News and Events

ETF news, events and courses

The Centres for Excellence in SEND newsletter

The monthly Centres for Excellence in SEND newsletter brings you all the latest news and activities from the three Centres, as well as highlighting the Foundation's SEND CPD opportunities. You can access editions of the newsletter below. You can sign up to receive the newsletter by email by visiting our newsletters page and filling in your details, making sure you tick the ‘SEND’ box.

Previous editions of the Centres for Excellence in SEND newsletter

Events

The ETF and Centres for Excellence in SEND events

Free events and in-house offers delivered by our three Centres for Excellence in SEND (CfE) are available including:

24th November: Providing apprenticeship opportunities for learners with learning difficulties/disabilities and/or autism from an apprenticeship provider perspective webinar (SEND Employer spokes), 12:00 - 1:00pm.

25th November: Creating strategic intent in your curriculum, (webinar), CfE in SEND (community), 3:30 - 4:30pm.

For more details on how to connect with a SEND Community of Practice, please visit the Centres for Excellence pages

Ambitious about Autism

The following webinars are held monthly by Ambitious about Autism, more details can be found on their website.

Courses

The ETF's in-house offer

The Essential SEND Managers, Everything you need to know about funding and specific needs programmes are now all available to book as in-house courses using the Foundation's online booking system. Information and additional resources associated with the individual programmes can be found by following the associated programme link.

To learn more about the ETF SEND offer take a look at our SEND Brochure.

And don't forget the professional development opportunities available on Foundation Online Learning. Do take a look at the Education and Training Foundation's (ETF) wide range of courses, many of them relevant to those supporting learners with SEND, together with our bespoke SEND offer

SEND CPD Framework

Are you looking for specific training? As part of a mapping exercise of SEND CPD training and qualifications available from the ETF and a wide range of other organisations we have produced a SEND CPD Framework. The information is provided to raise awareness to the SEND workforce of the variety CPD opportunities available. The inclusion of information from other organisations does not indicate a recommendation by the ETF of this offer.

We cannot guarantee the quality of any events not organised by or on behalf of the Foundation.

Publications, reports, research and resources

Tomorrow's leaders: a world beyond disability

Tomorrow’s leaders: a world beyond disability is a publication featuring young people who are all achieving great things in their own lives, in their communities and wider society. The Education and Training Foundation worked with the Council for Disabled Children to develop and publish the resource.

The publication contains inspiring stories from young people who are achieving their goals in:

arts, sports and leisure
campaigning, advocacy and inclusion
entrepreneurship and employment

The publication is written for those learning and working in education. It highlights the importance of having the highest aspirations for our young people and supporting them to achieve them.

Gatsby benchmarks

The Gatsby Foundation, has published a resource, Good Career Guidance: Perspectives from the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities sector using the Gatsby Benchmarks with students with SEND.

Making the SEND reforms work

Commissioned by The ETF, The National Development Team for Inclusion (NTDi) have produced two case study videos showcasing how local authorities and FE providers work together to support learners with SEND achieve their aspirations inclusing progressing into employment.

The first case study video shows how Greenbank College in Liverpool and its local authority worked in partnership to promote independent living and the second case study video shows how several learning providers in Nottinghamshire and the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire local authorities worked successfully together so that learners with SEND gained employment.

DfE Announcements

Guidance for specialist support

COVID-19 has impacted on services and as a result many specialist services have adjusted their delivery models during their recovery. The DfE, DHSC and NHS England have worked with education and health partners, including the Royal Colleges and the Association of Educational Psychologists, Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, Association of Colleges, the National Sensory Impairment Partnership, along with the National Network of Parent Carer Forums and us at the Council for Disabled Children, to develop this guidance, Delivery of specialist 1:1 and group interventions for children and young people in education settings, which sets out the expectations for the delivery of specialist support for children and young people.

Supported Internships for 25-year-olds

DWP have offered the support of their Jobcentre Plus network in attempting to find work placements for 25-year-olds who are unable to complete their Supported Internship due to Covid restrictions. This individualised support will be a useful resource for these learners, providing an opportunity to use the skills which they have been developing during their internship and helping in their transition to adult employment support services. If Supported Internship providers have learners who are in this position and are interested in taking up DWP’s offer of support, please contact Ian Turley ian.turley@education.gov.uk no later than 21st July stating:

name of the education/training provider
the number of interested interns at your provider
a contact email address for your provider

SEND and specialist settings - additional operational guidance: COVID-19

The Government have updated their SEND and specialist settings - additional operational guidance: COVID-19. This guidance should be read alongside the Further education COVID-19 operational guidance, which have also been updated to reflect the upcoming changes from 17 May.

The key changes within the guidance are:

Visits to Special residential settings (chapter 4) – updated to reflect that family visits should be face-to-face wherever possible.
Asymptomatic testing (chapter 11) - updated to reflect that, where appropriate, a move to a home testing model for staff, and post-16 students.
Funding (chapter 12) – updated for the new financial year.
Face coverings (System of Controls – Annex A) – updated to reflect that from 17 May face coverings will no longer be recommended for students in classrooms or communal areas, in all FE providers. Face coverings will also no longer be recommended for staff in classrooms. In all FE providers, theycontinue to recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and visitors in situations outside of classrooms where social distancing is not possible (for example, when moving around in corridors and communal areas). The reintroduction of face coverings for students or staff, may be advised for a temporary period in response to particular local circumstances, such as variants of concern.
Confirmatory PCR tests (System of Controls – Annex A) – updated to reflect that if a confirmatory PCR test is taken within 2 days of a positive lateral flow device (LFD) test, and it is negative, it overrides the LFD test and the individual can return to the setting.

The FE Guidance also covers advice on sports, supported internships and access to work.

Please see the Guidance on the Covid-19 response Spring 2021 (Roadmap) for additional information.

Shielding Guidance and Supported Internships Returners Announcement

The Government have updated the document, Additional operational guidance for special schools, special post-16 institutions and alternative provision. The main reason to convert it into HTML format to make it more accessible and more searchable.

Supported Internships Returners

Supported interns who were not able to meet the core aim of their internship in the 2020 to 2021 academic year may continue their internship into the 2021 to 2022 academic year. It is not envisaged that all Supported Interns will need to extend their internship for a full year. Providers should determine the length of time that a learner will require based on the needs of the individual, and in agreement with the Local Authority. Please note that the legislative and funding arrangements for EHC plans do not allow for a plan to be extended beyond the age of 25. Where necessary and appropriate, priority for accessing work placements in the 2021/22 academic year should be given to Supported Interns who were enrolled on a Supported Internship in 2020/21. The FE operational guidance is being updated accordingly.

Decisions on arrangements for awarding grades in summer 2021

The Department for Education and Ofqual have published the decisions for awarding grades for GCSE, AS and A levels this summer and on awarding for a range of vocational and technical qualifications following consultations with the sector.

Evidence summary: COVID-19 - children, young people and education settings

The Government have published a report, Evidence Summary: Covid-19 - children, young people and education settings. The summary sets out the evidence relevant to, and in support of, the Government’s decision to lift restrictions on education from 8 March 2021 – focussed in particular on schools, colleges and early years settings.

Special Educational Needs and Disability

Meeting the needs of learners with learning difficulties and / or disabilities

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