Adaptive Practice

The SLT identified that the school adopts a self-evaluative approach to school improvement. However the SLT also believe that their participation in government- and locally- led initiatives has played an instrumental role in the school’s ability to identify further areas for improvement. The school’s engagement within self- reflective practice appears to be a continuous process. Although the SLT

emphasised that routines and schools rules are followed consistently within school, at times flexibility is required. One example, is the requirement for teaching staff to provide pupils with a curriculum which is intellectually stimulating and age-

appropriate, yet remains achievable and consequently protects the pupil’s self- esteem.

The school’s commitment to on-going self-reflection and flexible adaptations to practice may be partly in response to the behaviour of pupils experiencing SEBD, which can at times be unpredictable (O’Brien, 2005). One could argue that the requirement to adapt and fine-tune practice frequently, is the key reason why Spalding et al. (2001) stated that school improvement cannot be conducted in a prescriptive and holistic manner within SEBD special schools.

129 6.2 Implications for Practice

Spalding et al. (2001) argues that the process of school improvement is not a specific and prescriptive process but instead relies upon schools to draw upon the strategies or processes relevant to the needs of the school. Within the current research I have identified a number of strategies and factors perceived to be most effective within an individual secondary SEBD special school, which was judged to be demonstrating ‘outstanding’ practice. Building on from Spalding et al.’s (2001) argument, I would anticipate that other SEBD special schools will be able to explore the strategies and factors which are believed to be successful within the current setting and adopt elements of these strategies or factors within their own practice. In order to do so, other secondary SEBD special schools must assess the relevance and feasibility of adopting the strategies and/or factors in relation to their specific school. For example, when attempting to implement greater home-school

collaboration, schools may not have the required resources to complete regular home visits. However the early establishment of positive relationships may still be possible by inviting parents to meetings at school, prior to the onset of a student’s attendance at the school.

The secondary SEBD special school located within the borough in which I am

currently employed was adjudged to ‘require improvement’ by Ofsted. As a result the LA are required to provide additional support to the school, in order to ensure the school improves their existing practice. Findings from the current research will

enable me to support the LA to provide evidence-based support to the SEBD special school to identify potential areas for change. This may include suggesting how the school approaches the process of evaluating and improving practice. Within the current research the SLT indicated that school improvement is a continual process

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therefore when providing support to the school the LA should support the school to develop systems which will enable the school to critically monitor and evaluate their own practice. This may support the school to maintain successful practice when additional support from the LA is reduced.

Within the current setting, responses from the participating pupils suggest that further improvements can be made to ensure that pupils are engaged and are able to concentrate within the classroom. The key barrier identified by pupils appears to be the undesirable and externalised behaviour of a small proportion of the school cohort. As Spalding et al. (2001) suggest this challenge should be viewed as an opportunity for further change.

The SLT’s observation that a large number of pupils arrive at the school with unidentified SEN is a cause for concern. This may impact upon the school to effectively meet the needs of pupils upon arrival at the school. Barnardo’s (2012) previously identified that pupils experiencing behavioural difficulties, may experience underlying SEN which have not been identified. The SLT identified that the pupils’ speech and language difficulties were most commonly overlooked, which again is reflective of the high prevalence (approximately 75%) of pupils found to experience SLCD in addition to SEBD (Law, 2005; Benner et al., 2002). The high prevalence of SLCD has clear implications for classroom practice; for example, teachers may adopt a multi-sensory approach when teaching, as previous research suggests that secondary school teachers rely heavily upon verbal instruction (Pittman and Morley, 2009). However due to the fact that all pupils in attendance at the school are subject to a Statement of SEN, one would assume that a thorough assessment of their SEN has been conducted. This finding appears to suggest that either a) the underlying needs of a pupil exacerbate over time or b) the assessments previously conducted

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within the borough failed to recognise the full extent of the pupil’s needs. Returning to SLCD, Bercow (2008) identified that pupil’s access to speech and language therapy services varies significantly across England. Pittman and Morley (2009) suggest that one way to overcome the challenge of identifying the presence of SLCD is for school staff to administer screening assessments. I would extend this further and recommend that simple screening assessments are conducted for all pupils for whom concerns are raised regarding SEBD. Pittman and Morley (2009) fail to

include the names of specific assessments which could be administered by teaching staff within their recommendations. However the children’s communication charity ‘I Can’ provides an online speech, language and communication screening tool, in addition to a developmental chart documenting children’s typical speech, language and communication development at ages 4 to 5, 5 to 7, 7 to 9 and 9 to 11 (I Can, 2013). The screening tool is designed to provide school staff with an indication of when additional assessment and guidance is required from a Speech and Language Therapist. It would therefore be appropriate to complete the online assessment when a pupil begins to exhibit challenging behaviour within school. This screening

assessment will therefore occur prior to pupils arriving at SEBD special schools.

The SLT indicated that they participated in government-led initiatives which

supported the school to identify areas in which further improvements could be made. This process appeared to support the school to reflect upon their current practice. Consequently the school did not appear to rely on the support of local outside

agencies, to support the identification of potential shortcomings and opportunities for change (Spalding et al., 2001). However for additional SEBD special schools, EPs may hold the appropriate skills and experience to facilitate a critical reflection of school practice.

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