ÖйúPÕ¾

Example of provision and/or strategies, approaches, adjustments and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children

• Work with Parents to understand the techniques and strategies being used at home.
• Encourage Parents to become actively engaged with school life. Where English is an additional language, this could include sharing the language with the child’s class, providing key words and prompts.
• Check hearing has been tested
• Check understanding by asking questions/requesting feedback.
• Provide working area with minimal distractions where possible.
• Use the child’s name to gain and engage attention. Provide waiting time before engaging to ensure they have heard and have provided attention. Waiting time may vary depending on the child’s need.
• Use screening to identify how many information carrying words a child can manage and adjust language level accordingly when giving instructions.
• Dual coding and/or provide visuals to support with routines. Include – adaptions for notification if routines are to be changed?
• List of key words accessible per lesson on the whiteboard/presentation. This can be developed/adapted depending on age/need to list of key words accessible (in books or on laptops if being used) per topic that include definitions.
• Provide visual prompts to support language including key vocabulary, now and next, visual timetables, gesture, signing.
• Allow extra time to process what has been said. Time may vary depending on the child’s need and the task.
• Use standard instructions, and images that support understanding of concepts.
• Avoid use of sarcasm and idioms. Instead, explicitly teach about sarcasm and idioms where these occur in curriculum or are featured in a book/text.
• Communication cards, or universally understood signals to ask for help and indicate needs

Resources

ÖйúPÕ¾ Inclusion and Additional Needs Schools Service Offer

Race equality and minority achievement (REMA)

is commissioned by ÖйúPÕ¾ and delivered by Freemantles School. The is to support mainstream schools to meet the needs of their autistic and neuro-diverse pupils or those undiagnosed but struggling in similar areas.

Example of provision and/or strategies, approaches, adjustments and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children

• Working in partnership with Parents to identify strategies to support language development at home and school.
• Use gestures that reinforce positivity. Example – thumbs up, smile etc
• Allow time for the child to try and find the words they want to say. Time needed will vary depending on the child needs.
• Ensure there are opportunities for practising language. Example - circle time, small group work, when working with a partner.
• Encourage talking by commenting and giving choices rather than questioning.
• Try to avoid using idioms, “I’m all ears” or metaphors, like “Life is a journey”
• Provide an environment in which children can say when they don’t understand and can seek support to help them to work out which bits are difficult.
• Board games appropriate for the child e.g., Guess Who, Battleships can support with developing sentence structures, grammar, and vocabulary.
• Use of alternative methods of communication. Example - simple signing techniques, picture exchanges etc.
• Where difficulty is with speech and/or fluency. Have key words with supporting images visible in all classrooms.
• Be honest and don’t pretend to understand. Offer reassurance that you want to understand and that together you will both find a way to work it out.
• Use assistive technology where appropriate

Resources, advice and support available

ÖйúPÕ¾ Literacy for All programme:

Example of provision and/or strategies, approaches, adjustments and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children

• Ensure you are following all the advice for difficulties with receptive or expressive communication. Allow additional time for processing of information, especially verbal information.
• Simplify language as necessary; speak slowly, give instructions in order, use gestures and visual aids to support understanding. Don't assume understanding.
• Use of visual prompts and reminders for the social expectations
• Where rules are essential for safety and well-being, use a variety of scenarios to demonstrate where or when the rule applies.
• Provide opportunities to practice throughout the school day and week. This may be through a combination of formal teaching or social interactions.
• Praise all communication attempts.
• Have clear expectations and use consistent language to talk about the expectations.
• Consider the use of a ‘whoops card’ to support children when things go wrong, and/or plans are unexpectedly changed.
• Incorporate time for special interests each day/week.
• Be aware that children’s ability to process language may be reduced when they are angry or upset.
• Be aware that Adults become dysregulated too and are less likely to respond to the child’s needs appropriately when they are angry or upset. Seek support of colleagues who can step in If needed.
• Adults recognise and respond appropriately to emotional dysregulation by modelling emotional regulation strategies when they make a mistake. Consider, tone of voice, body language etc

