Teachers face tougher tests in bid to raise standards

Prospective teachers will have to sit new tougher tests in English, maths and reasoning - as part of the government’s drive to raise standards in the education system.

The changes – recommended by an independent review group of leading head teachers and education experts – would see calculators banned from the new mathematics tests and pass marks in English and mathematics raised.

Trainee teachers currently have to pass basic skills tests in literacy and numeracy. Until this September, they took the tests only towards the end of their training course and were allowed unlimited re-sits.

Latest figures show that around 98 per cent of trainees passed the tests. Candidates have already been limited to two re-sits for each test from this September, and the pass mark has been raised.

Chaired by head teacher Sally Coates, the Skills Test Review Panel has now recommended:

•                the current tests are strengthened 

•                the pass mark for the English and mathematics tests is raised again, to the equivalent of GCSE grade B;

•                a new test for verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning 

The education secretary Michael Gove said: “The evidence from around the world is clear – rigorous selection of trainee teachers is key to raising the quality and standing of the teaching profession.”

BDA welcomes Dyslexia Awareness Week

Across the country, schools, colleges, universities, groups and workplaces have been taking part in Dyslexia Awareness Week – from 8–14 October –  holding events, assemblies and activities to both learn about and to celebrate dyslexia.

A petition opened at the beginning of Dyslexia Awareness Week last year and has reached over 17,000 signatures. 

The British Dyslexia Association launched the online petition calling for all teachers to receive dyslexia awareness as part of their initial teacher training draws to a close.

Dr Kate Saunders the chief executive of the British Dyslexia Association said: “We want this to be the biggest Dyslexia Awareness Week yet spreading information and understanding about dyslexia far and wide. This year the theme is Empowering Teachers and therefore the perfect reason to push our Initial Teacher Training campaign epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20674

“Please use this dyslexia awareness week to sign the petition, if you haven’t already, and to spread it.”

Report highlights cheaper solution for children with SEN

A new report from Baker Tilly, commissioned by the National Association of Independent Schools and Non-Maintained Special Schools – NASS – has confirmed that independent and non-maintained special school provision is cheaper than the equivalent local authority provision for students with complex special educational needs. 

A second study, using social return on investment methodology, calculated that placements in the eight participant schools represent annual savings and returns of approximately £24 million to the government. 

The association said if these findings were to be replicated across the non-maintained and independent sector, this would represent annual returns of more than £600 million.

The Baker Tilly Study has indicated that a day or weekly/fortnightly boarding placement in a non-maintained or independent special school (NMISS) is cheaper than the equivalent package of support being provided by a local authority. 

This expanded study follows last year’s cost comparison report which suggested that, on average, packages of support in day and term-time NMISS provision were cheaper than a local authority providing such support themselves. 

It comes as the government is in the process of implementing the biggest changes to SEN provision for 30 years.

Claire Dorer the chief executive of NASS, said: “We now have strong evidence that day and weekly/fortnightly boarding in NMISS offers a more cost effective route to delivering multi-agency support to young people with complex needs.

“We know that parents have had roadblocks put in their path when they have attempted to place their children into non-maintained and independent special schools. We are, therefore, pleased that the government SEN proposals plan to give parents the right to express a preference for a non-maintained special school. 

“However, NASS calls on this right to be extended to Independent Special Schools. Independent Special Schools provide services generally not available in other special schools, improving the life chances of those pupils.”

New spelling software for Dragon speech recognition system

A new vocabulary enhancement for Dragon Naturally Speaking speech recognition software has been launched to enable users to easily dictate and correctly spell healthcare, legal, and bioscientific and engineering words and phrases.

Launched by the Spellex Corporation Spellex Dictation is aimed at students and professionals.

Three new versions are available Spellex Dictation: Medical, Spellex Dictation: Legal and Spellex Dictation: BioScientific

For more information http://www.spellex.com/products/speech-recognition-products.htm.

Dragon speech recognition software aims to make it easier for anyone to use a computer. Users simply talk and it types. Users can use their voice to create and edit documents or e-mails, launch applications, open files, control the mouse and more. 

Sing Up offers new six month package

To help schools with budget pressures Sing Up is offering a new six month membership package, available now for a limited period. It aims to provide teachers with the complete singing solution for their classroom.

The not-for-profit music education company wants to help smaller schools and those with less stable budgets to continue to be singing schools. 

Both the six month and 12 month packages also now include song download credits and an increased streaming allocation.

The first phase of Sing Up Local Training was launched in the autumn term and is rolling out across the country, providing members exclusive CPD sessions with expert vocal leaders. Training courses will run until March 2013 and can be booked via the Sing Up website www.singup.org/book-training.

The next issue of the Sing Up Magazine is released on 15 October. Focusing on ‘Singing across the curriculum’ it provides lesson plans, activities and resources to help teachers and music practitioners put singing at the heart of wider learning. Plus the Sing Up CD includes 10 new songs, with audio and sheet music exclusively for members to download for free into their libraries.

RCN urges investment in specialist nurses for children with epilepsy

Commenting on today’s first national audit of epilepsy care for children and young people, The Royal College of Nursing expressed ‘profound concern’ that fewer than half of children with epilepsy had access to a specialist nurse.

RCN chief executive and general secretary, Dr Peter Carter, said: “Epilepsy is clearly being treated very well in many parts of the country, and specialist nurses have led the way in helping children and their families to manage epilepsy. However, it is a matter of profound concern to us that this is not the case everywhere. 

“The recommendation that all children have access to a specialist nurse is there for a reason – the nurse can offer an unparalleled combination of expert clinical advice alongside practical help for children and their families. 

“Too often, without the right advice many children face needless complications which affect not just their health but their education and other activities. 

