ST MARY’S RC HIGH SCHOOL Communicating with Pupils A Whole School Approach to Improving Access, Participation and Achievement

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 option taken into account in any matters affecting them’ Article 12, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Pupil voice Children and young people with special educational needs have a unique knowledge of their own needs and circumstances and their own views of what sort of help they would like to help them make the most of their education. They should … contribute to the assessment of their needs and to the annual review and transition processes. They should feel confident that they will be listened to and that their views are valued. SEN Code of Practice 2001 All children and young people have a right to have their views taken into account in decisions about their education. Involving them in decision making enriches their learning and helps to develop life-skills such as problem solving and negotiation … … All children, even those with the most severe or complex needs, will have views about their education and the choices before them, and all should be enabled to communicate their wishes, using specialist tools and techniques where appropriate. Removing Barriers to Achievement 2004

Pupil participation Children and young people’s participation means adults working with children and young people to ensure that their views are heard and valued in the taking of decisions which affect them, and that they are supported in making a positive contribution to their school and local community DCSF 2008 Working together – Listening to the voices of children and young people

Levels of participation Children share power and responsibility for decision making Children are involved in the decision-making process Children’s views are taken into account Children are supported in expressing their views Children are listened to Increasing empowerment and responsibility

Activity 2: Barriers to participation Have a say in what they are going to learn and how they are going to learn it Be able to draw up the group or individual targets they will be working towards Be clear about the learning objectives Have opportunities to record their findings in alternative ways Understand the notion of progress Discuss with adults and peers what they have learnt and what they need to do next to improve

Effective communication Students with SEND: may have difficulty expressing themselves may not have the language or vocabulary to express themselves may have a physical difficulty with saying words may find it hard to take turns in talking may find it difficult to listen may find it difficult to understand too many instructions may find it difficult to understand things from another person’s point of view may take things very literally.

Essential skills Greeting people Listening attentively Speaking calmly Taking turns Refusing politely Asking questions Responding to questions Sustaining a conversation

Pupil participation in my classroom Why do some of my pupils find it difficult to communicate with me and other pupils? How can I make sure that pupils with communication difficulties know what to do next? How can I make sure pupils with SEND receive the correct support? How can I encourage collaborative learning to enable pupils to talk and listen to each other? How can the way I ask questions help develop pupils’ communication skills? How can I develop the rule of ‘one person speaking at a time and the other one listening’ to my pupils with SEND? How can I ensure that the views of students with SEND are acted on?

Whole school approach to pupil participation Circle time School Council Assessment for Learning Individual target setting Participation in review meetings Transition planning Associate Governors Working groups Lesson observation Appointment process Working with peers

Peer support – older children directly support younger children, whether in groups or on a one-to-one basis. Peer mentoring – where young people support their peers on a more formal basis. Peer mentors have a clearly defined role and receive training. Peer mediation – when young people are trained to mediate disagreements between peers, such as bullying and fighting. The approach is usually one of group support, which enables children and young people to understand the hurt that they have caused so that each person comes away from the mediation with a positive experience and the sense that the outcome is fair to both sides.

Assessment for Learning The aims of Assessment for Learning are that: every pupil knows how they are doing, and understands what they need to do to improve and how to get there. They get the support they need to be motivated, independent learners on an ambitious trajectory of improvement. every teacher is equipped to make well-founded judgements about pupils’ attainment, understands the concepts and principles of progression, and knows how to use their assessment judgements to forward plan, particularly for pupils who are not fulfilling their potential. every school has in place structured and systematic assessment systems for making regular, useful, manageable and accurate assessments of pupils, and for tracking their progress. every parent and carer knows how their child is doing, what they need to do to improve, and how they can support the child and their teachers.

Target setting Pupils with SEND may need help in understanding the need for targets and then in expressing their views. A hearing-impaired pupil may need to use sign language to make their views known. Pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties or those on the autism spectrum may need pictures, signs and symbols to indicate their choices. Time and support will be needed for pupils to practise and gain confidence in setting targets, identifying strategies and monitoring their progress. Some pupils may need the help of an advocate to express their views. The views of parents and carers are important in target setting as long as the pupil is comfortable about them being involved. Pupils should not have too many targets and they should be challenging but achievable.

Annual reviews To enable a pupil to participate in decision making we need to: provide an appropriate environment give very clear explanations about what is going to happen be clear about confidentiality and explain why it is necessary to talk to parents and carers ensure that the pupil understands the assessment process and the role and contribution of any other professionals that are involved give the pupil an opportunity to celebrate their achievements listen carefully to the pupil’s needs and views and ensure they are included in the feedback and follow-up paperwork ensure the meeting ends on a positive note for the pupil to understand that all has gone well.