“I would wish all children to be educated locally with their peers and to get the support they need at the earliest possible opportunity to make sure there is a genuine holistic approach to inclusion with the family, school and professionals involved.”

Lindsay has been teaching in primary education for 20 years in various settings working with children from Nursery to Year 6. Her passion for inclusion has led Lindsay to achieving the SENqual and becoming a SENCo. Previously, Lindsay worked with other agencies across Plymouth to develop person-centred practice and in 2018 she developed a nurture provision for primary school children at risk of exclusion, which was highly successful in supporting children and was partially funded by the Local Authority. 
 
Lindsay now works as the Director of Inclusion at St Christopher's Academy Trust and is a Specialist Member of the SEND Tribunal and a Trustee at Ted Wragg Multi Academy Trust. She enjoys working with schools across the South West and is proud of the inclusive practice which is in the heart of every one of the St Christopher's Schools. 
 
Lindsay loves her role as a Facilitator for SWIFT of both the Early Career Teacher Programme SEN Group and for the NPQSENCo. Last year she co-authored, “The A-Z of SEN” - something she never thought she would achieve and is incredibly proud of this accomplishment. 
 
We were pleased to ask Lindsay more about her thoughts on Special Educational Needs and inclusion practice. 

1. What do you consider to be most personally rewarding for you as a Facilitator for the SWIFT ECTP and NPQs programmes?
Firstly, it was lovely to be asked because even though I have been doing this job for 20 years now, when I am asked to do something, my first response is always, there must be someone better than me who can do it! But it is a rewarding and proud feeling to be asked (thank you Team SWIFT).
 
I have always been concerned about the Initial Teacher Training programme for teachers and the level of SEN content. When SWIFT explained they wanted their new Early Career Teacher (ECT) to have a SEN cohort and that they would like me to facilitate it I was thrilled. It is great to bring all those new teachers with passion and drive together to share ideas, best practice, and help and support each other, rather than SEN teachers feeling side-lined. This collaborative spirit is very important.
 
With the NPQ for SENCOs, it is encouraging to work with new SENCOs who have got a real determination to make a strategic difference to children with Special Needs in their settings.
 
I love being a SENCO and I often think we can get a bad rap for being miserable or overworked. Yet I do not find this to be the case with the SENCOs in my team and certainly not with the SENCOs who are on the NPQ for SENCOs. I have appreciated listening to them, hearing the peer support they give each other. The coaching element of the NPQ for SENCOs has been valuable to all the SENCOs and very rewarding to me. Each term when we meet up and I ask about their previous actions, they tell me their successes.... this child is now no longer at risk of permanent exclusion, or a child has got a placement at a Special School. Priceless!

2. What has been your greatest professional learning curve in inclusion in SEND and how did you overcome it?
I had to think about this one for quite a while!
 
I think the thing that I still find quite challenging is to understand that people have a different view of inclusion. Challenges when you might hear someone say:
 
“Well, you know, they're choosing this behaviour, or this child shouldn't be in this setting, or it's the parents' fault.”
This kind of dismissive behaviour towards children with Special Educational Needs was a big learning curve for me because at first I would get angry or walk away and stewed on such words. But now in the moment, I have had to learn to offer alternatives:
 
“Okay, so you think it could be to do with parenting at home, but why are the parents struggling with this child? Do you think the parent wanted to impact the child's wellbeing?”
“Or where do you think this behaviour is coming from?”
“Or you think this child should be PExed, but what is going to be the trajectory for that child if that is what we do?”
 
Posing challenging questions, picking it up in the moment and being brave is important because this is what the children deserve. This was a big challenge for me because I was shocked that people do not all think the same about inclusion or hold the same value of our children with SEN within our schools.

3. What do you consider to be the biggest current challenges for supporting children and young people with SEND in Schools and Trusts?
I think the biggest challenge for us has been the SEND sufficiency in the South West.
In Plymouth, Devon and Torbay, there are limited spaces in Special Schools available, which means the complexity of children we now have in our mainstream settings is much higher than we have seen previously.
 
It means that we have had to start to think differently. Ten of our Trust Schools at St Christopher’s have now got either an intervention base or an inclusion classroom, so there is space for children with Special Educational Needs to go and access either targeted intervention, regulation breaks or support. Or an inclusion classroom where children can work alongside their peers on a bespoke curriculum to meet their needs with trained and qualified staff.

