We offer a range of professional development opportunities to encourage good practice in the education and inclusion of children and young people who are blind and partially sighted, including those with complex needs. In addition to these we also support the work of specialist professional networks operating within the visual impairment field.
These will be of interest to school and college teaching staff, learning support assistants, visiting specialist teachers and associated professionals from health and social care teams.
National Conferences
The Vision UK 2012 Conference: Improving outcomes, increasing value
Tuesday 12 June at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre, London.
This year's programme includes preventable sight loss as a public health priority, improving community eye care and sight services and the launch of "Seeing it my way - a quality and outcomes framework for blind and partially sighted people".
For more information visit: www.vision2020uk.org.uk/ukvisionstrategy
VIEW Conference, 15-16 March 2012 (Event synopsis)
The 2012 VIEW conference defied the economic climate by attracting its biggest attendance of recent years, with a total of around 120 people attending for one or both days in Birmingham earlier this month.
A packed programme included key presentations from Lea Hyvarinen, Maggie Woodhouse and Andrew Blaikie, illustrating the importance of education and health professionals working together. Philippa Stobbs and Julie Jennings updated the conference on national policy developments and Steve McCall reflected on the nature of the support that children with visual impairment receive in this country compared to the provision he has observed in parts of Africa.
The conference also heard about exciting developments in the provision of electronic curriculum materials and progress in supporting effective transition in Wales. All this and still time for workshops too!
For more information about VIEW please go to www.viewweb.org.uk
Accredited and certificated courses for professionals
Partners in Learning course for teachers and support staff
Partners in Learning is a modular BTEC course developed between RNIB and the Open University, using a blended learning approach of face-to-face training with online study and discussion activities. The course is designed to increase your understanding of visual impairment and its impact on learning. It encourages you to identify key factors in effective inclusion and to reflect on how to promote these in the educational context in which you work.
Understanding visual impairment in children and young people
RNIB's new online course looks at the issues of growing up and learning with a visual impairment. This new online course is designed to support the training needs of professionals and parents in order to improve the quality of learning opportunities available to children and young people with visual impairment.
It includes:
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Two units - one on visual impairment in children and one on effective practice
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Varied approaches to learning and assessment
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Leads to an RNIB certificate
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Based on materials from our popular Partners in Learning course
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Designed to take around 50 hours of study
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No fixed start and finish dates
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Course fee £90.
For further information visit our Understanding visual impairment in children and young people pages.
RNIB Certificate in Contracted (grade 2) English Braille
The RNIB Certificate in Contracted (grade 2) English Braille is a distance learning course aimed at any sighted learner who supports individuals using braille, such as parents, teachers, teaching assistants and support workers. It provides tuition in how to read and write contracted English braille. For more information on this course and more visit our Braille courses for adults section.
Professional Networks Framework
RNIB is currently involved in bringing together a national framework of professional networks within the visual impairment field, with the aim of providing information about their activities in one place. This network directory forms a key part of our role in promoting effective practice in the education and development of blind and partially sighted children and young people.
RNIB also runs professional network events which are listed below. For further information on professional networks and forums visit our Education networks and forum section or contact the RNIB Children, Young People and Families Team at cypf@rnib.org.uk.
RNIB short courses and professional network meetings
Social and emotional support
A meeting is taking place on Friday 13 July at RNIB in central London to discuss the social and emotional needs of children and young people with visual impairment. The meeting will include input from Gail Bailey and Joao Roe, both of whom are published authors in this important area. It is also an opportunity to learn about RNIB's emotional support service which is now open to children aged 11 and above. Finally the meeting will discuss the re-establishment of the SEAL VI network for teachers and other professionals to share information and ideas in future.
Download an application form here:
For more information email cypf@rnib.org.uk
Networking days on braille teaching and learning
We operate a network for professionals involved in teaching children and young people who use braille. The network meets twice a year in Leeds and twice a year in London (repeated programme, participants choose the most convenient location) for professional development and training. The networking days include opportunities for participants to share their own information and ideas about resources and teaching approaches.
The next meetings of the Braille teaching and learning network will take place on 18 June (London) and 26 June (Leeds).
The focus of the meetings will be on teaching practical science to blind children, with input from science specialists Chris Stonehouse from New College Worcester and Jane Sharp from Wakefield VI Service.
Download an application form for London or Leeds here:
For more information email cypf@rnib.org.uk
Practitioner workshops
RNIB Sunshine House School and Children's Home and Grangewood School are delighted to present a two day practitioner workshop for professionals supporting children with learning difficulties and disabilities including sight problems. Sessions cover topics such as movement and mobility, communication, teaching at P levels, delivering a sensory curriculum, demonstrating educational progress and overcoming challenging behaviours associated with autism.
For more information visit our Working together: Practitioner workshops pages.
VITAL (Visual Impairment Touches All Learning)
VITAL is a network of professionals working with children with complex needs and visual impairment. VITAL is facilitated by RNIB but is mainly comprised of teaching and associated professionals working in schools, services, early years and health settings. We have four regional VITAL groups operating in the following regions:
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London and the South East
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The South West
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The West Midlands
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South Wales
Each group meets twice a year, the next round of meetings will be in the summer term of 2012.
For more information or to be put on the regular email distribution list email vital@rnib.org.uk