Are you one of those making their annual pilgrimage to WHSmith to choose your new diary? Gone are the days of having to lug a filing cabinet's worth of paperwork to each meeting or locating the right USB. We are all creatures of habit but there's no better time to make the move to digital, otherwise you risk getting left behind. Ginny Bootman joins Dale in this week's episode 'Paperless SENCO' to take us through her journey as a SENCO from being paper heavy to become paperless. This podcast will...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 98
Whilst there is significant research and discussion around the psychological and behavioural aspects of autism, most parents/carers have little information around what might be happening at a physiological level. Rachel Jackson joins the podcast today to discuss her first-hand experience of the physical aspects of autism and their implications. Rachel has researched and explored theories that have helped to support her son, including those that tackle some of the sensory experiences that often a...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 97
About Gary Aubin Gary Aubin is the SEND Content Specialist for the Educational Endowment Foundation and Director of SEND for a multi-academy trust, having worked as a SENDCO in mainstream primary and secondary schools. With a strong mindset of inclusion, his work as Director of SEND has supported schools out of Special Measures and towards Outstanding for their SEND provision. Alongside SEND duties, he has written The Lone SENDCO: questions and answers for the busy SENDCO and writes the SENDMatt...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 96
About Sarah-Jane Critchley Sarah-Jane is an Author, Speaker, Consultant and Coach from Different Joy Partnership. She was previously the Programme Manager for over 10 years at the Autism Education Trust. Pupils with autism often struggle with attending school for a number of reasons. Her daughter Beth is autistic and also suffers from migraines which meant from Year 3 onwards she missed a lot of school and missed over 50% of her GCSE classes, eventually dropping out of school in year 12. Contact...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 95
Last week Lorraine Petersen OBE joined Dale in the studio to deliver a presentation on the SEND Green Paper. It was a fantastic summary of the 104 page document which has helped SENCOs save time and understand the key points and implications for schools. We've turned the session recording into a special edition podcast so that you can listen anytime, anywhere. A chance to listen to the presentation, discussion and the questions and answers - it is around 2 hours long, so be prepared!!! If you wa...
May 13, 2022•2 hr 3 min
When it comes to mental health we often feel like we need the support of a professional. Of course, some children do require specialist support from counsellors, psychologists, or social workers, but for children who are experiencing low levels of anxiety - play may be the answer. This Mental Health Awareness week I am joined by a new guest on the podcast, Katie White! Katie is an Embodied Wellness Practitioner and founder of The Best Medicine. In this episode we discuss How Laughter and Playful...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 94
Research shows that it takes 3 times as long for a student with ADHD to do the same piece of work at home as in school. The school day alone can be exhausting for pupils with SEND and then they might be expected to attend clubs, interact with family, eat their meal AND complete their homework when they get home. Are we expecting too much? The result could be detrimental to their mental health: "I think it's disadvantaging more in terms of self-esteem and attitude, because when they go in next da...
May 05, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 93
7.6% of all children have got developmental language disorder, that's two or three in every classroom. The Bercow Review (2018) highlighted ongoing and significant challenges for children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) in terms of available support and diminishing resources. More than ever, it is important we maximise what we have available for the greatest impact. In this week's podcast we discuss how to make best use of resources to meet the needs of pupils with SLCN. Wen...
Apr 28, 2022•58 min•Ep. 92
Do you remember many of your lessons at school? If you do, they're likely to be memorable due to a multisensory element such as a Bunsen burner. When you have a sensory experience the different processes in our brains are activated and you are then more involved and invested in learning. Joanna Grace is a sensory engagement and inclusion specialist, doctoral researcher, author, trainer, TEDx speaker and Founder of The Sensory Projects. Joanna joins Dale on today's episode to discuss 'Sensory Sto...
