SEND Training
Cambridgeshire’s SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Specialist Services 0-25 years provide a range of professional services for children, young people and families in a wide range of educational and community settings. We use the expertise of an incorporated multi-professional service (consisting of psychologists and educational professionals) to offer schools and settings a bespoke approach to removing barriers to learning (including academic, social, and emotional barriers).
Additionally, we offer a range of packages that schools, and settings can commission from our teams. We work collaboratively with schools to support a range of needs and priorities, drawing upon theory and research of ‘what works’, to develop an understanding of complex situations.
Schools may wish to use their Specialist Teacher (ST) visits to ‘fund’ training. Courses will state how many hours are needed. Schools can still purchase training on top of their time allocation. For bespoke training and costings please contact: SEND.Training@Cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
If you are a children's or young people's setting or provider, outside Cambridgeshire Schools, please do get in touch if you are interested in any of the below training as a nominal fee will apply.
Elklan 2-day course for SENCO’s/teachers/SLT - £180
This 2-day course for provides the necessary understanding to direct and utilise the skills of Elklan trained Teaching Assistants. The course covers the theory and practical elements of the 11 weeks ‘Speech and Language Support for 5-11’s’ and explains the additional portfolio activities that Teaching Assistants complete as part of the accredited course. We will look at strategies to support a range of needs including Blank levels, Information Carrying Words, Vocabulary development, Attention and Concentration, Memory, and Speech difficulties. Price: £180 covers both days training, the Elklan ‘Language Builders’ manual, and lunch.
Elklan 11 week ‘Speech & Language Support for 5-11s’ - £415 (includes copy of Language Builders)
An e-learning course providing practical training activities for staff working in primary schools to enable them to develop the speech and language skills of ALL children but especially those with speech and language difficulties and English as an Additional Language. Delivered over 11 weekly sessions you will access 10 interactive online learning sessions and 11x1 hour weekly group webinar sessions with your tutors – local SLTs and STs. For homework you will practice skills in your school to complete your learning log to demonstrate your understanding. Learning log activities are submitted weekly for marking. On successful completion of your learning log, you will receive a nine-credit award in ‘Supporting Language and Learning for 5-11s’ at Level 2 or Level 3.
Total time commitment:
- Level 2 is 50-60 hours.
- Level 3 is 70-80 hours.
All ADHD sessions are bookable via Booking Bug. Each session is repeated throughout the year.
ADHD Workshop – Primary Schools - Individual bookings
A 90-minute session on what is ADHD and how to support pupils with it.
Suitable for all primary school staff.
ADHD Workshop – Secondary Schools – Individual bookings
A 90-minute session on what is ADHD and how to support pupils with it.
Suitable for all secondary school staff.
ADHD and Girls Workshop
A 90-minute workshop aiming to support participants to understand the differing presentation girls with ADHD (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) may demonstrate within their classrooms.
ADHD Briefing – Whole school bookings (suitable for staff meetings)
A one-hour session on ADHD for school staff to understand the different types of ADHD and specific strategies they can implement to support engagement in learning. Suitable for primary and secondary schools.
ASD sessions are bookable via Booking Bug. Each session is repeated throughout the year.
Girls and ASD Workshop
A 90-minute workshop focussing on recognising the needs of girls with an Autism presentation in primary schools. Training for all school staff.
Autism Education Trust Training
There is a range of AET training available to book via Booking Bug. This includes:
-Making sense of Autism
-Good Autism practice
- Anxiety
Please see Booking Bug for booking and pricing information. For further queries, please contact: aettraining@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
To book Metacognition training please contact SEND.Training@Cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
Metacognition training can be purchased for £300 / 2.5 hours of school ST/EP time.
This course aims to improve school staff understanding of metacognition within the context of self-regulated learning, whilst also briefly examining the role of executive functioning and self-regulation within the classroom.
