An Interview with Karen Goulden

Karen Goulden – CPT3A and DPRW

Karen Goulden currently works as a Specialist Teacher for the Dyslexia Outreach Service, her main area of interest is Dyslexia. Currently based at a secondary school, Karen’s role entails devising support plans for pupils aged 5 to 18 from across Norfolk.

Karen has completed Certificate in Psychometric Testing, Assessment, and Access Arrangements and Dyslexia Professional Report Writing with us, so we caught up with her to see what she had to say about both courses.
 

What made you choose Real Training over other options?

I have completed a range of courses over the last five years, but I find the Real Training courses the most practical and accessible. The layout of their online platform, Campus Online, is easy to navigate. Relevant support materials were available at every stage, and the information was always up-to-date. I also found it easy to monitor my own progress throughout the course, seeing what work had been completed and what was left to finish. This kept me focused and motivated.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training? 

The courses have been very practical and completely related to my line of work. All tasks and assignments were relevant. My tutor was very responsive, and I loved the access to the library and chat forums. It was also helpful to be able to refer to the work of previous delegates for guidance.

How do you think the course will impact your school?

Obtaining my APC will give schools and parents confidence in the reports that they receive. Thanks to my time on both courses, I will also feel more confident about those reports. Furthermore, I have been able to share lots of information from the course with my colleagues, for example; the most relevant tests to use, the length of time we should spend on an assessment, and creating our own assessment framework.

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

Completing the course has improved my confidence in the work I do. Secondly, being able to share information with colleagues has led to greater consistency in the team’s report writing. It has certainly made me a more reflective practitioner. I look forward to obtaining my APC, but irrespective of this, my overall understanding in putting together all the elements involved in diagnosing Dyslexia has been improved.
 

During the summer holiday, we often like to take the time to reflect and catch up with some of our past delegates – educational professionals from a wide range of settings and locations worldwide.

Throughout August, on our Real Training social media platforms, we shared some of their top tips around best practices for special educational needs (SEN) and inclusion in schools.  

We think their tips provide other educators with invaluable advice and insight into how best to support all children and young people in educational settings. In case you missed those posts, you can find all of the top tips together below and on our Twitter and Facebook pages. If you have any tips you would add, please add some comments on the posts.

Working with children with SEN – Beverley Williams

1. Don’t stereotype people on the autistic spectrum
2. Avoid sensory overload but always tailor strategies to the individual’s needs
3. Look out for those who don’t feel they fit into any specific group
4. Understand, they may find it difficult to learn about things that are not of interest to them
5. Provide opportunities for individuals to restore and refresh using whatever strategies work for them – and never assume what these may be

Ensuring inclusivity within your school – Taneisha Pascoe-Matthews

1. Create strong communication and collaboration between families, schools and other stakeholders
2. Implement up-to-date policies and leadership adhering to both the Children and Families Act (2014) as well as the SEN Code of Practice (2015)
3. Ensure staff have the necessary training and attitude toward inclusivity
4. Encourage peer support and a sense of belonging this will improve well-being and ensure a sense of inclusion
5. Implement a pupil-centred approach focusing on individual needs

Discussing SEN with parents – Dorthe Allen

1. Be open and honest when you explain your observations and how the school can provide support
2. Show parents that you are there to support their child both academically and pastorally
3. Communicate clearly and meaningfully, avoiding jargon and technical terminology
4. Be well prepared and show parents any reports, screener results and teacher observation documents that help to demonstrate the student’s need(s)
5. Discuss strategies for school and home that will support and nourish the student

Working with children with EAL – Nicholas Wilding

1. Develop relationships by meeting students and parents at the point of admissions and begin to build a student profile from a wide range of data
2. Adopt the ‘All Teachers are English Teachers’ approach, providing staff with training and skills to develop the resources needed to support language needs
3. Implement ongoing assessment and effective use of data to track progress
4. Upon graduation, clear assessment and graduation expectations should be shared with all stakeholders
5. Post-graduation, students and staff are supported through resources and in-class support with families informed of their child’s successes and targets

If you have any questions relating to any of the top tips in this article, please get in touch via social media, our website or email us.

The DfE has created new quality criteria for Senior Mental Health Leadership courses and these criteria help define this important senior role in schools.

With Real Training your school has a choice of an introductory Certificate course and an Advanced Award in Senior Mental Health Leadership which have both been successfully quality assured through a robust DfE process. These courses can be fully or partially funded for schools and colleagues in England by a DfE grant.

