Beat the Heat: Meet Our Team & Essential Summer Tips for SEND Children

A supportive space where we can share knowledge and resources for children with Special Educational Needs, promoting understanding, empowerment, and unlocking every child's incredible potential.

Author

Genevieve McNamara
May 01, 2025

As summer approaches, we're excited to introduce our growing team and share some essential hot weather tips to keep all children safe, comfortable and engaged during the warmer months ahead.

Table of Contents

Meet our amazing team!

Genevieve

  • Founder

  • Appeals, EHCPs, School Search and Tutoring lead

Evie

  • Data, Admin and School Search specialist

Nadia

  • SEND specialist tutor

Sofia

  • SEND Advocate

Cindy

  • SEND and Speech and Language specialist tutor

Gulistan

  • SEND specialist tutor

We’re excited to announce that we will be working with more amazing tutors over the next few months, and will be adding more consultants to the team to support with EHCP applications, Reviews and School Searches.

We’re always on the lookout for passionate SEND specialists, so please get in touch if you’re interested in joining our mission to provide children with Special Needs the education they deserve!

Hot Weather Tips

General Tips

  • Maintain consistent hydration schedules - use visual reminders and plan hydration breaks into the day

  • Create cool-down zones in classrooms, play areas and home

  • Adjust outdoor activity timing to avoid peak heat periods

  • Use visuals and social stories to prepare children for weather-related changes

Additional Considerations for Children with SEND

Sensory Sensitivities

  • Provide cooling accessories (neck fans, cooling towels) for children with temperature regulation difficulties

  • Create sensory-friendly "cooling stations" with reduced light and sound, water and ice

  • Offer weighted cooling blankets for children who benefit from deep pressure

Communication Support

  • Use visual cards to support children to express discomfort related to heat

  • Create simple social stories about hot weather routines

  • Use consistent reminders about water breaks using preferred communication methods

Routine Adjustments

  • Prepare children for schedule changes due to weather with advance notice

  • Create visual explanations of why routines might change in hot weather

Emotional Regulation

  • Teach concrete strategies for expressing heat discomfort (visuals, PECs and AAC)

  • Provide extra regulation breaks during hot days

  • Recognise that heat can increase anxiety and sensory overload

Quick Tips Corner

  • Create personalised cooling kits with child-specific preferences

  • Add water breaks into a visual timetable for the day

  • Remember that behaviour changes may indicate heat discomfort

Your Voice Matters

This is your newsletter, and we want it to be truly useful to you.

We invite you to comment, share, and help shape our future editions.

  • What SEN topics would you like us to cover?

  • What resources do you need most?

  • What questions are keeping you up at night?

Drop your suggestions in the comments or email us directly. Together, we can create a newsletter that truly makes a difference for families navigating special educational needs.

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