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SPOTLIGHT ON SEND Taking stock of the year


In her regular column for Education Today this month, independent Specialist Teacher and Assessor JOANNE GLADDERS looks back over the school year and reflects on her experiences.


What a year! As I write this, I reflect on what has been achieved over the last year. I don’t know about you, but I feel as though I have worked at a hundred miles an hour!


One of the key reasons for this has been trying to meet the needs


of young people who are displaying difficulties in different areas. This translated into the following:


• Full diagnostic assessment for a specific learning difficulty.


• Learning assessments to determine specific difficulties in either learning or in the cognitive profile.


• Supporting class teachers to identify the gaps in learning and how to address them following the Pandemic.


• How to navigate the implementation of new initiatives such as the teaching of Phonics at Key Stage 3.


All the schools that I have the pleasure of working in have seen far


more complex difficulties for young people. The pandemic has heightened parental awareness of their children’s difficulties and the impact of the lockdowns has impacted upon young people’s confidence and mental health in so many ways.


In addition, a key impact on my role in schools is the inability to


secure appointments to investigate conditions such as attention deficit disorder and Autism. In some instances, before an appointment will even be considered for attention deficit disorder, parents are expected to attend a parenting course. Such hoops to jump through and long waiting lists do not help our young people understand and address their individual need.


I have also found that parents think that their child has a Specific


Learning Difficulty – Dyslexia in addition to waiting for investigation into other potential difficulties. This is not always a secure route as the other difficulties could be what is impacting upon the young person’s learning and therefore, they do not have a specific difficulty.


Throughout the professional discussions that I have had with


teachers and SENCO’s in schools, it is very apparent that they are more tuned in to potential difficulties than they give themselves credit for. They have just needed to ensure that they piece all of the available information together to build the wider picture and to have the tools needed to have difficult conversations with parents.


This year has been like no other and, as we reflect on it, we should


reassure ourselves that we have done okay. A key consideration for me as I reflect is to ensure that I build time for my own wellbeing and consider my own needs as well as that of others. Wellbeing is a key area in school and yet we don’t always consider our own. As this year draws to a close, I challenge you (and myself) to find time for your own well-being.


Enjoy a restful summer!


• Encourage peer support – metacognition is as much about learning how you learn as it is about the content itself so providing opportunities for learners to share their strategies and thoughts can be beneficial.


For SEN learners, metacognition can be a real asset in addressing


underachievement. When you explicitly teach metacognitive strategies, you give your


students the opportunity to learn how they learn best. This is an important life skill that will benefit them not only in their academic career but also in their future professional and personal lives.


The main thing to remember when introducing metacognition to your


learners is that everyone will engage with it in different ways – there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Find what works for your learners and go from there!


Seven ways to encourage metacognition with your SEN


learners In her SEND column this month regular contributor HANNAH RIX, SEND English teacher and co- founder of Readingmate Ltd, looks at metacognition and offers some effective ways to introduce its practice into the SEND classroom.


Metacognition has become increasingly commonplace in and around schools. As the research on its effectiveness grows in popularity, teachers and schools are keen to implement the methods in their classrooms.


Metacognition refers to a learner’s ability to show awareness, and to


reflect and direct their thought processes successfully towards their learning and progress.


Homing in on these skills and encouraging learners to practise and


develop them can make a real difference to their learning experience and growth as individuals. It goes without saying that when teachers are considering introducing a new strategy or method, the individual needs of their learners must be taken into consideration first.


• Make the most of the morning – when introducing metacognitive awareness be conscious of how taxing this can be so teaching it at the start of the day can be very beneficial to then put into practice in the afternoon.


• Praise effort, not ability – using phrases such as ‘you worked so hard on that’ or ‘I can see you gave that some real thought’ will foster a metacognitive attitude much more than simply praising the outcome.


• Promoting a growth mindset - this is the belief that intelligence and ability can be developed through hard work and dedication. Make sure that you normalise struggle and take on challenges.


• Get them reflecting – metacognition is all about reflection so make sure you provide opportunities for your learners to stop and think about what they’re doing well and where they could improve.


• Provide models – as with anything new, seeing it in action can be helpful to provide your learners with examples of metacognitive practice that they can observe and learn from.


• Make it visual – for some learners, having a metacognitive model to refer to (perhaps in the form of a poster or table) during their learning will help them to engage with the process.


July/August 2022


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