• Urban Special school 158 pupils in West Sussex
• Ofsted rating: Good
• FSM: 40.5%

Review rating:

Average rating across all Discovery Espresso reviews: 3.7/5

Great for Neurotypical but for neurodiverse it can be tricky to navigate

How well does it match the curriculum?

Reasonably: It’s good enough for the money, but needs some additional resources

Clear progression with good recovering of the subject matter. Little freedom and a little limited in different examples.

How well does it support adaptation for different groups of pupils?

Reasonably: Essentially there’s enough for most pupils but there isn’t enough SEN support. Images to support text for non readers would be helpful

Symbols for non readers or places to click on text and then it reads for you and highlights the buttons you need to press.

How well does it engage and motivate pupils?

Reasonably: We can’t use it too often or for too long

Nice and visual with clear successes. Rewards or certificates would be nice. Children to edit their own certificates, or teacher to be allowed to

How well supported is it by any included formative assessments?

Reasonably: There is some formative assessment included, but its usefulness is a bit limited

A useful formal assessment which allows the teacher to know whether the kid has succeeded or not.

How well does it support planning?

Well: It’s fairly self-contained and can be used with minimal preparation

Really clear progression and next steps easily identified. A link to other activities within the programme would be nice.

How well does it support home use / independent learning?

Well: Pupils could be expected to use this at home or independently, with a minimum amount of support or additional resources

Easy for non teaching staff (parents etc) to be able lead their child without specialist knowledge

How would you rate it for value for money compared to similar resources?

Reasonably: It represents about the same value for money as similar resources I’ve seen

Link more objects throughout the functions. Opportunities to use the skills learnt in the ICT in order to other skills

Would you recommend it to a colleague in a similar school to yours? 7/11

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