Distance education resources for children and young people with SEND

This page is for distance learning and other educational resources. To find all the latest relevant guidance from the Department for Education, gathered in one place, plus all of our own posts about coronavirus and SEND, click the buttons below.

We will be updating the information as needed. If you find something you think should be on there, or on this page, add it in the comments let us know We've grouped these resources into categories to make it easier to find what you want.


Resources for health and wellbeing

Wellbeing

  1. Carers U.K. caring & contingency planning: https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/health/looking-after-your-health
  2. Calm Jars: https://lemonlimeadventures.com/lego-calm-down-jar/
  3. Kooth, online anonymous metal health support: https://www.kooth.com/
  4. Young Minds blog and other services: https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/
  5. Headspace, mindfulness: https://www.headspace.com/
  6. Rethink, online Coronavirus Hub: https://www.rethink.org/advice-and-information/covid-19-support/
  7. Apps: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/apps-to-help-with-mental-health
  8. Personalised digital self-management tools and human support: https://braininhand.co.uk/
  9. British Psychological Society guidance on supporting care-experienced children and young people through the Coronavirus crisis and its aftermath: https://www.bps.org.uk/coronavirus-resources/public/supporting-care-experienced-children
  10. Understood: https://www.understood.org/social-emotional-activities-for-children
  11. Happy-self Journal: https://happyselfjournal.com/

Sensory and social resources

Social Stories & life skills

  1. Carol Gray: https://carolgraysocialstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Pandemics-and-the-Coronavirus.pdf
  2. Medical appointments & photos to build own social story: https://www.rchsd.org/documents/autismspeakstoolkit.pdf/
  3. ASD: https://theautismeducator.ie/2020/03/11/corona-virus-social-story/
  4. A range of Coronavirus social stories, communication boards, scripts and planners for those requiring Augmentative communication support(Lower half of scrolling page and tabs): https://www.talktometechnologies.com/pages/covid
  5. Make your own social story - guidelines and template: http://www.rchsd.org/documents/2015/07/social-story-template
  6. How to make a social story: https://www.autism.org.uk/about/strategies/social-stories-comic-strips.aspx
  7. Little learners: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Self-Regulation-For-Little-Learners5140866
  8. As taught in schools: http://www.zonesofregulation.com/index.html
  9. Do2learn free social skills, self-regulation, songs, games, communication, and life-skills https://do2learn.com/
  10. Resources including life-skills: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/hub/whole-school/special-educational-needs/
  11. Resources including life-skills: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/hub/whole-school/special-educational-needs/
  12. ASDAN brand new free resources age 10-19+, life & work skills:https://www.asdan.org.uk/resources/free-resources
  13. Confidence & Communication skills | LifeSkills

Formal education resources

General resources

  1. GCSE - BBC Bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/levels/z98jmp3
  2. CBBC will air a three-hour block of primary school programming from 9am, including BBC Live Lessons and BBC Bitesize Daily, as well as other educational programming such as Our School and Celebrity Supply Teacher and much loved titles such as Horrible Histories, Art Ninja and Operation Ouch. http://ow.ly/pYyk50D0Exb
  3. Education Endowment Foundation: Covid-19 Resources: Supporting schools and parents to make the most of home learning
  4. Curriculum hub, Oak National Academy is now open. It’s an online classroom and resource hub offering daily videoed lessons and resources to assist teachers, as they continue to support pupils until schools re-open. Its SEND offer is now launchedhttps://www.thenational.academy/
  5. BBC Bitesize is offering regular daily lessons for homeschooling in English and Maths, as well as other core subjects, in an expanded version of its website and also on special programmes broadcast on BBC iPlayer and BBC Red Button.
  6. List of online education resources for home education http://ow.ly/POEV30qvXcJ
  7. Resources available to support homeschooling from UCL Institute of Education https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2020/mar/resources-available-support-homeschooling
  8. Twinkl curriculum materials, Home learning packs
  9. Learning packs: https://www.ashfield.leicester.sch.uk/blue-pathway/home-learning-pack
  10. Kent Children’s University https://www.facebook.com/KentChildrensUniversity
  11. Huge raft of general activities: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/list-of-free-education-subscriptions/
  12. Twinkl Parents support for home learning
  13. Free Home Learning Packs for Primary Maths & English
  14. Support resources for schools and parents from Education Endowment Foundation | http://ow.ly/83qb30rsbIK
  15. Free resources from ASDAN http://ow.ly/lwEi30rsbMA
  16. SEND activity booklets created in partnership with special school http://ow.ly/UFbz30rsbOB

