Welcome to the Summer Edition of the Bury SEND Newsletter...

Our newsletters have taken on a new look! While it may take some getting used to, we hope that this new layout allows you to choose the content you want to read and navigate our SEND News more easily. 

Since coming to Bury it has been my drive to improve services and the experiences of children and their families.  Having two neurodiverse, now grown-up, children, I have some lived experience of the complexity of pathways and how the system needs transformation.  So, over the four years I have been here I have driven forward bringing additional investment and transformation into Bury children’s services. I work closely with Wendy Young, our lead for SEND, and our Early Years and Early Help voluntary sector organisations and teams as well as our health services across two major health trusts.   

One of the first things I was involved with was working closely with a small number of parents, our parent carer forum Bury2Gether and trust leads, to secure a specialist epilepsy nurse for Bury children. It took us a long time, but we managed it, and I know the families really benefit from Michael’s valuable skills and care.  

In mental health services we were able to secure 1.4 million to level up the Bury CAMHS offer, so that they now provide therapeutic support to young people up to the age of 18.  This has seen CAMHS expand and support more children with moderate to severe mental health issues year on year.  

Early intervention is key to providing the right support at the right time. And so over recent years we have co-produced and run children’s mental health campaigns in Bury - you may have seen our promotional materials and headline “Are you OK?”  We coproduced a range of materials and support pages, I have linked the parents’ pages here Thriving in Bury for Parents & Carers 

Coming from a school’s background I appreciate the key role our schools play in supporting children’s wellbeing and so have introduced three programmes to support our children and young people’s emotional wellbeing in schools. Mental Health Support Teams is a national programme, and we have the team in operation in 22 of our Bury education establishments. There is the drive from central government for us to expand this out to all schools by 2030. We also have our myHappymind (mHm) programme, in most of our primary schools in Bury, and the feedback from parents’ children and schools is amazing. Supporting children with lower-level mental health needs, our MHST teams also support wider school interventions, and they love myHappymind!   

In response to what our Bury Youth council and the Circles of Influence session told us, recently we have expanded our mHm offer to include a young person’s offer, myMindcoach offers advice and guidance on wellbeing via a digital offer. This is available in all our secondary schools.  

Understanding that wherever possible we need to be offering earlier support, we have recently launched our Rise @Streetwise offer via Early Break and CAMHS, based in Wash Lane and other community venues they offer drop-in sessions and early support and guidance. Please see here to see how you access the drop ins  RISE Bury - Early Break - Early Break 

Working with public health, we have added investment into our SEND Health Visiting team and increased their capacity and evidence-based programmes to support families earlier in Bury. The feedback we get about this team is amazing!   

Building on evidence-based support we now have a Riding the Rapids parenting support offer in partnership with Early Help, Early Years and First Point Family. This programme and PACT (Parents And Children Together) have been transformational for families, and I love seeing the feedback forms from parents.     

We have worked with speech and language services to reduce the waiting times and to also offer support and advice whilst waiting. 

 We have also introduced an innovative digital Can Do speech and language support offer via What’s App. This has seen support being offered to more than 180 families so far in Bury, learning innovative new ways to support children’s communication with Jo Jones the creator of the programme.  Learn more here: Welcome to the Parent Path. 

We have a huge amount of support resources on our range of padlets on the local offer Health Services - Bury Council  

There is still a lot to do. Greater Manchester has been working to implement neurodevelopmental needs led offers across all localities. Keep a look out for co-production sessions on the developing Bury model!   

I hope you can tell from this introduction that I am passionate about building better services for children. We haven’t got it all right at the moment, but we are all committed to working with the wider Bury system to improve services for children with additional needs.

What is Marvin’s Story Time Show

Marvin’s Story Time Show is an online educational programme which nurtures and enables access to literacy beyond the typical reading book for children and young people of all ages who have complex or sensory needs, profound and multiple learning disabilities, low vision and cerebral vision impairment.

Marvin’s Story Time Show has reached over 10,000 children across the world in the last 20 months alone, with many more watching since the show launched in March 2020.

The Marvin Story Time Show is feelgood, happy and fun. The simple, stripped back model places children with complex needs as the starting point for accessible story time. Families and schools enjoy watching the show as it offers the bridge to accessible story time for everyone.

