03 Aug 2026
One thing that has become clearer as we build 42 Questions is that we cannot fully understand the admin involved in supporting pupils with additional needs from the outside.
We can make assumptions about where we could save time. But unless we speak to the people doing the work, we do not always know which parts take up the most time or are hardest to manage.
That is why conversations with schools, early testing and honest feedback matter so much.
Some of the tools we are building are now at the stage where schools can trial them. Sometimes a conversation confirms that something works in the way we expected. At other times, one small comment changes how we think about a whole part of the tool, or whether it is the right tool at all.
A process that seems simple to us may not reflect how the work is actually done in practice. Something we thought would be helpful may need to work differently to be useful during a busy school day.
The point of these trials is not just to test whether the technology works. It is to understand whether it works for SENCOs, teachers and the wider school team. If it does not, then we do not have a viable product.
We are using the EdTech Evidence Board to help guide how we build and evaluate 42 Questions. It encourages us to be clear about the problem a tool is trying to address, gather evidence with schools and use what we learn to shape how it develops.
That means evidence gathering is not something we do once a tool is finished. It needs to be part of the process from the beginning. What we learn should lead to changes, and those changes should then be tested again to see whether they have made a difference.
This has reinforced something important for us: building with schools is not an optional extra. It is how we understand what is helpful, what needs to change and where we may have made the wrong assumptions.
As we continue building 42 Questions, we are going to keep testing early, listening carefully and making changes while the tools are still taking shape.
We are still early in the process and have a lot more to learn. If your school or trust would like to be part of shaping what we build, we would love to hear from you.
Author: Cat Thorogood