English & Communication

  1. Children’s authors have recorded videos with 10 Minute Writing Challenges to help with home learning in creative writing https://authorfy.com/10minutechallenges/
  2. The Reading Realm http://ow.ly/TFyC30rsbGF
  3. The Book Trust
  4. Many libraries have online resources where you can read a variety of free magazines, ebooks and audio books. Find your local library
  5. Communication Trust free resources: https://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/resources/resources/
  6. Extensive speech & communication resources: https://eput.nhs.uk/community-health-services/childrens/speech-language-therapy/resources
  7. Signed Tiger who came to Tea: https://youtu.be/VwmkzeTAJ8I
  8. Audio stories free at Audible: https://stories.audible.com/discovery
  9. American titles read by celebrities and free on-demand: https://www.storylineonline.net/
  10. SEND and speech and language needs: How children use their bodies, actions and gestures to communicate - BBC Tiny Happy People
  11. FREE Speech and language, OT, and many other SEND resources for families – ChatterPack

Stem & Maths

  1. The Royal Institution: Science Lives Here. Activities to do at home or in the classroom based on L’Oréal Young Scientist Centre workshops http://ow.ly/Y2R830rs8RO
  2. Free Maths activities for Home Learning from White Rose Maths http://ow.ly/uqR330rs8R9
  3. Maths at Home: activities and games from the NRICH collection that are ideal for working on at home without a teacher. https://nrich.maths.org/14600
  4. Live Science
  5. NASA Kids’ Club https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html
  6. Science Museum At home Learning http://ow.ly/Bkr130rs8Nu
  7. STEM Learning are offering free, curriculum-linked, remote science lessons for young people. science lessons for young people aged 5-19. http://ow.ly/oZDT30rs8lb
  8. Maths: https://www.monstermath.app/
  9. Maths: https://www.monstermath.app/
  10. Climate change booklet from Unicef (pdf)
  11. National Geographic Climate Change learning
  12. Nat Geo Ocean portal http://ow.ly/EorV30rsca3
  13. Coding for Kids: 24 Free Websites that Teach Programming
  14. Coding for Kids with Autism The Ultimate Guide for Parents and Educators

Arts, Culture & Humanities

  1. Google Arts & Culture virtual museum tours https://artsandculture.google.com/partner
  2. ONLINE drawing programme. Select the level of drawing you wish to begin at.
  3. How to explore the British Museum from home - some easy ways to visit the museum virtually or browse galleries from your sofa  
  4. Lockdown activities for kids in winter from the Woodland Trust http://ow.ly/xO5730rs8PH
  5. Horrible Histories - CBBC http://ow.ly/9lIP30rsbnG
  6. How to explore the British Museum from home - some easy ways to visit the museum virtually or browse galleries from your sofa  http://ow.ly/HVQl30qB7tV
  7. 100s of history teaching resources - Teachit History http://ow.ly/9rrs30rsbu0
  8. National Geographic: https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/teacher-category/primary-resources/
  9. 10 of the world’s best virtual museum and art gallery tours: The Guardian
  10. Open Culture: 1,500 Free Online Courses from Top Universities http://ow.ly/55VX30rsbV2
  11. The English Touring Opera is offering weekly online music workshops for children including those with SEND.

Relaxed activities

Young adults

  1. Choose from our range of free Level 2 online courses Vision2learn
  2. A portal from Pearson of online courses at various levels to choose from
  3. Free Level 2 Courses Online funded by the UK government.

Online safety

  1. 15-minute safety activity: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
  2. Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/special-needs/
  3. Childnet: https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/supporting-young-people-with-send-online
  4. Childnet has produced a series of six short interactive lessons. These 10-15 minute videos are designed to be picked up and used by families with any young person aged 6-9.
  5. NSPCC: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
  6. Commons sense media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/what-to-watch-read--play-while-stuck-indoors
  7. Simple 15 minute activities families can do to support their child's online safety at home. Packs are available for ages 4 to 14+. Parents can also watch our video guides on different online safety topics.
  8. Online safety home activity worksheets

Education problems

  1. Advice and information: https://contact.org.uk/advice-and-support/
  2. SEND Lockdown essentials Facebook group
  3. What to do next if you have outstanding legal issues:


Thanks to SNJ team members Angela, Marguerite and especially, Lisa Thomas of SEND Essentials, for compiling this outstanding range of resources.


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