That is not where we were 20 years ago, and probably not even five years ago, but it is developing and I am very proud of my schools and always impressed when the leadership teams think differently and come to me with ideas. Recently in our West Devon schools isolated on the Moors, the leadership teams are working as a group of schools in recognising the need to explore how they can work together to see what they can do for the greater good in a collaborative way.

4. What would be your top three tips for effective inclusion?
Number 1 is collaboration and that is with parents, children and professionals, the multi-agency team around your children to make sure that everybody is on board, and you are getting the very best advice. Ensuring people are being open and honest with each other and not missing anything. Collaboration here is key and as with our Inclusion classrooms, we require collaboration either with stakeholders within the Trust or externally. You cannot do anything by yourself.
 
Number 2, I think, links back to what I previously said about relationships and my passion for inclusion. I do not think you can be a good SENCO and have an inclusive school unless you are using relational approaches. Building those positive relationships with all stakeholders, including professionals and families, to make sure voices are heard and everybody feels psychologically safe to challenge to get the best for the children within that school environment.
 
Number 3 is impact. Everything we do within SEN can be costly: either of time, adult support or financially and we need always to be thinking about how we are going to measure the impact. With Inclusion classrooms, we need to make sure that there is progress happening:
 
Is the child's attendance improving? Are there reduced behaviour incidents?
Can they now do their times tables?
 
There are many different ways to measure impact.
Is the pupil voice positive? Is the staff voice positive?
 
In doing that, we can ensure that the provision that children are getting is appropriate, suits their needs and is pushing them forwards to continue to make progress. When we see a lull or a stagnation in that progress, that is when we know we have to think differently or to look elsewhere for answers or support for these children.

5. What are your hopes for inclusion and send in the future educational landscape?
I really liked what was written in the recent SEND Reform White Paper.
 
I would wish all children to be educated locally with their peers and all children to get the support they need at the earliest possible opportunity to make sure there is a genuine holistic approach to inclusion with the family, school and professionals involved.
 
My hope for the future is that what is stated in the SEND Reform has the impact, I hope it is successfully embedded and implemented so that children feel part of their communities.

We thank Lindsay for her upbeat and positive reflections on her work on Special Educational Needs and inclusion and for being one of our valued Facilitators.

​Interview by Jude Baylis, SWIFT Executive Assistant

Lisa first discovered the value of Social Stories nearly 25 years ago when she used her son’s special interest in Mr Bean with the aim of helping him to learn the social requirements of lining-up in the playground. This was followed in 2006 when she attended a workshop by Social Stories pioneer, Carol Gray who shared how she invented the concept to “describe a situation, skill or concept in terms of relevant social cues, perspectives and common responses in a specifically defined style and format.”

Back in 1989, Carol began writing stories for her students to share information with them that they seemed to be missing. Information that we so often take for granted and many of these stories resulted in immediate and marked improvement in her students’ responses to daily events and interactions.
 
Social Stories are based on a social understanding approach, which assumes that to teach “appropriate social responses” to a student with an autistic spectrum disorder could hold little meaning if others do not understand the student’s perspective, or the student does not understand what is occurring around them and why.
 
The first step to teaching social skills is to ensure, beyond all assumptions, that the student has accurate and specific social information. A Social Story is not something that tells a child they are doing wrong. But rather, it informs and guides. It is not to be referred to in a punitive way and it may also be seen as a social demand for those young people who experience demand avoidance.
 
Before you commence a Social Story, Gray recommends essential information-gathering via the art of observing, talking and collaborating with the aim of promoting understanding; rather than changing behaviour and the goal of sharing the information.
 
The aim of a Social Story is to share accurate social information in a patient and reassuring manner that is easily understood by its audience. Half of all social stories developed should affirm something that an individual does well. It should never be intended to change the individual’s behaviour, but to improve the individual’s understanding of events and expectations may lead to more effective responses. 

The Ten Defining Criteria and Guidelines for Writing a Social Story
 
1️. Meaningful | A Social Story meaningfully shares social information with a child in a reassuring way and at least half of the story applauds achievements.
 
2️. Structure | The story has an introduction that clearly defines the topic, a body that adds detail and a conclusion which reinforces and summarises information. A beginning, middle and end.
 
3️. Questions | A social story answers the “wh” questions (why, what, where, when and who).
 
4️. Perspective | It should be written from the first or third-person perspective (I, my, and he, she, they) and not second person (you!).
 