Resources, advice and support available

Example of provision and/or strategies, approaches, adjustments and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children

• Work with Parents and Carers to understand what is happening at home and to understand the strategies used at home to support and reassure the child.
• Concentrate on developing meaningful relationships, building and developing trust. Children should have access to a consistent key worker. Where possible 1:1 sessions of 20 minutes three times a week, can help with building a verbal relationship with someone in school.
• Acknowledge other strengths and use these to build self-esteem.
• Avoid ‘cold calling’ on individuals to answer questions in front of the whole class.
• Provide opportunities for children to talk when they are ready, or to communicate in a way that is more comfortable for them. Example: ‘show me’.
• Avoid causing embarrassment. Where this happens apologise and work with the child to develop strategies that will prevent this happening again
• Avoid rewards and sanctions, instead focus on collaborative problem solving around areas of difficulty. Consider this within school behaviour policies.
• Where practicable establish common practise throughout the school for teaching staff not to call on individual children to answer questions in front of the whole class.
• Reduce the number of questions you ask, as this puts pressure on the child to talk. Example: instead of saying ‘what’s that?’ say ‘look, a tree’. Where there is a need this provides a language model without putting pressure on them to speak.
• Where a language model is not required, reword questions into rhetorical comments that provide opportunities to speak, without pressure. Examples: ‘I wonder what would happen if we did it like this…’
• Provide clear structure. Where helpful, include time frames for tasks. Example: using a timer.
• Encourage participation in games that do not require talking. Let children know that they don’t have to talk to join in with the game.
• Encourage non-verbal communication where this is preferred, whilst developing confidence with speech. Example: eye contact, gesture, drawings, and writing.
• Where the child finds non-verbal communication anxiety provoking, through your relationship with the child develop an understanding of how they would like to communicate non-verbally whilst developing their confidence to speak.
• Where possible give autonomy over how a learning objective can be achieved based on the child’s skills and preferences. Example: option to produce a PowerPoint instead of writing an essay. Be clear that there is no requirement to ‘present’.
• Consider using choice boards alongside of visual timetables. Older children may prefer a printed copy of their timetable that can be laminated.
• Allow access to regulating activities throughout the day.

Resources, advice and support available

Example of provision and/or strategies, approaches, adjustments and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children

• Work with Parents to understand what is happening at home.
• Partnership working with Parents to support children who mask their difficulties in school.
• Understand that school intervention can support wellbeing at home and vis versa.
• Take time to find out about the child’s interests, strengths, things that are important to them outside of school.
• Allocate a key person/peer/adult/teacher to that child.
• Provide regular check-in and/or reassurance opportunities. This may be a time the child can come to you, or a time when you go to find them.
• Use teaching assessments to identify areas of strength or particular interest within the curriculum. Use these to develop and build confidence.
• Complete a simple language screen to rule out any difficulties with communication that the child may be masking.
• Use ‘emotion coaching’ strategies to guide and support children to understanding their responses to tricky situations.
• Small group work opportunities with friends or social skills, nurture groups.Buddying and peer mentoring.
• Give responsibility for looking after someone else, where appropriate.
• Facilitate the development of friendships through clubs

Resources, advice and support available

ÖйúPÕ¾ Inclusion and Additional Needs Schools Service Offer

CYP Haven

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Work in partnership with parents to understand what is going on for the child and together, identify ways to best manage this at school and home.
• A consistent message with a flexible approach. Example – ‘I want you in class so that you are learning…’, is the consistent message, the approach to support this happening may vary depending on individual needs.
• Draw up a risk assessment.
• Seek support from other professionals where necessary.
• Have clear boundaries and expectations of all children. Where possible, provide opportunities for all children to be involved in the process of setting these.
• Support the child to understand that anger is a normal emotion like any other and provide strategies to help manage it. Example – daily exercise, walking away from a situation, taking a walk to calm down, spend time in the sensory room, provide a space to vent frustrations, someone to talk to.
• Use of choices to give the child some control. Example - would you like to talk to me now or later?
• Use of distraction techniques, provide opportunities for responsibility where appropriate.
• Where sanctions are imposed, ensure there is time for everyone involved to reconnect afterwards.

