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This is another brilliant plan by Kevin, using the students strong oral language and problem-solving skills to bypass his literacy barriers is exactly how assistive tech should be used in my opinion. Tools like Immersive Reader and speech to text are absolute game changers for an 8-year-old with dyslexia, giving him total independence to show what he actually knows without getting bogged down by spelling. Using OneNote and digital graphic organisers is also a fantastic way to capture his ideas before he forgets them.
I agree with Sharon’s understanding of the SETT application framework. By putting the student, environment, and tasks ahead of the technology, you’ve ensured that the tools actually fit her day to day needs. Combining high tech software with low tech tools like number lines is the perfect way to support her working memory without overwhelming her. Plus, your focus on collaboration with parents and continuous formative assessment ensures her School Support Plan stays perfectly responsive as she gets older.
I really like this, using Narrator to let her independently explore Wimpy Kid in OneNote is a great idea. I agree about that quote and CPD too. When we look back at how much classroom technology has changed over 25 years, staying a lifelong learner is the only way we can prepare them for whatever comes next.
I also completely agree! Once we realise that assistive technology benefits every child, not just those with a diagnosis, it can act as a total game changer in our classrooms. The SETT framework is brilliant for taking the guesswork out of choosing the right tools for a staff. It’s also fantastic how you’ve already incorporated this into your maths inspection recommendations and the Digital Learning Framework. Getting leadership on board to support that collaborative digital culture will hopefully make a massive difference for you next year.
I agree about using Immersive Reader for maths word problems! Often the literacy barrier trips up so many of our students who are actually brilliant at mental maths, so I think letting them hear the text is a total game changer for their confidence.
I also agree with maximising usage of the iPads and Chromebooks we already have!! Simple tweaks like voice typing or changing the font size seem small but make a massive difference.For this post, I am focusing on a 4th Class student with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) who struggles with comprehension, vocabulary retention, and understanding word problems in maths.
To support their literacy, I find interactive digital tools like Clicker 8 or DocsPlus brilliant for providing visual word banks and sentence starters. Apps like Book Creator also let them show their understanding by recording voice notes alongside images, which completely removes the pressure of heavy writing. For numeracy, the big hurdle is translating written word problems into maths equations. Using Mathletics or Topmarks games provides excellent visual scaffolding. I also love using digital manipulatives on the interactive whiteboard so they can physically see the math concepts before dealing with text.
In line with the School Development Planning section of the Inclusive Education Framework, these shouldn’t just be random apps used in a corner and instead utilised fully by every teacher. Our school planning needs to ensure these digital resources are embedded across the whole school. This means standardising the software we use so the pupils don’t have to learn a completely new app every September, and ensuring the class teacher, SET, and parents are all on the same page. When technology is built right into our school’s development plan, it becomes a well structured support for the children.
Part 1:
The SETT framework works brilliantly when paired with a student’s School Support File because it keeps the focus entirely on the child. Within the Support File system, SETT helps us map out a clear path where we start with the student’s unique strengths and struggles, look at the environment they are learning like a busy mainstream room or a quiet SET room, identify the tasks they need to do, and select the digital tools to help them bridge the gap.
To see if these tools are actually working, our assessment needs to be practical and continuous. Instead of relying solely on end-of-year standardised tests, we can use a mix of everyday classroom data. This includes keeping a regular folder of work samples to see if writing improves, using teacher observations during independent work, tracking reading progress through quick running records, and chatting with the child and their parents to see if their confidence is growing at home. Recording all of this directly into the Support File ensures that the technology adapts to the needs of the student.
Part 2:
For this part, I focused on a 9-year-old girl in 3rd Class who has dysgraphia and developmental coordination difficulties. She has wonderful creative ideas but struggles immensely with the physical act of handwriting, which slows her down and causes severe frustration. Using the SETT framework reminded me that the goal isn’t to fix her handwriting during classwork, but to give her a tool that lets her show what she knows without getting exhausted. The plan below introduces speech to text and touch typing to take the physical stress out of writing, while ensuring we monitor her progress through practical work samples.
SETT Plan:
Student: Student Y
Age: 9 years
Class: 3rd Class
Primary Need: Dysgraphia / Fine Motor Difficulties
Student Y is a bright, highly imaginative girl who loves horses, storytelling, and art. She has an excellent vocabulary and loves telling detailed stories to her peers out loud. However, she struggles with fine motor skills. Her handwriting is laboured, difficult to read, and physically tiring for her. Because her hand hurts when writing for long periods, she often cuts her written answers short, which doesn’t reflect her actual intelligence or oral ability.
Student Y is in a mainstream class of 22 pupils and receives support from the SET team three times a week. The school has a set of shared iPads and laptops, and Student Y has designated access to a school laptop during written tasks. Her classroom teacher uses a visual timetable and creates an inclusive, low-pressure environment for writing.
Tasks:
Put her creative thoughts onto the page during English writing genres.
Copy down homework assignments accurately from the whiteboard.
Complete weekly spelling and grammar exercises.
Participate fully in project work without physical fatigue.
Build up her speed when answering independent questions.
Tools:
Speech to Text (Google Docs Voice Typing): To let her dictate long essays and stories freely.
Clicker Writer / DocsPlus: For word prediction and visual word banks to speed up sentence building.
Grip supports & Whiteboard markers: Slanted writing board and chunky pens for when she is practicing short handwriting tasks.
