When "Just Adapt More" Stops Being the Answer. Adaptive teaching and reasonable adjustments should always be the starting point for supporting pupils with SEND. Every teacher should be adapting their teaching, and best practice teaching benefits all learners. But somewhere along the way, we've created a serious misconception in education: that if a student isn't making progress, the answer is simply to add another reasonable adjustment.

Free inclusion CPD? Yes please! 🙌 You're about to give your SEND and inclusion practice a bit of a boost — without spending a penny. Pop your details in below and I'll send your first

Positive Young Minds Nurture Provision Resource Pack Create a calm, safe and supportive nurture environment with this ready-to-use collection of practical resources designed for primary schools, nurture groups, SEND provisions, pastoral teams and wellbeing spaces. Developed by Lynn How, Educational Consultant and SENCO, this pack contains a wide range of visual supports, regulation tools, intervention resources and staff documentation to help children develop emotional literacy, self-regulation, resilience and confidence.

Positive Young Minds has collaborated with Scanning Pens to support access arrangements. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has released its 2025/26 Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA) guidance—and it’s packed with updates that every school should be aware of. Whether you're a SENCO, Exams Officer, or school leader, these changes are designed to empower learners, streamline processes, and better prepare students for life beyond the classroom.

When high-quality teaching, adaptation, and Tier 1 and Tier 2 support have been tried and are still not enough, schools are left with a difficult but necessary question: what do you do next when a child cannot access or attend the mainstream classroom in a meaningful way? This is the point at which personalisation becomes essential, and where the Engagement Model provides a clear, statutory framework for understanding progress beyond the traditional curriculum.

There has been a lot of confusion over recent years about how these both stand alone and overlap. Here are my thoughts on each concept and how these concepts can be practically applied in school. Let's start with my definitions: AdaptionAdaption is the planned and responsive adjustment of teaching approaches, resources and strategies to reduce barriers to learning so that most pupils can access the same learning objective.

The Hybrid Inclusion Model: Many are working within best-fit - not fully accessing the curriculum or using a 100% personalised pathway.

In schools, we often talk as if curriculum is a binary choice. Either students access the same curriculum as everyone else, or they move onto something more personalised. However, many children are accessing something of a best fit, in-between model, which has student needs at the centre. That’s where the Hybrid Inclusion Model comes in. In reality, many students are working within a best-fit, in-between model.

Teachers are trying to escape untenable workloads, toxic cultures, or leadership that’s worn them down - but far too many hit the same wall: a new school offering them M6 when they’re already at UPS3. It’s happening everywhere, and it’s quietly becoming normalised. That should worry all of us. The narrative is always the same. ‘Budget constraints.’ ‘We can’t justify upper pay scale from the start.’ etc, etc, etc (yawn).

Introduction ✨If you or your your team is struggling to find the time or headspace to write a strong EHC needs assessment request, I can take it on for you. This service provides a fully written EHCNA application for one child, based on the information you supply. I can use your county’s paperwork so everything aligns with local expectations. Staff/parents can send information in whatever format is easiest — notes, documents or voicenotes or zoom interview. I’ll shape it into a clear, well-structured request that reflects need accurately and meets the SEND Code of Practice and the legal jargon required to move forward. So far I have successfully navigated 14 EHCNAs all with successful outcomes (eventually!).

The place to find my webinars & resources for SENCos, teachers and educationalists. If you need something else I also take requests!

Accurate and consistent identification of special educational needs is central to inclusive practice. Yet it’s also one of the areas that causes the most uncertainty for teachers and leaders. Schools are often different in how they decide which children they add to their SEND lists. This blog offers an overview to help colleagues understand how SEND identification in school, what evidence is needed, and how our ‘ordinarily available’ support framework and graduated response fit together.

A webinar to support with menopause and perimenopause. This resource will help you help yourself and provide information for your school.

Improve Pay and Conditions for Special Needs Coordinators (SENCos) - Enough is Enough!