On completing the two-part training school staff will be better placed to develop students’ metacognitive abilities, having a range of practical resources and strategies that they can adapt and apply to their lessons. The research indicates that having stronger metacognitive abilities leads to improved academic outcomes for students and also support them to develop a deeper understanding of subject knowledge and become more autonomous learners.
The first 90-minute session can be delivered virtually or in person. There is then a 6–10-week implementation window where school staff are encouraged to adapt and apply their learning from the initial training session. This is followed up by a 60 minute, in person, follow up session where SEND Service practitioners support school staff to reflect on, and share good practice, about their implementation of metacognitive strategies within your school setting.
This training is adapted for Primary or Secondary school staff and would be accessible to teaching assistants and teachers.
Spaces: Up to 50 people, co-delivery to bigger groups can be arranged by liaising with SEND training.
To book Metacognition training please contact SEND.Training@Cambridgeshire.gov.uk. Please advise within the email a preferred day of the week and timing for the sessions.
The below literacy difficulties sessions are bookable via Booking Bug. Each session is repeated throughout the year.
Level 1 Literacy Difficulties – Accessible Classrooms
A 90 – minute online session.
Aims:
- To provide a shared understanding of terminology around dyslexia.
-To ensure that schools are familiar with the Response to Intervention framework used in CAMBS
-To support school staff with screening for literacy
difficulties and
-To support school staff to make sure that every classroom is accessible for children and young people with literacy difficulties/dyslexia.
Tiers 2 and 3 Literacy Difficulties / Dyslexia – whole day training
Targeted Support and what to do when you don't know what to do. Suitable for all school staff including SLT, SENCOs, Literacy Leads, Class Teachers and TAs.
Tier 2 (1st half) is training for specific staff about ways to identify and make sense of which areas of literacy a child or young person is struggling with and to ensure that interventions are specifically targeted to those needs at Tier 2 of the RTI framework. Covers in detail why it is so important to have systems which work for all children and young people and explores areas of literacy including reading accuracy, fluency, comprehension, spelling, and writing composition.
Tier 3 (2nd half) is about ways to identify and make sense of literacy difficulties which are persisting despite well founded and targeted intervention. Covers models of reading in more detail and provides models of comprehensive and intensive literacy support.
Cost £25 per attendee
Literacy Pathways
Literacy pathway sessions are bookable via Booking Bug. Each session is repeated throughout the year.
An in-person session lasting 2.5hours. No fee.
This workshop provides a follow-up for school staff who have attended our three tier Literacy training sessions. In this workshop, staff will be supported to develop a literacy pathway for their own settings that are flexible to their local needs, and which build as far as possible upon the existing assessment information and resources they already have in place. Staff will be supported with identifying any further assessments and intervention approaches they may need as well as with how to embed their literacy pathway across their whole school setting.
ERT sessions are bookable via Booking Bug. Each session is repeated throughout the year.
Suitable for Primary and Secondary School teachers and TAs.
Developed and measured within Cambridgeshire. Results show an average of 8month gains in reading age over 8-10 weeks, and 4 months gain in spelling.
This is a one-off, 2.45 hour training session which will be followed up with implementation support.
There is no cost for this training.
LBT sessions are bookable via Booking Bug. Each session is repeated throughout the year.
This intervention aims to develop children's social skills through facilitated, collaborative Lego play.
This is a 3hour training session which will then be followed up to discuss implementation.
Identiplay sessions are bookable via Booking Bug. Each session is repeated throughout the year.
All children need play skills if they are to be fully included. Children naturally need to experience peer interactions. Play is a tool for learning and all children need this opportunity. Children need to practise social routines in safe surroundings.
Identiplay is an approach that helps establish a shared focus. By doing this, it helps develop imitation skills, which in turn builds children’s confidence as they practise a new skill. This is delivered as a one-off, face to face 90minute session.
There is no charge for this session.
The below Makaton sessions are bookable via Booking Bug. Each session is repeated throughout the year.
Sing and Sign
A one off, 30-minute session meeting the needs of context specific signs to support and enhance communication for children with communication differences and their interactive partners. For school staff who work with children with communication differences.
