As the country and our schools start to fully reopen amid warnings of second peaks and the reality of local lockdowns, now seems a good time to pause and review the next steps. As a SENCO, my reflections always start with the needs of students with SEND in mind. At a time when blended learning needs to be embedded into the teaching and learning model, I am reflecting on how students with SEND can continue to access specialist support when they are at home.

Remote learning via platforms such as MS Teams and Google Drive has allowed us to continue delivering lessons. We have been able to engage with students in real time, share resources, provide assessment and feedback, and importantly stay in touch with our students during a time of isolation. For students with SEND, accessing remote learning presents a significant challenge –  but the challenge of accessing additional and specialist support is even greater. Just as with remote learning, online specialist services are no substitute for the ‘real thing’. Whilst interventions such as counselling, speech and language and literacy lessons have remained up and running, the impact of these services has been limited. Some students, especially those with high levels of anxiety, attention and listening difficulties or ASC have been unable to participate in online or telephone sessions or assessments. This means they may have missed out on over four months of specialist intervention, support and assessment. Educational Psychology services have been able to continue with assessments, however the elements relating to student voice and observations have been impacted.  

But there is also a plus side. Specialists and SEND staff have learnt how to use online platforms as an alternative to the traditional model of 1-1 support/small group interventions. Some have included apps and video content into their sessions, moving away from a reliance on hard copy materials. Staff have used this time to review and create more interactive resources. We have also found that some students have engaged proactively in their sessions and have used apps independently to continue learning. Some students with SEND have benefitted from a slower pace of learning and a reduced level of sensory overload. Where students have been unable to engage with the sessions, we have been able to use this time to engage directly with parents and share strategies and resources they could use to support their children at home. We have also been able to reassure parents and acknowledge any challenges they may face whilst encouraging their children to learn at home. 

We have found that students who were able to access a combination of in-person and online interventions made the most progress and had the highest levels of engagement when working from home. Going forwards, I am committing to using a blended intervention model by incorporating a combination of online and home learning activities into our Academy SEND offer. 

• Restlessness and agitation
• Aversion and ill-will
• Sensory pleasure
• Sloth and torpor
• Doubt

We all bring varying degrees of these obstacles to our workplaces as we return – or in the case of teachers and school leaders – or continue to work through the changing world we inhabit. As educators, we are expected to have all the answers – but we don’t. There’s a lot of ‘noise’ (think ‘government guidance’ and media analysis of educators that is anything but!!) in the world of education and as we navigate our way through this liminal place, we no longer have certainty in the answers that we once relied on in the classroom and indeed in the educational system.

While there is a lot of analysis on what is needed with regards to ‘lost learning’, there is a real need to address some of the basics that need to be put in place to ensure that successful learning can begin to take place. More importantly, there is a conversation to be had on what is taught – we were already in the process of looking at curriculum review prior to the pandemic. In light of the #BlackLivesMatter consciousness/awareness, this has enabled some thinking of how we manage our approaches to learning and how we are more inclusive.  

We also need to recognize that we are all holding so many different voices and we carry trauma in our bodies – it’s a sensory experience. It definitely contributes to the list of hindrances of uncertainty and we are all bringing some form of trauma – whether we have physically suffered the loss of family or friends from Covid 19 – or our loved ones and family contributing to the front line through their work and the difficulties that this brings up. A definition of trauma is given below:

 “Trauma is an experience or series of experiences and/or impacts from social conditions, that break or betray our inherent need for safety, belonging and dignity.”  Staci K. Haines

I believe that we need to primarily focus on good relationships and good educational outcomes but before we can build on this we need to rediscover the basics – the ‘look’ of school and how to manage this; re-establishing relationships (parents were teachers, so what are teachers now? What do parents need to learn from teachers?); the process of learning – is it important? Why is it important? We need to develop a model of interconnectedness between teachers, pupils and families. Nurturing – at all levels – is crucial in gaining the certainty that we crave, whether we present this outwardly or not. Schools are inundated with demands from so many stakeholders and audiences.  

The following key points are important to consider as we return to our classrooms – which, in all honesty, will look and feel different:

• The focus on relationships was crucial but it’s now a non-negotiable part of our pedagogy – between all stakeholders 

• Staff wellbeing is not a bolt on – it’s an essential and integral part of re-building the school’s resilience
• Inclusion of children and young people’s viewpoints is required in ensuring their voices are heard in order to promote a strengthened sense of belonging 
• Reassurance from ALL staff that the environment is SAFE will reduce anxiety – potentially through challenging behaviours –  from children and young people
• Consistency is key – good communication will reduce mixed messages

More importantly is the need to recognize that we are teaching the next generation to not only be academically able, but to be successful, confident, happy and resilient human beings. Modelling these attributes through the delivery of values based activities will assist in this objective.