Let Us Learn Too

05/06/2026

It’s now just over two years since we release this video, We Can Learn.

Watching it again is a reminder of why we do what we do.

This has never been about us. It’s about children who, with the right support, can learn, thrive, and build futures just like anyone else. Children who are capable, talented, and have so much to offer the world. Children who ask for nothing more than the opportunity to learn.

The next three months are going to be tough. More decisions will be made behind closed doors, and we’ll be waiting to see what new legislation brings this autumn.

As conversations around SEND reform continue, it’s vital that we don’t lose sight of what is really at stake: the futures of children and young people who deserve the support they need to succeed.

Please share this video as a reminder of why getting SEND reform right matters so much. Every voice helps keep our children at the centre of this debate.

27/05/2026

🚨 Updated Guidance on School Suspensions & Permanent Exclusions (England) 🚨

The has updated its guidance around suspensions and permanent exclusions with important implications for pupils with SEND.

Key points families should know 👇

📌 Schools must consider whether behaviour is linked to:
• SEND
• unmet needs
• mental health or pastoral concerns

📌 Exclusion should never be used because a school feels unable to meet a child’s additional needs.

📌 Early intervention, reasonable adjustments, and inclusive support are expected before exclusion is considered.

📌 Headteachers can now cancel some exclusions before review meetings take place.

📌 Parents can request certain review meetings remotely.

📌 Internal suspensions are being framed as a supportive intervention, not isolation or punishment.

This updated guidance reinforces the importance of understanding behaviour through a SEND and inclusion lens, not simply through discipline alone.

21/05/2026

Yesterday, after the anger and upset felt by so many over the past 48 hours, I was grateful to spend time with to discuss the upcoming reforms.

As many of you know, I’ve been involved in a number of DfE groups both before and after the White Paper was published, and I’ll continue to do everything I can to ensure real-life experiences are heard whenever I’m given the opportunity.

Like many of you, I believe changes must be made to these proposals if the system is going to work effectively. ISPs must be robust, families must be able to challenge decisions properly when mistakes are made, and parents cannot be left trapped in endless cycles of frustration when trying to secure suitable placements for their children.

I also feel strongly that children whose parents are unable to fight the system must be protected too — they cannot simply become victims of a challenge-led process.

While we may not agree with every proposal currently being discussed, I was reassured to hear that nothing is final and that there is still significant scope for change.

And while people may not agree with everything Minister Gould says, it was genuinely refreshing to speak with someone who understands the detail and has clearly listened to the experiences families across the country are facing — something I cannot honestly say I experienced with several previous ministers.

Thank you to everyone continuing to speak up, share experiences, and push for a system that truly works for children and families. 💙

14/05/2026

Is anyone else around the country being told they need to look at Alternative Provision because their local authority (in this example ) can’t find a suitable school placement for their child with special educational needs?

We’re hearing more and more families being told there are “no spaces available” in specialist settings for September, despite children having clear needs and, in some cases, EHCPs specifying provision.

If this is happening to your family, please comment or message:
• Your area/LA
• Your child’s age and needs (only what you’re comfortable sharing)
• Whether mainstream, specialist, or AP has been suggested
• Whether you’ve been left without a placement altogether

Trying to understand how widespread this is and whether other families are facing the same situation.

22/04/2026

The proposed SEND reforms are being framed as progress, but in the words of the itself - they concentrate even more power and influence in the hands of local authorities. These changes appear to be built around systems and structures, not around the children they are meant to serve.

Reform should start from a simple principle: children with special educational needs deserve the right support, at the right time, to achieve the best possible outcomes. That means putting their needs at the centre of every decision, not reinforcing the control of the very bodies that have too often failed to meet their legal obligations.

For many families, the past decade has not been a story of support, but of struggle, fighting for assessments, provision, and basic rights that should never have required a battle. Any reform that risks rewarding or entrenching those failures is deeply concerning.

If this is truly about improvement, then accountability, transparency, and child-focused outcomes must come first. Systems should serve children, not the other way around.

16/04/2026

Change only works when everyone works together.

On Tuesday I gave evidence to the Education Committee on the SEND White Paper, and one thing is clear: for any of this to succeed, we all have to be on board. A “can do” attitude isn’t optional — it’s essential.

If something won’t work, let’s not stop at “no.” Let’s be constructive, challenge it, and help shape how it can work. That’s how we build a system that truly supports every child and young person.

Progress doesn’t come from standing still — it comes from working together, being honest, and staying solutions-focused.

Leadership Collaboration

15/04/2026

The aim of the recently shared SEND white paper should be clear: to ensure that local authorities are making the right decisions from the outset.

Too often, the focus shifts toward creating additional layers of dispute resolution. While these mechanisms have their place, they tend to benefit only those families who have the time, knowledge, and resources to challenge decisions. This risks reinforcing a system where outcomes depend not on need, but on a parent’s ability or willingness to fight.

We need to move away from a model that effectively “sifts out” those who cannot advocate as strongly, and instead build one that is fair, consistent, and accurate from the very beginning.

Getting decisions right first time isn’t just more efficient — it’s more equitable. It ensures that all children, regardless of their circumstances, receive the support they need without unnecessary delay or conflict.

That should be the true measure of success.

14/04/2026

During my appearance at the Education Select Committee, I raised concerns on the direction of travel for tribunal appeals on school placements.

While the White Paper sets out an ambition to improve consistency and accountability across the system, the current approach to appealing tribunal decisions risks undermining those very goals. Too often, families are drawn into prolonged disputes, facing uncertainty and stress when they should be focused on their child’s education and wellbeing.

Reform must go further and acknowledge the reasons why the current system has gone wrong. A rebalanced system is needed. One that reduces conflict, respects decisions made through tribunal, and ensures support is delivered without delay. If the SEND reforms are to succeed, they must be built on trust, transparency, and a genuine commitment to meeting children’s needs.

We cannot claim to be improving the system while continuing practices that work against families. The direction must change.

09/04/2026

There have quite rightly been a large number of headlines about the legal rights in the current SEND white paper, these are important but please also take a moment to look at what’s actually being proposed.

The provision put forward in the white paper will shape the day-to-day support our children receive, before any appeal is needed. Legal rights will also be meaningless if the support actually being offered isn’t worth appealing for.

So please, read the details. Ask questions. Understand what’s changing and what isn’t and how this will affect your child’s future.

SupportOurChildren

03/04/2026