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An Introduction to Down Syndrome (VAT Exempt)
Dates: - (One Day Course)
Wednesday 15th May 2024, 9:30am – 3:30pm
Who is this course for: Early years teachers and teaching assistants
Fee: £60
Venue: Face to face. Entrance D, Badger Room, Pindar Nursery, Pindar Road, new Parks, Leicester LE3 9RN
Will be run via Microsoft Teams if face to face not possible.
Areas Covered:
•This course develops practitioners’ knowledge of the strengths and needs of children who have Down syndrome and provides strategies to support effective learning.
Course Outcomes:
Participants will:
•gain an overview of Down syndrome.
•understand that there is a specific profile of strengths and difficulties inherent in Down syndrome.
•learn strategies to support children with Down syndrome.
•reflect on and review their practice and identify areas for development.
This course will be delivered by the Early Years Support Team.
£60.00
Early Years Good Autism Practice and Using the Progression Framework Autism Education Trust (AET) (VE).
Dates: Wednesdays 7th & 14th February 2024, 9:30am – 3:30pm CANCELLED
Who is this course for: Early years teachers and teaching assistants.
Fee: £120
Venue: Face to face. Badger Room, Pindar Nursery, Pindar Road, New Parks Leicester LE3 9RN
Will be run via Microsoft Teams if face to face is not possible.
Areas Covered:
•This course provides an overview of what autism is, describing the ‘four Areas of difference’.
•It provides strategies and activities to help practitioners to develop their practice when supporting a child with autism.
•It introduces the progression framework, an interactive assessment tool for children with autism.
Course Outcomes:
Participants will:
•gain knowledge and understand about the four areas of developmental difference experienced by children with autism.
•be able to recognise the strengths and needs of individual children with autism.
•understand the importance of building positive relationships with and around the child.
•understand how to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of the Individual.
•understand how to make the environment more accessible to children with autism.
•develop practical strategies and techniques in promoting effective teaching and learning.
•be familiar with the progression framework and be able to use it to measure progress and identify learning priorities for children.
This course will be delivered by the Early Years Support Team.
£120.00
Setting-based Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) (VAT Exempt)
Dates: Tuesdays 30th January. 6th, 13th, 27th February. 5th, 12th March 2024, 9.30 – 12.30
Who is this course for: The setting’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO)
Cost: £180
Venue: Microsoft Teams
Areas Covered:
This course enables the SENCO to understand and develop their role and to be able to support pracitioners in relation to SEND. Areas covered include considering key legislation and guidance, roles and responsibilities, identification of SEND, working with parents/carers and other agencies and statutory assessment and Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
Course Outcomes:
Participants will
- be able to take on the role of SENCO
- Be familiar with the requirements of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Code of Practice as well as local guidance, including ‘Inclusive Provision in the Early Years’Understand the requirements of The Equality Act in relation to SEND
-
Understand the requirements of The Equality Act in relation to SEND
- Be aware of roles and responsibilities in relation to SEND
- Be able to identify and assess children who may have SEND and know when and how to refer children for further support
- Have increased understanding of how to write plans for children with SEND, including setting and reviewing targets
- Understand the importance of working in partnership with parents/carers and other agencies
- Become familiar with the framework for a SEND policy
This course will be delivered by the Leicester Early Years Support Team.
£180.00
Making Sense of Autism – Early Years Autism Education Trust (AET) (VAT Exempt).
Dates:
Tuesday 10th October 2023, 9:30-11.30am
or
Wednesday 24th January 2024, 1 – 3pm
Thursday 11th April 2024, 9.30 – 11.30am CANCELLED
22nd may 2024 9:30-11:30am
Who is this course for: All early years practitioners
Fee: Free
Venue: Microsoft Teams
Areas Covered:
•This course is an awareness –raising module for all practitioners with links to early years settings
•It provides an introduction to autism and some initial reasonable adjustments that need to be considered when working with autistic children
•It also provides input on the creation and use of a one-page profile for individual children.