5️. Language | Use positive language with descriptive sentences, with the option to include any one or more five remaining sentence types (perspective, cooperative, directive, affirmative and/or control sentences).
 
6️. Perspective Sentences | Consider sentences that refer to, or describe, a person’s internal state, their knowledge, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, opinions, motivation or physical condition and health.
 
7️. Description | Describe more than direct.
 
8️. Format | Consider a format that is tailored to the abilities and interests of the audience that is usually literally accurate.
 
9️. Illustrations | Use individually tailored illustrations to enhance the meaning of the text.
 
10. Title | This should meet all the applicable Social Story criteria and share accurate information.
The topic may pose a wh- question, and is written in the first or third person, uses positive language or announces something the child does well and is easily understood /interesting by/to the audience and contains/ is accompanied by illustration.

Guidelines for Initial Writing of Social Stories
 
1. Observe a targeted situation.
To take Lisa’s example from her own experience, this could be lining-up in the playground.
 
2. Take plenty of notes, ask questions.  Do people line-up differently, say in morning break or to go to assembly? What are the sensory and social demands involved?
 
3. Speak with all adults involved, parents and school staff, Mealtime Assistants, Teaching Assistants, Teachers etc. 

4. What do you feel is the “motivation” for the current response or learned response?
 
5. Consider anxiety responses, transitional difficulties and sensory needs.
What does the child say is happening (their perceptions)?
The child’s perception is key to addressing the issues.
 
6. State what usually occurs, then state what may change. Let children know what they often can expect but what sometimes may happen. It keeps the information honest and realistic and as predictable as can be.
 
7.  Keep the information well within the child’s comprehension level. Use font size and vocabulary within their abilities.
 
8.  Avoid using term such as “always”, “will” or “never.”
Instead try to use words such as “usually,” “often,” “sometimes” and “occasionally.”
 
9. Always use the present tense so that it is relevant to current situations.
Some Social Stories can be used in the future tense if it is a preparation for something that may happen. For example, as an upcoming school holidays, a trip, going to an appointment.
 
10. Illustrations can be helpful a visual reminder to reinforce the written word, but should not distract from the message of the story.
For example, use photographs to demonstrate an area such as a classroom, playground, or toilet.
It can also be illustrated via a theme of a child’s special interest.
 
11. If it is a lengthy Social Story, break it down into steps by using a separate page per “stage.”
 
12. Remember the aim is to use the Social Story as a reminder and in a manner that increases the child’s confidence and skill level and reduces anxiety or unfamiliarity.
 
13. Keep a laminated copy availability once you are able to fade out the Social Story for any reoccurring incidences.

Making Sense of the Sentences
 
Descriptive sentences objectively address the wh- questions: where, the situation takes place, who is involved, what they are doing, and why they may be doing it.
Descriptive Sentences are accurate, assumption-free statements of fact.
 
For example:

• My name is…
• I am attending a discussion on Social Stories.
• The speaker is talking to the audience.

 
Perspective sentences give a glimpse into the minds of those involved in the story and can provide details about the emotions and thoughts of others.
 
This is a type of perspective sentence that may appear in a Social Story.
Most of the time, perspective sentences describe the thoughts and feelings of other people.
 
For example:

• The teacher will like it that I am listening to him.
• It makes me feel happy when I get an email saying thank you for a task I completed.

 
Directive Sentences suggest desired responses tailored to the individual and identify a possible response/solution, and/or gently direct behaviours.
If possible, try to avoid the use of words like “must,” “need” or “should.”
Using the word try opens the space for the student to learn the appropriate behaviours for a social situation.
 
For example:

• I will try to listen to the teacher.
• I will try to sit quietly.

 
Control Sentences are used as a mnemonic device and are often authored by the student himself. It can be a sentence to help remember the story or to deal with the situation. Control sentences may not be used in every story and may be specifically paired with a visual cue to be used as a reminder for the individual of the focus of the story.
 
For example:

• “I changed my mind….”
• When someone says, “I changed my mind,” I can think of an idea, like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly (in the words of a student with ASD).

Using Comic Strip Conversations

Created by Carol Gray, Comic Strip Conversations (CSCs) are simple visual representations of conversation using stick figures and symbols to represent social interactions and abstract aspects of conversation and colour can be used to represent the emotional content of a statement or message.
 
By seeing the different elements of a conversation presented visually, some of the more abstract aspects of social communication (such as recognising the feelings of others) are made more 'concrete' and are therefore easier to understand.
 
