YOUNG people across south Warwickshire with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) could soon see improvements in the support they receive at school.
A new support and training programme aimed at improving practices and fostering collaboration among mainstream schools is being rolled out across the area following a successful trial in Rugby.
Warwickshire County Council’s Inclusion Framework in Schools project aims to empower teachers and school staff in mainstream settings with the knowledge and skills to better support children and young people with SEND.
The project works with Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos) across infant, junior, primary and secondary schools identifying areas for development and encouraging more regular opportunities for staff to share ideas, resources and best practice.
Recognising the need for schools to work closely with families to provide more effective support, one of the key aims is also to build the confidence of parents and carers and improve the information and advice available.
The expansion of the project follows the success of an initial trial which took place in 2021/22 across 16 schools in Rugby. The family of schools, as they became known, were supported by Warwickshire’s Educational Psychology Service (EPS) to conduct in-depth audits of current SEND provision across their settings, the results of which informed the production of a series of tailored bite-sized training sessions and webinars for school staff.
SENCos were surveyed at the beginning and end of the trial and their feedback highlighted improvements across several areas including Increased confidence across all staff, a greater awareness and higher profile given to SEND across schools and smoother transition for pupils moving from primary to secondary.
WCC’s education spokesperson Coun Kam Kaur said: “The outcomes from the first phase of the Inclusion Framework in Schools trial are a testament to our commitment to improving the support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Warwickshire. With increased confidence, improved collaboration, and better support systems, these schools are now better equipped to meet the diverse needs of learners within their mainstream settings.
“As we embark on the second phase of this journey, we look forward to expanding this positive impact to schools in other areas of the county, and we remain committed to working in partnership to build the confidence of school staff, and parents and carers, to provide more inclusive learning environments for all children and young people in Warwickshire.”
