These standards have been designed as an audit tool to help teachers and headteachers to identify specific training and development needs in relation to the effective teaching of pupils with severe and/or complex special educational needs (SEN).
As the government's inclusion agenda is taken forward, more teachers will have pupils with SEN in their classes. You will need to know how to help these pupils reach their potential.
It is important that you know how you can teach them so that they have maximum access to the curriculum and are fully included in the life of the school. You may need some training or other professional development to help you do this.
The SEN specialist standards can be used as follows:
- to identify priorities for training and development by:
- teachers in mainstream schools
- headteachers in mainstream schools preparing for a greater degree of inclusion
- teachers and managers in special classes and units in mainstream schools, special units, special schools or pupil referral units to identify areas where they need further expertise, and
- teachers and managers in support services
- to help schools and other training providers to develop, co-ordinate and improve existing training provision - for example, to develop school-based, higher education institution (HEI)-based, local authority-based or other training further, or to develop courses that meet the requirements of the mandatory qualifications (MQs); the standards do not themselves constitute a training syllabus
- by schools and other training providers to promote continuing professional development and research activities that seek to extend and improve inclusive practices.
You can obtain a copy of the standards from the publications line.