The show is designed to incorporate accessible teaching and learning strategies which strengthen participation in story time and the development of communication, language and literacy.

Each show follows the same structure incorporating specific elements to maximise the opportunity to increase literacy skills: a huge happy loud welcome, rainbow wheel spins, cheerful, happy songs, time spent saying ‘Hi’ to the children, a chat/wave to Marvin and a story told with high energy using glittery homemade characters.

What difference does the show make?

Marvin’s Story Time Show is especially loved by children and young people, capturing their imagination and creating moments they truly cherish. These shows bring immense joy, laughter, and fun to those watching. One of the many positive outcomes is a noticeable increase in engagement and participation.

How do schools and families take part?

The shows are aired live on ZOOM. Schools and families watch the live shows and can then watch the recordings again on Marvin’s Story Time Channel. This is a password protected page on Marvin’s website. Sign up to the Marvin Story Time Show is required to access the recordings.

British Sign and American Sign Language Interpreters are on the shows broadcast live on Sundays.

Families and schools in Bury have enjoyed participating in Marvin’s Story Time Show since its launch in March 2020. Many families watched during the pandemic, looking forward to the shows which were then aired three times per week on Facebook live. Since September 2023 they have continued to enjoy the shows live on ZOOM and a live in-person version was presented for Bee Inclusive in May 2023.

What the parents say…

Bury Council's Vision and Hearing Impairment Service says:

“Gwyn from Positive Eye and the Bury VI Education Service go back many years.  Gwyn has provided invaluable training to the Service and her knowledge and expertise is second to none!  The Service promotes her wonderful creation, ‘Marvin’s Story Time Show’ through its Padlet and many of Bury’s caseload children and their families love Gwyneth and Marvin!  Its engaging and fun format offers a unique experience for our children and young people with more complex learning needs.   I am delighted that Bury is showcasing Gwyn’s passion and magic for accessible language and literacy development through ‘Marvin’s Story Time Show’.

Taking part:

A free programme schedule runs throughout the year. Follow the link to sign up for the Show here:

https://marvinstorytimeshow.co.uk/product/marvins-story-time-show/

A confirmation email is sent on receipt of the completed booking form, with the password to access Marvin’s Story Time Channel and ZOOM links are sent out near to the date of each live show.

Everyone is welcome to the Greatest Story Time Show in the World and Ever

We are excited to share that Bury’s Inclusion Service is entering a bold and creative new chapter, one that places children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) at the heart of our educational system. 

Our transformation is rooted in a systemic and holistic approach to improving outcomes for all learners. SEND isn’t a separate piece, it’s part of the whole picture when it comes to helping every child succeed. 

At the core of our work is a new integrated, graduated model for early assessment, identification, and intervention. This approach is built on strong partnerships with schools, families, and communities, and is underpinned by a commitment to continuous professional development (CPD). 

 A key innovation is the reimagining of our Educational Psychology (EP) service through a Communities of Practice (CoP) model. These communities’ foster collaboration, shared learning, and capacity building across Bury. Each CoP will benefit from structured support, including dedicated input from Assistant Educational Psychologists (AsEPs) and oversight from qualified EPs.   While we are still in the early stages of this approach, we are already seeing promising signs- greater school engagement, stronger partnerships, and a shared appetite for change. 

These early successes are shaping our plans to extend this model across wider SEND services and align it with other key local authority functions, such as the School Attendance Team, Admissions, and the Virtual School. Our Statutory Assessment and Review colleagues will also be part of the “Team Around the School” model.  We will also be building on the success of our previous SENCO networks, which will be brought back ‘in house’ from September 2025 and continue to offer borough-wide SENCO networks, with more targeted support incorporated into the CoP model and reflective of Bury’s local area strategic priorities and challenges. 

We are also working closely with key community partners, including groups from the Bury Voluntary, Community and Faith Alliance, as well as individuals and organisations with lived experience. Their voices are essential as we co-create a system that is inclusive, responsive, and rooted in the real experiences of our families. 

Together, we are building a resilient, responsive, and evidence-based system to ensure every child and young person in Bury receives the right support, at the right time, in the right way.  

