Virtual SEND Conference 7 – The Importance of Wellbeing for All

Implementation of the DfE’s Education Staff Wellbeing Charter

Lorraine Petersen OBE – Education Consultant, LPEC 

The purpose of the Charter and why schools should sign up to it is outlined. Lorraine highlights the importance of all schools committing to their own wellbeing strategies to ensure that all staff feel protected. She explains how the wellbeing and mental health of everyone is a key part of school life.

<< Watch this video to find out why you should attend Lorraine’s keynote session

Lorraine’s session will help you:

• Understand the DfE’s Education Wellbeing Charter and how to embed the charter in your school.
• Offer strategies to support staff mental health and wellbeing.
• Support the development of a wellbeing culture within your school.

Setting the climate – getting the ethos and environment right for SEND

Jane Friswell – SEND Consultant and Parent Advocate, Jane Friswell SEND Consultancy

Providing a message of belonging to all members of a school community is key to inclusion. How does feeling like you don’t belong impact a learner with additional needs, their ability to engage, participate and thrive? Jane explores these themes, what it takes to be inclusive and what it feels like for learners.

<< Watch this video to find out why you should attend Jane’s keynote session

Jane’s session will help you:

• Understand key principles of the morality, ethics and attitudes of inclusion.
• Consider the environment and sense of belonging that individuals gain.
• Get insight and use this to improve conditions for inclusion.
• Explore partnerships and how they underpin inclusion across your school.

Me, my Dyslexia and success

Arran Smith – Managing Director, SEND Group

Arran’s inspirational talk outlines the journey of a severely dyslexic adult who was told that he would never amount to anything due to his dyslexia. His journey covers going through education into work, to becoming a dyslexic entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience working in the field of dyslexia and SEND.

<< Watch this video to find out why you should attend Arran’s keynote session

Arran’s session will help you:

• Understand dyslexia from a dyslexic point of view and gain empathy for how dyslexic learners feel.
• Improve your awareness of dyslexia.
• Learn key strategies to help individuals with dyslexia.
• Better appreciate dyslexic learners’ difficulties and their strengths.

How to connect and communicate with your emotions

Ali Knowles – Therapist, Author and Creator of Ollie and his Super Powers, Subconquest

All behaviour serves a purpose and it’s not always about attention seeking. If you just try and change a child’s disruptive behaviour in a class without understanding what’s driving the emotion and its intention, you won’t get far. Alison explains how to help children make emotions manageable, empower them to overcome issues, and change classroom behaviour.

<< Watch this video to find out why you should attend Ali’s session

Ali’s session will help you:

• Explore how you can engage children in the conversation about what emotions are.
• Explain how emotions can be hiding behind a behaviour.
• Use simple techniques to make emotions manageable.
• Empower children to overcome issues themselves.

Understanding SEMH and wellbeing of children and young people – a psychologist’s approach

Dr Rob Long – Educational Psychologist, Sebda (Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Association)

Humanistic psychology emphasises the whole individual and strives to help people fulfil their potential and maximise their wellbeing. Rob explains why Behaviour Policies are unfair, unjust and unworkable and highlights the need for core mantras/principles that change the way behaviour is understood. He outlines practical ideas from positive psychology to support wellbeing and mental health.

<< Watch this video to find out why you should attend Rob’s session

Rob’s session will help you:

• Recognise the difference between equity and equality – and why treating children differently (not the same) to meet their individual needs is crucial.
• Change the way you ‘see’ children’s behaviour – by following key mantras to help you reach the right way of responding and supporting children.
• Use a 5 a day positive psychology checklist – to make sure you’re giving the children you support good emotions, good relationships and meaningful experiences every day.

Suzy’s session will help you:

• Gain a deeper understanding of child and adolescent neurodivergent school and classroom behaviours.
• Gather tips to build trust and rapport with this group of learners.
• Develop strategies for building collaborative relationships with parents.
• Get ideas on how to review your policy and practice.
• Identify how to measure your success.