AI will never replace the richness of human coaching, but it can widen access to structured reflection. That’s why I created TalkSavvy™ Coach, an evidence-informed reflection partner built on my C.R.A...

Student life is a time of discovery, growth, and preparation for the future. However, beneath these positive narratives lies the growing reality of academic burnout. According to a ResearchGate study, burnout is common among students in the UK. The rise of perfectionism in the education system is the main reason for 50% of the students surveyed showing signs of academic stress.

By Helen Murry Anxiety in children and young people is more common than many realise. It can show up in subtle ways, such as a reluctance to join group activities, frequent stomach aches before school, or sudden difficulty concentrating. For some students, these signs are temporary responses to new situations, but for others, anxiety becomes a persistent hurdle. According to the NHS England, over 20% of children aged from eight to 16 years had a mental health disorder.

Another ongoing SENCo issue is not having a say in key school decisions surrounding inclusion in our schools. Many SENCos report that they have either limited influence or no influence when it comes to inclusion within their school. As someone who has had experience of this issue in the past, I understand all to well how frustrating it is to have SEND slated in an OFSTED report, and fingers of blame pointed, even when my influence over key decisions within school were marginal at best.

It’s now September, and as we reflect back on the summer holiday period, many SENCOs are once again left questioning why the system continues to allow statutory deadlines to fall during times when schools are officially closed. The ‘back to school’ dreams had already begun before term started, because for many of us the work never stopped. If we are serious about tackling burnout and retaining experienced SENCOs, change is needed — and urgently.

Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) carry statutory responsibilities under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice. These include coordinating SEND provision, liaising with parents and external agencies, overseeing EHCPs, training staff, and ensuring legal compliance. Yet many SENCOs are paid inconsistently, sometimes underpaid (or not paid for the role at all), or given unsuitable allowances due to misconceptions.

In January 2020, the National SENCO Workload Survey Report (“The Time is Now: Addressing missed opportunities for special educational needs support and coordination in our schools”) drew attention to long‐standing issues in SEN provision: workload, insufficient time allocation, under‐resourcing, growing expectations, and the pressure to meet legal requirements under the SEND Code of Practice. Today, SENCos across my networks report that they are often not even receiving the basic release time outlined in this document, let alone any additional time for the increasing demands.

Starting Out as a Primary SENCO: Finding your first post, the first year and beyond serves as a guidebook for new and aspiring SENCOs and those early into

This article is a tribute to those professionals who, despite everything, still pour their energy and commitment into the job - sometimes to the detriment of

By Lisa Christopher Lisa has collated comments from research on social media platforms to form this helpful range of strategies to help SENCOs (and other school staff) navigate the workplace with ADHD. These strategies while useful for staff with ADHD, would also of course benefit everyone (Lynn has also added a couple of ideas). It's completely understandable to feel overwhelmed in the SENDCo role, especially when managing ADHD.

By Julian Rose I want to share the journey that led me from quietly trusting the financial systems behind children’s services to actively challenging them. It’s a story about what happens when public funding shrinks, private profit steps in, and vulnerable children fall through the cracks. More importantly, it’s about how that realisation sparked the creation of a new, fairer model for accessing therapeutic support for this and the next generation—one that puts children first, respects professionals, and removes the middlemen.

YouTube video by SEND in the experts with Georgina Durrant

By Dr Jon Morris In recent years, we’ve seen a growing trend of reducing culture to neat, one-word slogans to sum up school culture like learning culture, power culture, strong culture, or effective culture. We’ve even seen leadership consultants and school improvement experts offering silver-bullet solutions—the one thing supposedly missing from a school’s culture. While these phrases can serve a purpose in setting vision or focus, they can also dangerously oversimplify something incredibly complex.

By Anne Kyle I had the job many people aspire to. An executive leadership role in education, earning over £90,000 a year. A large regional reputation. A proven record of transforming vulnerable schools, leading large teams, and changing lives... ...and yet, I walked away. Not because I couldn’t do it. Not because I stopped caring. But because I shouldn’t have to do it under the conditions we’re expected to endure—and neither should you.

