Back to school: guidance and resources for supporting children and young people with SEND
25/08/2020
After a turbulent 2020, schools in the UK will begin welcoming back pupils from the beginning of September. But a lot has happened in the past few months, and providing support for pupils with additional needs returning school is more important than ever before.

In this article, the Tes SEN Show has pulled together vital guidance and free resources for educational staff of all levels to enhance the SEND provision in your school or setting.
Don't miss out on expert guidance and dedicated seminars on overcoming the effects of the pandemic at the Tes SEN Show on 8-9 January 2021 at the Business Design Centre, London. Take a look at what's on here.
Mental health and wellbeing
- Teaching about mental wellbeing
Practical training materials for primary and secondary schools from the DfE. - Coping with Coronavirus: a guide for young people
Guidance for young people coping with the effects of Coronavirus from the Mental Health Foundation. - Creating mentally healthy environments
Webinars for mental health leads and senior leaders in education from Innovating Minds. - #SelfcareSummer Primary Pack and Secondary Pack
Fun activities for primary and secondary schools to support wellbeing from Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.
Bereavement
- Change, loss and bereavement
Tips for supporting grief from the Mental Health Foundation. - Help for schools
Resources for supporting grief in schools from Cruse Bereavement Care. - Supporting a bereaved pupil
Training tools for educational staff to help support pupils experiencing bereavement from Child Bereavement UK and LGfL.
Upskilling
- The Skills Toolkit
Free digital and numeracy courses to build skills from the DfE. - Barnet Council SENCO Zone
Helpful information for Special Educational Needs Coordinators from Barnet Council.
Transitioning back to school
- Recovery Curriculum
Conversations, recommended reading and additional resources to support Barry Carpenter CBE and Matthew Carpenter’s Recovery Curriculum from Evidence for Learning. - Supporting pupils with SEND on return
Guidance from the DfE on supporting children and young people with SEND returning to schools and settings. - Top tips for transitioning back to school
Resources to support autistic pupils transitioning back to school from BeyondAutism.
Free online resources
- BBC Bitesize
Lessons for primary, secondary and post-16 from BBC - Kahn Academy
Science, maths, arts and humanities courses from Khan Academy. - National Geographic
Resources and work packs from Natural Geographic. - Classroom support
Resources for Teaching Assistants to support social distancing from SENworks
Don't miss out on expert guidance and dedicated seminars on overcoming the effects of the pandemic at the Tes SEN Show on 8-9 January 2021 at the Business Design Centre, London. Take a look at what's on here.