Zippy’s Friends for SEND around the world
We recently held an inspiring partner meeting for the Zippy’s Friends for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) programme, bringing together passionate professionals from across the globe. This meeting was an opportunity to reflect on the programme's progress, share successes, and discuss how we can continue to make a positive impact on the emotional and social development of children with SEND.
Programme Impact and Regional Insights
Speakers from our partner organisations in Mauritius, the Cayman Islands and St. Maarten shared their experiences with the Zippy’s Friends for SEND programme in their respective regions, providing valuable insights into how the programme can be adapted and implemented in diverse educational settings. Despite the differences in their local context, common themes emerged regarding the programme’s success in enhancing emotional literacy, fostering resilience, and providing much-needed support for SEND children.
Amélie Saulnier, Skills for Life Project Manager at Konekte, Mauritius shared her valuable insights into the programme's role in Mauritius and how it addresses the unique challenges faced by SEND children in the region. In Mauritius, Zippy’s friends SEND is implemented in nine special needs schools and the children themselves testify to the importance of this programme:
“What has changed for me since I started Zippy is that I have become stronger, when I have a problem, I know how to solve it.” - Zippy’s Friends pupil
Teachers report that some students have begun to communicate their emotions through the programme, which has reduced emotional outbursts: "A child on the autism spectrum is now able to identify and share his feelings. He can say when he feels sad, happy."
Clare Panyandee, Zippy’s Friends Teacher at Lighthouse School in the Cayman Islands shared her unique perspective on integrating emotional literacy into the curriculum and how this has helped her students, both in and outside the classroom in building resilience and empathy. She also spoke about the importance of educators incorporating local values, customs, and traditions into SEL lessons to make them more relatable and relevant to students' lives. For example, in the Cayman Islands, educators might draw on the local concept of "respect" and "community" to teach empathy and social skills. Our partner organisation, The Alex Panton Foundation interviewed teachers at Lighthouse School to hear their experiences of implementing Zippy’s Friends for Special Needs which you can watch here: Zippy’s Friends for SEND Teacher: “It’s incredible…”
Jina Mamtani-Mahbubani, Zippy’s Friends for SEND Teacher from Prins Willem Alexander School St. Maarten shared powerful stories of how the programme has made a difference in the lives of students on the island, emphasising the importance of emotional support in addition to academic teaching. We also heard about their future plans to enhance the programme including parental participation to reinforce SEL principles at home.
Thank you to all of our speakers and participants for their invaluable contributions to the meeting. We are excited about the future and the continued success of the Zippy’s Friends for SEND programme.
