Thousands of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will benefit from more support in the classroom, as government launches an innovative, new pilot to trial assistive technology in up to 4,000 schools.  

Backed by up to GBP1.7m, 'lending libraries' will be set up in up to 32 local authorities and will enable schools in the area to borrow and trial a range of devices to suit their pupils' needs. 

The lending libraries will be stocked with a range of tools, including reading pens to scan text and read it aloud, dictation tools which convert spoken word into text, and tablets which leverage images to help non-verbal pupils communicate. 

This will help schools support a wide range of needs, including dyslexia, autism and ADHD, as well as increasing independence and belonging and helping achieve the government's mission of excellence everywhere for every child. 

The lending libraries model adopts a 'try before you buy' approach. This gives schools the opportunity to measure the impact of different devices before making an upfront investment - building confidence in what works and reducing the risk of wasted expenditure. 

The impact is clear among schools which have already introduced assistive technology alongside staff training, with 86% of school staff surveyed identifying a positive impact on behaviour and 89% witnessing greater confidence amongst pupils with SEND. 

Minister for School Standards, Catherine McKinnell said: 

We're committed to reforming the SEND system to break down barriers to learning and achieve excellence everywhere for every child.  

Assistive technology can play a key role in this and unlocks learning for so many children - so that attention difficulties, communication issues or struggles with literacy don't stand in the way of children learning with their friends at their local school. 

We're committed to driving inclusivity across all schools and this pilot is a brilliant step towards making that happen, supporting teachers and giving all children the tools they need to achieve and thrive." 

The investment comes as new government statistics reveal that the number of children with EHCPs has increased by 11% to 638,700, clearly highlighting that needs are not being met early enough.  

The government is committed to turning this around by ensuring schools are able to identify needs at the earliest point and have the expertise and resources to deliver the support that's needed and reassure parents that their children can achieve and thrive in mainstream education.   

Source: Gov.uk