Raising the Profile

Giving A Voice To Pupils

With Special Needs And
Listening To What They Say

These materials were collated by

Jane Carter

ASRS Manager

© Warwickshire County Council 2003

 Contents

Section 1. Introduction and Rationale 5

Section 2. Finding out what young people really think 9

Section 3. Learning to Participate 14

Section 4. Areas of Participation 19

4.1 Individual Education Planning and Target Setting 19

4.2 Formal Review Meetings 24

4.3 Arranging Support 27

4.4 Inclusive Teaching 29

4.5 Behaviour Management 33

4.6 School Councils and the pupils’ voice 39

Section 5. Useful Sources of Information 44

Section 6. OHTs 48

Section 7. Appendices 52

2
 Acknowledgements

Thanks especially go to Debbie Turner of the Parent Partnership Service who talked to pupils
and staff from the schools listed below. Their comments and practice are used throughout this
document:

Sparrowdale School
Michael Drayton Junior School
Leyland School
Polesworth High School
Nicholas Chamberlaine School
Lawrence Sheriff School
Brooke School
Paddox Primary School
Ash Green School
Exhall Grange School
Stratford-upon-Avon High School
Tysoe Primary School
River House School
Round Oak School
Kingsway Primary School
Sydenham Primary School

Sue Robus, Parent Partnership Service

Cheryl Gibbons, Transition Adviser
Naresh Gahir, LABSS
Pat Tate, LABSS
Dave Browne, DISCS
Phil Robbins, SEN Inspector
Jane Carter, ASRS Manager

3
 The Participation of Pupils with Special Needs in
the Learning Process

"I’d like to help with my assessment, to write my IEP with my teachers. Actually I’d
like to make a video, this is my life, this is how I learn, this is my home, this is what
I do at weekends. But nobody really asks me anything – I’m somebody’s problem
1
not just me"

"It’s like being in a zoo sometimes, people always looking at me. I think I know
2
what would be best for me but nobody ever asks me" (a 13 year old with ADHD ).

1
Department of Health (2001) Valuing People
2
Russell, P. (2003) Challenges and Opportunities in Listening to Children: Developing Policies and
Practices for Positive Pupil Participation, presentation to W. Midlands Educational Psychology CPD
Conference

4
 Section 1

Introduction and Rationale

The 2001 Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice, (DfES 2001), contains a new
chapter, Chapter 3 ‘Pupil Participation’, which was not part of the old Code of Practice which
it replaced. The chapter begins with a statement from ‘The United Nations Convention on the
Rights of the Child’:

“Children, who are capable of forming views, have a right to receive and make known
information, to express an opinion, and to have that opinion taken into account in any
matters affecting them. The views of the child should be given weight according to the
age, maturity and capability of the child.”
(Articles 12 and 13, The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.)

This ‘Raising the Profile’ document, embodying guidance from Warwickshire LEA, fully
endorses and supports this statement. We wish to continue to develop a climate of
partnership in our schools where the child or young person is the key participant in the
process of education.

The "Evaluation Schedule" within the new Ofsted Framework, "Inspecting Schools" (effective
from September 2003) now requires inspectors to evaluate the extent to which schools seek:

"to involve pupils in its work and development, assessing the extent to which the
school: seeks, values and acts on pupils’ views" (section 6, p. 38).

Inspectors will also be looking for specific evidence of inclusive practice and underpinning
values and ethos. Essentially inclusion is about increasing the capability of all pupils to
participate. A crucial feature of that capability is for pupils to feel that they have an effective
voice in decisions about their educational provision. It is hoped that this publication will help
schools to evaluate and improve their current practice in relation to how well pupils with
special needs participate.

Education should not be regarded by pupils as something which is done to them. Rather, it
should be an experience which they shape, develop and engage in, nurturing their knowledge
and understanding of their world and the skills which they use in their lives. Pupils with special
educational needs have a unique knowledge of their strengths and difficulties.

In the climate of education in this country at the beginning of the 21st century, this philosophy
may seem no more than common sense. However, teachers and schools may take very
different views on which pupils are capable of having useful views about their own learning.
There is rarely a consensus on what constitutes an appropriate ‘age, maturity and capability’
to enable a pupil to be a real decision-making partner in the learning process.

5
The fundamental principle of this document is that all pupils of school age, regardless of
age or ability will learn more effectively if their views, expressed by whatever means
appropriate, are taken into consideration in planning and delivering their learning programme.
While adversity may, in some circumstances, stimulate the will to succeed, pupils with special
educational needs, in particular, need to be happy and comfortable with their learning
environment and curriculum in order to enjoy success.

There is a danger that the ‘medical model’ of diagnosis, followed by tried-and-tested

prescription will lead schools to reason that, if a pupil has been labeled ‘autistic’ or ‘dyslexic’,
for example, then they must need a particular preordained approach to provision. This may not
be appropriate to that individual pupil’s disposition or aptitude. Only by involving the pupil in an
appropriate way in decisions about the provision, can we ascertain whether the provision is
likely to be effective.

The young person’s perception of their life in school, their learning environment and their
interactions with others will be unique to them and may well be very different to those of the
adult observer. As teachers, we must guard against making assumptions about what children
or young people think. We must give them the principal voice in describing their learning world
as they see it and let that voice inform provision.

Disengagement from the education process is the main characteristic of the experience of
pupils who fail to make adequate progress or achieve success in learning. The rationale behind
promoting pupil participation is that involvement in decision making leads to motivation,
confidence and engagement in the process of learning. This, in turn, increases the prospect of
success and achievement. A simple diagram can be used to encapsulate this rationale:

Pupil
participation

An increased Motivation
inclination to through choice
participate and involvement

Giving the pupil

The satisfaction the opportunity Increased self-
of achievement confidence
to be involved

Greater Engagement
likelihood of in the learning
success
process

A feeling of
A sense of
ownership of
purpose
what is happening

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The cycle is self-perpetuating and is underpinned by the opportunity for pupils to grow in self-
knowledge which, in itself, will make their participation in their own education more productive.
This cycle of motivation is essential for all learners, not least for those with particular needs. As
in most other aspects of education, good practice for pupils with special needs is good
practice generally, and vice versa.

