This course will include work on the full range of special educational needs encountered in a secondary school (though it is not intended to replace specialist training in specific areas such as Down's Syndrome and Autism). It will tackle the central issue of providing access to a broad and balanced curriculum for English, while making an impact on the learning difficulties, both with written and spoken language, that impede students' progress and enjoyment.

The day will offer guidance on organising support, so that wherever possible it prepares a student to tackle a difficulty in advance rather than helping them catch up afterwards, training and deploying assistants, grouping students according to their learning needs, teaching techniques, selecting and using resources, assessment, and in planning the curriculum so that work is matched as consistently as possible to individual needs.