We’ve seen an increased number of requests from our schools over the last year to support pupils with SEND, and want to support our tutors in delivering impactful lessons.
What is SEND?
What is SEND?
SEND stands for special educational needs and disabilities. The latest figures show that school pupils with SEND stands at 17.3%.
Another way of thinking about this is these pupils may need extra or different help from that given to others. For these pupils need to be supported differently to progress in line with their peers.
It’s up to educators (schools, teachers and tutors) to adapt the support given to each pupil to help them access the curriculum.
Different types of SEN?
Different types of SEN?
There are several types of SEN and they can affect each individual differently.
The most commonly seen are:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Dyslexia/Dyspraxia/Dysgraphia/Dyscalculia
Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) like anxiety and depression
It’s common for pupils to have additional needs spanning more than one area of need.
We have some broad tips for working with SEND pupils here and more specific tips based on the different types here.
Which SEND pupils does MyT work with?
Which SEND pupils does MyT work with?
Some SEND aren’t suitable to be supported though online tuition. We’re therefore very careful to only offer tutoring to pupils who we think will benefit from it. We work with the pupil’s school to decide whether online tutoring is the right option for them.
What is an EHCP?
What is an EHCP?
EHCP stands for Education Healthcare Plan. EHCPs identify educational, health and social needs and set out the additional support that should be put in place to meet those needs. However, the majority of SEND pupils do not have these plans.
What kind of SEND pupils do we work with?
What kind of SEND pupils do we work with?
You may be able to find additional information in Learning Styles or Areas of Focus in a pupil’s profile.
EHCPs contain a lot of sensitive information. If a child has an EHCP, you will have access to the relevant sections to help you support that pupil’s learning. These sections will cover:
Details on a pupil’s diagnosis
Information on the additional needs tutors should put in place
This will be shared in the pupil notes.
However there may be some rare cases where there isn’t any additional information in the pupil notes. This will be because the school hasn’t shared this with us.
If this is the case, you can still follow these steps to make your lessons more accessible:
Gather insights by asking specific questions
"Do you like to learn things by reading, listening, or doing an activity?"
“Do you think it’s easier to remember information if I show it to you in a certain way, like songs, repetition, or hands-on activities?”
“How do you like to ask for help when you're struggling with something?”
“What helps you concentrate the most during lessons?”
Try some approaches that can support all pupils
Display clear success criteria on the whiteboard to guide learners and help them feel independent.
Provide resources like word banks, useful facts, or formulas.
Have learners repeat things back to you. Try saying “Can you tell me what you need to do next?” or “What do you need to do after this?”.
Give at least 20 seconds of thinking time during activities before you expect a response.
Offer different levels of challenge by giving them an easy, medium, and difficult question and letting them choose which to answer.
Incorporate regular breaks into your session to help maintain focus and productivity.
Reflect on the approaches effectiveness
“Did the pupil participate?”
“What worked best?”
“What could I do differently to support them better?”
Adjust accordingly in the next session