Course Outcomes:
Participants will:
•gain understanding and awareness of autism and how autism can affect children in the early years
•know the importance of understanding the individual autistic child and their profile of strengths and needs
•Be aware of potential barriers to learning for autistic children
•gain knowledge in order to begin to make reasonable adjustments in the way autistic children can be supported
This course will be delivered by the Early Years Support Team.
£0.00
Autism and Anxiety Autism Education Trust (AET) (VAT Exempt).
Dates: Wednesday 24th April 2024 9.30 -12.30pm
Who is this course for: Early years teachers and teaching assistants
Venue: Microsoft Teams
Cost: £30
Areas Covered:
•In this course your will be encouraged to reflect on your own experiences with anxiety and what you have found useful in reducing your own anxiety and that of the children in your setting.
•It enables you to understand how autistic children might express anxiety, what can cause anxiety in autistic children and how to prevent and reduce anxiety in autistic children.
Course Outcomes:
Participants will:
•have greater knowledge about how prevalent and impactful anxiety can be on autistic children
•learn that anxiety can the transactional and we all have a role in reducing in anxiety in the setting
•understand that there is a toolbox of approaches that can be used to reduce anxiety and the first stop is to learn about the individual’s triggers and preferred means of support
•understand that by reducing anxiety we can significantly improved a children’s ability to engage in the setting and with other children, as well as improve general well-being
This course will be delivered by the Leicester Early Years Support Team.
£30.00
Supporting Language through Stories.
Dates: Wednesday 6th March 2024,
9:30am – 12:00pm
Who is this course for: Early years teachers and teaching assistants.
Venue: Entrance D, Badger Room, Pindar Nursery, Pindar Road, new Parks, Leicester LE3 9RN
Areas Covered:
•This course focuses on developing children’s speech, language and communication skills through sharing and retelling familiar stories.
Course Outcomes:
Participants will:
•revisit the processes involved in being an effective communicator
•consider the rich potential for using stories to develop children’s listening, attention and understanding skills, vocabulary and expressive language.
•learn strategies to develop good listening and attention, understanding, vocabulary and expressive language skills.
•be introduced to a structured approach to developing oral narrative (storytelling skills).
•consider how to adapt story-based activities to respond to a range of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
•reflect on and review their own practice and identify areas for development.
This course will be delivered by the Leicester Early Years Support Team.
£30.00
Understanding and Supporting Children’s Emotional Wellbeing in the Early Years (VAT Exempt).
Dates:
Tuesday 24th October 2023, 9:30am – 12:30pm CANCELLED
Wednesday 8th May 2024 - 9;30am-12:30pm CANCELLED
Fee: £30
Who is this course for: Early years teachers and teaching assistants
Venue: Face to face. Badger Room, New Parks House Entrance D, Pindar Road Leicester LE3 9RN
Areas Covered:
•This course supports teachers and early years practitioners to develop a range of tools and techniques to support children to recognise and regulate their emotions, manage their anxiety and build resilience.
•Strategies will be shared that practitioners can use in everyday practice to help children to relax and find their own inner calm.
Course Outcomes:
•Be aware of the 1,001 critical days and the impact of interaction and experience on early brain development
•Consider factors that influence a child’s mental health
•Learn strategies and techniques to support children’s emotional well-being and resilience
•Reflect on and review their own practice and identify areas for development.
This course will be delivered by the Leicester Early Years Support Team.
£30.00
Understanding and Supporting Young Children who have Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (VAT Exempt)
Date: - (Full Day) Thursday 7th December 2023, 9:30am – 3:30pm
Who is this course for: Early years teachers and teaching assistants
Fee: £60
Venue: Face to face. City Hall, Charles Street, Leicester. First Floor Meeting Room (1.14).
Will be run via Microsoft Teams if face to face not possible.
