Support for SEND

25/08/2026

Progress isn't always measured in numbers and letters.

We put so much emphasis on grades and academic achievement that I think we sometimes forget there are other, important, ways a child can make progress.

When my child was severely anxious and living in a constant fight-or-flight state, their emetophobia was intense and affected everyday life.

We eventually had to step away from the path that society tells us children should follow and deregister from school. It was by no means an easy decision, but we had to prioritise our child's mental health and wellbeing over the academics.

It was the right decision for our family.

The severity of my child's anxiety has reduced, and so has the severity of their emetophobia.

Recently, the word "sick" was mentioned in conversation.

And they didn't react.

For anyone else, that might seem like nothing.

For us, it was huge.

Because that's progress too.

Progress doesn't always look like a letter or number on a piece of paper. Sometimes it's a child feeling safer and less controlled by something that once consumed them.

22/08/2026

“Every mainstream state school in England will now receive its own individual attendance improvement target, monitored for the first time.”

“The new Attendance Baseline Improvement Expectations (ABIEs) set minimum improvement expectations year by year, calibrated using AI against an individual school’s previous attendance and benchmarked against similar schools.” — Browne Jacobson, 14 August 2026

HOWEVER…

If your child is ill, the law remains (pretty much) unchanged, despite the July 2026 update to the Working Together to Improve School Attendance statutory guidance.

So, take a look at the accompanying photo from the above document, which provides some much-needed clarity: “schools are not expected to routinely request that parents provide medical evidence to support illness absences, and should not have blanket rules requiring this” and, further, “where medical evidence is deemed necessary, schools should not be rigid about the form of evidence requested.”

In other words, a school should not have a blanket policy requiring medical evidence every time your child is absent due to illness. Where evidence is genuinely considered necessary, the guidance makes clear that schools should be flexible about what evidence they accept.

21/08/2026

Take a look at clip from the Unauthorised Absence Film currently in the works. That one clip is so emotive, yet represents just a few seconds out of the experience that some children and families face daily!!!

This was, at one point, my own family's experience and I would not wish that experience upon my worst enemy!!!

I think this film is going to have a huge positive impact regards understanding the complexities of barriers to school engagement and attendance.

21/08/2026

Edit: Clarifying that specific types of trust for others to manage the money, for the individual, would be reqired.

Some important, SEND related, financial information that I was provided with, today.

20/08/2026

This isn't every teen's experience, and it certainly isn't my teen's experience!

So, if seeing and hearing certain things recently—and especially today—has been hard for you and/or your teen, I'm just putting it out there that you are not alone, and I'm sending love.

And remember—there's no specific path to a successful life.

20/08/2026

Attesting to this lady being very special 😊

Rachel, a sandwich carer, cares for her Dad who has been experiencing long term health issues following cancer treatment, while also looking after her two young daughters, one with Type 1 Diabetes, and the other awaiting an Autism assessment. Her caring responsibilities mean she rarely gets a break.

Today, she was interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live alongside our Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Tamara Sandoul, about our new report highlighting the unrelenting pressures sandwich carers face and what needs to be done to help: https://carersuk.pulse.ly/qiwekhtoh6

Listen to the interview now, from 2 hours 18 minutes:
https://bbc.pulse.ly/ao0e0khnaz

19/08/2026

Some autistic children can be very direct.

And, as I have said before, putting aside the nuances — that some children will, of course, say things because they are pushing boundaries as part of their development — this isn't about being rude or defiant. This is due to differences in how autistic individuals think, sense and process the world.

So, here are some direct comments and questions I haven't got cross at recently. I've purely heard them and given either a perspective on them or explained some more context.

I had a haircut.

"No, no, no, no, no! Why would you do that? Your head looks like a mushroom!"

(Perspective on how that could make someone feel.)

A genuine and random question:

"When are you going to ask X ( the eldest child) to move out? It's not like they're bringing anything to the table!"

(Context that maternal/paternal feelings and instincts are part of the choices we make as parents.)

I was giving my opinion on something.

"Just stop talking now, you're wasting my time."

(Again, perspective on how that could make somebody feel — but, obviously, not at that time! 😆)

My friends tell me I am incredibly patient, but it's not patience; it's understanding.

Speaking of direct, though, I am off to intervene regarding a comment I have just heard being said through the Xbox headset.

Not everybody — for various reasons, i.e. age, experience, etc. — has that understanding.😬

18/08/2026

It's GCSE results on Thursday.
Remember...

17/08/2026

"At hundreds of secondary schools, children with SEND were 70 per cent more likely than their non-SEND peers to be internally suspended" - The i Paper, 17th August, 2026.

14/08/2026

Does anybody remember these?

These little (80s?) games are exactly what I picture every time I hear about yet another staff ‘move’ in the LA SEND department.

Such a lack of consistency for families whose mental health is already on the floor.