We support professionals working in the Special Educational Needs Sector (SEN)

We are still open and providing support to schools, parents and carers.

If you are an EQUALS member and you don’t have access to your login details
please email admin@equalsoffice.co.uk
or you can ring 0191 272 1222 – 8 am – 9 pm – 7 days a week.

Has your school already purchased licences for some of our
curriculum and assessment materials?

If you don’t have access to these, contact us and we will
email over any links so you can continue to use these.

Are you new to EQUALS?  please get in touch and we can arrange
a free scheme of work for you to use at this time.

Social distancing and PPE guidance for staff

“These safety steps have been agreed with my union the NEU, for staff working in special schools –
I am not aware that any other unions have issued specific practical guidance yet.

Click here to view the guidance from Co-op Academy

Dominic Wall

Executive Principal & SEND Lead for Co-op Academies Trust

Co-op Academy Southfield
 

News Item from Chris Rollings – EQUALS Chairperson

News item- FLSE- How special heads are dealing with Coronavirus

Dear Colleagues,

In these uncertain times I am sure you are all wrestling with key decisions and worrying how on earth we protect our vulnerable children and young people as well as the interests of our staff. The link above is from our friends in Special Schools Voice, Medicines in Special Schools (where I represent EQUALS), FLSE, NASEN, SSAT etc. represents our shared voice for our schools. If you have any thoughts, feedback, suggestions that you would like answers to I am happy for you to contact me directly on the following email address.

chris.rollings@hadrian.newcastle.sch.uk

I appreciate there are still unresolved issues about opening over the Easter break and ultimately our School Leaders will do what is right for your children and young people. Keep supporting each other, please don’t judge anyone’s well intentioned actions and most importantly of all, stay safe.

Best wishes, Chris Rollings, EQUALS Chairperson.
 

Minister Ford’s open letter to the SEND sector 24th March 2020

Please find here an open letter to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), their parents, families and others who support them from Vicky Ford, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families. The letter signposts key Covid-19 guidance published over the past week.
 

Home Learning

Here you can view a selection of Useful Links from EQUALS.

If you would like to include a link on the EQUALS website
please email admin@equalsoffice.co.uk

We are especially interested in any links for ‘Home Learning’ and ‘Supporting Pupil Behaviour’
at this time for pupils with PMLD, SLD and MLD.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

From Hadrian School in Newcastle upon Tyne

A list of websites and resources you may find useful.

If anybody finds anything useful that is not listed here, please feel free to email  david.robinson@hadrian.newcastle.sch.uk and he will include them.

You an also check ‘The Friends of Hadrian School‘ Facebook page for more ideas.

From Sunningdale School in Sunderland.

Below are some resources which we have organised for ‘Home Learning’

www.sunningdaleschool.com/parents/homeactivities.htm

There are also a couple of videos describing how they’re structured and how to use them.

They are here:

https://youtu.be/NZQ2pPI_Z1M

https://youtu.be/Ifn7n95YZCQ

James Waller

Deputy Head Teacher
Specialist Leader of Education (SLE)

Sunningdale School

From Marie Howley – Autism Home Learning

Ideas to support your child’s learning
and wellbeing whilst they are off school.

Please see the link to the Blog from Marie Howley

Autism Home Learning

Marie has set up the blog to support families with children and young people with Autism who are at home due to the Corono virus and Marie plans to add items each day.

This is helpful for parents/carers and will be excellent with lots of strategies and ideas.  Please help share this  blog link by adding it to your school website.
 

From Priory Woods School in Middlesbrough

Dragonfly on Track

Priory Woods are releasing daily videos on their facebook group for parents to provide links between the 5 ‘Ways to Well-being’ adopted by the NHS and the Curriculum.

Some examples can be found at

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dragonflyontrack

From Mandeville School in London

During this time of pupils being at home and not in school Mandeville School are providing lots of ideas and activities to support pupils. They will be uploading a range of web pages, songs, stories and other activities that you may find helpful while you are at home during this period.

