SEND resources for primary schools: a guide for SENCOs and class teachers

What are SEND resources in primary schools?

SEND resources are tools, materials and equipment that help pupils with special educational needs and disabilities access learning and participate in school life.

They may support:

• Communication resources and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Social, emotional and pupil wellbeing
• Sensory resources and physical needs

These four broad areas are set out in the DfE SEND Code of Practice and are a useful starting point for SENCOs when auditing provision, especially in light of upcoming SEND reform.

In practice, SEND resources might include visual timetables, sensory tools, literacy intervention resources, maths intervention manipulatives, communication cards, pencil grips, wobble cushions, social stories, calm corner equipment or fine motor skills resources.

The important question is not “Do we have SEND resources?” but “Are the right resources helping pupils overcome specific barriers?”

Primary SEND provision is under more pressure than ever. SENCOs are balancing rising need, limited budgets and staff workload, while class teachers are adopting adaptive teaching to adapt lessons for pupils with increasingly varied needs. That is why intervention resources need to do more than fill a cupboard. Used well, they help pupils communicate, focus, practise key skills, manage sensory input and feel included in the classroom. Used without a clear purpose, even good resources can quickly become underused.

For schools working with GLS, Hope Education and the wider Findel family, the focus is not simply on supplying SEND products. It is on helping educators choose resources that fit real classrooms, real pupils and real school budgets.

How should SENCOs choose SEND resources?

SENCOs should start with the pupil’s need, then choose the resource.

A useful process is:

• Identify the barrier to learning.
• Decide what outcome the pupil is working towards.
• Choose a resource or strategy that supports that outcome.
• Review whether it is helping.
• Adapt if needed.

This mirrors the graduated approach: assess, plan, do, review.

GLS can support this kind of decision-making because its SEND range is built around practical school use, not generic home-learning trends. SENCOs need resources that teaching assistants can pick up quickly, class teachers can use without adding workload, and pupils can use repeatedly in busy primary classrooms. Findel’s Made for Education approach fits especially well here.

Which resources support communication and interaction?

Communication and interaction resources are often used to support pupils with speech, language and communication skills, language development needs, autism or social communication differences.

Useful resources include:

• Visual timetables
• Now and next boards
• Emotion cards
• Communication fans
• Social stories
• Sequencing cards
• Turn-taking games
• Role-play resources
• Conversation prompts

A visual timetable, for example, can support pupils who find transitions difficult. A now and next board can reduce anxiety during changes in routine. Emotion cards can help pupils express how they feel when spoken language is difficult.

For class teachers, these resources are most effective when they are used consistently, not only during moments of distress.

Which resources support cognition and learning?

Cognition and learning resources help pupils understand, practise and retain knowledge.

In primary schools, this may include learning support resources for literacy, maths, memory, processing, attention and task completion.

Common examples include:

• Phonics intervention resources
• Reading overlays
• Writing slopes
• Pencil grips
• Letter formation boards
• Number lines
• Place value equipment
• Numicon-style resources
• Sorting and matching activities
• Task boards
• Memory games
• Visual instruction cards

This is where schools often benefit from choosing education-specific suppliers. A generic worksheet pack may look useful, but primary teachers need resources that align with classroom routines, curriculum expectations and different levels of pupil independence.

GLS supports schools with practical everyday SEND resources that can be used across year groups and interventions. Hope Education adds strength where resources need to be engaging, hands-on and accessible for younger learners. The best cognition and learning resources do not do the learning for the pupil. They make the next step visible, manageable and achievable.

Which resources support social, emotional and mental health needs?

Social, emotional and mental health needs can affect behaviour, concentration, relationships and readiness to learn.

Resources in this area may include:

• Calm corner resources
• Emotion cards
• Zones of regulation-style displays
• Sensory fidgets
• Mindfulness cards
• Breathing prompts
• Weighted lap pads
• Worry monsters or worry boxes
• Restorative conversation cards
• Reward and motivation resources

Ofsted has repeatedly highlighted the importance of schools identifying need accurately and providing appropriate support, rather than seeing behaviour in isolation. For teachers, this matters because a pupil who refuses work, leaves their seat or becomes distressed may be communicating an unmet need using classroom support strategies.

GLS sensory and wellbeing resources can help schools create practical regulation options within classrooms, nurture spaces and intervention areas. The aim is not to remove challenge, but to help pupils return to learning with the right support. Findel’s wider role is important here too. Schools are not asking for more products for the sake of it. They are asking for trusted support that helps staff respond calmly and consistently when pupils are struggling.

