SEN



ADHD: Spotting the signs and supporting pupils

How can teachers support students who have or might have ADHD? Jen Catling looks at spotting the signs, recognising their strengths, and what to do if you are worried about a young person


The SEND Tribunal: Attending the hearing

The SEND Tribunal specialises in hearing SEN appeals and disability discrimination claims concerning children in schools. In the second of two articles, Nabil Dance offers advice on preparing for and attending a hearing


The SEND Tribunal: Preparing for a hearing

The SEND Tribunal specialises in hearing SEN appeals and disability discrimination claims concerning children in schools. What does it have the power to do? How can headteachers prepare for an appeal or claim? Nabil Dance answers these key questions


How to be a successful SENCO in seven steps

The SENCO role is complex and challenging, and it is crucial we get it right. Pearl Barnes offers insights into how to achieve success as a SENCO and how to be a SENCO-supportive school



School admissions and exceptional SEND cases

Sometimes schools are compelled to admit pupils with exceptional SEND that they cannot meet because the local authority insists on the placement. Nabil Dance outlines how schools can respond in these difficult and often sensitive circumstances





Outventions: When interventions turn into exclusion

Do we fall back too easily on out-of-classroom interventions for pupils who slip behind? For pupils facing multiple interventions, this leads to effective exclusion from mainstream teaching. Sara Alston discusses


What not to say to an ADHD pupil

Every teacher will have students with ADHD in their classrooms at some point. ADHD counsellor and author Sarah Templeton discusses seven things we should never say to these young people...


Disability discrimination law explained

Disability discrimination and equality legislation have greatly strengthened the protection of pupils against discriminatory treatment since the mid-1990s. Nabil Dance provides a basic introduction to some rules and how they affect primary schools


Inclusion: How does your school ‘feel’?

The real sign of greatness is not exam results or other measurable outcomes, but how your school makes people feel, what your values are, and how they are woven into everything you do. Daniel Sobel reflects




Covid recovery: When the SENCO knows best

Communication and language skills have taken a hit during Covid, but techniques to support children with SEN can also improve outcomes for mainstream learners. Victoria Annan describes three interventions in particular


Inclusion is a verb: Belonging and schools

Inclusion boils down to belonging, but how can we ensure that children from a diverse range of backgrounds and with diverse needs feel that they belong in their schools and classrooms? Daniel Sobel offers some tips, reflections – and a checklist!




SEND & inclusion: An award-winning approach

Whitefield Primary School won the Award for Primary Provision at the Nasen Awards. SENCO Marie Beale gives us an insight into life in a school where supporting students with SEND is a priority, and explains the key tenets of their practice



The tip of the iceberg: SEND, masking and multiple needs

Children can often mask their special and other educational needs. At the same time, schools can struggle to support those with multiple needs and vulnerabilities, often focusing only on the ‘visible’ tip of the iceberg. Sara Alston discusses


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