TES SEN Show part 2 - Soundbeam and Evidence for Learning

I hope those of you on half term have had a lovely relaxing week. I would like to say mine has been relaxing but far from it. We've been busy making Dispense the Sense activity cards which we have for sale and also ready for upcoming events as well as planning for Christmas sensory stories and 12 days of Christmas activity boxes. Then we've been preparing for Flo's conference at the end of November. As well as general school work, rehearsing for Annie which I am performing in November and general life... well it's been busy and has flown by. 

I have planned a new autumn themed TACPAC and sensory story so will share those with you over the up and coming weeks (don't forget we have TACPAC and story massage resources free to download from our TES page - sensory_dispensary). We also have a few people interested in writing guest blogs which will be very exciting. If you have anything you would like to share or write about on our blog, please get in touch with us. Or if you have any topics you would like us to write about, please let us know. 

Anyway, the topic of today's post is the 2nd half of the TES SEN Show, I know it feels like forever ago now. 

Firstly, I wanted to talk about Soundbeam. Many of you will have probably heard of soundbeam and I hope it is in every school around the country, although I know it's not as we don't have one. 

'Soundbeam is an award-winning 'touch free' device which uses sensor technology to translate body movement into music and sound. It gives children and adults the opportunity, regardless of their impairments or disability, to play music.' 

Welch et al (2001) undertook a nation-wide research project known as PROMISE (Provision of Music in Special Education) which was funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Trust and supported by the Royal Institute for the Blind. 53 special schools across the country took part. The findings were mixed. They found that only 5% of participating children received music therapy. We all hear how beneficial it is however it's not so easy to gain funding for this and also very difficult to find a qualified music therapist. One of our partner schools employs an amazing music therapist for one or two days a week but he works all over and says himself that he is in such high demand as there is a lack of trained music therapists in our area and I'm sure many others. 

The results highlighted that headteachers placed a high value on music as part of their curriculum however there were no specific models of music curriculum as such designed for pupils with SLD or PMLD. The resources and types of music delivered in the participating schools were mainly percussion. The majority of music coordinators had no qualifications in music and music CPD was seen as 'adhoc' and depended mainly on local provision. 

It was also noted that music is a significant component in the daily lives of many of our pupils; radio in the morning at home, music played on the taxi, signify songs throughout the day, their favourite music incorporated into the day. I know we use music all the time. I'm sure Jo Grace would also add that music is a great way to support mental health and wellbeing. I'm going to bring out my inner teenager here and embarrassingly refer to One Tree Hill. One Tree Hill as a TV programme that related to me during my teenage years and had an inner theme of music. They portrayed the effect music has on people including young people growing up and learning to deal with the problems life throws at them. Music was seen as a healing power due to its relatable song lyrics and its power to set or change a mood. Music can set the 'feel' of an environment, as teachers, Hannah and I often use music for this reason. We are aware of how powerful our sense of smell is as it is linked to the emotional part of our brain and can transport us back to a memory. I think music can do the same for a lot of people, it definitely does for me. I have seen the power of music for my pupils, by the end of this term some of my class were responding to my signify songs for the start and end of a session. One of Hannah's pupils loves music, the music played or sung to her can often determine her mood. She knows what she likes and more importantly what she doesn't like!

So how can we incorporate effective music provision into the curriculum for our learners with SLD and PMLD? I think Soundbeam is a wonderful example of this. Soundbeam equipment allows our pupils with learning and physical disabilities to make music. It is a control box and sensor beams that track any movement the pupil makes to create sound. The 'beams' are incredibly clever, as demonstrated to us at the TES SEN Show. They are adjustable in order to be personal to every pupil. The length of the beam sensors can be altered for each child for those who whizz around the room to motivate them to control their movement within a smaller area or the sensitivity can be adapted such as for a child with very limited movement. There are so many learning opportunities to be gained by exploring this equipment, the first and most important I think is that the child can have completely independent control. In a world where they rely on others for so much, it is lovely to watch someone with PMLD, perhaps after hundreds of attempts, learn that they are controlling something. How about have them in charge of music in assemblies or the school nativity, record their own CD. I just think it's lovely. 

