Preparing students in Initial Teacher Training to meet the needs of pupils with SEND the role of special schools Overview By Helen Newton and Claire Martin Contents Background to SEND and ITT course provision The research setting The aims of the research The research design Findings: o In what ways do special school placements impact on trainees? o Do special school placements as part of a mainstream ITT course impact on the teachers hosting the trainees and, if so, in what ways? o Do special school placements as part of a mainstream ITT course impact on the special school pupils and, if so, in what ways? Concluding points 1
This research project considers the impact of special school placements on ITT (Initial Teacher Training) students in terms of their confidence and abilities to meet the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). It also begins to examine the impact of hosting and supporting the ITT students on: the special schools, their teachers and the pupils. Background to SEND in ITT course provision The amount of time a trainee teacher on a year-long training course spends on SEND varies from course to course and is dependent on the priorities of the course designers in response to the Department for Education (DfE) requirements and guidelines. One review of such provision suggested that an overloaded curriculum for prospective teachers has made an adequate consideration of inclusion vulnerable (Middler 2000 cited in Pearson, p 562). With the current DfE agenda or raise standards, particularly in English and mathematics in primary, course designs reflect this and do not prioritise the abilities of the trainees to meet the needs of pupils with identified special educational needs and disabilities (Norwich and Nash, 2011, p3). ITT course leaders express concerns about how much there is to fit into taught course sessions which, since 2010, are required not to exceed 60 days out of a 180 day course (Lawson, 2010, p147). Therefore, time allotted to training in SEND as part of ITT must be carefully planned and shown through evaluation and research to be highly effective in enabling trainee teachers to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. ITT courses tend to draw from a generalist view of teaching trainees to meet the needs of pupils with SEND; one based on the assumption that meeting the needs of pupils with SEND is about the intensification of general teaching approaches to engage pupils with diverse needs rather than ITT courses supporting a specialist approach to meeting the needs of pupils with SEND. The latter can be seen as rooted in an outmoded medical model of disability (Norwich and Nash, 2011, p4). And yet, outcomes for trainees, such as positive attitudes to, and expectations of, pupils with SEND, are key performance indicators for the impact of training on practice. Pearson (2012, p560) points out that the attitudes of trainee teachers are crucial in shaping their abilities to teach inclusively. These attitudes are formed through the experiences a trainee brings to the course and also the experiences on the course. Some trainees will have little or no experience of SEND prior to the course. This paper proposes that the more positive and wide ranging the experience of SEND the trainee has during the course the greater their understanding of SEND will be. The assumption that trainee teachers will gain the required knowledge and understanding about meeting the needs of pupils with SEND whilst they are on school placements is one which is open to question. Ofsted (2008cited in Nash and Norwich, 2010, p1473) reported that there was an overreliance of school practice in providing SEND training. This overreliance assumes that trainee teachers will be able to pick up and discern good and not so good practice without explicit teaching as part of their taught course. It is our belief that the trainees need taught sessions which will enable them to consider different models of SEND provision and to be identify good practice and progress for pupils with SEND. Therefore, the type, length and quality of SEND experience and training, whilst accepting the time constraints of ITT courses, is crucial. Our research is based on the belief that learning about SEND is significantly enhanced by the inclusion of a clear role for special schools in ITT teaching and school experience of SEND. Meaningful experiences in special schools can add to the breadth and depth of understanding of trainees. We believe these experiences are underused, restricted by course time constraints and the priorities of course planners. The research setting Ash Field Teaching Academy Alliance (AFTAA) is a small teaching school alliance founded in 2015. The Alliance includes a mainstream secondary school, two mainstream primary schools and a number of special schools. Ash Field Academy is a special school for pupils with physical disabilities aged 4-19. The schools across the Alliance meet 2
