Cognition and Learning

I am Jo Johnson, the Sevenoaks Specialist Teacher for Cognition and Learning . I support primary and secondary schools in the Sevenoaks District.

What do we mean by Cognition and Learning?

Cognition and Learning (C and L) difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning difficulties (MLD) where all aspects of learning are affected, and specific learning difficulties (SpLD) where one or more specific aspects of learning are affected, such as dyslexia or maths difficulties. If you have children with either moderate or specific learning difficulties, they fall under the ‘Cognition & Learning’ Dimension of need.

Often children with cognition and learning difficulties have other needs too, such as language and communication, social and emotional or physical difficulties. Some children may have global developmental delay or medical conditions, syndromes or injuries which affect their cognition and ability to learn at the same pace as their peers. Children and young people may need additional support for learning even when appropriate differentiation and adaptations to the curriculum have been made by the class teacher.

‘Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation’ SEN Code of Practice

ON A TYPICAL VISIT

On an initial visit the Specialist Teacher will spend the whole morning in the school. The Specialist Teacher will meet first with the SENCO to review the child or young person’s assessment data, read any assessment reports carried out by external professionals and discuss any developments since the LIFT meeting. The Specialist Teacher will usually carry out a classroom observation to see how the child or young person accesses whole class lessons. The Specialist Teacher will also work with the child or young person individually outside the classroom, assessing their learning needs using a range of standardised and informal assessments. The focus of this assessment depends on the information provided at LIFT by the school – but generally tends to be literacy and/or numeracy skills. As well as identifying individual barriers to learning, the Specialist Teacher looks for strengths that will support their learning such as good attention and listening skills, motivation and positive engagement with learning.

Once the Specialist Teacher has met with the child or young person and explored what their barriers to learning are, they like to work closely with the teaching team to ensure that despite these difficulties, the child or young person is able to access the same curriculum as their peers. They will explore ways of adapting the curriculum or learning environment and together agree some individualised targets. This may include putting additional resources in place or increasing one to one support.  Sometimes the Specialist Teacher will advise that the child or young person needs a targeted intervention outside of the classroom to develop specific skills and will discuss with the school how this can be done with minimal disruption to their time in class. If needed the Specialist Teacher will offer training for a particular intervention or recommend external training. Often teachers will use suggested strategies with other learners in their class.

Within two weeks the Specialist Teacher will send a detailed Record of Visit which includes an individualised intervention plan to the SENCO. The SENCO will then send home a hard copy to the child or young person’s parent/s and also adapt their personalised provision plan to reflect these new targets.

The Specialist Teacher will carry out a review visit usually after a term to see whether the child or young person is making progress with the targets that have been set and address any issues that have arisen. If the school feel that the plan is going well, and the pupil is making progress, the Specialist Teacher will close the case. Sometimes the Specialist Teacher will carry out more than one review visit, depending on the complexity of needs.

In some cases, the Specialist Teacher will carry out a collaborative planning session to support the learning of the child or young person within a typical whole class lesson. This involves meeting with the class teacher and SENCO at school and adapting the lesson plan so that the child or young person can learn more independently alongside their peers. This approach has been welcomed by schools and has proven very successful at supporting the child or young person’s inclusion and reducing dependence on adult support within the lesson.

On an initial visit the Specialist Teacher will spend the whole morning in the school. The Specialist Teacher will meet first with the SENCO to review the child or young person’s assessment data, read any assessment reports carried out by external professionals and discuss any developments since the LIFT meeting. The Specialist Teacher will usually carry out a classroom observation to see how the child or young person accesses whole class lessons. The Specialist Teacher will also work with the child or young person individually outside the classroom, assessing their learning needs using a range of standardised and informal assessments. The focus of this assessment depends on the information provided at LIFT by the school – but generally tends to be literacy and/or numeracy skills. As well as identifying individual barriers to learning, the Specialist Teacher looks for strengths that will support their learning such as good attention and listening skills, motivation and positive engagement with learning.

