The Literacy & Numeracy Conference 2023
with Les Staves, Dr Sarah Moseley, Carol Allen, Nick Sheffield, Jodie Curtis-Clift, Pete Wells and Richard Hirstwood
We are announcing our summer conference: a day focused on developing literacy and numeracy for learners with severe and complex learning needs and autism, or both.
We explore the core subjects of Literacy and Numeracy from a sensory perspective with experts Les Staves, Dr Sarah Moseley, Nick Sheffield, Carol Allen, Pete Wells, Jodie Curtis-Clift and Richard Hirstwood.
Recognising that Literacy and Numeracy are two foundations for learning, we have curated a range of exciting and practical sessions that will extend and challenge your thinking whilst offering ideas and activities you can adopt and adapt for your learners.
Our presentations cover developing early maths skills; an inclusive reading curriculum; oracy; consolidating and generalising core curriculum subjects across the school day; a pre-phonics curriculum; sensory stories, and technology to support early numeracy.
There will be plenty of opportunities to ask your questions, chat and share through an informal chat room running alongside the scheduled sessions. So bring your coffee and enthusiasm; we look forward to meeting you all!
9 am Admissions and a virtual tea or coffee to start the session!
9.10 am Welcome, introductions and a warm-up activity!
9.20 am Session 1: Living Maths for very special learners – Les Staves
This session will examine why our curriculum must recognise and cultivate the roots of maths as they spread throughout our children’s lives to support their social, practical and cultural development. Les considers how mathematical senses of space, time and quantity are crucial living and learning essentials.
9.55 am Session 2: Speak up! – Carol Allen
Communication is at the heart of all human activity, especially learning. As a result, there has been an increased focus on oracy in the curriculum both by those engaged in developing a curriculum offer and those evaluating it, such as OFSTED. This session will examine the role of oracy in our classrooms; what it means to facilitate authentic student voice; how to empower non-speaking students via technology, and of course, why oracy is vital for independence for our students.
10.30 am Session 3: Working 9 till 3 – Nick Sheffield
Nick shares tips and strategies for embedding the core curriculum subjects within your everyday classroom routines. ‘Working 9 til 3’ will consider the golden opportunities for teaching literacy and numeracy that may be hidden within your usual classroom repertoires.
11.05 am COFFEE!
11.30 am Session 4: First Skills for Learning: an ambitious and unique pre-phonics programme for learners with SEND – Jodie Curtis-Clift, Selworthy School
Jodie introduces her exciting pre-phonics curriculum getting phonics learning in at the very start!
12.05 am Session 5: Multi Approaches to Multisensory Storytelling – Pete Wells
Sensory stories are a compelling way of enabling practitioners to offer their learners many appropriate and engaging activities. Join Pete Wells as he explores specialist storytelling in various forms that can benefit many learners. Pete will demonstrate how a single story can be adapted and delivered in many ways to make it accessible, meaningful, fun and engaging for all!
12.40 pm Morning roundup/housekeeping
12.45 pm – 1.30 pm LUNCH
1.30 pm Session 6: Creating an inclusive approach to reading – Dr Sarah Moseley
This session will explore how we can create meaningful, literacy-rich environments and inclusive approaches to reading. To ensure the best outcomes, Sarah will include tips and strategies to develop reading for neurodiverse learners or those with complex learning needs for whom a traditional reading curriculum may not be accessible or appropriate.
2.05 pm Session 7: How to use technology and apps to support early mathematical development – Richard Hirstwood
Richard will consider how to effectively integrate technology and carefully curated apps into a broad range of engaging and inclusive sensory mathematical activities. The suggested ideas and strategies will cover various sensory needs to support learners on their mathematical journey!
2.40 pm Q & A’s
3.00 pm Plenary, thank you and goodbye!
Richard Hirstwood
Les Staves
Dr Sarah Moseley
Carol Allen
Pete Wells
Nick Sheffield
Jodie Clift-Curtis
This conference will be appropriate for classroom practitioners from special schools and colleges, mainstream settings with specialist SEN provision and early years settings, and those working with pupils with autism, and severe/complex learning needs or both.
The following resources will be available in your account for one week after the conference date: a digital recording of this event, any resources shared/signposted during the session and a transcript of Zoom chat.
£150 plus VAT per place
You can choose to pay by credit card for this booking. You can also request an invoice by confirming your booking by entering a Purchase Order Number on the booking form.
To make a group booking, please select the number of places you wish to book using the drop down menu in the ‘Book event’ section. Select ‘next.’ Complete the requested fields and the name and email addresses of those wishing to attend. If you don’t know the email address for any delegate, you can email this to lois@hirstwood.com later.
NEW FOR 2023!