a range of SEND across the age range 4-19. All schools are used in the provision of short placements, longer Teaching Practices or for tours/occasional visits. AFTAA s purpose and mission is to develop with our strategic partners the capacity in the education system to meet both the needs of underachieving pupils and those with SEND. Our vision is that all ITT students trained locally through University, School Direct, Teach First or SCITT provision will be great teachers of SEND. AFTAA leads training for ITT for the key ITT providers in Leicester City. We design and provide innovative and highly rated training in SEND to Leicester/shire primary and secondary SCITT, to primary and secondary PGCE courses at the University of Leicester. Leicester primary SCITT is rated no 1 nationally for the quality of primary training (Centre for Education and Employment Research, 2015). The aims of the research The purpose of this research is to look in more depth at the impact of the special school role in ITT training for SEND. Many of the special schools involved in AFTAA have hosted placements for trainee teachers for a number of years and evaluations of these days have been very positive. External evaluation has made comments such as: Trainees who met inspectors spoke of the profound impact their placements in special schools had on their commitment to and understanding of inclusion. This helps explain why trainees are so effective in meeting the needs of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs (Leicester Secondary SCITT Ofsted report 2015). However little is known about the actual impact of the special school placements on ITT trainees understanding, attitudes, confidence and career aspirations and also on the special schools themselves including the impact that involvement in ITT training may have on future recruitment of teachers to special schools. The research project was designed to address the following questions: 1. In what ways do special school placements impact on a) trainee confidence in SEND b) what trainees consider they learn from the placements c) likelihood of applying for positions in SEND settings? 2. Do special school placements as part of a mainstream ITT course impact on the teachers hosting the trainees and, if so, in what ways? 3. Do special school placements as part of a mainstream ITT course impact on the special school pupils and, if so, in what ways? The research design The research was conducted with trainees on short placement over a 5 month period (October 2015 February 2016). Students from nine courses were included in the research; one Early Primary, three Primary and five Secondary. All 72 trainees completed a feedback questionnaire and of these, 24 were interviewed. An example of the questionnaire is included in appendix 1. Three trainees were interviewed during their teaching practice in a special school. One of these was undertaking Teaching Placement 2 and the other two were on Teaching Placement 3. In order to ascertain the impact on teachers in one of the host schools, nine teachers were interviewed after having an ITT trainee in their class for a 5 day placement in the autumn term. An additional three teachers were also interviewed after teaching practices during the spring and summer terms. The impact on pupils was identified through interviews with teachers and three Teaching Assistants as well as through pupil interviews and questionnaires. Four pupils were interviewed after doing a presentation to the trainees and two pupils completed questionnaires after conducting tours of the school. 3
Findings In what ways do special school placements impact of placements on trainees? (RQ1) Trainees were asked to rate their level of confidence on a scale of 0-10 about being in a special school both before and after their placement. Impact on confidence (RQ1a) 68 out of 72 trainees (94.4%) questioned stated that it had increased their level of confidence about being in a special school by an overall average of 4.2 points, broken down as follows (Table 1): Table 1: A summary of impact on confidence levels of trainees Trainee Number of trainees Average confidence level before placement Average confidence level after placement Average number of points increase in confidence Primary 21 2.9 7.3 4.4 Secondary 51 3.3 7.3 4.0 1 day 28 3.2 7.2 4.0 5/6 days 44 3.0 7.8 4.8 Little / no 61 3.0 7.2 4.3 experience Some experience 10 5.3 8.6 3.4 From the four trainees who did not feel their confidence levels had been increased by their special school experience, three felt their confidence remained the same; these were all secondary. However, they were all able to identify areas of learning and did not make any suggestions for improvements. One trainee felt their level of confidence reduce from 3 to 2. This student did not elaborate any further on her questionnaire re levels of confidence and she was able to identify two areas of learning. This evidence suggests that the longer the placement, the greater the rise in students confidence levels across both primary and secondary trainees. There was, however, one anomaly in this data whoonly felt their confidence levels increase by an average of 2.7 points despite a four day placement. On examination of these trainees evaluations and interviews, there is no indication of the reason for the relatively small increase in levels of confidence. None of the trainees made any suggestions for improvements to the placement and all gave positive feedback including: It has had a massive impact in terms of planning and differentiation I learnt different ways children with SEND can be included in the lesson The evaluations and interviews highlighted that there are three main areas in which trainees felt their confidence had increased: being in a special school, a basic understanding of children with SEND and communication. Many trainees identified getting a basic understanding of special schools and children with SEND as what they were hoping to gain from their placement and achieving this helped to increase their confidence levels: More confident, an eye opener to see how special schools teach The first couple of days I was scared and worried but now I am more confident Their placements helped them see that special schools are not emotionally baring, depressing and morbid but: Less stressful than I thought Now less daunting and scary Many of the trainees had their perceptions of pupils with SEND changed by their experiences and now being able to see them as normal children helped increase confidence levels immensely: At the beginning I saw them as students with disabilities. Now I see them as students 4
