Archive:

Andrew Chadwick, NASENCO, SMHLAA

Andrew is currently the Safeguarding, Ambition and Inclusion Lead for Focus-Education. Prior to this, he was Head of School and SENCo in a primary school in Yorkshire.
  
Andrew is incredibly passionate about delivering high-quality education, and equality, to all children. He has taken the time to review what he gained from our Senior Mental Health Leadership Advanced Award below, as well as providing some general tips for anyone new to the role.

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

I found Real Training through the NASENCO qualification. The thing which sold it for me, was that I wanted to do an online course that I could take at my own pace, in time that I wanted to use and when I wanted to do it. Real Training provided high quality support and an active peer group which was really beneficial. When schools were given the funding for Senior Mental Health Leadership, I knew that Real Training would give great support, high quality training and real school life examples. It was the Senior Mental Health Leadership Advanced Award training through Real Training, in the list of DfE providers which was a particular draw as I wanted to get the biggest impact for our children as possible.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

Both courses were excellent. You definitely get out what you put in. Tutor feedback is really helpful. It was also good to have them gently nudging every now and again and checking in. Contact with tutors is always swift. Campus Online makes things really clear. You know what you need to complete and where you are at any time.

How have the courses helped you to make an impact at school?

The real benefit in both cases is that the course fits in with what we need to do in school. After studying the Senior Mental Health Advanced Award, I developed a training package for staff around trauma, and was able to give this to staff to support individual pupils. I was able to think more widely around mental health and how to support parents and staff as well as children.

How have the courses helped you to develop as an educational professional?

I have a better skill in regards to reflection. I have also developed my skills in building, analysing and then evaluating projects.

What are the top three things you rolled out within your setting, since completing the courses?

• A wider range of training for staff
• Support for parents
• A wider range of resources for school – children and staff.
   

Related articles:

Read our blog: Getting to Grips with The Senior Mental Health Lead Role

Watch highlights from Andrew’s sixteen month follow-up with Joanna Wood, course leader:
Improving Mental Health in a Yorkshire Primary School: A Whole-School Case Study

Jemini Patel – NASENCO

Jemini worked as a teacher at the Whitefriars School in Harrow. She decided to study our NASENCO course as she believed the children in her school needed more support. She is now working as SENCO and Assistant Head Teacher at an all-through school for children aged 4 – 19 years old. Jemini Patel has recently won the Teacher of the Year Award at nasen’s sixth annual awards ceremony!

“Our school and our pupils are lucky to have Jemini, and Jemini is a very worthy winner of this award. We are very proud of you”.

-Whitefriars School Headteacher, Jonathan Watson

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

The course was recommended by a colleague, as she completed her NASENCO course with Real Training and informed me about the flexible route into becoming a SENCO. I liked the modules where you could trial and implement strategies and projects in your school. I particularly enjoyed the Comparing Settings module, as it allowed me to compare provisions and learn about what other schools did.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training? 

It really went above my expectations as I thought distance learning would mean researching everything independently. This was not the case, the up-to-date research being all in place really helped develop subject knowledge and the support given by my tutor was amazing. She really provided me with in-depth support and guidance. Support was consistently given so I never felt alone. Questions were answered immediately, and guidance was step-by-step so that I could fully understand.

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 have developed a strong subject knowledge, as well as effective practices that I can take into my role. It has helped me to create effective action plans to guide provision for SEN pupils.

Lastly, what are the top 3 things you are looking to do within your setting, since completing the course?

1. Developing staff subject knowledge on SEN
2. Developing speech and language provision in the school
3. Using PECs as a way for children to communicate

Susana Cortez – NASENCO

Susana is a SEND Specialist lecturer, she has worked with non-verbal students and has a special interest in autism, she is also very keen to develop her skills as a SENCO. Susana currently works in the Inclusive Leadership Department at West London College. She completed the NASENCO course with us in 2021.

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

I was recommended via google, it was a great option because it was online. I could work it around my own routine and complete the course on my own time.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training? 