Resources, advice and support available

CYP Haven

- Positive Touch Training

'Understanding links between communication and behaviour' factsheet from

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Speak with the child to understand what the problem is.
• Collaboration with parents/carers is essential to understand what is happening for the child.
• Has the behaviour changed and if so, when – is there an opportunity to revisit and restore?
• Take a relational approach and seek to understand the behaviour. Consider both positive and negative behaviour. Is there a pattern when the behaviour happens? Keep a log.
• Safeguarding/ risk assessment.
• Multi-professional approach – can also include internal school colleagues. Example - school’s mental health lead, and/or key adults who have a good relationship with the child.

Resources, advice and support available

CYP Haven

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Use the Parents knowledge of their child’s situation and replicate the strategies in place at home in school, where possible.
• Work with Parents to develop a (short/mid/long-term) plan.
• Provide access to activities that reduce stress. Examples include games, dance, colouring, crafts, gardening, animal care time outdoors, Lego play.
• Keep a log and analyse pattern or trends to identify triggers.
• Seek support from the school nursing team.

Resources, advice and support available

CYP Haven

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Nurturing approaches and ethos/ nurture groups.
• Work to establish a trusting relationship with parents and carers that will improve understanding of family context.
• Staff training to develop an understanding of the wide range of children that may have attachment difficulties, e.g. adopted children, forces children, previously CIN, Looked After Child (LAC), other vulnerable children.
• A fully planned for transition when the child joins the school that allows for an understanding of the child’s life story and experiences so far.
• Supportive, structured school curriculum.
• Staff to all be trained and aware of any child with attachment difficulties and how to respond to them.

Resources, advice and support available

ÖйúPÕ¾ Virtual School (SVS) - ÖйúPÕ¾

- Positive Touch Training

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Explicit teaching and revisiting of school’s behaviour policy. Please note, behaviour policy should reflect an inclusive ethos.
• Consider a language screen e.g. ‘Language for behaviour and emotions’ to confirm that the child understands the language of expectations linked to behaviour. Explicitly teach the expectations linked to behaviour.
• Differentiated use of voice, gesture, and body language.
• Focus on reducing anxiety by providing a safe and calming environment.
• Flexible and creative use of rewards and consequences
• Positive reinforcement of expectations through verbal scripts & visual prompts.
• Offer a ‘safe space’ for self-regulation, where possible.
• Staff training in de-scalation approached to reduce anxious behaviours. Example the adult using concise and clear instructions, delivered in a calm and assertive vocal tone.
• Provide opportunities for movement breaks

Resources, advice and support available

'Understanding links between communication and behaviour' factsheet from

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Small group/nurture group activities to support personal, social, and emotional development.
• A range of differentiated opportunities for social and emotional development e.g., buddy systems, friendship strategies, circle time.
• Use restorative approaches

Resources, advice and support available

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Avoid power struggles and/or becoming dysregulated yourself
• Look for patterns and triggers to identify what may be causing stress and anxiety.
• Positive scripts - Positive language to re-direct, reinforce expectations e.g., use of others as role models.
• Calming scripts to deescalate, including for example, use of sand timers for ‘thinking time’
• Limited choices to engage and motivate.
• Flexible and creative use of rewards and consequences
• Visual timetable and use of visual cues i.e., sand timers to support sharing, or ending a task

Resources, advice and support available

Teacher's guide to understanding PDA from

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Feedback is used to collaborate and plan with parent or carer, to ensure consistency between the home and setting.
• Identify and build on preferred learning styles.
• Identify a safe place/quiet area in the setting, where possible.
• Talking Mats and Comic Strip Conversations may help to identify triggers. Social Scripts and Social Stories can help support children to develop self-help strategies.

