Supporting Learners with SEND: How Technology Enhances Accessibility and Opportunity in Schools

By Claudia Thiele and Carla Bartlett

Discover how schools are using technology to break down barriers for students with SEND.

As teachers and senior leaders, we’re standing at a significant juncture for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Government statistics show that the proportion of students with diagnosed SEND has never been higher across the country – comprising almost 1 in 5 learners^[1] – with many more awaiting potential diagnoses. Yet, while budgets and staffing remain huge challenges when it comes to creating accessible learning environments, the growing use, power and potential of technology could help ease the burden.

According to insights from Pearson’s 2024 School Report, more than 80% of teachers believe that pupils with SEND are being ineffectively supported by the current education system. However, in the same report, 60% of teachers predicted that technology would improve accessibility for learners with SEND in the next three years.^[2] These teachers have perhaps witnessed the same positive outcomes through technology as my team and I have in recent years – positives that I am sharing here in the hope that more schools will reflect on what might be possible for every one of their brilliant learners.

Access to student voices

At the school where I’m a headteacher, each one of our 120 students is a student with SEND, and each has an education, health and care plan (EHCP) to help meet their unique needs. Between them, our learners range from 3 to 18 and have an array of physical and neurological conditions – and, as in mainstream schools, no two learners are the same.

The majority of our students previously depended on adult supervision and support, that was, until they started at Lonsdale. At Lonsdale, students typically find more agency and independence than ever before – and for many of our students, this is largely thanks to the ability to express themselves through accessible technology. As a result, we’re strong advocates of tech in schools and believe that with the right access all students can learn and achieve.

Tablets are one of our most commonly used in-class devices, and a number are pre-programmed with words and phrases that enable non-verbal students to communicate. Students with gross motor difficulties can use keyboard guards to help them better hit the desired keys, while others can use extensions operated by foot, joysticks or buttons in their headrests. Specialist software, physical reader pens, Braille devices, eye gaze and scanning technology support a significant number of our pupils too.

Access to this technology is becoming a game-changer for our learners. As one student put it, “I call my computer the other half of my voice.” Similarly, one parent explained that, “[When] people look at kids like [my son]… I think they must think that because their legs don’t work their brains don’t work”. However, “He’s got a big voice behind the computer.”

Access to updated technology

Being able to communicate gives students a greater sense of identity and self-belief, as well as supporting them to better direct how they learn. Our students are capable, determined and able to shape and influence the future – but we need to listen to them. If learners aren’t equipped to say what they need and want, it is far harder for schools to give them the right tools to help them thrive. Offering accessible technology therefore becomes part of a virtuous circle: the more we enable individual learners to express themselves, the more we can improve their ability to ask for what they need – thus reducing the likelihood of frustration, disengagement and long-term negative outcomes.

This is an ongoing process, of course. The technology that works for learners at the start of their school journey may not be suitable as they age, as their abilities improve – or, in the case of students with more serious SEND conditions, as some of their conditions degenerate. Each form of technology (devices, software, etc) generally also has a lifespan of its own and may need updating or replacing as other options take the lead or glitches appear. This means we need to stay on our toes and track the changes. On a practical level, using technology also involves frequent upskilling sessions for our teachers.

One approach that helps our students keep feeling seen and heard throughout their learning journey is the strong sense of community they get through technology. Our students are all champions of each other. If one person is being given a new device everyone will celebrate it with them. We also conduct regular diagnostic assessments based on the individual needs or progress of each learner, alongside day-to-day interactions, so that as their needs change, and as the technology evolves, we can keep reaching for the best options available.

Access to assessment options

We’re on a similar journey with how we offer assessments to students – something we’ve been working on with exam boards such as Pearson to explore and improve. As many of you will know, the current accessibility of exams can be limited by today’s accommodations and access arrangements, for instance font sizes that aren’t big enough and so require readers, when larger fonts could enable independence. Getting access arrangements right for exams has historically been a challenging part of our work and involves close liaison with exam boards as our students’ needs are so unique.

We mainly offer paper-based exams but there are positive developments on the way. And in some cases, they’re already here thanks to the growing suite of digital assessment opportunities. We’ve seen a number of success stories at Lonsdale; for example, a student with cerebral palsy who used eye-gaze software to complete his exams. Though it required a considerable amount of extra time, the technology nevertheless gave him a level of access and support that enabled him to complete the exam independently. He has since progressed to college for further BTEC study. Meanwhile, this summer, Lonsdale students will be taking exams with assistive technologies.

The fact that the mainstream exam framework has been mostly built around able-bodied/non-SEND learners means there is still room for improvement as we move forward. My dream is that all pupils who can be independent in their access will be independent in accessing exams in the future, and it feels as if technology and wider partnerships are taking us in the right direction together.

Access to long-term change

Fully transforming the school experience for learners with SEND won’t happen overnight, neither at the level of individual schools, nor across the school sector. Ensuring we are getting the best for all students involves ongoing research and collaboration; involves commitment from other supportive organisations like Pearson to keep working with us over time.

Yet, it feels as if this is the right time to navigate these challenges, and that schools increasingly stand to benefit from what’s out there in this ever-changing landscape. To go further requires a shared vision that is future-focused and student-centric: a vision that runs from leadership level, all the way down; including parents/carers, communities and of course the learners themselves. By working and communicating together, believing in the drive and capabilities of all students, we can build a strong support network that’s powered by passion and a desire to see learners thrive. Technology can be a powerful tool – yet it only becomes truly powerful when we harness it together.

Claudia Thiele is Headteacher and Carla Bartlett is Specialist AAC Technician at Lonsdale School, Stevenage.

Explore more on digital learning and innovation from Pearson

[1] https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn07020/

[2] https://www.pearson.com/en-gb/schools/insights-and-events/topics/school-report/2024.html?utm_source=hwrk&utm_medium=pr-media&utm_campaign=GBEDGN0222ONSC&utm_content=lonsdale