Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time to read my very first blog. The intention of this site is to document some of the wonderful, and sometimes frustrating, things which happen in my little part of the SEND world. I will also be sharing information about different types of SEND and finally, hopefully, some inspirational messages, stories and little pockets of joy which can always be found when working in this area of education. Thank you again for visiting and I really hope that you will enjoy reading.

Shining a Spotlight on SEND is essential, especially at the moment as SEND services nationally are in crisis and facing unprecedented demand. As a school in the North West of England, we have seen a dramatic rise in the number of pupils who are presented with SEND and requiring support which is additional to their peers. Therefore, it is our job to highlight SEND, to shine a spotlight on SEND and to shout about SEND in order to make sure that our young people receive the help they need. It can sometimes feel like the battle is impossible to win but that doesn’t mean we stop fighting. I feel passionately that young people with SEND often have so much to give but have never been allowed to shine because they don’t fit into the extremely narrow education system. As a teacher, I would love to see a complete overhaul of the current National Curriculum in order to allow ALL pupils to be able to engage and achieve, not just those who can grasp Maths and English.

I had a conversation with one of my friends recently and we discussed how unhappy they used to be in school, how memories of zoning out in lessons and dodging detentions came flooding back each time they passed their old school building. For me, school had always been fine. I struggled with Maths but was able to get by. But for my friend, who now works in the building trade, it was a daily battle in an environment which was so far from her comfort zone it would have been the same as me completing my years of compulsory education at a sports camp. Every September, as the new Year 7 pupils pile into the school gates, we soon spot the fish out of water, the ones who will not get the chance to shine because the curriculum will not allow them to. If only we accepted, no, embraced the differences amongst us. If only we welcomed the musicians, dancers, carpenters, painters into the curriculum with open arms and allowed them to shine earlier, build their confidence sooner and discover a love of learning. If only we did this, what a difference it could make.

In my tiny part of the SEND world we try our best, as I know countless other schools do. There are wonderful schools doing wonderful things and this blog will often be full of positives as we see lots, all the time.

For now I will go back to imagining my ideal world of education, where pupils, parents, carers and schools have options that don’t just include fitting in or not fitting in. I might even go and draw this ideal world of education as my 6 year old often does when something pops into her head (usually connected to unicorns, but always where everyone is happy and included, even the unicorn who doesn’t have glitter on his horn because the glue ran out).

Thank you for reading and see you next time.

Caroline x