"We would urge NHS organisations to give every child access to a specialist nurse to keep them as well as possible and to avoid unnecessary and expensive hospital admissions.”

Dyslexia group concerned by Baccalaureate plans

The British Dyslexia Association says plans revealed by the education secretary Michael Gove, for English Baccalaureate Certificate examinations to replace the current GCSE examinations in 2015, have the potential to have an adverse impact for dyslexic students.

The BDA is “extremely concerned” by the proposals which place more emphasis on the final examination and less on coursework. 

The BDA intends to lobby the government – not to discriminate against those with specific learning difficulties. 

The association said the proposals represent a “backwards leap in the examination process and will have an adverse effect on those with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.” 

Dr Kate Saunders the chief executive at the BDA said: “Dyslexia is most often characterised by a deficit in information processing and working memory, speed of working and difficulty accessing and recording written information.

“Dyslexic difficulties can be exacerbated in an examination context, due to stress. This can make it particularly difficult for dyslexic students to demonstrate their ability, knowledge and understanding through one off, timed examinations. 

“These plans, should they be implemented, will create an additional barrier for dyslexic students to continue on to higher education. Course work is generally a much fairer method of assessment and constitutes a reasonable adjustment for these students.” 

The BDA will also continue to urge the government to ensure all dyslexic students receive diagnostic assessments and specialist support in a timely manner, and that all teachers receive input about dyslexia on their initial teacher training courses. 

A petition has been launched for supporters to sign at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20674 

Dr Kate Saunders, chief executive, British Dyslexia Association

New role as director of education

The developers of an online video publishing platform, used by schools and universities has appointed Apple’s former head of education.

An expert in UK, EMEA and emerging education markets, Alan Greenberg is the new director of education at MediaCore, where he will manage and oversee the company’s education strategy, program and platform development and advocacy.

Alan Greenberg said: “MediaCore is bringing about an era of change in 21st Century teaching and learning which I’m really excited to be a part of. As a new member of the team, I relish the opportunity to help cultivate the paradigm shift in education, extending the role of teaching and learning beyond the classroom in a self-paced and personalised way.”

Nasen to study draft legislation on SEN reform

Nasen plans to spend time looking in detail at the draft legislation launched on 3 September reflecting the radical changes that were initially proposed in the SEND Green Paper published in March 2011.

Initially the association has welcomed the news that Sarah Teather the Minister of State for Children and Families, has asked the education select committee to carry out the pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft clauses. Nasen hopes the select committee will consult widely and during the next few weeks nasen said it will be seeking the views of its members to hopefully feed into that consultation process.

Lorraine Petersen, nasen’s chief executive said: “We need to ensure that all the work that is currently taking place, especially within the Pathfinders and the voluntary and community sector, is not wasted and will support the final legislation as it passes through parliament. We have a real opportunity to make sure that this legislation secures a better future for all children and young people.”

The initial points to highlight are:

· Legal definition of special educational needs remains the same

· Local authorities and clinical commissioning groups must make arrangements for jointly commissioning services for children with SEN in their area

·  Local authorities must produce their ‘local offer’ of available education, health and care services

·  Education, Health and Care Plans (0 – 25) replace statements of SEN

·  Section 139A assessment (Learning Difficulty Assessments) cease to apply and is replaced by a re-assessment /annual review of the EHC Plan

·  All of the provisions of the Bill will apply to all schools including Academies and Free Schools

·  Schools must still have an SEN Co-ordinator

·  Right to a mainstream education remains the same

·  Local authorities must prepare personal budget in relation to an EHC plan where a request has been made by the parent or young person

·  Compulsory requirement for a parent or young person to participate in mediation before they can appeal to the Tribunal

·  There will be a revised Code of Practice

Sense welcomes draft SEN reforms

Sense is looking forward to working with the government on its SEN reforms because John Dickinson-Lilley, the deputy head of public policy at the deafblind charity said the current statementing system is “extremely fraught and complex.” 

He said parents of deafblind children tell Sense they have to fight for up to two years to obtain a statement for their deafblind child.

Commenting on the draft legislation on the government’s draft SEN reforms John Dickinson-Lilley, said: “Sense welcomes the principles driving the draft clauses published today, however, we are deeply concerned that a legal obligation on health is not included in the proposed single plan.  

“We are calling on the government to ensure the single plan for children with special education needs and disabilities is legally enforceable on education, social care and health providers.

Using singing to understand serious issues

A  new resource which aims to get youngsters thinking – and singing about global issues – has been  launched in a joint venture by Sing Up and Oxfam.

The not-for-profit organisation that provides singing solutions for schools and Oxfam’s Youth & Schools team have joined forces to create the KS2 resource. 

The free, downloadable pack, available from 11 September,  includes teaching resources, activities and a song collection, which aims to offer a fun and expressive way for children to learn and think global poverty and food and farming across the world.

The resource has been designed to meet the recommendations of The National Plan for Music Education and the government’s call for every school to have a ‘singing strategy’. It supports the practice of singing as a classroom activity, enabling teachers to integrate music into the classroom in an inclusive way and ensuring every child sings and performs regularly.

 For more information on Sing Up see website http://www.singup.org/ and for more information on Oxfam visit: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/

Zainabu Jalloh (right) participates in singing activities during class, held in the newly renovated building at Early Learning School in West Point, Monrovia, Liberia. Aubrey Wade/Oxfam GB

Games Makers engaged with local schools during their training

To prepare the Games Makers at the London 2012 Olypmic and Paralympic Games for their volunteer roles a number of young people have been involved in projects with children with disabilities. 

The volunteers have also worked closely with local schools and charities to complete their Young Leaders training, designed to improve inter-personal, communication and leadership skills.