Comic strip conversations can also offer an insight into how an autistic person perceives a situation and can show the things that are actually said in a conversation, how people might be feeling and what people's intentions might be.
 
Comic Strip Conversations can help autistic children to understand concepts that they find particularly difficult. By drawing as they talk, CSCs can be used to learn about different social situations. 
In a comic strip conversation, the autistic person takes the lead role, with parents, carers or teachers offering support and guidance.
 
Comic Strip Conversations can be used to plan for a situation in the future that may be causing anxiety or concern. For example, an exam or a social event. However, remember that plans can sometimes change and it is important to present the information in a way that allows for unexpected changes to a situation.
 
How to Create your Own Comic Strip Conversation
 
1. Start with small talk (for example, talking about the weather) to get the person you are supporting familiar with drawing whilst talking and to mimic ordinary social interactions.
 
2. Ask a range of questions about a specific situation or type of social interaction and the autistic person answers by speaking and drawing their response.
 
3. Summarise the event or situation you have discussed by using the drawings as a guide.
 
4. Think about how to address any identified problems or concerns.
 
5. Develop an Action Plan for similar situations in the future; which will be a helpful guide for the autistic person.
 
6. For complex situations, or for people who have difficulty reporting events in sequence, comic strip boxes may be used, or drawings can be numbered in the sequence in which they occur.
 
7. You can use paper, pencils, crayons and markers, and computer word processing applications, or use an app. Ask the person you are supporting to choose what materials they would like to use.
 
8. You can prepare your Comic Strip conversations in a notebook, or save on a smartphone or tablet to refer back to as helpful, and to recall key concepts.

Thank You and More Information
​We thank Lisa for leading this informative workshop session and for the useful notes here. 
For more information, you can click on the links below.

Whole School SEND are now recruiting for an exciting opportunity to join eight tailored, regionally-based professional development groups funded by the Department for Education.

“I must say it was one of the most purposeful and useful things I have been a part of in my professional career.” (2021-2022 PD group participant)

Participants from the 2021 - 2022 programme were found, after completing the programme, to have:

• Increased confidence and awareness for SEND
• Better resources to support staff
• More inclusive policies
• Improved SEND governance
• Improvements in Teaching and Learning

Outcomes for children and young people with SEND continue to be below outcomes compared to those with no SEND; exclusion and absence rates are higher for those with SEND, and there is growing concern about the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people with SEND in particular. Improving SEND provision across all schools is key to improving all outcomes.

To help tackle these issues, Whole School SEND is running a programme of regional professional development groups. The aim of these groups is to build a model of sector-led improvement that will support participants to undertake their own school-improvement project within their setting. This is an opportunity to access free, Department for Education-funded CPD with a proven record of success.

Each group will be facilitated by a WSS Regional SEND Lead, but will be driven by its members, providing a space for peer-to-peer reflection, challenge and support.

Participation is encouraged from school-based colleagues in all roles and across all school types, including colleagues from Further Education, and particularly those with an interest in leading projects within their schools. Participants are not required to have an established interest or background in SEND. Participants are particularly welcomed from under-represented groups as it is hoped that each group will include a broad range of experiences and perspectives to inform discussion.

By joining these groups, participants commit to:

• Designing, implementing and evaluating a school-improvement project within their setting.
• Attending five virtual group meetings across the summer, autumn and spring terms.
• Undertaking between one to three one-to-one professional conversations with a WSS Regional Lead.
• Becoming part of a specialised network of professionals.
• Creating a professional development log which will record details of your project and contribute to public outputs published by March 2023 on the Whole School SEND website.

Each regional group will be loosely arranged around one of the themes below:

• The inclusive classroom: high quality teaching in every setting
• ​Leadership of SEND: building a culture of collective responsibility

However, participants are encouraged to undertake a variety of projects and the discussions and aims of the group will be driven by its members.

In return, participants will receive support in developing their projects from the experienced Regional SEND Team, as well as individual support tailored to their role, school and setting. ​

Information Webinar 
To help schools decide whether to apply for a place, Whole School SEND will be hosting a short information webinar on Wednesday 8 June 2022 | from 1630 to 1645.

It is recommended that the Headteacher and SENCO from your setting attend.

You can, of course, register your interest for the project prior to this session, and webinar attendance is not a prerequisite for participation.

Register your Interest 
If you wish ​to participate in the  professional development groups, please complete the following online form by Tuesday 14 June 2022 | 0900.

For more information see the job advert and specification here: