‘Improve not Prove’: Self-Evaluation for Continuous Improvement in Inclusion
Release Date: 03/20/2025
Sensory Processing – Exactly How Does It Impact On Daily Life? with Ali Neal
The SENDcast
It can be difficult to understand exactly how much we use our senses for all daily tasks. Today, Dale discusses the fascinating world of sensory processing with our special guest, Ali Neal, an experienced occupational therapist. She discusses how sensory processing impacts daily life, particularly for children and individuals in educational settings. Ali takes us through a fun and relatable exercise involving sweets, illustrating how sensory processing plays a role in even the simplest tasks. Make sure you grab a sweet before tuning in (a great excuse to enjoy a treat)! Ali breaks down the...
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Breaking the Cycle: How Informed Parents Can Change the SEND System with Samantha Ryan
The SENDcast
Navigating the SEND system can be overwhelming, and many parents find themselves without essential information until it’s too late. Unfortunately, there’s no handbook to guide us. Often, parents only begin to understand SEN processes, the graduated approach, and even SEN law when their child is already struggling. This week, we welcome Samantha Ryan, a neurodivergent mother, SEND advocate, and author. In this insightful episode, Samantha shares her journey as a parent navigating the complex SEND system, advocating for her autistic son who has been out of school since March 2024. With her...
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Introducing ITV’s Play Time - the groundbreaking new TV show championing SEND children with Céin McGillicuddy and Andy Kinnear
The SENDcast
Have you heard of the TV show The Assembly? I’m thrilled to announce that the series director, Céin McGillicuddy and his creative partner Andy Kinnear, have joined Dale on the podcast to discuss their brand-new pilot show on ITV – Play Time! Play Time features six neurodivergent comedians visiting a primary school and are challenged, in the course of one school day, to create and perform an original stage play that’s based entirely on the ideas of a group of 6 to 8 year old school children, many of them from the school’s SEND department. Céin and Andy share their behind-the-scenes...
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Exploring Neuro-Dramatic-Play with Dr Sue Jennings
The SENDcast
In this week’s episode, Dr Sue Jennings, a leading expert in neuro-dramatic play and drama therapy, joins Dale to explore Neuro-Dramatic-Play (NDP). Sue explains that NDP is an attachment-based approach designed to help children, particularly those with negative early experiences, build connections through play. She emphasises the critical role of early attachment, noting that it begins even before birth and is essential for healthy emotional development. Sue shares her incredible stories having worked across over 30 countries, including her time living with a tribal community in Malaysia....
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Specialist Online Provision for Neurodivergent Learners with Cathy Wassell
The SENDcast
The mainstream school environment can be overwhelming for many neurodivergent students, with sensory overload and social challenges often creating significant barriers to learning. Today, we explore an alternative educational pathway that removes these obstacles – a ‘Specialist Online Provision for Neurodivergent Learners’. In this episode, Dale speaks to Cathy Wassall, founder and CEO of the Autistic Girls Network and the Haven Online School. Cathy, a neurodivergent advocate and mother to neurodivergent young adults, shares her journey and insights into how online education can create a...
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The Experiences of Girls in School with Diagnosed/Undiagnosed ADHD with Louise Belshaw
The SENDcast
With ADHD awareness month upon us, we wanted to discuss the important topic of ‘the experiences of girls in school with diagnosed/undiagnosed ADHD’. In this episode, Louise Belshaw, who has ADHD and is a mother to two adult children with the condition, shares her extensive experience as a secondary teacher and her specialisation in ADHD in females. She highlights that: “I've seen too many girls not get the diagnosis, or not go forward with the diagnosis, because they're not being supported by school and the teachers don't know what ADHD in girls looks...