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 91
This week's episode 'Finding your Tribe' with Alison Knowles, is a discussion about how important it is for young people to find their tribe and their place in the world. We all strive to feel accepted, normal and fit in, but this can be especially challenging for children with additional needs. About Alison Knowles Ali is a practising emotional therapist, author of the Ollie and his Super Powers series of books, public speaker, NLP trainer and creator of the Ollie Model. Ali's strength is the u...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 90
Does resisting ordinary day-to-day demands, such as putting shoes on, sound familiar? This is a common objection from children, however it can be to the extreme often causing obstructive, disruptive and explosive behaviour. In this episode we discover 'What on earth is PDA?' with Rachel Jackson. Rachel is a Mum, Author and Director with an academic and professional background in psychology. Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is thought of as a profile on the autism spectrum and is a demand resi...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 89
Have you ever had a Sparkling Suzie, Freddie Thorne or Danny Whizzbang in your classroom? Perhaps not the cocktail but most likely some pupils with similar characteristics. In this fun filled episode with Dr Susie Nyman, we discuss the similarities between cocktails and children with SEN. Susie even brought her cocktail making kit along with her to the studio! The podcast is a lively discussion of different types of neurodiverse learners. Susie discusses a range of case studies and solutions she...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 88
Little did we know when launching the SENDcast 2 years ago, that the world as we knew it was about to drastically change. We hope that you've enjoyed listening to the episodes through the highs and lows and have kept you company whether you've been walking, running, driving, painting etc. In this 2nd birthday episode Sarah-Jane Critchley joins Dale in the studio to celebrate creating podcast number 87! They reflect on their favourite episodes, significant events and changes in SEN from their per...
Mar 10, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 87
About Fintan O'Regan Fintan was the Head teacher of the Centre Academy from 1996 -2002, which was the first specialist school in the UK for students between the ages of 7-19 specialising issues related to ADHD, ASD and ODD. He is an associate lecturer for Leicester University, the National Association of Special Needs, the Institute of Education, the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre and the former Vice Chairman of the UK ADHD Network and of the European ADHD Alliance. Fintan now works as trainer and...
Mar 03, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 86
Spoken language is core to learning and has a significant impact on children who find it difficult understanding language or putting their sentences together. In this SENDcast episode 'Language for Learning', we discuss the importance of supporting and promoting language and its impact on learning in the classroom. Dale's guest is Wendy Lee, a speech and language therapist with over 30 years' experience in a wide range of settings. "We all bring those different perspectives, and if we can utilis...
Feb 24, 2022•50 min
Everyone will meet an autistic person in their lives, and autistic people are in every classroom and every work force. Having a clearer understanding of difference can give us practical insight into how to better support and engage neurodivergent learners, and perhaps more importantly how to improve their mental health. Joanna Grace is a sensory engagement and inclusion specialist, doctoral researcher, author, trainer, TEDx speaker and Founder of The Sensory Projects. Joanna joins me in this epi...
Feb 17, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 84
In this week's podcast Dale Pickles speaks with Alison Knowles who is an emotional therapist and the creator of the Ollie Model to build the resilience and wellbeing of children. Resources: https://www.facebook.com/OllieandhisSuperPowers https://twitter.com/bemoreollie https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWDj-PRjboIg2cu-KZsEMVA https://www.instagram.com/ollie_and_his_super_powers https://www.ollieandhissuperpowers.com/...
Feb 10, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 83
This week's guest is Fintan O'Regan. Fintan was the Head teacher of the Centre Academy from 1996 -2002, which was the first specialist school in the UK for students between the ages of 7-19 specialising issues related to ADHD, ASD and ODD. He is an associate lecturer for Leicester University, the National Association of Special Needs, the Institute of Education, the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre and the former Vice Chairman of the UK ADHD Network and of the European ADHD Alliance. Fintan now work...
Feb 03, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 82
In this week's podcast Dale Pickles from B Squared is joined by Sarah Jane Critchley. Sarah-Jane was previously the Programme Manager for over 10 years at the Autism Education Trust. Pupils with autism often struggle with attending school for a number of reasons. Her daughter Beth is autistic and also suffers from migraines which meant from Year 3 onwards she missed a lot of school and missed over 50% of her GCSE classes, eventually dropping out of school in year 12. Useful Links How to contact ...
Jan 27, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 81
Listening to and valuing their views has implications for children's confidence and attitude to learning, this is true for all children including those with SEN/SLCN. However, research suggests that there are inherent challenges in effectively listening to and gathering views of children with communication needs. In this episode our guest is Wendy Lee, is a speech and language therapist with over 30 years experience in a wide range of settings. We will be discussing the importance to involve and...
