Why drama can help staff sustain RSHE learning in SEND settings

For many pupils with SEND, relationships, safety and wellbeing can be difficult to explore through abstract discussion alone. A performed scene makes these ideas visible. Pupils can watch a controlling relationship unfold, identify who is making the decisions and consider how each character might feel. It gives staff a shared, concrete example they can pause, explain and return to in later lessons or individual conversations.

To understand how this approach works in SEND settings, we looked at 347 staff evaluations from 55 special schools and specialist colleges. We then compared these with the responses from mainstream settings.

The findings suggest that drama can do two important things. It can help pupils engage with a difficult subject, while also giving the adults who support them useful language, examples and starting points for future teaching.

Staff reported a particularly strong impact

Nearly nine in ten respondents from SEND settings said the session had a High or Considerable impact on staff. This was 89.7%, compared with 84.0% in mainstream settings.

The comments help to explain what this impact looked like. Staff said the sessions gave them ways to approach sensitive conversations, helped them see what pupils understood and provided examples they could use in later lessons.

A teaching assistant at Blackfriars Academy wrote “It gives us an idea of what safeguarding conversations we can continue with in future lessons.”

At Oak Wood Secondary, a phase lead reported that “Staff have fed back that they feel more confident to deliver sex elements of RSE. Staff feel less anxious and more knowledgeable.”

Watching a session alongside pupils can help staff see which ideas pupils understand and where they may need more explanation. It also gives everyone a shared experience that can be referred to again later.

Making situations easier to discuss

Drama presents a social situation through words, actions and consequences. This can make an idea more concrete than explaining it through discussion or written information alone.

It also gives pupils a character whose choices they can explore without having to talk about their own lives or experiences.

At Penn Hall School, a teaching assistant described the value of “Real life situations for students to relate to and physically see rather than in lessons where its more talking and looking at a board.”

Staff valued the opportunity to use the scenes and characters facial expressions and words as ways to open discussions with pupils on what they thought happened and explore the reasons behind a character’s choices.

Staff also described pupils taking part who would not normally engage with these subjects. One learning support assistant at The Wenlock School observed that “Children who don't normally engage did.”

Engagement within the Loudmouth visit is an important starting point, but it is not the same as understanding. Questions, supported discussion and follow-up activities are still needed to find out what pupils have understood and can put into practice.

Giving the learning time to develop

Every respondent from a SEND setting who answered the quality question rated the session Excellent or Above Average. Almost all, 99.7%, reported some positive impact on their SEND pupils.

The written feedback suggests that teachers valued how staff worked with pupils and provided more time, repetition and support and understood that the full impact of the learning for SEND pupils may not be as immediate as in mainstream settings.

At Sherbrook Primary School, a teacher explained “Teachers will revisit the topics after the session to consolidate these messages again.”

A designated safeguarding lead at Brooke School similarly noted “Thought provoking impact will need processing time and consolidation.”

Additional Support

Loudmouth’s programmes already include resources and videos that schools can use to revisit the learning. For some settings scenes are repeated during the live session to reinforce ideas and lesson plans and videos can allow students to return to key scenes or ideas in the days and weeks after the Loudmouth visit.

What the comments do show is that processing time, repetition and follow-up teaching are especially important when working with pupils with SEND.

Connecting the performance with everyday teaching

The feedback suggests several practical ways to make the most of drama-based RSHE in SEND settings:

• Choose a small number of key messages to revisit and agree the language staff will use.
• Use fictional characters to begin conversations without asking pupils to share personal experiences.
• Check understanding through clear questions, demonstrations and supported practice.
• Make sure that follow-up resources and videos reach the class teachers and support staff who will use them, including colleagues who did not book the visit.
• Give staff time to discuss how pupils responded and plan any individual follow-up.
• Return to the learning later and check whether pupils can recognise a concern and identify a trusted adult.

This evaluation records staff views rather than independently measuring long-term changes in pupils’ knowledge or behaviour. However, it highlights the important role played by the adults who continue supporting pupils after a visit.

Summary

A memorable scene gives staff and pupils something they can return to. With clear explanation, repetition and well-planned follow-up, it can make a difficult conversation easier to begin, understand and revisit.

To find out more or to discuss how theatre in education could support your SEND pupils, contact us on 0121 446 4880 or email enquiry@loudmouth.co.uk

About the analysis: The original data contains 5,050 staff evaluations submitted between September 2021 and September 2026. This article draws on 347 responses from 51 special schools and four specialist college settings. Percentages are based on the number of respondents who answered each question. For readability, the article refers to the other responses as coming from mainstream settings, although the data may include a small number of settings whose status could not be confirmed.