What they’re all about
“Oby stands outside the head’s office, rocking back and forth on his heels. He knows what’s behind that door; every bluebird that flaps across the fussy wallpaper; how many birds face left from the floor to the ceiling; how many fly right towards the cabinet for the spoils of war, the trophies. Above the trophies, a royal blue caption proclaims: `Well done St Joseph’s Church of England Technology College.’
“And there are five `Os’ in that. Or maybe six.”
In the life of Oby, the letter O is critical. As he waits for his expected telling off from the head, for a misdemeanour he doesn’t fully understand, he is already calculating which word - which O - will save him.
Oby is not a real boy, but one of eight children featured in as many short stories in Being Forgotten, by teacher, foster parent and writer Katharine Ann Angel. Each story outlines the very private world of a child affected by difficult family circumstances or special educational needs, including dyslexia.
Angel has had first-hand experience of them all. It was this, and her secret passion for helping troubled teenagers to read, that inspired the book, which is suitable for key stage 3 and 4 (S1-5) PSE and even English literature classes.
Each story highlights aspects of the children’s lives - illiteracy, low self-esteem, resilience, attachment disorder and so on. The final section covers the background behind the stories and offers themes for discussion in the classroom.
Being Forgotten is available from Amazon for pound;7.99.
What else?
Inspire discussion about inclusion with inclusivesolution’s quotes and images.
Teachers TV has shared a video on SENASN inclusion in schools.