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The Reality of OCD: Creating safe spaces for SEND students with Shaun Flores
The SENDcast
This OCD Awareness Week, I invite you to listen to our latest episode of the SENDcast, featuring Shaun Flores, a mental health advocate and consultant. In this honest and enlightening discussion ‘The Reality of OCD: Creating Safe Spaces for SEND Students’, Shaun sheds light on the often-misunderstood condition of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Trigger Warning: This podcast discusses difficult subjects, including sexual assault. “We understand autism, we understand ADHD, we understand anxiety, we understand depression, we understand dyslexia and dyspraxia and dyscalculia, but we...
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Navigating SEN Parenting: Tools for Thriving with Sharona Smith
The SENDcast
When a doctor or professional asks for details about when, why and where your child’s meltdown occurred, unless you have the most incredible memory, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to remember the finer details. Triggers, timings, environments are all helpful in understanding a child’s behaviour, but how can you keep track of them? “If I had to go speak to my GP or anyone and they said to me, you know what's been going on in the last six months, I'd say, I have no idea.” Sharona Smith Dale had a heartfelt conversation with Sharona Smith, the founder and CEO of Thrive Creations. As a...
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From Anxiety to Attendance: Rethinking SEMH Support with Helen Bray
The SENDcast
Attendance is a national priority, yet many interventions focus on behaviour management rather than addressing underlying SEMH needs. Helen Bray, the Director of SEND for the East Midlands Education Trust, joins Dale today to discuss the impact of SEMH challenges, post-pandemic trauma, and the rise of emotionally based school avoidance on attendance rates. With over 20 years of experience across early years, primary, and secondary education, Helen is incredibly passionate about supporting all pupils to succeed. “It's so isolating and so hard for these children and parents where they just...
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Developing Distributive Leadership in Secondary Schools to Improve Inclusion with Eleanor Sams
The SENDcast
As SEND registers continue to grow and expectations rise across the profession, many SENDCOs are leaving due to overwhelming workloads and lack of support. It’s crucial that we rethink how to empower teachers to meet their students' needs. In today’s episode, Dale was joined by Eleanor Sams, an Assistant Headteacher and SENDCO at the Marvel College in Hull. Eleanor tells us about ‘developing distributive leadership in secondary schools to improve inclusion’ sharing her school’s successful implementation. Their discussion includes: Key challenges for new SENDCOs: The pressure to be...
info_outlineInclusion continues to be a hot topic in education, and while schools have made tremendous strides in fostering inclusivity, several barriers remain, particularly league tables and Ofsted defining school intent.
In our latest episode of the SENDcast, Dale speaks with Maria Dawes, CEO of the Schools Alliance for Excellence. Maria shares valuable insights on how schools can leverage self-evaluation to drive continuous improvement in inclusion, especially for underserved learners.
What resonated with me was Maria's approach to shifting the focus from proving effectiveness to genuinely improving practices and being experts in your own setting. She emphasises that by fostering a culture of robust self-evaluation, school leaders can take ownership of their actions and create an environment where all students feel included and supported, regardless of their backgrounds or needs.
Maria developed the Surrey Inclusion Framework to facilitate meaningful discussions and thorough self-assessments around inclusion. As she aptly states, “There are things that you can do that don't make you fundamentally more inclusive; inclusivity is a culture.”
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About Maria Dawes
Maria is the CEO of Schools Alliance for Excellence and STSN, a school-led company that provides school improvement, curriculum and leadership development for schools in Surrey and other local regions. She has a strong track record of working collaboratively and in partnership with a range of agencies to support schools to improve rapidly and sustain improvement.
Maria is passionate about a school-led system, believing bringing all schools, providers and partners together creates an educational landscape that is more than the sum of its parts. She also believes strongly in equity of opportunity and inclusion. She has an unwavering desire to ensure that all young people get the education they deserve including those with additional needs, and those that are vulnerable and underserved.
Her previous roles included a number of senior leadership posts in schools, Senior HMI and Deputy & Regional Schools Commissioner.
Contact Maria
https://www.linkedin.com/company/schools-alliance-for-excellence/
Useful Links
VLOG - a new way for school accountability
Blog - inclusion self evaluation
- 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
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