SEN and the New Curriculum: Supporting Learning at Home

It’s 5pm on a Tuesday. Your child has just come home from school, exhausted and overwhelmed. There’s homework to do—maths problems that assume understanding of concepts they haven’t grasped, a reading comprehension that’s far above their reading level, and a project about the Tudors that requires planning skills they don’t yet have. Meanwhile, they’re already anxious about tomorrow’s spelling test on words they can’t decode.

This is the reality for many parents of children with SEN. The UK National Curriculum is designed for neurotypical learners progressing at expected rates. But what happens when your child learns differently? What happens when dyslexia makes phonics-based reading challenging, when autism makes open-ended projects overwhelming, when ADHD makes sustained focus on homework nearly impossible?

Supporting your SEN child with curriculum demands doesn’t mean becoming a teacher or replicating school at home. It means understanding how to adapt learning to their needs, working collaboratively with school, and—crucially—knowing when to step back to protect their wellbeing. This guide will show you how.

Understanding the Challenge: Why the Curriculum Is Difficult for SEN Children

The UK National Curriculum is built on assumptions that don’t always apply to neurodivergent learners:

Curriculum Assumptions vs. SEN Realities:

• Linear progression: The curriculum assumes children progress through learning objectives in a predictable sequence. SEN children often have spiky profiles—advanced in some areas, struggling in others.
• Age-based expectations: Curriculum content is organized by age/year group. But a Year 5 child with dyslexia might read at Year 2 level while reasoning at Year 6 level.
• Multi-modal learning: Tasks often require multiple skills simultaneously (reading, writing, organizing ideas, fine motor control). Children with SEN may struggle when skills are combined.
• Abstract thinking: Especially in upper Key Stages, curriculum requires abstract thinking that many SEN children find challenging.
• Homework expectations: Assume children have executive function skills, parental support time, and the capacity to work after a full school day.

Your Role: Parent, Not Teacher

First, let’s be clear about what your role should—and shouldn’t—be:

What You ARE Responsible For

• Creating a supportive home learning environment
• Communicating with school about what works and what doesn’t
• Advocating for appropriate differentiation and reasonable adjustments
• Supporting your child’s wellbeing and confidence
• Helping your child access homework at their level
• Celebrating effort and progress, not just achievement

What You Are NOT Responsible For

• Teaching curriculum content from scratch (that’s the school’s job)
• Forcing your child through homework that causes meltdowns
• Completing work for your child because they can’t access it
• Spending hours every evening doing “school work”
• Making your child keep up with neurotypical peers when they’re not developmentally ready

The Homework Battle: Setting Realistic Expectations

Homework is one of the biggest flashpoints for SEN families. Your child has already worked hard all day at school. They’re exhausted, dysregulated, and have used all their coping energy. And now they’re expected to do more academic work?

When to Adjust Homework Expectations

Red Flags That Homework Is Too Much:

• Homework consistently takes more than 30 minutes for primary, 60 minutes for secondary
• Homework triggers meltdowns, anxiety, or refusal
• Your child can’t access the work independently despite reasonable support
• Homework is at the wrong level (too hard or insufficiently differentiated)
• Family time is dominated by homework stress
• Your child is too exhausted after school to engage meaningfully

If you’re seeing these red flags, it’s time to talk to school about reasonable adjustments to homework. This might include:

• Reduced homework: Half the amount, or fewer subjects
• Differentiated homework: Work at your child’s level, not their chronological age
• Alternative formats: Verbal responses recorded, visual projects instead of writing
• Time limits: “Work for 20 minutes then stop, regardless of completion”
• Choice: Allow your child to choose which tasks to complete
• Homework exemptions: Some children with EHCPs have reduced or no homework as a provision

Practical Strategies: Adapting Learning at Home

Here are evidence-based strategies for making curriculum content more accessible:

1. Break Down Tasks Into Smaller Steps

Complex tasks overwhelm many SEN children. If homework says “Write a story about the Victorians,” break it down:

• First, let’s think of one thing you know about Victorians
• Draw a picture of that
• Tell me about your picture (you scribe or record it)
• Now let’s write one sentence together
• That’s enough—well done!

2. Use Multi-Sensory Approaches

Don’t assume learning has to happen through reading and writing. Try:

• For literacy: Audiobooks, text-to-speech tools, dictating stories, acting out narratives
• For numeracy: Physical objects for counting, visual number lines, math apps and games
• For science: Experiments, YouTube videos, hands-on exploration
• For humanities: Documentaries, museum visits, creative projects instead of written reports

3. Embrace Assistive Technology

Technology can be a game-changer for SEN children:

Useful Tools:

• Text-to-Speech: Immersive Reader (built into Microsoft), Natural Reader, Voice Dream Reader
• Speech-to-Text: Google Docs voice typing, Dragon NaturallySpeaking
• Reading Support: Reading pens, overlays for dyslexia, font changes
• Organization: Visual timetables, timers, checklists
• Subject-Specific: Numbershark/Wordshark for literacy/numeracy, maths apps like Mathletics

4. Reduce Writing Demands

For many SEN children, the physical act of writing is exhausting and limits their ability to demonstrate knowledge. Alternatives:

• Scribe for your child while they dictate
• Use typed responses instead of handwritten
• Accept shorter answers that demonstrate understanding
• Visual representations (mind maps, diagrams, drawings)
• Video or audio recordings of explanations
• Fill-in-the-blank instead of free writing

5. Work With Their Energy, Not Against It

Timing matters. Some strategies:

• Snack and movement first: Give them 30-60 minutes to decompress after school
• Short bursts: 10 minutes work, 5 minutes break, repeat
• Best time of day: Some children work better in morning—can homework be done before school?
• Movement breaks: Incorporate physical activity between tasks
• Fidget tools: Let them use fidgets, sit on wobble cushions, etc.

