The sigma North East and Yorkshire Hub hosted a day conference on Being Inclusive – the Whole Kit and Caboodle in the Maths and Statistics Support Environment at The University of Sheffield on Monday 19 January 2015, starting at 10am and finishing at 4pm. The day was a combination of talks and activities and aimed to give the delegates an opportunity to consider their inclusive practice of maths and statistics support and learn ways of developing it further. It attracted 42 participants from 13 different Institutes.

The opening talk by Rod Nicolson set the scene for the day by defining maths anxiety and its devastating effects. Then highlighting how intervention can have the positive turnaround from anxiety to comfort and even happiness. The following talk by Clare Trott detailed the differences between dyslexia and dyscalculia and how it can relates to the interventions we may use. Bryan Coleman alerted us to the Equality Act 2010 and how it affects the Universities. Victoria Mann, Dylan Griffiths and Eleanor Machin presented as SpLD tutors on their approaches and methods they employ to help individual students. Bernadette Leckenby as a maths support tutor has worked with numerous students with SpLD and presented some tips and techniques she has developed.

This event has enabled a real possibility of engagement with SpLD students with more confidence and awareness. The event highlighted the positive outcomes of this engagement, of course there is scope for much more and I hope the momentum continues.

Links to all the presentations may be accessed from here: