• Introduction
• Speakers
• Download the Presentations
• SEN Policy Regional Seminar Series

Introduction

This seminar, the second of three regional events focusing on debate about SEN policy, was hosted by the Inclusion, Special Education and Educational Psychology (ISEEP) Division, at the University of Birmingham on 19th May. (See below for a link to the first of these seminars, held on 5th February, and focusing on multi agency working in the early years).

Follow this link to read about the first seminar in this series.       

This second seminar took as its focus the DfES document 'Removing Barriers to Achievement' and, more specifically, the three training levels identified in that document.

Speakers

Ann Lewis (University of Birmingham, and Head of ISEEP division) introduced the seminar and welcomed the invited participants from a range of professional backgrounds reflecting policy, practice and research foci.

Five speakers discussed various aspects of professional development in the evolving SEN and inclusion contexts.

Phil Snell from the DfES described the Government's strategy for SEN and the ways in which teachers' development could be fostered, both generally and through the development of specialist skills.

Stephen Baker from the Teacher Training Agency discussed postgraduate professional development and showed, through examples and case studies, how award bearing Inset will be funded. He reviewed how institutions of Higher Education would be able to bid for funding to run such programmes.

Three further speakers described new approaches to professional development in the SEN and inclusion contexts. Dave Traxson (Worcestershire LEA) talked about an integrated programme, focusing on management for inclusion, which is run jointly by Worcestershire LEA and the University of Birmingham (ISEEP). Mike McLinden (ISEEP) described the development of problem based learning in the education of teachers of children with visually impairments. Jill Porter (ISEEP) discussed the benefits of the School’s integrated PhD programme, including its relevance for teachers of children with special needs.

The session also included formal and informal discussions (pairs, small group and whole seminar).These exchanges between the diverse and well-informed participants provided both intellectual stimulation and strategies for action.

Download the Presentations

• Stephen Baker presentation (Powerpoint)
• Phil Snell presentation (Powerpoint)
• Dave Traxson presentation (Powerpoint)
• Mike McLinden Presentation (Powerpoint)