Shine news
1st February 2019
The first signs of spring are just starting to appear as children and young people are beginning to face new challenges in schools, colleges and universities during this term.
Activity Passport and First Aid Training
The Department for Education has announced that all children will have an Activity Passport to encourage physical activity and taking part in skills for life, such as first aid training. More information about the DfE Activity Passport and free resources for schools and be found by Clicking Here
Transport to Education and Training for people aged 16 to 18
Statutory guidance for local authorities, supplying transport to students and trainees to comply with the law, was updated at the end of January and can be read by Clicking Here
Avoiding the Rush
Matr.org has advice about before and after school routines to help with organisation and executive functioning, which can cause difficulties for children with hydrocephalus or spina bifida. To find out more Click Here
Homework anxiety and how to avoid it
Understood.org is an American website that has study skills ideas for avoiding anxiety about homework for children with concerns about working memory. To find out more Click Here
Organisation and Time Management Tips
Quantum Leap offers tips for neuro-diverse children and young people to support their learning development. Organisation and time management can be difficult for children with spina bifida or hydrocephalus so here are some tips to support their learning. To find out more Click Here
Understanding Behaviour Differences
There has been a recent increase in the number of exclusions from school of children with additional needs. Figures show that children with SEND are 6 times more likely to be excluded than their peers (Source)
The DfE has statutory guidance on exclusions available below, which is useful for parents of children with SEND. Click Here
Managing Positive Behaviour
Shine has a range of advice on the new website to help parents and professionals to understand that behaviour differences in children with spina bifida or hydrocephalus are likely to be related to the effects of their conditions.
A child with a condition affecting their ability to understand the consequences of their actions will struggle to follow Zero Tolerance regulations or C1 to C4 Consequences rules, which are used in many secondary schools in England. Families and teaching professionals are advised to read the following:
Continence Confidence
Several families have asked Shine staff for recommended books for children when talking about continence so Shine education team have put together a list of books, like the Bella Bear series, that will be shared when it’s time for February’s Book of the Month.
It is recommended that schools prepare for the admission of a child who manages their continence differently by ensuring they have an updated Accessibility Plan and an Inclusion Policy which mentions continence in a positive, inclusive and matter-of-fact manner.
Remember to take a look at Shine’s new animation about continence management for children which can be viewed on Shine’s Facebook page
NASEN training for SENCOs
Nasen has an accredited SENCO Award for Early Years and a set of resources for Reasonable Adjustments resources for SENCOs available on their website
Relationships and Sex Education
The DfE has completed a consultation about RSE. The curriculum is being reviewed and redesigned so you can read more about it Here
There are also free RSE lesson plans and resources about consent available Here
Dates for your Diary
There are still Free resources available from the Literacy Trust for National Story telling week and beyond.
Thanks to all the Shine members who have responded to Shine’s education survey. There’s still time to make your experiences known by following the link to Complete The Survey
ALLFIE, the inclusion charity, has a survey for parents and professionals about the Accessibility Plans of educational settings, which all schools should have for parents to see on their websites. The survey ends 28th February
Contact has new funding from the DfE to provide SEND advice to families, Early Years training for parents and has a helpline for all education-related questions. Contact is also asking for nominations for awards, which can be viewed by following this link
The Times Ed. has extended their SEN show to the north of England later this year. To register for free tickets, follow this link
Thanks again to Sharon, Jo, Angela, Laura, Kirsty and to everyone else for their many ideas and contributions to the latest Update. As usual, there was so much more that could’ve been included.
If you’d like to share information or advice about Education with Shine staff, members and interested professionals in the Education Updates of 2019 then contact Jan via firstcontact@shinecharity.org.uk
All contributions are gratefully received and if not shared next month then they’re sure to be added to new education materials currently in production.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this Update is accurate at the time of publishing. The information provided does not constitute legal or professional advice and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.