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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 …
Urgent change is needed to stop the institutional culture of parent-carer blaming
and Dr Ana Laura Aiello Disabled children and their families are one of the world’s most severely disadvantaged groups and the UK is no exception. Why should this be – …
Dame Christine: I’d like to set the record straight
With Dame Christine Lenehan, Council for Disabled Children Now and again, someone says or writes something that’s so surprising, that’s the very opposite of what you’d expect them to say, …
Is the DfE’s SEND funding “safety valve” on a collision course with schools and families?
It’s a strange time out there, and it’s a strange time in the world of SEND too. Some sort of big change is on its way in England — via …
Five years at Number One for SNJ
We don’t often brag about ourselves…but today is an exception so please forgive us… We are delighted to have been ranked the Number One UK Healthcare blog by influence- measuring …
Pupils in special settings suffered significant effects of the pandemic but the “Recovery Plan” won’t help them
Throughout the pandemic, we have been monitoring what has been happening with special schools and colleges and the pupils who attend them. Our previous research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, …
Dying to be seen: Why is it so hard to get help from CAMHS? By Carrie Grant MBE
Tania’s note: Recently, broadcaster, Carrie Grant, quoted a tweet (shown below) from Dr Shan Hussein who had not had a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) referral accepted since …
Minister admits legal entitlements for children with SEND are “up for review”
The Children’s Minister, Vicky Ford MP, has admitted that existing legal entitlements for children and young people with SEND are under review, as part of the ongoing and long-awaited SEND …
The Cracks That Let the Light In – Book Giveaway
with Jessica Moxham Today we’re offering a free copy of a new book written by Jessica Moxham, a parent carer and architect who lives in South London with her husband …
An open letter to James Sunderland MP, offering an educational primer in SEND
During a debate in the House of Commons earlier this month on children and young people’s mental health, James Sunderland, Conservative MP for Bracknell, made a speech about school exclusion and children …
SEND in schools 2021: Waiting for the other shoe to drop?
Yesterday, the Department for Education (DfE) published its annual set of statistics on special educational needs in England. If you want to dive into the data yourself, you can find …
Overworked, underpaid SENCOs mean children with SEND “will be left vulnerable for decades”
For the last few years I’ve written about the annual National SENCO Workforce Survey that I help to produce with nasen and Bath Spa University. This year’s update, subtitled “time …
What’s next for Ofsted/CQC SEND Inspections? And is accountability about to nosedive?
Last week, Ofsted published a report on the experiences of children and young people with SEND during the pandemic. The report is well worth a read – but it’s long, and if …
Children’s Social Care Review: Are disabled children ‘someone else’s’ problem?
“It’s not the despair. I can take the despair. It’s the hope I can’t stand.” This line from the film ‘Clockwise’ regularly runs through my mind when contemplating government reviews …
Ofsted / CQC: SEND was bad before the pandemic, it’s worse now
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission have published a joint report after a series of interim “listening and learning” visits to schools during autumn 2020 and Spring 2021. (Note: This …
LA fails disabled young man repeatedly over a decade. Are stronger deterrents needed?
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is this week issuing two separate reports into the way the London Borough of Redbridge has failed the family of a 20-year-old disabled …
Why there needs to be a moratorium on school exclusion
SNJ Note: It’s important to understand views that don’t necessarily align with your own. If you disagree with the views in this post please do comment on the blog post …
How to help our children: 10 top tips from parents for SEND Case Officers
Recently, I wrote an article based on positive things schools/teachers had done to help your child, based on parental contributions on our Facebook group, SNJ, let’s Talk about SEND. I …
Free course: Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) in children with mental health difficulties
With Melanie Cross, Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists One of the most common elements of additional needs is speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). If a child also …
Whole School SEND Spotlight: Developmental Language Disorder Guide
Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) can, and do, have a lifelong impact, particularly when not recognised and supported. Effective communication is crucial for educational outcomes, social experiences, self-confidence and …
Will the DfE learn lessons about supporting disabled learners before the next big crisis?
What would your concerns be if a teacher commented that a pupil was unprepared, failed to assess past actions, and was, “surprisingly resistant to learning lessons from failures”? Would you …