Once the Specialist Teacher has met with the child or young person and explored what their barriers to learning are, they like to work closely with the teaching team to ensure that despite these difficulties, the child or young person is able to access the same curriculum as their peers. They will explore ways of adapting the curriculum or learning environment and together agree some individualised targets. This may include putting additional resources in place or increasing one to one support.  Sometimes the Specialist Teacher will advise that the child or young person needs a targeted intervention outside of the classroom to develop specific skills and will discuss with the school how this can be done with minimal disruption to their time in class. If needed the Specialist Teacher will offer training for a particular intervention or recommend external training. Often teachers will use suggested strategies with other learners in their class.

Within two weeks the Specialist Teacher will send a detailed Record of Visit which includes an individualised intervention plan to the SENCO. The SENCO will then send home a hard copy to the child or young person’s parent/s and also adapt their personalised provision plan to reflect these new targets.

The Specialist Teacher will carry out a review visit usually after a term to see whether the child or young person is making progress with the targets that have been set and address any issues that have arisen. If the school feel that the plan is going well, and the pupil is making progress, the Specialist Teacher will close the case. Sometimes the Specialist Teacher will carry out more than one review visit, depending on the complexity of needs.

In some cases, the Specialist Teacher will carry out a collaborative planning session to support the learning of the child or young person within a typical whole class lesson. This involves meeting with the class teacher and SENCO at school and adapting the lesson plan so that the child or young person can learn more independently alongside their peers. This approach has been welcomed by schools and has proven very successful at supporting the child or young person’s inclusion and reducing dependence on adult support within the lesson.

FOLLOWING THE GRADUATED APPROACH

Before accessing support from the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service, schools are expected to have followed the Graduated Response (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) and established that, despite good quality teaching and targeted support, the child or young person has still not made progress.

ASSESS

Initially, schools are required to identify possible cognition and learning difficulties through their usual assessment processes, seeking to identify children or young people making less than expected progress given their age and individual circumstances.

This includes looking at whole school policies and practices, assessing and reviewing the quality of teaching and support in the child or young person’s class using guidance materials issued by KCC. 

PLAN

Class teachers need to plan for any adaptations which need to be put in place to support a child or young person’s learning, to enable them to access the curriculum and make progress at school. This could be helped by additional targeted support, such as an extra phonics session or using specific computer programs such as CLICKER. This should be recorded on a Provision Map or Personalised Plan. The child or young person and parents should be involved in creating the plan.

We have provided links to useful resources and recommended websites to help you to put appropriate support plans in place.

DO

Schools should allow time for new strategies to be carried out over a period of at least a term. This is the responsibility of the class teacher.

REVIEW       

The class teacher with the SENCO, child or young person and parents should regularly review the personalised plan. The impact and quality of the support and interventions should be evaluated, along with the views of the child or young person and their parents. This should feed back into the analysis of the child or young person’s needs. The class or subject teacher, working with the SENCO, should revise the support in light of the child or young person’s progress and development, deciding on any changes to the support and outcomes in consultation with the parent and child or young person.

At this stage it may be decided that it would be appropriate to refer to a Drop-In, Local Inclusion Forum Team (LIFT) meeting or other professionals for further support.

HOW TO ACCESS SUPPORT

When and how to access support from the Sevenoaks Specialist Teacher for Cognition and Learning?

Schools can access support at a Cognition and Learning Drop-In session or at a Local Inclusion Forum Team (LIFT) meeting.

Parental Agreement to Engage is required before these sessions can take place.

Before accessing support, schools are expected to have followed the Graduated Response (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) and established that, despite good quality teaching and targeted support, the child or young person has still not made progress. Schools will also need to provide evidence of what they have put in place with an evaluation of impact on a Personalised Plan.

Drop-Ins

Three types of advice sessions are run for children and young people with Cognition and Learning (C and L) difficulties. These discussions usually take place at Valence School. These are available to SENCOs who are concerned about the learning of children and young people who usually have not been through the LIFT process.

The Joint SaLT & STLS Advice Session (Speech, Language & Learning) is an opportunity to discuss pupils with moderate/severe speech and language needs with a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Specialist Teacher for Communication & Interaction and Specialist Teacher for Cognition & Learning. Advice will focus on possible targeted interventions and supporting the child or young person's inclusion within the school curriculum. These sessions will be offered every other term.

