PIMS Team Newsletter 2013 - Somerset Learning Platform

The Physical Impairment
And
Medical Support Team
We are a team of teachers, information technology and communication specialists.
We work to support schools and families to enable children and young people who have physical
impairments, medical needs and associated learning difficulties to access education.
We work with a wide range of young people; some have medical conditions such as epilepsy,
diabetes or heart conditions, whilst others have physical impairments such as cerebral palsy,
muscular dystrophy or are recovering from operations or accidents.
You may be interested to visit our website where all our guidance documents are available to view
and download. www.six.somerset.gov.uk/eis/
Bridgwater: Chandos House -Telephone 01278 446445
Taunton: Holway Centre - Telephone 01823 334475
Wells: The Priory Medical Centre – Telephone 01749 678500
Yeovil: Buckland House – Telephone 01935 476130
News for October 2013
We welcome our new Advisory Teacher Matt France who will be supporting schools in the
Bridgwater area
The following is the experience of a young lady who is a wheelchair user and
our team supported in her final 2 years in a mainstream school.
I was 15 when I started at a mainstream school in Somerset in April 2009 after being in special
school for 2 years.
I found everyone very welcoming and supportive of my needs, this made me feel more positive. My
favourite lessons were English, art and youth award, although I found some aspects of English and
youth award hard. E.G positioning my wheelchair in youth award class room and finding the key
every time to unlock the back door (this was my only way in) of youth award classroom was a nightmare and I do not like to know about first aid as I learnt it about 8 times in my other schools. Also
the man teacher was speaking too fast and I also found it hard to read sometimes because some
teachers wouldn’t make the text big enough for me to see , leaving this for my LSAs to do which I
think is wrong. But I felt like I was always able to ask for help from most! of the LSAs. I hated my
maths lessons because I didn’t understand it and it was very noisy from the other students in the
class. I used to be taken out but I really didn’t enjoy what I did instead, until I had some new LSAs
who took over my maths teaching, I found this better and it resulted in me passing my maths which
was great. I didn’t like my science in the other schools but I loved it here because the teacher made
it fun and I passed my entry level in this too.
I made some really good friends at school, which was really important to me. We meet up in the
holidays now which I really look forward to.
My physio’s were fab they stretched my legs for hours every day which was great because I never
had so many stretches thank you to all staff for them fab 2 years. I feel that I got a lot out of my two
years at my school, as they have helped me to pass all my exams and to do my best in everything
and now I have grades to show I have passed exams but I couldn’t have done it without all the help
and support from them all. Everyone was very understanding; it was a fab two years. I was in tears
when I had to say goodbye to everyone in school it was a fab school to move too. I look back on
happy memories, but NSC( my college) is the best place
Ways of helping children and young people to make their voice heard
We have been investigating different ways for children to express themselves through the use of a
variety of software, and looking at how each individual can best make themselves ‘heard’.
Trialling the use of the program SwitchIt has given our less able pupils and pupils with very limited /
no expressive language, the opportunity to use I.T. to get their ideas across to their audience (new
school staff, pupils or Annual Review attendees) through the use of photos, pictures and video clips.
Whereas the use of a program like Powerpoint has allowed other pupils to add backgrounds,
examples of work, video clips and photos to personalise their presentations.
This work has proved to be very successful especially when a child has been transferring schools,
and schools have expressed their gratitude for being allowed an insight into the needs / likes /
dislikes of one / some of their most complex prospective students.
SENITAS becomes SENATAS
Special Educational Needs Assistive Technology Service
SENATAS is the new expanded county wide Service, incorporating the much respected
SENITAS as well as the assessment and support service for children who need communication
aids, either electronic or paper based. We work in a variety of settings from preschool to further
education.
We offer support to children / young people who have complex needs, to aid access to the
broader curriculum using alternative methods of recording, communicating and accessing the
environment for learning, play and leisure.
There is a new referral form which can be obtained from Buckland@somerset.gov.uk
More information available from Rachel Garret on 01935 476130 or Kate Holloway on
01823 334475
Eye Gaze
We are at present working with 2 children in the county who are using eye gaze as a tool for
communication and access to the curriculum. In July, Dougal from Sensory Software who produce
The Grid 2 software, spent the day showing us around the eye gaze system and software that
supports it’s use.
The afternoon was spent working with 3 children who we are already supporting in mainstream
school, giving them the opportunity to try out eye gaze.
New Training
and
PIMS Team day!
2014 is going to be an exciting year for new initiatives in the PIMS Team.
During the last school year we have been working in conjunction with the Community Nurses,
Ward Matrons, and School Nurses to present the new “Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs”
good practice guide to School SENCos and Governors. Following feedback from schools we will
be rolling out generic training on medical conditions in the new year – schools will be contacted
when dates have been set.
The Compass Team work across Somerset with families and young people who have life limiting
conditions, we will be delivering joint training in February for schools who support these children
and young people. The aim of the training will be to help staff to feel supported in the work that
they do.
