Experts At Hand: A good idea built on wishful thinking and shaky foundations — Special Needs Jungle Matt Keer looks at the DfE's Experts At Hand SEND plan: big funding, unclear delivery, weak accountability and a serious specialists shortage

NEW POST: A good idea built on wishful thinking and shaky foundations. Matt Keer looks at the Department for Education's Experts At Hand SEND plan: big funding, unclear delivery, weak accountability, and a serious shortage of specialists www.specialneedsjungle.com/experts-at-h...

a can of hope draining, heavily processed in bright colours and half tone

NEW POST: SNJ's Dr @sharonlsmith.bsky.social writes that considering how poorly families have been treated since the promise of the 2014 reforms, it's hardly a surprise that hope is hard to find www.specialneedsjungle.com/hope-send-fa...

Inclusion bases: Can they help solve the SEND crisis? - Special Needs Jungle A guest post today from the NFER about their research into the benefits and risks of Inclusion bases: Can they help solve the SEND crisis?

NEW POST: Matt Walker of the National Foundation for Educational Research discusses their research into the benefits and risks of Mainstream Inclusion Bases: Can they help solve the SEND crisis? www.specialneedsjungle.com/inclusion-ba...

Where will all the teaching assistants come from? The research exposing the reality gap in the government SEND plans - Special Needs Jungle Where will all the teaching assistants come from? Tania gathers together research exposing the reality gap in the government SEND plans

NEW POST: Where will all the teaching assistants come from? SNJ's Tania gathers together research exposing the reality gap in the government SEND plans www.specialneedsjungle.com/where-teachi...

WEBINAR RECORDING! The legal implications of the Schools White Paper’s SEND Proposals - Special Needs Jungle WEBINAR RECORDING: SNJ's Legal Round Table on the SEND Proposals in the Schools White Paper, with four expert SEND solicitors.

WEBINAR RECORDING: SNJ's Legal Round Table on the #SEND Proposals in the Schools White Paper, with expert SEND solicitors, Hayley Mason Seager, Polly Sweeney, Eleanor Wright, and Kate Cox. Led by the SNJ team www.specialneedsjungle.com/webinar-reco...

The SENCO as gatekeeper: The White Paper proposals bring a responsibility of opening doors, not closing them - Special Needs Jungle Frances Akinde discusses the SENCO as gatekeeper and how the White Paper proposals bring responsibility for opening doors, not closing them…

NEW POST: Our fabulous new SNJ team member, Frances Akinde discusses the SENCO as gatekeeper and how the White Paper proposals bring responsibility for opening doors, not closing them… www.specialneedsjungle.com/senco-gateke...

Are SEND lawyers REALLY opposing the Government’s reform proposals just to protect their “vested interests”? - Special Needs Jungle Eleanor Wright asks if SEND lawyers are REALLY opposing the Government’s proposals just to protect their “vested interests” as claimed?

NEW POST: Eleanor Wright, Legal Officer with SEND law charity, SOS SEN asks sceptically if SEND lawyers are REALLY opposing the Government’s reform proposals just to protect their “vested interests” as Bridget Phillipson claims? www.specialneedsjungle.com/send-lawyers...

Accountability after SEND Reform: A system that marks its own homework - Special Needs Jungle Matt Keer writes about what SEND accountability will look like if the proposals go through: a system that marks its own homework

NEW POST: Matt Keer writes about what SEND accountability will look like if the proposals go through. He says it’ll be a system that marks its own homework—and that’s not good for families www.specialneedsjungle.com/accountabili...

Image of a stage set. The stage is lit up with a blue light. In the centre stands Lady Justice holding her scales, sword and wearing a red blindfold.

The torrential rain last night didn’t dampen our spirits as my lovely friend, @sharonlsmith.bsky.social and I went to the Rep to watch Prima Facie.

Jodie Comer was outstanding 👏🏼

image shows fingers places letters spelling out “make it easy” colourised in green

NEW POST: When “Easy Read” isn’t easy: @sharonlsmith.bsky.social asks why a consultation impacting disabled children and young people is set up to risk excluding them… www.specialneedsjungle.com/e...

Legal challenge launched against government SEND proposals that “significantly weaken the legal rights of children and young people” - Special Needs Jungle A legal challenge is launched claiming the Schools White Paper SEND proposals are “irrational, unfair” and “significantly weaken rights

NEW POST: A parent has launched a legal challenge against the Schools White Paper's SEND consultation. Catriona Moore writes about Melissa Hayhurst's claim that the plans are an “irrational, unfair” fundamental change www.specialneedsjungle.com/legal-challe...

The SEND reforms in the Schools White Paper reveal rights given, and rights stripped away - Special Needs Jungle The SEND reforms in the Schools White Paper reveal rights given, and rights stripped away— here is our initial overview

NEW POST: The SEND reforms in the Schools White Paper reveal rights given, and rights stripped away— here is our initial overview www.specialneedsjungle.com/send-reforms... #SaveOurChildrensRights

The Department for Education needs a plumber, better policymakers, less panic, and someone who truly understands SEND - Special Needs Jungle Some baffling independent school funding news plus the DfE needs a plumber, good policymakers, no panic, and someone who understands SEND

SNJ NEW POST: After yesterday’s horrors, we take a calm look at that and some baffling independent school funding news. We say The Department for Education needs a plumber, better policymakers, less panic, and someone who truly understands SEND www.specialneedsjungle.com/dfe-needs-pl...

