If you have a disability, we encourage you to indicate this on your application form, so that we can best support you in your studies. If you think you may require specific support for your studies, we also encourage you to contact Disability Services as early as possible. You can do so before you apply or start your course, or at any time during your studies.

Disability Services offers a confidential service to all current and prospective students. Our friendly and experienced team of Advisers can offer advice and discuss with you the disability-related support you may need for your studies. This may include adjustments to teaching and assessment on your course, such as extra time in exams, access to our 24-hour IT facilities, or support with applying for additional funding through the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA), if you are eligible. Confirmation of your disability from a recognised practitioner (for example, your doctor) is usually required for the provision of individual adjustments and you are encouraged to provide this as soon as possible. We store confidential information securely and do not share with anyone outwith Disability Services without your consent.

Currently we have over 800 students registered with Disability Services for individual support. These includes students who have disclosed physical or sensory impairments, medical conditions, mental health difficulties and specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. Our services for registered students includes:

• support with arranging personal help for your studies, such as a proof reader or sign language interpreter
• mental health mentoring
• specialist study skills support
• access to loan equipment and training with assistive technology, such as screen reading software.

In addition, the Scottish Government has validated our Access Centre to provide needs assessments for students applying for the DSA. The Access Centre is also recognised by all other student funding authorities.

Feedback from students who use Disability Services is consistently excellent and the University of Dundee ranks highly for disability support in national student surveys. Contact us to find out more or check out our website for further details: http://www.dundee.ac.uk/disabilityservices/.

Key to the company’s renewed agreement with nasen – the UK’s leading organisation for the promotion of education, training, advancement and development of all those with special and additional support needs – is that Axcis will provide resources via the SEND Gateway, a key online portal offering education professionals free, easy access to the latest information, resources and training to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

In addition, Axcis will take lead sponsorship at nasen LIVE in  2017 and will also hold exclusive sponsorship for promoting the nasen-Harris Federation Partnership – a special needs training programme  for this not for profit  education provider.

Other notable highlights featured in the agreement

Aside from its event support and participation, Axcis will also be able to share and showcase its expertise and good practice with other educators with the provision of relevant newsletters, e-bulletins and conference information both nationally and regionally.

In response to the announcement, Dr Adam Boddison, Chief Executive of nasen explains:

“nasen has a well-established partnership with Axcis Education that is based on the principle of providing an inclusive, high quality teaching and learning experience for all children and young people. I am delighted that our partnership has been extended for a further two years and I am very much looking forward to our supporting education professionals with their SEND requirements through our collaboration.”

Paul Gold, Axcis Education Executive Chairman, adds:

“Our relationship with nasen has gone from strength to strength over the last few years, thanks to our respective, mutual goal to deliver outstanding training and professional development for education professionals. As such, we are delighted at the prospect of the continuation of our successful and important partnership. We are especially pleased to be supporting and attending nasen’s landmark 25 year anniversary celebrations next year.”

Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS)

FCS and Light Bulb Arts which delivers a range of art classes in Edinburgh, based on sound experience in education and community settings, worked with pupils and teachers at St. Crispin’s Special School, Edinburgh to develop the woodland activity book with the children as part of FCS’s Engagement programme.  The woodland activity book offers teachers and outdoor educators ideas to help develop children’s confidence in the woodland through art.

The woodland activity book is packed full of ideas and information for outdoor play and learning, such as outdoor painting, clay and collage activities, den building and bush craft skills, to help deliver creative outdoor learning experiences.

FCS’s Engagement Programme works with communities to encourage and support a diverse range of minority groups access and enjoy the benefits of their local woodland.  FCS and Light Bulb Arts hope to encourage children who wouldn’t usually be comfortable going out into the woodlands, such as children with severe and complex learning difficulties and autism, to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

Romena Huq, Engagement Officer for Forestry Commission Scotland said:

“A key element of our work is about encouraging people of all abilities and backgrounds to experience woodlands and greenspace.  We hope the woodland activity book will help build teachers confidence when facilitating outdoor learning sessions and allow the children to experience their local woodlands.

“It’s been fantastic working with Heather from Light Bulb Arts and Julia Marshall, St.Crispin’s Special School, forest school leader, they were key to the creation of the woodland activity book, Forestry Commission Scotland thank them both and St.Crispin’s Special School for their ongoing support of the Engagement programme.”

Heather Lucchesi, Director of Light Bulb Arts said:

“The woodland activity book offers teachers, outdoor educators and parents a starting point to encourage children to move around the woods and to help build their confidence.  New environments can be daunting for children with autism and serve and complex learning difficulties so the activity book provides easy to follow guidance and tips to make the woodland more accessible.

“One boy who joined us was particularly anxious the first few times he visited the woodlands but now he’s taking the lead and you can see his confidence has grown.  The children learned to love the outdoors and enjoy their time away from the classroom; it’s great to see them thrive in a new environment.”

If you are interested in finding out more about the woodland activity book please contact Romena Huq, Engagement Officer for Forestry Commission Scotland romena.huq@forestry.gsi.gov.uk or Heather Lucchesi, Director of Light Bulb Arts Heather@lightbulbarts.com.

Head teacher Rachel Stirland with her pupils at Phoenix Special School

Pupils and parents are rejoicing at news their school has been judged good by Ofsted following its recent inspection.

Inspectors visited The Phoenix Special School last month for their first examination in two years.

Their report, published this week declared the school to be good across all areas and said:

“The headteacher provides clear and decisive leadership and has high expectations for pupils. She has successfully moved the school forward, supported by staff and governors.”

