SEN Conquering Snowdon


SEN teacher Patrick Orovan works with a high number


of students on the autistic spectrum. Recently, he took a group on a five-day residential trip to Wales. He discusses the benefits of such activities for SEN children, and offers his practical advice on managing such a trip


had never spent a single night away from their parents. For the trip to be a success, an enormous amount


of planning had to take place – including the risk- assessments – but we knew the potential benefits for the students could be dramatic.


W Union address: Voice Asbestos: A key priority


With some 75 per cent of schools containing


asbestos, solicitor David Brierley says that we must not relax controls over the deadly substance


IT IS almost a year since Lord Young’s report Common Sense, Common Safety was published. This was a review of health and safety, commissioned by the government, which made recommendations for improving the way health and safety is applied. The report was welcomed by the health and


Safety executive (hSe) and prime minister David Cameron, who set out the government’s intention to focus regulations where they were most needed, with a new system that is proportionate, not bureaucratic, and which reinstates some common sense and trust. a number of Lord Young’s recommendations are


being actioned this year. ThehSe has put forward for consultation a classroom risk-assessment for schools to use, and an independent review of health and safety legislation is taking place, aimed at combining and simplifying health and safety legislation. The government has already announced


its intention to abolish the adventure activities Licensing agency, which runs a licensing scheme for adventure activity centres, and is consulting on replacing the scheme with a code of practice. Separately, the Department for education has


replaced its own detailed guidance on school trips with a general summary document. There are also changes to the hSe’s inspection regime – it is no longer carrying out proactive workplace inspections of “low-risk” premises, including local authority schools, while continuing to carry out reactive inspections if an incident is reported to them. There certainly is a place for common sense


in health and safety, however, the school staff unions are concerned that a common theme to these changes is a downgrading of health and safety.


There is no case for relaxing controls in relation to


asbestos.any downgrading or reduction in protection from the threat of asbestos is a serious concern for the unions. The figures are stark. In the last three years, 16 teachers a year have died from mesothelioma (the lung cavity cancer caused by exposure to asbestos). Statistics show that 140 school teachers died of


mesothelioma in the 10-year period between 1999 to 2008 aged 16 to 74.around 75 per cent of school buildings contain asbestos.action Mesothelioma Day on July 1 was a moving reminder of the dreadful outcomes of exposure to asbestos fibres and dust. The asbestos in Schools Campaign continues


to take steps forward (see pages 2 and 3). Written guidance and online training will be available to schools this term. The goal is properly funded training for headteachers, school managers, teaching and support staff, governors and local authorities. The school staff unions both individually and


collectively through the Joint Union asbestos Campaign (JUaC) are stressing to schools the need to keep awareness of asbestos management a priority. The conclusions of anhSe inspection programme


on asbestos management in schools outside local authority controls will be published shortly and they are expected to confirm that significant improvement is needed in the standards of asbestos management. JUaC will continue its campaign for a


government policy of openness, following the basic principle of risk-management by assessing the scale of the problem and the risks in our schools. One key assessment needed urgently is an


assessment of the increased vulnerability of children to asbestos and this is now being undertaken by the Department of health Committee on Carcinogenicity. This is a welcome development and an acknowledgement that children have been exposed to asbestos in schools. The cause of cases of mesothelioma is a very


specialist medical area. expert opinion is that there is no threshold of exposure below which there is no risk and that all exposure is cumulative. earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that all exposures above the normal background levels are considered as causative and as a consequence the local authority concerned was held legally responsible in a claim by a former pupil who developed mesothelioma. Before the case was concluded, she sadly died.


• David Brierley is a solicitor with education union Voice. Visit www.voicetheunion.org.uk/asbestos


hen a five-day, four- night residential trip to Mount Snowdon in Wales was proposed at our north London school it was met with trepidation, not least because most of the students


The great outdoors: The students of West Lea School, many of whom are on the autistic spectrum, overcame anxieties and learned independence skills during their trip to Wales


The pupils selected for the trip were in key stage 3


and of the 28 students chosen, 20 had a communicative disorder or showed autistic traits. Children with autism often have extreme difficulty


developing normal relationships with others. They tend not to share the interests of their peers and in many cases these children are not able to interpret non-verbal cues of communication (such as facial expressions).


