east midland hub four strands

what is the inclusion development programme ?

In Autumn 2007, the National Strategies launched the Inclusion Development Programme (IDP) to support a greater focus on whole school improvement in Special Educational Needs (SEN), together with plans to raise the expertise of the National Strategies field force in SEN and to mainstream SEN practice within the work of that field force. Over the next four years the IDP will develop and deliver a programme of continuing professional development, designed to strengthen the confidence and expertise of staff in Early Years Settings and in Primary and Secondary Schools to ensure the progress and achievement of pupils with special educational needs.

The IDP aims to support Schools and Early Years Settings by helping them to :-

During 2007 – 2008 the IDP will focus on speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and dyslexia. It is envisaged that in future years the focus will be on autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD), and moderate learning difficulties (MLD). Leading national specialist organisations, including voluntary bodies, are working in partnership with the National Strategies in the development of the programme and supporting materials. The current phase has been developed in partnership with ICAN and Dyslexia Action.

further information

The IDP will be presented through a series of DVD- and web-based resources.
The web-based resources can be accessed at www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/SEN.

These resources are tailored for use by :-

• staff in Early Years Settings, in conjunction with area SENCOs;
• leadership teams, inclusion managers and individual staff in Primary and Secondary Schools; and
• providers of Initial Teacher Training, as well as individual trainees.

This first phase of the IDP aims to help staff and trainees to:-

• recognise as early as possible the common signs of difficulty in understanding and/or making others understand information conveyed through spoken language;
• recognise common signs of dyslexic difficulties;
• create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for pupils with SLCN and/or dyslexia; and
• use inclusive teaching strategies appropriate for pupils with dyslexia and for pupils with who have communication difficulties.

Although the resource focuses on dyslexia and SCLN, the material presented reflects good quality first teaching and is, therefore, more generally applicable. In particular, the approaches suggested for dyslexia are relevant for a wider range of literacy needs experienced by pupils.

how the programme is to be used

The IDP is not a linear course. It is designed to be used flexibly to take account of the range of skills and knowledge that individuals will bring to the programme.

Headteachers may use the ‘Guidance for Headteachers and Leadership Teams’ to gain an understanding of how this work fits within the school improvement cycle. 

Teachers and teaching assistants will prefer to work through the foundation level knowledge (FLK) units to ensure that they understand the key messages and can alter their practice accordingly. The units can be worked through by an individual or used collaboratively. However, the programme will work best if used in an environment where school staff work collaboratively and share their knowledge and observations with each other. There are video extracts to support reflection, case studies to stimulate discussion, opportunities to profile individual pupils and links to further guidance, resources and training opportunities. The IDP is not meant to replace more specialist training in any of the areas of SEN.  

Before starting the programme staff should use the self-evaluation for dyslexia or SLCN to establish current levels of skills and understanding. This baseline information could be gathered by the SMT and the school could then develop and implement an IDP action plan. The self-evaluation tool could then be revisited to establish how far the school has developed in these areas.