15th Annual Residential SEN Conference

11th & 12th May 2012

For SENCos, Learning Support Coordinators and teachers working in independent and international schools and will provide:

• In depth views of current issues
• Access to national and internationally renowned speakers
• Latest developments in research
• National Updates
• Practical advice and support

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11th May 2012 - SEN Issues
10.15	Registration and Exhibition
10.45	ICT and software update from iansyst
11.15	SENCOs Together – Prep and Senior sessions to discuss issues and questions supplied by delegates prior to conference
11.45	Lunch
13.00	Keynote speaker: Effective Reading and language interventions – Dr Fiona Duff, York University Dr. Fiona Duff is a Research Fellow at the University of York.  Her research focuses on understanding the inter-relations between spoken and written language and in devising and evaluating theoretically-motivated interventions addressing weaknesses in these skills.
14.15	Workshops (repeated with refreshment break and exhibition) Assessing Reading - Dr Fiona Duff, York University Developing independent learning skills – Kim Wells, Director of Learning and Teaching, Caterham School Handwriting – Whole body movements and technical construction - Julie Palmer, teacher and author of ‘The Write Path’ Art Therapy – Sue Morrow Visual Stress – Owen Leigh, Developmental & Behavioural Optometrist SENCo Exchange: 6.   A SENCo's Journey - Gabrielle Darwin - Huddersfield Grammar School
15.20	Afternoon Tea and Exhibition
15.50	Repeat of workshops 1-5 plus a different SENCo Exchange: 7. Getting organised - Vanessa Lacey - Oundle School
17.00	Exhibition and Free Time -Updates and demos from iansyst
19.00	Conference Drinks
19.30	Conference Dinner

 

12 May 2012 - Speech, Language & Communication
9.10	09.10 Keynote Speaker: Let's Talk About It -  Jean Gross, Communications Champion Jean Gross is the former national Communication Champion for children. By background a teacher, educational psychologist, university lecturer and head of children’s services in a local authority, Jean led work on overcoming barriers to achievement in her role as senior director in the government’s Primary National Strategy.
10.20	Refreshments and Exhibition
10.50	Workshops (to run for 80 minutes but not repeated) Developing a whole-school approach to intervention - Jean Gross, Communication Champion Assessment and Individual programmes – Cathy Shilling SLT, Independent Speech and Language Therapy Services Working with senior pupils – Sue McMakin, Speech Link Whole class approach to improving listening skills (prep) – Liz Spooner and Jacqui Woodcock,  Speech Therapists Worcester LA and authors  of "Teaching Children to listen - a practical approach to improving children's listening skills" Language Counts in Maths – Steve Cooke, NALDIC speaker, Author ‘Collaborative Learning Activities in the Classroom: Designing Inclusive Materials for Learning and Language Development’  and Achievement Consultant for Nottingham City
12.00	Lunch & Exhibition
13.10	SENCOs Together - Prep and senior sessions to discuss issues and solutions
14.00	National Update - Fil Came, Learning Works
14.30	Conference End

The Bull Hotel

The Bull Hotel is situated in the charming town of Gerrards Cross, close to London and all of its famous and varied attractions.

The hotel is located 2 miles from the M40 and with easy access to M25, M1 and M4. It is a perfect central venue with beautiful landscaped gardens, stunning conservatory bar, The Bull Hotel is the perfect venue for any occasion.

Venue Website: http://www.sarova.com/bull/

Download Conference Flyer

Click here to book online

Residential
Friday and Saturday, full board, single room	£290 + VAT **Limited**
Non Residential
Friday & Saturday	£230+ VAT
Friday only	£135 + VAT **Very Limited**
Saturday only	£135 + VAT

 

Fees include refreshments, lunch, pre-conference resources and conference booklet

Call the office for group discounts (3 or more) on 01672 512 914

Download Conference Flyer

Click here to book online

BehaviourWatch

Tailored behaviour management system
BehaviourWatch is an advanced web-based system which allows teachers to log behaviour incidents online and eliminate the need for paper-based reports. When incidents are logged – automatic emails will immediately alert relevant staff. Intelligent analysis enables quick identification of areas of concern. Most importantly the system is completely tailored to the individual needs of the school. BehaviourWatch

Cambridge House

Cambridge House Dyslexia Resources is an independent supplier specialising in books, teaching resources and games for dyslexic individuals.