Cognition and Learning Drop-In - For those with C and L difficulties, it is an opportunity for SENCOs and/or class teachers to discuss the needs of struggling learners who are working 1 year or more below their current year group in English and Maths. Candidates would be children or young people who are not responding to typical classroom adaptations or tartgeted interventions. School assessment data, strategies for inclusion within the school curriculum and alternative targeted interventions will be discussed. A recommendation at this session might be that the school bring a child or young person to LIFT for STLS to become directly involved. These sessions are every other term.

The Dyslexia Drop-In is an opportunity for SENCOs  and/or class teachers to discuss children or young people who may be showing traits of dyslexia. School assessment dates will be discussed in relation to the Kent definition of Dyslexia for a possible identification. Targeted interventions and strategies for inclusion within the school curriculum will be discussed. These sessions are every other term.

Please email the STLS Business Support Assistant if you are a SENCO or class teacher and would like to book a Drop-In session.

Local Inclusion Forum Team (LIFT) Meetings

LIFT meetings are held weekly during term time. SENCOs (with the agreement of parents) can refer children and young people for discussion and access advice and strategies to the LIFT forum, chaired by the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service Lead. Participants may include an Educational Psychologist, a Specialist Teacher, a Speech and Language Therapist, an Attendance and Inclusion Advisor, Early Help and SENCOs.  

Discussion at a Drop-In session or LIFT meeting will help the school to:

ASSESS           gather ideas for further strategies

PLAN                 write or revise the child or young person's personalised support plan                                                                     with new outcomes or targets

DO                      try out the suggested strategies

REVIEW           review the plan after a period of time with the child or young person and                                                             parents and decide whether it is appropriate to return to LIFT for                                                                           further support.

Following a LIFT discussion, it may be decided that it would be helpful for the Specialist Teacher for Cognition and Learning to visit the child or young person in their school. The Specialist Teacher for Cognition and Learning is:

Jo Johnson - Specialist Teacher for C and L based at Valence School in Westerham

Once allocated to a child or young person, the Specialist Teacher usually contacts the school SENCO by email to arrange a visit date within 2 weeks. Parents are invited to meet with the Specialist Teacher at the visit if they wish to - the school will arrange this directly with parents.

TRAINING FOR PROFESSIONALS

The Cognition and Learning Specialist Teacher for Sevenoaks deliver a variety of training sessions and Drop-Ins for teaching staff and professionals including:

Dyslexia (Core Training) looks at the current definitions of Dyslexia that are relevant for Kent Schools, the role of schools in identifying and responding to dyslexic pupils and classroom based strategies to support reading, writing and spelling.

Thank you - this will be so useful both professionally and for my own children. Really interesting and inspiring.

Maths for Struggling Learners (Core Training) explores the characteristics of a specific maths difficulty, the barriers struggling learners face, targeted strategies to support pupils individually and in the classroom.

Very clear & well delivered. Lots of practical advice & activities.

Phonics Refresher explores the importance of phonological awareness for blending, segmenting & spelling skills and through practical activities enables delegates to feel confident in delivering a phonics session to struggling learners.

From the point of view of someone who is very new to teaching phonics, this course has helped my confidence a lot.

Colourful Semantics consolidates prior knowledge for those who have attended the Speech and Language Workshop and explores how it can be used to support emerging writers as an alternative to scribing in the classroom. Jointly delivered with a Speech and Language Therapist.

The games and links to the curriculum were brilliant, and useful as a class teacher.

Adapting the Curriculum to include learners with SEND. This day course is aimed mainly at Key Stage 2 teachers and school leaders and is delivered by the STLS Team. A mixture of information - giving, time for sharing good practice, reflection and workshops will give teachers greater confidence in planning and adapting whole class lessons to support the inclusion of learners with SEND.

It has been so useful to get practical ideas, quick wins and talk to colleagues for support & ideas! Thank you!

Bespoke INSET and twilight training sessions are also available for school staff on request. Please complete the Bespoke Training Interest Form and clearly state your requirements.

We also run courses, specialised training events and conferences from time to time with invited outside speakers. Details can be found on the Sevenoaks STLS Schools Training Calendar.