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Always remember to:

• create a safe place to share views
• be reassuring, there are no wrong answers
• value their opinion and listen fully, do not dismiss what may seem ‘silly’
• stay positive

Try starting a discussion, ask them questions to uncover:

• their thoughts and feelings towards school, home, and any other concerns they may have, for example, do they have a medical condition and require frequent appointments, etc.
• how well they feel they are doing at the moment
• their friends and relationships with people in and out of school
• what they find helpful at school, what helps them learn, what support they think they need to make further progress

Create a safe environment

An important thing to remember is to remain positive, we want our children or young people to feel safe when opening up, we want to empower not discourage. Focus on their strengths! For a full picture we need to touch on some not so nice aspects, we need to know where they struggle so we can help but try always end your work with a CYP on a positive note.

Keep a record

Whilst you have a discussion try keep a record of the conversation and make notes of what they child or young person tells you, so you have all the information written down and you don’t have to rely on recalling things after the discussion, it is important we don’t miss any details.

Below are some prompts to aid your discussion, and questions to consider. There is no particular order to this, simply pick or adapt what you feel will help your chat with the child and young person. You know them best.

Here are some prompts:

• what can you do to make tomorrow a good day?
• what is something you do to feel calm?
• how do you help yourself face your fears?
• what is one thing you are proud of?
• what do you enjoy about school?
• what are your worries about coming to school?
• what makes a good day at school?
• what lessons do you enjoy most?
• how do you like to be helped in lessons?
• what do you do if you are stuck or don’t understand?
• do you prefer to work in a group or on your own?
• what doesn’t help you learn?
• what do you think you are good at?
• what do you think other people would say you are good at?
• what would you like to get better at?
• do you feel listened to?

Try and use open ended questions that are age appropriate to facilitate further discussion:

• ‘tell me what that’s like…’
• ‘what do you like about…’
• ‘how does that make you feel…’

But, if a child or young person finds it hard to express themselves you should be prepared to use closed questions with forced alternatives too:

• ‘do you like to read things yourself or have someone read it to you?’
• ‘do you find it easy to write in class or is this something you find tricky?’
• it is useful to then follow these with another discussion prompt to open it back up and allow the child/young person to express themselves if they feel they can

For children who need extra help, a trusted key worker should guide them through pupil voice activities and record their responses. These suggestions are flexible and should be adapted to meet each child’s needs and preferred way of communicating.

Non-verbal alternatives

If a child has trouble expressing their views verbally, you can use tools like scaling or ranking. For example, ask, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy school?" You can provide examples: 1 = "I don’t want to come to school" and 10 = "I love school."

You can also use pictures or statements for them to rank what they like most and least at school, such as different subjects or times of the day like breaktime.

Card sorting activities can also be useful. Ask the child to sort statements (with or without pictures) into categories like "Yes, this sounds like me," "No, this doesn’t sound like me," or "Not Sure."

Talking Mats are a tool for Primary or Secondary students who are non-verbal or have speech and language needs, as long as they can understand more than three keywords.

To use Talking Mats, create two or three headings like "No Problem," "Little Problem," or "Big Problem." You can change these to fit the student’s needs. Then, use cards with pictures, symbols, photos, or text related to things at school, their routine, or lessons.

Informal observations

Sometimes, informal observations might be the best way to understand a child’s needs. This can be done by familiar staff, if time allows. Observations can provide insights into things like:

• what the child likes or dislikes, their interests, and strengths
• what makes them feel safe and confident, or anxious
• environmental factors affecting their engagement or resilience

When observing, pay attention to body language, facial expressions, and sounds. Recording these notes can help plan support for the child and be useful in meetings with other professionals.

When we move into Year 9, we need to ask questions that focus on preparing our children and young people for adulthood. Using the tools above, you can ask the CYP the following, based on the four areas outlined in the SEND Code of Practice, which can then be used in the annual review meeting.

Employment or Further Education

Things to think about: 

• what do you want to do when you leave post-16 education or training?
• what are you good at?
• what do you like doing?
• what are your hobbies or interests?
• if you think you know what you would like to do, are you aware of what qualifications you might need?
• you can ask at your careers interview or ask for another one
• have you had your careers interview?

Independent living

Things to think about: 

• what do you need to live as independently as you are able and what will this look like?
• where do you want to live?
• who do you want to live with?
• what do you need to help you make decisions?
• what financial help is available?
• what are you like at cooking, shopping and managing your money?
• do you need help with your personal care, like showering, eating and dressing?

Community inclusion

Things to think about: 

• what leisure activities do you like doing?
• do you need help to see your friends?
• can you get out and about on your own?

Health

Things to think about:  

• what do you need to keep healthy and who can help?
• do they know about your disability or needs at your doctors?
• do you have an annual health check?