Welcome to the NatSIP Website
This website offers access to a wealth of SI resources, most of which are now 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
Following the very successful NatSIP Working Event, News from the SEND front-line, held on MS Teams on 10 November 2021 we are pleased to announce that the presentations are now available in the Document Library.
The content on this 'single issue' event was introduced and led by Brian Gale (SEND Regional Advisor in DfE) and contributions came from NatSIP partners with examples of how they and their teams are 'Building Back' with provision to the SI sector after the effect of lockdown and the pandemic. They all shared their priorities and there were many themes in common. These explored the changes to working practice and the essential focus on transitions for young people and their families, whilst securing wellbeing and progress.
You can find the presentations folder here.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Last year and due to unforeseen circumstances, the School of Education in University of Birmingham took the difficult decision to suspend all programmes in the field of Multisensory impairment. They are now very pleased to inform you about the re-launch of the following programmes:
- MEd Education of Learners with Multi-Sensory Impairment
- PGDip Teach Children and Young People with Multi-Sensory Impairment (Mandatory Qualification)
The University of Birmingham are fully committed to the field of multisensory impairment and look forward to welcoming new students in 2022. They will be happy to answer any queries. Please address all questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
- Written by: Ian Noon
The NDCS has updated an old blog that seeks to set out the position on remote support to deaf children and their families, and catch-up support. It sets out some considerations that NDCS would like education professionals and managers to take into account.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Children and young people with multi sensory impairment (MSI) have very specific needs which are not always addressed in training for those working with other sensory impairments.
NatSIP, with partner organisations, can offer training for colleagues who work with MSI learners.
The training can be delivered locally, regionally or nationally and, if required, designed to meet individual or combined school or service development needs.
A PDF flyer on the training offers can be downloaded pdf here .
- Written by: Caireen Sutherland
Please see an update message, and request for support, from the project team:
One year in and we are getting closer to the creation of a UK wide unified framework for Children and Young People with a Vision Impairment, thanks to the huge support and expertise being shared from across the sector. We would like to take this opportunity to update you on our progress and let you know how you can still be involved as the project continues to develop.
This joint project between RNIB, VIEW, VICTAR at the University of Birmingham, and Thomas Pocklington Trust, and aims to establish a UK wide specialist framework for children and young people with vision impairment.
The new framework will clarify and define the elements of specialist skill development, interventions and best practice support that are essential for children and young people with vision impairment. The 2-year project, funded by RNIB, is now entering the final stage of the consultation which will confirm and finalise the key outcome areas, draw together case studies as well as finalise the name of the framework itself.
The VI Curriculum Framework will be accompanied by the development of an online resource hub to support the sharing of professional resources used by Qualified Teachers of children with Vision Impairment and Habilitation Specialists across the sector.
We need your support!
If you, your service or school have designed resources to support CYP with VI in learning specialist skills and would be happy to share your ideas and resources with others, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch with us by emailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Find out more about the progress of the project and download our FAQs here.
- Written by: Ian Noon
Colleagues in NDCS have updated the publication 'Supporting Achievement – for staff in special schools'.
Deaf-friendly teaching: For staff in special schools https://www.ndcs.org.uk/documents-and-resources/deaf-friendly-teaching-for-staff-in-special-schools/
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
During the Summer Term 2021, NatSIP was asked to develop a tool for observing sensory impairment provision in classrooms.
Working with colleagues across the SI sector this checklist, for observing SI teaching and provision across education settings, has been developed.
The checklist is designed to be used in both mainstream and special school settings as a first port of call by non-specialist SI staff.
The aim is to flag areas which require further investigation, attention or support whilst carrying out classroom observations or learning walks.
As always we recommend that the best advice will be secured through contacting the local SI support service.
The checklist is abailable as both a PDF and a Word document, and can be downloaded from the NatSIP Document Library folder here .
- Written by: Teresa Quail, BAToD
BAToD are pleased to announce their CPD Webinar Series for September 2021 - March 2022.
