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Online SEND CPD Units

This series of online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units is designed to support those who work with children and young people in schools and further education settings to deliver an inclusive experience for every learner.

Funded by the Department for Education, and developed in partnership with Real Group, these free-to-access units build on learning from our Ambitious About Inclusion modules.

In all, 20 units will be released over the next two years. Units on Safety and Belonging were launched in October 2022 and have since been completed by over 1200 practitioners with consistently positive feedback. Over the next few months we will be launching further units - check back regularly for the latest releases.

Each online unit takes 20 minutes to complete and is supported by a live online networking session, facilitated by a regional SEND leader. Places are limited, so early booking is advised - please see below.

Please note, you must be logged into your free nasen or Whole School SEND account to access these online units. 

Woman in front of a laptop taking part in a online training session
two pupils with a teacher at an international school

Features

  • Free to access at a time to suit you
  • Short 20 minute online CPD courses
  • Live online networking sessions
  • Themes include Language and Communication; Social, Emotional and Mental Health; Safety and Belonging.

Benefits

  • Provides information and skills required to build holistic understanding of individual learner's characteristics and context.
  • Provides clear guidance on adaptations to teaching across the age range with the aim of meeting the needs of all learners

Titles available

Over the next 3 years Whole School SEND and Real Group will be developing and releasing new online units.

The list of unit titles currently available are:

  • Unit 1: Creating an emotionally safe environment
  • Unit 2: Creating a socially safe environment
  • Unit 3: Creating a physically safe environment
  • Unit 4: An introduction to speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
  • Unit 5: Identifying and supporting speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
  • Unit 6: Supporting the development of speech, language and communication skills
  • Unit 7: Creating a learning environment that supports speech, language and communication
  • Unit 8: Understanding behaviour as communication
  • Unit 9: Promoting mental wellbeing in your setting
  • Unit 10: Understanding and promoting resilience
  • Unit 11: Understanding anxiety and creating a supportive learning environment
  • Unit 12: Supporting sensory differences in the learning environment
  • Unit 13: An introduction to teaching learners with physical needs

Live online networking sessions supporting resources

Resources to summarise the discussion from the sessions and share strategies and approaches used by schools and colleges

Live online networking sessions supporting resources

  • General
  • 27 Mar 2023
Free
Universal SEND Services
Online Units
Live Discussion

A bank of resources to support the Online networking sessions for Unit 1 -3

Upcoming Live Online Networking Sessions

To complement each unit you have the opportunity to join an hour-long online networking session, facilitated by one of our regional SEND leaders. It’s a chance to contextualise the learning, share experiences and learn from colleagues from across the country.

Due to the interactive nature of these sessions, recordings will not be available after the event, so book now as places are limited!

Specialist Spotlight: An introduction to teaching learners with physical needs (Primary)

Online
11 Jan 2024
FREE
Live Discussion
Online Units
Universal SEND Services

Featuring Di Ceasar: Di has over 30 years of experience of both mainstream and special education sectors including 10 years as a Governor for a local secondary school.

Specialist Spotlight: Promoting mental wellbeing in your setting (Primary)

Online
15 Jan 2024
FREE
Universal SEND Services
Live Discussion
Online Units
SEMH

Featuring Dr Jawad Shah, a Deputy Principal Educational Psychologist who has worked in a variety of local authority services in the Northwest

Young girl in sensory room

Specialist Spotlight: Supporting sensory differences in the learning environment (Primary)

Online
16 Jan 2024
FREE
Live Discussion
Online Units
Universal SEND Services

Dr Jamie Galpin, CPsychol, a founding member of Special Networks and a chartered Developmental Psychologist, has dedicated more than 20 years to the fields of inclusion, psychology, innovation, participation, and learning.

male teacher supporting a pupil in classroom

Specialist Spotlight: Understanding anxiety and creating a supportive learning environment (Secondary / FE)

Online
18 Jan 2024
FREE
Universal SEND Services
Online Units
Live Discussion
SEMH

Featuring Sarah Johnson: Sarah Johnson has worked in education for the last nineteen years. As a qualified teacher, Sarah has enjoyed roles in mainstream schools, Pupil Referral Units, Alternative Provision and psychiatric in-patient services.

Specialist Spotlight: Promoting mental wellbeing in your setting (Secondary/FE)

Online
22 Jan 2024
FREE
Universal SEND Services
Live Discussion
Online Units
SEMH

Featuring Dr Jawad Shah, a Deputy Principal Educational Psychologist who has worked in a variety of local authority services in the Northwest

Pupil helping secondary age school pupil

Specialist Spotlight: Understanding and promoting resilience (Secondary/FE)

Online
24 Jan 2024
FREE
Universal SEND Services
Live Discussion
Online Units
SEMH

Featuring Sarah Johnson: Sarah Johnson has worked in education for the last nineteen years. As a qualified teacher, Sarah has enjoyed roles in mainstream schools, Pupil Referral Units, Alternative Provision and psychiatric in-patient services.