The past 18 months have been particularly taxing on some children and young people, and it has never been more essential to develop a school culture that promotes wellbeing and a mental health provision that supports a healthy transition back to what is approaching ‘normal’ school life.

While many schools and colleges already have a mental health lead, the knowledge and skills they have vary, and with mental health and wellbeing being a top priority for all educational settings, the goal is to provide senior leads with the latest thinking and access to a network of peers and experts they need to lead change and develop or introduce a whole-school approach to wellbeing and mental health.

At Real Training, our Educational Psychologists have a long history of providing training (in-person and online) for education staff development. With extensive experience in the field of mental health and wellbeing, you will be guided by HCPC registered and qualified Educational Psychologists. Our courses are also supported by an executive headteacher with a specialism in wellbeing, as well as mental health professionals such as an Art Therapist.

The courses

We will be offering two Senior Mental Health Leadership courses. Click the links below to visit our course pages and learn more:

Senior Mental Health Leadership Certificate (SMHLC) – aimed at those who are new to a Senior Mental Health Leadership role or are aspiring to become a leader in this area.

Senior Mental Health Leadership – Advanced Award (SMHLAA) – aimed at those who have some experience in the role, and have some existing training in mental health leadership.

Who are the courses aimed at?

Your setting can decide who it is that gets the training as individual circumstances may vary. Delegates must be empowered to develop and oversee your setting’s whole school or college approach. This might include:

• Headteachers
• Deputy/assistant headteachers
• Member of the senior leadership team
• Existing mental health leads with authority, capacity and support to influence and lead strategic change within the setting

Our first Advanced Award cohort begins on 15 January 2022. You can book via our website. Further cohorts will be in May, July and September. The Certificate course will also begin in January and we are planning for courses to run throughout the year and across England. Book a place for the January course via our website or contact us to register your interest for later events or a course near you.

The Certificate course is a comprehensive introductory course and the Advanced Award is for more experienced Senior Mental Health leads.

How your setting will benefit from the DfE grant-funded Senior Mental Health Lead Training

The benefits to your educational setting include:

• A positive values-based approach, including staff looking after their wellbeing.
• Development of a range of tools and strategies, collated for staff to be able to use to meet their mental health and wellbeing.
• Improved wellbeing for all students, including those with identified needs.
• Understanding and application of leadership skills to enact change in the whole school ethos
• Improved stakeholder engagement, including with parents, and external services
• Development of a coherent working package of effective policies
• Constant monitoring of change and use data effectively and confidently

Funding opportunities from the DfE grant

The Certificate course costs £995 plus VAT and the Advanced Award £1,300 plus VAT. Schools can reclaim the VAT paid. The DfE Grant funded Senior Mental Health Lead Training funding may be available if you work in a school or college in England. At the time of writing, the total grant funding amount available has not been confirmed by the DfE. The latest DfE information will be available on the DfE SMHL webpage. We understand that the DfE wishes schools to book directly with the training provider to secure their place and then reclaim the funding.

If you require further information on any of our Senior Mental Health Lead courses, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email or by phone at +44 (0)1273 35 80 80.

Alternatively, you can book an appointment to chat with one of our expert course advisers by clicking here.

Samantha Blackwood – NASENCO

Samantha Blackwood works at a primary school in South Shields as the SENCO. Her special interest area of SEND is Autism. This is due to a noticeable increase in the number of students being diagnosed. Samantha is also interested in Dyslexia and Social, Emotional and Mental Health.

Samantha completed the National Award for SEN Coordination with us earlier this year.
 

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

I chose this course because I was really keen on being able to do work in my own time. I needed something flexible that could fit in with my busy work and home life. Real Training really appealed to me as it offered exactly this. I had also seen lots of recommendations on Facebook SEND groups, explaining how easy it was to follow and that support was great.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

The course fully met my expectations. I felt supported throughout and really loved the flexibility element. I found the way the course was structured very good. The layout of the module page was also easy to follow and use. I was supported throughout by the tutor and found the messaging tool very useful. The support from other students was great and I really liked the tasks where we were encouraged to comment on each other’s discussions. I really loved the bar at the top of the page, a great visual tool to allow me to ‘see’ how I was progressing. 

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

The course has helped me to better understand SEND and the role of the SENCO. The modules have allowed me to identify the strengths of SEND in my setting and the areas of development.

Creating an action plan was the best activity for me as it allowed me to prioritise areas to work on over the next year in the most effective way. I have already delivered some training to all staff on the Graduated Approach and I feel like I have a much better understanding of this after working through the modules. Prior to the course, I don’t think I would have felt so confident! I have really learned a lot through the reading and research tasks that were set.