The course was fantastic and extremely informative, my tutor was absolutely amazing and she always supported me with constructive feedback. The course was really helpful and it helped me to understand some areas I wasn’t so comfortable with (founding, leadership). The online library is spectacular and the resources are really appropriate, everything is well organised between each strand. The course met my expectations and I would definitely enrol onto another course.

How has the course helped make an impact at school? 

This course gave me the support to go back and reflect on our LSA support and on what we could eventually do to improve it by creating action plans and new CPD using LASs views and perspectives. Our CPD week is now also based on LSAs views and we covered a range of different topics to make staff more confident. 

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?

This course helped me to develop my leadership skills and this will help me to go further in my career and accept/look for jobs on management and SEND coordination. This course gave me better skills on the way that I work with teacher’s assistants and I am now feeling more confident on this area too understanding the big impact of working well with all staff around our students.

Lastly, what are the top 3 things you are looking to do within your setting, since completing the course?

1. CPD – Levels of support – LSAs
2. Visual impairment resources and strategies  
3. Teachers CPD – How to make an effective use of our LSAs

Ceri Matty – NASENCO

Ceri has always had an interest in SEND, since she started her teaching career 18 years ago. It became more profound when her son was born in 2008 and as he started his school journey, his SEND needs became clear. He has had an EHCP since Year 2 (now in Year 9) and a diagnosis of ASD. His journey, as well as Ceri’s own teaching, led her progressively into more depth in the study of SEND. This enabled her to better meet her students’ needs in class as well as ensure her son gets the very best support from his school.

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

As a full-time middle leader (not the named SENCO) and parent of 2, Real Training was the obvious choice for me. The delivery solely online meant that I could work flexibly around my work/life, whilst still achieving the same accreditation as a course that had face to face delivery. It came highly recommended on SEND teaching support groups I follow. The use of the online network, whereby you can share your thoughts, ask questions and offer support was fantastic and I actively encourage
anyone using Real Training to utilise it.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

When I initially started, the course felt overwhelming. However, after reading advice from other delegates I quickly found that the organisation of the course and units were incredibly well structured. This was because the structure allowed me to work at my own pace and equally provided lots of links to online resources, articles and relevant legislation etc. My tutor was fantastic, available for email or telephone support when required and checked in when I had not logged in for a couple of weeks to see if I needed support. The course, once you get through the initial introduction unit, is incredibly easy to navigate. Tasks are progressive and provide a great mix of theory and practical opportunity. Strand 2 and 3, take time as you have to plan, implement and review projects within your setting, so I actively encourage delegates to look at these relatively early to plan into your year of study. As I work full time, I found it easiest to keep the actual assignment write-ups to the school holidays and use my face to face time to enhance my practical skills within the workplace.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

Without hesitation, the support from the leadership team has been essential in the impact and outcomes. However, the knowledge that you develop enables you to motivate and enrich the learning of all staff within the school setting, which in turn enables them to support pupils with SEND. This ensures quality first teaching is at the forefront. SEND provision has and will continue to change based on the needs of those students in your setting – the course has made me realise that SEND is on an ongoing journey and I feel equipped with the tools and knowledge to ensure that the impact is not short term, rather sustained.

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 develop a much higher depth of knowledge and understanding of SEND and will allow me to continue to develop within the school setting and beyond, ensuring that we continue to meet the needs of all our SEND students.

Anne Louise Davies – NASENCO

Anne is currently the Assistant Headteacher and SENCO at a mainstream 11-18 secondary school in Westbury, Wiltshire. When asked if she has any special interests in SEND, Anne explained “Dyslexia has become my most recent interest as I am interested in understanding more about phonological awareness and verbal memory”. Anne recently completed the NASENCO qualification with us at Real Training, read on to see how she found her time. 

What made you choose Real Training over other options? 

A colleague of mine had previously undertaken the NASENCO qualification through Real Training and had recommended it. It also appealed to me as it was online learning and the assignment completion dates had not been pre-set and therefore offered me a huge amount of flexibility.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training? 

My experience of Real Training has been extremely positive and I have strangely really enjoyed the course and all the reading that was involved. It has been a long time since I have written an assignment but I found the whole process easier than I had imagined, due to the excellent structure and support from my amazing tutor Clare. When you first start the course it appears daunting but the ‘tick box’ approach to complete the different elements is very satisfying and the tracking tool that shows you how far through the course you are is also very motivational. 

