LA Watch: Dodgy SEND policies, parent power and how to fight the cuts!
One of the joys of being a parent of a child with special educational needs is working out why schools and local authorities do things the way they do. Sometimes …
One of the joys of being a parent of a child with special educational needs is working out why schools and local authorities do things the way they do. Sometimes …
This is our final instalment of the answers supplied by the Department for Education to your questions. We grouped your questions into related themes and over the past week we’ve …
Just over a year ago, I wrote about the dreadful SEND inspection report for Surrey from Ofsted/CQC, as part of the SEND reforms accountability measures. Since then quite a number …
2017 has been, I’m sorry to say, a year of almost unrelenting misery for families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Back in 2014, when the changed …
A couple of months ago, accompanied by my younger child, I attended the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism in Westminster, as a witness. We were reassured that the evidence …
SEND reports are like buses. Nothing for ages, then one, two and now three come along at once, this latest from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO). None …
You can’t have failed to notice that, here in the UK, we’re hurtling towards the snap general election called for next month. The political parties have been sallying forth with …
About six months ago, SNJ began looking into something that local authorities have become increasingly keen on – outsourcing the producing of draft Education, Health & Care Plans (EHCPs) to …
My son is 16 and in last year of secondary. We have a temporary Physio covering maternity leave. My son has recently outgrown his standing frame and the Physio says, medically …
The SEND reforms are failing to meet the needs of autistic children, according to a new report from the National Autistic Society. The report, written by Catriona Moore, says far …
If you were browsing Twitter at the weekend, you may have happened upon a series of most startling and revealing tweets. If you were a bit late, you would most …
Yesterday’s new SEND statistics reported worrying progress on SEND reform up to January 2016, amid soothing words from the Ministers in charge that the reforms are “boosting the life chances …
As parent carers we often measure our successes in the little victories we achieve on a day to day basis. They may not seem significant to some, but to us …
The Department for Education recently published some “user experience” research into the SEND reforms to help local areas with gathering family feedback. Ask Research produced a report, Mapping user experiences …
As soon as they became our neighbours, our mother sent us round to play with the kids next door. Vivacious twin girls, of no interest to me, and the boy. …
So, today we have part two of the answers to the Top 10 questions submitted by you, through SNJ, to the Department of Education. Part one, if you missed it, …
For our first post of 2016, it’s right back into the thick of it. Last year we asked you to submit your Top 10 questions for the DfE about your …
Earlier this week I attended a round-table event at the Department for Education hosted by the SEND Minister, Ed Timpson. Also in attendance were representatives from various Parent Carer Forums, …
So finally, what we have been waiting for – the public consultation for setting up a system of accountability for the new(ish) Special Educational Needs and Disability system. Of course …
We don’t like being negative at SNJ. We really want to be able to write about good practice, great resources and inspirational stories. But the Special Educational Needs and Disability …