DYT Week Ahead: Conference season is back!

Welcome to ‘The Week Ahead’ – here you will find the latest updates on literacy and SEND policy from Parliament and beyond.  

Commission on accountability calls for overhaul 

NAHT’s report into the school accountability caught the attention of the education community last week. The union have made 9 recommendations for creating better conditions for holding schools to account, including that Ofsted should use comparative performance data and that a “requires improvement” should replace floor and coasting standards. DYT will be publishing a position paper on how the school accountability system works for learners with literacy difficulties at the start of next year.

Young people with learning difficulties have had their say in identifying research areas that could improve their livesIn a new project, researchers from the Salvesen Mindroom Centre (SMC), the University of Edinburgh and the James Lind Alliance, worked with young people with learning difficulties and their families to identify key areas of research. Their top ten research priorities included projects on the knowledge, skills and training educational professionals need to identify the early signs of learning difficulties and provide optimal support for children and young people affected to help them achieve the best possible outcomes. DYT will be rising to this challenge with new research into specialist teachers available next spring.

Ofsted: High standards – and highly inclusive

In a new blog by Nick Whittaker, Ofsted’s Specialist Adviser on SEN, reveals that the forthcoming consultation on the new education inspection framework will include a strand about children who have SEN and/or disabilities. Commenting on the blog, DYT’s Chair and founder, Sarah Driver welcomes the strand in the new framework but questions if it will go far enough: “many who struggle with literacy have a disability yet often won’t make it to SEND register, especially in school with many needs. ALL pupils need to well prepared for next stage of life.” DYT will be responding in full when the consultation is published next Spring.

Why inset days should be like a driving awareness course 

Writing in SchoolsWeek, DYT’s new Director of Operations, Karen Wespieser, looks at what would the teaching equivalent of a speed awareness course could look like. Arguing that learning and remembering why we do things is a powerful behaviour change technique, Karen recommends the latest evidence that could comprise CPD this school year.

A culture of success for dyslexics 

In the first of two media appearances this week, DYT’s Director of Education, Jules Daulby explains in SEN Magazine how schools must create an ethos which enables learners with dyslexia to achieve.

Exclusions: too many or too few?

Jules Daulby also featured in the first ever SchoolsWeek debate. Pitched against Mark Lehain, Director of Parents and Teachers for Excellence, Jules explained that children with SEND are seven times more likely to be excluded and parents need an independent advocate to work on their behalf in the complex process that surrounds exclusions.

The Liberal Democrats kick off three weeks of party conferences in Brighton. Lib Dem Education spokesperson, Layla Moran spoke on Saturday focusing on grammar schools which she suggested ‘are in effect state sponsored segregation’. Our 2018 position paper Grammar Schools and Special Educational Needs, made similar points highlighting that judging the likely educational outcomes of students at age 11, based on their ability to pass a single time limited test, is not a reliable or valid method of assessing underlying ability and is likely to most disadvantage young people with SEND. Moran, a former primary school teacher has been widely tipped to be the next leader of the party and is certainly one to watch over the next few months.DYT will be sending representatives to the Labour and Conservative Party Conferences later this month to challenge current and potential policy makers on behalf of young people with literacy difficulties.

IFS publish findings on education spending 

The Institute of Fiscal Studies will publish their latest report which takes a close look into education spending in England. Their last report into school funding found that spending per pupil has reduced by 8%. DYT will be at the launch so look out for updates from our twitter.

New Ofsted curriculum research 

Ofsted’s flagship research on the school curriculum is due to be published before the end of the month. Speaking at the ResearchED National Conference last week, Ofsted Director of Research, Professor Daniel Muijs told delegates “it really exciting because this is one of the best pieces of research on curriculum ever done in the UK.”

DYT team on the road

Karen Wespieser will be presenting at ResearchED Scotland on Saturday.

Congratulations!

DYT CEO, Chris Rossiter married his partner, Geoff on Saturday. A big congratulations from everyone at the DYT office!