The SENDcast

Last summer we were all asked for our input as part of the SEND Review Green Paper consultation. Having reviewed thousands of responses, last week the government published their 101-page 'SEND and AP Improvement Plan'. Today Dale is delighted to be joined by Claire Coutinho, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education, for a special episode ' Discussing the SEND and AP I...

Becoming a SENCO can be extremely daunting, some people don't know what they're letting themselves in for when they take on the role. It also doesn't help that the qualification to become a SENCO doesn't prepare you for the entirety of the role. In this week's episode Lynn How joins Dale for the first time to discuss 'Becoming a SENCO - Where to Start?'. If you're a new or aspiring SENCO, this epi...

Are you a SENCO struggling to be strategic? Facing burnout? You are not alone! SENCOs have too many hats to wear and can often feel like they aren't making a difference. Spending a lot of time firefighting, feeling guilty for not being strategic enough yet having to roll their sleeves up and muck in. "You can want to be strategic, but there is so much that gets thrown at you throughout the day. Yo...

The considered use of language is often mocked as political correctness gone mad. When you look at it up close it is more like a kind of powerful magic at your fingertips, with the power to do good or ill. In today's podcast, Joanna Grace joins Dale to discuss 'Identity First Language and Belonging'. The autistic community reject person first language (person with autism) in favour of identity fir...

Are you familiar with Rosenshine's 10 principles of instruction? Rosenshine's principles are based on evidence-informed teaching and enhance teacher performance in the classroom. They are to be implemented into everyday teaching for simplicity and clarity and underpin any effective approach to instruction in lessons: Daily review Presenting new material in small steps (consequently reducing cognit...

Puberty is a topic that is rarely discussed and when taught at school the feelings and emotions are often not explained in detail. It can be seen as an embarrassing subject for both parents/carers and young people, therefore conversations can be avoided and when young people start puberty they can feel unprepared. Puberty brings a lot of physical changes, especially for girls, including body growt...

Schools are notoriously difficult environments for children with autism to function in, let alone thrive in. We need to support them with understanding, and effective impactful tools to help them to navigate the challenges that they experience in life. Jyoti Jo Manuel joins Dale in today's episode 'Supporting Autism in Schools with Yoga'. Jyoti discusses the value and need for yoga as a therapeuti...

95% of schools have seen an increase in pupil anxiety , which makes anxiety and mental health evermore important topics. We need to support student's well-being so they can get the most out of their learning and fully engage in school life, but it doesn't always require big changes. Our new special guest, Sue White, joins Dale for the first time on the SENDcast to discuss 'How schools can build po...

Needing to use sign language can be very isolating for a child and they are often excluded from natural conversation. The use of signing (both BSL and Makaton) has increased in popularity, but are we using this tool to its maximum effect for children with language and communication needs?  Sarah Billingham joins Dale in this episode 'Should everyone learn to sign?' and highlights that a great deal...

We're starting the year off with this first episode 'I can't go to school' with Suzy Rowland. It is a long and winding road from late diagnosis and support, unsuccessful placement, social isolation and mental health to school non-attendance. School avoidance is a big issue that intersects education, mental health and disability. The impact is felt widely in the community and can impact young peopl...

In this last episode of 2022, Abigail Hawkins joins Dale to discuss 'What are outcomes and why do they matter?'. Abigail takes us through the 3 types of outcomes: Academic outcomes – exam results – the one mostly talked about, reported on and the ones everyone seems to care most about. Soft outcomes – attendance, behaviour – collected and often used as an excuse for academic data. The one often mo...

Away in a Manger, Holly & the Ivy, We three kings, Jingle Bells and Silent Night are all traditional Christmas Carols, but have you ever considered the connection they have with SEND? In Part 2 of 'SEND Christmas Crackers', Susie bases her discussion on a range of topics linked to a variety of Christmas carols, connecting fascinating stories to neurodiverse case studies. About Dr Susie Nyman Dr Su...