The series features a broad range of themes and speakers. For more information on the presentation topics please see: https://www.batod.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/BATOD-webinar-series-Sept-2021-March-2022-summary.pdf
The specialist topics, additional professional updates and information from a range of sponsors would be of interest to staff supporting deaf learners in all settings. The series can be accessed as a five-session package, at a discounted price, or as standalone sessions.
These quality evidence-based CPD sessions, available at the touch of the fingertip, are captioned with BSL interpretation and 21 day post-event on-demand access.
To book places, please see https://aesculap-academia.eventbritestudio.com/
- Written by: Ian Noon
NDCS has updated the returning to school blog for families. This is an update of a blog produced last year about coronavirus restrictions that might be place and which might impact on the support that deaf children receive in schools. The blog includes a suggested checklist of questions for families to consider.
https://www.ndcs.org.uk/blog/returning-to-school/
NDCS has also updated their live coronavirus blogs. They have made some changes to streamline these, now focusing on the below topics.
NDCS will keep these updated as and when any changes or issues arise.
- Written by: Judith Chorley - Guide Dogs
Tech for All - Free iPads or iPhones for children with a vision impairment, aged 3-18
NatSIP works with Guide Dogs to support all aspects of the lives of children and young people with vision impairment and the partnership is pleased to be able to promote a new and important initiative, Tech for All.
Guide Dogs is launching this new service on 22 July 2021.
Whilst technology in schools remains the responsibility of local authorities, the aim of the service is to help children with a vision impairment to have access to their own devices at home – to support learning, or simply to have fun and explore the interests and activities they enjoy. In this way, it is hoped that the service will complement the wide range of support provided across the sight loss sector to help children and young people build their independence.
Tech for All will provide iPads to visually impaired children aged 3-18 across the UK, while secondary school-age children (age 11-18) may choose an iPhone instead. The devices have excellent accessibility features built-in, and online guides and tutorials will be provided to help them get started and to ensure that they know how to stay safe online. The devices will be completely free of charge, with the only requirement being proof of vision impairment.
- Written by: Ian Noon
As colleagues will have seen, DfE (England) published new guidance earlier this week on school arrangements in from the 19 July 2021. In case it is helpful, below is my NDCS summary of what’s changing and how this might impact on deaf children.
- Face coverings will no longer be required or recommended within schools or on school transport
- Where there is an outbreak in the school, a Director of Public Health may advise they be reintroduced. For this eventuality, the new guidance retains some of the text around transparent face coverings, face shields and the need to make reasonable adjustments that was already in DfE guidance on face coverings.
- The new guidance acknowledges that remote education may still be necessary in some cases. It includes a line around the need to make reasonable adjustments for those with SEND.
- Schools will no longer be required to maintain bubbles. There is already some flexibility around this in current guidance for children requiring access to specialist SEND support (e.g. in resource provisions) though we know, in practice, this could vary.
- There’s nothing specific in the guidance that I could see around provision of external specialist support and therapies in schools and colleges – so the default assumption should be that this should be provided as usual.
Below is a key line on overall policy pulled out from the DfE guidance:
As COVID-19 becomes a virus that we learn to live with, there is now an imperative to reduce the disruption to children and young people’s education - particularly given that the direct clinical risks to children are extremely low, and every adult has been offered a first vaccine and the opportunity for two doses by mid-September. Our priority is for you to deliver face-to-face, high quality education to all pupils. The evidence is clear that being out of education causes significant harm to educational attainment, life chances, mental and physical health.
The full guidance can be read at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Over 100 people joined us on Microsoft Teams for the NatSIP National Online Working day on Tuesday 6 July 2021.
The topic for the event was SEND Reviews and implications for SI provision
Keynote speakers were André Imich of the DfE and Nick Whittaker of Ofsted. Both Andre and Nick are familiar with the work of the SI sector and it was a pleasure to welcome them back to an online NatSIP working day. Their keynote presentations are available via the link below.
Presentations from the day are available folder here .
