Changing lives through Boccia
Opportunities for disabled young people to participate in sport can be limited, either because expensive specialist equipment is needed or inclusive sports clubs are few and far between. Boccia is …
Category: Disability
£300 million for SEND school places. But how does it improve inclusion and equality?
At the end of yesterday’s Treasury spending review document, the catchily entitled “SR20”, Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said it, “ensured that the decisions made considered the possible impact on people with a …
UK Disability History Month – How far have we still got to go?
With Richard Rieser – Coordinator of UK Disability History Month Some of us will be old enough to remember when hundreds of disabled people took to the streets in the …
Ambitious and inclusive sensory story-telling
About a decade ago an impossible dream of mine came true. Special Needs Jungle was a part of that happening, but where that dream began is hard to pin point. …
More than one in three disabled pupils experience bullying in mainstream school, plus other concerning SEND stats
I’ve had a peruse through a new publication from the Department for Education, about the experiences of pupils and their parents regarding various aspects of school. It’s based on survey …
Family Fund grants: the who, what and how to apply
with Jim Paterson, The Family Fund Earlier in the year, the government announced it was giving an additional £10 million to the Family Fund during the pandemic, to families who …
Coronavirus guidance: What mainstream settings should do to ensure the inclusion of disabled children
with Lorraine Petersen OBE, Educational Consultant Trying to keep up with the government’s latest coronavirus education guidance can seem like a full-time occupation. There is guidance for schools for re-opening …
Introducing Oak National Academy’s new online specialist curriculum
It’s been an academic year like no other, but I think we can all agree that teachers and families have done an exceptional job supporting children during school closures. With …
SEND cuts campaigners in London tell their council: See you in (the High) Court
With Ken Barlow, Waltham Forest SEND Crisis Parents being forced to throw themselves into the legal system in order to secure basic rights for their disabled children is a sad …
Myth-Busting the ‘magic’ of multiple multi-sensory rooms
Tania’s note: as many of you know, Joanna Grace is a Sensory Engagement and Inclusion Specialist, (normally) running training events throughout the UK, and occasionally further afield. In 2010 she …
SNJ In Conversation with Dame Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children
One of the (numerous) problems many parents find when their child is having an education, health and care needs assessment, is the “care” bit. A social care assessment is often …
Observing many ‘nows’ to infer a choice, for people with profound learning disabilities
Here is a situation you will probably have encountered: an adult holds out two toys to a child, asking, “Which do you want to play with?” The child indicates one …
Campaign: Family carers deserve at least minimum wage for their 24/7 work
When you care for a disabled child or adult, you are often not able to work full or even part-time, because of your caring duties. For this, you’re entitled to …
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 …
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 …
Launching the SEND Community Alliance: An independent campaign group
with SNJ’s Renata Blower, Gill Doherty (SEND Action) and Nadia Turki & Poppy Rose (SEND National Crisis) An exciting announcement today! After a very busy year for a number of …
Jenna’s 10, has missed two years of school, and is campaigning for SEND inclusion
I’d like to introduce you today to 10-year-old Jenna, who has anxiety and ADHD and has missed two years of school. She is still waiting for her council to find …
Sensory toys don’t work on their own.
Suppose I told you I was going to teach your child maths, and then I dumped a load of maths resources on the floor: protractors, bricks, calculators, even an old …
The thorny issue of attendance awards and children with SEND
If your child has a SEND or a medical condition, it’s very likely they will need time out of school for appointments, illness, or just because some days, school isn’t …