The sharing of learning objectives is now a widely recognised feature of high quality teaching.
The cycle above, in referring to a ‘sense of purpose’, tries to show how this essential element
fits into the process. Like all of us, children and young people need to experience task
satisfaction, engendered by success and prompting a further drive to participation.

"Children and young people with special educational needs have a unique knowledge of
their own needs and circumstances and their own views about what sort of help they
would like to help them make the most of their education."
(DfES : SEN Code of Practice, para. 3:2)

We should, like the Code of Practice, acknowledge that involving all pupils with special needs
meaningfully in the processes around their own education is not easy. The more significant
their individual need, the more difficult this essential task becomes for teachers. The more their
provision is shaped by their particular needs, the greater the sensitivity needed in discussing
their needs with them. This document offers guidance on promoting pupil participation in
several areas:

Individual education planning, including:

 identifying and describing the pupil’s individual needs and potential barriers to learning
 recognising strengths and capabilities which can be built on
 setting appropriate targets and objectives for learning
 planning suitable activities and tasks for the pupil
 deciding on the most helpful additional support for the pupil and, where appropriate,
who best to provide it

Review meetings, including:

 assessing, recognising and celebrating achievement

 planning for the future, whether this is in the context of learning in school or concerned
with the transition to other schools or to the young person’s life after school

Arranging support

Inclusive teaching, including:

 pupils’ understanding of the ‘bigger picture’ which shows individual learning
achievements as part of the wider learning objectives and aims of the class

7
  maximising the pupil’s enjoyment of learning and their comfortableness in the learning
environment

Behaviour management, including:

 the use of mentoring

 understanding the social circumstances of the pupil in the school environment

School Councils

Whether a pupil’s special needs are in the areas of:

cognition and learning

communication and interaction

behavioural, emotional and social development

or sensory and/or physical needs

the content of this document is intended to address their increased participation in their
learning. The rationale described above is presented as universally applicable to pupils of
school age, regardless of age, ability or, indeed, the degree of challenge to those making the
provision.

Education may be a partnership but the partner with the most to give and the most to gain is
the pupil and, as educators, we must strive to communicate this philosophy to all other
stakeholders.

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 Section 2

Finding out what young people really think

"This is all about letting go and having an open mind. This is ‘our’ school and
not ‘mine’. Avoid the ‘don’t confuse me with facts, I’ve already made up
my mind’ syndrome. As parents find to their cost, it is easier just to do things
for their children but this doesn’t move them forward. Pupils must learn that
they have choices in life which can affect how they…live. So we too, as
teachers, must empower our pupils to make decisions as often as possible."
(David Taylor, Head of Tysoe Primary School.)

In preparation for this document, Debbie Turner from the Parent Partnership Service carried
out a number of structured interviews and small group consultations to find out what young
people in Warwickshire think of the additional support they get in school, how they feel about
their special needs, what they would like to see done differently and the difference this would
make to them. We also asked the Learning and Behaviour Support Service to talk to Year 7
pupils with statements for behaviour difficulties who had been involved in a joint LABSS/ASRS
Primary Secondary Transition Project since their Year 6 in May 2002.

In 2002, the Council for Disabled Children was asked by the national Special Schools Working
Group to run a series of focus groups to find out the views and aspirations of disabled children
3
and young people . Throughout this document we have included a number of quotations
from these young people, as well as Warwickshire pupils. Section 6 contains a number of
these quotations which could be used as OHTs / PowerPoint slides for staff discussion and
training.

3
DfES (2003) Special Schools’ Working Group Report

9
10
11
12
Suggested classroom activities to find out
what pupils think

Either individually or in small groups, with peer or adult support as

appropriate, pupils are asked to write on pieces of card what they like and
dislike about particular aspects of school life and their special needs’
provision. Depending on desired outcomes the focus may be broad or
very specific. After writing out their comments they then place them either
in a Treasure Chest if it is positive or a Dustbin if negative [NB making the
treasure chest and dustbin may be a practical start to the activity].
Comments are anonymous and are then used as the basis for a wider
group discussion and, if appropriate, some collective problem solving.
With such an activity it is important that pupils are able to see that their
comments result in some actions. For example, the group may decide to
raise an issue with the School’s Council.

Schools may like to consider using the pupil questionnaires in the

4
document Index for Inclusion . "What I think about my secondary school"
and "What I think about my primary school" are photocopiable
questionnaires, which can be found in Section 7 of the document.

4
Booth, Ainscow, Black-Hawkins, Vaughan & Shaw (2000) Index for Inclusion:
Developing Learning and Participation in Schools, CSIE

13
 Section 3

Learning to Participate

"If we think pupils often don’t have views, either about themselves as learners
or about their educational needs and provision, there may be reasons for this.
Children may have such views but not know how to express them. Some
classrooms don’t enable pupils to practise talking about themselves as learners.
They may not have the language to talk about themselves or about what
happens in class."
Todd, L. (2003), “Enabling pupil participation”, Special Children, April/May 2003 pp. 22-25

We need to enable children to participate, as just asking them for a contribution may well lead
to a shrug of the shoulders and a "I don’t know", especially if we only ask for their contribution
once a year leading up to a review meeting.

Pupils need to learn to become active partners in their learning. Like any skill this requires
explicit teaching, practice, revision and appropriate support. This is recognised in the
Foundation Stage Curriculum and the Early Learning Goals. Underpinning Early Years
education is the general principle that:

"There should be opportunities for children to engage in activities planned by adults and also
those that they plan or initiate themselves."
(Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, DfES/QCA, page 11.)

