I was recently approached by an alternative provision school about delivering my Disability Awareness Assembly. These are normally aimed at Key Stage 1 & 2 and I normally deliver them in front of each key stage group, before taking questions from the children. On some occasions, I deliver the assembly and then visit each classroom for a question and answer session. I leave it to the school to decide which approach will work best for them.

However, this would be the first time I had worked with older children in an alternative provision school. I realised the presentation and the approach I normally took wouldn’t be age appropriate. My contact at the school explained that some of the pupils may find sitting through a formal presentation a little challenging. So I decided to make the presentation more age appropriate but equally, be prepared to abandon it completely if it wasn’t engaging the students.

When I arrived at the school I realised this would be a very different experience to anything I’d done before. Rather than be shown to a school hall, I was taken to a small conference room and was advise that I’d be talking to two small groups of six or seven pupils. I was suddenly very nervous – I was used to a hall of hundreds of children, a small group like this made me much more nervous! I was worried the presentation wouldn’t hit the mark or the students might not want to engage with me.

Challenging Questions, Honest Answers

However, my worries soon disappeared as soon as the first group settled in. They were really attentive and keen to ask me questions throughout the session, which made it really informal and relaxed. I’m used to answering any questions but these students really challenged me! One pupil asked about what the toughest stage of my life as a disabled person so far and it’s so difficult to answer such questions on the spot!  I explained that every stage of my life has presented me with different challenges but that a period of a time when my speech drastically deteriorated as a child was particularly difficult.  The pupils truly blew me away and I wondered why I’d been so nervous!

School Feedback: A powerful shift in perspective

The school were very happy with the sessions and gave me great feedback:

“It was fantastic having Aideen in to talk to our pupils about cerebral palsy and living with a disability. It really opened their eyes to the impact a physical disability can have on someone and the adaptations that are necessary to carry out what they would consider to be standard ‘day-to-day’ tasks. Aideen’s presentation was informative and relatable despite highlighting her own experiences. Aideen answered all questions posed to her with honesty and humility which our pupils received well. Since Aideen’s sessions, we have also noticed a big reduction in discriminatory language towards those with disabilities. We would love to welcome Aideen back to our school to work with our pupils again. Thank you Aideen!”

It’s brilliant knowing the sessions have had such a positive impact and have improved behaviour towards disabled people within the school and hopefully beyond. It’s definitely a school I’d love to visit again!  If you’re an alternative provision school and would like to book a visit, please contact me. I can adapt the session to meet the needs of your pupils and am now very happy to work with small groups!