A discussion based on neurodiverse learners and strategies to help them cope with the run up to Christmas. Susie talks about strategies and solutions she has discovered whilst working in the classroom setting at The Sixth Form College, Farnborough as well as in Curriculum Support at The Oratory School.  It is always useful to have a toolbox of strategies for teachers, parents/carers to use with SE...

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental difference with the key traits of Hyperactivity, Impulsivity and Inattention. Medication can be prescribed to support these traits for both adults and children, but in the UK, historically, medication is often used as the last resort – is that a good or bad thing? In this episode 'Medication for Supporting children with ADHD: Chemical cosh or reset button', Fintan O'Re...

When people are 'triggered' they often enter what's known as fight or flight , their ability to reason and respond pragmatically to situations evaporates and it can feel as if you're left with no way to communicate with them. What they still have is their senses . Knowing about sensory communication can offer you ways of reaching across that seemingly insurmountable divide.  But do you know what s...

Reading and writing are areas that many teachers and parents are concerned that children need to 'catch up' on due to the pandemic. But what about play? In this week's podcast, Georgina Durrant joins Dale to discuss 'Boosting Reading and Writing Through Play'. Georgina is acutely aware of the impact the pandemic has had on children's emotional wellbeing and time to play with others, so we need to...

Reading is high on the educational agenda due to the impact that it can have upon the mental well-being and academic success of children and young people. Recent documents have placed a renewed focus on the teaching of reading for all learners , this includes those with the most complex needs. The issue for professionals is that there is a lack of clarity about what this means for these learners,...

Dyspraxia or Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD) is often thought of as clumsiness, but it is quite misunderstood and incorrectly used . Dyspraxia is far more than just the way you're moving, it's your ability to plan what you're doing and being able to come up with ideas. These executive function difficulties can have a huge impact on children, especially in secondary school. If you don't...

Whenever there's a big change on the horizon, whether it's moving from nursery to primary school, primary to secondary school or even new clubs, it can cause anxiety. Children with SEND, particularly those with communication needs, can find transition very difficult. Children benefit hugely from predictability. Preparing children for transition helps them to understand what is happening next for t...

Yoga has many connotations, but is actually a philosophy, a way of living. Yoga is a therapeutic intervention that works for everyone, you don't have to be able to touch your toes - if you can breathe you can do yoga! Jyoti Jo Manuel joins Dale for today's episode 'What Yoga, Why Yoga?'. Jyoti discusses how yoga can benefit everyone, both teachers and pupils. Its focus is to bring balance and regu...

With 8 weeks to go and preparations underway for Christmas, now's the time to highlight the challenges Christmas can bring for families, especially for children with SEND. Children return to school in September to a new term, new environment, new subjects, new friends and coping with everything causes their energy levels to decrease. After half term it's Halloween, Bonfire Night and then before we...

There are various opinions on ways to use the SEN Register and differs from one school to another and across local authorities. SENCOs can end up with multiple registers; SEN Register, additional needs, medical and disability. As soon as a register is created it needs maintaining and updating, therefore increases workload. There is no written rule so everyone has their own interpretation which is...

Yawning, daydreaming, complaining, fidgeting, distracting others – we've all been there at some point, so let's talk about boredom. Boredom is real to those that feel it and you can't just tell someone to be less bored. In the classroom it's often taken personally, and teachers can respond defensively.   Fintan O'Regan joins Dale on this week's podcast 'Why boredom is truly interesting and absolut...

Autism support is given to half the people who need it, and nearly all of it involves teaching people to appear not-autistic i.e. teaching them the skills required to mask autism. Research has shown that masking is damaging to physical and mental health, so we should aim to support everyone and do it in ways that respect their neurotype.  Joanna Grace joins Dale for today's episode 'As an Autistic...

Have you ever heard the game 'Operation' played live on a podcast? Well, this week you're in for a treat! Adams Apple, a broken heart, wrenched ankle, butterflies in the stomach are all extracted live. Dr Susie Nyman joins Dale to use the game as a tool to dissect underlying causes for students' behaviour and understand the multitude of emotions that are going on inside. 'Teaching students from th...