It is run by an experienced specialist teacher who has extensive knowledge of the resources and has used many of them in her own teaching. Cambridge House

Crossbow Education Ltd

Established in 1993, Crossbow is now recognised as the Dyslexia-Friendly Choice for literacy resources. Crossbow Reading Rulers and coloured overlays are used in over 50% of UK schools, and many schools are finding that our growing range of tinted exercise books are making a noticeable difference to both the presentation and the spelling of dyslexic children. You can also find pencil grips, phonic games, workbooks, sand timers, decodable phonic readers and more at our Aladdin’s cave of multisensory goodies. Crossbow Education

Hinton House Publishers

Hinton House publishes practical, user-friendly books and resources written by professionals for everyone working in education and special needs, designed to stimulate thinking, reduce workload and provide hands-on materials for classroom and therapeutic use. Subjects cover emotional literacy, behaviour and thinking skills, life skills and functional literacy, inclusion, groupwork activities, reluctant and struggling readers, speech & language, and drama & therapeutic storytelling. Hinton House Publishers

iansyst

Take advantage of our experience providing product solutions, training and consultancy services to people who have dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia; visual impairments, hard of hearing and disabilities requiring ergonomic solutions and other mobility disabilities. What are the benefits to you? Organisations implementing reasonable adjustments in the workplace can create a more productive workforce, SENCOs can support pupils with learning disabilities with the resources available and information for individuals enables the right match of assistive technology to your needs. iansyst

Jelly James

Dynamomaths for Dyscalculia is a three Stage structured Programme developed to support children who are dyscalculic. It is built around indicators of dyscalculia and gives early warning signs of areas of needs. It offers multi-sensory intervention strategies followed by on-line remediation and paper based worksheets. Working memory, sequencing skills, auditory, visual processing, subitising and many specific areas of learning are supported within this Programme. DynamoMaths for Dyscalculia is used by SENCo’s to support children struggling with early maths. Come and try out a free demonstration of the Programme. Dynamo Maths

SEN Books

SEN Books is publisher of Removing Dyslexia as a Barrier to Achievement and "Taking the Hell Out of Homework” from Neil MacKay.

We are stockists for Egon Publishers; SAGE/Lucky Duck; David Fulton and NASEN. Make us your first stop for all your Special Needs. SEN Books

Sweet Counter

Sweet Counter was started in 1996 by an experienced practising teacher who by chance forgot to take in her straws to teach place value. During the coffee break, she cut out card jars of sweets to represent hundreds, boxes to represent tens and individual sweets to represent units. Within the morning session eyes began to light up as they saw the concept and understood the value of number.These cards illustrating geometric sweets, use a currency that children understand. Sweet Counter Place Value cards were born, and the company known as Sweet Counter soon developed a range of fun, colourful, child centred practical card resources. Sweet Counter 

Trugs

Trugs - teach reading using games, (Boxes 1, 2 and 3) for Primary/Secondary. trugs II for 1:1 teaching and for parents to use at home.  A structured, progressive, easy to understand synthetic phonics reading resource achieved by playing specially designed card games that ensures fun and laughter.  Also included is a Miscue Analysis Booklet and a Reading Booklet for assessing a pupil’s progress. trugs

Friday Keynote

Fiona Duff

Dr. Fiona Duff is a Research Fellow at the University of York.  Her research focuses on understanding the inter-relations between spoken and written language and in devising and evaluating theoretically-motivated interventions addressing weaknesses in these skills.  Current projects involve using Randomised Control Trials to evaluate combined reading and language interventions for children with Down syndrome, and children at risk for dyslexia.  As recipient of the British Psychological Society Postgraduate Award, Fiona was seconded to the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology in 2009 and wrote a briefing note for parliamentarians on theoretical and policy issues regarding teaching children to read.

Key Note: Effective Reading and Language Interventions
In this keynote, I will discuss the theory and practice behind various reading and language interventions devised and evaluated by the Centre of Reading and Language.  I will provide evidence showing that these interventions are effective, and give examples of the activities included in the intervention sessions.

Workshop 1: Assessing Reading
A valuable tool in reading interventions is the assessment of children’s book reading.  In this workshop, I will train people on how to assess reading accuracy (using a ‘running record’ or ‘miscue analysis’).  We will then discuss how information from the assessment can be used to inform teaching points.

Saturday Keynote

Jean Gross

Jean Gross is the former national Communication Champion for children.
By background a teacher, educational psychologist, university lecturer and head of children’s services in a local authority, Jean led work on overcoming barriers to achievement in her role as senior director in the government’s Primary National Strategy. She has frequently acted in an advisory capacity to government, for example writing guidance on the application of school behaviour policies to vulnerable young people, and national special needs materials for trainee teachers.  She is the author of numerous articles and best-selling books on special needs, including the influential Special educational needs and school improvement (David Fulton, 2004), and Beating Bureaucracy in SEN (NASEN/Routledge, 2008).