Before the placement I thought children with special needs were not able or competent and if they re in a wheelchair, they can t do anything. This experience has dispelled those myths In addition to generally getting a better idea of children with SEND, specifically an increased understanding and knowledge of alternative and augmentative methods of communication helped to increase trainees levels of confidence, with many stating this as one of the most valuable aspects of the experience: One of the most valuable things was learning to communicate with children who cannot talk. I was worried about this beforehand Three additional trainees were interviewed towards the end of their teaching practice in a special school. All chose to complete a placement in a special school as they had an interest in working with children with SEND and felt there wasn t enough opportunity to experience this otherwise. They were all hoping to gain a greater knowledge of teaching children with special needs, including differentiation. All three trainees felt that their level of confidence and ability in teaching children with SEND had increased as a result of their placement, although one trainee reflected on a drop in confidence initially as it was so different to her previous placements: I felt as though I was back on TP1 Two trainees commented that the knowledge they have gained on their placement will be used in their mainstream teaching. Two trainees cited minor disadvantages to the special school placements. They were unable to fully complete the tasks set by the university or complete the required amount of teaching initially as they needed more support and time to get to know the pupils and teaching methods. One trainee was concerned about how her lack of mainstream experience would be viewed by potential mainstream employers. However, they both felt that these negatives were outweighed by the benefits they had gained from their special school placements. Impact on what trainees report to have learnt (RQ1b) 49 trainees (68.1%) rated how much they had learnt as an 8, 9 or 10. Two trainees from the Early Primary SCITT rated their learning as an increase of 4. This was the lowest rating. Averages for the different groups are below in Table 2: Table 2: A summary of impact on trainees learning about SEND Trainee Number of trainees Average amount considered learnt Primary 21 7.5 Secondary 51 8.9 I day 28 7.8 5/6 days 44 8.9 Little / no experience 61 8.3 Some experience 10 8.7 By far the most valuable area of learning for the trainees was a greater understanding of differentiation, with 41 trainees including this as part of the most valuable aspect of their placement or as one of the three things they learnt: How to make learning accessible despite physical boundaries Adapt learning and resources Gaining an insight into activities and resources used in lessons was also considered to be a highly valuable learning experience, with 26 trainees highlighting the importance of this. Some trainees commented on specialised equipment and resources that they had never seen before such as a tobii or etran frame whilst others learnt the value of music and sensory resources in making lessons engaging and fun: 5
Music can play a significant role in teaching and learning I learnt different ways in which lessons are enhanced with sensory things that could also be used in mainstream, to make the lesson more engaging Communication and behaviour management strategies also featured highly in trainees reports, followed by lesson planning and structure and teaching styles. Behaviour management strategies that can be used in mainstream How to plan lessons around children s needs, keeping children at the centre The lesson was real and understandable. It wasn t just hands on but a different approach to concepts. It s made me think about the way I teach topics 8 trainees found talking to special school staff highly beneficial: I have benefitted from the knowledge and understanding of highly experienced staff who have explained everything and answered all questions. I now have a relationship with the school and will be able to contact them in the future for advice Other areas that trainees felt they had learnt about were to have high expectations of the pupils, classroom management and use of support staff, more about specific disabilities and assessment. From the three trainees interviewed on teaching practice, all felt that the special school placement had achieved their expectations as well as providing them with learning that they had not envisaged. They all talked about the level in which they got to know and understand the pupils they taught which supported them in considering not just the differentiation of my teaching activities but also the more subtle differentiation of how I interact with individual pupils Other areas of learning also included: Signing Progress being able to break this down into small steps Planning lessons need to be planned, differentiated by group and then further differentiated for individual pupils. Impact on trainee likelihood of applying for posts in special schools (RQ1c) Trainees were asked to rate how likely they were to apply for a teaching position at a special school on a scale of 0-10 both before and after