‘Happier in his own clothes’: Post-pandemic Possibilities for Education for Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: Perspectives from parent carers

Resource type
Report
Authors/contributors
Title
‘Happier in his own clothes’: Post-pandemic Possibilities for Education for Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: Perspectives from parent carers
Abstract
This research examined the perspectives of parent carers of children with SEND and their experiences of their children returning to school in September 2020 and undertaking home-learning during the January/February 2021 lockdown. While celebrating the achievements of schools in supporting children with SEND back into school last September and improving the quality and provision of home learning during the second lockdown, the report also exposes some of the significant limitations in the education system - not least in meeting the fundamental needs of children with SEND, but also in enabling them to flourish and achieve. Some children did thrive during lockdown without the stress and anxiety of school and the pressure of social interaction but many did not. ‘Happier in his own clothes’ was a comment made by a parent about one of the positives of lockdown in not having to wear school uniform, but we also use it as a metaphor here for how school could be for children with SEND - and indeed all children if we can seize this opportunity to learn from lockdown. We make recommendations, based on the learning from the positive and negative experiences of the last year, for a more reflexive and recalibrated school system which works better for all children – especially those with SEND.
Place
Brighton
Institution
University of Sussex
Date
2021
Citation
Shepherd, J., Durrant, C., & Hancock, C. (2021). ‘Happier in his own clothes’: Post-pandemic Possibilities for Education for Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: Perspectives from parent carers. University of Sussex. https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gateway/file.php?name=happier-in-his-own-clothes-march2021-final.pdf&site=319