Areas Covered:
•This course develops practitioners’ understanding of what is meant by challenging behaviour and considers factors that can have an impact on early development.
•It considers a number of models that have been developed as a means to understanding, supporting and managing challenging behaviours.
Course Outcomes:
- Acquire knowledge of the attachment process and understand how early trauma can have an impact on this.
- Consider several different behaviour models and explore how these can be helpful in understanding behaviour and developing strategies to manage it.
- Know how to write and implement a Positive Behaviour Plan.
- Reflect on and review their own practice and identify areas for development.
£60.00
Supporting Infants and Young Children with a Visual Impairment - The Early Years (VAT Exempt)
Dates: Thursday 11th January 2024, 1pm – 4pm. CANCELLED
Who is this course for: Practitioners in Early Years settings.
Cost: £30 per person.
Venue: City Hall, Charles St, Leicester
Areas Covered:
•Understanding the definition of Vision Impairment
•The role of vision in learning
•Understanding the impact of vision impairment on all areas of development and in relation to the EYFS Goals.
•Practical ways to support infants to use their vision
•Introduction to Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)
Course Outcomes:
- An understanding of different types of vision loss and how this affects the child you support.
- A better understanding of vision impairment and its implications in the early years setting.
- An understanding of CVI .
- Practical Strategies for inclusion.
This course will be delivered by the Vision Support Team.
£30.00
Understanding Hearing Loss in the Early Years (VAT Exempt)
Dates: To be arranged. Please contact Paula Holloway Paula.Holloway@leicester.gov.uk for more information if interested.
9.30am – 12.30 pm
Cost: £30 per person.
Who is this course for: Staff in Pre-school settings
Venue: Venue to be confirmed
Areas Covered: -
•Understanding hearing loss and different audiological equipment.
•Understanding individual child’s hearing loss and needs.
•Implications of hearing loss on language, learning and communication
•Managing equipment – ‘hands on workshops’.
•Practical advice on classroom support strategies and deaf awareness approaches.
Course Outcomes: -
•An understanding of different types of hearing loss and how this affects the child you support.
•A better understanding of hearing impairment and its implications in the setting.
•A greater knowledge of how to troubleshoot problems with audiological equipment.
•Practical Strategies for inclusion.
This course will be delivered by the Hearing Support Team..
£30.00
Get Going with Communication (VAT Exempt).
Dates: Thursday 23rd & 30th November 2023, CANCELLED
9:30am – 3:30pm
Who is this course for: Early Years teachers and teaching assistants.
Fee: £120
Venue: Face to face. City Hall, Charles Street Leicester. First Floor Meeting Room (1.14)..
Will be run via Microsoft Teams if face to face not possible.
Areas Covered:
This universal level course develops practitioners’ knowledge and understanding of how children’s communication and language skills develop and why language is an essential life skill. It provides practical ideas to enable practitioners to promote the language skills of all children and to support children who have speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
Course Outcomes:
Participants will:
- be familiar with different models of communication and understand the processes involved in communicating.
- revisit typical development of speech, language and communication skills.
- be aware of a range of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
- recognise the importance of attachment and positive relationships in promoting children’s development.
- learn and practise strategies to develop children’s language.
- reflect on and review their own practice and identify areas for development.
This course will be delivered by the Early Years Support Team.
£120.00
Play Interaction for Children with Communication and Interaction Needs.
Dates:
CANCELLED Wednesday 15th November 2023, 9.30 – 3.30 - Entrance D, Badger Room, Pindar Nursery, Pindar Road, new Parks, Leicester LE3 9RN
or
Wednesday 28th February 2024, 9.30 – 3.30 - Entrance D, Badger Room, Pindar Nursery, Pindar Road, new Parks, Leicester LE3 9RN
Who is this course for: Early years practitioners
Cost: £60
Venue: Face to face, Tea Room, Town Hall, Leicester.
Will be run via Microsoft Teams if face to face not possible.