For more information please visit

Home Learning – Mandeville School

 

EQUALS Membership

EQUALS is a not-for-profit registered charity, first formed in 1994, committed to supporting the work of teachers, TAs, schools and parents/carers of pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) severe learning difficulties (SLD) and moderate learning difficulties (MLD).

Being a member of EQUALS enables you to:

• • be a part of an internationally recognised body actively campaigning on issues
    related specifically to PMLD, SLD and MLD
  • save £100s of pounds when ordering Curriculum and Assessment
    materials/licences for PMLD, SLD and MLD
  • enrol on high quality CPD provided in your area and geared to your local needs
  • save £100s of pounds when booking places on EQUALS national conferences
  • register for Accreditation/Certificate of Achievement Schemes for pupils with PMLD, SLD and MLD
  • advertise SEN Job Vacancies for free at www.equalsmembers.org
  • secure access to a News and Discussion Forum for PMLD, SLD and MLD.

click here to learn more about the benefits for EQUALS membership.

New Engagement Model – Rochford Review

The new engagement model guidance has now been published.

The guidance provides detailed information on how to use the engagement model as the new statutory form of assessment for pupils working below the standard of the national curriculum assessments and not engaged in subject-specific study at key stage 1 (KS1) and key stage 2 (KS2). The engagement model will replace P scales 1-4 from the 2020/21 academic year subject to consultation and amendments to the relevant legislation.

The engagement model has five areas: exploration, realisation, anticipation, persistence and initiation; it combines a formative and summative approach whilst encouraging the identification and celebration of pupil progress.

Click here to access the new guidance

Please can you pass on this information to your colleagues.

Please  address any queries about the guidance to:

Rochford.REVIEW@education.gov.uk

EQUALS Formal Curriculum

This Curriculum has been specifically written for pupils working consistently and over time below age related expectations, especially those who struggle with literacy and numeracy.

• Download Order Form

EQUALS Semi-formal SLD/MLD Curriculum

EQUALS has published a ‘Brand New’ Semi-Formal Curriculum, specifically designed and written for learners of all ages with SLD/MLD.

To learn more about our brand new SLD/MLD curriculum please click here
Or contact Paul Buskin at the EQUALS office on 0191 272 1222
or email paul@equalsoffice.co.uk

Below is a short video of just over 11 mins by Peter Imray; our Director of Developments. Peter Imray talks about our brand new Semi-Formal (SLD/MLD) Curriculum.

EQUALS is also now offering Twilight CPD Semi-Formal (SLD/MLD) Curriculum courses by Peter Imray in eight more locations throughout the UK. Places are available from £19 ex VAT

click here to read more

EQUALS Pre-formal PMLD Curriculum

EQUALS has published a new Curriculum for pupils with PMLD.

For pupils with a profound learning difficulty, learning is best done when the learner is placed at the centre of the Curriculum.

“Let’s focus on the things that matter”.

A Person-Centred and Holistic Curriculum for Learners with
Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties.

A Curriculum of ideas for learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties
to help teachers/TAs to:

• • build routines
  • facilitate change
  • offer alternatives
  • observe and guide

Our aim is to put the learners in control by giving them an environment that they can understand and they are allowed to keep changing in order to encourage development.

Click here to read more or to place an order

Mathematics, English and Science – 2018 Editions

Formal Subject-specific Schemes of Work for PMLD, SLD and MLD.
For the National Curriculum – For pupils working below age related expectations.

Click here to view previews or to place an order

MAPP – Mapping and Assessing Personal Progress

There is a new version now available
MAPP (Semi-Formal)  is a suite of materials developed to facilitate the planning, assessment and recording of progress in relation to personal learning intentions.

Below is a short video of almost 11 mins by Mike Sissons; the author of MAPP – Semi-Formal.

Mike Sissons talks about the new MAPP – Semi-Formal.

Click here to learn more about MAPP Semi-formal