Which resources support sensory and physical needs?

Sensory and physical resources help pupils manage sensory regulation, develop motor skills or access classroom tasks more comfortably, including setup within dedicated sensory rooms.

Useful resources include:

• Wobble cushions
• Chair bands
• Fidget tools
• Weighted resources
• Tactile objects
• Fine motor kits
• Threading activities
• Tweezers and peg boards
• Pencil grips
• Sloped writing boards
• Adapted scissors
• Chewable sensory supports
• Ear defenders
• Lap trays

Sensory tools should always be chosen carefully. A fidget that helps one pupil concentrate may distract another. A wobble cushion may support one child’s regulation but be unsuitable for another.

This is why GLS often sits naturally in SEND planning conversations. Schools need help choosing resources that are safe, durable and realistic for classroom use. They also need to know when a resource should be used individually, as part of an intervention, or across a wider setting. The strongest sensory provision is rarely about one standout product. It is about giving pupils appropriate choices and giving staff confidence in how to use them.

How can class teachers use SEND resources without adding workload?

SEND provision should support teachers, not overwhelm them.

Class teachers are more likely to use SEND resources well when they are:

• Easy to access
• Clearly labelled
• Linked to specific needs
• Modelled by the SENCO
• Built into everyday routines
• Reviewed during pupil progress conversations

A simple SEND resource station can make a big difference. This might include visual prompts, pencil grips, overlays, timers, fidgets, task boards and emotion cards. The key is avoiding a situation where resources exist, but staff are unsure who they are for or when to use them.

NASEN’s teacher guidance places strong emphasis on inclusive practice being embedded over time. That is exactly where schools need practical, everyday resources that make inclusion feel manageable in the classroom.

How should schools organise SEND resources?

Good organisation saves time and improves consistency. SENCOs may find it useful to organise resources by need rather than by product type.

For example:

• Communication and interaction: Visual timetables, now and next boards, communication cards, social stories.
• Cognition and learning: Phonics resources, maths manipulatives, writing aids, memory games, task boards.
• SEMH: Emotion cards, calming resources, breathing prompts, restorative conversation tools.
• Sensory and physical: Fidgets, wobble cushions, fine motor tools, pencil grips, adapted equipment.

This approach helps teachers and teaching assistants find resources according to the barrier they are trying to address. For SBMs and procurement teams, it also makes future buying clearer. Instead of replacing random items each year, schools can identify gaps in provision and invest where there is genuine need. That is the difference Findel aims to support: moving schools from reactive buying to confident, purposeful planning.

How can schools make SEND budgets go further?

SEND budgets are stretched, so resources need to work hard.

Schools can make budgets go further by:

• Auditing existing resources before buying more
• Choosing flexible assistive resources that support multiple pupils
• Buying durable equipment suitable for school use
• Avoiding trend-led purchases
• Creating shared SEND resource banks
• Reviewing impact before reordering
• Training staff to use existing resources properly

GLS is particularly useful for schools that want practical, value-conscious SEND provision. Rather than buying one-off items from multiple places, schools can build a more consistent approach through a supplier that understands education settings.

What should be reviewed before buying new SEND resources?

Before purchasing, SENCOs and teachers should ask:

• What need are we trying to meet?
• Which pupils will use this?
• Is it suitable for their age and stage?
• Can it be used in class, intervention or both?
• Do staff know how to use it?
• How will we measure impact?
• Is it durable enough for school use?
• Does it duplicate something we already have?

This final question is especially important. Many schools already own useful SEND resources, but they are not always visible, organised or used consistently. A good SEND audit can reveal that the immediate need is not always more equipment. Sometimes it is better storage, clearer labelling, staff guidance or a more structured approach.

How do Findel, GLS and Hope Education support SEND provision?

SEND support in primary schools is not simple. It involves pupils, parents, teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs, leaders and procurement teams across SEND, Literacy & Numeracy.

That is why Findel’s Made for Education approach matters. Schools need more than fulfilment. They need suppliers who understand the pressures behind the order: the pupil who cannot access writing, the teacher adapting three tasks at once, the SENCO preparing support plans, and the SBM trying to make limited budget stretch.

GLS Educational Supplies supports schools with practical SEND and inclusive learning resources designed for real classrooms. Hope Education brings a primary-focused, supportive approach that helps teachers find engaging resources for communication, early learning, intervention and inclusion. Together, they help schools choose with more confidence, not simply buy more things. For SENCOs and class teachers, that is the real value: resources that support pupils, fit the classroom and help staff feel ready.