As parents, we all have a secret toolkit that we carry around with us: distractions, ways of speaking, words we say, maybe even a mini Soreen or a box of raisins… We draw on our invisible tools all day and every day to survive each varied moment, from get up time to bedtime, as smoothly as we can. For over 30 years, Social Stories have been written to support children with learning difficulties, but with AI being so easy to access now, Social Stories can be created in a few

To be a good Primary SENCo do you need to know a lot about a little or a little about a lot? This blog was written for Positive Young Minds and published on their website first, in summer 2024. https://positiveyoungmind.com/senco-cpd/ SENCo CPD comes in many different forms, and you don’t always have to go on a course to learn more. This blog aims to offer a few ideas for trickling knowledge and picking up tips without having to go to a conference or sit in front of the compu

Does having an EHCP mean we can avoid paying VAT on school fees? One of the key changes to education proposed by the new Labour government is the introduction of VAT on independent school fees from January 2025. For some families, this may mean being unable to maintain their child’s school place, where others may be looking for ways to offset or avoid paying the VAT. The content here is based on the experience of the author as a SENCo in both state and independent schools,

If there's one small thing a parent or carer can do to help their baby's literacy in future years, it is to provide access to lots of stories from a very young age. There are huge benefits in sharing books, with the adult reading and the child snuggling up to listen, but there's another gem that brings so many benefits; regular access to audiobooks. Do you remember those cassette tapes that came with a story book and when there was a tinkle sound, you needed to turn the page

There's so much more to communicating than just the words we use. Our eyes, facial expressions, gestures, volume and tone all work...

These are tricky times we live in and things have changed quite considerably for our children at their schools. I've heard so many times recently that children are being asked to sit in their seats for longer at school and this doesn't work for many, especially those (like me) who like to fidget and move regularly. In my day job, I'm a school SENCo (Special Needs Coordinator) and I love thinking up different ways to make slight adaptations that can make a lot of difference