Effective learning in the Foundation Stage will develop "a positive self-image and high self-
esteem", giving children the confidence to communicate effectively. Such communication will
include choices made in learning through play, an understanding of their own learning and an
expression of preferences in the learning environment.

"A positive disposition to learn grows from experiences that children enjoy and can
control……responding to self-chosen challenges." (page 29)

Practitioners should "help children by offering the vocabulary with which to articulate their
feelings in a wide range of contexts, to……make choices and decisions…", (page 31). In the
key areas of learning of ‘Personal, Social and Emotional Development’ and ‘Communication,
Language and Literacy’, helping children to reflect on, understand and make choices about
their own learning is crucial.

14
A central focus in the Early Years setting should be the removal of barriers to learning and the
establishing of individual education plans. For very young children who are experiencing
particular difficulties with behaviour, for example, teachers are expected to set "reasonable
expectations that have been discussed with the child……", (page 19).

Some children with special needs may not be used to exercising choice over things such as
clothes and food. We cannot expect pupils to make major decisions in the future if we have
not built up a culture of active participation. We may need to start with giving pupils an
opportunity to rehearse lesser choices first.

A culture should be established in a school and in individual classrooms of:

a learning dialogue between teacher and pupil, (reflected, for example, in the school’s
marking policy which engages pupils in recognising what they need to do to improve)

individual target setting with pupils, and

an approach to personal and social education, through such activities as Circle Time

This will help to create an ethos in which pupils can learn the skills involved in effective
participation. Pupils’ unwillingness to participate is not a reason to decide that they cannot be
involved. Rather, it should be a prompt to the school to review what it does to teach children
the skills involved from an early age.

Pupil participation does not depend on the cognitive ability of the pupils concerned. At Brooke
School, a special school for pupils with severe and complex moderate learning difficulties, the
staff believe that pupils see their involvement in whole school decision making as a normal part
of school life and as part of their learning. The skills needed by the pupils are made explicit in
the PSHE curriculum.

Example: Use of Colour Cards

Coloured Card systems (see Appendix 7.2 for MENCAP’s traffic light card system) can
have many uses in classrooms and meetings, including providing a more discreet means
of pupils being able to indicate that they are struggling and need help. A red card may be
used, for example, to indicate that a pupil wishes to stop or leave a formal review
meeting, a yellow card may be used to ask someone to slow down or explain what they
are talking about. The cards can be shaped differently or have different textures stuck
to them (e.g. fur, towelling or corrugated card) to help those with visual impairments.

"Pupils whose views are listened to stop feeling disgruntled and feel a sense of belonging and
of being understood. It encourages their self-worth and gives them the confidence to be able
to make positive choices." (The view of a teacher interviewed at Paddox Primary School.)

15
16
"You need to be realistic about the skills and experience of young people. If you put them in a
position where they have to make decisions……you must support them." (Staff at Lawrence
Sheriff School).
Letting pupils make decisions about their provision is not an easy option!

Schools should, of course, always be alert to the fact that pupils for whom English is not their
first language, and who also have special educational needs, may have particular difficulty in
expressing their views and preferences. Similarly, additional enabling approaches will be
needed for pupils with expressive language difficulties.

Pupil participation can be seen as a continuum, from non-participation through to pupils as

fully participative partners. "One of the main lessons we have learnt in involving pupils is that
doing it in more than a tokenistic way is hard. It is not enough to give a child a sentence
completion task with questions such as "What I like about school…" and call this a pupil
5
report."

5
Todd (2003)

17
18
 Section 4

Areas of Participation

4.1 Individual Education Planning and Target Setting

(The suggestions for good practice which follow should be read alongside Section 7,
‘Planning for Individual Pupils’ in the ‘Warwickshire Reference File for Special Needs and
Inclusion’.)

When asked why a 10 year old pupil with Autistic Spectrum Disorder had signed his IEP
when he said he did not understand it, he replied "You always do what the teacher tells
6
you".

For the individual education planning process to be worthwhile and for it to fully enable the
participation of pupils, it needs to be far more than the production of the IEP document.

Initially, the pupils may need to be supported in recognising their particular difficulties and the
fact that these may present them with potential barriers to effective learning. They will need
help to recognise and anticipate these barriers, whether they relate to skills and abilities, or
to social interactions and behaviour. Some pupils may resist acknowledging that they have
particular individual needs for a number of reasons: they may not want to take the risk of
appearing different from their peers, they may not want to feel that there is ‘something the
matter with them’ or their motivation to learn may be at such a low ebb that they cannot see
the point of any kind of special provision.

To address these preliminary difficulties, schools will need to promote a culture which values
diversity and openly recognises different learning styles. It will need to resist the use of
special needs ‘labels’. Above all, those working closely with a pupil when it is first decided
that an IEP should be drawn up should be at pains to demonstrate ‘what’s in it for the pupil’
– that the process will improve his or her experience of school and that, if it doesn’t, it will be
discontinued.

In order to provide the right foundation for the IEP process, the teachers involved need to
work with the pupil to recognise his or her strengths and successes, drawing upon all the
school’s usual means of praising and celebrating pupils’ achievements.

Before getting down to one of the ‘end products’ of the IEP process, namely the setting of
agreed targets and objectives, the pupil needs to be involved in discussion of the options for
additional support and his or her preliminary reactions to what might be suggested. How will
they respond to focused in-class support, being withdrawn for special skills work, having
differentiated homework, using a behaviour reward system etc.? Only when the pupil is

6
A Warwickshire pupil talking to Debbie Turner
19
happy with the provision proposed is it sensible to agree the targets which it is realistic (in the
pupil’s eyes) to set as aspirations.
Wherever possible, targets in IEPs should involve or imply clearly understood strategies for the
pupil so that they know what to do to achieve the target. Most pupils will be unable to engage
with such targets as ‘Control temper outbursts’, ‘Develop comprehension skills in reading’ or
‘Improve knowledge of number bonds to 20’ because they don’t know how to go about it.

