SEND Reforms - what does it mean for trusts with Simon Tanner & Helen Bray
The SENDcast
The SEND reforms have generated a lot of conversation - but one perspective has been missing from the debate. What does it mean for trusts? In this episode, Dale is joined by Helen Bray, Director of Inclusion at St Francis CMAT, and Simon Tanner, Director of School Improvement for SEND at Authentic Education, for a wide-ranging and at times refreshingly candid conversation about what the proposed reforms mean at trust level. Together, they explore: - Why accountability and capacity must move together - and why simply shifting responsibility away from local authorities without the right funding...
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Hyperfocus: From Survival to Superpower with Emma Muir
The SENDcast
In this episode, Dale is joined by Emma Muir, social media marketer, author, and education communication strategist, to discuss late diagnosis and whether being neurodivergent is a superpower. Emma received her ADHD diagnosis at 45, on a day when she was also told she had severely fractured her back and her mother was being rushed to hospital. Dale and Emma explore what it really means to receive a late diagnosis and why so many neurodivergent adults spend decades being offered depression medication or HRT before anyone suggests ADHD. They also have a fascinating conversation about whether...
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Beyond the Classroom: Sensory Support at Home with Natasha Grays
The SENDcast
Schools have sensory rooms, sensory audits, and sensory-informed environments – but what about home? For many neurodivergent children, the place they’re supposed to feel safest is quietly making things worse. Today, Dale is joined by Natasha Grays, founder of The Sensory Haven, to discuss sensory support at home and how it supports regulation, learning, and sleep. Natasha explains why so many families are unknowingly living in homes that are working against their child’s nervous system – through lighting, noise, materials, and clutter – and why the good news is that the most...
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Rethinking Wellbeing of Neurodivergent Children in School with Charlotte MacDougall
The SENDcast
Coping is not the same as wellbeing – and for too many neurodivergent children in our schools, the two are being confused. Charlotte MacDougall, a neurodivergent specialist, joins Dale to discuss how we need to rethink wellbeing for neurodivergent children in school. Charlotte argues that much of what schools offer as wellbeing support amounts to sticking plasters – well-meaning interventions that treat the symptom without addressing the cause. The cause, she suggests, is an education system that demands an enormous and largely invisible amount of energy from neurodivergent children,...
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The Power of Play Schemas with Ange Anderson
The SENDcast
Play is often the first thing to disappear as children move through school – but for many neurodivergent children, it may be the most powerful learning tool we have. Ange Anderson, Therapeutic SEND Advisor, joins Dale to discuss how play schemas can help adults better understand behaviour, communication, and wellbeing. Together, Dale and Ange explore: – Why play-based learning is so often misunderstood or abandoned too early. – What schemas are, and how recognising them can completely reframe what looks like challenging behaviour. – Why following a child’s lead – rather than...
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A Million Families Waiting: Can AI Help? with Ben Cosh
The SENDcast
AI is everywhere right now - but how useful is it really for families navigating the SEND system, and how do you know when to trust it? In this episode, Dale is joined by Ben Cosh, founder and CEO of Silva, to discuss AI in SEND: what it can do, what it can't, and why families shouldn't have to wait years for help. Ben built Silva after living through the reality of year-long NHS waiting lists, overwhelmed teachers, and private assessments that cost a fortune but came with no support afterwards. His own experience - three years to identify his daughter's unmet needs, and another three...
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Behind the Mask: Autistic Burnout and Eva's Story with Sarah Griffiths
The SENDcast
Autistic burnout is talked about on social media, but how many of us truly understand what it looks like - and what it takes to recover from it? Sarah Griffiths, children's author, meditation teacher, and parent advocate, joins Dale to discuss and the story of her daughter Eva. Sarah shares, with honesty and warmth, how Eva - autistic and ADHD, and a skilled masker for years - collapsed into severe burnout at the start of Year 6. Her executive functioning all but disappeared. She couldn't leave the sofa. The family slept downstairs for three months. And at every turn, the systems...
