SEND The need for agility in this
ever-changing world In her column this month JAYNE FOSTER, CEO at Ethos Academy Trust, explains how a funding challenge became a catalyst for a positive shift in direction and focus.
As I’m writing this column, I can’t believe that we’re almost at the end of January – it’s just been a blur since we took down the Christmas decorations. But here we are - already four weeks into our shortest term.
I don’t mind telling you that 2023 was a particularly challenging year, especially in relation to funding streams for some of our settings. However, these challenges have brought about new opportunities and have actually been the catalyst for a positive shift in our direction and focus.
For many years some of our academies were commissioned to deliver a broad range of Alternative Provision strands (Day 6, medical, turnaround, longer stay KS4 placements). However, due to financial constraints outside our trust, new commissioning arrangements meant that the remit of some of our academies needed to change. This was an important reminder for us that no matter how strong our relationships with our commissioning local authorities are, sometimes there are things beyond our control that influence external decisions, meaning that as a Trust we must never be complacent.
To avoid compromising the high quality of provision in any way, we needed to be creative and act quickly. At first, all we could see was the challenge, but as we didn’t have the luxury of time, we knew we had to come up with a solution to remain viable – and we did. Within a matter of weeks, we put the strategy and operations in place to enable us to change the core purpose of our three longest-running AP academies (within the EAT family). All three now deliver outstanding long-stay provision for pupils with EHCPs – and it’s been a strong move for us. We’re now moving away from earlier intervention to a model that best supports long-stay children with educational care plans. These developments are allowing us to strengthen our specialist offer in SEMH and wider SEND than our previous multi-faceted remits allowed. Streamlining the focus of provision in some of our academies has also enabled us to support neighbouring Local Authorities who are seeking high-quality, long-term placements for their pupils, allowing them to remain educated close to home, a very welcome development for both children and their families.
In addition to this reset, we also welcomed two new schools into the EAT family last year, both with different strengths and needs. Both schools have helped to enhance the breadth of provision within the Trust and enabled us to offer long-term opportunities for:
• the development and sharing of outstanding practice
• the creation of new and inspiring career development pathways and professional development opportunities
• strengthened specialist networks in safeguarding; attendance; SEND; Curriculum; Teaching and Learning; Maths; English
As the year progresses, we will be developing and launching our new strategic priorities in collaboration with all key stakeholders, thinking deeply about how we can further improve outcomes for our children/young people and their families.
Reflections
• We have recognised the importance of nurturing relationships with all our stakeholders
• Agility is key • Complacency can be dangerous
• Communication is key – we were able to pull together and promote ourselves with confidence
• We have earned our reputation as a quality provider in our sector and our communities
• We can and must embrace change – it’s liberating and inevitable
If anyone in the sector would like to be part of our journal, and is willing to share their success stories and best practice, please contact me on
jfoster@eat.uk.com
February 2024 The impact of bullying on
pupils with SEN In her regular column this month looking at SEND, EMMA SANDERSON, Managing Director of Options Autism, discusses the prevalence and impact of bullying on students with SEND.
Although there is no legal definition of bullying, it is often referred to as, ‘targeted and repeated verbal or physical behaviour by an individual or group that is designed to hurt someone’. Bullying is present across
society, seemingly regardless of age or occupation, and can begin with even the youngest children in schools. Recent research from the National Anti-Bullying Alliance, working in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London, revealed that of nearly 65,000 pupils surveyed across England in 2023: 29% of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), followed by 28% of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM); and 23% of pupils without SEND and not eligible for FSM, reported being frequently bullied face-to-face*. It’s clear from the numbers that the most vulnerable in our pupil population are most at risk of bullying.
Bullying is the assumption of a position of power, either physically or socially, directed at someone who is perceived as less powerful. Communication challenges, difficulty navigating social interactions, misunderstanding or misinterpreting others’ behaviour, or being misunderstood by those around them, can make pupils with SEND easy ‘targets’.
Not only can bullying have serious and long-term implications for the victim’s mental health – contributing to feelings of low self-esteem and self-worth, isolation and anxiety. Bullied pupils may become ‘bully- victims’ turning to bullying others more vulnerable than themselves, in an attempt to regain some sense of power for themselves.
This complicated situation often results in significant suffering for the bully-victim as they recognise the impact they are having on their victim, yet continue to inflict pain; bully-victims generally experience more problems than bullies or victims. They often live in a constant state of stress – anticipating attack, or preparing to respond with aggression towards another - sometimes with levels of cortisol similar to individuals experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They appear defensive, hostile and unfriendly, and are further isolated from their peers. Research indicates a causal association between ‘bullying victimization’ and increased suicidal ideation and behaviours**.
Some pupils with SEND have needs that require specialist approaches, especially if they struggle to articulate their experiences, are unsure how to react to cues in social settings, or do not interpret warning signs. Bullying reporting methods within schools may be inaccessible to these pupils, resulting in many instances of bullying going unreported.
It seems remarkable, but victims of bullying, especially those with SEND who may find self-regulation challenging, unable to cope in a school environment where they feel unsafe, can end up excluded from school. The latest statistics from the DfE show autistic pupils in England are nearly three times more likely to be suspended than their neurotypical peers, resulting in 82% of young people in state-funded alternative provision (AP) with identified SEND and social, emotional and mental health needs.
Notes:
*
https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/attachments/Pupil bullying%2C wellbeing and school experiences in schools in England 2023.pdf **
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371173/
www.education-today.co.uk 19
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