'Revolutionary' toolkit helps pupils stay focused

Movement breaks and fidget tools are among the strategies being used to help some children stay focused in the classroom.

A Devon primary school described the new teacher resources, called the Flex toolkit, as "revolutionary" in supporting pupils, particularly those who struggled with attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

The toolkit was co-designed by researchers at the University of Exeter, alongside the Tools for Schools Planning Group, to help children, particularly those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or traits of, engage with learning.

Project lead Abby Russell, associate professor in child and adolescent mental health, said the website the tool were available from was specifically designed for primary schools and could be used by any teacher without specialist training.

Teachers could personalise the toolkit to individual pupils and could access information quickly about ADHD, its scientific basis and about 40 strategies that could be used as a whole class, project leaders said.

Since launching in September, Russell said about 40 schools across the country, including in Devon and Cornwall, had requested access.

"The tool is revolutionary," said Feniton Church of England Primary School's head teacher Louisa Mansfield.

The toolkit has become part of the school's ordinary available inclusive provision (OAIP).

Mansfield said: "You may have children with a variety of needs, and this gives teachers the facility to go into a menu, find that need and, at the touch of a button, have tools available to support them and different strategies to use."

Suggested strategies included movement breaks, sensory activities such as kinetic sand, colouring or water-based activities, project bosses said.

The NHS website describes ADHD as a condition where people may have trouble with things such as concentrating or sitting still, had high energy levels and struggled to control impulses.

Lacey, who has ADHD, said using fidget tools such as sliding a rubber up and down, and clickers, as well as short movement breaks, helped her concentrate in her lessons.

Year Five pupil Oscar, who is diabetic, has autism and displays ADHD behaviours, said sensory breaks and colouring helped him when he struggled to concentrate in class.

He said: "Drawing, colouring and having something to do when I listen helps me."

Rachel Hanna, special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) at the Otter Valley Federation in Devon was part of the planning committee.

She said: "We wanted the toolkit to be a useful tool that was quick to access in a busy classroom.

"Many of the strategies support good teaching and inclusion for all pupils, not just those with ADHD."

The toolkit was trialled in eight schools across the country in 2022 and received positive feedback from pupils, schools and parents.

Hanna said she had noticed a shift in attitudes towards ADHD during the project.

She said: "Rather than being viewed as a something negative, staff and pupils developed more positive understanding.

"Children began to see that ADHD is not something wrong with them but simply part of who they are."

For example, if a teacher noticed a child was feeling anxious, they could select it on the toolkit, and it would suggest different methods that can be part of the lesson plan, or things to say, she added.

Russell, who has been researching ADHD since 2013, said schools were often supporting children with attention and hyperactivity difficulties without a diagnosis because waiting lists could be long.

She said the toolkit brought together evidence-based strategies teachers could use across a whole class or with individual pupils, helping children remain engaged in learning because it could be a "real challenge" for children with ADHD or traits.

Russell said: "Although our research might be slow and take a long time, there's lots of people worldwide working on what we can to do to better support children who have traits of ADHD.

"The plan is that we'll continue to update the Flex toolkit with new strategies and new ideas, and the important part of that is continuing to work with children with ADHD, families and parents to thinking about what's working well for them."

Russell said schools currently paid a £150 licence fee to access the website, with Mansfield saying it was "very much worth the money".

Mansfield said: "In effect, it's a low cost for a high-benefit resource."

Hanna said the cost was relatively small for a resource that was evidence-based and practical.

"Investing in the toolkit is an investment in better outcomes and experiences for pupils," she added.

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