Jackson’s Story:

I'm Jackson, I'm 13, soon to turn 14, and I'm in year 8 at school.

Well, I'm physically weak down one side, but also have cerebral vision impairment, some other things that just make it harder; clutter on pages, everything like that. Instructions are really helpful.

I like learning and the education of school, I like to learn new things. It was sometimes hard to understand what people are saying, but it was pretty simple. Some of the things I just wouldn't understand. people say. Others I would. I would learn new things.

Onscreen text: What changed for you during COVID-19?

It was not that great, I just found it hard to ask questions. It was just hard to do things. I would work more during the day because you’d have to do so much stuff I didn't understand. No-one would explain it, so it's pretty difficult.

I would wake up at 7 a.m., I would work all through the day till 5 p.m. and then I still had to work on the holidays to finish the work so I didn't have to do it when I went back.

Most of the time, when you got to talk to teachers and they were free, they spent asking how your day was. I couldn't really ask questions, so I just self-taught.

Onscreen text: What would have helped you learn during COVID-19?

Support, just like a way to ask questions because sometimes you don't understand things until they're explained which is a problem.

Could have made it easier to ask questions. That was the hardest part, figuring out what to do. It could definitely make it more step-by-step instructions, more support, more support teachers, being able to ask questions or even ask questions to teachers, stuff like that.

Onscreen text: How were you supported to return to in-school learning?

I remember like being back to school, I think it was week six and I just remember being relieved that I’m able to finally getting more support than I would normally ... during lockdown.