Education

The Edwards

After the success of last year’s launch of the Edwards, (an award to recognise good practice in schools for supporting pupils with epilepsy) we opened nominations again for 2011. We had a number of nominations from across the UK from primary, secondary, colleges and universities.

We ended up awarding eight Edwards at the end of National Epilepsy Week to the following education establishments:

• Biddulph High School, Stoke-on-Trent
• Danesfield Church of England School, Taunton
• Leytonstone Business and Enterprise Specialist School, Leytonstone
• Nazeing Primary School, Essex
• New College Nottingham, Nottingham
• St Columbas Primary School, Kilrea, Co Derry
• St Mary’s College, Blackburn
• Ysgol Y Gogarth, Llandudno

It’s wonderful to see the work that these Edward winners are doing. This is to make sure their pupils are being supported in the best way possible to achieve their full potential.

• Full details of all the winners

All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)

On Tuesday 17 May, I presented with Alan Cruickshank from the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy to the APPG meeting at Westminster hosted by the Joint Epilepsy Council (JEC). Here we spoke to MPs about some of the issues faced by pupils with epilepsy and the resources organisations have available. We also outlined the issues the Green paper could present to pupils with epilepsy.

Special educational needs Green paper

The consultation ‘Support and aspiration:A new approach to special educational needs and disability’ was launched in March and closed on 30 June. The paper announced the biggest reform to special educational needs and disability (SEND) in 30 years.

The paper – specifically dealing with the relevant processes currently in place in England – proposes to simplify the special educational needs system for all concerned. Epilepsy Action has submitted a full response which focused on;

• Early identification in early years settings
• Single assessment process and the introduction of the Education, Health and Care plan
• Training for professionals
• The local offer of the services available in local areas
  

• Our full response