Tania writes:
Here's a video made by the DfE about when Ed Timpson, the SEN Minister, came to Surrey. It features families and young people trialling the Education, Health and Care plan and two key people from the Surrey pathfinder whom I greatly admire, Susie Campbell, Surrey's Pathfinder Manager and Julie Pointer, Transition Development Manager.
If you find it difficult to understand what the reforms are all about through reading the documents, have a look at this video and you will learn lots about what is planned for the whole of England.
Let us know what you think!
Tania Tirraoro
Founder, CEO at Special Needs Jungle
Founder of Special Needs Jungle. Parent of two sons with Asperger Syndrome.
Journalist & author of two novels and a guide to SEN statementing. PR & social media expert. Rare Disease & chronic pain patient advocate.
Journalist & author of two novels and a guide to SEN statementing. PR & social media expert. Rare Disease & chronic pain patient advocate.
Latest posts by Tania Tirraoro (see all)
- SEND Transport: Consultation and Missed opportunities - August 14, 2019
- Why mixed attainment teaching can benefit children and improve social justice - July 24, 2019
- Join the SNJ Squad as a “Patron” and get exclusive content! - July 12, 2019
The aspirations demonstrated by this clip are laudable but so far away from the everyday reality of what goes on for children and families with SEN in Surrey that it made me cringe to hear Surrey being held up as an exemplar. To make the new system work, major culture change will be needed if the exiisting attitudes and behaviours are not to ossify around new buzzwords. Creating new systems and processes does not mean changed attitudes. Those involved in the pilot are in the right space. It will be a much bigger task to bring the rest of Surrey along with them and I have yet to see any evidence that they are ready for that journey. There needs to be pressure on all authorities to discuss how the new behaviour needed to support the reforms will be embedded and monitored if this whole initiative is to lead to meaningful change. Organisational transformation of this nature is difficult to achieve and does not happen by itself.