Position/Status
University Lecturer in Special and Inclusive Education
E-mail Address
rb218@cam.ac.uk
Phone
01223 767627
Qualifications
BA(Hons); PGCE; MEd
Membership of Professional Bodies/Associations
- Editor of the British Journal of Special Education a nasen journal
- Member of the nasen journals Editorial Board
- Member of the Universities' Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET) Continuing Professional Development committee
- Member of the University of Cambridge Council for Lifelong Learning
- Member of the Centre for Participation
- Convenor of the Eastern Region Network for senior staff in schools making provision for pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties
- Member of the Eastern Region Partnership transition working group
- Member of the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education special educational needs and inclusion research and teaching activities group
Profile
Richard Byers specialises in the education of young people with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties and/or disabilities. He has a strong practical background working in schools and colleges and in community-based provision. Richard has extensive experience of developing and delivering professional development tutoring courses and supervision at a range of levels and is the Faculty's Course Manager for Practitioner Professional Development. He has published widely and has contributed to a number of key projects including recent national initiatives for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the Department for Education and Skills. He has research interests in curriculum development person-centred approaches advocacy interactive teaching and learning personal and social development and the transition to adulthood. He is currently engaged in partnership with colleagues from the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities in researching emotional well-being and social engagement for pupils and students with learning difficulties in inclusive schools and colleges.
Richard is active internationally. He is currently acting as external consultant to an Education and Manpower Bureau project developing an inclusive curriculum for students with special educational needs under the new senior secondary academic structure in Hong Kong. In 2006 he worked as consultant and trainer for a project on inclusive curriculum design commissioned by the Ministry of Education in Botswana. He was the co-author of guidance on planning the curriculum for students with special educational needs published in 2002 and prepared for the UNICEF school-based project for children with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2002 he worked as a partner in association with the British Council the Ministry of Education and Kenyatta University in a project developing inclusive educational responses and related opportunities for continuing professional development for education professionals in Kenya. Richard Byers is editor of the British Journal of Special Education.
Academic Area/Links
Inclusion and special educational needs
Severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties
Teaching and learning
Professional development for practitioners
Research Topics
Inclusion and special educational needs
Curriculum development planning teaching learning and assessment for pupils and students with learning difficulties
Emotional-well being and personal and social development for pupils and students with learning difficulties
Person-centred approaches and advocacy for people with learning difficulties
Current Research Projects
What About Us? – a participative action research project working with young people with learning difficulties to explore and develop ways of enhancing their emotional well-being and personal and social development in inclusive schools and colleges
Enhancing Quality of Life – a project to develop transitional programmes for people with profound and complex learning difficulties
Using the P Scales – guidance on assessing moderating and reporting attainment for pupils with special educational needs
MPs Talk Back – research into the views of advocates in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Parliament for people with learning difficulties
Course Involvement
Course Manager for the Faculty's Practitioner Professional Development (PPD) programme
Tutor and supervisor for a number of PPD courses
Link lecturer to many PPD courses run in partnership with local authorities and schools in the region
Co-ordinator tutor and supervisor in the Faculty's Master of Education (MEd) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) programmes
Doctoral supervisor
Publications
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) (2006) Person-Centred Approaches and Adults with Learning Difficulties (part of Skills for Life: the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy). London: DfES.
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) (2005) Using the P Scales: assessing moderating and reporting pupil attainment in English mathematics and science at levels P4 to P8. London: QCA.
Byers R. (2004) 'Developing an inclusive curriculum in England: differentiated planning teaching and assessment for pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties.' The Asia-Pacific Journal of Inclusive Education. 1 107 – 129.
Byers R. and Rose R. (2004) Planning the Curriculum for Pupils with Special Educational Needs – a practical guide (second edition). London: David Fulton Publishers.
Dee L. Byers R. Hayhoe H. and Maudslay L. (2002) Enhancing Quality of Life: Facilitating transitions for people with profound and complex learning difficulties. London/Cambridge: Skill/University of Cambridge.
Byers R. (2002) 'Leadership for Inclusion: the specialist contribution.' In National College for School Leadership (NCSL) (ed) Leadership and Inclusion: a special school perspective. Interactive workshop materials in the Leading Edge Series. Nottingham: NCSL also published on the NCSL website at www.ncsl.org.uk.
Byers R. (2002) 'Learning to Learn – Learning for Life: an exploration of some of the implications of recent developments in planning teaching and assessing the curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties.' In Norwich B. (ed) Standards and Effectiveness for Special Educational Needs: interrogating conceptual orthodoxy. Special Educational Needs Policy Options Steering Group: Policy Paper 2 (fourth series). Tamworth Staffs: NASEN.
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) (2002) Adult Pre-entry Curriculum Framework for Literacy and Numeracy. London: DfES.
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) (2001) Planning Teaching and Assessing the Curriculum for Pupils with Learning Difficulties. London: QCA.
McLaughlin C. and Byers R. (2001) Personal and Social Development For All. London: David Fulton Publishers.
Jelly M. Fuller A. and Byers R. (2000) Involving Pupils in Practice – promoting partnerships with pupils with special education needs. London: David Fulton publishers.
Babbage R. Byers R. and Redding H. (1999) Approaches to Teaching and Learning – including pupils with learning difficulties. London: David Fulton Publishers.
Related Weblinks
British Journal of Special Education – a quarterly nasen journal
What About Us? – social and emotional well-being for young people with learning difficulties in inclusive schools and colleges
Using the P Scales – assessment for pupils and students with special educational needs
Planning Teaching and Assessing the Curriculum for Pupils with Learning Difficulties – inclusive curriculum development
Enhancing Quality of Life – facilitating transitions for people with profound and complex learning difficulties
MPs Talk Back – research into the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Parliament for People with Learning Difficulties
Centre for Participation – participative research involving people with learning difficulties