Wellbeing, Culture and Inclusion with Cathal Lynch
The SENDcast
Wellbeing, culture, and inclusion are more than buzzwords - but too many schools tick the boxes without making the real change that matters. In this episode, Dale is joined by Cathal Lynch, Director of Wellbeing Quality Mark, to discuss 'Wellbeing, Culture and Inclusion'. “The anxious brain is not a learning brain. The more we can reduce anxiety, the better learning and behaviour outcomes will be.” — Cathal Lynch Together, they explore: Why school culture always exists - whether leaders shape it intentionally or not. How to build genuine belonging by actively listening to the views of...
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Neurodiversity and Sport: Creating Safe, Inclusive Spaces Where Neurodivergent can Thrive with Liz Day
The SENDcast
Sport has the potential to be a powerful, positive force in the lives of neurodivergent children - but without the right awareness and approach, it can become yet another environment where they feel excluded. In this episode, Dale is joined by Liz Day, founder of Collectively Diverse CIC, to discuss 'Neurodiversity and Sport: Creating Safe, Inclusive Spaces Where Neurodivergent Children Can Thrive'. Liz brings a wealth of personal and professional insight - as a former county-level gymnast, specialist PE teacher, and neurodiversity expert who completed a Master's in Psychology at the...
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Living with Hearing Loss and Deafness with Samantha Baines
The SENDcast
This Deaf Awareness Week, we welcome Samantha Baines to the podcast to explore what it’s like living with hearing loss and deafness. Samantha is an award-winning actress, comedian and broadcaster who discovered she was deaf nearly 10 years ago and now advocates for accessibility. Samantha shares practical insights, challenges misconceptions, and explores what meaningful accessibility looks like in everyday life and in education. They discuss: The language that deaf communities prefer (and why words matter). How to make meetings, classrooms and public spaces more accessible. The role of BSL...
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*Special Episode* - Who Will Be SEND? Questions, Not Answers on the Reform Ahead with Dale Pickles
The SENDcast
Who Will Be SEND? Questions, Not Answers on the Reform Ahead Dale Pickles, Managing Director, B Squared England's SEND system is on the cusp of its most significant reform in a generation - but one crucial question is going largely unanswered: who will actually be SEND under the new framework? Dale has written another thought-provoking paper - and again he's recorded it too, so you can take it in without having to work through 34 pages of reading. He unpacks the quiet but profound shift hidden within the proposed move from four areas of need to five areas of development. The SEND register...
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Barriers to Mental Healthcare for Autistic People with Dr Joanna Grace
The SENDcast
Did you know that a third of autistic people experience serious mental health challenges? This striking statistic is highlighted by Dr Joanna Grace in her latest podcast ‘Barriers to Mental Healthcare for Autistic People’. “Autistic people have been actively removed from research about mental health.” Dr Joanna Grace A sensory engagement and inclusion specialist, Joanna emphasises that while there is substantial research on mental health, we often don’t know if it applies to autistic individuals. During the podcast, they discuss: The prevalence of inaccurate mental health...
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*Special episode* The Autism and ADHD Shows 2026
The SENDcast
Geoff and Nargis join Dale in the studio for this special episode to discuss the Autism & ADHD Shows (June–July) in London, Birmingham, and, for the first time, Liverpool (moved from Manchester). They share how the event evolved from the Autism Show, launched in 2011 after their son’s autism diagnosis, to its current format that also includes ADHD - driven by the rise in co-occurring diagnoses. They also describe what attendees can expect: a welcoming, supportive community hub offering over 100 CPD-accredited learning hours, practical strategies, workshops, one-to-one clinics, and the...
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Rare but Recognisable: Isla’s FOP Story with Nicky Muller
The SENDcast
Today is Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) Awareness Day, and to mark the occasion we’re sharing an episode focused on raising awareness of this rare condition. In this conversation, Nicky Muller - a former trustee of FOP Friends and mother of Isla, who has FOP - joins Dale to share practical insight into supporting children with rare conditions and to tell Isla’s inspiring story. Nicky explains that FOP causes the body’s soft tissues to progressively turn into bone, often after flare-ups triggered by injury or sometimes viruses. She highlights how unpredictable this is, and...
