Safeguarding leads and SENCOs working together Safeguarding risks are often heightened when SEND is involved, with many overlaps between the two. As such, joined up working is key. Sara Alston looks at some key principles
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
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 1 comment
Inspecting SEND provision: What does Ofsted look for? In previous Ofsted frameworks, SEND provision perhaps did not get the attention it deserved. With a higher profile in the EIF, Suzanne O’Connell asks how schools can ensure provision matches expectation
Difference and disability in schools: Participation or isolation? The D of SEND can risk passing unnoticed under the radar. A new guide sets out the legal duties that schools must meet when it comes to supporting disabled students. Its author Philippa Stobbs offers four vital considerations for teachers and schools
Supporting SEN students: Lessons from a career in special needs education Colin May’s years of experience working with children with SEN led to him winning the Nasen Award for SEN Leader of the Year. In this article, he gives his advice to teachers working with special needs students
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
Effective SEND provision: Four key leadership roles SEND provision in a school is everyone’s responsibility, including senior leaders and governors. Professor Adam Boddison outlines four key areas where effective leadership is crucial for effective SEND provision
What if we focused on the strengths of our SEN students? In part two of his series focusing on the state of our SEN system, Daniel Sobel asks what would happen if we shifted our mindset and attitude – from thinking of the barriers of SEN to considering the strengths and skills that SEN can give students
Moving beyond the label: Needs not diagnosis... For many parents and too many professionals, the diagnosis is seen as a magic answer and the solution to a child’s difficulties – but it is not. Sara Alston discusses the risks involving diagnostic labels and looks at how we must provide SEN support based on need 1 comment
Seven tried and tested strategies for working with autistic students The autism resource provision led by Kate Goodwin and her team achieved national recognition at the Nasen Awards 2020. Here, she discusses their approaches and offers seven strategies that mainstream schools might adopt to support autistic learners
SEND: Engaging with your parents In the last of three articles on parental engagement, Dorothy Lepkowska looks at SEND – an issue where effective and open collaboration and communication between parents and schools is vital 1 comment
Attachment and SEMH: Supporting our children Pikemere School has been working to prioritise issues of Attachment as well as social, emotional and mental health challenges. Emma Lee-Potter explains how the school trains its staff and supports pupils
Supporting looked after children in your school Specific support for looked after children is essential if they are to thrive. Darren Martindale focuses on three key elements – the designated teacher, the Personal Education Plan, and the virtual school head
Vulnerable pupils: Parent-school meetings In Headteacher Update this year, Daniel Sobel will be tackling common problems and questions when it comes to supporting vulnerable pupils in school. In his first article, he looks at the challenges and secrets to successful parent-school meetings
Inclusion, equality and the law There are a range of statutory requirements that all schools must meet to ensure the inclusion of children and young people with disabilities and SEN. Navin Kikabhai looks at what the law requires and offers best practice advice
Speech, language and communication needs – how does your school measure up? Effective support for children with speech, language and communication needs is essential, but how does your school measure up? Ten years on from the Bercow Review, Mary Hartshorne looks at the situation today and gives primary schools a checklist for best practice
Inattentive ADHD The hyperactive version of ADHD is well-known and often spotted, but students with inattentive ADHD frequently go undiagnosed, as Daniel Sobel knows from his own experience
SEN: It’s goodbye to P scales They were never flawless, but P scales have become the accepted currency of SEN attainment. Now they are set to go, Suzanne O’Connell looks at what’s replacing them and what schools think about it 1 comment
Dyslexia: The inside story Ahead of her appearance at the TES SEN Show in October, Kate Griggs, founder of the charity Made By Dyslexia, outlines what dyslexia is, how it affects learning, the skills that dyslexic children often have, and how we can support them
SEN: Are you listening? Are you listening to your SEN students? Teacher and SEN expert Adele Devine discusses some strategies and resources she has found effective in special schools to help support your students by reducing their anxiety and building good mental health
Looked-after children and Attachment Theory Looked-after children continue to struggle in our education system. Inclusion expert Daniel Sobel looks at why this is, including a focus on Attachment Theory and how we might reduce the high number of exclusions for this cohort
SEND reforms: Still no real culture change It is now more than two years since schools were required to implement the new SEND Code of Practice. Now the Scott Report and local authority inspections have thrown more light on current practice. Are the changes really delivering for our SEND children?