Also, wherever possible and appropriate, pupils’ strategies on IEPs should involve verbal
interactions with adults, eg ‘Tell an adult whenever you have not understood an instruction’, or
‘Re-read your writing and, at least once each day, point out to an adult three words which you
think you might have spelt wrongly.'

IEPs may be well written and widely understood by the professionals working with the pupil, but
if the targets are not known, understood and owned by the pupil then the work which has gone
into the writing and work with staff will have been wasted. Ofsted, when reviewing the previous
7,
Code of Practice in 1999 highlighted the lack of pupil involvement as a common weakness in
IEPs. Hence the new Code stresses, "From an early age pupils with SEN should be actively
involved at an appropriate level in discussions about their IEPs, including target setting and
8
review arrangements, and have their views recorded” .

"If the pupil helps to write his or her own IEP, and the aims are ones the pupil is interested in
trying to reach, and support available has been identified, there is more likelihood that the targets
9
will be reached."

There are obviously time and cost implications associated with involving pupils fully in the
process. In the end it "comes down to values. Does the school really value the pupil being
10
involved in the making of their IEP? If they do, they will find a way to do it". Tysoe Primary
School holds termly target setting days. Support cover is arranged to enable teachers time to
individually draw up targets with pupils. Pupils as young as four are supported to attend
reviews.

Individual Education Planning and Target Setting are processes which pupils may initially only
contribute to particular aspects of the process. For example:

Choosing reinforcers and rewards

Helping to put together a Positive Performance Record (see section 4.5 on Behaviour
Management), which can then be used to compile strengths for an IEP.

Helping to choose one of the three IEP targets.

Once the IEP has been drawn up making a simplified pictorial version of the plan, which the
pupil then keeps and refers to on a regular basis. Pupil Friendly Individual Education Plans,
Shotton (2003), published by Lucky Duck Publishing Ltd, contains a number of examples.
"Child + Expert = Ease: Having a Say and Making a Change" is a CD-ROM available from

7
Ofsted (1999) The SEN Code of Practice three years on
8
DfES (2001) Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, para. 3:9
9
Todd (2003)
10
Shotton, G. (2003) Pupil Friendly Individual Education Plans, Lucky Duck Publishing Ltd 20
Example: Michael Drayton Junior School

Pupils contribute to their IEPs in a number of ways and discuss their progress
individually with an adult. They give their view on the progress they think they
have made with their targets and what they think their future targets should be.
These views are then written on their IEPs.

All pupils have targets, not just those with special needs. The school strongly
believes that pupils, "who plan their targets and know what they want to
achieve are more likely to succeed". Pupils often have their targets stuck on
their desk.

In one class, once a

target is reached an
arrow is placed on a
target board on the
classroom wall.

In another class, goals are written on

footballs which are placed on a
football pitch, heading towards the
goal.

21
The most significant hindrance to involving pupils is lack of time. If time is not
given, however, we run the risk of participation being superficial and tokenistic.
Michael Drayton Junior School recognises that "truly listening to pupils and
having quality one-to-one time with pupils takes lots of time", but that all pupils
should have the opportunity to be heard, and the younger they are the longer
this takes.

Example: Round Oak

Some Key Stage 3 pupils at Round Oak School have worked on developing a
new format for their IEPs: "They have gained an understanding of how IEPs can
support and measure their learning, enabling them to become very focused and
clear about what they expect of themselves." (Round Oak staff).

Pupils record for themselves examples which illustrate that an IEP target has
been met. This is then initialled by a member of staff. Once a pupil has three
examples of evidence that has target has been met, they receive an award.

See Appendix 7.3 for example of a pupil’s record keeping.

At IEP Review meetings Round Oak pupils are asked how successful they think
they have been in meeting their targets. They are asked what helped them to
meet their targets and with unsuccessful targets they are asked what would
have helped them to achieve the target.

See Appendix 7.4 for example of IEP Review Sheet.

22
23
4.2. Formal Review Meetings

"Wherever possible, pupils should also be actively involved in the review process,
attending all or part of the review meeting"
DfES (2001) Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, para. 9:19

In a random sample of 158 Warwickshire annual reviews carried out in 2003, pupils were
present at only 41% of reviews, and at only 66% of reviews was a pupil contribution fed into
the meeting.

Like many other schools, Exhall Grange School enables pupils with a wide range of special
needs to participate in their reviews in a variety of ways: a scripted report, simple
questionnaires, picture responses etc. Pupils are consulted about who they think should
attend their review; they are thereby given a feeling of ownership of the process.

“To a certain extent, SENCOs need to become very creative in individually tailoring the review
process to enable all pupils to participate in the best way they can”. (View expressed by staff
at Stratford-upon-Avon High School.)

At Michael Drayton Junior School pupils may present a folder of their achievements at their
final Annual Review before transfer to secondary school so that their achievements can be
recognised and celebrated by the new school as well as their present one.

“Pupils will eventually leave the relatively safe school environment and need to have had some
experience at speaking up for themselves in a positive and acceptable way, sometimes in the
context of a fairly formal meeting”. (View expressed by staff at Sparrowdale School for pupils
with moderate learning difficulty.)

"I don’t really understand what they talk about. My social worker came to my review and kept
talking about PCP [Person Centred Planning]. I thought she was talking about TCP for my
11
cold."

Giving pupils the confidence and skills to attend and contribute to formal reviews needs to be
nurtured and explicitly taught.

Not all parents will necessarily see their child as an equal partner in the review process. They
may be fearful that at the review meeting they may hear too many negative comments, they
may feel the child is not able to contribute to decision making and that the adults know best.

11
Department of Health (2001) Valuing People

24
Activity: Map out some ways your school might
help pupils to attend a formal review
meeting.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Use older pupils who have been through the process before to help explain
what will happen.

Pupils may feel more comfortable about attending if they feel they have a
specific role to play such as helping to prepare and serve refreshments,
deciding on the layout of the room, showing a video clip of their work and
then talking about it, presenting a portfolio of work. Younger pupils or
those for whom review meetings are a new experience could attend just to
accomplish that role or be given the choice of whether they stay longer.