I have no training in music, and being honest I have always found music sessions for my SLD classes difficult beyond the drumming call and response rhythm type activities. But the lovely lady on the stall gave me the confidence and that's what is brilliant about Soundbeam, that you don't have to be an expert and you need no training. It is so simple to use and is led by the child! 

We are currently fundraising for a Soundbeam, hopefully by the end of the year we will have it and can share with you the impact it has for our pupils. If you have any stories of using Soundbeam, please share them, we would love to hear them. You can also view many lovely videos on their website. Make sure also take a look at their autumn newsletter here. 

Cheng et al (2009) Researching and developing music provision in Special Schools in England for children and young people with complex needs, Australian Journal of Music Education 2(22) 

Another topic I would like to talk about is recording of evidence. We currently use tapestry, however we feel it has many limitations. Hannah had read up a little on Evidence for Learning and when we spotted them at TES SEN Show, we were quick to head over and pick their brains. 

Evidence for learning is an IPAD app assessment record tool similar to Tapestry. However, there are notable differences. Firstly, Evidence for Learning is a system which can be personalised to each child, where as Tapestry was designed for the EYFS framework although I know it also includes the p-scales. Well we all know they are on their way out anyway and many schools use other assessment systems such as PIVATS, MAPP, Routes for Learning, B Squared, Individual Learning Plans and many more which don't fit with the Tapestry framework. We end up uploading evidence to tapestry as learning journals for parents but also filing evidence in assessment folders and highlighting PIVATS lozenges to link to pupil outcomes as well as annotating ILPs. It is very time consuming. Evidence for learning can be designed for each pupil's personal targets and even further than this can include steps of progress towards a target for example the 4 learning areas of MAPP; fluency, prompting, maintenance and generalisation. Other benefits are that it can be used offline, it can be shared with parents who can comment and upload their own evidence, it can produce printable learning journeys and assessment document evidence. Evidence for Learning could be used to record ALL progress in ALL areas such as ILP targets and progress towards EHCP targets, PIVATS or other assessment framework targets, physio or MOVE targets, pretty much anything and any other wow moments you want to record. 

This is in no way endorsed and we do not currently use this product, however on returning to school we passed it on to our leadership as we felt that as teachers, this was a tool which could be an effective way of capturing evidence as well as being practical. Swiss Cottage School also use Evidence for Learning and are big advocates for it. You can give it a go with a 14 day free trial. Contact them for more details. 

If you are back at school tomorrow we hope you have a great start back. 

Here is a link to Flo's forum in November where Hannah and I will be attending. It's an opportunity not to miss if you can convince your school to let you go! 

An Inclusive Trip to Alton Towers

In June this year we took our two classes on a visit to Alton Towers.  The trip would not have been possible without the installation of two new Changing Places toilets (toilets designed to meet the needs of people with complex care needs including a hoist and adult sized changing bench).  It is so important that more places install these facilities. Without these facilities, visits are often cut short in order to meet these individuals’ basic needs or families and carers are often forced to resort to changing on toilet floors. For many it is simply not feasible to visit at all.  The Changing Places Consortium is campaigning for Changing Places toilets to be installed in all big public places. You can find more information about Changing Places on their website here including ways you can support or become a campaigner. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter @CP_Consortium.

Pre visit 

We initially did a pre-visit in order to carry out our risk assessment. Alton Towers offer Teacher VIP days which include an hour long seminar offering you information on the opportunities and facilities available and free tickets to explore the facilities for yourself. We were fortunate that on the particular day we went there were no more than 8 other teachers who attended the VIP day. This enabled the seminar to be really tailored to answer the specific questions we needed in order to make our visit possible. You can find examples of these below.

FAQ

Q1. We require a higher staffing ratio for our pupils with complex care needs. How many free adult places do you offer for these pupils?

