Yesterday
How to help TAs foster independent learning
Teaching assistants need to promote independence, not dependence, writes Alex Quigley – and consistent use of scaffolding strategies is the key
What GCSE uptake in special schools could tell us about inclusion
GCSE performance is increasing among special school students. Does this suggest more should be taught in mainstream?
Thursday
Why early intervention is crucial for children with a visual impairmentÂ
Supporting children with a visual impairment in the early years helps with their transition to school, explains Lucy Chetty
What schools are doing to tackle the speech and language ‘crisis’
The number of children with speech and language challenges is soaring. And not all of these pupils have SEND. Experts tell Ellen Peirson-Hagger how in-school intervention is possible – and highly effective
Wednesday
DfE to set out costed SEND plan ‘within a year’
Government accepts recommendations for action on SEND from public spending watchdog but says it cannot commit to meeting deadlines
Using special-school staff to boost SEND skills across a trust
The SEND lead at Maritime Academy Trust explains how the group turned to its specialist provision to provide CPD and build confidence across all its schools
Friday
Most school leaders ‘struggling’ to support pupils with SEND
Headteachers say pupils with SEND who should be taught in specialist provision have to remain in mainstream schools because of a lack of places
Heads demand clarity on the legal right to seclude pupils
School leaders voice fears over changes to government guidance on the use of restraint, warning that they could lead to the unfair treatment of pupils with SEND
Heads forced to ‘lobby’ for specialist provision in early years
Despite young pupils’ increasingly complex needs, leaders fear there is too little focus on getting them the right support
Thursday
Why every mainstream school needs a special-school partner
When mainstream and special schools collaborate, the benefits are felt by the whole school community, writes Margaret Mulholland
How vulnerable pupils are losing their classrooms
Hospital schools provide education for child patients undergoing treatment – but they are having to change how they teach because of NHS decisions beyond their control. Ellen Peirson-Hagger investigates
