
- Guide our whole school initiative for inclusion! A challenging but rewarding role leading an amazing team of Learning Support specialists and Therapists in a busy school of 3000.
- Possible further study towards an Educational Doctorate.
- Support for colleagues also on the course. So far I have referred four others who have completed the course or have just joined!
If you’d like to connect with Alison, you can follow her on LinkedIn. You can find further information about the iSENCO on our webpage.
We are delighted to be exhibiting once again at the Tes SEND Show next month!
Taking place on 13 & 14 October, we will be at Stand 135 alongside our sister companies Dyslexia Action, Educational and Sporting Futures and the Dyslexia Action Shop.
The Tes SEND Show is the UK’s leading SEND show and an annual must-see. In addition to an exhibition, there are free talks, seminars and workshops on all aspects of SEND. We are looking forward to returning and meeting attendees.
Come and chat to us in-person about training courses, apprenticeships and educational resources!
If you’d like to attend, you can register HERE for this free event.
Lucy Wayman – CPT3A
Lucy from Bristol, UK, works as a freelance maths tutor for students not in the school system, she is also a dyscalculia assessor within Constellation Education.
Lucy has a special interest in ADHD, ADD and autism. She has recently completed her Certificate of Competence in Education Testing (CCET), and will soon be completing the Access Arrangements course (AAC), for the Certificate in Psychometric Testing, Assessment and Access Arrangements (CPT3A).
What made you choose the Real Training course over other options?
It was a great blend of live online teaching and self-study. Having three full days of group teaching was really useful at raising the issues, meeting other people in the same situation and covering the main features of the course, with the opportunities to discuss and collaborate with other delegates.
What was your experience of learning with Real Training?
The three days of teaching were incredibly enjoyable, and very full on. You really felt like every minute was accounted for and designed with a purpose. I came away from those days much better informed about psychometric testing, clear about the assignments I had to do, and enthused about getting my independent study done.
How has the course helped make an impact at school?
Combined with my dyscalculia training, I feel confident about carrying out psychometric testing, and more importantly, being able to interpret results in a way which will help my students.
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 will complete the rest of the CPT3A course and look to gaining my APC so that I can both assess for exam access arrangements, and assess and diagnose dyscalculia.
Lastly, what are looking to do within your setting, since completing the course?
Review the efficacy of testing that is currently in place and try to streamline the process, while improving usefulness of the tests done.
If you would like to know more about Lucy Wayman, connect on LinkedIn. For more information on CPT3A, click here.
This week, Middlesex University will be hosting their 2023 Graduations.
From everyone here at Real Training, we would like to congratulate all our delegates on their achievements.
We would love to share in your celebrations! Share photos of your special day with us on social media by tagging us in your posts and using our hashtag #RTGRAD2023
We look forward to seeing your photos and sharing the celebrations with you!
A brand-new opportunity to bring educational testing in-house
We are delighted to partner with our ‘Ofsted Outstanding’ sister company, Sporting Futures Training (UK) Ltd on the launch of the Learning and Skills Assessor Apprenticeship. This is a brand new opportunity for primary schools to bring educational testing and assessment in-house.
Apprentices will learn how to use psychometric tests to effectively assess the progress of students and identify appropriate support strategies. Being able to better interpret test results will improve understanding and communication about individual learning needs, both internally and with external agencies, allowing the apprentice, and their colleagues, to respond to these needs more efficiently.
The apprenticeship offers free training as it can be funded through the Apprenticeship Levy at no additional cost to schools. (The government contributes 95% of training costs for a Non-Levy organisation).
Registration is open with the first cohort due to start in September 2023.
A brief overview of the apprenticeship:
- A 13 month online programme inclusive of the End Point Assessment
- The apprenticeship comprises live teaching sessions, seminars and tutoring leading to the achievement of the Learning and Skills Assessor Apprenticeship
- ‘Off the job’ training packages that work for schools
- Requires a commitment of 6 hours release time per week
- Open to all members of staff in a primary school that are interested in gaining additional skills in assessment. For example, schools may choose to upskill one or more teachers, HLTAs, TAs or LSAs to provide valuable support for the SENCO. Or you could opt to develop new expertise for the SENCO themselves.
- Costs £0 as it is fully funded using the Apprenticeship Levy. An optional value-added extra is available for £75 + VAT, which enables apprentices to ‘top-up’ and gain the gold standard, Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing (CCET) qualification, set by the British Psychological Society
Interested in learning more about this opportunity to develop valuable skills in educational testing and assessment? Read additional information about the Learning and Skills Assessor Apprenticeship.
We will be attending 41st COBIS Annual Conference, 6-8 May 2023 in London!
Catch us on Stand 35 for a chat about our courses, new routes to take with your previous qualifications and some freebies!
The theme for this conference is Leading Learning for a New Paradigm, we are excited to be at this exhibition to learn more about evolving pedagogy and educational structures.
We will be giving out our brochures which detail our courses, pathways, apprenticeships opportunities, as well as some pens and notepads!
Penny Earl – Senior Mental Health Leadership Certificate
Penny is currently working as a Resourced Provision Manager for children with Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SCLN). She works in a primary school in Hampshire. Penny recently completed our Senior Mental Health Leadership Certificate and has shared her experience with us.
How has the course helped make an impact at school?
It has raised the profile of mental health with the Senior Leadership Team, so they now see it as something significant to be put on our school improvement agenda and understand its importance within the OFSTED framework. It has also provided resources and links to resources that will be useful for future development around mental health. Lastly, it has given insight into the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) implementation framework, which can be used across the school when implementing change to ensure the greatest likelihood of success.
What made you choose the Real Training course over other options?
It has raised the profile of mental health with the Senior Leadership Team, so they now see it as something significant to be put on our school improvement agenda and understand its importance within the OFSTED framework. It has also provided resources and links to resources that will be useful for future development around mental health. Lastly, it has given insight into the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) implementation framework, which can be used across the school when implementing change to ensure the greatest likelihood of success.
What was your experience of learning with Real Training?
The remote training days were well planned and delivered by trainers who were, I felt, responsive and empathetic towards the students. They adjusted the pace and content to our needs and presented the content clearly. I dislike remote training, and my views on this haven’t changed as a result of this course. However, the technology worked well, and I felt some features of the platform were helpful in encouraging interaction, such as during break-out sessions. There was also the advantage of making links with people I might not have met if it had been face-to-face local training.
The virtual learning environment was clearly set out and easy to manage, and the ability to ‘tick off’ sections and see how I was progressing through the course was quite motivating for me. I also found the breakdown about how to pace the course very useful. There were lots of excellent resources which I have saved for future use. However, I really felt I needed the course to be spread over a longer period of time in order to get the best out of the resources. I am in a privileged position in that I work full-time, have no class, set my own timetable, and have a fair amount of related background experience, meaning that I could skim some of the reading content being already familiar with it. I had to be very organised and disciplined to get through it and meet the criteria required for the assessed piece.
Lastly, what are the top 3 things you are looking to do within your setting, since completing the course?
- I want to ensure mental health gets the status it needs within my school and that it is recognised as a necessary driver to school improvement by our Senior Leadership Team.
- I want to implement my plan around staff wellbeing and mental health.
- I want to establish the link between my role as SMHL and the Mental Health Support Team that is just establishing in our area.