Over a two-year programme, more than 50 Young Leaders received training and mentoring from BP employees, delivered by national youth volunteering charity, vInspired, the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust and Aberdeen Foyer. 

The Young Leaders programme fulfils a commitment made during the London 2012 bid to see disadvantaged young people benefit from an intensive personal development programme, culminating in a high profile volunteering role as Games Makers at London 2012.

The volunteer projects have included working with local councils and charities to deliver sports days and arts and craft programmes for children with disabilities and peer education sessions at local schools.

Profile examples: 

* Hally Nguyen, 18 years old, from Newham. Hally is now studying for her A-Levels at college. For her project she ran a talent show for performers in her local community. Hally’s mentor is Julie Amos from BP, based in Canary Wharf. Julie worked to help develop Hally’s personal life skills. She helped to build her confidence and spent a long time getting to know her – they bonded initially over their love of Twilight! Hally eventually grew in confidence and used to join Julie at her desk at the BP offices, she was able to witness Julie at work and build her confidence around people of different ages. Julie also encouraged Hally with her university application and helped her develop her UCAS form as well as practice her interview skills.

* Anjali Parshotam, from Hounslow, enrolled in the Young Leaders Programme and led an arts and crafts session for an after-school club in Hounslow. For her Group Project, Anjali conducted a multi-skills festival with the Aftercare Scheme at her old primary school in Hounslow. It was a project for disabled children and their siblings and allowed them to enjoy a variety of sports and games together. The Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust supported the project, with ex-Olympic swimmer Adam Whitehead also participating.  

* Tanya Kemp, from Spelthorne, Surrey, a carer for her disabled brother, led an art project for young people with disabilities. Tanya is also currently planning a social event and Wii Dance night for young carers for her individual challenge.

Well prepared: Young people from Aberdeen, Hull, and London marked their two year participation in the London 2012 Young Leaders Programme, with LOCOG chair Seb Coe, double Olympic champion, Jonathan Edwards and their mentors on the personal development programme. Photo: LOCOG

University expertise used to help deaf children learn

The University of Nottingham has teamed up with the Ear Foundation to provide training for teachers, parents and carers of children with cochlear implants. 

The life-changing technology has been giving deaf people the gift of hearing for over 20 years but training to help teachers, parents and carers of children with the devices has lagged behind,

The JISC/HEA funded ‘Promoting Academic Resources in Society’ (PARiS) project, will increase the number of Open Educational Resources (OER) available to help children with an implant to communicate and develop spoken language.

 With over 80,000 people fitted with cochlear implants worldwide, the Ear Foundation says demand for its education programme inevitably outstrips the available resources. 

It is hoped that the new online modules will help the foundation to support more teachers and carers of deaf students, as well as the wider mainstream teaching community.

The chief executive of the Ear Foundation, Sue Archbold, said: “Deafness in childhood and adulthood has a devastating effect on language and communication developments. Today we have the best possible hearing technologies such as cochlear implants which have transformed the opportunities for deaf children. 

“However, with more deaf children going to mainstream schools there is an urgent need for information as to how to maximise the benefits in teaching. These online resources will help thousands of children and their families all around the world.”

The resources include: an overview of cochlear implantation; the impact of deafness on communication and language; the challenges of using technology at home and school; maximising the benefit of the technology in education; monitoring progress and the family role in language learning.

More information is available from Open Learning support officer Steven Stapleton e-mail steven.stapleton@nottingham.ac.uk and The Ear Foundation website http://www.earfoundation.org.uk/index.php.

Autism competition winners

The winners of the national art competition, Create! Art for Autism 2012, have been unveiled at an awards ceremony at Beechwood College, near Cardiff.

 More than 550 entries were received across the four categories – 2D Art, 3D Art, Digital Art and Poetry. 

The judging panel was led by actress Jane Asher and television and radio presenter Gaby Roslin.

Now in its second year, the competition is open to all young people aged 11-25 years that have formally been diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Condition. 

The fifth category – the People’s Choice – was open for votes from the public in partnership with the Times Educational Supplement and received a total of 1,040 votes.

 Beechwood College, one of the UK’s leading specialist residential colleges for students with ASC, launched this year’s competition in March at a parliamentary reception. 

Following the awards ceremony, the finalists’ artwork will be rolled out on a national art tour visiting Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham and London.

The winners of Create! Art for Autism 2012 included: 2D: David Greenberg, 16, Inscape House School, ‘Scottish Pipers’

3D: Patrick Pearce, 16, Sunnydown School,‘Coral Reefs’

Digital: Photography, Luke Tuckwell, 18, Broomhayes School, ‘Toy Cars’. Animation, Lewis Davies, 16, Risca Community Comprehensive, ‘ She’s Leaving Home’

Poetry: Alexander Philip Nickisson, 15, Woodhey High School, ‘ My Mind’

The People’s Choice: Oliver Coatsworth, 11, Evergreen Primary School, ‘The Owls’

The artwork can be viewed at http://www.beechwoodcollege.co.uk/finalists

Patrick Pearce’s winning ‘Coral Reefs’

Internships pilot to help young people with SEN into work

Thousands of young people with special education needs are to get help into long term paid employment through a new government programme.

Supported internships for 16 - 25 year olds who have complex learning difficulties or disabilities will be trialled at 14 colleges in England this autumn.

If successful the study scheme could be adopted by all further education colleges from September 2013.

The programme is backed by £3 million from the department for education and expert job coaches will support interns and employers. Placements, tailored to the individual needs of the young person, will be provided for example at a restaurant, library or clothes retailer. 

The aim is to give the interns the platform to break down negative attitudes and show employers what they can do. 