Primary school children sat on the carpet in group reading with a teacher holding out a book

Specialist Spotlight: Understanding anxiety and creating a supportive learning environment (Primary)

Online
25 Jan 2024
FREE
Online Units
Live Discussion
Universal SEND Services
SEMH

Featuring Sarah Johnson: Sarah Johnson has worked in education for the last nineteen years. As a qualified teacher, Sarah has enjoyed roles in mainstream schools, Pupil Referral Units, Alternative Provision and psychiatric in-patient services.

children playing tug-of-war with rope

Specialist Spotlight: Understanding and promoting resilience (Primary)

Online
29 Jan 2024
FREE
Online Units
Universal SEND Services
Live Discussion
SEMH

Featuring Sarah Johnson: Sarah Johnson has worked in education for the last nineteen years. As a qualified teacher, Sarah has enjoyed roles in mainstream schools, Pupil Referral Units, Alternative Provision and psychiatric in-patient services.

group of students in a STEM lesson with teacher - secondary age

Specialist Spotlight: Supporting sensory differences in the learning environment (Secondary / FE)

Online
31 Jan 2024
FREE
Online Units
Live Discussion
Universal SEND Services

Dr Jamie Galpin, CPsychol, a founding member of Special Networks and a chartered Developmental Psychologist, has dedicated more than 20 years to the fields of inclusion, psychology, innovation, participation, and learning.

stock_image_of_child_playing_wheelchair_basketball

Specialist Spotlight: An introduction to teaching learners with physical needs (Secondary / FE)

Online
01 Feb 2024
FREE
Live Discussion
Online Units
Universal SEND Services

Featuring Ann Sullivan and Di Ceasar, who both have over 30 years’ experience in mainstream and specialist education.

Female teacher reading to a group of primary school children

Specialist Spotlight: Creating a socially safe environment (Primary)

Online
22 Apr 2024
FREE
Online Units
Live Discussion
Universal SEND Services

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring approaches to creating a socially safe environment in primary settings.

a male teacher sits supervising a group of children who are working on whiteboards and digita

Specialist Spotlight: Creating an emotionally safe environment (Primary)

Online
23 Apr 2024
FREE
Online Units
Universal SEND Services
Live Discussion
SEMH

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring approaches to creating a emotionally safe environment in primary settings.

Young girl in sensory room

Specialist Spotlight: Creating a physically safe environment (Primary)

Online
25 Apr 2024
FREE
Live Discussion
Online Units
Universal SEND Services

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring approaches to creating a physically safe environment in primary settings.

Young male with head in hands with a teacher who is supporting him

Specialist Spotlight: Creating an emotionally safe environment (Secondary / FE)

Online
29 Apr 2024
FREE
Online Units
Live Discussion
Universal SEND Services

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring approaches to creating a emotionally safe environment in secondary / FE settings.

Secondary age pupil with parent and teacher

Specialist Spotlight: Creating a socially safe environment (Secondary / FE)

Online
30 Apr 2024
FREE
Universal SEND Services
Live Discussion
Online Units

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring approaches to creating a socially safe environment in secondary / FE settings.

Specialist Spotlight: Creating a physically safe environment (Secondary / FE)

Online
02 May 2024
FREE
Online Units
Live Discussion
Universal SEND Services

Featuring Ann Sullivan: Ann has over 30 years’ experience in mainstream and specialist education. Based in the UK, her career includes roles as a KS1 and KS2 class teacher, SEN literacy teacher, school-based Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO).

Need some help?

If you have any questions about these online units or would like some further support then please contact us by emailing: info@wholeschoolsend.org.uk

Live online networking sessions supporting resources

Resources to summarise the discussion from the sessions and share strategies and approaches used by schools and colleges

Live online networking sessions supporting resources

  • General
  • 27 Mar 2023
Free
Universal SEND Services
Online Units
Live Discussion

A bank of resources to support the Online networking sessions for Unit 1 -3

How to use the Online CPD Units

To access the Online Units you must have an active account with nasen/Whole School SEND and be logged in. 

Register for your free account today

Log in

Each unit should take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

At the end of each unit you will be invited to register for a free online discussion, which will facilitate an open discussion on each CPD unit and how you can apply learning into practice 

At the moment there are 13 online units, over the next two years we will develop and release 7 further units.