their placement.66 of the 72 (91.7%) stated that they were more inclined to apply to a special school after their placement by an average of 3.9 points. This was broken down as follows in Table 3: Table 3: A summary of impact on career aspirations Trainee Number of trainees Average likelihood to apply to special school before 6 Average likelihood to apply to special school after placement Average number of points increase in likelihood of applying placement Primary 21 2.9 6.9 4.0 Secondary 51 3.2 7.1 3.9 1 day 28 3.7 7.0 3.4 5/6 days 44 2.6 7.0 4.3 From the six trainees who were not more likely to apply for a teaching position in a special school, four felt they were just as likely as before the placement. Two trainees were one point less likely to apply for a special school job after their placement. Both of these students attended a one day placement, one in primary and the other in secondary. Neither identified the reason for this and both had positive things to say about their experience:
I learned a great deal today I thought the day was excellent I would love to have another experience day here Trainees were asked if their special school experience had altered their perceptions of children with special needs and/or working in a special school. The vast majority of trainees had found their experience a positive one, thus making them more likely to consider working in a special school in the future: My perception was that children are taught very differently in special schools and there was a big focus on disabilities. In reality, they are just the same as other children. I have spoken to the headteacher about applying for a job They still learn mainstream topics. They might need more imaginative teaching methods. Special school teaching may now be an option I am now more likely to work in SEN in the future All three teaching practice trainees felt that their special school experience had a positive effect on their career plans and aspirations. One trainee secured a teaching position in the school she is undertaking her teaching practice and the other two have both considered working in a special school as a direct result of their teaching practice: I did strongly consider working in special education (in my placement school) but in the end decided that I wanted the experience of working in mainstream education for the first few years of my teaching career at least. However, I am now considering coming back to work in special education further down the line The trainees were asked whether they would recommend doing a teaching practice in a special school to other ITT students. Two of the trainees stated that they felt the experience would not be of immediate benefit in their course but they would see the impact in their NQT year and beyond. They were all in agreement that, generally, they would recommend this as It helps to add a completely different dimension and ability to teach in a different style that you would not otherwise be able to experience. Overall impact of the placements on trainees The quantitative data presented above can be summarised as Table 4: Table 4: A summary of the impact of the placement on trainees Course Early Primary SCITT 1 day Primary BEd 5 days Primary PGCE 5 days Secondary PGCE 1 day Secondary Science 1 day Secondary PE 4 days Secondary SCITT 6 days Increase in confidence level How much learnt Increase in likelihood to apply to special schools 3.9 5.9 2.7 3.7 7.9 5.0 5.5 9.5 4.3 3.4 8.2 3.0 4.7 8.3 4.6 2.7 9.3 2.0 5.2 8.8 6.0 7
Using the average scores, the course which gained the most overall impact were the Primary PGCE and Secondary SCITT trainees. These were two of the longest placements (5 days and 6 days). Some of the comments from trainees on these courses highlighted this: A very valuable placement. I have learnt a lot It was a profoundly positive experience. I have learnt a lot in a very short period of time The trainees who appear to have benefitted least from their placement were those on the Early Primary SCITT. This was only a one day placement and suggestions for improvements from these trainees included: To see different classes To request year group or key stage to be placed with To have the opportunity to talk about lesson planning However, these suggestions were not unique to this group of trainees. Many trainees from all courses felt that their experiences were not long enough and / or they would have benefitted more from seeing more classes or being able to request a particular class to be placed with. There were also many positive comments from these trainees, making it difficult to pinpoint the reasons they did not benefit as much as those from other courses: I learned a great deal today It was very useful and informative One trainee who was placed with a class who had Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties did not feel that this was at all beneficial to her professional development as she would be unlikely to teach pupils with this level of disability in a mainstream setting. Results from the Secondary PE course were particularly interesting in that they had the least increase in confidence and likelihood to apply to a special school but put their learning at an average of 9.3, the second highest of all the courses. Do special school placements as part of a mainstream ITT course impact on the teachers hosting the trainees? (RQ2) Special school teachers were asked to evaluate the impact of having a trainee in their class had on them as a teacher. Six Primary and three Secondary teachers were questioned after a five day placement and two Primary and one Secondary teacher were