Sarah Teather the minister for children and families, said: “We have to be more ambitious and tap into huge potential in people with learning needs. We can’t leave the most vulnerable on the scrapheap, without a way of getting a job and being able to live as independently as they can.

“With appropriate mentoring, even young people with complex needs can shine in a successful business.”

The minister saw how this works in practice at the Rose Project at Havering College of Further & Higher Education in east London, which has operated a supported employment programme for young adults with special educational needs for several years.  

ADASS endorses community equipment code

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, ADASS, has added its name to the list of organisations supporting a code of practice to improve the provision of disability equipment.

The aim of the Code of Practice for Community Equipment – known as CECOPS – is to improve the expertise of providers and commissioners in supplying the right equipment.

It covers the provision of everything from children’s postural support chairs to daily living aids, sensory equipment, adaptations such as ramps and grab rails to wheelchairs for short term use and telecare.

CECOPS, a not for profit organisation was set up to manage registration, training and accreditation of users of the Code. To assist those who supply the equipment in bringing a high quality service to disabled children and adults, including elderly people.

The Code, a recently written handbook, is essentially a quality framework for the procurement and provision of services. It is relevant for health and social care providers, care homes, special schools, retailers and clinical and professional teams including therapists. 

Brian Donnelly the chief executive of CECOPS said: “ADASS has recognised the real value the Code will bring to service users and its member’s organisations. 

“We are already working with some local authorities, and will be contacting others in the coming weeks and months to help them register with CECOPS.”

The Code is already officially supported by the care regulator the Care Quality Commission and it fits with their Essential Standards. 

For further details and to read the executive summary of the paper CECOPS sent to ADASS introducing them to the Code download a copy of the paper http://tinyurl.com/bp8juv2

Epilepsy charity open day

Young Epilepsy is inviting parents and carers to a free open day so they can learn more about its specialist school, college and medical facilities.

It takes place at the charity’s 60-acre rural headquarters in Lingfield, Surrey, on Wednesday, 11 July. 

 There will be the opportunity to find out about the charity’s education services and also the National Centre for Young Epilepsy which offers a range of diagnostic, assessment and rehabilitation services.  

 Anyone wishing to attend should e- mail openday@youngepilepsy.org.uk or call Mandy Richmond telephone 01342 831 348. To find out more about Young Epilepsy see www.youngepilepsy.org.uk or find it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/youngepilepsy

Learning disabled role – a first for academia

A journal has been published with a selection of articles edited and peer reviewed by people with learning disabilities, in what is thought to be a first for academia anywhere in the world.

A University of Manchester team of academics and people with learning disabilities worked together on the British Journal of Learning Disabilities edition, which is published this week.

Team member Dr Rohhss Chapman said the project shows it is possible to make research into learning disability much more inclusive.

Lou Townson, works with People First, which helps people with  learning difficulties in Cumbria, is one of five members of The University of Manchester team who has learning difficulties. She said: “As someone with learning difficulties, I feel that there is nothing we can’t do, we just might need a bit more support.

“In terms of working with researchers, it’s isn’t usually  the information which is difficult to understand  but the way it is presented. We learned a lot by working on this on this journal.

“People with learning difficulties do have a valuable contribution to make to academic research into learning difficulty and I hope our work helps to make the case.”

The editor of the Journal, Professor Duncan Mitchell who is based at Manchester Metropolitan University said: “This special edition is significant because it explores ways in which people with learning disabilities can engage in research and ensure that papers that are about them are written and reviewed by them.”

Team leave for the challenge of a lifetime

Ten students with complex emotional issues, their teachers and celebrity chef, Anthony Worral Thompson, are to embark on a nine day trek across the floor of the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania in 40 degree heat.

Calum Carter, 15, from Springfields Academy, a special needs school, in Wiltshire, will be narrating and acting as a pupil mentor for the BBC documentary ‘The Hottest Classroom’ which is due to be aired later this year.

The main purpose of the trip is to raise people’s awareness about emotional and behavioural learning difficulties EBD.

A graduate of the Dore Programme, a personalised, drug free programme for dyslexia, Calum was unable to read or write when he was younger but he is now much more confident – playing rugby at a competitive level and about to sit his GCSEs.

‘The Hottest Classroom’, is one of a series of observational documentaries under the banner of ‘The Extreme Classroom’, devised and developed by Springfields Academy principal and chair of the Dore Foundation Trystan Williams, and vice principal Jon Hamp in the belief that ‘only by challenging students will they exceed expectations.’ 

Trystan Williams said: “The trip has been organised by two charities Engage in the Future and the Dore Foundation who share a similar set of principles which are compatible with what we are trying to do.”

This is a story of hope and an eagerly awaited viewing after last year’s instalment entitled ‘The Coldest Classroom’. 

“Calum is a perfect example of what we are trying to achieve. He is a true success story and has turned his young life around.”

Calum said: “I’m very excited and nervous at the same time. My life has been turned around and this is part of an incredible journey I just wouldn’t have been able to do once. I did well on the last trip but am wary of the heat this time – I think it will be the biggest challenge.”

£30,000 boost in education bursaries

The Chartered Institute for IT, BCS, has awarded £30,000 in education bursaries to 31 educational institutions to deliver projects to enable learners to benefit from computing.

More than 200 schools, colleges and universities had applied for the BCS Education Bursary, which was launched in March by the institute to celebrate Alan Turing’s centenary year.

Bill Mitchell, the director of BCS Academy of Computing, part of the institute said: “The level of applications was outstanding and made the judging process very challenging. 

“We’re now looking forward to following the progress of the successful applicants as they implement their ideas.”

