The Inclusion Development Programme – helping to support pupils with special educational needs
Improving teachers’ understanding and use of progression and assessment, developing pedagogy for personalisation, targeting interventions to tackle underperformance and inequality and strengthening leadership at all levels in school are just some of the current priorities that face most headteachers in schools today. Within all of these are groups of vulnerable pupils who will require a more targeted approach to personalisation than others if they are to make increased rates of progress and narrow the gaps in attainment between them and their peers; one of these groups is children and young people with special educational needs (SEN).
The Inclusion Development Programme is part of the Government’s strategy for SEN outlined in
‘Removing Barriers to Achievement’ 2004. It is a cross-phase school improvement tool to increase the confidence and develop the skills of teachers, teaching assistants, practitioners and those in Initial Teacher Training, needed for the early identification and support of children with SEN. It helps to strengthen and support leadership teams to narrow the gaps and raise the attainment for pupils with dyslexia and other literacy difficulties, speech language and communication needs and those on the autism spectrum.
The materials have been developed in partnership with key stakeholders and the voluntary sector (Dyslexia Action and I CAN for Phase 1 and the Autism Centre for Education and Research at the University of Birmingham for Phase 2). Each resource has a brief self-evaluation which individuals can complete. However, if used by all staff it can provide headteachers and leadership teams with valuable information about their school’s CPD requirements in this area.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) materials are organised according to the four themes of the EYFS:
- The Unique Child
- Positive Relationships
- Enabling Environments
- Learning and Development
The statutory Framework for EYFS sets the standard for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. There is a requirement on all practitioners to provide for equality of opportunity by removing or helping to overcome barriers for children where these already exist, being alert to the early signs of need that could lead to later signs of difficulty and responding quickly and appropriately, involving other agencies as necessary. The IDP offers clear guidance on good practice in this area and supports this with video footage and tasks for early years practitioners to extend their knowledge and skills.
In each of the Primary /Secondary IDP resources the materials are set out under eight units which can be studied individually, in study groups or as a whole school. These materials form part of a blended learning approach to continuing professional development (CPD) and can be used successfully within a collaborative coaching environment. Reports from schools and LAs who have used the materials state that practice has been most effective when they have been applied alongside CPD, focusing on learning and teaching and assessment for learning (AfL), and where SEN consultants work with school improvement (SI) consultants.
Each resource has a leadership section which brings together related policy documents, guidance and links to other National Strategies materials which focus on Quality First Teaching. The IDP: Pupils on the Autism Spectrum, provides facilitators, headteachers and leadership teams with a summary of key messages and video footage in each unit and links to further guidance and support. Although each resource provides a deeper understanding of a specific SEN the messages are presented in ways that are applicable to mainstream classrooms.
The National Strategies provides a range of evidence-based materials to accelerate the progress of pupils and the IDP should be aligned with these materials and not used in isolation. The following resources can be accessed through the National Strategies area of the Standards Site:
- The Early Years Foundation Stage;
- renewedprimary and secondary Frameworks to help teachers personalise learning and plan for progression;
- Assessing Pupils’ Progress (APP) materials to strengthen assessment and tracking of pupil progress in reading, writing, mathematics (primary) English, maths, science and ICT (secondary);
- Support for Writing materials to assist teachers to narrow gaps in attainment in primary writing;
-
Overcoming barriers in mathematics (level 1 to level 2; level 2 to 3; level 3 to 4) and Securing level 4 in mathematicsto support teachers in identifyingand closing gaps in attainment at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2;
-
Core Plusto support improvement and address underachievement insecondary English, mathematics and science; and
-
Study Plusto accelerate progress at Key Stage 4.
The Inclusion section of the National Strategies area of the Standards Site also provides a range of useful information including support on:
- P scales; and
- the forthcoming Progression Guidance in respect of pupils with SEN (available summer 2009) and the related web-based training package for pupils with SEN/LDD, including those working below age related expectations.
LAs have each been asked to establish a strategic plan for implementing the IDP locally, to identify a lead person to coordinate delivery and to gather baseline information on current levels of teacher confidence in meeting the needs of pupils with dyslexia and speech language and communication needs. IDP planning activities will be extended to offer support to meet the needs of pupils on the autism spectrum next year.
Phases 1 and 2 of this four-year programme have been completed. Schools and early years settings have been sent the phase 1 materials: Dyslexia and Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) (Primary/ Secondary) and Supporting children with speech, language and communication needs (EYFS). Local authorities will be in the process of disseminating Phase 2 materials: Supporting pupils on the autism spectrum (Primary/ Secondary) and Supporting children on the autism spectrum (EYFS). They are all available on both DVD and the National Strategies area of the Standards Site.
The work on the next phase of the IDP has begun and is focusing on behaviour, emotional and social difficulties (BESD). This concluding phase will align all three resources, consolidate the key messages for Quality First Teaching and provide additional information for pupils with cognition needs.
The IDP content on the National Strategies area of the Standards Site is available at: www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/nationalstrategies/idp
Mary Daly is Senior Adviser and Programme Leader
(Inclusion Development Programme) for The National Strategies
