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How does a classroom design affect a child’s ability to learn?

Learning environments

Student outcomes are the most relevant factor when it comes to measuring the success of learning environments. Though classroom design has an important influence on learning achievement, the majority of time is spent on traditional methods of enhancing the learning progress, such as executing standardized tests, professional growth for educators, and advancement or mediation courses for students. Thanks to a growing awareness of the profound impact classroom design can have on the educational achievements of students, opinions on classroom design are changing, as educators are making strides toward constructing optimal learning environments with the goal of meeting the educational needs of various groups of students.

We talked to experts from Wheelyboat Trust about the new fully-accessible powerboat

Wheelyboat Trust

Andy Beadsley, director of the Wheelyboat Trust, and Jennifer Cameron, the CEO of Action4Youth, talk to Education For Everybody magazine about the new fully-accessible powerboat launched recently at the Caldecotte Xperience in Milton Keynes…

 

What challenges do SEND schools face when organising trips and how does Caldecotte Xperience address these issues? 

Palace House launches ideas bank for teachers

National Heritage Centre

The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art at Palace House, Newmarket has launched an online ideas bank of downloadable resources for teachers on its website.

The resources support learning in the three areas of English, Science and Learning From Objects. They have been created as the result of teacher training sessions ( led by Pippa Smith of “Handling The Past”  and Robert Cooper of c)  and of the Palace House Literacy Project, “Poetry Is A Horse,” which was run in partnership with All Saints’ CE Primary School and performance poet, Justin Coe.

College is first to be ‘outstanding’ for both its care and education

Care Quality Commission

A college which operates in England and Wales has become the first in the country, since the change in Ofsted inspections, to hold outstanding ratings for both its care and education from Care Quality Commission.

National Star College, a national centre of excellence which enables young people with complex disabilities and learning difficulties prepare for adulthood, has earned the top ratings following Care Quality Commission and Ofsted inspections. It was marked outstanding in every category on both reports.

Both reports praised National Star for its outstanding level of care and education and its safe environment.

Mcavoy Uses Award-Winning Bim Technology For Complex Offsite School Building Project

McAvoy

Offsite construction specialist, The McAvoy Group, has handed over a new school building at West Hill School in Leatherhead, bringing the number of education projects now completed by McAvoy for Surrey County Council to more than 40.

The project at West Hill an Ofsted outstanding special school featured extensive use of BIM to help address the complexities of the site. It was manufactured offsite to reduce disruption and was ready for occupation on time and after less than eight months on site. The scheme links the traditionally-constructed main building and an existing modular classroom block on a highly constrained, fully operational school site.

3 Types of Occupational Autism Therapy For Those With ASD

Autism therapy

Living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is challenging and often difficult to manage for both the individual as well as the carers of those with the condition. However, early introduction to an array of different autism therapy options, such as music, art or animal activities, can have a huge impact on the individual as well the surrounding family and friends.

Autism therapy can, and is being used to help autistic individuals understand and explore challenging symptoms of their own condition, such as meltdowns, mental health struggles, difficulties surrounding communication and the application of life skills. Autism therapy has the capability to open up new avenues and adventures that those with autism may not have had the opportunity to explore previously.

College Receives Beacon Award For Students With Learning Difficulties And Disabilities

Weston College has received the Association of Colleges Beacon Award for Students with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities at an event at The Grove Restaurant at Weston College’s Knightstone Campus.

The award recognises the College’s specialist provision for students with special educational needs and disabilities, particularly Weston Bay – the College’s autism spectrum residential training centre. Judges found that the College actively develops and promotes exemplary teaching and learning which benefits its students and sets an example for other colleges across the country to follow.

This year the AoC received 120 submissions from 100 colleges from across the UK.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, said:

Grouping students into ability-based sets holds back less able pupils

Ability-based sets

Students classed as less able are being hindered by being grouped into ability-based sets, according to new research published today in the Cambridge Journal of Education.

Teachers’ expectations of pupils in lower sets, which are based on their prior academic record and closely tied to the belief that their behavior will be more challenging, could instil a damaging ‘culture of dependency’ on teachers among these groups.

Researchers used questionnaire data generated from almost 600 Maths and English teachers based in 82 UK secondary schools, alongside interviews with teachers, to understand how grouping students into sets influenced the independence of lower attaining students.

Young chefs serve up lunchtime treat for older residents

Gateshead College

Five budding young chefs from Gateshead College have been gaining valuable work experience by serving up special lunches this winter for older residents living at a sheltered housing scheme in County Durham.

The students from Gateshead College have been visiting Karbon Homes’ Castle Court in Annfield Plain – an independent living scheme for older people aged 55 and over, to serve freshly made sandwiches and hot soup, much to the delight of residents.

