Your Story Matters

"Trust is a crucial aspect of the adoption journey"

School and Education

Lessons Learned: A Path Forward

Our journey has revealed critical shortcomings in the education service, particularly in the areas of urgency, understanding individual children's needs, and valuing the family's perspective. To create an education system that truly serves all students, especially those with special educational needs, significant changes are necessary.

By addressing these issues, we can foster an environment that supports every child's growth and reduces the strain on families.

Emphasising Urgency

One of the most pressing lessons is the need for urgency in addressing the immediate needs of children requiring special attention. Delays in providing support can exacerbate difficulties, negatively impacting both educational outcomes and family life:

Lesson in Practice: Our child's signs of dyslexia or ADHD went unaddressed for months, leading to a decline in academic performance and self-esteem, causing increased worry for our family.

Aspirational Change: Schools and Social Services should collaborate to implement a fast-track assessment and intervention process. This would involve dedicated personnel and resources to promptly identify and address learning difficulties, ensuring that children receive the support they need without unnecessary delays.

Recognising Diverse Needs

The education system's one-size-fits-all approach fails to accommodate the diverse needs of children, particularly those with special educational needs (SEN). A more individualised approach is essential.

Lesson in Practice: Our child, displaying signs of autism, struggled in a traditional classroom setting that didn't account for sensory sensitivities or social interaction challenges. This led to behavioural issues and academic struggles.

Aspirational Change: The education system should receive increased funding for training teachers on various special educational needs and strategies to support adoptive children. Schools should also adopt flexible teaching methods tailored to individual learning styles, creating an inclusive environment that meets each child's unique needs.

Listening to Families

Families possess invaluable insights into their child's needs, yet the education system often overlooks or dismisses this perspective. Integrating family input is crucial for effective support.

Lesson in Practice: Our child with ADHD had specific triggers and coping strategies that the school ignored, leading to inappropriate support and worsening their difficulties.

Aspirational Change: Establishing regular, meaningful communication between families and schools is vital. Schools should actively seek and incorporate feedback from parents and caregivers when developing and implementing educational plans, ensuring that support strategies are well-aligned with the child's needs.

Addressing the Impact on Families

The failures of the education service extend beyond the child to affect the entire family, creating significant stress and turmoil. This can have profound consequences, including the potential for failed adoptions.

Lesson in Practice: Our child's undiagnosed learning disability and the subsequent lack of support strained our family, causing tension and emotional distress for everyone involved.

Aspirational Change: The education system must adopt trauma-informed care, with schools having immediate access to mental health professionals. Close collaboration between schools and adoptive families is essential to understand the child's background and needs, providing the support necessary for both the child's and family's well-being.