🌟 1:1 SENCO Coaching & Support – Tailored to You! 🌟 3 session for £120 (£15 discount) Are you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where to start in your role as a SENCO? You’re not alone! Whether you're navigating staff relationships, parent partnerships, leadership challenges, or simply trying to keep up with the endless demands of the role, expert coaching can provide clarity, confidence, and direction. This product is for 3 hour sessions of coaching - Once purchased I will contact you to book.

A supportive, action-focused space for teachers to identify triggers and take control with Rebecca Thomson

ALT: a fluffy cat is sitting on a wooden table with the words `` help '' written on it .

🌟 Introducing: The SENCO Journal - Your Pathway to Wellbeing 🌟 Are you a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) looking for a way to prioritise your mental and emotional health? Look no further! The SENCO Journal is here to guide you on your journey to holistic wellbeing. As a SENCO, you dedicate yourself tirelessly to supporting students with diverse needs, but who's supporting you? It's crucial to recognise the importance of self-care and reflection in your role. That's where journaling comes in. See an overview of this journal here:

Have you been putting of that EHCNA because you don't know where to start? 🤔Have you been putting of that EHCNA because you don't know where to start? Drawing upon my experience as an academic writer and a SENCO as well as being IPSEA trained, I will take you through the way to construct an effective EHCP application. Includes: Best practice, writing strategies and the law.

📢 Webinar: Best Practice for LSAs including recruitment, retention and wellbeing. Based on the EEF's ‘Making Good Use of Teaching Assistants’ document. With a tracking progress spreadsheet📢 On demand and yours forever! 1 hour 22 minutes Join me to explore the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) document on making good use of teaching assistants! 🌟 Learn evidence-based strategies to maximise the impact of TAs in your classroom and beyond. 💡

💖I'm excited to introduce my ON DEMAND subscription package! 💖 You asked, I listened! A few lovely SENCOs reached out and explained their CPD funding predicament whereby sadly, they are having to fund their own training (not something I would suggest). SENCOs have requested a monthly option for my on demand package. 💖This package will grow with you and I will continue to add content every half term. There's a lot there already but it will continue to be excellent value for money. Exciting times! If you're not sure PM me for a discovery call or email lynn@positiveyoungmind.com

🌟 Webinar for School Leaders & SENCOs 🌟 🤺Challenging the Local Authority: Securing the Right Funding & Provision for Your Pupils On Demand and yours forever! Although this webinar is slightly more expensive than my others, I hope it will help to save your school £1000s of £s! Are you struggling to get the funding or specialist provision your pupils need from the Local Authority? This practical webinar is here to empower school leaders and SENCOs with the tools, case law, and strategies needed to challenge inappropriate decisions and secure the right outcomes for your students - all in an easy to use cut and paste format with Downloadable letter templates. Scroll down for more info...

As an educator, one thing that continues to concern me is pupil mental health. It’s become a growing issue in schools, and there’s no magic wand to fix it and there is no money to throw at the problem. Children are struggling, and if we don’t pay attention to the warning signs, we risk letting them down. The pandemic’s aftermath, social media pressures, and the academic expectations placed on young shoulders are all taking a toll.

10 Witty (but Worryingly Honest) reasons which highlight our current challenges. Each week, I ask SENCos in my Facebook Group what has made them become a Sweary SENCO. Here is an analysis and overview of the common themes and issues from the last 5 weeks. (please note that all the names have been changed on the quotes!) Let’s just say—brace yourselves.

by Margaret Rooke Children with dyslexia need to believe they can and will succeed. This will help them with learning, behaviour, motivation, school attendance, relationships, feelings of self-worth and so much more. Incorporating pupil voice within their support is a key factor in achieving this. Leaving school with their self-belief intact is so important when it comes to building a successful future.