How can we support a Year 6 pupil who is following the SEND programme, but can’t retain the GPCs?

Repeated practice throughout the day is always best. Ensure that they are short, sharp and purposeful sessions. They need to be simple in instruction so that the child can take on the new learning and the cognitive load is kept to a minimum.

Have a look at the ‘How to’ video in the SEND area called ‘Teach and practise: Teaching a new GPC’. Notice how the teacher keeps her instruction to a minimum so not to add to the child’s cognitive load.

Start with the initial teaching of the GPC, then throughout the day, keep coming back to that new GPC. If they have forgotten, teach it again.

Children with significant needs in their cognition and learning do take longer and need lots of repetition to ensure that that learning has been secured.

Try to timetable when these short repeated practice sessions will happen – it will only need to be a couple of minutes at a time once you have taught the GPC following the lesson plans. Little and often is always best and will make it more manageable for you and your TA.

Come along to a Getting Started: SEND webinar, if you haven’t attended one yet. You can book via our CPD calendar.
Also, watch ‘SEND in the Mainstream’, which is now in the ongoing CPD area of the website, under recorded webinars.