Advancing SEND Knowledge and Skills for Teaching Assistants (Spring 2025)

Advancing SEND Knowledge and Skills for Teaching Assistants

This training programme has been designed for teaching assistants to further advance their knowledge and skills around working with pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It is suitable for all teaching assistants working with all age groups in both mainstream and specialist settings. This training can follow on from the SEND & the Role of the Teaching Assistant programme but it is not necessary to have completed the SEND & the Role of the Teaching Assistant programme first - both programmes are aimed at whichever you feel best match your needs. The programme is being provided in partnership between Fusion SEND Hub and Sheffield Inclusion Task Force.

The programme will be delivered online via TEAMS over four one-hour sessions. You will be emailed a workbook and participants are required to complete practical ‘gap tasks’ between sessions and make reflection notes in your workbook. Once the sessions have been successfully completed, participants can submit their completed workbook if they wish to receive a certificate of programme completion.

Programme Content

Session One – Supporting neurodivergent learners - Thursday 27th March 2025 - 3.30-4.30pm

We will go into greater depth about the specific needs and strengths often associated with autism and ADHD, and explore some practical approaches for supporting learners with these profiles in school.

Session Two – Scaffolding and promoting learners’ independence - Thursday 8th May 2025 - 3.30-4.30pm

We will explore why independence and problem-solving can be more challenging for learners with SEND, and develop approaches to promote these skills through our daily practice.

Session Three - Supporting learners with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) - Thursday 19th June 2025 3.30-4.30pm

We will go into greater depth about speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). We will explore the ways in which school can present additional challenges for learners with this profile of need, and some practical approaches and principles for supporting them.

Session Four - Supporting learners with social, emotional and mental health needs - Thursday 10th July 2025 - 3.30-4.30pm

We will go into greater depth about social and emotional development, and mental health (SEMH). We will explore the ways in which school can present additional challenges for learners with this profile of need, and some practical approaches and principles for supporting them.

Costs

The programme costs £80 per TA. Two or more TA's from the same school will receive a 25% discount . The price is capped at £600 for 10 or more attendees from the same school. Please ensure that only the agreed participants attend the sessions. Participating attendees will be emailed a workbook and participants are required to complete practical ‘gap tasks’ between sessions and make reflection notes in their workbook. Once the sessions have been successfully completed, participants can submit their completed workbook if they wish to receive a certificate of programme completion. We regret that we cannot record sessions.

Please contact us if you would like to discuss having this programme delivered to your TA staff as a whole school training, a family of schools or across a MAT.

Host or Publisher Fusion TSA