Primary school can be an exciting and stimulating environment for any child, with engaging curriculums, busy timetables, fun extracurricular activities and laughter on the playground. As a teacher, you hope that all the children in your care feel settled, safe and comfortable in their class environment so that they’re able to progress and flourish academically and socially.
However, there could be times when a child is faced with challenges, whether a fallout in friendship, change at home or difficulties with academic work. This can lead to lack of confidence, worry, or disengagement in school life with teacher’s needing to adapt to help support children navigate their thoughts and feelings. The same is true for pupils in school with visible differences.
Facing challenges at school
There are a number of difficulties that children in primary schools might encounter if they have a visible difference. Firstly uncertainty. When you live with a visible difference, there is an element of unpredictability with how others might treat you, whether that is being stared at or receiving a thoughtless comment. When many children at school are trying to establish friendships or make connections with others, being made to feel different can make it harder to engage with peers. This can result in children feeling isolated, ignored or thinking there is something wrong with them.
Many children can be defined by others by their visible difference when they want to be accepted and celebrated for their whole self.
Having to navigate curiosity and intrigue about their appearance can also be very tiring as they have to manage their own feelings as well as think of a response to an individual. This can impact their ability to engage in lessons or social events. Even simple tasks such as walking down the corridor, playing at break time or travelling to a new environment for a school trip could become daunting and stressful.
Depending on the nature of a child’s visible difference, there could be periods of time when they are unable to attend school due to medical appointments, checkups or operations. This disruption to daily routine can be challenging. Children with visible differences have the potential to feel like they’re falling behind or missing out on shared experiences with their peers, further heightening feelings of isolation.
How schools can help
Teachers play an important role in ensuring that children with visible differences are supported, settled and confident in school. The actions they take can help improve day to day experiences and allow for positive memories and outcomes to be created.
So, how can primary schools support children with visible differences?
For families:
- Offer a meeting between the school and the family of the child with a visible difference, so they can understand their needs. This forms a positive working relationship with parents/caregivers, and enables honest conversations to happen.
- Allow parents to have the opportunity to share their thoughts, concerns or ask questions about the challenges their child may face and how they can support them.
- Establish what language to use when talking about the child’s visible difference, should other teachers or pupils ask questions. Being equipped to talk about difference sensitively is vital.
- Reassure parents/caregivers that their child’s needs are understood and cared about.
For pupils:
- Make sure inclusion and diversity is part of the curriculum. For example, in many PSHE curriculums there are units of work and lesson plans on topics such as ‘Celebrating Differences’ where children are able to acknowledge their differences with one another, while finding common ground.
- Create a safe space for open and honest conversations around difference. Guide students to make connections to the world around them as well as advise them on appropriate phrasing and words to show respect to all people. If teachers shy away from these conversations, it will foster another generation of young people feeling awkward about connecting to others with visible differences.
- Encourage children to read books, watch shows and play with toys that celebrate diversity. It has been wonderful to see resources such as Wonder appear in primary school classrooms and English curriculums. When I read this book as an adult, it was the first book I had ever read where I could finally relate to a character and empathise with their experiences.
Most importantly to anyone working with a child with a visible difference in their class or school, take time to get to know the child for who they are. Many children can be defined by others by their visible difference when they want to be accepted and celebrated for their whole self. Showing curiosity in their interests, character and hobbies can help establish a secure and safe relationship.
A teacher taking time to provide check in conversations throughout the course of a year, whether at the start of the day or walking down the corridor, can have a long lasting positive impact for a child with a visible difference allowing them to grow in confidence, know they are valued and understand their worth.