The list of successful applicants, including a brief description of their projects can be found at www.bcs.org/bcsbursary

Disabled persons’ travel programme celebrates 5th anniversary

National Star Foundation’s award winning travel programme, Lift Training, is celebrating its 5th year enabling disabled, people to independently access education and employment activities, through public transport services.
Since it was launched in 2007, it has supported over 300 students in Gloucestershire – and 90 per cent of the students have progressed to independent travel. 

The programme is free to full time students and provides a combination of one-on-one practical support and an opportunity to gain an accredited Edexcel qualification on specific transport routes to support individuals with high transport dependency to be confident, successful and independent travellers.

Lift Training student, Robert Fisher, said: “My mum offered to give me a lift one day but I wanted to take the bus by myself. It was great being able to do this. I’m so pleased I did LIFT!”

Robert’s Mum, Janet Fisher, said: “The course has helped Robert gain much more confidence, he is naturally quite quiet so this was a big step for him to achieve. The course has also given me peace of mind knowing he has the knowledge to keep himself safe when travelling alone.”

Natalie Wadley, Business Development manager said: “The ability to travel independently underpins so many aspects of life from choices about our education to where we live and work. The personalised approach of Lift Training enables high success rates that have long lasting impacts on the lives of disabled, disadvantaged and vulnerable people.”

Initially introduced as a Gloucestershire based project run in partnership with National Star Foundation and Gloucestershire County Council, the programme is now being rolled out across other counties. 
National Star Foundation is working with Derbyshire County Council to increase independent travel across the East Midlands county, focusing on home-to-school and home-to-college journeys.
Lift Training is now recruiting students for the September-December course. For further information see www.natstar.ac.uk/lifttraining.

Autism conference to focus on challenging behaviour

Research Autism is to hold a conference to explore challenging behaviour as the government prepares to publish an initial report following the regime of abuse at the Winterbourne View unit, exposed by the BBC Panorama programme. 

Incidents of residents being kicked and slapped at the residential hospital for people with a learning disability in Hambrook, near Bristol, were captured on camera by an undercover reporter. It led to the closure of Winterbourne View, the arrest and charging of several staff members and inspections by the Care Quality Commission of care services for people with a learning disability.

On 27 June 2012, Autism and Challenging Behaviour: it doesn’t have to be like this, at the Ambassadors Hotel, London, will focus on research, and methods of working that have been shown to be effective and ethical in addressing challenging behaviour, while avoiding those approaches that can cause harm not just to the person but to all of those concerned. 

Richard Mills the research director of Research Autism said: “Despite the numerous scandals and many government reports, individuals are still vulnerable to poor treatment and even assaults.  We need to find new ways of responding to the issues they face based on the needs of each individual.”

Deepa Korea the chief Executive of Research Autism said: “One year on from the appalling abuse uncovered at Winterbourne View, this conference provides a vital contribution to the debate about how we care for some of our most vulnerable citizens. It is a timely reminder that there exist alternative ways forward for managing challenging behaviour. As the conference will make clear, it really doesn’t have to be like this.”

For more information see www.researchautism.net/computers

Study shows young people ill equipped to find suitable careers

A new report published today reveals that many young people are ill informed about their career options. New joint research from the Financial Skills Partnership and Career Academies UK shows that many young people hold views about careers and how to progress which are simply not based on evidence.

According to the report ‘Routes to Success’ – based on a survey of 17 and 18 year old Career Academies UK students – they lack awareness of their options, including a misunderstanding of university fees, apprenticeships and school leaver programmes. 

Liz Field the chief executive of the Financial Skills Partnership, said: “Young people are making poorly informed choices, which may affect their future career options and the talent pipeline for many industries. 

“We need to equip young people with the knowledge and skills to take responsibility for their own career planning and progression, if they are to be the professionals of tomorrow, able to lead us out of recession and into growth and renewal.”

James McCreary the chief executive of Career Academies UK, said: “Educators and advisors need to become more fully aware themselves of the full range of routes for young people, so as to give genuinely impartial advice and guidance.”

For more information see www.careeracademies.org.uk.

Gold medal guests light up children’s sports day

Two Team GB Paralympic athletes, one a Gold Medal winner, presented children from local schools with their winning medals at an inclusive sports day organised by Buxton College.

More than 70 children from High Peak schools; Buxton Junior School, Whaley Bridge School, Chapel High School, St Luke’s Primary School, Peak Dale Primary School, Peak Forest School and Fairfield Endowed School, enjoyed learning and playing a raft of new sports at the event held at Buxton College’s Harpur Hill sports centre.

The children competed against each other in tournaments of goalball, seated volleyball, tic-tag relay and sprint relay; sports designed to be played on level terms by people with and without a disability which will be played later this summer at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. 

Special guests Team GB Paralympic footballer Jordan Raynes, who competed in Beijing in 2008, and cyclist Anthony Kappes, who won two Gold medals in Beijing and will compete again in London 2012, both dropped into the event to hand out medals and share the secrets of their success.

Jordan Raynes, who now works as a Disability Officer for Stockport County Community Foundation, said: “Children of all abilities competed on an equal footing and had fun. We have shown how sports can be adapted to make them inclusive – which is the way sport should be.”

Buxton College Sports students, from the left, Matt Hoare and Jacob Bagshaw, Alice Wright and Karen Wardley from Buxton College with Paralympian Jordan Raynes, and three of the winning goalball team from St Luke’s Primary School

Manchester pupils come together for athletics championship

Children from 22 of Greater Manchester’s special educational needs schools will come together on 21 June to enjoy a day of fun and sporting activities, at Manchester’s Sport City, which can accommodate wheelchair users and all ability levels. 

