Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Hello again at the start of this new academic year. Time seems to fly by so quickly.

The start of a new academic year seems to be an ideal opportunity to take some time to evaluate the sensory provision within your setting, and then to set an action plan for the year. I am hoping this newsletter will give you the impetus to do this and also give you some tools to make it easier. There is simple worksheet that you can download here to help you.

First of all carry out a SWOT analysis of how effectively your sensory provision supports all your learners or client group. Here are a few pointers for each section, but note it is not a comprehensive list. Hopefully just there as prompts to help get your thinking started.

Strengths (What is working well?)

For example:
Environments ( lighting, layout, noise)
Staff awareness and training
Consistency of strategies across the day and settings
Learner/client engagement and regulation

Weaknesses (What needs improvement?)

For example:
Inconsistencies between classrooms or staff
Gaps in training or understanding
Limited resources or access to equipment
Environmental challenges

Opportunities (What could we develop further?)

For example:
Training opportunities
New resources or interventions
Collaboration with specialists
Learner’s/client’s voice and co-production

Threats (What might hinder progress?)

For example:
Environmental limitations
Budget constraints
Lack of support from senior management/other staff
Staff pressures
Lack of time for training or implementation

Vision and Action Plan

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

From your SWOT analysis, you are now going to create a vision and action plan. If you are using the downloadable form, you will see the aim is to create only three key priorities. This helps make this achievable. The danger is to have far too many things that you are trying to do. Much better to start off small. Really think here using your SWOT analysis, what are the three things that would make the most impact in my setting. Then you will think what needs to happen next for each of three priorities (action plan) and how you will do this (implementation). Make sure the implementation is SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely. Then finally you will think how you will measure the progress/impact.

I hope this is helpful and I’d love to hear how you get on.