News

Keep up to date with all of the latest news, headlines and features from across the SEND sector.

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News listing

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No Pens Day is back!

Speech and Language UK have designated Wednesday 29th November as ‘No Pens Day’. This is a chance for schools to get involved, raise awareness and funds for the charity and have a day where talking and listening take over the curriculum.

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Professionals sought to engage with National Children’s Bureau Youth Panel

The National Children’s Bureau Youth Panel (YNCB) are running the first in a series of online events, focusing on current teaching about healthy and unhealthy relationships, gaps in the curriculum, and looking forward.

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Free lecture on “Learning to Read in the Wider Context”

University of Edinburgh is hosting a free public lecture on why understanding families, communities and social inequalities are key to supporting children's language and literacy.

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Peer Mentoring for School Leaders

Whole School SEND’s peer mentoring project offers support to leaders in schools that have received a judgment of Requires Improvement (RI) at their last Ofsted inspection and where SEND was identified as an area for improvement.

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Professional Development Groups

You may have heard about Whole School SEND Professional Development Groups – they offer an unrivalled space for teachers and school leaders to provide peer-to-peer reflection, challenge and support.

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Universal SEND Services: providing CPD that fits in with busy teaching workloads

As we settle into a term-time stride, we will all be trying to juggle busy teaching calendars with an important element of continuing professional development (CPD).

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Primary Schools: Register for your free BBC micro:bits now!

The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized computer which helps teach children how to get creative with coding and tech.

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Opportunity to support research for those in special schools

A study at the University of Warwick is looking into the practices being used in special schools to teach autistic young people reading comprehension.

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A Universal Approach for Mental Wellbeing

We at nasen believe that – just like access to education – good social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) is an important right of every child and young person in our schools and colleges, as well as every member of the education workforce.

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WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2023: nasen calls for a universal approach for mental wellbeing

nasen is marking World Mental Health Day (tomorrow, Tuesday 10 October) with an important message for the entire education community.

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nasen Award 2023 winners announced!

In the seventh, annual nasen Awards, 16 schools, individuals and organisations were recognised for their outstanding work to ensure that children and young people with SEND and learning differences to reach their full potential.

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Whole School SEND offer free access to Speech and Language specialists as record number of children fall behind

Whole School SEND and Speech and Language UK are teaming up to host a series of Specialist Spotlight discussion sessions this Autumn, aimed at improving the educational experience of children and young people with speech and language challenges.

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Free online SEND CPD launched today through Universal SEND Services

We are delighted to share that 5 free-to-access online CPD units have been launched by Whole School SEND and Real Group as part of the Universal Services programme.

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Views sought to improve Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services

NHS England have announced that the Children and Young People’s Mental Health (CYPMH) Team and NHS Transformation Directorate, are launching an NHS IMPACT initiative with a set of crowdsourcing challenges on the Solving Together platform.

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Ofsted calls for broader approach to PE to support more pupils with SEN

A new report issued by Ofsted has found that most primary pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) were being taught the same curriculum as those without SEND but, “with support and adaptations”.

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Free webinars: Developing an evidence-informed pupil premium strategy

Unity Research School have developed two free online workshops sharing evidence based practice to support developing your setting’s Pupil Premium strategy.

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Child Poverty Action Group produce resource to support schools to increase access

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has created a ‘Cost of the School Day Calendar’ resource which aims to help schools identify possible cost barriers during the academic year, and think about some alternatives.

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“Play For All” programme sees Kahoot! launch neurodiversity and inclusion collection

In collaboration with the LEGO Foundation “Play for All” accelerator programme, supported by nasen, Kahoot!’s new “Uniting Minds” collection of learning games and lesson plans explores what it means to be neurodivergent.

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Have your say on government plans to improve the lives of disabled people

The government is consulting on its plans to improve disabled people’s lives, as a new Equality and Human Rights Commission report accuses it of making “slow progress” in making changes.

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SEND reforms to be trialled across England

Thirty-two regions across England have been selected to trial the SEND reforms detailed in the SEND and AP Improvement Plan.