Join the SNJ Squad as a “Patron” and get exclusive content!
Running SNJ takes time and money. As volunteers, we don’t mind spending time making the site as useful as possible, but we need your help to keep it online. We …
New children’s minister Vicky Ford MUST sign off on continued Ofsted/CQC SEND inspections
First thing’s first, congratulations to Vicky Ford, MP for Chelmsford in Essex, who has been appointed to be the new Children and Families Minister, which includes SEND, or at least …
Special needs parenting: Love, determination and fury
The first time I held my eldest as a newborn, it hit me that my needs would never come first again. It may sound strange, but it hadn’t quite occurred …
Measure for measure: how do we judge the quality of a life?
The Bake-Off contestants race to uncover today’s technical challenge. In their haste, one contender reads the instruction to add two teaspoons of salt as two tablespoons and the resulting cake …
“Show me the evidence” Part 2: The questions parents should ask about SEND assessment and provision
With Dr Jane Hood, Consultant Paediatric Neuropsychologist and Educational Psychologist & Rob Webster, Associate Professor,Centre for Inclusive Education, UCL Institute of Education In part one of this blog, we explained …
“Show me the evidence” Part 1: Why parents are pivotal to driving evidence-based practice in SEND
With Dr Jane Hood, Consultant Paediatric Neuropsychologist and Educational Psychologist & Rob Webster, Associate Professor, Centre for Inclusive Education, UCL Institute of Education Tania’s note: Today we have the first …
For our disabled children, being brave is a daily necessity
The theme for the 2020 Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, from the Place2Be charity is ‘Find your Brave’. As parents of disabled children, we don’t need to look far to find …
Racial discrimination and SEND: Why was I accused of harm?
Every child with SEND has a right to access the best provision to help them reach their potential. Their families must be treated with respect and dignity. Far too often, …
SEND with Daulby: Unseen teaching tweaks that make all the difference
Tania’s note: Today’s we start a new series of posts from expert educator, Jules Daulby called, appropriately enough, SEND with Daulby. Jules has returned to teaching English and will be …
Ofsted’s grim verdict on SEND in England
Ofsted’s annual report, late because of the election, has a great deal to say about SEND and not much of it is good. To recap figures we’ve previously reported (links …
How the 2020 SENCO Surveys findings could really improve SEND provision nationally
Three years ago, when I first imagined what a SENCO Survey might achieve, I spent a lot of time wondering if it was even possible, and what the immediate impact …
Ofsted explains its new way of reporting on SEND provision in education
with Nick Whittaker, Specialist Adviser, SEND, Ofsted In one of my roles, I work alongside other SEND representatives on Ofsted’s SEND Stakeholder Advisory Group. As I spend a lot of …
New Autism Toolkit launched to get support for children #RightFromTheStart
A few months ago, we ran a story about the development of a new toolkit called for #RightFromTheStart to assist schools to recognise and help children with autism. I was …
What the Personal Wheelchair Budget means for disabled people in England
with Clare Dangerfield, Campaigning and Public Affairs Manager, Newlife charity If you or your child uses a wheelchair, you will know how expensive it can be to try to get …
Challenging opaque, illegal social care plans for disabled adults
With Belinda Schweher, CEO, social care legal charity CASCAIDr Anyone who’s tried to get social care help for a young adult, or to get care listed as “educational” support in …
The 2019 SEND Advocates’ Stampede
🎵 Seems to me nowThat the dreams we had beforeAre all dead, nothing moreThan confetti on the floorIt’s the end of a decade 🎵 In another ten years’ timeWho can …
A Christmas message and a moment of gratitude
Well here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody’s having fun…. This is a post full of gratitude. It’s been a really, really hard year for so many of us. The last …
Relentlessly unlawful LA decisions are damaging children and forcing the SEND Tribunal into crisis
Last Friday, whilst people were still getting their heads around the General Election, SNJ’s relentless data hoover sucked in a new set of figures – fresh information on the Special …
Join us in the fight ahead to defend the rights of disabled children
Our hearts may be as heavy today as they were on Friday morning. But there is no more time to waste grieving. The rights of our disabled children, young people, …
Review: Controlling pain with the PainPod
Some time ago, Renata and I were asked to review* a device called a PainPod that claims to control pain, a sort of Tens machine “plus”. A Tens machine is …
Our LA left us feeling so abused we escaped to Scotland for a better life with our SEND son
with Harminder Samra, SEND parent Just over two years ago we ran an article by Harminder Samra, the mother of Kyle, who has specific learning difficulties (SpLD) but no behavioural …