Wendy Young 

Head of Service – Special Educational Needs (SEND) & Inclusion 

When we asked the young people and their parents and carers what they think of the youth club, we had some wonderful responses!

What our young people think...

“I enjoyed going cinema and bowling and also youth club because all your mates are there and u get to socialise with many new friends and if u feel upset or left out then they will listen to u”

“The ability to be a mouthpiece for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities.”

 “[I like] going to youth club and socialising with different people who I get along with and get my voice heard”

“I love being part of a team and trying my hardest”

What our parents and carers think...

“Really well run, my child loves going and gets to burn off some excess energy whilst having fun. I love that it is open to all abilities and that everyone is encouraged” 

“My son absolutely loves the club, the socialising. A little bit of independence. Nothing but good things to say about it. Fantastic staff.” 

Wish we’d tried it sooner” 

Our football teams are having a blast as well, enjoying weekly 5 a side games, and we’re preparing to join a league in September so that we can play some regular matches against other teams. We also have a conversation going with Bury Football Club… watch this space!

Lastly, our Changemakers group have been hard at work as usual, planning sessions to hold with the child and adolescent mental health service and designing their very own training for school staff about how to talk to and work with young people with additional needs and disabilities. The group are really passionate about making sure that SEN needs are identified at the earliest point and that every child is able to receive the support they need, so this is what we’re focusing on this term.

A Youth Perspective: Foreword to Bury’s SEND Strategy

“We are a group of young people who come from Bury. We work with decision makers to ensure strategies like this deliver outcomes that matter to us. These are things like feeling healthy and well, freedom to choose our next steps, and feeling safe.

We, as young people, understand how everyone is impacted differently by their additional needs and disabilities. We want everyone to have aspirations and goals, and to be supported with those, with their individual needs taken into consideration.

This SEND strategy which has been co-produced by Bury Changemakers, Bury Youth Service and the SEND Improvement and Assurance Board is the result of conversations with young people about social reform and improvement to SEND for children and young people in Bury.

The School and College Transport team are currently operating five routes requiring a pupil escort for the morning and afternoon journey in addition to providing cover for sickness absence.  

We currently have two relief pupil escorts commencing their training on 19th May and 2nd June 2024. A further three candidates are awaiting recruitment checks, as soon as these are complete a start date will be agreed, and training commence.

2025/2026 Academic Year 

The team is exceptionally busy as we plan travel arrangements for the new academic year. 

If your child is starting/transferring to a new school in September or commencing post 16 education, please ensure the relevant application is submitted to the team as soon as possible.  

Our School and College Travel Assistance webpage holds information regarding the service, SEND travel policy and the relevant application forms that are available for you to download; School and college travel assistance - Bury Council 

Contact  

There may be occasions when it is difficult to reach us by telephone as we are all on calls, please do leave a voice message and we will get back to you as soon as possible or you can email schoolandcollegetransport@bury.gov.uk. The team aim to respond to all emails within 2 working days of receipt.  

The team are available from 7:30am to 4:45pm, Monday to Friday during the school term.

Across this academic year, the SEND Support Service has provided school improvement advice and support to schools for SEND and inclusion. Within our universal offer available to all schools, and in conjunction with the Outreach Team, we have offered schools the following CPD opportunities:

• 5 sessions running across the year to discuss our Local Area strategic priorities with SENCOs, particularly in the area of the Graduated Approach. This has included focus on
  • Ordinarily available inclusive provision
  • Managing the pre-graduated approach (the point where there are concerns about a child, but not necessarily a special educational need)
  • Strengthening deliver within the Graduated Approach
• 5 sessions running across the autumn and spring terms for new SENCOs and new Assistant SENCOs to provide induction information and advice

The SEND Support Service also offered 12 sessions between May and July this year focused on developing schools’ understanding of the Graduated Approach Toolkit.

• These sessions are structured around the four areas of need as defined in the SEND Code of Practice
• There are three sessions per area of need
• Sessions will be uploaded to the Toolkit during the school summer holiday for access for anyone who is interested.

This year, the SEND Support Service has continued to play a key role in promoting inclusive education. The team has supported schools through the Primary Locality Area meetings and Secondary Inclusion Partnerships, provided targeted advice to help include children and young people with special educational needs, and offered focused support for schools working on inclusion and SEND priorities identified in their School Improvement Plans.