Digital Camera/Tablet: To take a quick photo of the homework board instead of rushing to copy it down by hand.
Assessment:
Weekly comparison of handwritten work versus typed/dictated work samples.
Teacher tracking of how long she can stay focused on a task before getting tired.
Monthly typing speed and accuracy checks using her typing software.
Regular feedback from Student Y about which tools make her feel most comfortable.
Termly reviews of her School Support File targets with her parents.
Outcomes:
Student Y will be able to produce longer, more detailed stories that match her actual verbal ability.
Physical fatigue and writing anxiety will decrease during the school day.
She will gain independence in recording her homework and finishing class assignments.
Her confidence in her own writing identity will improve.
Review:
This SETT plan will be reviewed at the end of each mid-term and school term by the Class Teacher, SET, and Student Y’s parents. We will look at whether her typing skills are improving enough to make the laptop her primary writing tool, and adjust the software supports based on her progress.
Part 1:
I designed a descriptive storytelling activity using Microsoft OneNote for an eleven-year-old boy who has a massive interest in space exploration and science fiction narratives. The activity is set up as a digital ‘Captain’s Log’ where the student takes on the role of an astronaut exploring a newly discovered planet. The OneNote page is broken down into structured sections with colourful visual prompts of galaxies and planets, a vocabulary bank of descriptive words, and clear, step-by-step writing prompts.
This activity is perfectly tailored to the student’s specific learning needs. This particular student finds large classroom environments draining and often needs quiet withdrawal time to recharge, this independent, self-paced digital workspace provides a calm environment. Due to his keen interest in space, engagement and focus remain incredibly high.
Finally, the activity utilises OneNote’s built-in Dictate (speech-to-text) tool. This allows the student to capture their highly imaginative descriptive ideas verbally without getting blocked or frustrated by handwriting or spelling difficulties. They can then use the Immersive Reader tool to listen back to their work independently, which builds his self-editing skills and boosts his confidence as a writer.
Part 2:
The core principles of Cosán (Pathway), our National Framework for Teachers’ Learning, really highlight the reality that teachers are lifelong learners. In a primary school setting, no two years and no two children are ever the same. We have to constantly adapt because education, technology, and the diverse needs we are experiencing of our pupils walking through our school doors are always changing.
Continuous Professional Development is so vital because it gives us the time and space to step back and reflect on our practice. It prevents us from getting stuck in old routines and ensures we are equipped with the best, most up-to-date strategies to support every learner. Whether it’s learning how to use new inclusive technologies or understanding modern well being frameworks, CPD keeps our teaching fresh, innovative, and effective. We know that when we commit to growing and learning as professionals, our students are the ones who reap the rewards in the form of a much more inclusive school experience.
I’ve been exploring Immersive Reader across MS Teams and Edge over the last few days in particular, and it honestly feels like a game-changer for my role in SET. What I love most is how it instantly removes barriers without making our students feel “singled out.”
For example, I have students with dyslexia who often face a dull (bland) piece of text on a webpage in Edge, turning on the line focus and changing the background to a soft pastel will completely transform the experience for them. The text-to-speech feature is also brilliant for my EAL students; being able to hover over a word to see the picture dictionary or hear it read aloud gives them a massive confidence boost and encourages real independence during reading tasks.
Looking at our existing hardware, we often forget how much we can adapt before buying even more ‘newer’ equipment. Just tweaking the built-in Windows accessibility settings—like bumping up the cursor size, turning on high contrast, or using standard Dictate (speech-to-text) in Word—makes a massive difference for some of our students with visual and fine motor challenges.
Sometimes we need more specialised hardware, so figuring out how to match the input device to the child is crucial. I’m thinking of a particular student who really struggles with a standard mouse due to dyspraxia; swapping that out for a large trackball mouse or using an iPad as a touchscreen interface entirely shifts their engagement and eradicates the poor behaviour often associated with it. It goes from a frustrating ordeal to a task where they can actually show to their peers what they know with a greater level of confidence and self-worth.
I feel strongly about the importance of a well-structured SETT framework as a starting point for our new school year. Having worked in SET for over ten years now, I’ve seen how assistive technology (AT) has evolved from an add-on in lessons to an absolute cornerstone of inclusive education. Upskilling in ICT is a continuous journey, and pairing the SETT framework with the Digital Learning Framework (DLF) offers a brilliant, structured way to approach our School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process.
When our staff looked at the SSE process with regards to inclusion, AT completely changes the game for how we gather evidence of pupil engagement and learner outcomes. For me, looking at Learner Outcomes and specifically the standard around pupils possessing the required skills and understanding, AT is the bridge that allows our SEN pupils to actually demonstrate that knowledge. Whether it’s speech-to-text software for a child with severe dysgraphia or tailored literacy software for structured reading support, these tools don’t just help them finish a task—they unlock their ability to participate on equal terms with their peers.
In terms of the Digital Learning Standards, I also find myself looking closely at Learner Experiences. When we get the “Tools” part of the SETT framework right, we see a massive shift in pupil confidence. A student who can independently navigate a tablet to access a text or use mind-mapping tools to plan a story becomes an active participant in their own learning, rather than relying constantly on an adult for withdrawal or extra support.
Bringing this into our SSE focus for the coming year allows us to move away from looking at ICT as just a “reward” and instead evaluate how deeply it is embedded into our individual student support plans. It’s shows that effective planning at the start of September saves us massive time and ensures our support is genuinely impactful.