Thursday 1st May 2014
A day looking at:
SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
WITH PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL NEEDS IN
MAINSTREAM EDUCATION
AT
DILLINGTON HOUSE, ILMINSTER
Friday 15th November 2013
and
Monday 3rd February 2014 at
The Holway Centre Taunton
Many schools are now purchasing iPads which are being used to support pupils across a variety of
curriculum areas. We are offering a days training for SENCos, Teachers and Teaching Assistants
which will look at using iPads in their workplace.
The training will cover an overview of your iPad, how to get the best from your iPad and using your
iPad in an educational setting.
There will be 3 workshops across the day looking at apps that can be used with Communication,
Literacy and Early Years.
This promises to be an excellent training day, which will be offered in other parts of the county in the
future.
iPad and apps
For Education and Motivation
We will be holding ‘Know you iPad and apps’ training at The Holway Centre,
Taunton, on Monday 3rd February 2014 - flyers will be sent to schools at
the end of the Autumn term, to register an interest now please email:
pbeckerson@somerset.gov.uk
An iPad can be a great motivator to find out exactly what children and young people can do and
like, but it does need to be used in a functional way. IPads are also switch accessible, which
opens the door for all children and young people with access barriers, to have a go.
iPads can be used for learning very early cause and effect skills, and help determine a child/
young person’s ability in areas such as Literacy and Numeracy; the response to a touch is
immediate which encourages focus and concentration.
Some of our team have been using iPads as part of our assessments for the past year, and
below is a small example of some of the apps we have used and found successful. Some are
completely free ,and others give you a good insight into what the app is about and allows one or
two free activities, but you will need to buy the app to download the full version.
Recording
Clicker Docs
£21.99
Spell better
(free)
NoteBook +
(free)
7 notes HD
With
Prediction (free)
Cause and Effect
IZen
(free)
I love fireworks
lite (free)
Draw with Stars
(free)
Sensory Light box
£1.99
Puzzles and picture building
Shape Puzzle
(free)
Leo 4 +
(free)
Literacy
Clicker
Sentences
£21.99
iSequences Lite
(free)
Hairy Letters
£1.99
Little Writer
9free)
Word Magic
£00.69
Pocket Phonics
£1.99
Our Team offers training and advice in the following areas
Clicker 6—A piece of software which can
support pupils with recording across the
curriculum
Training takes place in all areas of Somerset
on a regular basis
Flyers are sent to schools, so please check
dates with your Senco
Communicate In Print—A piece of software
which offers symbol support when
differentiating the curriculum. Also useful for
creating visual timetables etc
Training takes place in all areas of Somerset
on a regular basis
Flyers are sent to schools, so please check
dates with your Senco
Switch development looking at very early
Cause and Effect , and moving onto more
complex scanning
Usually aimed at therapists, followed by a
clinic in the afternoon to assess young
children using switches
Don’t Count on Numbers—Maths for pupils
working on PScales
Aimed at SENCos, Teachers, and Teaching
Assistants, looking at developing very early
maths skills. Delivered across the county.
Flyers are sent to all schools
Personal Assistance
For staff working with pupils who require
personal and intimate care
Moving and Handling
A day’s training or a half day top up, looking
at good practise when working with pupils
who require moving and handling
Know your way around iPads and apps
A days training which will help you to find
your way around your iPad and look at some
useful apps to use in school.
Somerset Total Communication
Usually delivered in schools where we
support a specific pupil
Curriculum differentiation
Advice is offered to schools where we
support a specific pupil
Recording, feedback and Augmentative and
Alternative Communication
As above, and also advice offered by
SENATAS. Referral forms available from all
bases
Our training flyers are always emailed to all schools, so please check with your SENCo to see if we
have anything planned in your area
Future Dates for Training
Don’t Count on Numbers
Tuesday 22nd January 2014
Bridgwater
For further details please contact:
Pam Beckerson: 01823 334475
Clicker 6
Thursday 28th November 2013 Taunton
Tuesday 21st January 2014
Street
Tuesday 18th March 2014
Taunton
Thursday 15th May 2014
Street
Thursday 3rd July 2014
Bridgwater
For further details please contact:
Buckland House: 01935 476130
Communicate InPrint
Tuesday 15th October 2013
Street
Thursday 27th February 2014
Bridgwater
Tuesday 10th June 2014
Taunton
For further details please contact:
Buckland House: 01935 476130
Know your iPad and apps
Friday 15th November 2013
Taunton
Monday 3rd February 2014
Taunton
For further details please contact:
Pam Beckerson: 01823 334475
Personal Assistance Training
3 lots of training have already taken place across the
county this half term.
More dates to follow...
For further details please contact:
Nicola Murphy: 01823 334475
Moving and Handling
Friday 18th October 2013
Taunton
Thursday 14th November 2013 Street
Wednesday 22nd January 2014 Yeovil
Thursday 27th March 2014
Street
Thursday 15th May 2014
Bridgwater
More dates to follow….
For further details please contact:
Andrea Matthews: 01749 678500