Welcome to the NatSIP Website
This website offers access to a wealth of SI resources, most of which are freely available. We encourage you to register on the site for full access to everything we have to offer. Registration is free, and open to anyone. A walkthrough/howto on the registration process is here.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
On the hottest afternoon of 2025 so far, NatSIP was pleased to welcome over 60 delegates and speakers via Microsoft Teams to what proved to be a discussion-stimulating and content-packed event as we explored specialist resourced bases for learners with sensory impairments (deaf/HI, VI and MSI).
The UK Government has wide-ranging long-term plans for reforms to help more pupils with SEND have their needs met in mainstream schools. As part of the continuum of provision for SI learners, this NatSIP event focussed on the valuable contribution of specialist SI resourced provisions and units.
We would like to thank all speakers, from DfE and the SI sector, and all contributors to the event and discussion. As we continue to explore how the specialist sector meets the needs of learners with low incidence disabilities we are sure that this is a debate which will continue!
Some of the speaker presentations from the event are now available in the NatSIP Document Library
Available documents:
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Guide Dogs colleagues are delighted to invite you to the online launch of the Eye Care Support Pathway for Children and Young People with a Vision Impairment, on Tuesday 15 July 2025, 11-11:45.
Join to hear about the new Pathway which brings the NHS healthcare vision impairment support journey together in one place with wider social and educational services. Created by partners from across the sight loss sector, this is designed to support children, young people and their families on their journey from initially noticing a possible eye condition, through to living well with vision impairment. For health, education and social care professionals and commissioners, the pathway provides an overview of what good practice care and support should look like.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
New from Sound Waves Foundation:
The release of our newest Deaf Kids Tip Kits; Residential Trips, Swimming and Theme Park is just in time for summer! Our kits are jam-packed full of helpful and practical tips written by deaf children to educate others on how to be more inclusive and deaf aware during activities!!
Our Tip Kits are designed to promote inclusion, and help create safer, more enjoyable experiences for deaf children. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or activity leader, they empower you with the confidence and knowledge to support deaf children effectively and respectfully. Each kit is easy to read, visually engaging and easily shareable at the touch of a button.
Best of all—they're completely free to download!
Visit our website to get your Deaf Kids Tip Kits today:
- Written by: Ian Noon
NDCS has published a report that looks at how families experience informed choices and how this impacts the decisions that they make on language and communication.
The research was carried by Gwen Carr for the National Deaf Children’s Society. Although the research was based in Scotland, the findings apply across the whole of the UK.
The report contains a number of important findings. For example, it found that many families talked positively about the support they had received. Professionals also spoke about the importance of putting the family first and being led by their needs. It highlights the challenges that many families face in accessing information and support.
To find out more about the research, you can read our summary for parents and the full report.
You can also read our position statement on informed choice too.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
| Training: |
Accessibility Planning: Opportunities and Implications for SI practice. Exploring the 2025 DfE guidance for schools |
| Date: |
Tuesday 25 March 2025 |
| Time: |
13:30 - 15:45 |
We were pleased to welcome 63 delegates and speakers at the online training event on 25 March 2025.
Under discussion was the recently published Department of Education and Council for Disabled Children updated guidance to support schools to understand their responsibilities inrelation to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and to empower governors and trustees to hold their schools to account.
Our keynote speaker was Philippa OBE, who is working with DfE, as a CDC Associate, on a set of Equality Act guides for future publication.
Other speakers included:
- Brian Lamb (NatSIP)
- Caireen Sutherland (Seashell Trust)
- Joanne Hogg (Lead QTVI for Sheffield VI Service)
- Ruth Crosby-Stewart (Head of Services for Middlesborough STARS, the Sensory Support Service across four neighbouring LAs).
The following presentations are available:
- document Philippa Stobbs' Presentation
- document Joanne Hogg's Presentation
- document Ruth Crosby-Stewart's Presentation
- pdf Caireen Sutherland's Fact Sheet
In addition, as Lindsey Rousseau mentioned during the training, NatSIP is pleased to be an engagement partner for the DfE's Inclusion in Practice project. There is a short presentation available about the project and an invitation to submit examples of effective practice where specialist expertise has supported inclusive practice in mainstream schools.
