Empowering Professionals: Strengthening Autism Support for Educators and Practitioners
Read More01.06
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Every teacher a teacher of SEND
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The idea that 'every teacher is a teacher of SEND' is highly commendable. It can be presumed that the primary motivation for entering the teaching profession is the potential job satisfaction derived from facilitating the success of others. ‘Others’ meaning all children and young people.
Nationally, the dialogue around improving provision for children with SEND continues. Last year the news was dominated by reports and articles detailing the significant increase in children identified as needing SEND support and the substantial rise in numbers of pupils being issued with an Education, Health, and Care Plan. This year, the focus has shifted to the need for change and transformation to address the SEND crisis, but a clear and actionable plan is yet to be shared.
I have had the opportunity to participate in several meetings and forums to provide insights and feedback to the Department of Education Inclusion advisory panel for systemic improvements. When published it is anticipated the plan will focus on developing inclusion within mainstream settings.
Despite excessive costs and limited availability, families of children with complex needs have the right to seek a specialist setting. The same families have a right to choose a mainstream school and expect their child to thrive.
Mainstream educators might doubt their ability to support students with complex needs, often believing only specialists can do so effectively. This is not helped by the fact that SEND with all its categories and acronyms has always carried with it an air of mystery and assumed difficulty. However, whilst a specialist diagnosis may be complex, the daily support to overcome barriers within the classroom is often simple.
There are significant discrepancies in mainstream teachers' confidence to effectively support children with SEND. Historically training to develop expertise and confidence to support learners with additional needs has been limited and isolated from other aspects of teacher training. While recent years have seen progress for new entrants, achieving long-lasting and sustainable improvement for everyone will necessitate continuous and reflective development to make 'Every teacher a teacher of SEND' a reality.
The aspiration ‘Every teacher a teacher of SEND’ is not an easy endeavour or a quick fix. Mainstream settings are big, busy and despite best endeavours, often inconsistent and unpredictable. The inevitable flow of supply staff being one example of a barrier for children whose need for routine and predictability is profound.
It is essential to understand that each child with autism may exhibit unique characteristics. While there are common traits, tailored support and strategies must be developed from an individual perspective. It would be a mistake to implement a rigid set of adjustments for children with a particular need without considering the plethora of individual traits alongside the common barriers. This is why any training, and development needs to be continuous and indistinguishable from the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ model expected in the SEND Code of Practice in relation to children.
Most children with SEND can be successfully supported through high quality inclusive teaching. The real silver bullet is the application of commitment and dedication to ongoing adaptation until success results – the ‘graduated approach.’ (SEND Code of Practice 2015).
As practitioners, we must continually evaluate strengths, barriers, and targets to ensure we are offering the best possible provision for all children.
This approach of continuous development regarding inclusion must be driven by leaders. ‘Every teacher a teacher of SEND’ is dependent on ‘Every leader being a leader of SEND.’ Mindsets which recognise that genuine improvement comes from integrating inclusive practices and implementing a cycle of reflective practice rather than adding them as an afterthought. In the words of Margaret Mulholland, ‘Built in not bolt-on', considering every aspect of school design and practice through the ‘lens of inclusion.’
The SEND Code of practice states that ‘Teachers are responsible and accountable for the progress and development of the pupils in their class, including where pupils access support from teaching assistants or specialist staff’ (6.36 SEND Code of Practice 2015).
Akin to safeguarding, provision for children with SEND, must be prioritised and feature as a shared responsibility. Whether this is necessitated by the sheer increase in needs or the anticipated government and Ofsted agendas is irrelevant. It is necessary because it is the right thing to do. One of the ‘Five principles for Inclusion’ set out in the paper of the same name submitted to form the basis for government reform is that ‘Greater complexity merits greater expertise’, that ‘All children deserve a high-quality education – where extra support is needed, it should be expert in nature’. (Nemark and Rees, 2023). To achieve and sustain this we need all colleagues working in mainstream settings to be committed to an on-going cycle of knowledge-building and improvement for SEND.
Meeting the needs of all children represents the pinnacle of effective teaching, potentially yielding substantial rewards for the children and families we serve. An unintentional result will be that the teacher achieves their full potential, thereby reaching a higher level of professional satisfaction.
Mainstream settings must be equipped to support all children. In the words of a fellow SENCo, ‘There is no such thing as children ‘with SEND,’ there is just ‘children.’ The anticipated government changes and new Ofsted framework centre on improving inclusion for all. To do the best for all children in our communities, we need to feel trained and confident so that as professionals we get to experience the joy and fulfilment from enabling every child to thrive in our classrooms.
Over the coming months, the Red Kite Education team are proud to be offering a range of courses to develop inclusive practice in some specific areas for the benefit of both children, families, and colleagues. The courses are relevant to all educational roles in schools.
Please see below for details
References
Department for Education (2020), SEND Code of Practice
Five principles for inclusion (Ben Newmark and Tom Rees 2023).