Resources, advice and support available

Example of provision and/or strategies, approaches, adjustments and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children

• Home-school meetings to develop a shared understanding of the factors contributing to the non-attendance (i.e., the function of the non-attendance), drawing upon best practice guidance e.g., .
• Meeting with child to understand their perspective around non-attendance, using resources on the EBSNA Padlet (see link above).
• Named key adult maintaining daily communication, to include wellbeing checks and ensuring provision of work if not in class/not attending school.
• Support plan in place, developed with the child, school and parents/carers.

Resources, advice and support available

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Talk with the child about strategies that may help them to organise themselves, ensuring they have the equipment they need, and help them to practise using these.
• Engage with Parents/carer to understand strategies in place at home.
• Be aware of times of the lessons/time of day that may be more difficult.
• Promote and encourage an uncluttered learning space.
• Consider seating position that will encourage optimum engagement.
• Reduce background noise. Example - keep classroom door closed to reduce competing noises.
• Identify the best way to obtain the child’s focus. Example – by saying their name, using a rain maker, using visual clues
• Be an engaging speaker. Example - show enthusiasm, use body language to emphasise points, vary pitch, volume, and intonation. Vary the teaching methods. Example - such as sound clips, videos, rhymes.
• Movement breaks may be helpful. Establish clear boundaries and mutually agree the how and when these can be used. It may help to have a place for children to go if they need a movement break i.e. student reception, where there is always an adult who can check-in with them. It may also be helpful to log the times that the child is using movement breaks to help identify patterns or triggers.
• Give information in short chunks, repeat, and give time for processing. Amount of time may vary depending on the child’s need and the task.
• Provide a reason for listening. Example – ‘this will help you with the next task’.
• Explicitly teach/praise good listening.
• Be a good listening mentor by demonstrating good listening skills, identifying good listening by others in the room.
• Regular breaks, appropriate to the child’s needs. This may include more than one or two breaks. This could include a whole class activity/movement break, inside the classroom, or an opportunity to leave the classroom.
• Breaking tasks down into manageable size. This will vary depending on the age and stage of the child.
• Avoid text heavy teaching resources. Example - a balance of brief sentences with supporting images in PowerPoints, handouts, or videos.
• Use backward chaining. Explanation - Once a sequence of activities has been established to complete a task, the child is supported to be independent in the last activity, so they experience the end result and the success that brings. The support can then be scaffolded to complete the penultimate activity and so on working backwards.
• Ask children to clarify understanding by repeating back the activity/task they have been set.
• Have visual prompts to remind children of the activity/task.
• Timers may help children to understand how long they need to focus for.
• Visual timetables available and clearly visible in all classrooms to demonstrate the structure and expectations of the day. Events can be marked off or removed to show passing time.
• For older children high level visual timetables may be helpful, to show what will happen at specific times of the day.
• Lesson timetables should be available for older children. These should be accessible, with replacements made easily available. Example – laminated and attached to a lanyard.
• Sitting in a chair and looking at the teacher may not be the optimal learning position for all children. There may be a need for sensory equipment to help them get ‘ready to learn’.
• Consider a flexible approach to seating. Where possible and if safe, allow children to work on the floor (if they want to), at times lying down, or working outside.
• Have concentration/focus aids, wobble cushions, weighted blankets available, with agreed boundaries in place.
• Support children to be aware of what helps and/or hinders their attention and focus. Encourage solution focused and collaborative discussions to identify positive methods to manage this.
• Look for opportunities to incorporate children’s interests and motivators into learning tasks, to support engagement.

Resources, advice and support available

ÖйúPÕ¾ Inclusion and Additional Needs Schools Service Offer

SCC Literacy for All programme.