A1: One free adult per child with an EHCP plus an extra adult per 5 children. We were advised to take each child’s EHCP with us on the day however, they later agreed to accept a letter from the head of school listing the children and their needs as well as confirming that all the children had an EHCP.  We would advise you to clarify with Alton Towers what they would accept on your trip.

Q2. Where are your changing places toilets located?

A2: There is a changing places toilet located in X Sector and a Space to Change facility located in Fountain Square. These are easily identified on the map by the changing places logo.

Q3: Some of our pupils will need physiotherapy during the visit- are there any wheelchair accessible rooms which we are able to use for this?

A room can be provided (this is different from the one usually offered to mainstream schools and is located in ‘Cloud Cuckoo land’ which is further from the main entrance). There is also a medical centre. If you visit the medical centre staff during your free day, they are happy to help. The medical staff advised us that we would be able to use their medical bed for one of our pupils who requires daily chest physiotherapy.

Q4: Are any of your rides wheelchair accessible? Some of our pupils need to be lifted or physically assisted. Can you advise which rides might be suitable for these pupils?

A4: There is one wheelchair accessible ride in CBeebies world. We were advised to go and speak to staff working on the specific rides that would be able to advise us on which ones would be suitable for individuals during our visit. We found that there was one wheelchair accessible ride in CBeebies Land- The Numtums Number-Go-Round (please note that only one wheelchair is allowed on each time). There are other rides that can be accessed if the pupil is able to brace such as the Night Garden Magical Boat Ride and Postman Pat’s Parcel Post. Lucy created a chart for each of the rides in the park that we planned to visit, with the pupil’s names down the side and a tick box to identify which children were able to access which rides/facilities. This was essential when we split into groups as it enabled group leaders and staff members to know in advance which rides they were able to use. You can find this resource along with other related resources for free on our TES resources page here.

Q5: When do you pay for the trip?

A5: You have to pay 10 days in advance for a school trip. Cost depends on time of year but in June it was £8 per child.

Q6: Is there a fast track available for our pupils?

A6: Fast track was offered to all of our pupils at no extra cost, we just had to collect the wristbands from the entrance on the day. Fast track was great, we went straight to the front of the queue but there are systems in place if it’s busy whereby your card is marked with the next time you can ride.

Q7: Are any radar keys available at the park in order to access the Changing Places toilets?

A7: Radar keys can be borrowed from the information centre for a deposit if needed for the changing spaces facilities.

Q8: Does Alton Towers Theme Park have the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality badge?

A8 Yes- “The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, which recognises providers offering good quality learning outside the classroom and managing risk effectively awards the Quality Badge to educational destinations which meets the stringent criteria for quality school trips. It can reduce red tape for you when planning visits, assures effective risk management and gives you the freedom and confidence to incorporate more learning outside the classroom into the curriculum.” (Alton Towers Resort School Planning Pack 2017)

Q9: Is there anywhere to store temperature sensitive medication?

A9: The medical centre can store temperature sensitive medication for you in their medical centre refrigerated medicine storage.

We held a parent’s information evening before the trip took place to offer information, pictures from our risk assessment visit and opportunities for us to answer any questions they may have. You can find the PowerPoints from this information evening for free on our Sensory_Dispensary TES resources page here.

What opportunities are there on offer for pupils?

There were many areas of the park that offered great opportunities for our pupils with PMLD. In CBeebies Land there was Mr Tumbles Sensory Garden which offered a wealth of sensory experiences particularly stimulating the olfactory sense with plants including lemon balm, rosemary, mint and lavender offering a variety of strong scents along the path. There were also ‘fun house’ mirrors and Mr Tumble’s voice along with music was played in different spots. There are also ‘lift-the-flap’ activities for more able pupils although we found that these were not always accessible from wheelchairs.

Nina’s Science Lab provided many opportunities for exploration. There were different textures to feel, plasma globes, smells to experience in a guess the smell ‘lift-the-flap’ activity, talking tubes and much more. Again, we did find that some elements of this area were difficult to access for those pupils with bigger, non-height adjustable wheelchairs.