Introduction to Makaton
A fun and practical introduction to Makaton, delivered by our SEND Makaton Tutors at your school, focusing on every day signs and symbols. Limited places are available via Booking Bug or contacting SEND.Training@CAmbridgeshire.gov.uk
Cost: £45 or use of 2 Specialist Teacher hours.
Makaton Level 1 – Full day training
This certificated Level 1 training provides a practical introduction to the Makaton Language Programme. The session includes discussing commonly asked questions, hints and tips for effective signing and symbol use and how to start using Makaton in everyday situations.
You will also learn the signs and symbols from Stages 1 and 2, and some of the additional stage, of the Core Vocabulary. Delegates will also receive a Makaton resource manual.
This course has a charge of £50 which will be invoiced directly to the school.
Cost: £50 per attendee.
Makaton Level 2
Certificated Makaton course covering stages 3 and 4 signs and symbols and developing a greater understanding of the Makaton Language Programme.
Entry requirements – completion of Level 1
If you are interested in this training, please follow this link: Makaton Level 2 Expression of interest form
Cost: TBC
This 90-minute ‘Introduction to Working Memory’ session is designed for school staff who wish to develop their understanding of working memory.
No charge.
Whole School sessions – Using virtual headsets
Introductory, two-hour training: Delivered by two facilitators using VR Headsets for up to 34 people at one time in your school. Bookable via Booking Bug.
Recovery through Relationships is designed to develop adults’ understanding of the effects of relational and developmental trauma and loss on children and young people. It encourages the development of professional curiosity, a ‘trauma lens’. This course will consider the impact that trauma and attachment difficulties can have on a young person’s life and education through the use of the Cornerstone Virtual Reality Training Headsets, enabling a greater understanding of a young person’s lived experience.
Cambridgeshire Schools – No fee
NEW Recovery through Relationships 2D offer for secondary schools and larger settings.
The Cambridgeshire Virtual School-SEND Partnership are delighted to be able to offer your staff a two-hour professional development session which includes all the elements of the core Recovery through Relationships VR Headset offer but is tailored to be delivered to larger groups using the films in a 2D format. We can deliver to up to three groups of approximately thirty-five people in one session using three separate rooms, as long as each room has a large screen and good sound output.
Feedback: Realising the connection between an unstable home life and unexpected or volatile responses to normal school situations. Stimulating videos and discussions. Clear ways to implement into own teaching practice. (Secondary School 2D training October 2024)
This training also includes discussion activities to reflect on the language that we routinely use in school when describing challenging behaviour and opportunities to discuss case studies to support our understanding of complex situations.
To book this training please email Virtualschool@cambridgeshire.gov.uk with your preferred dates and times. This booking is arranged on a bespoke basis so we will need a direct contact to liaise with rather than your school/setting office.
Modular training
In person training session lasting one full day.
Cambridgeshire Virtual School’s Recovery through Relationships training package includes an in-school, bite-size modular programme of learning which includes: (ACEs) Adverse Childhood Experiences, quietening the brainstem, regulation and relationship, PACE and building your own resilience.
This professional development modular training will enable you to go on a journey with your staff to understand the impact of early childhood trauma. You will learn how through relationships; we can work to help children and young people who have experienced trauma become more regulated and focus back on learning. You will have whole day’s training to enable you to deliver six short modules within school staff meetings. You will be given materials, training, and access to termly online support. This approach will give you time to explore ideas and embed new practices in school as you learn. This follows on from and develops the Recovery through Relationships core headset training but can be completed as a standalone programme.
This session is repeated throughout the year and is bookable by contacting SEND.Training@Cambridgeshire.gov.uk
No fee for Cambridgeshire Schools.
An Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) is often a TA or LSA equipped to offer individualised or small group support for children or young people who are experiencing temporary or long term additional emotional needs. This provides a safe and supportive relationship within which children can think through challenges. (Can the hyperlink be updated to link to the attached form please)?
