Dear future colleague

Dear Colleague,

Firstly, take a deep breath!  I imagine you are feeling a sense of overwhelm. I can assure you that the young person with Down syndrome who is joining you is going to be a gift to your school community. At the moment, your mind might be racing with how you are going to accommodate this young person’s needs and give them all that they need in your classroom and school. I want to reassure you that you will learn together and they will bring a magic with them that will bring light and joy to your classrooms and school.

A young person with Down syndrome will bring their own individual learning needs with them, and there are lots of things you will be able to do to meet their needs in and out of the classroom. They want to learn like any other young person, and they CAN learn and make progress on their own trajectory, just like any other young person. It’s really important to the young person and their family that you assume that they can learn, they will make progress and be reassured that they will learn. They just need more support, patience and thinking outside of the box to enable them to make progress in all aspects of their education.  

You can do lots of things that you would do with other students to support the young person with Down syndrome to develop a sense of belonging. Ideas include encouraging them to join clubs and participate in tutor group/year group activities, supporting them with building friendships, offering them buddies/mentors and giving them access to everything your school community offers. All teenagers want to belong and want to feel seen and heard. Young people with Down syndrome are no different.  Bring them with you. Encourage their peers to stand next to them on their journey and help them to see the young person with Down syndrome as equally cared for and valued.

Try not to worry too much about what will happen later on in their Secondary school career. There will be options and adaptations that can be made to enable the young person to experience success and leave school feeling fulfilled and ready to take on the world that is waiting for them. Mainstream school offers more than academic success for young people with Down syndrome. It offers them an age appropriate social environment and access to typical young people their own age who they can build relationships with and learn social skills alongside. Learning alongside their typical peers will support with enhancing their communication and interaction skills and enhance their ability to relate to their community.  

The Secondary Programme developed by DSUK will offer a wide range of resources and training opportunities to support you in teaching the young person who is joining your school. 

Young people with Down syndrome will bring so much to your classrooms and school. They can bring a great sense of humour, empathy to others and plenty of character! Just remember, each is an individual in their own right, just like any other teenager. They will teach their typical peers how to accept those who are different and how to embrace the diversity they will experience throughout their lives. Friendships might look different and outcomes too. But that’s ok. Parents are asking for schools to be positive, proactive and patient. Work with parents and tap into their knowledge of their child. As a Mum to a daughter with Down syndrome myself, I can confidently say we want to find schools that help our children feel loved, accepted and included. We are aware that outcomes will be different to their typical peers, but we want our children to receive the best education possible, to experience and achieve success and to be valued by their peers.  

I wish you all the best for the adventure that awaits you. Many parents of children with Down syndrome call ourselves ‘The Lucky Few’ but I believe anyone who encounters our children and builds relationships with them, are also very lucky. Our children will learn so much in your school but you too will learn deeply from them.

Vicky