During the afternoon we held breakout working groups addressing important topic areas within the SEND Reviews. These were facilitated by NatSIP colleagues and feedback from the groups will be circulated and sent to DfE and Ofsted for their consultations.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The updated BATOD/NatSIP/NDCS open letters for schools and colleges on coronavirus and education support for deaf children, and RNIB/VIEW/NatSIP for support children and young people with vision impairment, have now been published (and translated into Welsh). Please find links to them on the websites below.
NDCS (for deaf children):
Open letter for schools and colleges in England: https://www.ndcs.org.uk/media/6144/open-letter-england-may-2021.pdf
Open letter for schools and colleges in Northern Ireland: https://www.ndcs.org.uk/media/6145/open-letter-northern-ireland-may-2021.pdf
Open letter for schools and colleges in Wales (in English): https://www.ndcs.org.uk/media/6147/open-letter-wales-june-2021-english.pdf
Open letter for schools and colleges in Wales (in Welsh): https://www.ndcs.org.uk/media/6148/open-letter-wales-june-2021-welsh.pdf
Open letter for schools and colleges in Scotland: https://www.ndcs.org.uk/media/6146/open-letter-scotland-june-2021.pdf
VIEW (for VI children and young people):
https://viewweb.org.uk/coronavirus-schools-children-with-vi/
- Written by: Juliette Taylor
The latest sector update of the Specialist VI Curriculum Framework Project has been uploaded today and can be viewed here:
https://viewweb.org.uk/specialistvicurriculum/
The Project Team need help in gathering together the resources which help to deliver the specialist curriculum to children and young people with VI.
Resources could be anything from a useful one-page resource to help teach an aspect of independent living skills, to a scheme of work to support the teaching of a piece of assistive technology, to materials that support assessment or outcomes setting. If you are unsure whether your resource would be of help to others, or if you think it may need some refining, please don’t let that stop you as the team have a helpful group of professionals from the field who are on hand to support you and offer advice or guidance if required.
If you are willing to share your ideas with colleagues in the sector, they would love to hear from you.
The more resources that can be made available the easier, and more efficient everyone can be in delivering information and resources to the children and young people with VI.
So, please get in touch with the Project Team by emailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Written by: Ian Noon
DfE guidance on face coverings in education in England has changed.
- From the 17th May, it will no longer be recommended that face coverings be worn in classrooms by either pupils or staff
- It will still be recommended that face coverings be worn by staff and visitors outside of classrooms where social distancing cannot be maintained. This recommendation does not apply to pupils.
- Children and young people over the age of 11 are still required to wear face coverings on school transport, unless exempt.
- FE providers are able to recommend face coverings should be worn by young people in vocational settings (e.g. a training kitchen).
- Where there is a “particularly localised outbreak”, face coverings may be reintroduced for a temporary period.
One other key change in the guidance is in the text on transparent face coverings. NDCS had been pressing DfE to take a more positive and encouraging tone in this area, and are pleased that guidance now refers to the potential benefits of such coverings.
Where NDCS guidance recommends face coverings, transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. Transparent face coverings may be effective in reducing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). However, the evidence to support this is currently very limited. Face coverings (whether transparent or cloth) should fit securely around the face to cover the nose and mouth and be made with a breathable material capable of filtering airborne particles.
The main benefit from a transparent face covering is that they can aid communication, for example enabling lip-reading or allowing for the full visibility of facial expressions, but this must be considered alongside the comfort and breathability of a face covering that contains plastic, which may mean that the face covering is less breathable than layers of cloth.
Text around reasonable adjustments (and the need to consult with pupils and families), and allowing face shields/visors to be worn as an alternative to the exemption is still in the guidance.
The full text of the guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-in-education
NDCS have also updated their coronavirus blogs to reflect these changes:
Parents
Professionals
https://www.ndcs.org.uk/blog/education-for-deaf-children-coronavirus-info-for-professionals/
- Written by: Nicki Harris
ASLI (the Association of Sign Language Interpreters) has published best practice guidance for interpreters working in an educational setting. The document is on the ASLI website and is available for non ASLI members to use for reference: https://asli.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ASLI-Best-Practice-for-Interpreters-Working-in-Educational-Settings.pdf
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