One particularly meaningful experience revolved around supporting a selectively mute Y7 pupil to speak in a lesson for the first time. Through a calm, low pressure approach, communication was modelled in a way that ensured that the pupil was always clear about the learning, their current understanding and the next steps without any expectation of a verbal response. This created a safe and predictable environment in which the pupil could engage at their own pace. This supportive approach led to increased confidence, and during a retrieval based exit task, the pupil independently chose to contribute verbally by raising their hand and offering an answer.