Jan 20, 2022•53 min•Ep. 80
Have you ever thought your students are like icebergs? If not then you will after listening to this episode! We all know what icebergs are and we all know that the largest part of an iceberg is hidden underwater. Comparing students to icebergs is a great analogy. Our special guest for this episode is Dr Susie Nyman, the Curriculum Manager at The Sixth Form College, Farnborough. Susie takes us through innovative tried and tested techniques she has used in the classroom setting and even brings her...
Jan 13, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 79
School INSET is definitely a topic that divides staff in terms of whether they believe it adds value or is a waste of time and money. In this podcast we will consider what makes a great INSET in terms of not just the content and presentation but whether the INSET provided should achieve in both short term and long term Impact. This week's guest is Fintan O'Regan. Fintan was the Head teacher of the Centre Academy from 1996 -2002, which was the first specialist school in the UK for students betwee...
Jan 06, 2022•48 min•Ep. 78
The practise of mindfulness has become increasingly popular over the last few years. With the ever-increasing challenges we are facing and busy lifestyles we rush through life without stopping to notice the world around us. Mindfulness allows us to pay attention to our thoughts, sounds, reconnect with our bodies and the sensations they experience. Basically it's about becoming aware of the present and living in the moment, which can have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing. In a sch...
Dec 16, 2021•45 min•Ep. 77
The lockdowns imposed during the pandemic have presented immense challenges for all, especially teachers. Everyone has been affected in a multitude of ways and it has had a profound impact on children, particularly those that are vulnerable. A lot of lessons have been learnt along this rollercoaster of a journey and in this week's episode, my guest Wendy Lee, discusses the impact of school disruption due to COVID, on children's speech, language and communication skills. It has a significant impa...
Dec 09, 2021•58 min•Ep. 76
Over the next few years, over 25% of the school population is projected to be on the SEN register! Teachers are under increasing pressure to be experts in multiple diagnoses, and many are feeling overwhelmed. This is unsustainable and this pressure can result in a retreat from inclusion, with an increasing number of children being positioned outside an ever-shrinking idea of a 'mainstream child'. Dale Pickles is joined by Clare Ward and Dr Jamie Galpin in this week's podcast. Clare has worked in...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 75
A classroom can be a terrifying place for a child with autism, but you might not know this and instead witness a child that's aggressive, defiant, and disruptive or a child that's passive and not engaging. Anxiety and Autism go hand in hand. Helping an autistic child understand what is happening in their body helps them gain self-control and self-awareness. Working with your own heartbeat rhythms can reduce anxiety for you and your pupil as your energy levels can directly affect them. This week ...
Nov 25, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 74
We enjoy listening to and telling stories, they often reflect our own experiences or emotions and we use metaphors to express ourselves. Particularly so in young children, it's almost as though metaphor is their natural language. Very young children tend to imitate the adults around them and they try to make sense of their experience through their make believe play. Pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties need to be able to share their personal narrative in a safe way in ord...
Nov 18, 2021•48 min•Ep. 73
Joining Dale today is Ginny Bootman. Ginny is currently a SENCO of 2 Primary schools, but has been a teacher for a very long time (in her own words), a senior manager and headteacher. She has also found time to write articles for TES and speak at a number of events. There is often a huge divide between how a child with additional needs presents themselves at school compared to how they are at home. This discussion looks at this 'seesaw' situation. Too often there is a breakdown of communications...
Nov 11, 2021•49 min•Ep. 72
Did you know that our brain is actually a kind of prediction making machine? We essentially see the world by guessing it. What we're constantly trying to do is to stay one step ahead and the sensory information we're going to receive. We do this in order to conserve energy so this predictive processing takes less effort. The moment where learning happens is when you come across a prediction error, when you're surprised by something you weren't expecting – this is uncertainty. We don't like it be...
Nov 04, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 71
Neurodiversity is a term which describes conditions such as Dyslexia, Autism and ADHD as variations or differences of the human brain, not deficits or disorders. Neurodiversity is a term that everybody in the school community should be aware of, not just the teachers but the students and the parents as well. There can be a lot of misunderstanding, because the wider community is unaware and this can cause issues, such as bullying. Our guest this week is Fintan O'Regan. Fintan is one of the leadin...
Oct 28, 2021•49 min•Ep. 70