Working Collaboratively With School

Home learning support works best when you and school are aligned. Here’s how to make that happen:

Communicating About Homework

If homework is consistently problematic, don’t suffer in silence. Request a meeting with your child’s teacher or SENCO. Come prepared with:

• Specific examples: “Last week’s maths homework took 90 minutes and caused a meltdown”
• Data: Log of homework time and your child’s responses over several weeks
• What you’ve tried: “We’ve tried breaking it down, using manipulatives, taking breaks…”
• Proposed solutions: Come with suggestions, not just complaints
• Impact evidence: How is homework stress affecting family life and your child’s wellbeing?

Requesting Reasonable Adjustments

Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children (which includes many SEN conditions). For homework, this might include:

• Homework differentiated to the child’s level
• Reduced homework quantity
• Alternative formats (oral, visual, practical instead of written)
• Extended deadlines
• No homework on certain days (e.g., after therapy appointments)
• Clear, written instructions (not just verbal)

Subject-Specific Strategies

Supporting Literacy (Reading and Writing)

For Reading:

• Choose books at their interest level, not reading level (use audiobooks for complex texts)
• Pair-read: you read one page, they read one page
• Pre-read texts together before they tackle them in school
• Use colored overlays or fonts designed for dyslexia
• Accept comic books, graphic novels—all reading is good reading

For Writing:

• Separate idea generation from writing—plan orally or with pictures first
• Provide writing frames and sentence starters
• Accept shorter pieces that demonstrate understanding
• Use speech-to-text for composition
• Don’t correct every error—focus on one or two learning points

Supporting Numeracy (Maths)

• Use concrete objects (buttons, blocks, food) to make concepts tangible
• Visual number lines and hundred squares
• Reduce the number of questions—quality over quantity
• Break word problems into steps: “First, what information do we have?”
• Use real-life math (cooking, shopping, building) to make it meaningful
• Allow calculators for children with dyscalculia once they grasp concepts

Supporting Foundation Subjects (Science, History, Geography)

• Watch documentaries together
• Hands-on experiments and investigations
• Museum visits and historical sites
• Visual timelines and maps
• Allow creative responses—posters, models, presentations instead of essays
• Use BBC Bitesize and other educational websites for accessible content

When School Work Isn’t the Priority

Here’s something that’s hard to hear: sometimes, pushing curriculum work is the wrong priority. If your child is:

• In crisis (school refusing, severe anxiety, regression)
• Experiencing significant mental health difficulties
• So dysregulated that homework causes family breakdown
• Working so far below age-related expectations that standard homework is meaningless

…then it’s okay to say “We’re not doing this right now.” Your child’s wellbeing comes first. Always.

Communicate this to school. If they’re resistant, escalate to SENCO, then head teacher. If your child has an EHCP, request an emergency review. No child should be made ill by homework.

Building Life Skills: An Alternative Curriculum

For some children, especially those with moderate to severe learning disabilities or autism, time at home might be better spent on life skills than academic work:

Life Skills That Matter:

• Self-care: Dressing, hygiene, preparing simple meals
• Communication: Expressing needs, social skills, turn-taking
• Community skills: Shopping, using public transport, road safety
• Emotional regulation: Identifying feelings, coping strategies
• Leisure skills: Hobbies, interests, play skills
• Practical numeracy: Money handling, telling time, measuring for cooking
• Practical literacy: Reading signs, menus, simple instructions

These skills will serve your child better in adult life than memorizing Tudor monarchs or solving quadratic equations they’ll never understand. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for prioritizing what your child actually needs.

How Tediverse Supports Home Learning

Managing your child’s learning at home requires understanding patterns, communicating effectively with school, and making informed decisions. Tediverse helps:

Tediverse Home Learning Features:

• Track Homework Patterns: Log time spent, completion rates, emotional responses—build evidence for adjustments
• Monitor What Works: Record which strategies and adaptations are successful
• Communicate With School: Share data-driven insights about your child’s learning at home
• Track Progress: Monitor learning across different subjects and skills over time
• Store Resources: Keep differentiated materials, assessment reports, and IEP targets in one place
• Celebrate Successes: Record achievements and progress, however small

Final Thoughts: Progress Over Perfection

Supporting your SEN child with the curriculum is not about getting them to keep up with their neurotypical peers. It’s not about perfect homework or achieving age-related expectations. It’s about:

• Finding ways they can access learning without unnecessary barriers
• Building confidence and celebrating their unique strengths
• Making learning enjoyable rather than a nightly battle
• Protecting family relationships and your child’s wellbeing
• Advocating for appropriate support from school
• Focusing on skills and knowledge that will genuinely serve them in life

The curriculum is a tool, not a tyrant. It should serve your child, not the other way around. Work with it where you can, adapt it where you must, and don’t be afraid to challenge it when it’s not meeting your child’s needs.

You know your child best. Trust your instincts. If something isn’t working, if your child is suffering, if homework is destroying your evenings—speak up. You are not being difficult. You are being an effective advocate for your child’s educational rights and wellbeing.

Related Resources

• Executive Function Challenges: Supporting Daily Life Skills
• Sensory Processing Disorder: The Hidden Barrier to Learning
• School Anxiety & Re-engagement: Complete Guide for UK Parents
• EHCP Application Guide: Complete UK Process