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SEN fund for support staff


by Pete Henshaw Release call: Dr Patrick Roach


Educators call for the release of jailed Bahraini teachers


A respected UK educationalist has joined a delegation which arrived in Bahrain this week to call for the release of two teacher trade unionists. Dr Patrick Roach, the


deputy general secretary of the NASUWT teachers’ union, is part of an international delegation which will meet King Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa to urge him to drop all charges relating to Mahdi Issa Abu Dheeb, president of the Bahrain Teachers’ Association, and vice-president Jalila Al Salman. The delegation, sent from


Education International, claim that the pair have been subjected to brutal and inhumane treatment by the authorities after being jailed for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly during the recent uprising in the country. Education International is


a global federation of teacher unions which represents more than 30 million teachers and education workers across 170 countries. Members in the UK include the NASUWT and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers. A statement from the


NASUWT said: “We are deeply concerned by reports that the arbitrary arrest, detention and torture of teachers and students is continuing in Bahrain and that they are being expelled from


their studies and jobs without justification.” Dr Roach (pictured, above),


who is also an executive board member of Education International, said: “Our delegation is here to show the authorities in Bahrain that the world is watching and that we will not stand by while repression, torture and abuse of citizens is continuing. We will be calling on the King of Bahrain immediately to drop all charges relating to Mahdi Issa Abu Dheeb and Jalila Al Salman. “We also will be calling on


the government to recognise the Bahrain Teachers’ Association and to allow teachers and academics to organise freely as trade unionists in accordance with international conventions. “We will be urging the


Bahraini authorities that they must act immediately to comply with international human rights and to respect fully the fundamental rights and freedoms of teachers, students and union activists in accordance with international standards.” Other members of the


Education International delegation include the general secretary of Education International, Fred van Leeuwen, and Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation. Visit www.ei-ie.org


Hundreds of school support staff are to get government-funded degree-level training to help support children with SEN and/or disabilities. A £500,000 scholarship


programme will give up to £2,000 to each candidate to fund as much as 50 per cent of the cost of specialist courses and qualifications. A competitive application


process will open next week for support staff who hold A level or equivalent qualifications or those who have higher level teaching assistant status. Children’s minister Sarah


Teather said the programme would fund staff to take “a wider range of degree-level equivalent qualifications and specialist diplomas in specific impairments such as in dyslexia or autism”. It comes after the SEN Green


Paper, published a year ago, included plans to develop the


expertise and expert knowledge of the wider school workforce. Ms Teather said: “These


scholarships identify and train talented professionals, with the potential to develop their specialist knowledge further and pursue a teaching career in the future if they want. “We know that support staff


can make a real difference to the achievement of pupils with SEN and disabilities. They are never a substitute for a qualified teacher – but we know that when used effectively, they are vital to giving the most vulnerable pupils the support they need to get the most out of school.” Sarah Lambert, head of policy at


the National Autistic Society, said: “Many parents tell us that because autism and other SEN are ‘hidden’ disabilities in that you don’t see them, teachers and educational support staff may not recognise their needs or offer appropriate support. Our hope is that this training will change that.


“For this to work effectively,


the government should target those schools that need it most and look at ways to encourage those who go on this programme to share their knowledge, skills and learning with colleagues.” Applications for the scholarship


fund will open on Monday (April 30) and close on May 17, with the first scholarships awarded later this year. Applications will be scored by Teaching Agency and Department for Education officials with funding only being awarded to “the highest scoring applicants whose proposals meet stringent criteria”. For details, visit www.education.


gov.uk/schools/careers/training anddevelopment/funding


•The Department for Education has also confirmed funding for 2012/13 to train 1,000 new SENCOs through the Master’s-level National Award for SEN Co-ordination. This year the scheme has been extended to include qualified teachers working in pupil referral units.


Northern Irish board could see 29 secondaries closed


More than half the secondary schools in one of Northern Ireland’s education board areas are at risk of being shut down. The North Eastern Education


Board (NEELB) says financial pressures are forcing it to consider streamlining its post-primary provision. There are 49 secondary


providers across the NEELB area, which covers parts of counties Derry and Antrim. If the radical plans are endorsed, this number could fall to just 20. Earlier this year, the NEELB,


along with the other four area boards, completed an audit designed to weed out failing schools. The results of this are now


informing a wider area-based planning project that is intended to see moves towards new models


of schooling and cross-sectoral sharing as early as next year. Details of the NEELB’s plan,


which has been drawn up in collaboration with the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, are beginning to emerge. The board is working to ensure


its secondary schools have at least 500 pupils, achieve good exam results and remain financially viable. One of the towns under the


board’s jurisdiction – Ballymena – has 3,000 empty desks across its 10 post-primary schools. It is suggested that Cambridge


