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David Curran started at Moon Hall School Reigate in September and is Assistive Technologies Lead and Head of Careers. Very few schools have a subject lead for assistive technology but at this school it is essential.
Moon Hall is a specialist school for dyslexic pupils and the emphasis is firmly on helping them to showcase and develop their creativity, ingenuity and entrepreneurial skills. To do this the school needs to remove the barriers to reading, writing, spelling and organisation that often accompany this neurodiverse condition.
This is where assistive technology comes into its own. David Curran encourages the pupils to use keyboard shortcuts, screen readers, voice recognition and Immersive Reader.
Once they leave school, learners will be going on to university, apprenticeships, and employment and these are the tools they will be using in their day to day life, far more frequently than handwriting. It makes sense to develop their skills as early as possible.
Lockdown last year showed the school that technology can offer greater support opportunities to their pupils. Lessons were on Microsoft Teams and with easy access to PowerPoints on their machine at home they could revisit content and teachers saw an increase in independence.
Michelle Catterson, Executive Headteacher, is keen that children have the best start for their adult life. The majority of learners have an EHCP and come from state schools in Sussex and Surrey. In 2021 for the second year in a row, Moon Hall School pupils enjoyed amazing GCSE results with many exceeding their predicted grades.