Enabling parents of SEND pupils to support with home learning

Background and context

A school wanted to both parents and staff understand the impact of support at home on learning and to see a change in the personalising of homework for EHCP pupils and SEND Support pupils who were previously not accessing the homework. In addition, an increased knowledge amongst teaching staff of the need to provide homework for SEND pupils that they can access and will have an impact on their learning.

What did they do

They provided CPD to staff in how to deliver and support families with homework for SEND pupils. A new individual target proforma was devised and introduced to make it clearer to staff, pupils and parents the child’s individual targets to support them with their learning. Homework set for SEND pupils is now personalised and parents can get support in how to help their child.

They held a workshop for parents about the purpose of SEND support plans and how to support their child with their home learning. Further workshops around curriculum and parental support were also provided. There are now half termly homework workshops for parents with SEND pupils. The aim was to empower parents in supporting their children with home learning and give them access and support with online apps used. Since introducing this, parents have been more active in their awareness and understanding of their child’s homework.

What was the impact? What changed?

The school have seen a positive change since delivering the SEND homework CPD focusing on looking at the child holistically and empowering teachers to feel confident to personalise learning. There has been a change in the teacher’ s attitudes to SEND homework and valuing its importance and homework is more relevant to the pupils.

Changes in baseline data:

Attitudes and impact

Staff: Our school believes that all of our parents and carers of pupils with SEND have the capacity to support their children’s learning % of staff who said this was well established increased by 15% & Our school lets parents and carers of pupils with SEND know how important they are to their child’s learning % of staff who said this was well established increased by 18%

Home learning

Staff: Parents and carers of children with SEND are given tailored information each year on home learning / homework expectations % of staff who said this was well established or developing increased by 10% & Teachers provide regular, interactive home learning activities which are differentiated for children with SEND % of staff who said this was well established or developing increased by 13%

Parents: I am given information each year on home learning activities which is differentiated to my child’s needs % parents responding YES or Sometimes increased by 15%

The school or nursery provides regular home learning or activities which are suitable for my child % parents responding YES or Sometimes increased by 10% to 100%