Leading and implementing equity-focused responses through and beyond COVID-19

This article was first published as part of a global conversation about the future of teaching. Online and blended learning models are likely to stay, as global full or partial school closures endure in the new academic year. Yet, challenges encountered in the early experience of education in lockdown compel us to think about what is currently being done to shape learning technologies in response to pupils' and teachers' needs, as opposed to letting technology shape how we design remote instruction. Pupils with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) may have been particularly hard-hit by the online learning regime, as they may require services that are not easily available via the internet. Educators, parents and the pupils themselves have an important role to play in co-designing digital and blended learning environments that suit the diverse needs of all learners. A community-wide commitment to equity and access (Rimmer, 2016) involves leaders engaging all stakeholders i