questioned after teaching practices. After short placements One primary teacher felt that the trainee was used as an extra pair of hands rather than specifically a trainee teacher. However, there were many positive outcomes to the placements: It s helpful to explain what you re doing, why you re doing it and the theory behind it. The trainee had great ideas that made me think about things in a slightly different way Neither the primary or secondary teachers felt any negative implications from these placements but the secondary teachers felt there was no impact on them due to the short period of time the trainees were with them. After longer Teaching Practices One teacher stated that although demanding and time consuming, being a mentor was a rewarding challenge: It has made me be really analytical of my own teaching practice whilst having to observe and support [the trainee] which has been great to make me think about why I do things. I definitely feel it s great to improve my own practise. Another teacher agreed with this and also appreciated the reflection time after modelling lessons in the early stages of the placement, as it enabled her to think about ways in which teaching and learning could be improved. This teacher also benefitted from her trainee s more up to date subject knowledge, different ideas for activities and systems of planning and ideas on how to extend higher attaining pupils. 8
Another teacher appreciated the time it gave her to observe her class: This has given me time to review pupil targets but also to see the dynamics of the group and how pupils work with each other and how different they can be with different teachers Do special school placements as part of a mainstream ITT course impact on the special school pupils? (RQ3) Special school teachers and TAs were asked to evaluate the impact of having a trainee in their class had on their pupils. After short placements Teachers felt that their pupils benefited in a number of ways from having a trainee in class with them: She was an extra pair of ears and hands, someone to help them They had a wonderful, warm young man spend some quality time with them However, these benefits were felt to be true of any visitor and not specific to trainee teachers. A teacher of a secondary more able group felt that their trainee brought good subject knowledge and new expertise which the students benefitted from. However, there was a concern that less able pupils would be thrown by having a stranger in class, compounded by the short length of placements which does not allow trainees and pupils to get to know each other well enough for the trainee to have a particular impact. In contrast to this however, one teacher highlighted the importance of pupils learning to communicate with unfamiliar people. Teachers from across the phase and ability range stated that the placement could have a negative impact if trainees were not competent or confident enough to interact or work effectively with pupils as much teacher and TA time could be taken up trying to support and direct trainees rather than with the students. After longer Teaching Practices The class teachers and TAs were asked to give their opinion on how the placements had impacted the pupils. The general opinion was that being taught by somebody different has a positive effect on pupils as they have different / fresher ideas and new approaches as well as helping pupils to get used to different adults working with them. One teacher expressed that: In the latter part of her placement, her teaching was of a good standard and pupils were engaged in lessons so I definitely think my pupils had a good experience and made expected progress. Her only concern was that, at the start of the placement, the trainee struggled with lesson organisation such as starting lessons on time and organisation of TAs which had a negative effect on their learning time. One class of Further Education students gave their opinions on the impact having a student teacher had on them. They were unable to think of any negative implications and listed the following positive implications: He is very active He always makes us try / give something a go He is very informative ie, taught us the rules to new games He is happy and friendly He taught us knew symbols on a map during orienteering After Tours and Presentations Pupils from a special school s FE department were involved in doing a tour of their school and giving a talk to a large group of trainees on What Disability Means to Me. These students then completed a questionnaire about if and how they felt these activities had benefitted them and the trainees. The students who had given the presentation all reported that they felt nervous beforehand as they were unused to presenting to such a large number of people. Three of the four felt more confident during the presentation as I felt like everyone was listening to me and interested in what I had to say. They all felt a sense of pride and achievement after their presentation and thought the main benefit to them was an increase in confidence: 9