The Aquarium provided amazing visually mesmerising sensory experiences and the staff were very accommodating in enabling our pupils to participate in Tropical Interactive Pool for tactile sensory experiences! Pupils were able to feel starfish and encountered some strange manicure giving shrimp as they dipped their hands into the water.

There were also interactive shows at various times throughout the day from 'Big Fun Show Time' and 'The Furchester Live Hotel' which were a big hit for our pupils with familiar characters and songs that brought big smiles and giggles to many faces! The performers were great at ensuring our pupils were involved in the games, singing and dancing.

For more able pupils Lola's world was very popular, especially the interactive floor and ball pit. This was great fun as the children were able to put the balls in a tube and anticipated them dropping down. Lola’s world is wheelchair accessible and we found it was possible to lift some of our pupils out of their chairs to explore the interactive floor. It was also possible for some of our pupils who have more mobility out of their wheelchairs, to be physically assisted to get into the ball pool. There are cupboards to open and explore, various noises to listen to, dressing up activities and more.

Mr Bloom’s garden was also a hit with many of our children with SLD. It is a fully interactive experience including action songs and hands on practical activities led by Mr Bloom’s neighbour, Mr Blossom. It is also a lovely opportunity for learning about recycling and looking after plants.

Another sensory experience was discovered by some of our pupils as we were standing underneath a roller-coaster. We had to wait outside the Changing Places toilet which was next to the Smiler roller-coaster ride with two of our pupils who found great pleasure in the shaking, vibration and ‘clinking’ sounds as the ride climbed up the slope along with the whooshing and shouts from the people on board as the ride zoomed down. There is also music playing all around the park as well as plenty of naturally occurring sounds and smells that were enjoyed by many.

A lot of work went into making the visit possible and staff and parent volunteers were invaluable to making it a huge success. A fantastic day was had by all!

A visit from Flo

On the 1^st November 2016, the sensory sensation Flo Longhorn arrived at our little Lincolnshire school. The buzz quickly travelled around the whole school.

Flo spent the afternoon in Hannah’s class before preparing to deliver a training session to our staff. She had covered her table with sensory goodies galore the room was ‘ooing’ and ‘ahing’ at what she had in store. Flo had many wonderful and humorous stories to share of her years working with so many children and young people with PMLD far and wide across the globe. She showed off her wonder boxes and her magical sensory umbrellas (a favourite of ours). Flo briefly discussed the Rochford review which we were eagerly anticipating at this time. She spoke passionately of the need for change and a personalised approach to learning for our youngsters. This is something we are both extremely passionate about and have spent many months prior to and since Flo’s visit researching curriculum models (there will be posts on curriculum at a later date).

When Flo had finished her training session we presented her with £210 we had raised by making Halloween sensory packs that our parents purchased. They included many sensory goodies and activities including guess the Halloween smell, sensory balloons, a Halloween eye spy bottle, coloured and scented rice, coloured spaghetti, make your own skeleton and slimy purple tapioca pearls. Our packs were differentiated to the needs of the child. I’m sure our parents loved us when their houses were covered in rice and spaghetti! But we know the messier the better! The money went toward an orphanage in Kathmandu that Flo supports. We received a lovely email from Flo recently to inform us that she had bought them a cow, a calf and 120 chickens as well as helping them rebuild their sensory room which was destroyed in the Nepal earthquake.

After this it was our turn! Why on earth we signed up to deliver our training session after the legend that is Flo Longhorn I will never know!

We delivered training on the theory behind the senses and why our children perceive the world in a sensory way. We demonstrated this using a range of interactive activities. We touched on sensory stories inspired by Jo Grace and Lucy delivered her own sensory story ‘Bruce the bear and the very busy bees’ to demonstrate the short sentences and how these stories can be used for a range of communication and to build anticipation. One of the sensory tools in the story was a sensory umbrella with bright yellow and black pompoms hanging from it. We gave our staff half an hour to rummage through our giant box of bits and bobs to create their own sensory story umbrella in teams to create a sensory library in school. Everybody loved this activity. They went home following an evening of learning, fun and laughter having been inspired by one of their heroes, Flo Longhorn and having made a bank of resources for the children.

