Pupils given cafe culture of learning

“RIGHT now, so many students with additional needs are finding mainstream schooling really difficult,” says Megan McFarlane, the special education lead coordinator at Salendine Nook High School in Huddersfield.

- By LILLIAN RACE

That difficulty has been massively exacerbated since Covid. “We're still seeing the impact of the pandemic now,’ Megan says. “Sitting in a classroom just doesn’t work for everyone”

At Salendine Nook, that understanding has led to the creation of The Nest - a fully functioning cafe-style classroom designed for students with education, health and care plans (EHCPs).

Here, students work as trained baristas and prepare food and drinks for staff and visitors. The provision is an attempt to reimagine how education can work for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), blending academic learning with real-world experience.

When I arrive, behind the counter, Megan is teaching three girls how to make hot chocolate. “I need you to hold back the cream when you're pouring,” she tells them gently.

“You can have some on top - but not a whole cup of it”

The girls laugh as they take turns with the cream canister, rating one another's efforts. “That,’ she says, inspecting a neatly layered mug, “is impressive”

The lesson is part of a morning session, but there are no desks, exercise books or worksheets in sight. Instead, learning is practical, social and rooted in everyday experience.