Over the past few days, I have received messages from school leaders and teachers across the country. Many have shared stories of unexpected marking decisions, disputed reviews and outcomes that simply do not seem to align with the evidence in... Continue Reading →
If you’ve been around long enough in educational leadership, you start to see cycles. One statement that never seems to go away is the - We take all the children with SEND whilst that school up the road does nothing....... Continue Reading →
On Inclusion: From my book - Lessons From the Heads Office - Sage 2023 "Creating a sense of belonging within and beyond the boundaries of our school is a fundamental cog in the system of good educational leadership. Inclusion should... Continue Reading →
5 minutes read time.
For more than a decade, I’ve led a 0-11 (All Year Round - 0-18 in holidays) mainstream primary school for over 600 children. We run a highly successful 55‑place specialist provision embedded within the heart of our school. Over 130... Continue Reading →
This week’s Government announcement of at least £3 billion to expand specialist places within mainstream schools could be a significant moment for creating more inclusive schools. The plan is to create tens of thousands of tailored spaces in local schools,... Continue Reading →
After three decades in education, 22 of those as a headteacher I’ve seen trends rise, fall, and occasionally come back with a new hat. But SEND has morphed from a challenge into a full-blown daily crisis, with a price tag... Continue Reading →
I have only been chair of governors at a PRU for a few meetings (A PRU governor for little over a year). It pretty much terrifies me as much as I am energised by it. You could argue, ‘You don’t... Continue Reading →
So much of what I hear about the issues surrounding inclusion is based on ideas and ideals. It would seem to me that within our education system there is a rising crisis around the problems that trying to be inclusive... Continue Reading →
