Objective To improve the educators’ knowledge and implementation of academic accommodations for optimal return to learn (RTL) after a sport-related concussion (SRC).

Design Initially designed as a pre- post- intervention study, this qualitative report describes an unexpected but most relevant outcome of an educational intervention regarding SRC management in a school-based setting.

Setting A sport-focused Ontario (Canada) secondary school.

Participants 94 educational staff, including teachers, administrators and psychologists.

Intervention A workshop where educators learned about SRC management and reflected on their own experiences with some of the 63 cases of SRC managed at theirschool over the preceding 3.5 years. Participants were asked to develop RTLprotocols adapted for their environment.

Outcome measures Capacity to develop RTL protocols to improve concussionmanagement in school-based settings.

main results Working in small groups, participants were able to independently construct RTL protocols. As an unexpected outcome of this session, the educators formed a committee, which formalised a user-centred (teacher accepted and student focused) eight-stage post-SRCRTL protocol. In 2015 their school board accepted this protocol for use at over 200 schools. The index school initiated a daily accommodations update RTL passport.

Conclusions Working in small groups, participants were able to independently construct RTL protocols. As an unexpected outcome of this session, the educators formed a committee, which formalised a user-centred (teacher accepted and student focused) eight-stage post-SRCRTL protocol. In 2015 their school board accepted this protocol for use at over 200 schools. The index school initiated a daily accommodations update RTL passport.

Competing interests None.