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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.

Each unit can be completed in under an hour and is supported by a Specialist Spotlight session, facilitated by Caroline Sutton-Reid, Whole School SEND National Delivery Coordinator. There will be a specialist in attendance at each of these sessions. 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
  • Each unit is classed as a ‘short hop’ learning journey and can be completed in under an hour
  • 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
  • Unit 14: Understanding executive functioning
  • Unit 15: Memory for learning
  • Unit 17: Developing maths skills
  • Unit 18: Person centred working
  • Unit 19: Promoting independence
  • Unit 20: Transitions

Specialist Spotlight session 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!

Young girl in sensory room

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

Online
07 Oct 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.

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

Online
08 Oct 2024
FREE
Live Discussion
Online Units
Universal SEND Services

The discussion will be hosted by Whole School SEND’s National Delivery Coordinator, Caroline Sutton-Reid, and everyone will be encouraged to join in, ask questions and share experiences.

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

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

Online
09 Oct 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.

Group of 3 primary school age children enthusiastically putting their hand up sat around a classroom desk

Specialist Spotlight: An Introduction to speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) (Primary)

Online
14 Oct 2024
FREE
Universal SEND Services
Online Units
Live Discussion

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring speech, language and communication needs in Primary settings.

Teacher and children have fun learning with a tablet computer in the day care centre

Specialist Spotlight: Supporting the development of speech, language and communication skills (Primary)

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

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring speech, language and communication needs in Primary settings.

Specialist Spotlight: An Introduction to speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) (Secondary / FE)

Online
11 Nov 2024
FREE
Universal SEND Services
Live Discussion
Online Units
SLCN

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring speech, language and communication needs in Secondary / FE settings.

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

Specialist Spotlight: Creating a learning environment that supports speech, language and communication (Secondary / FE)

Online
12 Nov 2024
FREE
Universal SEND Services
Live Discussion
Online Units

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring speech, language and communication needs in Secondary / FE settings.

Specialist Spotlight: Understanding behaviour as communication (Secondary / FE)

Online
19 Nov 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.

Group of 3 primary school age children enthusiastically putting their hand up sat around a classroom desk

Specialist Spotlight: Creating a learning environment that supports speech, language and communication (Primary)

Online
20 Nov 2024
FREE
Universal SEND Services
Online Units
Live Discussion

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring speech, language and communication needs in Primary settings.

Group of primary school children in red uniform gathered around a computer with their teacher

Specialist Spotlight: Identifying and supporting speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) (Primary)

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

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring speech, language and communication needs in Primary settings.

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

Specialist Spotlight: Supporting the development of speech, language and communication skills (Secondary / FE)

Online
27 Nov 2024
FREE
Live Discussion
Online Units
Universal SEND Services

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring speech, language and communication needs in Secondary / FE settings. 

Specialist Spotlight: Identifying and supporting speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) (Secondary / FE)

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

Join us for a FREE discussion exploring speech, language and communication needs in Secondary / FE settings.

Male teacher with primary school children in a lesson

Specialist Spotlight: Understanding behaviour as communication (Primary)

Online
03 Dec 2024
FREE
Universal SEND Services
Online Units
Live Discussion

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.

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

Specialist Spotlight session 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 can be completed in under an hour.

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

At the moment there are 19 online units, with the final unit to be published late 2024 / early 2025.