nasen awards - Alison Eason, Changemaker of the Year
The SENDcast
Alison Eason discusses her recognition as the Changemaker of the Year at the nasen Awards for her innovative work in using technology to support students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). She emphasises how her computing strategies help students with dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, and ADHD, promoting independence and reducing reliance on teaching assistants. Alison shares her journey of upskilling in technology during the pandemic, becoming a Google trainer, and implementing tools like Google Classroom to enhance learning. She highlights various accessibility features...
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Why We Need More Support For Neurodivergent Teachers with Catrina Lowri
The SENDcast
We typically discuss how to support neurodivergent children, but what about teachers? Today, Dale and Catrina Lowri, founder of Neuroteachers, discuss the need for increased support for neurodivergent teachers and support staff. Catrina shares her personal journey as a neurodivergent educator with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, dyslexia and ADHD. She sheds light on the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in the education system, including stigma, lack of understanding, and inadequate support. Catrina highlights the importance of recognising the strengths and needs of...
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nasen awards - Michelle Madziak, Teacher of the Year
The SENDcast
In this special episode, Michelle Madziak discusses her recognition as a joint winner of the Teacher of the Year award at the nasen Awards. She emphasises her passion for empowering students and the transformative impact of her work in a special needs setting. Michelle highlights her innovative use of communication tools like tactile signing and iPads to enhance inclusion. She shares her experiences leading outdoor activities, such as camping and canoeing, for students with complex needs, stressing the importance of providing them with opportunities similar to their mainstream peers. Michelle...
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The Importance of Literacy Education for ALL learners with Chantal Bryan & Sarah Giles
The SENDcast
In today’s episode, ‘The Importance of Literacy Education for ALL Learners’, Chantal Bryan and Sarah Giles from the charity Teach Us Too join Dale for an engaging discussion. The conversation centres around Chantal’s son, Jonathan, who faces significant challenges due to his complex physical disabilities. I was inspired by his incredible journey towards being able to communicate with his family and his progress in learning to read and write! Chantelle shares her experience of taking Jonathan out of special school to provide him with a literacy-focused education, emphasising the...
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nasen awards - Chapman Shum, Young Advocate of the Year
The SENDcast
The podcast features Chapman Shum, the nasen Young Advocate of the Year 2024 winner, discussing his journey as a visually impaired musician. Chapman, who was born blind and has learning difficulties, shares how music has been a powerful tool for connection and expression. He emphasises that challenges can be overcome and aims to inspire others facing difficulties. His mentor, Professor Adam, highlights Chapman's exceptional musical abilities, including his talent for improvisation and participation in the National Open Youth Orchestra. The conversation highlights the importance of recognising...
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Structured Teaching, Pre-empting Barriers and Developing Curriculum Pathways with Tanya Lefort
The SENDcast
As the number of children with SEND in mainstream schools continues to rise, coupled with limited spaces in specialist settings, the demand for effective and inclusive support is huge. More children are entering classrooms with complex needs, placing pressure on mainstream schools to meet those needs. But how can schools do this? This week, Tanya Lefort joined Dale to discuss ‘Structured Teaching, Pre-empting Barriers and Developing Curriculum Pathways’. With 18 years’ experience in SEN, Tanya highlights effective strategies for educators to meet the increasing demands of inclusive...
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nasen awards - Dale Pickles, Resource for SEND
The SENDcast
In this podcast episode, Dale Pickles takes a step back from hosting duties where his colleague Jon asks the questions. They discuss the success of the SENDcast podcast, which won the Resource for SEND at the nasen awards 2024. Dale reflects on the podcast’s journey over four years, highlighting its reach of over 350,000 listens and contributions from 83 experts in the field. Dale emphasises that the recognition from nasen is not just personal but aims to expand the podcast's audience, helping more people discover its valuable resources. He discusses the challenges, why he produces the...
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Foundations of Early Literacy – What Are the Building Blocks? with Dr Sarah Moseley & Ginny Bootman
The SENDcast
This week Dale is joined by Dr Sarah Moseley, Educational Consultant, and SENCO of four schools, Ginny Bootman to discuss ‘Foundations of early literacy – what are the building blocks?’ This is the first episode in a series exploring the foundational components of early literacy, which aims to bridge the gap between theory and classroom practice. They discuss the importance of oral language, vocabulary development, and how these foundational skills set the stage for reading success. Key topics include: The role of listening and speaking in literacy development Strategies for engaging...
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nasen awards - Karen McGuigan, Highly commended Resource for SEND
The SENDcast
In this special podcast episode, Karen McGuigan discusses her work with the ‘Maths for Life’ program, which was highly commended in the resource for SEND category by nasen. Karen explains that ‘Maths for Life’ is designed to help students build foundational mathematical skills, particularly for those who struggle with the national curriculum. Karen emphasises the program's focus on practical applications of maths, making it relevant to everyday life, rather than abstract concepts. She contrasts ‘Maths for Life’ with mainstream programs like White Rose Maths, noting that it is...
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Supporting Colour Blindness with Marie Difolco
The SENDcast
Did you know that 300 million people worldwide live with colour blindness, including 3 million in the UK and around 450,000 of those are children? Unfortunately, many of these children are being let down by the education system, as colour blindness often goes unrecognised - meaning there’s likely one child in every classroom facing this challenge. In our latest podcast episode, Dale is joined by Marie Difolco, a passionate advocate and mother to a severely colour blind child. Together, they discuss ‘Supporting Colour Blindness’ and the need for accessible use of colour in education. When...
info_outlineThe social and emotional development, mental health, and wellbeing of children have become critical issues, with a crisis now widely recognised. NHS Digital reports that 1 in 5 children face mental health challenges, and we continue to see alarming rates of exclusions and suspensions, even in primary schools.
It’s clear that a strategic approach to prioritising children's social and emotional literacy, health, and wellbeing is essential for school improvement and positive outcomes.
In this episode, Clare Williams, author and creator from Hamish & Milo Wellbeing Resources discusses ‘Creating an SEMH inclusive school’, highlighting the pressing need for schools to adopt practices that foster social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) support for ALL students, not just those with SEND.
Hamish & Milo advocate for inclusive, relational practices while ensuring that staff have access to evidence-based resources, qualitative CPD training, impact measurement tools, and opportunities for collaboration with parents.
Clare focuses on the 8 Public Health England Principles to promote a whole school approach:
- Leadership and management
- Ethos and environment
- Curriculum and teaching and learning
- Enabling student voice
- Staff development
- Identifying need and monitoring impact
- Targeted support
- Working with parents and carers
About Clare Williams
Clare is a primary teacher, educational psychotherapist, author, speaker and advocate for children’s mental health and wellbeing.
Clare has worked in primary schools, mental health and education provision and within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). She has led on national initiatives for local authorities as the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) Consultant, leading on training, curriculum implementation and development as well as the local coordination of the National PSHE CPD programme.
Clare was co-author and co-creator of Jigsaw PSHE, a Senior Trainer and Supervisor for Trauma Informed Schools (TISUK) and is an Adviser for the Optimus Education Wellbeing Award. She is the author of Hamish & Milo Wellbeing Resources.
Contact Clare
http://www.facebook.com/hamishandmilo/
Useful Links
Research report on the impact of Hamish and Milo
Families Together – ten week programme
Navigator Digital Dashboard and software
Level 3 Accredited CPD -Voyager: Wellbeing in Education Award
- B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
- Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
- Email Dale – [email protected]
- Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe
The SENDcast is powered by B Squared
We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.