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Assessment through teaching to identify areas of need in consultation with the child.
• Adopt the Mediate Learning approach to teaching new skills.
• Visual timetables available and clearly visible in all classrooms to demonstrate the structure and expectations of the day. Events can be marked off or removed to show passing time.
• Individual timetables may be required for older children. These should be accessible, with replacements made easily available.
• Allow the child plenty of time to process the information before seeking a response. This may vary depending on the needs of the child and the task.
• Use a timer if it helps the child. Avoid causing additional /unnecessary stress and pressure.
• Adapted resources, PowerPoint, handouts with visuals, avoid heavy text handouts.
• Recognise and celebrate that success looks different.
• Liaise with parents/carers to understand what the child is involved in outside of school and celebrate achievements in non-school related areas of their life.
• Build retrieval practice into lesson planning
• For younger children, involve and connect families in pre-teaching activities such as looking at and talking about photographs together at home to introduce a topic, or sending home a word mat of key vocabulary for each topic
• For older children, involve and connect parents/carers by sharing updates on the work that is being covered in class and seek input where appropriate. This may be through online homework journals/Class Charts app/School Gateway etc
• Explicit teaching of metacognitive strategies.
• Avoid lengthy writing tasks where possible and provide writing frames or similar, where appropriate.
• Value spoken responses.
• Provide alternative means of recording information such as through typing, dictation software, talking tins or through a scribe.
• Use of manipulatives.
• Share feedback on work completed, considering the content in its entirety and avoid focusing on spelling and grammar only.
• Use dual coding deliberately. Example:
  • select and attach an image to new vocabulary
  • use a Venn diagram to teach about similarities and differences
  • teach a sequence of historical events by placing them on a flowchart or timeline
• Adjust, modify, and adapt the curriculum, across the key stage, to enable all children to access to learning.
• Utilise active learning, concrete, pictorial, and pragmatic approach to learning.
• Emphasis on self-actualisation, provide experiential learning opportunities to develop skills which will support them to become independent. Example, child can use phonics mat and/or task board independently.
• Support to manage self-esteem, celebrations of strengths, reinforcement of success.

Resources, advice and support available

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• A direct teaching approach (precision teaching) which focuses on high quality, explicit and systematic instruction.
• Use of a structured approach using task analysis that ensures one skill is taught at a time. Example – Target the reading of a word rather than both reading and spelling, whole word reading, mixing new and old learning to reduce opportunity to forget and boost confidence (interleaved learning).
• Avoid teaching practice that involves copying from the board.
• Have visual key tips, hints, and reminders, specific to the learning activity, for children to refer to, help keep them on track during whole class teaching times.
• Consider other learning aids that can support children’s learning during class times – examples, Dictaphones, pre-printed materials, cameras, additional time to complete a task.
• Teach skills to develop fluency as well as accuracy, ensuring there are opportunities to practise skills.
• Use teaching activities that provide opportunities to practise skills. Example, children bring a book from home/choose one from the library for reading, rather than only using phonics scheme books which limit texts to decodable words only.
• Keep children informed about interventions; why they are doing it, what it is intended to support them with. Obtain feedback from children about the intervention by way of supporting them to monitor progress and achievements (to develop meta-cognitive thinking skills).
• Provide opportunities for children to apply the teaching from intervention sessions throughout the day.
• Peer-assisted learning – this may include older children supporting younger children.

Resources, advice and support available

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Take time to speak with the child to understand what they feel works well for them. Build a relationship where the child can come and speak to you, or a trusted adult, when needed.
• Establish home/school relationship to develop an understanding of what works well for the child at home.
• Where BSL is used encourage Parents/Carers to come into school to share their knowledge.
• Seat in class with clear view of teacher or communicator’s face and any visual material used (this may not be the same fixed place for all activities).
• Ensure the child is face on when you are giving instructions. Try not to move around the room whilst talking as they may use lip-reading and visual clues to support their hearing.
• Check the lesson content has been heard and understood, particularly when delivering new information, instructions, or homework; and, or using unfamiliar vocabulary.
• During class discussions encourage only one child to speak at a time and indicate where the speaker is. Example - you could pass around a classroom microphone to make class discussions more accessible for a deaf/hard of hearing child.
• Where possible, during smaller group work, arrange the seating so that the children are facing each other everyone. This can be across the desk, or where space permits by moving chairs into a circle or horseshoe shape.
• Repeating or rephrasing pertinent comments made by other children ensuring the child accesses those comments.
• Visual reinforcement (pictures and handouts), to support learning.
• Be aware that during P.E. or games lessons it will be more difficult to follow instructions.
• Words spoken on an audio/visual recording may need a person to repeat what is being said, provide written copy and, or use subtitles.
• Seat away from any source of noise e.g., window, corridor, fan heater, projector, the centre of the classroom etc.
• Encourage good listening behaviour: sitting still, looking, and listening.
• Encourage the child to ask if they are not sure what to do, and check-in with the child when setting a new task or activity.
• Seek to provide a quiet working environment, soften atmospheric sounds such as chairs scraping on the floor.
• All staff who work with a child with Hearing Impairment (HI) should be made aware how best to support in school.
• Staff to work together with other professionals to share strategies and advice to support the child.

