{"id":36068,"date":"2024-12-17T15:50:23","date_gmt":"2024-12-17T15:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/?p=36068"},"modified":"2025-06-05T15:18:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T14:18:11","slug":"how-do-online-schools-support-students-with-aln","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/?p=36068","title":{"rendered":"How Do Online Schools Support Students With Additional Learning Needs?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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By Nicole Pelletier<\/a><\/p>

Director of Inclusive Learning and Alternative Provision<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Rise of Online Education for Students with ALN<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The rise of online education has brought both challenges and opportunities for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN). I have been extremely fortunate to have been a previous SENCO in a traditional school and now work as the Director of Inclusive Learning and Alternative Provision at Sophia High School, which in 2023 became the first UK Department for Education accredited online education provider.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Balancing Challenges and Opportunities in Online Learning<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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While digital learning platforms can present unique obstacles, they also offer innovative ways to support diverse learning requirements. I feel privileged to work with amazing staff and students at Sophia High School<\/a> and feel that there are more opportunities at a fully online school to support students with additional learning needs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Leadership and Systems for Supporting ALN at Sophia High School<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Board and Senior Leadership Team are extremely supportive and proactive in ensuring that needs from our diverse community of students are being met. We currently have more EHCPs (16.6% compared to the national average of 4.8%<\/a>), and students who have SEN support without an EHCP (16.6% compared to 13.6 % national average<\/a>) and because we have higher than national averages for ECHP and SEN support we have ensured that we have robust systems in place to support our learners with additional needs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Proactive Differentiated Learning Opportunities<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We have proactively created differentiated learning opportunities that meet the diverse needs of our learners, using digital tools and pedagogy which are not available in traditional classrooms. These strategies include welcome meetings and a significant onboarding programme, planning meetings and if a student needs a differentiated or reduced timetable, we ensure that is put in place.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Effective Communication with Parents\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Parents have regular meetings with staff and myself to ensure that our provision is effective and all students make progress. I also believe that communication with parents is much easier to organise through online tools, such as Google Meet, rather than asking parents to meet in a physical school setting.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Flexible and Personalised Learning Pods<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Every SEN student is different, with individual learning styles, challenges, and strengths. Online education requires a flexible and personalised approach that recognizes and accommodates these diverse needs. We use data and information from parents to ensure that students are placed in appropriate learning pods.<\/p>

Most of the learning pods at Sophia High are smaller (6 or below on average)<\/strong> which is significantly lower than a traditional classroom. We ensure that staff know the students they teach and use information from reports and their Pupil Passports, which are specific for each student and created by the Additional Learning Needs team.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Customised Learning Pathways for ALN<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We have the advantage of being flexible because we are constantly reflective about what works best for students, making adjustments to timetables, level of support and use of smaller pod sizes to ensure that students are in the correct learning pathway for the core subjects. If a student is gifted at Maths but struggles with English, we can meet their needs by placing them in a higher pod (sometimes a year above) for a subject whilst ensuring they receive the correct amount of support where they need it the most. This would not be possible in a mainstream school.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Equipping Teachers with Online Learning Tools\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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All of our teachers are equipped, skilled and certified with a range of effective online learning tools. This certainly has many advantages, as the pace of technological innovation and the challenge to stay ahead of the students is real. All of our lessons are recorded and posted in the learners\u2019 online classrooms by the end of the day, and so there is no such thing as \u2018missing a lesson\u2019 at Sophia.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Maximising Student Engagement Through Online Strategies<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We used multiple ways to engage with content either through flipped learning and extended independent learning activities to stretch, challenge and develop students\u2019 analytical skills.<\/p>

We also ensure that students have the technology they need, sending out tech packs to students after they join the school (if agreed by the council partners).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Power of Assistive Technologies for ALN Learners<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Technology can be a powerful tool for students with additional learning needs when implemented thoughtfully:<\/p>

  • Assistive technologies like text-to-speech software<\/li>
  • Interactive learning tools that support different learning styles<\/li>
  • Adaptive learning platforms that adjust difficulty levels<\/li>
  • Communication tools that facilitate different modes of interaction<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Reintegrating Students Who Face Barriers to Education<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Most of the students who are commissioned by our Local Authority Partners through our alternative provision pathway have been out of education for a significant amount of time. Previously, I have seen firsthand how anxiety can be a massive barrier for students compounded with the need to attend a physical school and where students have had to attend physical school but it was not appropriate.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Improving Attendance and Outcomes Through Collaboration\n<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Our school works regularly with disaffected students and has seen such a dramatic increase in participation rates from these students, who I believe would have not been able to see the same outcome in a different educational setting. It can be a challenge ensuring students attend, but working closely with parents and families with individualised pathways, from the very start of their journey, has been key for students and families in improving their attendance and educational outcomes.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Holistic Support: Meeting Diverse Needs in Online Schools\n\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    It is about understanding diverse learning needs, using adaptive teaching strategies, leveraging technology effectively, developing empathy and inclusive teaching approaches and meeting learners where they are and have allowed us to see such a tremendous amount of progress for the students that are currently with us.<\/p>

    We ensure this happens through regular check-ins, transparent reporting, and collaborative goal-setting through all their learning which is evident in their digital notebooks.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Emotional and Social Support for ALN Students\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    We also provide students with emotional and social support just as you would in a physical school. I believe that interventions across areas such as executive functioning, emotional literacy, virtual group activities, one-on-one counselling sessions, social skills workshops, and daily check-ins are much easier and create inclusive online communities.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Sophia: Redefining Inclusion for ALN in Online Schools\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Supporting SEN students in an online school requires a holistic, compassionate, and innovative approach. By prioritising accessibility, personalisation, technology, and human connection, we can create powerful learning experiences that empower every student to reach their full potential.<\/p>

    The key is recognising that inclusion is not about treating everyone the same, but about providing each student with the unique support they need to succeed and we provide an exemplary experience for all students at Sophia High School.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Online schools offer a unique advantage in supporting Additional Learning Needs (ALN) through flexible, personalised approaches, smaller class sizes, assistive technologies, and emotional support. At Sophia High School, the emphasis on inclusion, tailored learning pathways, and collaboration with families ensures every student reaches their full potential.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":36079,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36068"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36068\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39542,"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36068\/revisions\/39542"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shs2025.sophia.sytes.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}