 A little snippet of the training we delivered...

We were so nervous at presenting this training in front of Flo as it was our first time delivering formal training. Flo congratulated us and invited us to present at her forum in London- The Best of British Special Educational Needs Forum in memory of the late, great Penny Lacey. We were beyond honoured and couldn’t quite believe it. To have your work and practice acknowledged by such an incredible woman is something that will stay with us. If ever we are having a bad day this reminds us to have confidence in ourselves and always strive to push ourselves professionally to be the best we can for the children we are privileged enough to work with.

We invited Flo out for dinner with some of our colleagues and had an incredible evening with one of our idols. We will always remember it.

Where did it all begin...

Hi everyone, welcome to our blog 😊

We wanted to create a blog to share all that we are continuously learning about the wonderful world of special educational needs in particular Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. It is an opportunity to share what we get up to working with these wonderful children and the work we do in promoting inclusion in the community and increasing knowledge and understanding.

So where did it all begin...

Hannah and I both started working at a small special school in Lincolnshire in September 2014. Hannah was the class teacher and I was a TA2. Hannah had moved from teaching in mainstream and I had moved from a role as an assistant SEN inclusion manager at a mainstream school. It was a baptism of fire! We had a class of 11 pupils with a range of needs including Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down’s Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome and a range of other wonderfully complex children. Our classroom was only a little larger than our lounge! It was a tight squeeze and a vast learning experience. No two days were the same, we have lots of funny stories from our first year, typical things only SEN teachers will understand. Pootuations galore and and an unfortunate incident involving weewee wellies! (my wellies unfortunately, not my wee!) we have come a long way since then. Hannah is the lead PMLD teacher in school and has a lovely class of primary aged children with PMLD. I have moved from a TA role to teaching a great group of secondary aged pupils with PMLD/CLDD.

As a new teacher, Hannah was unsure where to look for guidance, there wasn’t much from a quick google search and it isn’t always clear which book could help. Hannah went onto the TES forum and struck up a conversation with Joanna Grace, the founder of The Sensory Projects. Jo quickly became one of Hannah’s inspirations and then mine also. Theoigh Jo, we came to hear of the extraordinaire that is Flo Longhorn.

A few months or so later, Hannah and I saw a workshop advertised in Cambridge hosted by Flo and Les Staves. We could not miss this opportunity. So the ever committed teachers that we are ventured down to Cambridge on a Saturday. We were in awe of Flo’s experience and her stories and Les’ creative ideas. Following the workshop we headed into Cambridge for a bit of shopping. Shopping trips with Hannah and I always intend on being for ourselves however, as soon as we hit Tiger and other fabulous shops they only ever become opportunities for resource shopping!

We were lucky enough to chat to Flo at the end of the workshop and express our confusion over the traditional National Curriculum we were following and of our lack of training in Lincolnshire. She offered to come to our school for free all the way from Belgium and deliver training to us. We couldn’t believe it! We exchanged contact details and went on our way very giggly and excited! Naturally, we know Flo is an extremely busy woman and never thought she could actually make it all the way from Belgium but much to our surprise Flo sent an email with some possible dates!

Read our next blog post to find out what happened when Flo Longhorn herself came to Boston!

Be sure to subscribe to our blog to keep up to date with all of our future posts. We will write about our lessons and resource ideas, review the latest books, discuss topics that are hot on social media, write about our inclusive trips out and about, the upcoming Parallel sensory 1K plus many more points of our research and interest. 

Website references:
Joanna Grace, The Sensory Projects http://jo.element42.org/
Florence Longhorn http://flopublications.com/index.php
Les Staves http://www.veryspecialmaths.co.uk/