Special Educational Needs teachers given a boost

Special educational needs co-ordinators from across the county joined forces at the Three Counties Hotel this week for a one day conference on supporting children with special needs at school.

More than 22 percent of the county's children have special educational needs. These needs vary but are often the result of behavioural, emotional, learning or social difficulties, as well as needs associated with disability.

All schools have a special needs co-ordinator whose role is to make sure the children who need additional support receive the best services possible. The county has a system in place to help schools achieve this which consists of a toolkit and self assessment checklist. Schools completing the self assessment satisfactorily are awarded a quality mark by the local authority.

The conference has been organised by the school improvement service and keynote speaker Sir John Jones, educational consultant, talked about the importance of emotional literacy in learning and teaching. Workshops followed covering a wide range of topics including anti-bullying, planning for diversity and solutions for struggling readers and writers. Exhibitors providing equipment, innovative policies and creative ideas for schools displayed the latest in special needs resources for teachers to have a look at and test out.

Bridget Knight, primary school improvement manager, said: "The aim of the conference was to promote best practice so that our co-ordinators can go back into their schools and work with teaching staff to make sure that children with special needs are given access to the best possible support available."