This

Hugely important piece of research

I think craft is a fantastic word

Problem faced. Policy applied. Policy worked. Politics can work.

No context this is funny

England’s SEND crisis: costs, challenges and the case for reform | Institute for Fiscal Studies What are the challenges facing the special educational needs system in England, and how can the government could reform the system?

Want to understand the SEND crisis in England? This is an excellent summary of the policy issues from the @theifs.bsky.social

‘England’s SEND crisis: costs, challenges and the case for reform’

ifs.org.uk/articles/eng...

Really concerning

Learners and Families: The value of feeling heard One of the most demanding- and often draining- elements of a senior or pastoral leaders’ role are the meetings with parents, carers or families that challenge us[1]. Many of whom have long been bou…

The last one for now in my ‘Back to School’ series on Inclusion. This is one for leaders leading school improvement in challenging circumstances. Sometimes the simplest answers are right in front of us streamlinedsendco.com/2025/09/09/l...

Another highlight was @nimishlad.bsky.social who asked us if a model of learning was enough? I was left wondering what we lose when we condense things and talked by his call to prioritise coherence over consistency

You can see @nimishlad.bsky.social looking on intently 😂#NoHeckles

A highlight for me was @lekhasharma.bsky.social and her wonderful new boss Julian sharing their blueprint for uniting people, practices and performance at Life Education Trust

Next at Research Ed I saw @daisychristo.bsky.social sharing her insights on whether or not AI in education is worth the hype. Some very interesting findings re assessment and a crucial reminder of the importance of keeping the human in the loop

I loved the floor flip chart, I might trial it in my next talk..

Inspired to hear @olicav.bsky.social talk on The Professional Mind at Research Ed yesterday. He offered so many interesting provocations, my favourite being ‘Are you allowed subjectivity in cognitive science?’

Profoundly unhelpful and flat out untrue. No parent would endure the misery of the ECHP system unless they felt it was really necessary.

This is great. I miss first lessons!

Provision Mapping: How does it work and why should Leaders care about it? In Beyond Boundaries: Leading Great SEND Provision Across a Trust (2024) edited by Natalie Packer and David Bartram[1] I set out my approach to provision mapping, why I think it is at the heart for…

People seem to be enjoying these so here is another one on Inclusion. This time on Provision Mapping. Not the software but meaningful implementation to enable effective, targeted interventions. streamlinedsendco.com/2025/09/03/p...

The dangers of diagnosis Two years ago, at a conference I described the process my wife and I went through to get our daughter her EHCP. I used a phrase familiar to those of us with children who find life harder and need m…

New from me.
The Dangers of Diagnosis.
bennewmark.wordpress.com/2025/09/02/t...

Interesting debate about assistive technology vs targeted reading intervention though

Unless a specialist assessor is paid for (which would wipe out the notional spend for most schools in about two sittings) this is rarely the case. Common dyslexia assessments provide very little meaningful analysis of strengths and weaknesses or guidance for interventions

Yes absolutely!

On it!

I will explore the resources shared, thank you🙏🏼

The paper I reference is this one resources.steplab.co/content/file...

It's somewhat Secondary specific, so if people would like a Primary one do let me know...

Leading and supporting SENDCos: A practical guide for those that line manage SEND As a SENDCo I was often frustrated by the lack of domain specific knowledge- about the realities of the role of the SENDCo and the expectations as set out in The SEND Code of Practice- of those abo…

Another one in the Inclusion Series, about how to line manage SENDCos well. It's mostly just me saying 'read The SEND Code of Practice' in several different ways but there is a resource at the end that leaders might find helpful.
streamlinedsendco.com/2025/09/02/l...

They had me at this line “One way of doing this is to focus on the people we are supporting, really get to know them and meet them where they are instead of making assumptions about what we think Autistic people need”. Simultaneously the point you’re making and the one I made in the blog.

Amazing! Thank you so much. Love this platform

Thanks for the suggestion. Where would you suggest I start with my reading?

Aw I’m so happy to hear you’ve found it helpful.