How Greenfield School uses Widgit Online to support neurodiverse and multilingual learners

Building understanding across the curriculum

At Greenfield School, learning is shaped by the belief that every child, whatever their background or needs, should be able to fully participate in the classroom. With neurodiverse pupils of varying abilities and a growing number joining the school with little or no English, the Learning Enrichment team wanted a way to support understanding without simplifying the curriculum or adding pressure for teachers.

Example Symbols
Example Symbols

When Head of Learning Enrichment and SENCo Rebecca Goswell introduced Widgit Online, it fitted naturally into the school’s existing teaching approach. Visual support gave pupils a clearer starting point for learning, while teachers gained a straightforward way to make language more accessible across subjects. As Rebecca explains: 'Once staff saw what it could do, it was a bit of a game changer. It unlocked so much potential in students who just needed that bit of visual support.'

Teachers now use symbols on worksheets, vocabulary tasks, and class-made word banks, helping pupils work through unfamiliar language with more confidence. Rebecca highlights a Year 5 English lesson as a strong example, where pupils were studying The Lady of Shalott, a medieval poem with complex and unfamiliar vocabulary. By symbol-supporting the text, the whole class benefited from the added visual support, using context and visual cues to interpret meaning and explore new language.

Examples of resources used at Greenfield School

Widgit Symbols also play an important role in supporting multilingual learners. New pupils often arrive with limited English, and the team is keen to help them feel settled from the moment they join. Using the translate tool within Widgit Online, staff create bilingual resources with everyday phrases for use around the school, helping pupils feel more confident in their new environment. In lessons, dual-language worksheets make it easier to follow instructions and understand key terms, while teachers can quickly adapt materials for different home languages as new pupils arrive.

Greenfield’s experience demonstrates how well-designed visual communication can support a broad range of learners. Whether helping neurodiverse pupils approach written language with more ease, supporting multilingual learners as they build their English, or giving all pupils an extra layer of clarity when they meet new vocabulary and complex topics, Widgit Online has become a flexible tool that strengthens learning across the curriculum.

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- Widgit Symbols in action across Kids Planet Nursery group