Thousands of children with SEND will benefit from new assistive technology aimed at improving learning, communication, and classroom inclusion
The UK Government launches £1.7m assistive technology pilot to help children with SEND thrive in school. The ‘lending libraries’ will be set up in up to 32 local authorities and will enable schools in the area to borrow and trial a range of devices to suit their pupils’ needs.
Trialling assistive technology in up to 4,000 schools
The lending libraries will be stocked with a range of tools, including reading pens that scan text and read it aloud, dictation tools that convert spoken words into text, and tablets that utilise images to help non-verbal pupils communicate.
The technology will help schools support a wide range of needs, including dyslexia, autism, and ADHD, while also promoting independence and belonging and contributing to the government’s mission of achieving excellence for every child.
The lending libraries model adopts a ‘try before you buy’ approach. This allows schools to measure the impact of different devices before making an upfront investment, building confidence in what works and reducing the risk of wasted expenditure.
Assistive technology has proven successful in trial schools, with 86% of school staff surveyed identifying a positive impact on behaviour and 89% witnessing greater confidence amongst pupils with SEND.
Minister for School Standards Catherine McKinnell said: “We’re committed to reforming the SEND system to break down barriers to learning and achieve excellence everywhere for every child.
Assistive technology can play a crucial role in unlocking learning for many children so that attention difficulties, communication issues, or struggles with literacy don’t hinder their ability to learn alongside their peers at their local school.
We’re committed to driving inclusivity across all schools, and this pilot is a brilliant step towards making that happen, supporting teachers and giving all children the tools they need to achieve and thrive.”
Identifying pupils’ needs and delivering support
Government statistics have revealed that the number of children with EHCPs has increased by 11% to 638,700, clearly highlighting that needs are not being met early enough.
The government aims to reduce this figure by identifying needs at the earliest point and having the expertise and resources to deliver the support that’s needed, reassuring parents that their children can achieve and thrive in mainstream education.
Julian Govier, Curriculum Lead and Digital Champion & Cheryl Shirley, Director of Digital Learning at LEO Academy Trust schools, said: “Assistive technology has been a fantastic way to promote innovative and creative ways to access learning.
Before using assistive technology, we recognised many challenges children faced in fully accessing the curriculum. A handful of our students with dyslexic tendencies often felt frustrated as they were unable to vocalise themselves and found it difficult to communicate through traditional methods.
The integration of assistive technologies, which offer screen masks, screen readers, picture dictionaries, and translators, along with voice-to-text features, has profoundly transformed student learning and well-being. These tools enable students to increase their focus by eliminating distractions and reducing cognitive overload and to communicate and demonstrate their understanding in ways that best suit their individual preferences. All our students are now able to integrate into their classrooms with their peers, giving them dignity and confidence by working privately and in ways that work best for them.”
This pilot builds on the extension to the PINS and ELSEC programmes, which upskill the teacher workforce and embed specialist support in mainstream settings to ensure children with autism, ADHD or speech and language difficulties don’t go unnoticed.
Annamarie Hassall MBE, Chief Executive at Nansen, said: “At Nasen, we have seen the benefit of technology in the classroom. It’s useful for all and particularly beneficial for pupils with learning differences and SEND needs.
Assistive technology (AT) tools are increasingly built into everyday technology, ready to be enabled, and likewise there is a growing range of tailored AT products and resources available.
From our work on AT with schools, colleges and settings, we know that having an opportunity to test out resources would build confidence. That’s confidence of classroom staff and pupils alike, ensuring the best match of resources for the learning or access need.”
