Beyond EHCPs: Why Inclusion Needs More Than a Document
For many families, the EHCP becomes the one solid thing in a system that otherwise wobbles under our feet. It’s the document we cling to because it often feels like …
Category: Sharon Smith
Why every child deserves Portage, wherever they’re born
with The National Portage Association Portage is one of those Early Years interventions that quietly transforms lives, yet far too many families still don’t have access to it. When I …
When hope has been drained, families struggle to trust promises to fix SEND
Hope is not a luxury in the SEND system. It is what keeps families going through years of assessments, exclusions, appeals, and meetings that too often feel adversarial. Hope is …
When “Easy Read” isn’t easy: Why the SEND consultation risks excluding disabled children and young people
Many people and organisations, including us, welcomed that an Easy Read version of the SEND Consultation was published on the same day as the Schools White Paper and main SEND …
“We are living on a knife-edge” SENDCo research sounds the alarm about the high cost of mainstream inclusion
Since taking office, the Labour government has been clear about its ambitions: more children with SEND should be educated in their local mainstream schools. Bridget Phillipson has repeated the message …
The Lords publishes a “blueprint” to help young disabled people “thrive in work” saying too many are “written off”
“Disabled people face continuous barriers to securing long-term employment. This starts from the moment a young disabled person enters nursery school and continues through their preparation for work and their …
Should we ‘mind the gap’ of disabled pupils’ attainment? Or is it really an indictment of how success is measured?
Are we missing the point when looking at the so-called “attainment gap” in academic achievement of some disabled pupils? A recent article in the Guardian (19 September 2024), reported an …
Have your say about ‘co-production’ in SEND
As part of the Department for Education-funded “What Works in SEND” programme, researchers at the University of Warwick are seeking to gather the views of children, young people and parents/carers …
Give your feedback on a new framework for future SEND policy from the SEN Policy Research Forum
Despite significant SEND reforms introduced in 2014 that were supposed to improve children’s and families’ experience of the system, 10 years on and the SEND system is in crisis. As …
The arts are for everyone: My perspective showcasing the talents of people who have Down syndrome
with Hayley Newman, DownsSideUp In February last year, Ofsted published a review into the factors that contribute to a high-quality art education in schools in England. Within it, they argued …
Parent carers protest as 92.3% say engaging with their local SEN Team was “actively detrimental to their mental health”
With CWaC SEND Accountability campaign group, Cheshire West and Chester Parent carers shouldn’t have to protest, they’ve got enough to do caring for their disabled children. But, angry at their …
A separate Down syndrome school census category is unlikely to improve SEND provision—and may have unintended consequences
On Friday, we wrote about the Department for Education announcing a new phase to its short breaks innovation programme and extending supported internships. The announcement also briefly included plans to …
The parables of SEND: Is it more like ‘the drowning man’ or ‘the tree and its fruits’?
I recently came across two linked articles written by academic Alan Hodkinson discussing the history of the SEND system. They immediately drew my attention as the articles attempted to understand …
Uncovering the origin of the evil EHCP ‘Golden Ticket’ Narrative
The SEND trope of the EHCP “Golden Ticket” has recently once again raised its pernicious head on social media. Over recent years, the term has been employed to imply the wrong-headed …
How H&M and WorkFit helped my daughter who has Down syndrome gain purposeful, paid experience of work
In 2022, statistics were published by The British Association of Supported Employment (BASE) showing that only 5.1% of people with learning disabilities known to social services are in any form …
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 …
Why the Down Syndrome Act ‘call for evidence’ is also relevant for people with other genetic conditions
Government consultations are like buses. No sooner has one gone by, than another arrives. In the same week the SEND Review consultation closed, the Department for Health & Social Care …