Consequently, I have now signed up for the Certificate of Competence in Educational Testing (CCET) course. Even though the course is all online and I have not met my tutor I feel that the level of interaction has resulted in a relationship being established, her feedback was not only extremely helpful but was also provided promptly enabling me to make the necessary alterations while my research was still fresh in my memory. 

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

The course has resulted in a complete re-working of our SEND provision. This started with the visit to my placement school where I discovered how they developed their TAs and also the types of intervention they had to offer. I was also able to improve publications that we had on our website, including the SEND Information Report so that they met the requirements of the Code of Practice. My leadership approach has also been reflected upon and has resulted in a style that has now empowered the Teaching Assistants and given them a greater sense of responsibility. Basically, everything that is now in place is down to this course. 

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 added substantially to the amount of educational research I have undertaken and has offered views and opinions that I would not previously have considered. The new knowledge has been applied to my setting to improve the quality of our SEND provision. It is also a reminder of the importance of keeping my SEN knowledge up to date through academic research. 

Samantha Blackwood – NASENCO

Samantha 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. Having completed the National Award for SEN Coordination with us earlier this year, you can see what Sarah had to say below. 

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. I had a much better understanding of this after working through the modules. Meaning I felt very confident to deliver the training. Prior to the course, I would not have felt so confident with the topic. Clearly, I have 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. 

Jessica Milnthorp – NASENCO

Jessica has recently completed the National Award for SEN Coordination (NASENCO) with us at Real Training. Working in a mainstream primary school as the current SENCo/Inclusion Lead, Jessica says her special interest areas are Autism and SEMH. We wanted to hear more from Jessica about her time studying with us. Here’s what she had to say;

What made you choose Real Training over other options?

Real training’s course offered lots of flexibility to study around other commitments such as work and family. The resources and recommendations available are invaluable and the tutors are always available to offer help and support. The forums gave me the opportunities to share and network with other SENDCos who understood the role and could offer further support and guidance.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

I heard about Real Training through a recommendation from a colleague and the course lived up to my expectations. I really enjoyed completing the course and found Campus Online to be well organised and easy to follow. Being able to set my own deadlines enabled me to use my time effectively to complete the modules and progress at my own pace. Tutors offered help and support throughout the modules and I found the constructive feedback, given after the submission of learning logs and assignments, helpful in developing my knowledge and skills further by deepening my thinking.

I particularly liked the modules that required me to look closely at my own settings policies and procedures for SEND. Exploring how to adapt and improve these to be more effective. Therefore having a greater impact and improving the overall learning for our SEND pupils.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

The course has given me the confidence to implement change within my school and offer CPD opportunities for staff to better support children with SEND in and out of the classroom. This has made SEND a priority within my setting. The biggest impact at school has been the implementation of a more child-centred approach and ensuring strong links and good communication between teachers, parents and the children.

This has had a positive impact on children’s learning through personalised provisions and teachers having a better understanding of needs. Achieved by breaking down the barriers to learning and planning using the best resources available to allow our children to thrive and succeed.

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 strengthened my knowledge of SEND and given me the confidence to support others within my setting. It has allowed me to increase the status and importance of SEND and enabled me to support teachers. Providing them with a better understanding of the graduated approach. I will continue to improve the provision of SEND and allow the child and parents’ voices to be heard. I hope to give all learners the opportunities in life to achieve and aspire to be the best they can be. Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day.

An Interview with Gillian Holland – NASENCO

Gillian Holland is a music teacher and aspiring SENCO, currently working at an international school in Malaysia. Although she is interested in all aspects of SEND, most recently, Gillian has found herself studying Dyslexia in greater detail. Stating that her long term goal is to become an assessor, which she hopes will give her the ability to bring this skill ‘in house’ to the school in which she works. Having recently completed our NASENCO qualification, we caught up with Gillian to see how she got on. 

What made you choose Real Training over other options?