Parents sometimes bring someone with them to help support them in
meetings, a friend or someone from Parent Partnership. Would the pupil
feel more comfortable if they had someone familiar to them – a friend or an
older pupil, for example?

Many schools now have photographs of members of staff available in
foyers and noticeboards. Involve pupils in taking digital photos of other
professionals who work regularly in the school eg the EP, staff from Speech
and Language Therapy, Support Services, Connexions etc. These photos
could then be used to compile a pictorial representation of who will be
attending the review, or prompt a discussion prior to the review about who
will attend and why.

Involve the pupil in sending out the invitations to the review and receiving
the responses. This can help set the tone right from the start that the
meeting is about them and for them.

25
26
4.3. Arranging Support

The involvement of the pupil in arranging the additional or different support which they will
receive should be part of the whole IEP process. They should have the opportunity to discuss
the support both at the planning stage and in reviewing their responses to it and its
effectiveness.

When pupils are given the opportunity and support to express themselves, what they say
makes good sense and can be particularly telling:

"I don’t like support teachers helping me every single second. I like them to help, then go
away and come back when I need it."

"I do like help in Maths and Science but I get embarrassed when I put my hand up. I wish the
support teachers could know when I need help without me putting my hand up. I don’t like
being told what to do."

"In the lessons I like support. I liked it when Ed (Year 10 pupil) came into PE to support."

" I hate going to the SEN unit, because it makes me feel like I am dumb."

In contrast, pupils at Stratford–upon-Avon High School talk highly of their learning support unit.
The unit has been deliberately sited in the middle of the school to enable easy access and to
ensure it has a high profile. Pupils talk of feeling valued there and of being able to make their
own decisions, such as which support staff member to work with. Pupils from different year
groups and with differing needs can be seen working together, supporting each other and
listening to other opinions. The culture of putting pupils at the centre of the school and of
supporting all pupils, not just those with special needs, is reflected in the existence of a
Student Support Desk to which all pupils can refer any queries and concerns.

Staff from the Disability, Illness, Sensory and Communication Service also have to ensure the
support they provide is drawn up in close consultation with the pupil: "Pupils with special
educational needs may not always find our "helpfulness" very helpful…So explain, consult,
listen, reflect and learn. Pupil participation can help you to do your job more effectively".

27
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4.4. Inclusive Teaching

Most of this ‘Raising the Profile’ document addresses issues to do with pupils with special
needs participating in decisions relating to the special provision which is made for their needs
and in reviewing the appropriateness and effectiveness of that provision. However, there is an
even more central sense in which schools should ensure the ‘participation’ of pupils with SEN
in the learning process: through their responses, in each and every lesson, to good, inclusive
teaching.

All Ofsted Inspectors must now have received training in ‘Evaluating Educational
Inclusion’. Furthermore, the new framework for inspection, ‘Inspecting Schools’,
effective from September 2003, places a renewed emphasis on the inclusiveness of
schools as well as the extent to which the school seeks and values the views of all
pupils.

Educational inclusion is more than simply aspiring to equality of opportunity for all pupils. It is
about ensuring that the learning provision made for all identifiable groups of pupils is effective
in raising standards for those pupils and enabling them to achieve and make progress. One
such group who may be considered at risk of exclusion from educational achievement
is pupils with special needs. There are many aspects of management in a school which
should promote strategies for inclusion, including effective use of pupil performance data and
the selection of an appropriate curriculum and accreditation opportunities. However, in terms
of ‘participation in learning’ and the voices of pupils being heard and included in lessons, the
single most important aspect of a school’s provision is, of course, the quality of teaching.
This part of this document will confine itself to raising issues about aspects of good quality
teaching which maximise the participation in lessons of pupils with special needs.

Consider, in relation to pupils with special needs, the following words from the 2003 Ofsted
Inspection Handbook. Inspectors must:

"Assess the extent to which planning for lessons gives….. a good framework for adapting the
work and modifying approaches for individual pupils with SEN or disabilities."

"Consider the clarity of learning objectives,…….pupils’ understanding of them and the flexibility
and range of approaches to achieve them, taking account of pupils’ differing needs."

"Observe how well teachers coax and manage reluctant learners. Discuss with pupils how
they feel about their work."

"If any pupils or groups are not learning effectively, find the reasons and check that strategies
are being developed to overcome them."

29
"Look for…ways of teaching….that inspire or motivate pupils to contribute and develop their
ideas."

"Look for….teaching strategies reflecting different learning styles."

"Consider what activities are initiated by pupils and children……"

(pp. 66-67)

"Within all the evaluation criteria, consider how well pupils’ individual needs are met. Surveys
of pupils’ views and discussion with pupils will tell you whether they feel they get a fair deal
and whether their needs are met."

"…consider whether…all pupils are treated with respect and their contributions valued and
encouraged."

"When judging how well teaching meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs,
look for its effect on their learning. Work should be matched to pupils’ needs…"

"To what extent do teachers work to overcome barriers to achievement?"

