WEBINAR: What are SEND Experts Advising About the Schools White Paper Proposals?

Now that the dust is beginning to settle around the white paper, join our panel of leading SEND and inclusion experts as they discuss the key issues raised and help you lead your teams through the proposed policy shifts.

We’ll be covering the following:

• The key issues leaders need to manage beyond the headlines
• How SENCOs and SLT should prepare for the proposed changes (and potential workload impact)
• The implications of moving to ISPs (Individual Support Plans) 
• Examples of effective use of inclusion bases, TAs and specialist time
• How to reassure parents that their child’s needs will be met
• How you can use your voice to influence change

Recommended for:

SLT/SENCOs from primary, secondary and special settings

Date and time:

7.30am – 8.30am, Friday 20 March 2026

Not going to make it? Register anyway and we’ll send you a copy of the recording.

Panellists: 

Margaret Mulholland, SEN and Inclusion Specialist at the Association of School and
College Leaders.

Gary Aubin, Director SENDMattersUK;
Director of SEND for Whole Education;
Education Endowment Foundation SEND Associate.

Rebecca Gonyora, Director of Inclusive Learning  Every Child, Every Day Trust;
Deputy Regional SEN Lead for London (Whole School SEND);
Module Leader and Tutor for Real Training

Dr Siobhan Mellor, Educational Psychologist;
Director of Pedagogy and Learning for Real Training

Moderator:

Dr Mark Turner, Educational Psychologist;
Co-Founder Real Group and Real Training

Submit a question:

Have a question you’d like our panel to address? Please contact imogen.barber@realgroup.co.uk before the session. There will also be a Q&A session at the end of the webinar.

On Monday, the government released its major new white paper for schools, representing the biggest proposed shake-up to SEND policy in the last decade. 

We believe the intention to increase direct, early access to expert support and make inclusion a priority in all mainstream schools is a positive step forward, as is the commitment to placing evidence-based practice front and centre for every child.

The white paper aims to fix a system characterised by an escalating demand for EHCPs as the primary mechanism to access fully resourced SEND support. Whilst there is excellent practice happening across our schools, access to significant funding remains, as the white paper observes, “locked behind bureaucratic statutory processes”. Too many children face delays getting all their needs met, overwhelmed parents often feel like they have no choice but to fight tooth and nail for an EHCP, and council deficits are on track to hit £6 billion. 

With EHCP requests more than doubling over the last decade, the backlog has reached a point where one in 14 children are waiting over a year for extra help. Meanwhile, time from specialist professionals has been funnelled into activities such as EHCP applications, detracting from their capacity to help school staff with early intervention and support for children with additional needs.

The white paper sets out proposals to change this, focusing on building capacity to support more children in mainstream environments, before re-calibrating the SEND system as we know it.

Here are some of the key points, plus the questions we think are yet to be answered.

1. Digitised Individual Support Plans (ISPs) for all children with SEND

The government intends to strengthen the “universal offer” for all children through a £1.6bn Inclusive Mainstream Fund, backed up by SEND training for school staff, good use of adaptive teaching, improved school environments and enhanced enrichment opportunities.

Should pupils need additional help beyond this, it is proposed that schools, nurseries and colleges will have a statutory duty, (once the law has changed) to record this in an Individual Support Plan (ISP). These digital documents will be created collaboratively with parents, with outcomes reviewed at least every 12 months. They are likely to be included in Ofsted inspections.

Crucially, pupils on ISPs will be able to access time with specialists (educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists etc.) without having to wait for a diagnosis to access support.

Tiers are as follows:

• Tier 1: Targeted. Structured support will be provided by schools using a clear, trusted national framework. Needs will be documented and reviewed using the Individual Support Plans (ISPs). For example, small group interventions for speech and language support.
  
  
• Tier 2: Targeted Plus. More specialist support for children delivered by SALT, EPs or OTs. Children in this tier may spend time in the school’s inclusion base. They may also have a short-term placement in an AP (Alternative Provision) or special school.
  
  
• Tier 3: Specialist Support (which forms the basis of new EHCPs). Reserved for children with the most severe and complex needs. There are seven types of Specialist Provision Packages currently mooted, although this is still being worked on. Children on a specialist package will have an EHCP, but their day-to-day details of support will be recorded through their ISP. They will be consistent across the country, ending the current “postcode lottery.”

It’s worth re-emphasising that no changes to the support given by EHCPs will begin before September 2030.  

What remains unclear: The big questions here concern the extent to which the threshold criteria for obtaining an EHCP will change, as well as what the individual price bands will be for each package. It will be interesting to see how far the specialist provision packages will be able to flexibly accommodate the needs of each individual.

The ultimate long-term aim of the whitepaper, however, is to bring down the number of children on EHCPs not simply by setting the bar higher, but by increasing effective support in schools and therefore reducing the likelihood that a child will need one. 

2. New National Inclusion Standards and an updated Code of Practice

There will be a new national framework of high-quality, evidence-based interventions that every school can draw upon to develop ISPs. This will be drawn up by a panel of experts who can summarise the evidence on “what works” for teachers, and is expected to be in place by 2028.

