[senco-forum] Re: The new term

Hi Briony

  Let's get down to the practical!  Not particulary inspired at the moment and no magic wand either but this is what is on my list.

  My priorities for the start of next term are:
  Move my furniture back into my office and sort it out again (Replacement water pipes still not finished after five weeks.  Current completion day is Thursday!  Lucky the kids aren't back until Tuesday)
  Where to place support for pupils who have less than full time TA cover - and with who.  14 TAs, 6 of whom are part time)  Review after two weeks.
  Getting Year 7 into a routine and getting to know them.  The best way we find is to encourage them to eat in the SEN area if they want to so we can chat more easily than we can in class.  Last year we had two pupils working at P levels for the first time.  They spent their first two weeks of English lessons doing a bit of Brain Gym, them practicing walking round the school until they knew where to go.  I'm going to do that again with the two new pupils working in P scales.
  Statutory assessment and reassessment for two pupils - estimate five plus hours of paperwork each.
  Test Year 10s and Year 11s not done already for access arrangements so we can apply before the cut off date for science modular tests.
  Evaluate last year's results in order to point out what worked well (most things) and try to see if we could have changed what didn't work well.
  If I can draw breath after that lot, I'll start on the next things!

TA inset.
  We have a main INSET day for TAs every year.  I want to increase that to one a term, even if I have to do a 'morning only' session.  This has to be agreed by the teaching staff.
  My priority is to try to get TAs to tell me how well pupils are learning and not just how well (or usually badly!) they are behaving.  We are embarking on a whole school monitoring of achievement across the curriculum which is going to be my rationale for this change.
  I have several hour to an hour and a half INSETs on things like reading, spelling, and so on for TAs which I am happy to share with anyone who wants them.

  Amanda
  Secondary SENCO
  Cornwall

"Briony Verdon (4)" <bverdon at didcotgirls.oxon.sch.uk> wrote:
  Let's get into practicalities. What do people see as the priorities for the new term. I've started wrangling over my support timetable for 17 TAs and I need some inspirational diversion so that my brain is functioning before Friday. 

What are you looking forward to getting your teeth into this year? 
Any tips for getting new year 7 settled as quickly as possible?
Any suggestions for things to do with TAs on INSET days? 
In fact any pearls of wisdom that anyone wants to share would be very gratefully received. 

Briony 

Secondary Senco 

Amanda
Secondary SENCO
Cornwall