Special Schools

Inclusion

Primary

An NQT makes use of new skills learnt in a SEN school

An NQT, who spent time at a school for children with moderate learning difficulties, brings her newly acquired inclusion skills into the mainstream primary classroom. Through the University of Hertfordshire, NQT Mo Serby, spent eight weeks at a school for children with MLD , as part of her second year placement. As a result of this, she has now been able to transfer the skills she has learnt to a mainstream classroom at Sarratt Primary School. She demonstrates that inclusion means getting children involved in everything, rather than separating them according to ability. Mo demonstrates her newfound techniques during an art lesson, including using a picture timetable so pupils can see what's happening during the day and by randomly picking lollipop sticks with pupil?s names on from a tub to get different pupils involved with tasks. Her TA helps her in assisting with differentiating resources, in order to address all levels of ability.

Effective Inclusion - Bringing Special School Experience into the Mainstream Classroom

Six years ago, homework was completed by less than 20% of the students at Carwarden House and Ofsted had highlighted it as an area for concern. The pupils' ages range from from 8 - 19, and all have learning difficulties. Su and her colleagues wanted an approach where the students wouldn't feel they were doing homework at all, and one tailored to differing needs. The maths games they developed are designed to meet the objectives of the National Numeracy Strategy. Each student can have a different game for every week of the school year. "The teachers have a lot of work to deal with anyway with their class, so finding time to work with every individual on different levels is practically impossible. So that is the beauty of this. Up and down the country we have over 2000 schools now using the packs. And over 200,000 children involved in playing these games at home - with their parents." Su Cope, Assistant Head Teacher.

Homework High

Relocating a special school into the new HLC development

The Hadley Learning Community is an exciting new PFI development that is home to, amongst other things, the relocated Bridge Special School. The Bridge caters for children with severe and profound learning difficulties and is moving out from cramped and inadequate facilities in to the new state-of-the-art HLC extended school. But with government building guidelines rather out of date, headteacher Una van-den-Berg feels she has to fight hard to ensure her pupils get the space and facilities they need. This programme highlights the hardships that staff and pupils face in the old Bridge Special School and shows how Una and her team get involved in designing the Hadley Learning Community.

Including the Special School

Jonathan Dimbleby debates the future of inclusive education

Is Baroness Warnock right? The original architect of the inclusion policy comes face-to-face with a panel of experts, including former Ofsted chief, Chris Woodhead, and equality campaigners on the future of inclusion. Children with disabilities have always had a tough time in education. For 25 years, education policy has striven to remove the barriers to learning faced by children with special needs by including them in mainstream schools. But not everyone is happy with the way the government is trying to achieve it. Teachers fear classroom disruption. Parents of non-disabled children fear an erosion of academic standards. And, at the heart of the debate, stands the right to continue sending the most severely disabled to special schools. For some, this is segregation. For others, it is common sense. Now even Baroness Warnock has turned against it. The way we're teaching disabled children, she claims, will leave "a disastrous legacy." Lady Warnock and former Ofsted chief, Chris Woodhead, join Jonathan Dimbleby and a panel of teaching practitioners and equality campaigners to discuss the future of inclusive education.

See a school's efforts to manage the behaviour of excluded pupils

Anti-social behaviour in schools is at the forefront of many teachers' minds in recent years, with teaching unions placing it high on their conference agendas. Hear one primary school's story in this whole-school video. Teachers at New Woodlands Primary School in the London borough of Lewisham have to deal with exceptionally challenging behaviour from pupils every day, as shown in this behaviour-management video for primary and secondary teaching staff. This powerful and moving documentary takes a close look at the methods and philosophy of headteacher Duncan Harper and his staff. New Woodlands provides education for 60 young boys who've been deemed very difficult - if not impossible - to cope with in the 72 mainstream primary schools in the area. Some of these boys are as young as five and all have been excluded because of their challenging behaviour.

More Than A Special School

The work of teachers at Great Ormond Street Hospital School

Off Sick But In School features Great Ormond Street Hospital School, where education is delivered on the wards and in dedicated classrooms. Many of the children being treated at this hospital have injuries and illnesses needing several weeks, months or even years of treatment, so it's imperative they don't get behind with their school work. This programme follows a typical day for two of the school's teachers and shows their commitment to young girls like Miriam. Although she has to lie on her back and then her front for two hours at a time for weeks on end, she can still manage to get to grips with Shakespeare. The hospital teachers have to teach all age groups and all subjects, often in very difficult circumstances, and without always knowing what the children's futures will be.

Off Sick But In School

24 schools collaborate to produce a performance on belonging

Solihull Music Service brings together 24 schools to take part in performing arts project called Ten Tribes, exploring PSHE issues such as inclusion and belonging. This programme follows the pupils from the beginning of the project as they work alongside media and dance artists. Children from a pupil referral unit work on an animation sequence, while those from other schools collaborate to produce props. Ten Tribes climaxes in a show at Birmingham's Symphony Hall where the pupils form a choir and dance group to perform specially written work. PSHE issues are explored in a creative environment as pupils from primary and special schools are brought together to create a performance.

PSHE Through Performing Arts

Pupils go to an exhibition about ancient Egypt and an ice rink

The series visiting and recommending worthwhile and enjoyable venues for educational trips. The staff and pupils of Green Fold Special School venture out to Salford Museum and Art Gallery to explore an exhibition about ancient Egypt. Lucy Marks's pupils from Paces Special School let off their wheelchair brakes and glide on the ice during a recreational visit to their local rink in Sheffield.

Salford Museum and Art Gallery

The work of TAs at a pupil referral unit

Teaching assistants at South East Surrey Pupil Referral Unit show how they support their students. All the students they work with have been unable to cope with mainstream education, and here the TAs use a wide range of activities to support and encourage the students in continuing their education. This is part of a series created by TAs and HLTAs, who have filmed their own short videos to give an insight into their day-to-day roles.

South East Surrey PRU

How one teacher bases her lessons around rhythm and music

At Royal Schools for the Deaf in Manchester, teacher Chloe Bedford works with pupils with severe communication difficulties and multiple learning disorders in her primary class. A multi-sensory approach is used to encourage communication. Objects of reference and picture exchange are some of the strategies Chloe uses in class and we see how sound and vibration are important in a Gamelan music lesson with percussion instruments. Meanwhile, in a science class, we see how pupils are exposed to a variety of tactile experiences to encourage a concept of pushing and pulling.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

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