Each SEN school will be represented by a team of 10 children who will participate in a number of activities specifically designed in partnership with Sportshall Athletics. Children with autism, Down’s syndrome and a range of physical disabilities can all compete at the event regardless of age or ability.

The championship, sponsored by the Manchester branch of education staffing specialist, Randstad Education, will see pupils with disabilities between the ages of 5 – 16 enjoy a number of athletic events including long jump, javelin and sprint relays. 

The activities from 10am-2pm will finish with a presentation where participating children will be awarded certificates and medals.

New online reading game

The Usborne Foundation, a charitable fund established by Peter Usborne to support initiatives to develop early literacy, has launched a free online game to help children practice and consolidate the essential first stages of reading. 

Aimed at beginner readers, Teach Your Monster to Read: First Steps is built on the principles of synthetic phonics and follows the teaching sequence in the “Letters and Sounds” programme.

It develops children’s speed and accuracy of letter recognition by taking them on a fantastic adventure through a magical world where they meet island kings and collect letters to win prizes.  It also explores blending and segmenting, and introduces “tricky” words in a fun, interactive setting. It is aimed at beginning readers, both those who are on track and those who need more support.

Peter Usborne said “It is absolutely crucial that we make learning to read as much fun as possible. I have long been fascinated by the magnetic attraction that computer games have for children, and have worked hard to incorporate some of that magic into Usborne books.” 

Teach Your Monster to Read, features the voice of Simon Farnaby from BBC’s Horrible Histories, and allows children to adopt a monster who has crashlanded his spaceship. They must guide him through a series of islands, practising letters to help him read his handbook, rebuild his ship and fly home.

To play Teach Your Monster to Read www.teachyourmonstertoread.com.

The sheep letter and sound game

Learning platforms conference looks to the future

The learning platform provider, Frog is hosting the Inter-National Learning Platforms Conference on 19 June at the ICC, Birmingham. It says it comes at an interesting time when learning is being flipped on its head and teaching is no longer confined to the classroom.

Frog is bringing together leaders across the education sector to discuss the future for teaching and learning and give solid, practical advice on getting the most from technology.

Following a twitter poll, Frog has invited speakers from primary, secondary, independent, international schools and academies to deliver workshops on mobile apps and wireless working, engaging the entire school and much more. Delegates will be able to take tips from the workshops straight back to the classroom to implement immediately.

 People can keep up to date on further developments following @frogtrade on Twitter and using the #frog12. For further information about the conference www.frogtrade.com.

New president for the Institute of Acoustics

Professor Bridget Shield has become the first female president of the Institute of Acoustics in its 38-year history.

Professor Shield, who succeeds Professor Trevor Cox, said: “It’s a great honour and I’m looking forward to carrying on Trevor’s work over the last two years in raising our profile and that of acoustics generally.

“The fact that I am the first female President will, I hope, encourage more young women into the profession. Since I joined the Institute in 1974 there has been a significant increase in the number of women members, and I intend to ensure this continues.

“I also want to establish closer links with other professional bodies, such as RIBA, and to disseminate our knowledge of problems in acoustics and noise to those people involved in devising solutions, for example architects and engineers.”

Professor Shield is Professor of Acoustics at London South Bank University. Since joining the university (then South Bank Poly) 26 years ago, she has established a world-wide reputation for her research, in particular the effects of noise on children and how it affects their ability to learn. Her expertise in this area resulted in her being appointed an editor of Building Bulletin 93 and she is currently involved in helping update the regulations governing acoustic design standards in schools.

Professor Bridget Shield, president of the Institute of Acoustic

Roadshow advice for disabled students

This year’s Mobility Roadshow offers help to young disabled people considering the practicalities of further education. It takes place over three days from 21- 23 June, at the Peterborough Arena, East of England Showground. Parking and entry are free.

Two roadshow exhibitors in particular offer practical advice and support. AskJules specialises in helping young disabled adults with the transition from living with their families studying at college or sixth form to university – from making the initial choice through to graduation. They will accompany prospective students on opening days, assist with the recruitment of personal assistants and help with managing care and finances.

The OU Access Centre Bus is the only one of its kind in higher education. A state of the art mobile assessment vehicle, it can be driven to the homes of disabled students or an appropriate location to enable a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) Assessment to take place as part of the DSA application process. The comprehensive range of assistive technology on board includes specialist computer text to speech and speech to text software, a CCTV system to magnify text and specialist ergonomic hardware and furniture.

If the move to higher education involves a transport rethink, visitors to the roadshow can find out more about the latest vehicle adaptations and conversions and experience a test drive (driving licence required).

For design and technology students, the expanded Design Zone offers the opportunity to meet a Royal College of Art designer in residence, vote for favourite products on the Cool Wall and talk with experts about the future of accessible design.

Register for test drives and free tickets at www.mobilityroadshow.co.uk or call 0845 241 0390 and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

IOA welcomes the retention of acoustic design regulations in schools

The UK professional body for those working in acoustics has welcomed the news that acoustics is among eight out of 24 regulations that are to be retained in the government’s new School Premises Regulations due to be announced in September.

Professor Trevor Cox, the president of the Institute of Acoustics, IOA, said: “We are delighted that good acoustics is seen by the government as crucial in the design of schools as there is a wealth of evidence that shows that the better pupils can hear a teacher, the better they learn, while poor acoustics has a detrimental effect on their progress, with pupils with special educational needs being particularly disadvantaged.” 

The announcement by Mairi Johnson, the deputy director-design at the Education Funding Agency, at a schools acoustics event in Westminster on 24 May, marks a successful conclusion to an institute campaign launched last year following the government’s announcement that it was to carry out a full-scale review of Building Regulations.