Resources, advice and support available

ÖйúPÕ¾ Inclusion and Additional Needs Schools Service Offer

Education Psychology Team: 

Physical and Sensory Support Service: Physical and sensory support (PSS) - ÖйúPÕ¾

SCC Speech and Language Therapy Hearing Impairment Team: Speech and Language Service for children and young people - ÖйúPÕ¾

Specialist early education service - ÖйúPÕ¾

Occupational Therapy Service: 

Children with Disabilities Team:  Information for professionals working with children, young people and families - ÖйúPÕ¾

Physiotherapy Service:

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Develop an understanding of the child and how they use their other senses to help them manage.
• Work with the child and parents to understand what equipment/techniques/strategies could be reproduced within the school environment to support learning.
• Encourage the child to use visual aids/resources that have been prescribed. Example - glasses, magnifiers, big-print books, etc.
• Use the child’s name when seeking his/her attention.
• Work with the child to identify the best seating position for them in every classroom/learning space they use.
• Share helpful tips with the child. Example - they may need to be closer to their work than the distance between their elbow and their fingers.
• Make efforts to eliminate the risk of glare from the desk and whiteboard, laminated information/leaflets/handouts.
• Use enlarged print/magnified worksheets where appropriate.
• Worksheets/materials can be cut in strips and stapled together to reduce the amount of work shared in one go.
• Print materials need to be clear and visually accessible depending on the child’s needs.
• Have lined paper for assignments. Darker lines may be better.
• Near point work should be limited to fifteen minutes or less. The child should be encouraged to look away from their, sharpen a pencil or participate in another activity as this will allow the student to refocus their eyes so that the student is less likely to become fatigued.
• Slanted desks may be of benefit to individual children.
• Provide contrast on visual materials used. Example - black on white.
• Lower-case letters are easier to read than capital letters because they have a greater number of ascenders and descenders, making them more visually distinctive.
• Use visual materials with clear verbal explanation.
• Share pre-printed handouts and avoid the need to copy from the board.
• Use concrete material and provide opportunities for hands-on experience whenever possible.
• Allow more time to complete tasks and provide breaks to address fatigue.
• Where appropriate and/or necessary, arrange for other children to act as buddies.

