How will the SEND Review create sustainable support that’s also value for money?
SNJ intro: Do you remember the SEND Futures Feasibility study? It was supposed to work out value for money for SEND but not a lot has come out of it …
Let’s rename bullying for what it is: abuse
It’s Anti-Bullying Week 2021 and here we are with a new theme to try to stamp out bullying. The chosen theme this year is ‘One Kind Word’ One Kind Word …
Finding the racial minority voices in SEND
with Mala Thapar, parent to a teen with autism The word “inclusive” is often used in the SEND sector, and, just as often, it fails to materialise. For families from ethnic …
Heidi’s Down’s syndrome abortion case: It’s complicated
with input from Colette Lloyd Why have we called this article, “it’s complicated’? Because it is completely understandable that a great many women do not want any further restrictions on …
It’s not just SEND teacher training that’s needed. How we educate all children is broken
with Susan Lenihan, educator and parent of children with SEND After the recent BBC programme, Don’t Exclude Me, Joanne Lewis, parent of children with ADHD, wrote two articles, here and …
EOTAS: Education Otherwise Than At School. What is it, and can I get it?
with Nicole Lee, solicitor, SEN Legal Today’s article is from my colleague, Nicole Lee, a solicitor at SEN Legal who is an expert on Education Otherwise Than At School as …
New Budget funds for SEND capital spending. But how did LAs spend previous cash? We checked…
This post contains original research. If you would like to use this, please get in touch. Yesterday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer introduced his autumn Budget. He also introduced the …
Coproduction is an illusion for parents and SENCOs
with Professor Adam Boddison Many parents of children with SEND will have come across the term “Coproduction”. It means having an equal and active role in designing whatever it is …
Shameful: Birmingham’s SEND has failed a generation of disabled children
The Department for Education has issued a Statutory Direction to Birmingham City Council over the rotten state of its SEND services. How shameful, Birmingham! Birmingham is the second area to …
The Let us Learn Too petition is misleading, DfE? Really?
The Department for Education has claimed that the Let Us Learn Too petition SNJ and SCA are involved with and support is “misleading” The campaign has been driven by SCA …
BBC’s Don’t Exclude Me (pt 2): Resorting to restraint shows desperate need for better SEND training
with Joanne Lewis parent & ADHD Superpower founder Last week on SNJ, parent of autistic children and … Joanne Lewis wrote about her reactions to the first of the BBC’s …
Don’t Exclude Me: Shouldn’t SEND be the first thought?
The BBC programme, “Don’t Exclude Me” has caused something of a mixed reaction among parents of children with SEND. One of our readers, Joanne Lewis, who’s the mother of two …
Dear Will Quince, welcome to SEND…here’s 10 of your top priorities
Dear Will Quince Welcome to SEND. You will no doubt be feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. And if you’re not, then you must be missing something, because you …
My experience with EMDR as an autistic young person
After a prolonged blogging dry spell brought on by the torture of lockdown, I am back in business with my writing. This time around I will recount what EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) has done for me. What is …
Maths for Life – *Giveaway*
A lot of children struggle to engage with maths taught in ‘traditional’ ways, especially those with additional needs. Karen McGuigan recognised this when she was working with her middle son …
The new “rights-based” Additional Learning Needs system in Wales
with Rukhsana Koser, Senior Solicitor, Education Lawyers, part of Langley Wellington Solicitors LLP While we usually talk on Special Needs Jungle about SEND education, this only applies to England. In …
Mr Zahawi: Publish the SEND Review—but make sure it solves the RIGHT problem
A government reshuffle: it’s as good as anything else for a temporary distraction. There’s always the hope it might result in a minister who really knows and cares about the …
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: What doctors and schools need to know
With Sandra Butcher, Chief Executive of The National Organisation for FASD and Brian Roberts, consultant and former Virtual School Head We assume that most women know that drinking alcohol in …
Dear Boris, you must act now to help disabled children #LetUsLearnToo
On Monday, we ran an article coinciding with the launch of the #LetUsLearnToo video. The campaign is urging the SEND Review not to erode disabled children’s rights as the Department …
#LetUsLearnToo: Don’t dilute disabled children’s rights!
With Hayley Harding, Founder, Let Us Learn Too As part of SEND Community Alliance, SNJ has joined with a new parent-led campaign, Let Us Learn Too, developed out of frustration …