Changing lives through colour

Sally Webb at Connect 2 Colour believes all of us can benefit from an amazing new creative art process which is captured on canvas. Newly launched Connect 2 Colour offers creative, inclusive workshops for special educational needs (SEN) children and adults using a unique technique with paint, glitters, stones and other embellishments with not a paintbrush in sight.  

Sally Webb has a brother with severe learning difficulties and a daughter with special needs. She has also been working with special needs individuals and families for the last 25 years and knows quite a lot about how to make activity inclusive.

Sally Webb said: “In the children’s workshops everyone learns the new skills together. This encourages the children to communicate with each other and find a connection that is fulfilling and positive. This is much the same for adult groups.”

Launching a new charity in June she hopes the Connect 2 Colour Community Fund will ensure that low income families and groups can access the Connect 2 Colour experience.

For more information see www.connect2colour.com.

Academy system blocking applications with no right to appeal

The parents of a gifted 11 year old boy with cerebral palsy have begun a legal battle to have him accepted at one of the government’s flagship academies, after the school turned down his application.

Mossbourne Academy in Hackney, East London, recently rejected applications from a boy with special needs and refused to accept that the Special Educational Needs Tribunal should hear the case, after the school claimed it was not governed by the legislation but its own funding agreement with the secretary of state.

The school’s response to his application was that his admission “would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children in the school.”

The case is set to test how far academies can be forced to comply with the special needs legislation which applies to other non-fee paying schools.

Elaine Maxwell, a partner at solicitors Maxwell Gillott who is representing the boy’s mother said: “His condition only affects his ability to get around school at busy times as he can walk but is not always steady on his feet. The only real additional provision he needs is a bit of support during these times to make sure he is safe, and as he has already obtained an A* in Maths GCSE at the age of 11, he certainly has no problem keeping up with lessons, although he will also need appropriate IT which his parents have offered to provide.

“It is difficult to see why this particular disabled boy who has worked hard to do his best could be anything other than an asset to the school.”

What is difficult in this case is that the parents are not allowed to appeal against the school admission process as their son has a statement which means the school he attends should be decided by the Special Educational Needs Tribunal.

Student earns international research role to explore performance and disability

An Edge Hill University drama student has been selected to join a international research panel for her innovative work on performance and disability.

Kara Spencer, a wheelchair user due to the condition Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, ME, is part of the International Federation for Theatre Research which promotes the exchange of information between individuals and organisations concerned with theatre research.

The 21-year-old from Derbyshire, who is in her third year on the BA (Hons) Drama degree programme, was chosen after her investigations to ensure people with disabilities could enjoy the same type of theatre experiences as mainstream audiences. 

Kara Spencer said: “I’m very passionate about this area of work. I am a performer myself and I’ve been looking at ways to ensure that people of all abilities can enjoy a full interactive theatre experience without detracting from the artistic values for my current production. 

“For people with hearing problems, I would have subtitles right underneath the stage. My other idea is to develop the audio description concept further by introducing a poetic element so that those with visual impairments can still feel the emotions, rather than just listen to the words.

“My boyfriend is blind and when we go to the cinema I describe to him what is on the screen, but I do it in such a dramatic way that he can understand the feelings and hopefully visualise the scenes.”

Kara’s research and ideas impressed members on the group so much that she has also been invited to attend their annual conference Mediating Performance in Santiago, Chile, in July.

SEN proposals: British Assistive Technology Association 

The government has missed a golden opportunity to ensure children with special educational needs benefit from assistive technology in plans for the biggest shake-up of the SEN system for 30 years, according to the British Assistive Technology Association.

 Under reforms announced by Children’s Minister Sarah Teather, parents are to get a new legal right to buy in specialist SEN and disabled care for their children. They will be given the option to control their own personal budgets for their disabled children, rather than local authorities.

 BATA, which represents leading assistive technology organisations, professionals and users, believes that the Department for Education has failed to recognise the benefits assistive technology can bring in its proposals for reform.

 “The paper essentially overlooks the potential for assistive technology to enhance lives and improve educational outcomes for children with special needs,” said Mark McCusker, chairman of BATA. “In addition, assistive technology has the potential to save money, which in a times of austerity, surely should rank highly.

 “There is a strong focus in the Government’s response to the public consultation on its green paper on more profound disabilities with relatively little emphasis on cognitive, non-visible disabilities. However, children with cognitive disabilities account for the biggest proportion of the SEN group: many assistive technologies offer great potential to improve academic performance for this group, for example, assistive technology has helped deliver improvements of up to 40 per cent in reading comprehension within a targeted SEN group.”

Association calls for wider access to alternative formats

Proposed changes to copyright law should go further in making it easier for disabled people to access alternative formats of documents, music, films and photographs, says the British Assistive Technology Association.

 At present, the Intellectual Property Office proposes to relax restrictions on copying to allow anyone to copy materials that they own to any format or device, as long as it is for their personal use.

 “This is terrific news for print-impaired people, because it would mean that they can shift digital material from one format to another at will,” says Ian Litterick, a council member of BATA and chairman of assistive software company iansyst.

 “They could, for example, take a document, scan it and adapt it to large print with blue type on a yellow background, if that is what they find more comfortable to read. Or they could take a PDF file from the web and convert it to an audio file to listen to on their iPhone as they commute to work.

 “This change could be hugely beneficial to people with a reading impairment – not just visually impaired or dyslexic people but also those with mobility problems and general learning difficulties.”

 Up until now disabled people have had to rely on an exception to the Copyright Act, made for visually impaired people. But this exception has not applied, for example, to people with dyslexia, who have been left in many cases to break the law if they want to adapt something so that they can read it.