Living in Malaysia, I was looking for a course that I could largely complete online. Having found Real Training through a google search, I felt that the online delivery of the content along with the accreditation of a UK university was the perfect match for me. When exploring the course content in more detail I was really impressed with the depth covered and the variety of activities involved in the qualification. 

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

I have really enjoyed studying with Real Training and found the whole process of Campus Online straightforward and easy to navigate. I liked that the tasks were varied, but that you didn’t have to complete them in a specific order. This really helped me to make progress as it allowed me to complete tasks based on the timeframe I had available and make use of this effectively. I thought there was a good balance of ‘work based’ tasks involving some level of interaction with an aspect of school life, and research focused tasks asking for an opinion on a given text or concept. I also felt thoroughly supported by my tutor, Rachel, and knew that she was always at the end of a message thread if there was something I needed help with. The course exceeded the expectations I had and I would definitely use Real training for further studies.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

Two projects I thoroughly enjoyed were the final assignments for Strand 2 and 3. Both of these allowed me to explore something relevant to the setting I work in. As an aspiring SENCO, this was hugely important as it gave me valuable experience in the development of an aspect of school life. Helping me to consider ways in which I would approach this if I were a SENCO. In one of these tasks, I looked at the transition between KS2 and KS3 and found ways to develop a potential action plan to improve this for future learners. As an all-through school, I was able to look at both sides of the transition point and reflect on what is needed to ensure that SEND learners were able to move through to the next stage in their education with as much support and preparation as necessary.

The second area I explored was the movement of SEND learning and pedagogy to online platforms as a result of the pandemic. Being able to research something so relevant was interesting and it was a great way to explore best practice from many different settings and countries across the world. I was able to use this and bring together ideas to adapt to my current school.

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 was initially apprehensive when I began the course as my last period of high-level studying was 10 years prior when I completed my PGCE. However, the way the course is organised really helped me to ease back into this process and there was so much support available to ensure that my writing and work was to the level required for a Masters. My original plan was to just complete my NASENCO qualification, yet the course and the content have encouraged me to look beyond this to explore further options for my professional development. After much consideration, I have decided to work towards my Masters in SEND. I have just started my Level 7 Structured Intervention in Literacy and Dyslexia with Real Training’s sister company ‘Dyslexia Action’ and then I plan to return to Real Training to complete the ‘Enquiry-based SEN’ to complete my Masters. The decision on which route to take was difficult as there is so much choice available to you, but after emailing the team at Real training and discussing my options I am really happy with the decisions that I have made. 

An Interview with Nick Wilding – MEd SEND

Nick Wilding is the Head of Student Support Services at an international school in Vietnam. Beginning his studies with Real Training in 2017, Nick embarked on our National Award for SEN Coordination course. A couple of years later this was followed by the Enquiry-based SEND module. Since then Nick has completed some of our free to access courses as well. Nick says that his special interests in SEN are; awareness, assessment and knowing the whole child, partnerships with specialist teams and development of staff. To see what Nick made of his time studying with Real Training please see below.

What made you choose Real Training over other options?

Initially, I chose Real Training because of its links with Middlesex University. I had studied previously at this university and therefore knew that the qualifications would be both recognised and credible. At the time I was working internationally and therefore required a course delivered 100% online. The costs were very competitive and the responses to my questions in the decision phase helped me decide that I should register and sign up because all of my questions and queries were answered clearly, quickly and sincerely.

The NASENCO award through Real Training became the obvious choice compared to other providers as they met my fundamental requirements. Due to the advice and support of the course leaders and tutors, the decision to study further with Real Training was made easy due to their expertise and the range of subject-specific courses. The Courses and Qualifications page on their website is like a ‘one-stop shop’ for a career in SEND provision.

Subsequently, my experiences have led me to recommend Real Training to many colleagues both in the UK and internationally.

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

The first tutor feedback I received was both supportive and demanding. This set the tone for the academic standards. I was delighted that this was going to be a ‘real’ Post Graduate course and not a ‘pay your money, get your certificate’ style course.

It had been so long since I had written academic essays therefore the readily available access to advice on the Campus Online page, emails with tutors and online tutorials with the tutor were invaluable. The response time of tutors and support with Campus online helped with the momentum of my studies. I wasn’t able to study regularly each week so it was great that they were responsive when I most needed it.

