The Knowledge Makes Change seminar series aims to inspire and be informative on ‘what works’ for young children and their families to ensure the best possible outcomes. It forms part of NCB’s work in Jersey and is delivered in partnership with the Jersey Child Care Trust.
On 2nd May 2018, Brian Lamb gave an informative, practical and affirming session on the importance of Parental Engagement for Early Years children with SEND as part of our Jersey programme.
Brian Lamb was the Chair of the Lamb Inquiry into Parental Confidence in SEND which helped form the basis of the current legislation and SEN Code of Practice in England. He is also the founding Chair of the charity Achievement for All (3A’s) which improves outcomes in schools for children with SEND. He was also chair of the Special Education Consortium. Working with parents groups, schools and English Local Authorities he is committed to increasing parental engagement in all aspects of education and service provision. He is Visiting Professor of Special Educational Needs and Disability at Derby University and has published widely on special needs education.
Brian talked about why parental engagement is crucial to ensure that services are shaped to meet needs and how parental involvement at school can enhance progress and ensure better outcomes for children. He also explored best practice in parental involvement and share some easily and quick steps that services and schools can implement, including:
- The academic evidence practitioners can use to show the impact of parent engagement during early years
- How to empower parents through engaging them in their child’s development
- How to implement good parental engagement, starting with structured conversations with parents.
The seminar also saw local context provided by the Jersey Child Care Trust’s Special Needs Inclusion project and the Parent Carer Forum Jersey, showcasing how best practice has already started across the island.
Also remember to download a copy of our briefing paper which gives a summary of the research and practice supporting Brian’s talk.
Parental Engagement is a fundamental aspect of supporting Children with SEND and a key recommendation of Brian Lamb, who outlined the best ways to start engaging parents during the early years in our recent Knowledge Makes Change Seminar.
The Knowledge Makes Change seminar series aims to inspire and be informative on ‘what works’ for young children and their families to ensure the best possible outcomes. It forms part of NCB’s work in Jersey and is delivered in partnership with the Jersey Child Care Trust.