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?

It has helped me enormously. The leadership module strengthened my leadership skills. I feel the course has also led me to be successful in gaining the Deputy Head Role – which I will be starting this September.
 

Sadie Wilkinson – CCET Intensive

Sadie Wilkinson currently works as a Science Teacher and is on secondment in the SENCo role. Earlier this year, she completed our Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing qualification and is now completing Access Arrangements Course. Working in a selective secondary school in Lincolnshire, Sadie has always had an interest in SEND.

Her sister attended a special needs school and Sadie has worked in one since completing her Human Biology Degree. Looking to the future, Sadie hopes to undertake the National Award for SEN Coordination course, expanding her knowledge of SEN. Below, Sadie tells us a little bit about her time studying with Real Training, so far.

What made you choose Real Training over other options?

I had been looking at completing the CCET and AAC courses for a while and did my research into the costs and how to go about completing these courses. Real Training was a provider that came up a number of times during my research, and I was intrigued by what they had to offer. After reading up on how Real Training delivers the courses, what was included, and the costs, I knew it would be the right choice for me.

Furthermore, recommendations from people on a forum I am part of also helped me decide to choose Real Training. It was important for me to know I could complete the work whilst in full-time employment – another factor in my decision.

In terms of course content, the ability to identify different tests and know which ones to use and when was vital. Everything I needed was available through Real Training.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

The course exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed the 3-day intensive online option, where I had a chance to meet other people who were just as new to this as me. We were split into smaller groups at times and asked to complete smaller tasks together and then re-joined the whole group to give feedback. It wasn’t 3 days of just listening to the presenters. We could ask questions at any point, and the presenters were really helpful in providing us with the information.

Campus Online is so easy to use. The tasks are all laid out clearly, and you can see what you need to do and how you need to do it. All work is uploaded onto there, and you can contact your tutor at any time to ask for help. Feedback on your work is clearly given, and you can see what you need to do to improve if needed.

My tutor was extremely supportive. My work was marked promptly, giving me time to make any amendments where necessary. I really enjoyed the course and feel I learned a lot from it. I will be looking to complete further courses with Real Training in the future, and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone else.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

This course, and my completion of AAC, will make a huge impact on our school. Being the only member of staff holding this qualification at present, I will be able to promptly assess any students who require it without having to wait for the specialist assessor.

We currently pay for an external specialist assessor to come in and assess our students. Having me in school able to do this will greatly reduce the wait time and cost, and give the SENCo relevant information on these students as quickly as needed.

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 great deal of knowledge in educational testing. I feel confident in knowing which assessments to carry out and how to interpret the findings from these tests.

With my new knowledge and skills, I hope to be able to work alongside our SENCo department and support the school. Identifying students for assessment, assessing them, and then establishing how best to support these students through their years at our school is something I feel strongly about.

Lisa Pongpiriyaporn – SEND & Inclusion Programme

Lisa Pongpiriyaporn works as the K-12 ELL Coordinator at The KAUST IB School in Saudi Arabia. Explaining her special interests in SEND, Lisa said;

“Within a RtI framework, I’m interested in how schools create a robust tier 1 approach to differentiate and scaffold language and learning, reducing the need for tier 2 intervention. Current research around the science of reading and the impact of instruction on how children learn to read also interests me.

Alongside, culturally responsive design for English Language Learners and developing intercultural competence within school faculty. Our school is currently using Universal Design for Learning as an approach and planning for learner variability is interesting to me.”

Having completed Certificate in Psychometric Testing, Assessment, and Access Arrangements, Cognition and Learning, and Psychology for Education at Real Training, we wanted to catch up with Lisa to see how she found her time.

What made you choose Real Training courses over other options?

Real Training offers a range of courses that suited both my professional goals and my preference for flexible study. I like to determine my own study pathway, as I balance many professional and personal interests. Studying with Real Training has enabled me to do this, which means the study can be enjoyable rather than stressful.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

The study platform is accessible and well-structured with excellent support and guidance from tutors. As courses are contextualised in my current professional setting, I am able to explore relevant areas in-depth. This has benefitted my study but also my understanding and knowledge of the current research connected with my role.

How have the courses helped make an impact at school?

The course has definitely supported my professional growth and enabled me to be a more informed instructional coach and leader of teams. As an ELL Coordinator part of a multidisciplinary student support team, I have a deeper understanding of my context and feel up-to-date with current research and evidence-based practices, meaning I feel better skilled to impact others.

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 increased and updated my knowledge and practice. I feel I can make better contributions and decisions at work. In the future, I aspire to lead a student support team.

