Circles and PillarsSupporting Students Towards a

Connective Pedagogy for Inclusive Practice

University of WorcesterRachel Barrell & Derval Carey Jenkins

Green Paper: Support and Aspiration• Biggest reform for SEN in 30 years• Has been in consultation phase since March 2011 and response

and next steps published this week

• Children’s and Families Bill launched this week in Queen’s Speech – ‘The Government will overhaul the SEN system…not fit for purpose’.

• Early identification and support – a new approach?• Breaking down barriers for families / change in assessment

procedures• Families receive personal budgets for tailored support for their

child

Possible implications for ITE• Staff have the knowledge, understanding and skills to provide

the right support for children and young people who have SEN or are disabled, wherever they are

• Address over-identification of SEN with a new single early years-setting and school-based SEN category to replace School Action and School Action Plus

• Better equip teachers and support staff to address SEN and poor behaviour through training & CPD

• Produce clearer guidance on SEN identification

New Teaching Standards 2012S1. Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils

S2. Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils

S4. Plan and teach well structured lessons

S5. Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils http://www.ucet.ac.uk/3912

Sound familiar…..‘We want to see all teachers having the skills and confidence – and access to

specialist advice where necessary – to help children with SEN to reach their potential’

Removing Barriers to Achievement: The Government’s Strategy for SEN (2004:50)

‘Thousands of pupils are being wrongly labelled as having special educational needs when all they require is better teaching and support’

‘ We feel teachers and schools need to have more confidence themselves about looking at what are barriers to learning OFSTED (2010)

Headline information on SEN 2011• SEN is one of the national priorities with phonics and

behaviour• Currently datasets on phonics and behaviour• SEN data not currently analysed at provider level by TA• However, this may happen…..

• NQT survey (primary)- SEN 53% - slow rise but overall plateau in good/very good over last 5 years

• NQT survey (secondary) – SEN 59% higher than primary

Florian and Black-Hawkins (2010, p14)

Our conceptualisation of inclusive pedagogy focuses on how to extend what is ordinarily available in the community of the classroom as a way of reducing the need to mark some learners as different. This is underpinned by a shift in pedagogical thinking from an approach that works for most learners existing alongside something ‘additional’ or ‘different’ for those (some) who experience difficulties, towards one that involves providing rich learning opportunities that are sufficiently made available for everyone, so that all learners are able to participate in classroom life

Barriers to Learning: Principles of Inclusion

Circles of Inclusion

Setting suitable learning challenges

Responding to pupils’ diverse needs

Overcoming potential barriers to learning INCLUSION

Learning objectives

Teaching styles

Access

8 Pillars • Inclusive learning environment • Multi-sensory approaches• Working with additional adults  • Managing peer relationships • Adult /pupil communication and language • Formative assessment/ assessment for learning • Motivation• Memory/ consolidation 

Within the Primary Programmes• SEND Taught Module – introduction and exploration of key

themes through circles and pillars • Key themes embedded through subjects and Pedagogy and

Management (PAM) and Professional Studies (including an enhanced module for specialist pedagogies)

• Specialist Speakers- Speech and Language , Dyspraxia, EAL, Gypsy and Traveller, Head of special school

• Specialist Placements – SEN schools (assessed pathway on UG course) , Specialist bases

• Self Study and School Based tasks • Students as researcher – SEN specialist Pathways through M

level engagement.

Audit of Confidence on PG programme• 90% very confident / confident in planning for full range of

abilities• 91% behaviour management (including BESD)• 95% management and deployment of teaching assistants• 96% differentiating teaching to cater for all levels of ability

• 55% assessment for children with SEN• 54% legal responsibilities surrounding SEN (and the jargon)• 36% alternative communication systems (symbols, signing,

PECS etc)

Personalised Learning Task• Part of the TDA SEN 1 year ITT training materials• Trainees work closely with a child with a SEN in a mainstream

class – supported by SENCO

‘The fact that Josie has been receiving targeted support for many years but has yet to be formally diagnosed is evidence of the contrary nature of her presenting behaviour and the difficulty of tying down a particularly complex individual. One recent comment on her Learning Support Team review (22.09.10) seems to me to be the nub of the difficulty in supporting Josie: is her behaviour affecting learning, or vice versa?’

Reflective Practice• Conclusions and recommendations• I would recommend that Josie revisits the optometrist. I think the buddy

system with this particular child is bringing benefits: Josie is not so isolated in the class and friction with other children has reduced. I suggest that she retains her seating position near to the computer to help her engage with IWB materials.

• The timer is more mixed: as a tool to reduce anxiety about being late it is effective, but can cause simple transfer of anxiety to the timer itself: constantly fiddling with it and adjusting it and asking about it. However on occasion, on independent writing tasks, it can produce a significant gain in focus and as such it is valuable. I would suggest that initially the teacher needs to take responsibility for reminding Josie to use it but that over time perhaps this could be devolved to Josie.

Student perspectives

Next Steps for ITE• Continued involvement in regional networks – crucial for

sharing good practice • SEN scholarships• Growing partnerships with special schools – Salt Review and

work on complex learning needs • Await outcomes of Green Paper to update and revise academic

modules / school placements

References • Davis, P and Florian, L, 2004, Teaching Strategies and Approaches for Pupils with

Special Educational Needs: A Scoping Study, Research Report 516, DfES, London• Department of Education (2012) Support and Aspiration: A new approach to

SEN&D (http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/support%20and%20aspiration%20a%20new%20approach%20to%20special%20educational%20needs%20and%20disability%20%20%20progress%20and%20next%20steps.pdf)

• DfES (2004) Removing Barriers to Achievement: The Government’s Strategy for SEN

• Florian, L. and Black-Hawkins, K. (2011) Exploring inclusive pedagogy, British Educational Research Journal, 37:5, 813-828

• Lewis, A. and Norwich, B. (2005) (eds) Special teaching for special children? Maidenhead: Open University Press

• OFSTED (2010) The Special Educational Needs & Disability Review Ref. 090221•