#14 Special Education Needs Coordinator Insights from 10 years in a school. Helen Wells.

Helen Wells shares her perspective as a Special Education Needs Coordiator in a school for 10 years. Shares her story of how she began as an art school graduate and became a primary school teacher by primarily learning on the job with a special program for teachers. How her head teacher inspired, and pushed her, into the job of SENCO in the school. Her rapid learning of the field and how she has found the key thing is managing the communications between the family and school well. How she found ways to help the child and family feel heard and understood. Her reflections on those 10 years for teachers and tutors who work with the tension of providing tailored solutions within school restrictions. Also advice to parents navigating it. She discusses the success of the Leeds Dyslexia Festival a month ago with 1000 people attending. All volunteers and 8 months of planning from a standing start! She goes on to describe how she learns so much stuff so effectively via audio and podcasts as a working mum. Her view on how note-taking is taught in schools and what it takes to learn an effective way, including her views on mindmapping and why it features in nearly every report recommendation. There’s a lovely moment when she shares her advice to her self as a teenager and as a parent. Finishing with a whole range of very useful advice for organising and planning as a dyslexic and parent of a dyslexic. Including, apps and lots of great stuff. Hope you enjoy. Darius Links mentioned are Www.send-solutions.co.uk And www.mindmapstudio.com/14