Resources, advice and support available

Physical and sensory support (PSS) - ÖйúPÕ¾

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Therapy advice is incorporated into the child’s curriculum.
• Close communication with Parents/Carer ensures that information about the pupil’s physical disability is up to date and spoken about in an agreed format
• Teaching takes account of physical and medical needs, and outcomes are differentiated.
• Differentiation, support and equipment is planned and put in place so that the child can access their learning. Additional consideration is given to practical subjects such as Physical Education (PE), technology and science.
• Learning tasks that require sustained and/or precise fine and/or gross motor skills are adapted and modified. Extra time is given for completion of tasks if required.
• Children can demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. Written recording is reduced where necessary.
• Planning of learning tasks includes rest breaks or movement breaks, as required.
• Homework tasks take into consideration the provision and support the pupil has at home.
• Access arrangements for exams are in place and practised as the pupil’s normal way of working.
• Flexible grouping arrangements facilitate both peer and adult support to improve access to the curriculum and encourage independent learning.
• Off-site trips are planned in advance ensuring appropriate transport arrangements and access at the offsite venue. A risk assessment is carried out – all staff/volunteer helpers are aware.
• Risk Assessment to ensure safe access to curriculum activities.
• Encourage and develop independence moving around the school building.
• Nurture and environment when other children are helpful and have a keen awareness of how to help.
• Incorporate individual physio programme exercises into the whole class PE lesson.
• Access to assisted technology such as clicker/splash.
• Allow extra time to complete tasks where needed. Be aware that this will be dependent on the individual child.
• Height adjustable tables and stools with backs and footrests facilitate access in specialist classrooms.
• The classroom layout is planned to enable independent movement for all pupils around the room.
• Pupil’s seating arrangements ensure good visual access to teacher input, access to additional support, where required, and enable social interaction with peers.
• Clearly defined spaces are identified and are available for personal equipment, therapies and developmental programmes.
• Transitions into and around the school site are identified and alternative routes are put into place as required.
• A personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) is in place for pupils with physical disabilities and the child knows the plan of what to do in an emergency.
• Lockers, pegs and trays are appropriately allocated so that children can independently access them. Example - a peg at the end of the line or at a different height.
• Inclusive access arrangements are put in in place for social situations throughout the day. Example - the provision of a quiet room / space, seating in various places outside including under-cover.
• Playground/outdoor spaces allow for a variety of activities including less physical ones, e.g. table-top games, wall games, outside sensory activities.

Resources, advice and support available

Physical and sensory support (PSS) - ÖйúPÕ¾

– Search for Moving and Handling for support with hoists and moving people equipment

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Maintain close relationships with the family to provide appropriate support.
• Utilise knowledge of Parents/Carers to support the child in school.
• Establish Reasonable adjustments in line with the Equality Act 2010.
• Mutually agree with the family, regular home school contact when/if child is not in school to maintain a ‘sense of belonging’ with peers and school community.
• Ensure appropriate equipment such as lockable medicine cabinets, first aid bags, fridges, are available.
• Liaise with specialist colleagues to ensure training is up-to-date and relevant.
• Clear bereavement training and policies.
• Rotated medication / care training.

Resources, advice and support available

Physical and sensory support (PSS) - ÖйúPÕ¾

Sensory sensitive behaviours may look like:

• May be distracted by people walking around the classroom (staff and children)
• Strong response/reaction to loud or sudden noises
• Distressed by other people walking around/near or touching them

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Risk Assessment to ensure safe access to curriculum activities.
• Seat child in class facing away from seeing people coming in and out of the class.
• Reduce the amount of exposure to bright colours or lighting by positioning away from posters or lamps in class.
• Accessible ‘calm’ space. Example – sensory room, classroom tent.
• Alternative seating in lunch hall/assembly
• Individual toolkits for pupils:
  • blowing bubbles
  • weighted blanket
  • kinetic sand
  • doodle
  • ear defenders, or child-suitable noise-reduction ear plugs, may help where auditory input is difficult to process
  • ‘smelly’ bag to provide a positive smell for those sensitive to smell
  • fidget tool or stress balls can help calm children.
  • sucking on a bottle or through a straw can promote deep breathing which is calming
  • chewing on something tough or chewy can be calming

Resources, advice and support available

Sensory seeking behaviours may look like:

• Stand too close to others
• Walk with loud, heavy steps
• Touch people and objects
• Chew on non-food items

Examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustment and specific interventions that school settings can apply and adjust according to the individual needs, age and stage of the children.

• Provide frequent movement opportunities. This may include handing out resources and books or other ‘helpful’ jobs in class/school.
• Consider specific movement breaks that avoid overstimulation i.e. 10 star jumps or two laps of the field. These can be adapted and involve the whole class.
• Utilise sensory room/Exposure to bright colours and moving objects where appropriate.
• Sit cushions allow for movement while seated.
• A TheraBand, or suitable alternative, on the legs of chairs gives feedback while seated.
• Sensory circuits.
• Peanut balls/wobble cushions.

Resources, advice and support available

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Children may experience both sensitive and seeking behaviours, and their ability to manage their response may fluctuate throughout the day: