Supporting SEN students: Inspiring stories from King’s InterHigh parents

At King’s InterHigh, we take pride in our inclusive and flexible approach to education, ensuring every student has the support they need to thrive. In a recent webinar, King’s InterHigh Voices: SEN Edition, we had the privilege of hearing from two inspiring parents, Helen Day and Joanne Smith, who shared their personal experiences supporting their children with SEN. 

They discussed everything from getting the diagnosis to how they balanced their children’s academic and mental health needs and how, with the right support, their children overcame challenges and flourished, both in education and in their personal lives. 

Helen and Joanne’s stories 

Helen’s daughter first displayed signs of sensory issues and difficulties coping with school life around Year 3. Although the family moved her to a smaller private school, it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that her struggles became more apparent. “Around Year 3, we started to add the dots together from behaviours we had seen previously,” Helen recalled. 

Joanne’s story resonates in a different way. With one non-verbal autistic son and a daughter who struggled later in her academic journey, Joanne turned to King’s InterHigh after her daughter faced bullying and mental health challenges. “She was attacked in school, and it was traumatic for her,” Joanne shared. “We found very quickly that the school was more interested in getting her back in the building than supporting her mental health.”  

At King’s InterHigh, Joanne’s daughter found a space where she could process her education at her own pace and feel safe. 

Helen’s daughter had a similar experience. When she joined King’s InterHigh, she found a completely different environment where she could thrive without the overwhelming sensory pressures of a physical classroom. Helen described her daughter’s transformation as almost immediate. “She joined an aerial yoga club right away—something that would have been impossible before,” Helen said. “It was clear that this was the right path for her.”  

Creating the right environment for SEN students 

Many SEN students find the traditional classroom overwhelming due to sensory overload, rigid schedules, or the social complexities of physical schools. Online schools like King’s InterHigh provide an alternative learning environment for students to reset, re-engage, and thrive. 

Helen’s daughter, for example, no longer had to face the daily struggle of commuting to a brick-and-mortar school. This shift was about so much more than her academic performance—it was about giving her daughter the emotional space to recover and rediscover happiness in life.  

To improve engagement and confidence, King’s InterHigh teachers use a mix of interactive tools like polls, quizzes, and multimedia content that brings lessons to life. Additionally, we apply visual learning aids such as mind maps and graphic organisers to aid knowledge retention, alongside strategies like breaking instructions into smaller, manageable tasks.  

This shift was about so much more than her academic performance—it was about giving her daughter the emotional space to recover and rediscover happiness in life.  

To improve engagement and confidence, King’s InterHigh teachers use a mix of interactive tools like polls, quizzes, and multimedia content that brings lessons to life. Additionally, we apply visual learning aids such as mind maps and graphic organisers to aid knowledge retention, alongside strategies like breaking instructions into smaller, manageable tasks.  

Lessons are 40 minutes long to help optimise concentration, and students are given access to lesson recordings, allowing them to revisit material at their own pace. This enabled Joanne’s daughter to process information at her own pace, reducing the anxiety she once felt in a traditional classroom. She could choose how to communicate, whether verbally or through writing, and this flexibility allowed her confidence to grow. 

At King’s InterHigh, our teachers and leaders are dedicated to supporting students in achieving their academic goals and personal growth and wellbeing. Our Enhanced Services also offer smaller group and one-to-one support sessions for students, led by specialists, which parents can opt for if additional guidance is needed. They include wellbeing workshops, anxiety management sessions, and social skills classes designed to improve confidence and help them build relationships and thrive in all areas of life.   

Advice for parents with children with SEN 

In the webinar, Helen and Joanne shared their nuggets of wisdom from personal experience, which may help other parents going through similar journeys:

1. Be patient and flexible: “Take it at your child’s pace,” Helen advised. “The first day we went on, my daughter shut her laptop lid, and I said, ‘That’s fine.’ About an hour later, she slowly opened it up.” King’s InterHigh’s class recordings mean that your child can attend their classes and learn at their own pace whenever it is most convenient so they can put their wellbeing first.
2. Allow time for emotional recovery: Burnout is a real issue for many neurodiverse students. “We didn’t really understand burnout or how long it takes to overcome,” Helen said. “We thought a few weeks would be enough, but my daughter turned around and said, ‘I can’t go back, Mama,’ and I knew she wasn’t ready.”
3. Trust your instincts: As a parent, you know your child better than anyone. Don’t be afraid to advocate for their needs. Joanne shared, “The school was more interested in getting her back in the building than supporting her mental health. It was the best decision to move her.”
4. Seek out support networks: “We’ve got a history of our own education and beliefs, and there’s a fear that if we don’t get it right, the school might stop working with us,” Helen noted. Find a flexible and understanding school that offers space to communicate with specialists or parents who may be going through similar journeys.

Building a better future for SEN students 

For families considering a change or those already with us, it’s important to remember that every student’s journey is different. At King’s InterHigh, we’re committed to providing the flexibility and support SEN students need to thrive—academically, emotionally, and socially. Visit our SEN page to learn about our Enhanced Services.