This year, the Outreach Team has been actively supporting schools through Primary Locality Area meetings and Secondary Inclusion Partnerships, providing educational advice to prevent placement breakdowns, and offering consultations following declined EHCNA requests. Additionally, the team has led efforts to enhance school practices around dyslexia, promoting accreditation through the Dyslexia Aware Quality Mark, supported the Neurodiversity in Schools project, and assisted the Bury Mental Health Support Team in achieving the ‘Bury Emotionally Friendly Setting’ accreditation.

The Director of Early Years, Education and Skills

Stephen Holden, was seconded into the director role from the Bury school system, with his host organisation being Prestolee Multi Academy Trust. Initially, this arrangement was for a period of 12 months. It has been positive that Stephen has been with us now for 18 months. However, I recognise the need to achieve stability in our leadership arrangements. Therefore, the Local Authority is currently in the process of recruiting for the role on a permanent basis, and I hope to update you over the next month.

On the 18th of July, Stephen will return to Prestolee. I would like to acknowledge the contribution Stephen has made in our endeavour to improve the experience of children, families, and carers with SEND and to thank him for his leadership across our education directorate.

Best wishes,

Jeanette

Bury Universal Early Years Offer for Children and Families 0-5

Part of our overall Early Years Team Offer in Bury is to support inclusive practice within our Early Years Settings. We strive to ensure the needs of every child including those with a Special Educational Need or Disability are fully supported. We are in the process of developing our networks for Early Years Practitioners, so they are able to access advice, guidance, training and support on an ongoing basis.

• Parent Introduction Video
• Professional Overview Video
• WhatsApp Flow Explained

 Let’s work together to support our children’s communication skills - one small step at a time!

In a growing number of UK schools, Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (known as ELSAs) are making a quiet but powerful difference in children’s lives. Developed by educational psychologists in response to rising mental health concerns, the ELSA programme equips teaching assistants with specialised training to support children’s emotional and social difficulties.

While academic achievement often grabs headlines, school staff and parents know that emotional wellbeing forms the bedrock of successful learning. “Children can’t focus on phonics or fractions if they’re weighed down by anxiety or frustration,” explains Catherine Kelly, Assistant Principal Educational Psychologist in Bury. “The ELSA’s job is to help them feel safe, heard, and understood.”

The impact is often transformative. Teachers report improved classroom behaviour, stronger peer relationships, and a noticeable boost in children's confidence. Headteachers describe ELSAs as a key part of the pastoral team, and parents benefit too,  “I learned my own little ways with help from the ELSA to try and ease that anxiety and try and build his confidence back up” explained one  parent.

Training and supervision are key. ELSAs are not counsellors, but they’re closely supported by educational psychologists to ensure interventions are evidence-informed and tailored to each child’s needs. Unlike many other interventions, ELSA support “can be tweaked to suit individual pupils needs/abilities” Explained Karen Crawford an ELSA at Millwood School. ELSAs also really value being able to share ideas and resources with ELSAs from other schools.

As demand for mental health support grows, some schools are expanding their ELSA provision and more training is being offered by the Community Educational Psychology Service (CEPS) in the Autumn term. This investment in emotional literacy will reap rewards across Bury.

“Sometimes,” Catherine says, “just knowing there’s someone who’ll listen changes everything.”

Contact: CEPs@Bury.gov.uk for more information

www.elsanetwork.org

Last term we updated our materials regarding the preparation for adulthood (PfA) for young people with SEND. These resources provide essential guidance to ensure that our young people are supported effectively as they transition through their education and into adult life. 

Please ensure you are familiar with these updated materials and acquaint yourself and your colleagues with the PfA annual review prompts. These prompts outline key PfA topics from Year 9 onwards. Being aware of these prompts will help you and your team discuss PfA topics at annual reviews, ensuring that pupils and families plan for the right support at the right time. 

There is also a full set of resources for professionals, young people and parents/carers, which can be found on our Local Offer pages and are also available as downloadable factsheets. 

Your proactive engagement with these resources is vital in helping to prepare all pupils for a successful future. Thank you for your continued commitment to our young people’s progress.