Most people with autism have some impairment in language and many never speak at all. One of the main purposes of the trip was to increase


the students’ independence skills.as part of our newly formed independence curriculum, we have made it a priority to increase the learning that takes place outside of the classroom. This is especially important for Sen students because it offers the opportunity for them to use their social skills in an environment in which they often feel uncomfortable. These students need to apply a certain skill in a


variety of environments before it is mastered – although they may be able to communicate with a close group of classmates at school, they must learn to apply the same skills in the real world. Our challenge was to help the students quickly adjust


to new surroundings without the calming assurance of their parents. In addition to the physical separation, students would be unable to contact their parents for the entire trip (unless there were extreme circumstances). as such, not only were the students anxious, the parents were too. The first strategy to combat the initial anxiety was


to provide a very detailed, regimented schedule for the trip.autistic children thrive on routine and do not deal well with surprises. We had to make sure they were clearly informed about how their time during the trip would be spent. a lot of time was spent in class with the students discussing any worries they had about the trip and being taught some strategies which they could use should they have difficulties coping. Most students on the autistic spectrum are visual


learners. This means that they comprehend what they see better than what they hear and as such benefit significantly from the use of visual strategies. Therefore, a picture schedule was created for each


of the students so that they could clearly see what each day’s events would be. Similar to strategies used in the classroom, this is an effective way to ensure that students with receptive communication deficiencies are included. next, the students were divided into groups based on


their level of functioning and positive group dynamics. Prior to the trip, students met in their groups and were able to become comfortable with their peers and the adults that would be accompanying them. Our preparation was focused not only on preparing


them for a drastic change, but also empowering them with the skills they needed to make the trip a success. Furthermore, sometimes Sen students may have


low expectations of their own abilities at home. Many of the students on the trip were not expected to partake in regular household duties and as a result lacked basic skills that they need for the rest of their life. an example of this was one student who was


assigned to clean up the dishes from the tables. Rather than asking if people were finished, he began collecting people’s plates while they were still eating. What would seem like a very obvious action for most was lost on this student. autistic children need basic social skills explained


and reinforced constantly. Once the expectations are made clear, students understand the reasoning and begin to learn the social norms. Day one and five of the trip were to be travel days.


From north London, it would take approximately six hours. That length of drive can be difficult for anyone, let alone autistic students. To help everyone cope, two


12


separate stops were planned during the journey – one for lunch and one for a stretch. When we arrived we assembled the group in the common room to review the rules, cleaning duties, behavioural expectations and our itinerary for the next few days. Like the daily timetable, the duty rota was a picture schedule showing images of each task. Students were allowed to give input on what


activities should be planned during their free time. although intentionally limited, there were slots of time in the evening where students could decide how they would spend their time. We brought several board and other types of games that would be inclusive and engaging. Students planned a disco one night and made use


of the karaoke machine throughout the week. Students were not allowed to bring portable gaming systems with them because they are by nature isolating and anti-social. By granting ownership of the trip they were given a sense of control and this put a lot of the students more at ease. The first day involved an early start, 7am, and a


trip into Lamberis for a day of canoeing followed by climbing and a high ropes course. The next day was on to horseback riding and archery. On the final day we went up Mount Snowdon on the train and each student, even those with mobility issues, was able to reach the summit. every day involved the students interacting with


people with whom they were unfamiliar and doing activities in which they had very little or no experience. There was a lot of anxiety, but all participated and were challenged. as a result they were able to experience a sense of achievement and accomplishment by conquering their fears. The parents’ reaction has been one of gratitude.


They appreciated a week-long break from their responsibilities, but also have noticed marked changes in their children’s behaviour. One parent stated that after the trip their child was cleaning up after themselves, initiating communication with unfamiliar people, and was showing a willingness to try new things. a residential trip can often seem like a daunting


task, especially with Sen students. however, with the proper planning, it is possible to have an engaging, inclusive and educational experience. Planning for next year’s trip has already begun.


SecEd


• Patrick Orovan is a teacher and SEN specialist at West Lea School in Edmonton, north London.


SecEd • September 8 2011


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