As contributors from our partner organisations Guide Dogs and NDCS, we were joined by
- Alexander Clarke, Senior Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns Manager for Guide Dogs who updated us in the use and development of the Guide Dogs publication on Reasonable Adjustments for VI learners in schools
- Edward Cleere and Lorraine Friend-Thomas, Legal and Education Appeals Specialists with NDCS who introduced us to important information available through the NDCS website, including The law when working with deaf children and young people and their advice and guidance helpline.
- Written by: Ian Noon
NDCS has updated the briefing note on what government figures say on the attainment of deaf children in England, from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Key Stage 4. The briefing note now includes figures from last year.
https://www.ndcs.org.uk/media/9599/ndcs-note-on-attainment-data-2024_final.docx
The briefing note can also be accessed via www.ndcs.org.uk/data.
By way of reminder, government figures only capture deaf children if they have been formally identified as having a special educational need (i.e. those at SEN support level or who have an EHC plan). These figures also exclude those where deafness is not the primary need. These figures should therefore be used with caution. They are, however, the best figures that are publicly available that we at NDCS are aware of.
- Written by: Jane Sharp
Lots of Dots has been developed to raise awareness of the importance and value of inclusion. It does this through fun, multi-sensory activities, two of which tie in nicely with Braille 200 celebrations so are ideal for use in VI awareness sessions.
Download a free copy of the resource from RNIB's website: Lots of Dots Activity Pack.
No specialist knowledge of vision impairment or braille is needed to use Lots of Dots so it's perfect for mainstream colleagues and community group leaders who want to champion inclusion, as well as VI education professionals.
- Written by: Loretta Knop
Please find a link here to the world’s first piece of research covering Charles Bonnet Syndrome in children that has been shared by Judith Potts, Founder and Trustee of Esme’s Umbrella. The research is titled ‘They’re creepy creatures with human-like features’: children’s experiences of visual hallucinations in Charles Bonnet syndrome – a qualitative study’.
- Written by: Juliette Taylor
The Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI) Resource Hub, which sits within RNIB Bookshare website, just got even better with a refreshed new accessible design.
The new website still has the same functionality that gives easy access to resources for those working with children and young people with a vision impairment (CYPVI) across the UK allowing them to better support their learners.
- Written by: Emma Fraser
In collaboration with researchers from University College London (UCL) and Aston University Birmingham, NDCS has developed a series of video resources for families of children with mild or unilateral hearing loss offering practical advice and reassurance.
Based on research findings, the videos, hosted on a dedicated YouTube playlist, also link to our website and useful resources mentioned throughout.
- Written by: Jane Sharp
Last year, VI education professionals shared how their services are implementing the CFVI. In a short document, the project team has summarised some of the ways in which the framework is being used: https://viewweb.org.uk/wp-content/public-files/Practical%20implementation%20of%20CFVI.docx
The full document with further ideas, including sections focusing on specific areas of the framework, can be downloaded from the RNIB website: https://media.rnib.org.uk/documents/CPD_Shared_Practice_2024.pdf
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
We are pleased to announce that NatSIP will be hosting a free, drop-in on-line workshop is for Heads of Service who have been (or will be) asked to respond to the 2025 CRIDE Survey on Thursday 6 February 2025.
For more details, please see here.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
| Event: |
Lunchtime Online Discussion: SI and Complex Needs |
| Date: |
Thursday 12 December 2024, 12:30 - 13:30 |
We held a successful lunchtime discussion session on Friday 12 December 2024, with Joe Booker, (Lead Practitioner, Seashell Trust) as lead presenter. The discussion covered three themes:
- Identification and assessment in special schools
- Measuring progress in special schools
- Working with special school staff
Joe's presentation is now available to download from the Document Library
Available document:
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The Consortium for Research into Deaf Education (CRIDE) reports summarising the results of the 2024 surveys in each of the four nations are now available. They can be accessed from either of the below websites.
https://www.batod.org.uk/information/cride-reports/
A UK-wide summary will be published separately in the new year.
- Written by: Jane Sharp
RNIB’s free CPD sessions for the spring and summer term are now open for booking on RNIB’s website: Training for professionals supporting learners with VI. Sessions are held on Teams and topics include braille, wellbeing, complex needs, reformatting and making practical lessons inclusive. All education professionals are welcome.
- Written by: Teresa Quail
BATOD has recently published a guide for higher education (HE) and teachers of deaf young people supporting transition to HE. It is available from BATOD: 'Articulating the specialism – the role of the QToD in HE'.
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