I felt good and proud that I had informed other people about disability. It was a big achievement for me to have spoken to over 100 people One student also felt that a benefit to him was learning about his peers and their disabilities through listening to their presentations. All four students felt that the main benefit to the trainees was a greater understanding of different disabilities and how they affect children: I feel like it gave them a bit more confidence to deal with any type of situation that may occur in the classroom regarding a person with a disability and not to feel scared The students who completed the questionnaires after doing a tour of the school also achieved a sense of pride in being able to show off their school. They both felt the main benefit to the trainees was that they gained a greater understanding of the school. Concluding points 1. The research has demonstrated that special school placements as part of a mainstream ITT course do have a positive impact on all ITT trainees with regard to their confidence, knowledge and ability to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. 2. The placements also have an impact on trainees career aspirations. 3. The research clearly demonstrates that the longer placements have more impact in all areas than one day placements. 4. The impact felt by primary and secondary trainees was similar. 5.There is also not a significant difference in impact between trainees who had previous experience of children with SEND compared with those who did not. 6. All trainees benefitted from their teaching practices in terms of the confidence, knowledge and ability needed to meet the needs of children with SEND. 7 The teachers interviewed all felt that, overall, supporting a student teacher had a positive impact on themselves as teachers. 8. The general consensus was that having a trainee teacher in class for short placements brings the same advantages and disadvantages as any other visitor to the class but that any negatives from an unconfident / less experienced trainee is outweighed by the positive impact of having another adult in the classroom. 9. Having a trainee in class for a full teaching practice brings many advantages to pupils, from allowing them to interact and communicate with unfamiliar people to benefitting from fresh and new ideas and approaches brought with the trainee. 10. All students who took part in the tours and presentations felt that these had had a positive impact on them, most noticeably in terms of confidence as well as providing them with a sense of achievement and pride in themselves and their school. 10
References Centre for Education and Employment Research (2015) The Good Teacher Training Guide 2015, University of Buckingham. Lawson, H. (2015) Chapter 3 in Professional training in the changing context of SEN and disability policy and practice, in Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs 15 (2): 139-163 Nash, T. and Norwich, B. (2010) The initial training of teachers to teach children with SEN. A national survey of PGCE programmes, Teaching and Teacher Education 26, 1471-1480 Norwich, B. and Nash, T. (2011) Preparing teachers to teach children with SEND: the significance of a national PGCE development and evaluation project for inclusive teacher education, Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 11(1): 2-11. Pearson, S. (2009) Using activity theory to understand prospective teachers attitudes to and construction of special educational needs and/or disabilities, Teaching and Teacher Education 25, 559-568. 11
Appendix 1: Evaluation of Special School Day/placement 2015 2016 ITT trainees Please rate yourself on the 0-10 rating scale 0 = none at all, 10 = a great deal!! How much experience did you have of a special school/setting prior to the start of the course? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 None at all A great deal How confident did you feel prior to the start of the course about being in a special school/placement? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Not at all Extremely How much did you enjoy the special school day/placement? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Not at all Enormously! How much did you learn about meeting the needs of pupils with SEND through the special school day/placement? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Nothing A huge amount How confident do you feel about being in a special school/setting after this placement and experience as part of the course?? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Not at all Extremely Would you have considered applying for a job in a special school/setting at some point in your teaching career prior to starting the course? 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Never Definitely Would you now consider applying for a job in a special school/setting at some point in your teaching career (has the placement impacted on this possible career route?) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Never Definitely 12
Things to consider on the Special School Day/placement Your name. School visited This may be shared with other trainees at placement feedback session Please tell us 3 things that impressed you about the school: 1) 2) 3) Was there anything you saw that you would like to know more about or were unsure about? Can you identify 3 things you learnt as the result of the day which will help you in meeting needs of pupils with SEND as an NQT? 1) 2) 3) Are there any ways in which the day could be improved? Are there any other comments you would like to add? Thank you 13
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Appendix 2: Interview questions for trainees on short placements What were you hoping to gain from the experience in a special school? How far has this day achieved this? Which aspects of the day were most valuable in preparing you to teach pupils with SEND? Which aspects were not valuable? How has the experience changed your perception of: Pupils with SEND? Teaching pupils with SEND in mainstream? Working in a special school? Please summarise the impact the day has had on you and your professional development. 15