Areas Covered:
•An introduction to Play Interaction, focusing on how this intervention supports children who have communication and interaction needs.
•An overview of the development of social interaction, communication and play skills in typically developing children and the identification of delays and differences in these areas.
•Planning and delivery of Play Interaction sessions, including adapting activities and supporting progression and generalisation.
•An opportunity to practise interactive techniques and strategies and to participate in practical activities that can be used in Play Interaction sessions
•Information on the Play Interaction Programme and resource manual (some course participants may be attending as part of the Programme)
Course Outcomes:
Participants will
•recognise the importance of social interaction, communication and play as foundation skills
•learn how to plan and adapt Play Interaction sessions and use a range of interactive strategies to facilitate children’s progress
•reflect on their practice and identify areas for development.
•
This course will be delivered by the Early Years Support Team and Learning Communication and Interaction Team.
£60.00
SEND training available for early years settings during 2023/24 - Briefing
Please join us for an overview of the training offered by the Early Years Support Team, SEND Support Services.
This includes the training offered through the Dingley’s Promise Changemakers Project and all the courses we offer centrally across the year.
We will show how to access our electronic booking system and where to find the links, including how to sign up to the Dingley’s training too for those of you who are keen to get started.
Each briefing will last no longer than 1 hour and will be available on TEAMS. Please sign up to one of the sessions and you will receive a link shortly before the meeting.
Thursday 5th October 11am - 12pm. 2pm - 3 pm. or 6.30pm - 7.30 pm.
Monday 23rd October 2pm - 3pm
Venue: Microsoft teams online
£0.00
CANCELLED Fun Time for Children who have Speech, Language and Communication Needs (Early Years Support Team) (VAT Exempt)..
Dates: - (Half Day) Wednesday 1st November 2023, 1:00 – 4:00pm
(Practitioners who have already attended Fun Time can attend this half-day course as a stand-alone. Alternatively practitioners can attend the Fun Time course in the morning and this course as a full day)
Who is this course for: Early Years teachers and teaching assistants.
Fee: £30
Venue: Eyres Monsell Childrens Centre, Hillsborough Rd, Glen Parva, Leicester LE2 9PT
Areas Covered:
This enhanced level course includes a brief recap of the Fun Time intervention, then focuses on adapting Fun Time specifically for children who have speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). It enables practitioners to plan and deliver effective Fun Time sessions within their own setting with a focus on developing children’s listening and attention skills, understanding, vocabulary and expressive language skills. The course involves participating in a variety of Fun Time activities and songs.
Fun Time is part of a continuum of provision to develop children’s social communication skills, along with Play Interaction and Circle Time.
Play Interaction (1 child initially) - Fun Time (small group) - Circle Time (larger group).
Course Outcomes:
•Participants will:
•be able to identify the key elements of the Fun Time programme.
•be able to deliver effective Fun Time sessions.
•learn strategies and games to promote children’s social communication skills.
•be able to assess and monitor children’s social communication development.
•reflect on and review their practice and identify areas for development.
This course will be delivered by the Leicester Early Years Support Team.
£30.00
Level 3 SENCO Award (VAT Exempt)
Please do not book onto this course until you have filled out an expression of interest form and your place has been approved by one of the trainers.
The expression of interest form is available from the information briefing session (Booking Link » Leicester City Council - SEND (bookinglive.com) or discuss with your area SENCo
Dates:
Wednesdays 4th, 11th, 25th October, 8th, 22nd November, 6th December 2023
10th, 17th, 31st January, 14th, 28th February, 6th March 2024
9 – 4 pm
Who is this course for: Setting SENCOs qualified to at least level 3
Cost: To be confirmed
Venue: Eyres Monsell Children’s Centre, Hillsborough Road, LE2 9PT
Areas Covered:
This course has been developed by School Improvement Liverpool (SLI) to meet the DoE’s Early Years Level 3 SENCO Qualification Specification..
