• Read about this fantastic new ethos based approach to co ordinating Mental health and Well Being in your school.

    Click to open and view each article page in fullscreen.

    are-you-smiling-article SEND magazine
    Page 18
    are-you-smiling SEND magazine
    Page 19
  • For many years I have spoken about the need for teachers to be aware of children born prematurely, and the range of learning needs these children present in all classrooms in all settings at all ages and stages.
    Indeed, evidence for the Complex Learning Difficulties and Disabilities  Research Project ( Carpenter et al 2011,;2015) showed that children born prematurely, were presenting profiles of learning need the likes of which we, as teachers , had never seen before. They were  re-writing the Special Needs Registers of our schools.
    In training I always advise teachers and school leaders to ask on the admission forms of every school (secondary included!)
    “Is there anything in the birth history of this child that we need to know?”
    This new resource for educational professionals, developed by Professor Samantha Johnson and her colleagues at Leicester University, now articulates through easy to access , high quality research and practice evidence, why we need a fuller and deeper understanding of how children born prematurely will learn and progress in our school system ,and what some of their learning challenges may be.
    The e-learning resource can be accessed online for free here:
    It was supported in its development by  Action Medical Research .
    There is also a podcast with the editor of the TES about the development and evaluation of the resource and about the educational needs of preterm born children more broadly.
    This can be accessed here if you would like to listen:
  • On the journey of professional learning, as schools and teachers prepare to implement Engagement more fully as assessment, this article may offer some useful insights.

    Click to download and view.

    Engagement For Learning

  • Autism and Girls – One day conference with Prof. Barry Carpenter
    Date: 5th November 2019
    Event Time: 9am – 4pm
    Event Location: Harcourt Hill Campus, Oxford Brookes University

    Click the below link for more information:

    https://shop.brookes.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/faculty-of-humanities-social-sciences/conferences/autism-and-girls-one-day-conference-with-prof-barry-carpenter

  • Some years ago I worked with a brilliant Architect, Christopher Beaver, to create new learning spaces for children with Autism and Complex Needs.
    The information I used drew on two PhD’s I had been involved with, namely those of Dr Diana Pauli and Dr Tamara Brookes.

    Linked below are a series of articles that reflect those discussions, deliberations and developments. These may be helpful in the context of the current expansion of specialist provision

    To download these articles, please visit the below website link and click the blue ‘Download’ button.

    https://app.box.com/s/2dl0ggl3zdtflgkcjbd4gje7ylmds4pp

  • A must for all schools, this latest resource out of Nurture UK, http://www.nurtureuk.org) is invaluable for supporting the mental health of Teenagers .

    Click below to download and view.

    Well Being Toolkit for Teens Info Download

  • “Earlybird”  – the first book worldwide for parents and children to explore together the experience of premature birth.

    Written by Dr Patricia Champion, MBE , Founder of the Champion Early Intervention Centre , in Christchurch , New Zealand , and an international expert in the field of prematurity.

    “All the joys and worries of a prematurely born baby are tenderly and openly addressed in this lovely story as Mum, Dad and Pip welcome little Peri into their nest. This book will be calming and centering resource for families to read with their children following their time in NICU and long after as they continue to embrace their newest family member”.
    Professor Linda Gilkerson, PhD. Erikson Institute USA.

    The book is available internationally and can be purchased online at: http://www.championfoundation.co.nz

    Click the below to download and view the Earlybird information sheet.

    Earlybird snippet - download link