SEND cash splash: What does it all add up to—and will ditching debt improve provision? - Special Needs Jungle We’ve had a few SEND funding announcements recently. SNJ’s Matt explains the cash splash: What it means and if it’ll improve provision…

NEW POST: We’ve had a few SEND funding-related announcements recently. SNJ’s Matt explains the cash splash: What it means and if it’ll improve provision… www.specialneedsjungle.com/send-cash-wi...

Letter to Georgia Gould MP, Minister of State for School Standards - ALLFIE ALLFIE's Coalition for Inclusive Education has written to the Schools Minister, Georgia Gould MP, expressing concerns about systemic and structural barriers that push Disabled children and young…

ALLFIE’s Coalition for Inclusive Education has written to Schools Minister @georgiagould.bsky.social with concerns about systemic and structural barriers that push Disabled children and young people out of mainstream education, ahead of the SEND Schools White Paper:
www.allfie.org.uk/briefings/mi...

Inclusion bases: a new label, a big ambition, same unanswered questions - Special Needs Jungle More government announcements—this time changing units and resourced provision to “Inclusion Bases”: new label, same unanswered questions

NEW POST: More government announcements today—this time changing mainstream units and resourced provision to “Inclusion Bases”: a new label, a big ambition, same unanswered questions www.specialneedsjungle.com/inclusion-ba...

Parents of SEND children should fear what Starmer is planning This Government seems intent on shredding the rights of the vulnerable

Is this really why Labour MPs think they were elected: to strip some of the most vulnerable children in the country of their right to a decent start in life?

My @theipaper.com column on looming SEND reforms inews.co.uk/opinion/pare...

thank you John - it is not difficult to find alternative words to describe people whose actions you find 1. Ill‑judged
2. Reckless 3. Misguided 4. Thoughtless 5. Careless 6. Lacking foresight 7. Unwise 8. Inconsiderate 9. Poorly planned 10. Counterproductive etc etc

No need for ableist language!!

I was pretty cynical about the government’s listening exercise on send. But the more that is leaked, the more cynical it appears their whole approach is and was to disabled children and their families. It’s heartbreaking and cruel.

Ugh… well let’s hope at the next election they vote for someone who is more careful with their language 🤣

I am not your mate 🤣

And just because it’s everyday language doesn’t mean it’s acceptable and not offensive.

Maybe do some reading around ableism before you try to call me out for my comments.

If i lived in your constituency (thank goodness i don’t) this would put me off voting for you.

The same applies to stupid which you also used.

I am not a woke snowflake, before people jump on me. I just think that in a world where we have so many alternatives it is a problem to use such language when it can offend/is ableist.

Have a good day.

“Idiots” is ableist language - please could you carefully consider your choice of words.

We have a language that provides many other words that you could use to express yourself that would not be as offensive to some people who have learning disabilities and their families.

Thank you ☺️

Why the politics of media leaks, briefings and "sources" is only spreading dread and fear The painfully long story of the government's SEND reforms has pushed exactly those buttons, among people already used to a level of anxiety that may soon get even worse

Latest from me, and one of the most important pieces on Special Needs I've written so far: "In fifteen years of political journalism, I don’t think I have seen anything quite like this: a mad game of briefing, counter-briefing and official stonewalling."
maybeimamazed.substack.com/p/why-the-po...

National Education Union announces support for the #SaveOurChildrensRights campaign to protect SEND legal rights - Special Needs Jungle National Education Union announces support for the #SaveOurChildren’sRights campaign to protect SEND legal rights

NEW POST: The National Education Union announces support for the Save Our Children’s Rights campaign to protect SEND legal rights! www.specialneedsjungle.com/national-edu... #saveourchildrensrights

On the use of labels like 'complex' or 'severe' needs and the consequences of that. Very good overview of why they are misleading and unhelpful.

Complex needs, simple cuts: how vague, undefinable labels could ration SEND support - Special Needs Jungle Complex needs, simple cuts: how vague, undefinable labels and lazy terminology could be a roadmap to rationing who gets SEND support.

NEW POST: Complex needs, simple cuts: how vague, undefinable labels and lazy terminology could be a roadmap to rationing who gets SEND support. www.specialneedsjungle.com/complex-need...

image shows AI-generated cartoon of dismayed looking children at desks being dropped on by dirty water in a dark seria duotone

NEW POST: After a weekend of leaks, it’s time for the Government to realise that anonymous briefing of poorly thought-through plans and cuts to SEND rights will only end in tiers… however many tiers that may be… www.specialneedsjungle.com/l...

#Disability #SENDSky

Image shows a harrassed looking professional behind a laptop, colourised in yellow

NEW POST: “We are living on a knife-edge” @sharonlsmith.bsky.social reviews new #SENCo research that sounds the alarm about the high cost of under-funded and under-resourced mainstream inclusion www.specialneedsjungle.com/k... #SENDCo
#Disability #SENDSky #SaveOurChildrensRights

Why the Government’s “SEND conversation” fell flat with parents: It’s failing to learn from voices of past experience - Special Needs Jungle Why the Government’s “SEND conversation” fell flat with parents: It’s failing to learn from voices of past experience

NEW POST Why the Government’s “SEND conversation” fell flat with parents: It’s failing to learn from voices of past experience www.specialneedsjungle.com/why-governme...