From September

INCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE FOUNDATION DEGREE

Chicken Shed Theatre Company and Middlesex University are offering a two-year full-time theatre-based course at Chase Side, Southgate, London N14. Also part-time. Disciplines include inclusive performance in music, dance, drama and musicalcommunity theatre.Contact Zoe Hayes, tel: 020 8351 6161 ext. 229; www.chickenshed.org.uk

September 14

DISABILITY IN THE INFORMATION AGE

e-Access 05, a new annual conference and exhibition, will be held at CBI Conference Centre, London W1. It will demonstrate the positive potential of technologies such as the Internet, digital TV, radio and mobile phones for people with disabilities and the possible pitfalls.

www.headstar-events.comeaccess05

September 15-18

DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES IN DOWN SYNDROME

International conference organised by the Down Syndrome Educational Trust at Portsmouth University. Speakers include Naznin Virji-Babul, Down Syndrome Research Foundation, Vancouver, and Patrick Sheehan, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Fee: pound;299.95; student rate available.

Contact: 023 9285 5330; www.downsed.orgconference2005

SUMMER ACTIVITIES

July 9-23

MAKE A NOISE IN LIBRARIES WEEK

Public libraries across the UK will be running inclusive, accessible events for visually impaired people during this awareness-raising week organised by the National Library for the Blind. www.nlb-online.org

July and August

BADAGUISH OUTDOOR CENTRE, AVIEMORE

This centre offers canoeing, orienteering, archery, mountain walking, rock climbing, abseiling and mountain biking for people with all types and degrees of disability.

Contact: 01479 861285; www.badaguish.org

From July 15

PLAY4IT

Programme for children of all abilities in the Edinburgh region, opening at Fountain Park, July 15, 1-4pm, with the Forth One Roadshow: bungee trampoline, snowboarding and surfing simulators, arts and craft workshops.

Contact: 0131 550 6824; www.play4itedinburgh.com

July 23-30, August 6-13, 20-27

MULTI-ACTIVITY YOUTH COURSES

The Back-Up Trust is running integrated multi-activity weeks for 13 to 17-year-olds paralysed by spinal cord injury, at Calvert Trust activity centres in Keswick, Kielder, and Exmoor respectively. Participants tackle all challenges partnered by an able-bodied volunteer “buddy”.

Contact: 020 8875 1805; www.backuptrust.org.uk

July 25-August 19

TOWER HAMLETS SUMMER UNIVERSITY

Free workshops for young people with physical andor sensory disabilities in playmaking (11-13) and theatrevideo playmaking (14-25).

Contact: 020 7247 7900; www.summeruni.org

July 26-March 5 2006

HEARWEAR - THE FUTURE OF HEARING

Discover how fashionably-designed “hearwear” can be as desirable and accessible as “eyewear” at this exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London SW7. Developed with the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, it features products by top designers, including gadgets to block out sounds such as drills and allow clear conversations to be held in noisy surroundings. Running alongside until August 29, is the Touch Me: Design and Sensation exhibition, co-organised by The Wellcome Trust, which explores the pleasures of touch and includes an interactive garden of the senses.

Contact: 020 7942 2211; www.vam.ac.uk

Until August 31

RIVERSIDE WALKS FOR CHILDREN’S HOSPICES

The Shooting Star and Richard House children’s hospices have organised 10 walks along the Thames path. Entry: pound;5 adults (includes a T-shirt and pedometer).

Contact: 020 7540 0222; www.riversidewalks.co.uk; www.richardhouse.org.uk

TELEVISION

TEACHERS’ TV (digital, cable and satellite)

Secondary Management: Managing Inclusion

(July 2, 3pm; July 5, 3pm)

Preventing Exclusion. Concerned about the high exclusion rate of black African and Caribbean boys, Preston Manor high school, Wembley, has developed programmes to address their needs, including anger management and a pastoral support plan, agreed with each boy and his parents. A child psychotherapist explores with pupils and teachers what lies behind challenging behaviour.

Reducing the Burden. Managed moves, an alternative to permanent exclusion, allows pupils to be transferred between Coventry’s 19 secondary schools via a pupil referral unit. Allows a fairer distribution of difficult and disruptive pupils between schools to be negotiated.

Inspirations - Sporting Heroes

(July 5, noon and 9.30pm)

Pupils at Frank Wise special needs school, Banbury, Oxfordshire, worked with film-makers on the film Sporting Heroes. They learnt to edit software, made decisions and dressed like stars for the premiere at the Odeon, Banbury.

SPECIAL NEEDS WEEK

AUGUST 1-7

Silent Children, New Language (August 3, 10pm)

When the Sandinistas took over Nicaragua, they created the first special schools for the deaf, where children created their own sign language. It has developed as they have grown up, overturning existing linguistic ideas.

A Stranger in the Family (August 3, 8pm)

At Giant Steps, a special school for pupils with autism, in Sydney, Australia, set up and maintained by parents, progressive treatments have led to some startling breakthroughs.

PRIMARY

Emotional Literacy (August 3, 2pm, 7pm)

The Hightown Elsas. The country’s first emotional literacy support assistants have helped Hightown primary school, Southampton - put into special measures six years ago - raise standards and cut exclusions by two-thirds. Two Elsas assess pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

School Strategies. Southampton has cut exclusions and enhanced learning by making emotional literacy a priority in more than 30 schools.

SECONDARY

(August 4, 8pm)

Complex Special Needs. The story of two students with different needs and how the SEN department at Sackville community college, East Grinstead, West Sussex, helps their inclusion and learning.

Success Self-Esteem. Sackville community college is developing strategies to help less academic students succeed. Students talk about how it has worked for them and their ambitions for the future.

Supporting the LSA team. The value of support and team-building in monitoring and developing the work of learning support assistants at Sackville community college is explored.

Just for Governors. Two governors investigate SEN provision at different venues and give constructive feedback to their governing bodies.

Contributions to the diary should be sent to SNExtra@tes.co.uk