Myth busting series: Online tutoring isn’t tailored for pupils with SEND
How many times have you heard these myths? Pupils with SEND can’t engage via a screen, pupils with SEND will struggle to build a relationship with their tutor, online tutoring isn’t tailored for pupils with SEND.
With the right, relaxed conditions and with students, teachers, SENCos and tutors all on the same page, every online tutoring session can count.
Tailoring tutoring to meet academic needs
Tutoring sessions allow for tailored learning that can hugely benefit pupils with SEND. All our tutors will have detailed discussions with class teachers and SENCOs and provide feedback after each session to ensure the work is being taught at just the right level, report on key achievement and outline what they plan to focus on next. This then gives the teacher and SENCO the opportunity to ask for anything to be changed, ensuring classroom learning and tutoring sessions align.
Tailoring sessions to meet personal needs
The direct communication between tutor, teacher and SENCO empowers tutors to tailor the sessions not just for academic needs but for the individual learners’ needs too. Teachers can inform tutors of anything that may affect a pupil’s learning on that day; information about any sessions that will be missed; any personal or medical circumstances that need to be taken into consideration; whether sessions need to be cut short, or even certain teaching styles or activities a pupil may like.
With the benefit of tutoring in small groups of three or one-to-one, the distractions and perceived pressures from the classroom, which many pupils with SEND can struggle with, are removed, giving learners the opportunity to thrive in a session that is specifically created for them to succeed.
Tailoring content to enthuse
All our tutors take the time to get to know each child. From the very first session they will find out what makes the learner tick. An informal chat will reveal the child’s likes and dislikes, and their hobbies, allowing tutors to tailor resources and activities in later sessions.
Through further conversations over time, other things may come to light: programmes they have watched on TV, a book they may be reading in class or at home, the result of a football match they have seen. Tutors can personalise their lesson content with ease, ensuring the content is always of interest.
What’s more, not only do we tailor our teaching pedagogy for pupils with SEND, our tutors start with a wealth of resources available to them. Our tutors also work collaboratively, sharing ideas and resources that have worked particularly well for certain students, enabling our tutors to help tailor their content even more.
Whatever the student’s need may be; our main focus is to ensure every learner progresses. Our tutors are fully adaptable and will tailor the way they work to ensure the content, teaching style and pace is suitable for each and every student, providing the dedicated and personalised support that grows pupil confidence, self-esteem and desire to learn whilst also allowing children with SEND to develop alongside their peers.
Still unsure? Here are some quotes from parents, teachers and pupils one of our tutors has been working with....
From parents:
"He really looks forward to your sessions, it’s the most enthusiastic I’ve ever seen him."
From teachers:
I’ve really seen an improvement in his confidence when reading aloud.
He always comes back to class with a big smile on his face.
From pupils:
"I really like watching the videos together and then making up questions together."
"It doesn’t feel like classroom learning – it’s fun."