Small steps and stronger relationships: parents' experiences of homeschooling children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

Abstract

During the current global pandemic, parents and carers in England and across the UK have been asked by the Government to ‘home school’ their child/ren, and a plethora of resources have been produced and made available to assist with this. The perceived detrimental effects of being absent from school have been a driver for the Government in ensuring that schools remain open for as long as possible, and the current pandemic situation is replete with narratives of ‘loss’. Little attention has been paid to any potential benefits for children and families of homeschooling or the opportunities it provides. This paper reports on a small-scale online survey that explored the experiences of parents’ homeschooling their child/ren with SEND during a global pandemic in England. The findings are revealed through a qualitative methodology merged with post-qualitative concepts that emerged post-analysis. Novel findings regarding possibilities for creative and inclusive learning practices, family bonding and children’s improved social and emotional well-being are revealed in this paper.