“Staff have worked hard to quicken progress and improve outcomes for pupils since the last inspection. This is now a good school and it is improving rapidly.”

Headteacher, Rachel Stirland was “delighted” with the result, stating;

“This is a very positive report. It’s testament to the incredible hard work that the whole school community – staff, governors, parents and, of course, the pupils have put in to making The Phoenix Special School the fantastic school that it clearly is.”

Coun Imran Khan, Executive Member for Education, Employment and Skills, said:

“This is a great achievement for The Phoenix Special School and one of which they are rightly proud. Congratulations to all who have worked so hard to bring about this positive outcome and achievement.”
Other comments in the report include:

• Pupils show positive attitudes to learning. They work hard, enjoy being challenged and produce work they are proud of. Pupils’ communication, literacy and numeracy skills are improving rapidly across all subjects and groups.
• Teachers and support staff are committed to ensuring pupils achieve the best they can and they have high expectations of pupils. They have worked hard to improve since the last inspection and teaching is now good.
• Pupils’ care, welfare and safety is paramount and staff are well trained. They know how to help pupils who need additional support and are effective in providing it.

Find out more about the school at www.phoenixschool.org.uk.

The Government was expected to bring forward plans for a national funding formula for early years providers later this year, once the funding arrangements for schools had been agreed.  The new funding settlement for the early years is an essential element of the Government’s plans to roll out 30 hours of free childcare for working parents of 3 and 4 year old children from September 2017.

Sense, a charity which supports and campaigns on behalf of children and adults with sensory impairments, and people with complex needs, is currently calling for better access to specialist early years support and play opportunities for children with multiple needs.

Kate Fitch, Head of Public Policy for deafblind charity Sense, said:

“Although we welcome the Government’s decision to ensure the National Funding Formula is delivered correctly, we’re worried that the news of this delay could mean that plans for early years funding are pushed further back.

“Early education and play are incredibly important for children with complex needs, however all too often disabled children are missing out on the opportunities they need because of insufficient funding.

“The Early Years sector is facing huge uncertainty ahead of the new childcare entitlement roll out and many are worried that the current money available is simply not enough to match the Government’s ambitions or commitments. An underfunded Early Years system will place significant pressure on providers and could result in fewer places for disabled children and further restrictions to opportunities to access early education and play.

“The Government has promised to address these issues and deliver a fairer system as part of its National Funding Formula for Early Years and it is imperative that no time is wasted in delivering this.”

Pupils from Bacons College, London, welcomed ‘ Jeans for Genes’ Day Ambassador Adam Pearson on July 19, to celebrate the school’s annual Diversity Day.

Adam gave pupils a talk about his experience living with a genetic disorder. Adam, who has appeared on TV shows including Beauty and the Beast and Undateables, as well as Hollywood movie Under the Skin starring Scarlett Johansson, suffers from a genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis, which leaves his face disfigured with benign tumours.

Adam Pearson said:

“It was fantastic to visit the pupils of Bacon’s College and to help celebrate diversity, an issue close to my heart. Hopefully all of the students will continue their great work and get involved with this year’s Jeans for Genes Day.”

One in 25 children is affected by a genetic disorder and therefore 30,000 babies and children are newly diagnosed in the UK each year.

Bacons College’s Diversity Day is held to highlight the diversity within the school, its pupils and the wider local community. A selection of pupils posed with Adam wearing their jeans to show support for the annual charity day – Jeans for Genes Day, which takes place this year on 23 September.

College principle, Chris Mallaband said:

“It was fantastic to welcome Adam to Bacons College. The pupils were left hugely inspired by his spirit and attitude towards diversity, and we can’t wait to get involved with this year’s Jeans for Genes day to help raise much needed funds for Genetic Disorders UK.”

Each and every school that signs up to Jeans for Genes Day will be entered into a prize draw to win a visit from Sponge Bob Square Pants or Harry Potter and Star Wars actor Warwick Davis.

For further information please visit: www.jeansforgenesday.org.

Carmel McDermott SEN helpline advisor at Contact a Family says:

“Contact a Family agrees that greater emphasis needs to be placed on how children with SEND are supported in mainstream schools and related policy. Around a third of calls to our SEN helpline are about lack of support for children with SEND in mainstreams school. Many parents are concerned that the support their child receives at school is inconsistent, unsuitable or non-existent. They are frequently told that this is due to lack of funding. Parents we speak to are also routinely told that they will have to wait for professionals such as educational psychologists or speech and language therapists to carry out assessments and observations at school until funding is available.

“We have always known that local authority budget cuts and funding cuts to vital local services has the potential to threaten the success of new SEN system so it’s worrying to learn that school leaders believe this is indeed hampering their ability to support children with SEN in their schools and the impact that this may have on children and the families we support.

“Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans are available for children who are identified as having more ‘significant’ needs.  According to the law it takes 20 weeks to get an EHC plan, however, last week, the Department for Education’s own data showed that in 2015 only 59% of EHC plans were issued within this time limit. This means that many children and young people can wait many months and sometimes longer for the right support to be put in place. This has an adverse impact on their educational progress and wellbeing. The Department for Education’s ongoing commitment to children with SEND is to be welcomed but it is clear there is still a long way to go. We hope they take on board the findings published today and ensure the reforms are implemented at the level of quality we and families expect from the new system.”

New data from The Key highlights the struggle of mainstream schools to support 1.1million pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) amidst delays to assessments, insufficient budgets and cuts to local authorities. Read full report: www.thekeysupport.com/about/media-press/children-send-let-down-system-failings-warn-schools/.