Page 86 - SEN116 January-February 2022

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“Alternative pedagogies for pupils with different needs”
There is a clear role for coaching and/or mentoring in effective PD. TDT (2015) states that ‘facilitators of the most successful programmes act as coaches and/or mentors to participants’, treating participants as ‘peers and co-learners’. This develops an ethos of high challenge and low threat, where professionals can work together to problem-solve around issues and implement changes together; rather than being told what they should do, regardless of context and individual differences. The use of Lesson Study has also been found to be highly effective for pupils with SEND, as described by Norwich and Ylonen (2013) in their work with secondary pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties.
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has produced useful guidance on implementation, which would be helpful in supporting school leaders who wish to change their approach
to PD so that it is in line with the Standards. The EEF’s ‘Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools’ summary of recommendations may be used to develop an understanding of what is required for effective provision for pupils with SEND, elements of which could be used in professional support and development.
Is professional development
for SEND different?
The characteristics of effective PD apply whatever the subject matter. However, it is worth considering how to ensure that when PD is focused on some of the aspects within, for example, the early-career framework – such as cognitive science – the nuances of how to apply such approaches to individuals with SEN are not lost.
A reminder of the definition of SEN is helpful here; i.e. that a child has a special educational need if special educational provision is required – for instance, a provision that is additional to and different from that which their peers receive (SEND Code of Practice, 2015). By definition, then, we need to consider how such approaches, while meeting the needs of the vast majority, should be adapted to meet individual needs. ‘Developing Great Teaching’ states that PD programmes should put forward ‘alternative pedagogies for pupils with different needs’.
Care is also needed to ensure that, when considering subject- specific pedagogy, pedagogy for SEND is built in; that it cuts across all subject areas, and that all subject-focused PD includes at least an element of SEND. This links logically with an emphasis on understanding ‘how pupils learn’ and ‘adaptive teaching’ throughout the Teacher Development Reforms, both of which require an understanding of individual profiles and needs.
Whole School SEND’s PD Groups
As part of Whole School SEND’s funded work for the DfE’s Schools SEND Workforce Development contract, we have this year implemented PD Groups focused on SEND in each region of England. Led by WSS’s Regional SEND Leaders, the groups bring together school leaders from across primary, secondary and special schools (including Alternative Provision), as well as mainstream schools.
Early reports indicate that participants find the professional discussions in the groups, as ‘peers and co-learners’, stimulating and beneficial, especially in tandem with the professional challenge that SEND leaders can provide. All participants also have regular 1:1 coaching/mentoring sessions with leaders, where they can look at their individual contexts in more depth. We look forward to sharing the outcomes of these professional development groups in 2022, where we plan to publish both the outcomes from individual projects run in schools, and a review of how successful the groups have been as forms of PD.
Track our progress at www.sendgateway.org.uk, or by following us on Twitter at @nasen_org
Guidelines for school leaders for implementing effective professional development for SEND:
• Familiarise yourself with the principles set out in the Standard for Teachers’ Professional Development (DfE) and Developing Great Teaching (TDT), including the use of coaching/mentoring and/or lesson study
• When engaging external providers of continuing professional development, look for those providers who are able to demonstrate that they meet
these principles
• Use the EEF’s implementation guidance along with ‘SEN mainstream schools’ (if relevant) to consider how to implement effective changes to your school’s PD programme
• Ensure that your SENCO is receiving high quality PD beyond the NASENCO, and that they are able to effectively support the development of other staff
• Consider how you can maximise teachers’ autonomy with regard to their PD, in order to increase job satisfaction and retention
• Ensure that SEND is built into all PD, including subject-specific PD
SEN116
senmagazine.co.uk
Professional development