Keynote: Lets Talk About It
Why do children and young people’s communication skills matter so much in today’s world, and what can schools do to support those with communication difficulties? In her keynote Jean will look at the evidence, and describe the classroom strategies that make the most difference.

Workshop 1: Developing a whole-school approach to intervention

This workshop will provide a chance to explore the growing number of small-group intervention programmes which schools can use to support children and young people with less severe speech, language and communication needs.  Jean will also summarise research on the effectiveness of speech and language therapy, and how schools can work in partnership with specialists to get results.

Friday Workshops

Kim Wells

Kim is Director of Learning & Teaching at Caterham School and a highly sought after in-school trainer. He is one of only three de Bono Master Trainers for Education in the UK. Kim’s vision and expertise led to Caterham being awarded Thinking School status by De Bono in 2006, the first independent secondary school in the country to achieve this award.

Kim has trained hundreds of teachers in how to help children to learn independently. He has spoken at major conferences for HMC, GSA and SHMIS. Kim also delivers training for Osiris Educational on applying to Oxbridge, and on achieving A* grades in Modern Foreign Languages.

Ouside of education Kim has delivered thinking skills training to the NHS, the Foreign Office, CIMA (the Chartered Institute for Management Accountants), and Magistrates.

Workshop 2: Developing independent learning skills
In my highly interactive workshop delegates will be trying out a series of practical tools which promote independent learning and thinking. The techniques can be applied to any age group and any ability. They are highly effective and yet are very easily assimilated into lessons with little planning time required.

Julie Palmer  

A teacher with over thirty years’ experience who has a great passion for developing written work both in content and appearance. Working with dyslexic, dyspraxic, gifted, left-handed and international pupils aged from 4 to 18 years and beyond, Julie has developed a unique system for making correct letter shapes in a multi-sensory way, using her sense of humour, artistic and practical nature but, above all, her keen empathy for how children and young people think, feel and remember! She has shared her knowledge and findings with many other teachers and schools – she invites you to join her.

Workshop 3: Taking the Write Path
This session will give you practical ways of helping pupils to form legible letter shapes leading to speedy writing in one-to-one or classroom activities. It will alert you to common mistakes and easy ways to put them right. In less than hour, you will have a selection of methods and techniques to draw upon in the future!

Sue Morrow 

Sue Morrow has over 12 years experience working in education. After completing an MA in Art Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths College at the University of London, Sue has worked in both mainstream and private schools with children and young people between the ages of 5-18.  Sue is state registered with the Health Professions Council and a member of the British Association of Art Therapists and is a member of several specialist groups within the association. Sue is currently working in schools across South London and Kent. Sue works with a wide range of emotional and behaviour issues and values the impact of art therapy as an early intervention.

Workshop 4: Art Therapy in Education
In my workshop I will be talking about the role of Art Therapy in schools and how the whole school staff benefits from such a resource. We will look at the theory and practise of Art Therapy and through case studies look at how it can provide greater understanding of emotional, social and behaviour issues. 

Owen Leigh

Owen Leigh is a Developmental and Behavioural Optometrist specialising in the treatment of learning related vision difficulties. Owen emphasises that vision is learnt (it develops), vision adapts (will develop suppressions and irregularities) and, most importantly, vision can be guided and trained in all people who have motivation and energy.  He has lectured to a wide range of audiences and will be remembered by many for stating ‘Since when has Average Vision been good enough for a student with Dyslexia?

Workshop 5: 20/20 What a Waste! How visual stress derails the most determined student.
In my workshop I will be explaining why visual stress has several guises which depend upon the stage of development, the student’s personality and their environment/demands.  I will demonstrate two screening techniques (which will supplement overlay assessment) so that participants can make useful observations of visual stress and make recommendations for further assessment and treatment.

Garbielle Darwin

Gabrielle is currently a SENCo at a mixed Independent School for children from Kindergarten to Year 11. Prior to her role as SENCo, she worked in the FE & HE sectors, gaining extensive experience teaching and supporting pupils with a range of learning needs.

SENCo Exchange 1 - A SENCo's Journey

In my workshop I will talk about my experience of coming in to an Independent School and the wonderful opportunity I had to develop a Learning Support Department (LSD) from virtually no provision at all.  One of the key developments was to form a team of teachers from across the curriculum to advise and work with the LSD and I would like to share my experience and the practicalities of making such an arrangement work to everyone’s benefit. I will also talk about the skills and knowledge I have picked up on the way but that no one told me I needed to do the job!

