Sen teaching all levels in same room

[Jinglejinglejingle7]

Working in a SEN setting as a teacher. I have 4 children- non verbal. TA has 3 children higher ability. The higher ability need to do phonics/maths following a scheme on the whiteboard (I plan it) but I'm with the other group doing sensory, communication etc. Struggling to get this to work all in the same room. Ideas?

Is this not something your head and SENCo would be able to support you with? It doesn't sound like you have the human resource to meet the educational needs of all pupils currently.

Do you have some sort of framework you use?

Your assistant should be assisting, not teaching. It is not great if the higher ability kids are always deprived of the expertise of a real teacher. Clearly, that is beyond your control, but I would suggest you swap which group each of you takes.

By swap I mean alternate or swap back and forth.

Do you only have 2 members of staff for all 7 children? It doesn't seem a high enough ratio given their level of need and varying educational needs...

Thanks all yes. 2 of us for 7- no other TA support available. . So I plan all- across 3 age levels but vastly different abilities- loosely grouped into 2. SENCO is rubbish.

I will probably rotate- but at the moment the higher ability is the easier group so TA is following Phonics and maths schemes on the screen with them- pretty straight forward and she knows what shes doing. Im doing more bespoke /EHCP work. But its hard in the same room!

I rotate my groups so I teach each group evenly.
if you have a big gap between learners, unfortunately it means more planning for you.

on a practical level, I like to write task cards for each subject that clearly shows individual targets and then a list of expectations for each work I set. I try to set one piece of work for the class.. all then can access it within their learning levels. The task cards are mainly there for the adults so that they are guided when I am busy elsewhere and individual targets are being met. I can then blend annual targets and Key Stage targets from the EHCPs easily.

I'm assuming the 4 pupils are preformal learners? Are any 1:1's as well?

Yes they are. Not officially 1:1's....

How about Bucket Time from the Attention Autism approach?

Swap groups. Your assistant shouldn't be teaching they should be supporting, you need to be teaching its not fair on the able children not to be actually taught by a teacher.

Why are those 7 children in one class? Or do you just mean they are more able than the others, rather than higher ability? Are they still SEN?

Can you divide the room somehow with screens/furniture?

aren't noise levels the issue if all in one room?

Yes noise levels is the real issue! Its a room attached to a mainstream school. All SEN who can't cope in a class are in there together at least 4 are waiting for Special School places.

We are just starting to introduce this curriculum https://www.caths1.org/
Lots of advice on mixed ability groups classroom set up

Is it a primary SRP? This sounds an odd set up. You need some support from the LA SRP adviser or specialist SEND teacher. So it’s actually a mainstream setting with a SEND unit. How are the 5 hours of teaching planned each day? Can you all do sensory and communication and then take the English and maths whilst TA takes others