(pp. 68-69)

Some hallmarks of good quality inclusive teaching, which would generate positive responses
to the above areas of focus in inspections, are:

Adapting subject material, where necessary, to make it relevant and accessible to pupils
with special needs, drawing upon their experience of their world

Ensuring that pupils understand and can articulate how their work relates to prior learning
and to things which they might go on to learn – that they are aware of the ‘big picture’
rather than classroom tasks in isolation

Ensuring that pupils are aware of how aspects of their current work relates to their IEP
targets and strategies

Use interactive methods which ensure participation from all pupils in whole-class teaching
– number fans, yes/no indicators, individual whiteboards, explaining to a partner etc

Targeting focused questions to individual pupils in order to formatively assess their

understanding and to give them opportunities to give appropriate answers and thereby
strengthen their self-esteem

30

Finding opportunities to use the responses of pupils with special needs to make
connections with the learning objectives of the rest of the class and to move the lesson
on, occasionally engineering classroom situations, so that such pupils can feel that they
are the gatekeepers to the next part of the lesson

Valuing errors and misconceptions so that they can be used as teaching points

Enabling effective peer support and paired work in order to provide opportunities for
pupils with special needs to discuss their learning at their own level

Use individual targets which necessitate pupils with IEPs talking with, explaining to and
asking help from adults – eg Target/strategy:- ‘develop the habit, when using text, of
finding three key ideas to share with the teacher or teaching assistant’

Find ways of ensuring that all pupils can contribute to a plenary discussion, perhaps by
rehearsing their contribution with a teaching assistant where possible

31
32
4.5. Behaviour Management

"My drama teacher listens to me and I can go and find her and talk to her and she will
understand and listen and be on my side. She will advocate for me…Sometimes I know
when I am going to lose it and sometimes I don’t. I think I should choose how long I
need to calm down as only I know and I want to be in the class or I miss the work" (a 12
year old with ADHD who says he feels very frustrated about not being listened to.)
A Warwickshire pupil talking to Debbie Turner

Many pupils arrive at River House School with what the staff describe as an ‘ascribed negative
identity’. A points system for good behaviour empowers pupils to develop pro-active coping
skills and to learn how they can gain a positive control over their lives. A school environment,
compared with the world outside school, is ideally placed to teach pupils that they are in
charge of their lives and the consequences of their actions. But please note – it can take
some time for pupils to relearn that they have some control over what happens to them.
When discussing their behaviour targets, pupils are encouraged to anticipate scenarios when
they will find it difficult to exercise self-control and then plan strategies in advance to help them
cope.

Kingsway Primary School uses a flow chart of behaviour consequences to help pupils decide
for themselves the best course of action or response to a situation.

The treasure chest / dustbin activity described in Section 2 can also be used effectively with
pupils with behaviour and social difficulties as a means of asking them to reflect on good
behaviours they wish to repeat and emulate and poor behaviours they want to dispose of.

At Ash Green School, pupils who need behaviour management programmes are consulted in
great detail about the programme. In these circumstances subject teachers then have to be
consulted about the impact of the decisions which pupils have made about their own
programmes to ensure that pupils will have their teachers’ support in pursuing their chosen
targets.

33
Example: LABSS Transition Project

In 2001, the Assessment, Statementing & Review Service commissioned the Learning
and Behaviour Support Service (LABSS) to run a transition project to support a small
group of Year 6 pupils with significant behaviour difficulties who met the entry criteria
for specialist secondary school provision but for whom there were insufficient places.
The project has been so successful in supporting such pupils in mainstream that the
project has been repeated and the number of pupils supported widened. Central to
the philosophy behind the project is that pupils need to be taught and supported to
take responsibility for their own behaviour and learning:

to focus on pupil
perceptions of their
to discuss any anxieties or
personal and learning
concerns about their
strengths and skills
impending move to
secondary school

to ascertain the pupils’

perspective of their
behaviour and learning
to encourage pupils to
identify any positive changes that
they have made in their learning
and/or behaviour, and to tease out
to discuss the extent and how they have managed to
nature of SEA classroom make these changes
support they prefer

to provide
reassurance to pupils that they will
have the opportunity to have a fresh
start at their secondary school and
that they will be supported by
school and LABSS staff
to focus on practical
strategies to be used by the pupil
in terms of learning, organisation
and conduct behaviour in his
or her secondary school
to convey to each pupil the message:
You are a special, unique and
worthwhile person

Pupils involved in the project are encouraged to identify positive behaviours in terms of
attitudes, learning, conduct and relationships. Pupils use positive feedback to make
their own "Positive Performance Records".

34
 My Positive Performance Record

In Art, I was engaged

In English, I have managed to
with the work and
start working more
followed all instructions. I
independently and Mr Simpson
had a good working
is really pleased with me.
relationship with the
group and had all my
equipment with me. I was
I followed all
on task all lesson and
instructions in ICT and
made a good attempt with
completed the tasks
my homework.
given.

In French, I In Maths, I understand

participate well in oral the concept of place
work. I put my hand up value. I was the first to
and wait to answer finish the task.
questions.

I enjoy practical work and I have shown the ability to demonstrate

participate well in oral work excellent literacy skills in most of my subjects.
in Science. My behaviour is I am able to listen to teachers’ instructions
very good. and focus on my work.

Excellent! You are impressing your teachers.

Pupils are extremely positive about their Positive Performance Records:

"At the meetings teachers said good things about me and it made me feel happy. The
Positive Performance Record used to help me a lot because when I used to be upset, I used
to look at them and they made me feel happy. It helped me to turn my behaviour round."

Towards the end of the 2002 Project, pupils were invited to prepare an advice sheet/poster
giving information about behaviour changes that they have made in their secondary school.
The aim of the exercise was to encourage pupils to think about the changes and progress they
had made, what they are currently doing differently and the benefits of making better behaviour
choices.

35
Primary School

I would not do Maths

I would run out of room and
slam the door!

I would interrupt in assemblies
-detention after school

I once threw a chair across
the room – walked out and
slammed the door – detention
after school

I would not do as my teacher
asked – particularly if I was in
a bad mood

I would shout at teachers then
run off and hide

I persuaded my friends to
pour water on the classroom
floor – we made a terrible
mess

I had lots of detentions and
letters sent to my mum who
was very upset!
"Please don’t ruin your life"
Me then!
Why should I
have to do this
work?
unhappy
Secondary School

I try to do my Maths -
I am beginning to enjoy it

I listen to my teachers and try
to do as they ask

I put up my hand and I don’t
shout out

I do not talk in assembly

I do not throw chairs

I have not had any detentions
or letters sent home

I am not rude to staff

I have made a “fresh” start
- You can do this too!

