With much of the UK education sector on tenterhooks in anticipation of this year’s budget announcement and the publication of The National Audit Office’s report on the cost and efficacy of the special needs system in England, the need for effective and affordable support has never been more pressing.

In the UK, it has been estimated that there are over 1.9 million school pupils in England with Special Educational Needs (SEN), with this figure growing rapidly, rising by 200,000 pupils since 2023 alone. As this figure continues to grow, educators are continuously seeking sustainable and  innovative solutions that can adapt to diverse needs and help every pupil thrive in their learning environment.

With the report illustrating an increase in high-needs funding to £10.7 billion for 2024-25, it also highlights that local authority deficits are still expected to reach £4.6 billion by 2026 – with this projected shortfall leaving families and educators to work with incredibly long waits for diagnosis, inconsistent support, and a financial strain that threatens the entire education system.

As the educational landscape is facing unexpected challenges, Skolon is dedicated to simplifying digital access, personalising resources, and leveraging AI-powered support to help schools deliver more effective, targeted assistance to SEN pupils. Here’s how:

Making accessibility a priority

Aside from recognising and diagnosing SEN pupils and their needs, an additional challenge in supporting them is ensuring that their digital resources are easily accessible and adaptable to their individual needs. 

Skolon’s platform is built with this in mind, and helps to make educational settings more inclusive by offering a seamless, single sign-on (SSO) experience that reduces the time spent managing logins and navigating multiple tools. 

With Skolon Pass, schools can set up QR code-based access for all pupils, allowing access to classroom resources with ease, which is especially helpful for younger students or those with learning difficulties who may struggle with traditional login methods.

In addition, the Skolon platform has a vast library that provides schools with a wide range of digital tools and resources that can suit diverse learning needs. 

Whether students require alternative formats, like audio or visual aids, or more personalised ways to engage with their curriculum, Skolon ensures that teachers have easy access to the tools needed to accommodate each pupil’s unique needs.

Enhancing personalised support with Skolup AI

Another exciting element of Skolon comes in the form of our smart, AI digital tool – Skolup.

Packed with AI tools that have been built for teachers, by teachers and those in the education sector with experience of catering for SEN pupils, Skolup offers a secure, compliant environment that’s perfect for educators in a pinch looking for ways to support their SEN pupils.

With a strong focus on enriching classrooms, Skolup’s evolution includes new, AI-powered image tools that enable teachers and pupils to create, interpret and use images in ways that enhance the understanding and retention of knowledge.

This is especially important when educating SEN pupils, who may often benefit from alternative ways of interpreting imagery to help grasp complex concepts or support language development. By providing tailored visual aids and interactive learning tools, Skolup supports teachers in delivering content that aligns with diverse learning needs, making classroom engagement more accessible and impactful for every student. Furthermore, this also creates a sense of belonging for the pupils, which is said to significantly improve pupil outcomes, including academic performance and attendance.

Supporting teachers in SEN-focused curriculum delivery

As highlighted in the recently released National Audit Office report, the SEN system urgently needs reform to offer better support for both pupils and teachers. 

At present, many teachers are juggling tricky workloads and admin tasks whilst also catering to SEN-specific curriculum demands – with a 2022 survey by Sendco Solutions finding that almost every state school in England struggles to support pupils with special educational needs because of insufficient support staff.

Skolon is a sustainable solution in helping to alleviate the pressure created by the shortage of staff by integrating curriculum-aligned resources and tools into one easy-to-manage, affordable platform to help them support the needs of SEN-specific delivery. This enables teachers to focus on teaching and providing the support their students need, without the added weight of managing multiple systems or duplicating tasks.

… And your organisation will have the data to back the efficacy up

In addition, Skolon’s tools provide teachers and administrators with valuable insights into pupil engagement and progress, making it easier to identify where additional support might be required. This data-driven approach aligns with the NAO’s recommendations for improved SEN tracking, helping teachers make informed decisions and focus on impactful teaching strategies.

Looking forward

Taking high demand, rising costs, and an uncertain and challenging financial landscape ahead into consideration, the need for effective, sustainable solutions has never been more urgent for SEN provision. 

At Skolon, we’re committed to supporting schools with the tools that they need to create inclusive, adaptable learning environments that cater to every pupil’s needs, support educators and provide valuable data into usage.

While systemic reform will require collaborative efforts and adequate funding, platforms like Skolon provide immediate, accessible solutions that can easily be integrated and swiftly alleviate the pressure on educators and bring meaningful change to SEN pupils today.