Capturing pupil voice is crucial in the education of children and young people with vision impairment. It enhances the educational experience for those with vision impairment but also promotes a more inclusive, empathetic, and supportive school environment which can be delivered through Ordinarily Available Provision supported by the Curriculum Framework for Vision Impairment.
Gathering children and young people’s views helps to develop skills such as:
- Empowerment: Children and young people can express their needs and preferences, leading to a more tailored and effective educational experience.
- Advocacy: Encouraging children and young people to share their experiences helps educators and peers develop a more empathetic and supportive community.
- Engagement: When children and young people feel heard they are more likely to engage actively in their learning and social activities, enhancing their overall educational experience.
- Mental Health: Understanding children and young peoples’ feelings and experiences can help identify any emotional or mental health issues early, allowing for timely support and intervention.
- Social Inclusion: Children and young people can share their social experiences, helping to identify any barriers to inclusion and participation in school activities.
- Personal Development: By voicing thoughts and concerns, children and young people can influence their own plans and provision e.g. favoured presentation of curriculum resources etc, ensuring that their individual needs are met.
How we collect pupil voice
During every visit we ask children and young people to express their views. This can be positives e.g. what is going well and things that need to change e.g. text to small to read. These are discussed with school staff and then documented on our reports. Issues raised are reviewed regularly to ensure that change can be implemented.
This can include providing modelling good practice, staff training or signposting to resources e.g. RNIB Bookshare etc. Parents and carers are also invited to comment. This approach helps to strengthen the partnership approach between school, child or young person and their families.
For non verbal children and young people e.g. those with complex needs or pre schoolers, their interactions and responses are treated as communicative, and these observations for example, responses to particular colours or textures or favourite toys to play with are shared with school staff and families to develop their provision.
Resources used by the team
- Aspirations sheet: What I would like to do, what do I need to help me achieve this, how can you help
- Positives sheet: I am, I can, I have
- Safe places: Child or young person draws rounds their hand. On each finger they write one place where they feel safe. On the palm of the hand, write the names of people with who make them feel safe
- Subject questionnaires e.g. which subjects provide accessible resources, which don’t.
- Easy/Easier box: This can be made bespoke for the child or young person. Ideally they complete it independently to ensure that honest feedback is captured. Children and young people are given a list of statements and they have to post or say whether the task is easy for them or they would like it to be easier. A maths example could be, I can use a protractor, I can read a graph etc. The ATVI collects the box and the responses in the easy side are recorded as strengths and the easier responses provide outcomes to work towards.
- Staff training
- Signposting to resources
- Pupil passports at key transition point
- Use information from older young people, what advice they would give their younger self
Please contact your Advisory Teacher for Vision Impairment for more information.