Recently, Sharon Drinkwater completed the Social Emotional and Mental Health module from our MEd SEND programme. Working within an independent SEN school in North Lincolnshire, Sharon is an assistant SENCO and on the safeguarding team.

Her special areas of interest include; Autism and SEMH. We caught up with Sharon to find out how she got on studying with us.
 

What made you choose Real Training courses over other options?

I chose Real Training because it was flexible as it allowed me to complete the work in my own time. 

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

I found the course interesting and easy to engage with and the course material was set out well. My tutor Katie was extremely helpful and quick with communication, always sending supportive messages. I feel that the course material was informative, will be useful in day-to-day practice and in developing my professional practice and understanding. 

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

During the course, I found the provision map and analysing practice to be most beneficial. Since the course, I have been able to use my knowledge in designing and implementing new SEMH interventions within my work setting. 

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

Professionally it has given me the confidence to look deeper at whole-school approaches. I will be looking to develop this further over the next academic year. 

Patricia Henderson – AAC

Patricia has completed several Real Training courses, most recently our Access Arrangements Course qualification. Prior to this, she has also completed; General Learning Difficulties (Skills & Knowledge and Application & Reflection), Dyslexia: Leadership & Intervention and the Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing online.

Based in Malaysia, Patricia works at a secondary international school as a Learning Support Teacher. Talking about her focus area, Patricia said, “I have an interest in all SEND and ways for students with learning differences to be included in the whole school curriculum.”

We wanted to catch up with Patricia and talk about her time studying with us.

What made you choose Real Training’s courses over other options?

I was looking to work towards my Masters in SEND and I found Real Training in a google search. I liked the range of different topics it covered, and that it was your choice to choose which topics suited you, your professional development or what you were interested in.

I also liked the fact that it was done at your own pace at times that suited you and didn’t have set deadlines etc. Once I had done one course I was hooked and knew I would see my way through to the completion of my Masters in Education (MEd) with SEND with Real Training.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

Each course definitely met, if not exceeded, my expectations. I enjoyed and learned something from every single one. I found Campus Online was really easy to use and made it easy to contact people. It was equally easy to get help when I did encounter any issues. I would also praise all of the tutors I have had for being both accessible and helpful.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

I have gained a lot more confidence in dealing with data and how it can support students with SEND. This has also allowed me to direct more useful interventions and supports for these students.  I have improved my knowledge to such a degree that my work was used as a case study in the Global Assessment Conference 2020 with Matthew Savage, which then led to me writing a blog for GL Assessment.

This was followed by GL Assessment asking me to be part of a panel about wellbeing for FOBISIA.

All of these things have increased my confidence and have allowed me to share what I have learned with others. Clearly displaying the benefits to the school and how my skills are used to support our students and parents.

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?

Using what I have learned, I am able to look deeper into data, testing and what tests to use for specific learning differences. I am now qualified to complete testing within our school, as well as looking at necessary access arrangements and interventions as a result of those tests.

Both additions to my skill set will help students and parents going forward from both an in-class educational aspect and for exams and access arrangements in their later exam years. I hope to continue to look at different types of learning differences and how I can best support our students to achieve their best potential.
 

Lena Ramzi – iSENCO

What made you choose Real Training over other options?

I decided to complete this course with Real Training thanks to a recommendation from my current line manager.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

I was really pleased with my experience. The support offered to me by my tutor was incredibly helpful. The advice I received was always useful. I would have enjoyed more zoom meetings with both my tutor and fellow delegates. I was also pleased with the technical support teams who were always prompt in responding to and handling any queries. 

During the course, I found having access to examples of tasks extremely helpful for completing assignments, alongside the excellent programme resources. The completion of iSENCO with Real Training has encouraged me to study further with them, which I am looking forward to.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

The iSENCO qualification has allowed me to obtain a broader overview of how SEND is managed and supported in other international schools in Dubai. This is due to the opportunity to complete a placement in another school which was a highly beneficial part of the course. 

Thanks to this understanding, I am now able to bring best practices back into my own school which will have a profound impact.

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?

Professionally, I hope to become the Middle School SENCo within my current setting. I was required to complete this course in order to apply for SENCo roles. Thanks to my successful completion with Real Training, it will now be possible for my school to offer me the position of Middle School SENCo. 

Personally, I am looking to complete my masters in SEND, using my iSENCO as 60 credits toward Real Training’s MEd SEND Programme. I would highly recommend Real Training and I am grateful that this course was available to education professionals like myself, who are working/studying in international settings.