I am happy at my new school
because I am trying to
change and do my best
Good Luck in Year 7
"Be happy at your new school -
try to change "
Me now!
I will try to
do my work!
happy
36
Some schools allow pupils, as appropriate, to be able to opt for time out from the classroom
when they are beginning to find self-control difficult. Round Oak School, for example, uses a
blue card system for pupils to request ‘time out’. Pupils usually dislike confrontation and
conflict as much as teachers do. Giving them the opportunity to proactively defuse a situation
related to a particular behaviour difficulty will empower them to begin to regain self-control.
Most pupils with behaviour problems prefer to address them away from the public view of their
peers.

As recommended in the DfEE circular 10/99, "Social Inclusion: Pupil Support", many
Warwickshire schools have been developing inclusive practices which promote active peer
involvement in re-enforcing school behaviour policies and enable the young people themselves
to provide a problem solving service for those peers who are having relationship difficulties in
school.

At Ash Green School, some Key Stage 4 pupils have set up an ‘open house’ in a spare room
as a ‘drop-in’ facility for pupils experiencing problems, for example with bullying. They
received advice on their role from the school’s Child Protection manager.

37
 Example: Peer Mentoring

Training has been developed as a joint initiative between the Learning and
Behaviour Support Service (LABSS) and the Education Social Work Service
(ESWS). Two schools that have been involved include George Eliot Community
School and Stratford-upon-Avon High School. Following the initial project both
schools have reinvested in the scheme and recently a second cohort of peer
supporters has been trained.

"It gives you confidence…you feel skilled when people come for help, it gives you a
buzz."

"We’ve supported friends who’ve fallen out; they might accuse us of taking sides,
but we can be objective now."

"It makes the school look better, they are acknowledging there is a problem and
letting us do something about it."

"I am feeling good because it’s nice that I have helped somebody."

Pupils need to be able to choose their mentors, someone whom they can relate to and
respect. ‘Reformed’ rebels can often be the most influential mentors and may well have
appropriate credibility with those they are helping. The participation involved for the mentor
can, in itself, value the older pupil and continue to motivate them.

38
4.6. School Councils and the pupils’ voice

"You know who’s gonna get picked for that",

(8 year old pupil with specific learning difficulties)

The participation of pupils with special needs should be evident at all levels from individual
participation in IEPs through to whole school participation in School Councils.

Some schools, including Polesworth High School (£500), Round Oak School (£200) and Exhall
Grange School (£500), have started to give their School Councils a budget, so that they can
fund projects. Items purchased by the pupils tend to be valued and respected.

Example: Warwickshire Youth Forum

The Warwickshire Youth Forum is made up of representatives from each of the

special schools. The Forum meets termly. The agenda is presented pictorially
(see Appendix 7.5) and any minutes or letters include symbols and photographs
(see Appendix 7.6) to make them more accessible. Following meetings, pupils
are supported to provide feedback to the rest of the school.

Topics discussed so far include:

What makes a good forum rep.?

What makes a good or bad meeting?
Why is it important to speak out and how can we make sure all are heard?
How do you like to give and receive information?
Barriers to leading a full life.

39
Example: Exhall Grange School Council

Exhall Grange is an all age special school. The School Council has existed for
many years and is made up of 15 elected students, a member of the non-
teaching staff, the Head and Deputy.

Each pupil has minutes prepared in an accessible format, including in Braille.

Meetings are chaired by a pupil. There is a notice board in a prominent location,
which has on it all the council members’ photographs, along with agendas and
minutes. Students are responsible for looking after the notice board and keeping
it up to date. The Council also elects from its membership a representative to
liaise with the Catering Manager and Site Manager of the school.

Each year the Council is given a budget of at least £500 to spend on purchases
agreed within year groups or by the Council as a whole, such as videos, audio
equipment, board games for wet lunchtimes, goal posts and cricket sets etc.

School Council meetings are held half-termly at lunchtime, with pupils and
members of staff sharing a specially prepared buffet lunch. Experience, however,
has shown that the way to make effective progress is to deal with business first
and have lunch afterwards!

40
The students take their responsibilities seriously and are clear about their role:

"We, as the Exhall Grange School Council, represent the pupils. We have an
annual election to determine which students should represent each year group.

As part of our job we have to act as the ‘voice of the pupils’, for example any
requests or complaints from individuals are mentioned at the School Council
meetings. The Head and Deputy Head find solutions to any concerns as best
they can.

However, the main topics discussed can relate to how the school’s budget can
meet the needs of students. Alternatively we try to establish the need to prevent
bullying and try to encourage obedience among the pupils by reminding them of
the School’s behaviour code.

We enjoy being on the Council – it gives us more responsibilities as well as a

delicious buffet lunch!"

Lisa Davis and Craig Elrick – School Council members for Year 11

41
42
A number of schools, including Polesworth High, Round Oak, Lawrence Sheriff and Ash
Green, involve pupils in the recruitment of staff. At Polesworth High, for example, two pupils
sit on the interview panel and decide which questions they would like to ask. The pupils may
also observe the prospective teachers in class and feedback their views to the panel. At
Round Oak, interviewees take a trial class and the pupils have an opportunity to give their
views to the Headteacher.

Example: The role of pupils in staff interviews at

Lawrence Sheriff
At Lawrence Sheriff, prospective staff members are interviewed for half an hour
by four members of the School Council, each student posing two questions.
Questions are challenging and thoughtful, for example: ‘Why would I enjoy being
in your lessons?’ Peter Kent, Headteacher, comments, "Whilst students only
make a recommendation to the final interviewing panel, to date their comments
have been extremely accurate, and in almost every case the nominee has been
the person finally appointed. Feedback from interviewees has been extremely
positive, and many have commented that this stage of the interview process
provides the clearest insight into the culture of the school…Overall, the
involvement of students in staff interviews has taught us that students can be
trusted to play a part in some of the most important decisions within a school.
We have found that the more responsibility that is given to students the better
12
they respond."

