Annual report 2002 - batod

The Educational Management Committee and its two subcommittees, ‘GCSE’ and ‘Curriculum Issues’,have yet again had a busy year working on major projects and many and varied minor ones.The committee met for a working weekend in January 2001. This was an urgent meeting called to discussthe amendments to the proposed Threshold Section of the new Code of Practice.However, the DfEE seriously affected the committee’s plans by deciding at only two days notice that theywere to scrap that whole section of the Code as there had been so many complaints about it from differentpressure groups from all areas of SEN. The committee was therefore left with space on the agenda - butfound no difficulty in filling it!Over the year the committee worked on a variety of projects:• The committee has continued to try and regularise with QCA the issue of who is to be used to modify, orbe involved with, the writing of the SATs. The committee continues to press the point that all ToDs usedfor modification of examination papers or statutory tests should have attended a BATOD training course,and have been seen to reach the standards required.• A very successful course was run this autumn, through a partnership between BATOD and NASEN,which resulted in many more Teachers of the Deaf being trained in language modification techniques forboth SATs and end of Key Stage 4 exams - and this will greatly help to raise standards. Other similarcourses are at the planning stage, and it is hoped that all regions will have the opportunity in the futureto attend a course that is near to them• A letter was sent to Tim Boswell MP (Conservative spokesperson on SEN issues) about the problemswhich had occurred with funding for children SEN in GM schools and how they may relate to newsystems of funding being proposed by the Conservative party under its ‘free schools’ policy. Theparticular problems of low incidence need were mentioned and examples quoted. A meeting took placelater in the year between BATOD and Mr Boswell to emphasise these points.• The DEMAQS project was discussed and it was decided that some of the procedures used, andquestions asked, of deaf children, their parents and their teachers should be investigated.• A future magazine issue concentrating on the work of the peripatetic Teacher of the Deaf was plannedand contributors suggested. This has now been very successfully produced.• The NDCS Deaf Friendly Schools Initiative was discussed and it was thought important the Teachers ofthe Deaf should be involved as they were working in their schools on a long term basis whereas NDCSspeakers would only be visiting once or twice.• We completed the response to the consultation on the Code of Practice relating to the DisabilityDiscrimination Act. (We had already previously contributed, and in detail, to the Government’s proposedCode of Practice for SEN which was to replace the current one.)The code described, with examples, the new duties (from 2002) not to discriminate against disabled pupilsand prospective pupils in the provision of education and related services in schools, and in respect ofadmissions and exclusions.We warmly welcomed the document as a whole, and in principle, whilst making specific points in relation tocertain aspects of the draft code. Throughout the document we noted a lack of specific reference to LEAadvisory and support services. We emphasised that these services are key partners in ensuring thatchildren with a disability do not suffer unjustified discrimination.This Code of Practice will have a profound effect on schools and their responsibilities towards children witha disability when it comes into force next year.The Disability Rights Commission will be issuing practical guidance in addition to the final Code of Practiceand both should be published together. The EM committee will be looking at the final document withinterest.Although the BATOD GCSE sub-committee has continued to work with exam boards on the modificationof examination language, the committee’s main focus this year has been on organising training workshops.These were planned together with two representatives from NATED.The first training weekend took place in Doncaster on 17 and 18 November, and was a great success.Thirty-six people attended. Many more wanted to participate, so further sessions are planned for 2002, inthe South and in Scotland.email: secretary@BATOD.org.uk BATOD Annual report 2001 BATODWebsite: www.BATOD.org.uk 21 The Haystacks, High WycombeAnswerphone / fax 01494 464190 page 7 Bucks HP13 6PY