Vanessa Lacey

Vanessa’s teaching career spans 4 decades, during which she has taught mainstream English in colleges and schools in the UK and in Bulgaria under the Communist regime prior to her more recent posts as Head of Learning Support at Stamford School for ten years and, for the past nine years, Head of Educational Support at Oundle School. She has always gravitated towards pupils for whom learning is not straightforward and spent several years in the field of Adult Literacy. Her two recent positions have required her to forge stronger working relationships between those involved in Educational Support and mainstream teachers. She sees liaison with parents, pupils, mainstream teachers, SMT and outside professionals as one of the most important aspects of her work. She holds an MA in Special Educational Needs from Leicester and a JCQ recognised certificate for testing pupils for Access Arrangements.

SENCo Exchange 2- Managing the role of SENCo
Busy SENCOs carry a load of information around in their heads but there are certain things you can do to make the job a little easier. I would like to share with my audience those things which have worked well in terms of managing and delivering provision for pupils with SpLDs. Keeping up to speed with legislation, changing exam regulations, developing reliable systems for managing the admin and effective ways of screening will be just some of the areas covered. It will be an opportunity to exchange expertise and discuss good practice.

Saturday Workshops

Cathy Shilling

Cathy Shilling is an Independent Speech and Language Therapist with over 20 years  experience working with a wide range children in mainstream, independent and special pre schools and schools.
Cathy currently practices in Cheltenham and Gloucestershire helping children in a variety of Independent and Local Authority schools as well as seeing children in their own homes and at her “clinic”.
Cathy has lectured at Gloucestershire University on the Masters Degree Course in Specific Learning Difficulties as well as providing a wide range of courses for teaching staff and parents in Gloucestershire.
She has a specialist interest and knowledge of specific language learning difficulties, auditory processing difficulties and speech sound disorders.

Workshop 2: Speech and Language Difficulties-Assessment and Intervention
This workshop will aim to provide an overview of:-

• “who” a Speech and Language Therapist works with
• How to detect Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) in the classroom
• Why do children have SLCN?
• Factors influencing and warning signs
• Ideas for intervention, strategies and favourite resources

Sue McMakin

Susan joined Speech Link Multimedia Ltd in January 2010, following  20 years experience working in the field of Speech and Language Therapy.  Prior to arriving in England in 1997, Susan worked internationally in Canada, United States, and New Zealand.  She has managed services to specialist education provisions both within the NHS and the private sector.  For the past 8 years of her career, Susan has specialised in working with language disorder in adolescents whilst her specific area of clinical expertise is in working with young people with social, emotional, and behavioural difficulty.

Workshop 3:  Working with Senior School Pupils with Speech Language and Communication Needs
Participants will learn about the nature of communication difficulties characteristic of senior age pupils. I will present and demonstrate an online assessment for identifying senior age pupils with receptive language difficulties and difficulty in the area of social understanding. The group will explore practical strategies for managing the needs of this group.

Liz Spooner & Jacqui Woodcock 

Liz and Jacqui are Speech and Language Therapists who between them have over 40 years’ experience in working with children with speech, language and communication difficulties.  They are co-authors of the book “Teaching Children to Listen” and for the past four years have led a major education project which has improved the listening of thousands of children in mainstream Worcestershire schools.  They regularly train education staff on how to support children with communication difficulties.

Workshop 4: Teaching children to listen  
We will share an evidence-based approach that has improved the listening of over 2000 children in mainstream schools.  It includes activities to teach children what good listening means and why it is important which can be adapted for whole classes and small groups.  We will also share research about how adapting the environment and modifying our language can improve children’s listening.

Steve Cooke

Steve Cooke is currently an Achievement Consultant for Nottingham City. He has worked in the field of English as an Additional Language (EAL) teaching since 1982 and has worked in primary and secondary schools in London, Rochdale and Leicester.  After working for Leicester City and then Nottingham City for several years, he joined the National Strategies as a Regional Adviser. He has been a tutor for the Birmingham University M. Ed Bilingualism in Education course and is an associate lecturer at Leicester University.  He is the author of Collaborative Learning Activities in the Classroom: Designing Inclusive Materials for Learning and Language Development.  

Workshop 5: Language Counts in Maths
In my workshop I will explore the language demands of maths in terms of vocabulary and the expression of logical relations.  We will also look at and try out classroom activities which enable pupils to acquire and use the language of maths to express and develop their understanding of mathematical concepts.