Methods of learning and formats
When it's time for your child to move on to primary school, your Qualified Teacher of Visually Impaired children (QTVI) will probably talk to you about the methods which your child will need to use in order to access the curriculum.
What your child needs will depend on their level of visual functioning and progress so far. It may be standard print, enlarged print, braille, Moon or Objects of Reference (using objects to convey a meaning). Most children in mainstream schools will use enlarged print or braille.
Statements of Special Education Needs
Your child may also have a statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) before starting statutory education, but this is not always the case. A statement may name the method of access and should outline how the objectives in the statement should be met.
For further information, you can download the Department for Education's (DfE) 'Special Educational Needs (SEN): A guide for parents and carers' from the DfE website.
Teaching assistants
In some instances this may mean an adult called a Teaching Assistant (TA) will be employed by the school to help ensure that your child has appropriately adapted materials. The TA will work closely with the class teacher, inclusion manager (sometimes called the SENCO or Special Educational Need Coordinator) and QTVI to ensure your child is able to access the curriculum.
Sometimes the Teaching Assistant will need to work with your child directly to ensure they understand the lesson, but at other times the TA will need to spend time adapting materials for future lessons.
The whole emphasis should be on enabling your child to access the curriculum and encouraging their independence in doing so.