12
The Weekly Word, The Lawrence Sheriff School Newsletter, vol. 6, no. 26 (issue 215),
4th April 2003

43

Useful Sources of Information
Clarke, A. and Moss, P. (2001)
Griffiths, J., Cunningham,
G. and Dick, S. (1999)
Hartley Brewer, E. (2003)
Matthew, J. and Williams, J. (2000)
Section 5
Listening To Young Children – The Mosaic approach
Published for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation by NCB.
ISBN 1900990 628. 2001 £11.95
Available from NCB Publications, 8 Wakley Street,
London EC1V 7QE
Tel: 020 7843 6029
Fax:020 7843 6087
www.ncb.org.uk
This report looks at how young children’s views and
experiences can become the focus for reviewing
services.
Onwards and Upwards: Involving disabled children and
young people in decision making, Children in Scotland,
Edinburgh
Tel: 0131 222 1589 65 X £15.00
This is a training manual for professionals, aiming to
promote the involvement of disabled children and young
people in decisions that affect them, by providing training
and discussion materials for a wide range of
professionals. There is an introductory section, followed
by sections on why children should be involved in
decisions, what that means, and how such involvement
may be facilitated.
Stepping Forward: Working Together Through Peer
Support , NCB.
Available from NCB Publications, as before.
The Self-Help Guide for Special Kids and their Parents
Available from: Jessica Kingsley, London.
Tel: 020 7833 2307
ISBN: 1 8530209149, £12.95
The book is written as a result of the experiences gained
by the parents of a disabled child, a number of problems
are presented with suggested solutions, it also offers
some useful insights into family life and some of the
consequences of misunderstood communication.
44
Michel, E. and Hart, D. (2002) Involving young people in the recruitment of staff,
volunteers and mentors,
NCB Publications, as before.

Morris, J. (1999) Move On Up, NCB, as before.

ISBN:0902046 543, £12.99
‘Move On Up’ follows previous research by Jenny Morris
which identified a number of policy and practice issues
for young disabled people.
In this work Jenny Morris has consulted with a group of
disabled young people and presents their views and
experiences of transition, combined with guidelines for
good practice and useful contacts and addresses.
A good practical guide for adults involved in planning
transitions with young disabled people.

NASEN, Child + Expert = Ease: Having a Say, Making a Change

CD-ROM available from NASEN House,
4/5 Amber Business Village, Amber Close,
Amington, Tamworth, B77 4RP
Practical materials developed by a group of Educational
Psychologists in Bradford, contains planning and review
formats which schools can personalise.

NSPCC (1997) Turning Points – a Resource Pack for Communicating

with Children
ISBN 0902 498 649, ISBN 0902 498 673
Available from: NSPCC National Training Centre,
3 Gilmours Close, Beaumont Close, Beaumont Leys,
Leicester, LE4 1EZ
Tel: 0116 2347223
Fax: 0116 2340464
This 6 volume pack is for anyone involved in working
with children at times of change or loss.

Russell, P. and Beecher, W. (1998)
Having a say! Disabled children and effective
partnership in decision making
Council for Disabled Children
Available from NCB, as before.
These two reports summarised a consultative seminar
on the issues held in October 1996, and list good
practice initiatives in the field and annotated references.
Good practice initiatives cover a wide age range and
include advocacy projects, play schemes, research and
consultation.

45
Save the Children (2000)
Save the Children (2001)
Shotton, G. (2003)
The Children’s Society (2001)
The Alliance for Inclusive Education
Thomas, N., Phillipson, J.,
O’Kane, C. and Davies, E. (1997)
The School Council: A children’s guide
Available from Save the Children, tel: 020 7703 5400, £5
www.savethechildren.org.uk
A colourful and comprehensive guide to developing and
maintaining a School Council.
Participation – Spice it Up! – Practical tools for engaging
children and young people
ISBN 1 84187 0625, £18.95
Available from Save the Children, as before.
For all professionals and organisations who work with
children and young people, including teachers and local
authority workers.
Pupil Friendly Individual Education Plans
Lucky Duck Publishing Ltd.
Young People’s Charter of Participation
Available from The Children’s Society
Tel: 0845 300 1128, £3
www.the-childrens-society.org.uk
Developed by young people and works from the
Rotherham Participation Project. A hands-on tool
setting out principles, standards and action plans to
promote the systematic participation of children and
young people.
The Inclusion Assistant
Available from Allfie, Tel: 020 7735 5277, £10
www.allfie.org.uk
A resource made with young people with high level
support needs and their families, looking primarily at
support in mainstream education. Features a video and
a report.
Children and Decision Making:Toolkit Children in Wales
Available from: Pavillion Publishing, The Ironworks,
Cheapside, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 4GD
Tel: 01273 623222
Fax: 01273 625526
£150 for the complete toolkit, including postage and
packing.
Based on original research into children’s participation in
decisions about being looked after.
46
Treseder, P. (1997) Empowering Children and Young People Training
Manual: Promoting Involvement in Decision-making,
Save the Children
ISBN 1899120 47 5 £15.00
Available from Save the Children, as before.
A manual to help professionals empower children so that
they can contribute to the decisions which affect them.

47
Section 6

OHTs

48
49
50
51
 Section 7

Appendices

7.1 a What I think about my secondary school 53

7.1b What I think about my primary school 55

7.2 MENCAP’s Traffic Light Card system 57

7.3 The Ladder of Participation 59

7.4 Pupil’s Individual Education Plan 60

7.5 Blank Pupil’s Individual Education Plan 61

7.6 Warwickshire Youth Forum Agenda 63

7.7 Warwickshire Youth Forum Minutes 64

52
Appendix 7.1a

53
54
Appendix 7.1b

55
56
Appendix 7.2

57
58
Appendix 7.3

59
 Pupil’s Indvidual Education Plan

60
Appendix 7.4
Appendix 7.5

61
62
Appendix 7.6

63
 Appendix 7.7

64