Find out more about STAR and how to use it:
The STAR toolkit has been developed for use by educators with young people with SEND in Key Stages 3 and 4. The materials have been designed to be adaptable to the needs of different young people and their learning settings.
Some of the activities are suitable for pupils with SEND who are slightly younger or older than 11- 16 years old and educators are invited to adapt and select from within the toolkit to best suit their purposes.
The resources could also be used with young people who have no additional needs but who may benefit from a more tailored and structured resource to access messages and advice about online safety risks.
For many young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), the internet can be a place where they feel safe, calm and in control. It can be somewhere to make friends without having to communicate face-to-face, and build a community which they may not have in their offline life.
Whilst recognising the internet is a great resource which young people enjoy using, life online for a child with SEND may pose additional challenges that require careful management and support. This resource provides a range of tools to help educators working with young people with SEND to offer invaluable opportunities for discussion, teaching and support.
The STAR toolkit is made up of four key sections, which reflect current online safety risks and experiences of young people. Educators can work through each section in turn or pick and choose from the resources available to focus on the issues most relevant to the young people they work with.
Each section of the toolkit includes:
- An introduction and advice for educators on teaching this topic
- Key vocabulary to share with learners
- Starting point discussions to introduce key concepts
- Teaching point activities designed to deliver key messages in a variety of styles
- A quiz for recap and assessment
- Ways to revisit and extend the learning
- A document to share beyond the classroom (with parents, carers and residential staff)
Every part of the toolkit can be adapted and used by educators however suits their setting and learners best.
- Advice Page – an overview of what to expect within the letter.
- Key Vocabulary – key words and phrases with accompanying Widgit symbols.
- Film – specially created film content to start discussions and embed key messages and advice.
- Teaching Points – resources to help teach the key messages.
- Summary Quiz – a multiple-choice ‘What would you do?’ quiz to review learning and embed key messages.
- Revisit and Extend – suggestions for additional activities and supporting resources to revisit and extend key messages.
- Beyond the Classroom – advice and activities that can be shared with parents & carers to ensure consistency with key messages at home.
The STAR Toolkit is an extension of an original project developed in 2014 in partnership with Leicester City Council’s Building Schools for the Future programme. This updated and extended toolkit has been developed in partnership with educators, SEND specialists and supported by the European Commission and Facebook.