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What do we mean by trauma informed practice? with Dr Asha Patel
The SENDcast
Trauma-informed practice is one of those phrases everyone nods along to – but how many of us truly understand what it means, or what it actually looks like in practice? Dr. Asha Patel, founder and CEO of Innovating Minds, joins Dale to discuss what we really mean by trauma-informed practice. “Trauma-informed practice is a way of being. It’s not a switch that you can switch on and off.” — Dr. Asha Patel It starts with the adult being regulated, aware of how they are feeling, and able to offer that calmness to the young person in front of them. You cannot support a dysregulated child...
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Where are specific learning difficulties in the SEND reforms? with Louise Selby and Janet Goring
The SENDcast
The SEND reforms have generated a lot of discussion – but one significant gap has gone largely unnoticed. Where do specific learning difficulties fit in? Dale is joined by Louise Selby, a dyslexia specialist, and Janet Goring, an SpLD specialist, for a lively and at times eye-opening conversation about what the shift from four broad areas of need to five areas of development could mean for children with SpLD. Together, they explore: Why cognition and learning has disappeared from the new framework – and why this is a significant oversight. Why dyslexia, dyscalculia, and SpLD maths don’t...
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DLD and SEND Reforms: No Child Left Behind with Jane Harris
The SENDcast
There are 1.3 million children in this country with developmental language disorder. Most of them are sitting quietly in classrooms going unnoticed. Today, Dale is joined by Jane Harris, Chief Executive of Speech and Language UK, to discuss , and what it really means to ensure no child is left behind. They discuss: - Why children with DLD are six to ten times more likely to fall behind in core subjects, and twice as likely to be unemployed as adults. - The deeply problematic link between unidentified speech and language challenges and mental health - and why referring these children...
info_outlineThe SENsible SENCO, Abigail Hawkins joins Dale for a podcast special episode highlighting what’s on at the SENsible25 SENCO conference on 14th February in Nottingham - and why you should be there!
Abigail shares details on her second annual conference dedicated to helping SENCOs including; a conference overview, networking opportunities, speaker line up and interactive sessions.
“SENsible25 has a theme of ‘all in the room’, so we're all going to be in the room again together.
But we also have a sub theme this year. It's about assessment and identification because that's where SEN starts.”
Abigail Hawkins, The SENsible SENCO
This event brings together exhibitors, speakers, and SENCOs around the same tables. Join us for a day filled with engaging sessions, laughs and a few moments of realisation, led by experts in Special Educational Needs (SEN), where knowledge is shared and connections are made. From sensory needs to identifying speech and language needs in EAL students, we invite you to be part of this fun filled community day where everyone learns from each other.
About Abigail Hawkins
Abigail Hawkins is a passionate and seasoned SENCO with over 25 years of experience. She is the dynamic force behind SENDCOSolutions and SENsible SENCO CIC. Through her SEN consultancy and not-for-profit networking support group, she champions inclusive education and offers invaluable support to educators and schools across the spectrum.
Having taught a diverse range of subjects to students of all ages, from toddlers to adults, Abigail has a versatile and practical approach to SEN issues. In addition to her consultancy work, she collaborates with software and product companies to create innovative tools for SEN and Safeguarding purposes, develops and delivers teaching assistant apprenticeship and master’s degree programs, and has authored several books and resources on SEN and exclusions.
With her no-nonsense, hands-on approach, Abigail continues to make a significant difference in the lives of countless students, educators, and schools. She remains unwavering in her commitment to promote inclusive education.
Contact Abigail
Website – www.sendcosolutions.co.uk
Email – enquiries@sendcosolutions.co.uk
Twitter – @sendcosolutions
Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sensiblesenco
Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/SENsibleSENCO
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B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
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Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
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Email Dale – dale@bsquared.co.uk
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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.