Download resource

Please enter your details to download this resource
Login
 

Enter your details to access this video

Or if you already have an account login to watch the video (if you don't you can register here).
Login
SEND family
Author: Karen Wilson, SEND Specialist
Email share link LinkedIn share link Twitter share link Facebook share link
Approximate reading time: 1 minute

It is widely recognised that young people and their families should be at the heart of their educational journey. The phrase “nothing about us without us” simply and powerfully reflects the need to include young people and their families in decisions that affect them. Pupil voice can provide crucial insights into the needs of young people with SEND. Parents can also provide a valuable overview of a child’s needs, strengths, and challenges. Using these insights to guide learning opportunities can enhance engagement, enjoyment and, ultimately, progress.

Tip or Idea: At times, there may be barriers to engaging with families. Aim to be flexible and creative in your approach. For example, offer a choice of in-person, telephone and/or online meetings; provide translated materials and interpreters if necessary; recognise successes as well as challenges; use open communication to help parents feel heard and valued; and acknowledge the challenges families may face and offer appropriate support.

Have you explored our Community Village programme, which supports adult ESOL learners and aids communication between families and schools?

Learning Village resource: Explore our Involving Parents article and associated Top Tips guidance to reflect on different ways to involve families in your setting.

Email share link LinkedIn share link Twitter share link Facebook share link

More articles by this author

Kinaesthetic Learning with beans

SEND Support: Kinaesthetic Learning

Created: Thu 27th Nov 2025

Kinaesthetic learning - or ‘learning by doing’ - involves physical and hands-on activities. Learners may prefer to touch, feel, and experience things first hand, and thrive on movement, exploration, and interaction with the world around them. For many learners, including those with certain SEND needs such as autism and ADHD, this approach is engaging, motivating, and effective in supporting learning retention and understanding.

Deaf SEND learner using sign language

SEND support: Supporting deaf learners

Created: Wed 7th Feb 2024

Learning Village is an invaluable tool for deaf learners with or without EAL. The use of image as the main language of instruction provides visual cues to support your learners.

Tip or Idea: Deaf learners may need to lip read or see speech physically modelled to support their understanding. Using our resources in an adult-led small group session and/or using the demo learner as a teaching tool can be very powerful for deaf learners.

SEND learner using non-verbal communication

SEND support: Non-verbal communication

Created: Wed 31st Jul 2024

Non-verbal communication such as body language, facial expressions and tone of voice convey information beyond words alone. It is an integral part of communication, building relationships and developing shared understanding. For some learners interpreting non-verbal communication is not always simple.

Tip or Idea: Understanding non-verbal communication can depend on many factors including cultural norms, situational context and the unique combination of words, actions and expressions used. Try to put communication in context and focus on more than simply the words used.

Back to Blog