ASN SEND Admin & IT Unit: Excel Word Outlook

Paws Rescue Centre: Office Helper is a four-lesson Admin & IT unit written for pupils with additional support needs (ASN) and SEND. Pupils become the office helper at an animal rescue centre and do real jobs for the manager in Excel, Word and Outlook.

Who it is for

S1–S3 at CfE Second to Third Level, KS3 SEND, nurture groups, ASN bases and National 3 or National 4 Administration and IT groups. Core is pitched at Second Level; Extend reaches Third Level and National 4.

The four lessons

1. Meet the Animals (Excel): add, change and delete data.
2. Count and Chart (Excel): sort, AutoSum and a column chart.
3. Welcome Home Letter (Word): complete a letter, add a picture and alt text.
4. Email and the Diary (Outlook): send an attachment and add a calendar event.

Built for ASN from the start

• One instruction per step (15 words or fewer), a genuine screenshot and a CHECK.
• Arial 14pt+, 1.5 spacing, no italics, cream PDF versions.
• Supported, Core and Extend routes shown by symbol as well as colour.
• Visual timetable, First/Then board and a now/next strip on every slide.
• A5 task cards: one skill per card, with a screenshot.
• Offline paper version of every digital task; Dictate or scribe route for writing.
• Speaker notes on regulation, reducing demand, language, and checking without cold-calling.
• No animations; every Word and PowerPoint file checked with the Microsoft Accessibility Checker.

What is included

• Four slide decks, four lesson plans (60 and 50 minutes, with stop points) and four one-page PSA briefings.
• Task sheets, pupil workbook, pupil files and teacher solutions.
• Printables: visual supports, key word cards, exit tickets, learner profile.
• A 20-minute practical check with mark scheme, and a picture-supported I can tracker.
• Teacher guide: adjustments by need, IEP/CSP/ASP links, PSAs and a verbatim curriculum map.
• Editable Word files.

Ready for Monday

Read the lesson plan, copy the pupil files to a shared area, print the task cards for each route and open the slides. Every lesson uses the same eight stages, so pupils know what is coming, and pupils who are having a hard day can stop safely at a planned stop point.

Curriculum

CfE TCH 2-01a, 2-03a, 3-01a, 3-02a and 3-03a; National 3 and 4 IT Solutions for Administrators and Communication in Administration; KS3 computing.

Paws Rescue Centre is fictional. Microsoft 365 is a Microsoft trademark; not endorsed by Microsoft.