Letter to whoever?
Posted by
Anna Marshall
on 25th February 2010
at 10:22
Hi Damian
I hope you don't mind but I went in and tidied up the formatting on the letter you posted - sometimes if you paste directly from a Word document, it doesn't transfer across directly, hence the slightly funny formatting originally. If you would like it changed in any way, just let me know!
Thanks
Anna
TreeHouse Staff
Posted by
Anna Marshall
on 25th February 2010
at 14:18
Dear Damian
That's absolutely fine - I know how annoying it can be when things are quite right, so more than happy to correct it again! Let me know if anything else needs changing again - I have put in the paragraph break for you now.
Thanks!
Anna
TreeHouse Staff
Posted by
bumblebee
on 26th February 2010
at 08:14
Hi Damian,
I'm glad you posted the letter on here too and I hope you get some helpful comments....you already know my views! I feel that the training is the most important place to start with sorting out the SEN provision for our children and adults so I'm definately a big supporter of your letter :0)
Claire - Community Champion
Posted by
asteroids
on 26th February 2010
at 12:25
I am concerned that CPD training for teachers isn't happening. A recent strategy called 'Rarely Cover' was implemented by teaching unions to stop teachers having to cover for absent colleagues. I understand that this is meant to apply to unplanned absences such as illness, rather than pre-arranged training courses. However, from talking with teachers, it seems that schools have applied the strategy in a very heavy-handed way and teachers now find it very difficult to get out of school to attend training courses. In addition, schools are employing 'cover supervisors' rather than paying for expensive supply teachers. Cover supervisors are paid around a third of a teacher's pay and do not need any teaching qualifications. Yet, they are effectively teaching lessons from notes and materials set by teachers. They are responsible for the management and discipline of the class during that lesson. Is this right? I have been in such lessons and I've had to help the cover supervisor teach Year 7 maths because they did not understand it. Will they receive the same SEN training as the teachers?
Instead of allowing teachers to 'go' on training courses (where they also get an opportunity to network with other teachers), they now have CPD training delivered in twilight sessions within the school. These sessions might be delivered by heads of department, SENCos or external trainers. I do know of an instance when the training was delivered by a teaching assistant!
Of course, if a school simply has to tick a box to say they have delivered SEN training to their staff, there's no need to pay for expensive specialist training. With ASD, it's important to keep up to date with training and developments so even a teacher who received training a few years ago will need to update their knowledge and skills.
Asteroids Sara - Community Champion
Posted by
Robbie de Santos
on 4th March 2010
at 13:14
Hi Damien,
This looks like a great letter to education decision-makers – you might also want to send it to David Laws too. He is the Liberal Democrat’s spokesperson for Children, Schools and Families and has been to visit TreeHouse recently.
I think you’ve made some really good points. I think on the sensory issues point, it might be worth explaining a bit more about the range of sensory issues affecting children with autism as I don’t think politicians are that well informed about sensory issues. It might also be good to put forward some of your ideas for how to address some of the issues you’ve raised.
The current focus on training is really important, as Claire pointed out, and it is a great opportunity for us to all to highlight what skills we want training to equip teachers with and what the most effective ways of doing this are. So it’s a really good time to share any ideas you have about what training should be doing and how training can best do that!
Robbie
Policy and Parliamentary Officer
TreeHouse
![SiftGroups.com [opens in a new window]](themes/zen/treehouse/images/siftGroupsLogo.gif)
Posted by
damo73
on 25th February 2010
at 09:07
I would like to adapt the following letter to send to Ed Balls, Micheal Gove or anyone else who is involved in government policy. If anyone has anymore to add then let me know (especially Sara and those with experience of teacher training etc.):
To whom it may concern,
It was announced today (24/02/10) on the DCSF website that Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and Schools Minister Diana Johnson that 4 million pounds will be spent on ‘advanced teacher training’, in order for the TDA to develop training on SEN by spring 2011. “We need to ensure that schools, teachers and governors understand the specialist teaching these children need and are clear on how to provide it.” (Diana Johnson)
It is assumed that all that is primarily needed to provide better outcomes for children with SEN is increased awareness and skill of practicing teachers. As a trained teacher myself who was recently diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum (and primary carer for my son who has ‘classical autism’), I am deeply passionate about educational practices regarding SEN (hence why I am now conducting doctoral research with the University of Birmingham into the education of autistic people). I would stress that teaching ASD children is also constrained by a confusing sensory environment of a large school with large class sizes, an issue not mentioned in this announcement (and a structure which Ed Balls seems to be in favour of!). It is also stated in the announcement that the TDA will be running projects ‘engaging parents’ in the training and professional development of teachers.
The TDA website states that it has produced materials for an 18 taught session course in SEN for undergraduates in education and a modal scheme for extended placement within specialist provision. On one-year PGCE courses however: ‘the resources are designed to meet the tight time demands of a one year course and include materials covering a range of aspects of SEN and disability designed to provide introductory material for two half days or one taught day’ (as well as study booklets and self-study tasks). I completed a post-compulsory PGCE 6 years ago, within which my SEN training consisted of one lecture (poorly presented) and three leaflets regarding ASD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. This information was not enough to recognise the symptoms in myself, despite having a son diagnosed with ASD.
Regards
Damian E. M. Milton, M.A, B.A (Hons), P.G.C.E, IfL (member).