I chose an online course to fit in and around my work and life. I must say the tutors and the design of the course allowed this flexibility. The setup of the course page allowed me to pick up where I had left off so I could clearly see what I had and hadn’t completed.

The links provided through all courses were essential to my success and to keep stress levels down. Living abroad limited my access to many texts and websites. Access to  EBSCO, the library and Campus Buzz were all sources that provided me with the range of knowledge required to pass the academic requirements of the course but to also feel that I had read extensively around the subject areas for personal growth also.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

Firstly, it has kept me motivated in my career during a phase of questioning where I should go next. The ability to build my course to include areas of interest in addition to fundamental courses for anyone involved at the front line of SEND provision and the push for inclusion.

The NASENCO course allowed me to go back to basics and ask myself ‘why do I do this’, ‘what is the purpose of my role in this setting’. Moving on from these starting points, the course also allowed me to use experience combined with ongoing research and legislation. I believe this gave me a platform on which to improve my own working practices and school policy and procedures.

The research project that forms the Enquiry-based SEND module, has allowed me to appreciate the correct procedure to carry out and implement change within a setting. My project evolved around the need to improve staff awareness, confidence and training when working with a growing range of SEND within the school. The final project focussed on TA staff. Subsequently, individuals and small teams have taken on extra training linked to the following: PE lessons, assessment, observations and working with 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?

As the role of SENCO evolves it was essential to my career that I studied and passed the NASENCO course. The Access Arrangements and the Middle Leaders courses have allowed me to keep up to date and refreshed in these areas with the latter being the stimulus for the school to encourage a number of middle leaders to follow this course to bring more joined-up thinking in the school with regards to SEND and EAL students.

The research-based project has widened my appreciation of the purpose and importance of research to provide solid evidence which can be woven with experience and the needs of the setting with regards to training and change in a school. Therefore, the course has opened more opportunities for me when applying for roles in both academic and pastoral pathways

Finally, as the courses are validated by Middlesex University London and the Professional Assessment Programme courses and qualifications also adhere to the standards set by the British Psychological Society (BPS), I am convinced that future courses targeting Psychology and Social/Emotional pathways will play a part in my training to help me evolve, explore and create wellbeing projects in the future. 

An Interview with Heather Blackburn – NASENCO

Heather Blackburn is a busy lady at her current school working as; Associate Assistant Principal, Head of Performing Arts, PE and Health and SENCO on the inclusion team. Heather states that as she has been learning she is gaining specific interests in; autism, attachment, dyslexia and ADHD. Working in a mainstream secondary school in North Yorkshire, Heather recently completed her NASENCO qualification with Real Training.  Learn more about Heather Blackburn  – NASENCO delegate learning journey below. 

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

Real Training has been recommended to me by others. However, the fact that it was online and could be completed at times to suit me was also an appealing feature of Real Training’s course delivery. 

What was your experience of learning with Real Training?

It was very hard starting academic essays after 20 years. However, my tutor was very supportive and gave me lots of pointers. I enjoyed the course as it gave me enough background into SEN, alongside looking at local and national data. I also enjoyed the fact that I could produce PowerPoint presentations for assignments.

How has the course helped make an impact at school?

The course has allowed me to make an impact at school as my understanding of specific areas surrounding SEN has improved greatly. For example, how to use the code of practice and the legal side of SEN along with the inclusion of parents and students at all stages. I have also been able to implement improved CPD for teaching assistants. Lastly, I now have a much greater knowledge of how to set up and develop sensory circuits which are having a positive impact on those children with additional needs.

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 gave a great deal of background detail into SEN and the changes that have occurred over time. It gave me much better insight into parents’ feelings and how important it is to ensure the needs of a child are met in mainstream schools. Schools have a legal responsibility to consider the equality and disability act and to ensure they don’t cause unnecessary distress to children with SEN. I feel my understanding of the impact of reasonable adjustments and how necessary they are for some children has developed. The course also gave a greater understanding of the graduated approach and how this should be shared with all teachers. Alongside, how SEN is the responsibility of all staff and not just the SENDCO.