Barriers to Learning

SPE

Although many barriers to learning are directly related to the underlying conditions that give rise to individual learners’ special educational needs, there are also barriers within the curriculum and its delivery.  Classroom teachers and teaching/learning assistants play a vital role in  removing or minimising these barriers to enable all learners to achieve success at an appropriate level.

For teachers Barriers to Learning

For teaching/learning assistants Barriers to Learning

Course aims:

• to raise teachers/teaching assistants’ awareness of the wide range of pupils’ additional support needs
• to help teachers/teaching assistants support individual learners’ needs in a mainstream classroom setting

Learning outcomes:

The classroom teacher/ teaching assistant will develop a knowledge and understanding of:

• a number of factors that may lead to a learner experiencing barriers to learning
• some common strategies (including ICT) that might reduce barriers to learning in the mainstream classroom

This 5 hour online CPD course is presented in 9 short parts (of about 30-40 minutes) with a brief introduction to barriers to learning.  The courses introduce barriers to learning likely to be experienced by learners within the mainstream curriculum and explore some of the factors that may impact on learning and underlie a learner’s SEN such as:

• dyslexia
• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD and ADHD)
• dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder (DCD)
• dyscalculia
• autistic spectrum disorders (ASD)
• challenging behaviour
• physical and sensory impairments
• other barriers to learning
• individualising the curriculum

The first 7 parts of the course considers the likely impact of each factor on learning and introduces  some strategies that the teacher or TA might use to support learners with these conditions in the classroom.  Parts 8 & 9 provide a brief review of other barriers to learning and consider delivery of the curriculum in an inclusive way – including the use of ICT.

These courses offer some optional practical activities that will help teachers and teaching/learning assistants to develop confidence in their identification of individual pupils’ additional learning needs.  There is a review quiz at the end of the course to enable users to reflect on what they have learned and to plan next steps.


Next Steps
For those who wish to apply the knowledge they have gained in these courses, the following courses are recommended:

For teachers (England)

Defining and Identifying SEN  

Partnerships with colleagues, parents and other agencies

For teaching/learning assistants (England)

SEN Framework and the role of the Teaching/Learning assistant

Look out for:
Our forthcoming follow up courses Developing a Pupil Profile (5+ hours CPD)
In different versions for teaches and teaching assistants, this course includes practical classroom activities and offers the opportunity for course members to submit the profiles they have developed to course tutors for comment.

CPD Bytes is a registered CPD provider with Learning & Teaching Scotland