 However, BATA, which represents leading assistive technology organisations, professionals and users, wants to see the Government go further and allow an individual to copy material not only that they own, but also that they have legal access to.

SEN proposals: Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities

Christine Burke, senior development manager said: “We welcome the news that the Government intends to push ahead with proposals for parents to have a personal budget for their children. Personal budgets can be extremely beneficial as they put the needs of the child and their family at the centre of their health, social care and educational needs. They provide individuals with greater control over their lives, allow them to get better support and inclusive lifestyles. We agree that for too long too many families have had to ‘battle’ a complex system that doesn’t always put the child’s needs first.

 “We do however know that changing the system will be difficult and will require a real commitment and concerted effort from all the services involved. Joint working between education, children’s services, health and social care services (and subsequently adult services) does not always work well. These changes will require a new and radical approach if we are to make sure that this situation changes and offer real support to families and young people to be able to use their budget positively.

 “The systems will have to change their way of working from one of wanting to control what and where children belong, to one that is flexible, puts the child’s needs and their family first, and works in partnership with families and children. In this way the support will be in place to better support families to plan and ensure that their child’s interests are at the centre of planning. Working in partnership with families and children for some services will be a challenge. This should be identified early on and actions taken to ensure the right supports are in place in finding good local services that can support families and young people to have a good life in the community.

 “We need to see a support system in place that helps families to understand personal budgets, to support them in planning and managing that budget effectively and to understand what it is possible for their son or daughter to purchase with personal budgets. Personal budgets for adults have been on the agenda for years, yet we continue to see problems in their widespread adoption. We need to see a greater urgency if thousands of children are to have the meaningful lives in the community they deserve.”

SEN proposals: University of Reading Institute of Education

Dr Cathy Tissot, director MA in education, said: “One of the things that this report is not really addressing is the fact that schools need to increase the number of teachers with specialism in this area, such as allowing SEN to be a focus for initial teacher training as well as continuing funding for the SENCO Qualification. Both of these will start to address the real issue which is to provide trained staff to meet the very diverse needs of the current school population which reflects the ethos of inclusive education. 

 “The main concern I have is not about the children who are very affected by their disabilities and have a strong parental advocate, it is for the largest group of children who are falling behind their peers and need targeted timely support. Those who come from families with other priorities or challenging circumstances, or perhaps lack awareness of what resources and support would best meet their child’s needs would also need considering. 

“Quality first teaching can address this to some extent, but the expertise and interventions that are offered in schools around the country will no longer be funded to the current extent if schools and Local Authorities do not have the resources to provide support.

 “The Government’s announcement today is welcome in many ways. The main complaint heard from both families, teachers and SENCOs is the bureaucratic burden that accessing support can bring. To have a joined up system where health, social services and education work together is a positive step forward, provided that this new system is transparent and timely in making decisions.”

SEN proposals: Sense replies

Commenting on the Government’s changes to support given to children with special educational needs laid out in ‘Support and Aspiration’, John Dickinson-Lilley, deputy head of public policy at national deafblind charity Sense, says: “We welcome the Government’s commitment to improve the special educational needs framework because currently too many disabled children are not getting the support they need at critical times. There are at least 3,000 deafblind /multi-sensory impaired children out there now who are not identified by the system. 

“It is crucial that the proposals ensure every deafblind child is identified from an early age or onset of their disability – otherwise these reforms which are set out to help vulnerable children will be pointless.

“Presently families are enduring a fraught and complex system and are often subject to significant delays within local authorities so we welcome a single assessment and plan for health, education and social care for disabled young people aged 0-25. It is critical for these reforms to have any effect that there are clear statutory obligations on all education, health and social care agencies and settings including academies and free schools.”

Sign language provider marks 30th anniversary

The provider of British Sign Language qualifications Signature is marking 30 years of successfully promoting excellence in deaf communications this week – but its chief executive says there is still a long way to go to achieve full accessibility for deaf and deafblind people in society.

The charity started in 1982 and has grown from a small organisation to become the nation’s largest awarding body for BSL qualifications – over 300,000 people from across the UK have achieved Signature BSL or Deaf Awareness qualifications.

The charity started in 1982 and has grown from a small organisation to become the nation’s largest awarding body for BSL qualifications – more than 300,000 people from across the UK have achieved Signature BSL or Deaf Awareness qualifications.

Chief executive Jim Edwards praised the work of the people that had helped make Signature, previously known as CACDP, such a success.

He said Signature had grown to become far more than simply an awarding body for qualifications – it is now a leading voice in BSL learning, as well as a powerful lobbyist for equality and accessibility for the UK’s deaf community.

He said: “For 30 years Signature has campaigned for better inclusion and accessibility for deaf people across the UK, improving lives and enhancing independence.

“Our success is testament to the many hard working, talented people in the organisation who have dedicated so much to helping deaf people overcome barriers to communication.”

Paracyclist unveils new track at school

World record-breaking para-cyclist Jon-Allan Butterworth has opened Chadsgrove School and Specialist Sports College’s new cycling track as part of this year’s Olympic and Paralympic celebrations, as well as promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for children at the school in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. The initiative is part of Jon-Allan’s partnership with AKW.

Following the opening, Jon-Allan Butterworth answered questions from children at the school and awarded certificates to children who had excelled in the recently-launched Cycle Challenge 2012, an in-house cycling proficiency course. The project is the school’s own take on the cycling proficiency test, with the new track providing the opportunity to put the programme into action.

Jon-Allan Butterworth also met 11-year-old Jayson Yates, who produced the winning entry in a recent ‘design a mascot’ competition run by AKW in support of the paracycling champion. The design is being transformed into a toy for Jayson to keep. AKW will be supporting the school with further projects in the future.