Navigating constraints: Why a former PCF chair thinks the current model is missing the mark for families

with Sabiha Aziz The 2014 SEND reforms placed Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) at the heart of local decision-making, with the aim of ensuring families had a genuine voice in shaping …

What schools and practitioners are missing about Tamil and South Asian families trying to navigate the SEND system.

By Suja Vairavanathan, Founder & Director, Natchathiram CIC One of the things we’re passionate about at SNJ is helping families across all communities understand and access their and their child’s …

Let’s write the true narrative of the SEND reform proposals: We want your unfiltered-by-AI views

— This survey has now closed, please look out for the report in the autumn— As Sir Kier Starmer’s resignation sinks in, you may be wondering if or how a …

Should “highly valued” EHCP Independent Supporters return to help parents navigate the SEND jungle?

There’s a great deal to unpick in the Government’s proposals for reforming SEND and a lot has been said and written about them over the last few months. It’s clear …

Where will all the teaching assistants come from? The research exposing the reality gap in the government SEND plans

Today, we’re looking at a number of different research reports—most of them the Government’s own—that point to a growing mismatch between its mainstream inclusion ambitions and schools’ ability to recruit …

Fix SEND our way for 90% of SEND debt write off, Government tells councils, urging swift action on change. So much for co-production…

“Co-production is the golden thread that weaves through everything we do,” trumpet council presentations about changing SEND for the better. But it’s evident that the golden thread is is something …

SEND changes will be “co-created”. Which means what, exactly? asks the Education Select Committee

Last month, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson delayed the publication of the Schools White Paper, and along with it, any changes to SEND. She said there would be a “period of …

Consultation with parents and carers: What can the Government learn from the SEND Review?

Guest article by Dr Jill Pluquailec, Gill O’Connor, and Emma Sadler, Sheffield Hallam University SNJ Intro: When the SEND Review was announced in 2022, we knew better than to trust …

The seven golden rules of co-production and guidance for researchers working with family carers

With: Saira Minhas and Joanna Griffin Co-production was the buzzword in the 2014 SEND reforms, intended to usher in an era of SEND professionals working in partnership with parents. Co-production …

How government-funded schools’ SEND training has young people’s experiences at its core.

with Maria Carney, Whole School SEND Universal SEND Services offers government-funded special educational needs training for schools. Today, Maria Carney gives us an update and how your school can get …

Challenging society’s negative narrative to understand the positivity of caring for a child with disabilities

with Dr Joanna Griffin, University of Warwick Dr Joanna Griffin is a university researcher, psychologist and a parent carer. She’s currently working on a new online programme for family carers …

Better co-production is crucial for improving SEND provision. But are the Government’s plans a case of magical thinking?

‘Critically, we agree with what we heard during the consultation: that the national system should be co-produced with families, children and young people, so we can build their confidence that …

SEND Review: Fait accompli or a real chance for parents and practitioners to shape policy?

with Christopher Robertson, independent academic and author, policy analyst and adviser The SEND Review is promised before Easter with a full consultation. But does this mean that everything in the …