Does your school notify the class of SN children's teaching aids?

[BereftOfInk]

Would your school make an announcement to the class, on a day when the child in question is not present, that said child is going to be allowed to use an iPad for creative writing etc and maths worksheets? Rest of class will be writing by hand.

No idea, but I wouldn't be happy with this at all.

Jesus Why would you be unhappy?

I can imagine a scenario whereby it could be beneficial as the class can get their 'it's not fair' and 'why' questions out of the way, and then quietly not comment to the child themselves.

I would think it would depend on the age and the child and the reason as to whether this would be appropriate or not.

I'd expect it to be done with agreement of the child's parent though.

No, but the class will see them using the iPad anyway and presumably ask why/if they can have a turn so I can see why they might think addressing it up front while the child is not there rather than having that conversation when they are might be preferable?

I assume if this is KS1 then it would be useful. Older children will probably understand without needing to be told (but still moan about it at home)

I can see why an infant or junior school would do this, as it would get the children's questions or protestations that it's not fair out of the way when the child themselves didn't have to deal with it.

It would be nice to let the child's parents know in advance IMO that they were going to do it.

Not strictly relevant, but I remember when DD got her glasses in Reception. She was the first in the class to have them. The teacher made a special mention, they let others look at them etc, and it was a really positive experience.

If it wasn’t an iPad but something like a pop up tent so they could go to a quiet place in the classroom, would that make a difference in how you would want it approached?

I don't know what you mean about announcing it. My daughter required a laptop/tablet for a while as did another boy in her class. Sometimes they might be sent to collect the laptops from another room, sometimes the tall kid in the class was asked to get them down from the top of the cupboard they were on. So the other 28 kids knew that 2 got to use laptops. If they ever asked the answer was "X and Y struggle with holding pens and it hurts their hands" (which was the reason*).

• well there was more to it obviously but the children didn't need to know all the details. I found with any 'special needs equipment' children were curious at Reception age ("what's that for Miss?") but pretty much beyond Year 1 they would be more like "Miss we've forgotten X's equipment" - because they know it's important. Children are curious. They are also caring (in general) and if another child has to use special equipment they either don't care or they understand why.

I think it's fair to ask the question in reverse.

Why wouldn't you want a teacher acknowledging a child's send, what they need to meet it and making it public and positive with a class?

@TeenPlusTwenties that's a good point, I admit I hadn't thought it through. I think I was uncomfortable in a knee jerk way with the idea of a teacher talking to the class about a particular child when they aren't there. I do think, as a first step, the school should have checked with the parents/child how they would like it handled (maybe they did, I don't know).

It very much depends on the situation. Children tend to pick up quite quickly that others might need more support that them, so I rarely need to address it explicitly. I have had to talk to a class along the lines of “if x is doing x, the most helpful thing you can do is ignore them and make sure you’re sitting sensibly” if things have got out of hand!

I often get questions about this in my secondary classes as some kids use laptops for assessments or get extra time or other support.

I just explain that they get additional help to support them and that said child needs to focus on their own assessment.

Ds is older but when he first used a laptop in secondary after not using one before he was subject to really unpleasant behaviour from some others in the class. I would have appreciated a member of staff stepping in and stopping the name calling in that situation. He was called a cripple and other names and then became too anxious to use the laptop again for weeks.

I think at primary it's probably useful to answer any questions about a child using an iPad with a simple explanation. Not sure why it would be announced when the child wasn't present though.

I think it depends on individual child/ situation.
Ds had a nasogastric tube fitted and carried a back pack with feed in in y9 after discussion with the teachers and ds it was decided that while he was in hospital the children would be told so it wasn't a shock and nobody would question him as he's a very shy child.

I think whatever the situation a discussion between teachers, parents and dc if old enough should always be the starting point and from there decide how to proceed.

I think there's two thoughts on this.
One is that it's better to answer the questions of the children in one go, keep the conversation controlled, make the child in question feel important, and then they'll forget about it after that.
The other is that if you make less fuss, then no one will make a fuss and there won't be a problem.

My dd is missing her hand and people vary between the send them on the first day and answer questions if they come up, and deal with issues as they come. Sometimes no issues come, but there will be questions.
Or the go in beforehand, take lots of photos of their child doing "normal" things, read a book that says we're all different on the outside and the same on the inside, explain every inch of the issues etc-I've even come across a few who've asked for whole school assemblies about it.

Neither is perfect. Both groups tend to swear by the way they did it, and think the other is hiding it/drawing attention. Either way can backfire, either way can help.

Interesting! I had the same reaction as Jesus (that's a sentence I never usually get to say ) By announcing it, it makes more of a fuss over it and points it out, making it a topic for discussion when I don't think it should be a discussion. But maybe the comments will be better when he's not there.

I haven't been told how they will explain it, so don't know if it will be a positive we noticed DS can work more easily on the iPad or a more negative DS has difficulty writing so he'll be trying out the ipad kind of explanation.

I'd contact school and ask them how they intend to address it.

Personally I like to start these conversations away from Send and start looking at everyday situations.

So "hands up if someone helped you brush your teeth this morning. Brush your hair, cut your dinner"

Ok, hands up if you can brush teeth alone. Brush hair. Etc

Another good one is reaching stuff off shelves to point out varying heights is normal.

Why do we think some people have help?

Get children to recognise for themselves others find somethings easier than others.

End with. Just like at home, or in a shop or at your swimming lesson etc some people find some things easier than others.
Sometimes children will get help that others won't need for some things.

X child finds writing difficult so they will use an iPad. It's not a toy and you won't be able to play on it. And there will be consequences for anyone who is heard to be talking negatively about it or to X directly.

Then change subject.

Difference is fine to be considered - but it shouldn't be seen as an anomaly or an issue. Because everyone is unique in their own way.

I think it's one of those things that depends on the individual circumstances but as a general rule it doesn't happen at the primary school where I work.

Sometimes a child might ask why their classmate has a particular aid but they tend to be happy with a simple explanation like, "Because it helps them to concentrate/do their work/read the words".

In the classes where I work, there will usually be several children who need something extra to help them (coloured overlays for reading, fiddle/chew toys, an ipad, medical equipment) so it's something that the children are used to seeing.

If a child was likely to be self-conscious about it I could see how mentioning it without them there could be helpful but generally it's all dealt with in a very matter-of-fact way and then it becomes old news very quickly.

The teacher did explain that dd was allowed to use a laptop and she was working - year 4. It was to stop other kids complaining. She was there at the time though