The course looks in depth and the role of the SENCO and offers opportunities for reflection and discussion with other SENCOs in Leicester City. Topics covered include
•Current legislation
•The graduation approach (assess, plan, do and review)
•Areas of need
•Observation and early identification
•Inclusion and historical context
•Partnerships with external agencies
•Partnerships with parents/carers
•Statutory assessment and Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
There will be an opportunity to visit a specialist provision as well as other settings.
Course Outcomes:
Participants will understand and develop the role of SENCO.
On successful completion of assignments participants will gain a NCFE CACHE L3 Award for Special Educational Needs in Settings
This course will be delivered by SLI accredited trainers from Leicester Early Years Support Team.
£0.00
Level 3 SENCO Award – information sharing event
We are delighted to announce that we will delivering the Level 3 SENCO award again in 2023 – 2024.
The training has been developed by School Improvement Liverpool. It has been designed specifically for early years SENCOs with the aim of developing their skills and knowledge to ensure that they are capable and confident to effectively support the children and families they work with.
This is particularly important now as the recent government white paper has recommended that every early years setting has a level 3 qualified SENCO and this qualification meets this criteria.
In order to do the full level 3 course you will need to be level 3 qualified and the named SENCO for your setting. The course will be delivered face-to-face and you will need to be able to commit to attending 12 full-day sessions running over the spring and the autumn terms.
We are holding an information-sharing event for SENCOs, managers and childminders when we will give you more information about the course content and expectations;
Dates: Tuesday 5th September 1 – 2.30pm or Wednesday 6th September 9.30-11am
Venue: via Microsoft Teams.
When you sign up for this event ensure that you provide the email address that you would like the Teams link to be sent to.
Fee: Free
£0.00
An Introduction to SEND (VAT Exempt)
Dates: Tuesday 7th November 2023,
9.30 – 12.30
Who is this course for: Key-person - NB This is not for the setting SENCO
Cost: Free
Venue: Will be run via Microsoft Teams
Areas Covered:
•This course considers the role and responsibilities of the practitioner in relation to special educational needs and disability (SEND)
•It provides an overview of the Code of Practice for SEND and The Graduated Approach, including the assess, plan, do and review cycle, and teaches how to develop SEND support plans or equivalent
Course Outcomes:
•Be familiar with the ‘graduated approach’ described in the SEND Code of Practice
•Be aware of the practitioner's role in relation to SEND
•Be familiar with ways of identifying and assessing needs and recognise the importance ot early identification
•Know how to develop and record plans for children with SEND
•Recognise the importance of working in partnership with parents/carersand other agencies
This course will be delivered by the Leicester Early Years Support Team.
£0.00
Fun Time (VAT Exempt) - Settings
Date: Wednesday 1st November 2023,
9:30am – 12:30pm
(Practitioners may also wish to attend the Fun Time for Children who have Speech, Language and Communication Needs course in the afternoon)
Who is this course for: Early Years teachers and teaching assistants.
Fee: £30
Venue: Eyres Monsell Childrens Centre, Hillsborough Rd, Glen Parva, Leicester LE2 9PT
Areas Covered:
This enhanced level course develops practitioners’ knowledge of promoting children’s social communication skills through the Fun Time approach and enables them to plan and deliver effective Fun Time sessions within their own setting. The course involves participating in a variety of Fun Time activities and songs.
Fun Time is part of a continuum of provision to develop children’s social communication skills, along with Play Interaction and Circle Time.
Play Interaction (1 child initially) - Fun Time (small group) - Circle Time (larger group).
Course Outcomes:
•Participants will:
•be able to identify the key elements of the Fun Time programme.
•be able to deliver effective Fun Time sessions.
•learn strategies and games to promote children’s social communication skills.
•be able to assess and monitor children’s social communication development.
•reflect on and review their practice and identify areas for development.
This course will be delivered by the Leicester Early Years Support Team.