The impact on Secondary schools In order to support young people with SLCN as they transition to secondary schools, there needs to be a raised awareness and improved understanding of SLCN amongst all staff. Schools should consider the impact of SLCN on the young person, particularly around the transition process. It works well to provide a communication friendly plan based around transition to support the young person. Schools also need to ensure a positive transition for those young people with unidentified SLCN or hidden needs and have the confidence to know what to look for to identify them.

Most of us can say that we have found this year mentally tough one way or another. The significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown restrictions on the learning of children has lead to teachers stating that their pupils have fallen behind in their curriculum learning. The learning gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has therefore widened. Not only have children missed out on a lot of learning but they have also lost many opportunities for social interactions, impacting on connections with friends and family.  No longer do the normal routines of playdates, birthday parties, or hanging out together take place but now our young people are living in a socially distant world. Extra curricular activities such as swimming lessons and music lessons have been put on hold and so many activities that children find pleasure in have been taken away, having a knock-on effect on their mental health.