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Supporting Young People with Long-Term Illness in Education with Josh Pelled
The SENDcast
Bright Futures’ research estimates that around 270,000 young people (age 5–24) miss 20% or more of their education each year due to long-term illness. The consequences for qualifications, employment and wellbeing are severe - for example, 79% of 18-24 year‑olds who are out of work due to ill health only have qualifications at GCSEs or below, compared with 34% of their peers. These young people don’t just lose learning: prolonged absence damages social connections, confidence and everyday school experiences. “Returning to normal” needs careful planning, not a simple reinstatement of...
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Assessing Complex Learners with Jordan Garrett
The SENDcast
The needs around SEND in schools are increasing - both in numbers and complexity of needs – and many schools are struggling with the best way to support their learners effectively. They want to do the best for their students, but the DfE provides very limited guidance on supporting learners with SEND. Jordan Garrett from Sensory Classroom joins Dale to discuss ‘assessing complex learners’. Jordan brings a wealth of experience from specialist and mainstream settings, plus years of curriculum and resource development, and offers practical, classroom-tested advice. Their discussion...
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Understanding PANS and PANDAS: Bridging the Gap in Education and Health with Tina Coope
The SENDcast
Did you know that common infections, like strep throat, can cause a neuroinflammatory response affecting the brain? Today we’re raising awareness of difficult to diagnose and often misunderstood conditions – Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS). Tina Coope, a former teacher and parent whose daughter experienced sudden neuropsychiatric symptoms, explains how PANS and PANDAS present, why they’re often missed, and what schools can...
info_outlineAlison 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 available on Chromebooks, such as text-to-speech and widget, which empower students to express themselves and engage more effectively in their education.
The conversation covers the importance of fostering independence in students and using technology to create inclusive learning environments. Alison advocates for embracing tech in schools to prepare children for a future where technology plays a central role. She encourages educators to challenge themselves and leverage tech to personalise student experiences, ultimately enhancing their learning outcomes.
About Alison
Alison Eason has been a Primary School Teacher since 2005, working in London and Essex in a range of schools from good to outstanding. After completing a Master’s in Education, Inclusion and Diversity in 2015, she became an Associate Member of British Dyslexia Association and went on to become a specialist Dyslexia Teacher in 2017. Over the course of her career, Alison developed a passion for working with SEN (Special Educational Needs) students and has dedicated the last 9 years to working with SEN children. She often felt that their voices went unheard and was concerned about the lack of creativity and quality of education SEN children received in some classrooms, due to staff not having access to learning the right skills necessary to create inclusive classrooms. She has been the head of ARP of an Additional Resourced Provision in North London, leading a team of specialist teachers and teaching assistants in delivering an outstanding and very personalised education for children who have autism. In addition, she is working with other local schools on a consultancy basis. She is proud of her ARP and describes it as a fun, engaging environment where children receive structure, predictability and an education that will prepare them for life as an independent person. She provides ongoing support and training to her team and also teachers the students for part of the week. She is a qualified SENCO and continues to work with other educators, families and children in understanding the complexities of SEN and how best to engage and support these learners. Alison is also an advocate in using adapted technologies and IT in the classroom, preparing her students for life where technologies are playing an ever-increasing role in everyday life; to engage and accelerate the learning and independence of her students.
Contact Alison
https://www.chalgroveprimary.org.uk/
About the nasen awards
The nasen awards celebrate outstanding contributions to the education and support of children and young people with SEND. These annual awards recognise individuals, schools, and organisations that demonstrate exceptional commitment to inclusive education and the advancement of SEND practices.
nasen is a charitable organisation that supports children and young people with SEND. nasen's goals include Influencing government policy, providing information, training and resources to support practitioners and contributing to the debate and effecting change to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Useful Links
- Teach Primary November 2024 Article on ‘Partnering Up’ (How schools can develop a good home-school relationship and make a difference to a child with SEN) page 33
- Sensory audit – How to optimise your school for autistic children 2024
- BERA blog November 2023
- Widgit 40th anniversary Video (01:23)
- Behind the Mask: How to help autistic pupils be themselves at school (page 8)
- RISE Supporting autistic primary pupils March 2024
- 'Digital Inclusion: Leveraging EdTech to Enhance SEND Provision' May 2024
- IGPP Institute of Government &Public Policy speaker 2023: Integrating Technology for Enhanced Support of SEND Students in Teaching Practice
- Google for education (11:49) - Accessibility & Inclusion
The Anywhere School 2022
- 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 – dale@bsquared.co.uk
- 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.