House Grammar and Ballee High, both of which are getting special help to improve after failing inspection reports, are shut down. Ballee, whose numbers are about 200 fewer than the 500


threshold, instead wants to create a new single campus for nursery, primary and secondary pupils. In Carrickfergus, it is proposed


that two post-primaries – Downshire School and Carrickfergus College – merge on a single site by 2016. From 2014, those two schools


and the nearby Ulidia Integrated College will provide shared, jointly managed and governed post-16 provision with a greater emphasis on vocational and practical courses. The board’s plan for the coastal


town of Larne involves establishing a partnership in which schools will work together on a staged progression leading to the creation of one co-educational 11 to 19 secondary to accommodate 1,000 pupils from September 2015. The NEELB says no final decisions have been made.


Arts and Minds tackles racism and prejudice


Young people are being urged to celebrate equality and cultural diversity through the annual Arts and Minds competition. The challenge asks children


to use art and creative writing to explore themes of cultural diversity, race, equality and identity. Organised by the NASUWT


and supported by SecEd, Arts and Minds celebrates Black History Month and promotes the tackling of racism in schools. It is designed so that teachers


can incorporate the competition into lessons on various subjects including history, humanities, literacy, art, citizenship and school projects. Entries are now open for the


2012 competition and prizes are awarded to the best entries from across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales in categories for primary, secondary and special schools. An overall winner is also chosen. As well as prizes for creative writing and art, the competition


SecEd • April 26 2012


also features the Anne Frank Poetry Award for poems inspired by the life and writing of the young Holocaust victim. Last year, more than 1,000


entries were received and the overall winners were a group of year 8 to 10 pupils from Perryfields High School in the West Midlands with their artwork entitledOur Arts and Minds. Entrants should explore ways of


expressing what diversity, equality and identity means to them and how this is reflected in their lives, families, schools and communities. The closing date for entries in


July 2 and the best entries will be invited to the finals, which are set to take place in London in October. The overall winning school will receive £1,000 while all winning school get £350. Other supporters of the


competition include the Anne Frank Trust, Think Global, and Love Music, Hate Racism. For full entry details, visit


www.nasuwt.org.uk/ArtsandMinds Our Arts and Minds: The winning 2011 entry from students at Perryfields High School 3


NEWS In brief Political debate


An online forum run by Hansard is inviting young people to join politicians in a debate about what makes a good society. HeadsUp is launching the three-week debate asking what students think about the society they live in. The forum can be used as a resource by teachers of citizenship or PSHE and all debates are supported by lesson plans and background information. The latest debate, which launches on Monday (April 30), is also asking if we expect too much from volunteers and whether our society is really broken. It is open to 11 to 18-year-olds. Visit: www.headsup.org.uk


myShakespeare


A new social networking platform, myShakespeare, has launched to mark the start of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s World Shakespeare Festival. It includes blogs from a wide range of collaborators and commentators to provoke debate and stimulate conversation about the work of the Bard. People are invited to contribute by showing how Shakespeare’s stories, characters and words “weave through our daily lives”. Visit: http://myshakespeare. worldshakespearefestival. org.uk


Picture archive The Royal Society has


unveiled a searchable online picture library, allowing web users to browse and search its vast collection of images online for the first time. The pictures provide an unusual insight into more than four centuries of the history of science and are completely free to use for teachers. The picture library is linked to the Royal Society’s Invigorate education resource, which contains curriculum- linked resources for the teaching of science. Visit: https://pictures.royalsociety.org/


Choir call School and youth choirs


are being asked to join an international singing project. The Voices around the World is aiming to get young people across the world to learn and participate in a global recording of a song called Building Our Own Future. Choirs are encouraged to create their own recording of the song so that it can then be included in a mass worldwide recording which will be released as a single in December. Vocals, choir parts and backing music are all available to download free of charge online and submissions must be made by July 18. Visit: www.wave7music.co.uk


Data challenge Schools across the country are


being invited to take part in a national competition to win £2,000 worth of data-logging equipment. Texas Instruments is loaning equipment to UK schools and then asking them to upload a short video of their class using the kit in a curriculum-related science lesson. The best video will win new data-logging kit for their school. To register, call 00800 4842 2737 and for ideas, visit www.tiscience.org.uk


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