Community-based service to help all children with brain injury

Brain Injury Community

A free to access UK-wide Brain Injury Community Service has launched to maximise a child’s participation in everyday life following a brain injury.

Delivered by The Children’s Trust, the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury and neurodisability, the service offers children with an acquired brain injury assessment and clinical support after they have been discharged from hospital and at key stages of childhood.

The pioneering day service providing work experience to adults with complex needs

Orb

Disguised as your average second hand shop in a south Wales valleys town, The Orb is anything but. Opened in October 2015, The Orb is a pioneering day service on the high street of Porth and is proof that active support for adults with complex needs associated with autism can be made real.

It is an approach to care that puts individuals at the centre of their own developmental pathway, as well as offering them an active role in their community.

Active Support maintains that everyone has the right to a life that is as socially-valued as anyone else’s. The individuals who volunteer and learn at The Orb have complex needs associated with autism and a learning disability.

Advantages of using technology in classrooms

Classroom technology

In today’s age, learning opportunities for students is forever increasing, whether it’s researching information online, or using the latest software programs and tools. Access to information is becoming easier and easier, thanks to classroom technology highly progressing forward.

Comparing to old traditional times and methods, classroom technology has really advanced making it easier when gaining information. Easily access technology at your fingertips, whether you need any programs, tools or receiving information, all can be done instantly and even when you’re away from the computer, smart phones and tablets are able to provide access on the go for students.

The greatest eduction show on earth? You Bett!

The greatest eduction show on earth? You Bett!

The world’s leading education show returned to ExCeL London in January - The Bett show attracted 35,000 people from the worldwide education community. And with a huge range of new secondary education aids on display, plus a number of speaker sessions and workshops dedicated to best practice and innovation in SEN education, it was a must-attend event for all in the world of special educational needs.
More than 700 exhibitors displayed their solutions to the challenges facing the education sector – not least those aimed at enhancing the educational experience of those with SEN.

Lookers — winners of North East round of National Apprenticeship awards 2017

National Apprenticeship awards 2017

Lookers has been recognised for their dedication to young talent after their win of the North East regional final of the National Apprenticeship Awards 2017.

The group was successful in the ‘Macro’ category — sponsored by The Open University. They are committed to ensuring that their customers continue to receive the very best repair and maintenance support, all carried out by world class technicians, and it believes recruiting technical apprentices is a vital part of this.

Children in Need’s official mascot Pudsey Bear pays a visit to our students

Pudsey Bear

Children in Need’s official mascot Pudsey Bear pays a visit to our students at Autism East Midlands Sutherland House School, Nottingham (A Specialist Autism School) 

Children in Need’s official mascot Pudsey Bear paid a visit to our students at Autism East Midlands Sutherland House School, Nottingham. Pudsey Bear joined in the school’s morning assembly today to the excited calls of students. Pudsey amazingly appeared as Mick the Mike encouraged all the children to shout out Pudseys name in a rhythmic chant. After a minute of shouts of PUDSEY miraculously he appeared! Through the assembly Pudsey danced, waved and listened to presentation by classes. Pudsey Bear also hugged and shook hands with nearly every child.

Teaching techniques for learning outside the classroom

Teaching outside the classroom

Research has shown that the typical classroom — consisting of desks and chairs facing a whiteboard on the wall, might not be the most effective learning environment. We know that it is certainly not the only learning environment either. 

For many children, when they are not at school, they spend their ‘down time’ indoors playing games and using tablets as opposed to playing outdoors with their friends, like previous generations. Introducing outdoor play at school provides them with an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and engage with nature.

Making mental health awareness training more accessible to schools.

mental health awareness

Safeguarding and Duty of Care experts EduCare Learning Ltd. have launched a new Mental Wellbeing course in partnership with YoungMinds, the UK’s leading charity championing the wellbeing and mental health of young people.

The online course covers common Mental Health issues faced by children and young people, how to build resilience and what support mechanisms can be put in place for those experiencing Mental Health problems.

Learning to Take on the Challenge - do you dare?

Action4Youth

Action4Youth, an energetic youth charity that provides positive, often transformational experiences and activities, works to enable young people of all abilities and disabilities to learn to challenge themselves - learning what they can achieve rather than what they can’t.

 

Confidence, self-belief and people skills are not traits that come naturally to young people with learning disabilities and Special Educational Needs (SEN), so it’s easy to see how they can become self-conscious, isolated and afraid to try new things. One youth charity is working with SEN students, taking them out of their comfort zone and opening their eyes to the possibilities and opportunities that life has to offer.