Each year, schools will be required to produce an inclusion strategy (replacing the current SEND Information Report) detailing how they meet these national standards and are using their funding. This will be subject to Ofsted inspections.

The new proposed areas of development; (formerly areas of need) in the updated Code of Practice include difficulties with executive function, motor and physical, sensory, speech, language and communication and social and emotional categories, in order to support needs-led provision.

What’s still unclear: Changing the “areas of need” to “areas of development” in the Code of Practice is an interesting and positive idea, however the proposed categories need further expert and sector scrutiny, as do the Specialist Provision Packages. It isn’t clear, for example, how mental health support will sit under the new packages. It is also unclear how children with development needs that span two or more areas will be provided for.

3. EHCP reassessment in Year 6, 11 and 13

It is proposed that, from 2029, children issued with a Specialist Provision Package will be reassessed at the end of primary school, and again before they leave each subsequent phase of education.

But there will be a “triple lock” of protections for children while the system is being updated.

• The reassessment will only come into action in September 2029, meaning children currently in Year 2, for example, will be the first cohort to be reassessed in Year 6. Early Years children with an EHCP will not be reassessed until the end of primary school.
  
• Transfers to the new system won’t happen until a full academic year later however, in 2030, when ISPs should be fully up and running. Children will keep their existing EHCP in the interim period.
  
• There are no plans to change provision for children who currently have a place in a special school.

Our thoughts: While logical, reassessing children at the beginning of Year 6 could have its drawbacks. It is unlikely that primary school teachers or parents would respond positively to plans to withdraw an EHCP at a sensitive time when children’s needs often are changing. It could also be a source of additional anxiety for children preparing to start Year 7.    

Building parental confidence in the ‘Targeted’ and ‘Targeted Plus’ categories is vital. Implementing the ‘Experts at Hand’ initiative (explained later below) and proving its efficacy before 2029 will be key to building effective capacity to meet children’s needs early and establishing trust in the system.

It is also worth noting that once the new system is up and running, EHCPs won’t be reviewed annually, as is the case currently, but between each Key Stage.

4. Schools to form ‘SEND Groupings’ with direct control over new inclusion fund

In a major departure from the current model, mainstream schools will be given their own commissioning budgets for SEND support. The government is making £1.6bn available for three years as part of an Inclusive Mainstream Fund. 

Schools are expected to form local “clusters” within the next three years to pool this funding so it can be used effectively.  The longer-term objective is for all schools to become part of a trust.

The white paper says this funding is to “develop targeted, evidence-based support offers such as transition programmes or group interventions – without requiring formal assessments or diagnoses.”

What remains unclear: We don’t know whether there will be a minimum size for these clusters, or how schools will be expected to negotiate how budgets and resources are split. There may be concerns around what happens when the pool is used up and how to handle in-year admissions. It’s also unclear what funding will be provided after the three years and whether it will be sufficient to retain and grow the TA workforce needed to help support it, on top of things like the additional therapist time and assistive technology that might be required. 

5. £1.8bn to create a bank of specialists, known as “Experts at Hand”

£1.8bn will be set aside between 2026 – 2029 for Local Authority commissioned support services such as educational psychologists, SALT, occupational therapists, etc. These will be called “Experts at Hand”. The fund is further divided into a £1bn pot for expert professionals and £800 million for outreach services, provided by special schools.

The government says this will equate to roughly 40 days of expert support for an average primary school and 160 days for a secondary school each year.

Earlier in February, the government announced that they plan to train at least 200 educational psychologists in 2026/2027, with more funding to follow in 2028.

Our thoughts: A major consideration will be how quickly will the SALT and EPs currently working in the system will be able to refocus their capacity and resources to support children earlier in the school system? Will enough specialists be available to deliver effective early support and manage the ECHP reassessment process? The number of new EHCPs is expected to rise until 2030. Add to this the additional reassessment work from 2029 and the demand on EP time will be significant. Some industry voices have also raised concerns about the availability of staff in special schools to provide outreach.

6. Parents retain legal right to appeal, but tribunals won’t be able to name a school

Parents will retain the ability to appeal decisions, such as whether a child should be assessed for an EHCP as part of a Specialist Provision Package, and which school the child should attend.

However, the document accompanying the white paper: SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First mentions that tribunals will not be able to name a school placement for a child.

If parents are not happy with what’s in a child’s ISP, they will have to go through a school complaints system first, before being able to complain to the Local Authority, or to the government. This will now have to include an independent SEND expert on the panel. A new digital system for managing complaints will be introduced.

What’s still unclear: If the law changes, will the impact of a tribunal losing the power to name a school placement result in significantly fewer appeals? Could this change support a renewed focus on the importance of the pupil’s current school and parent working effectively together?

7. Inclusion bases in every secondary school

As already announced a few weeks ago, a separate £3.7bn fund will go towards creating new inclusion bases that will replace what’s currently known as SEN units, resourced provisions, and pupil support units. They will provide tailored learning environments and equipment and will be separated into:

• Support bases (school/MAT funded) and
• Specialist bases (LA funded)

What’s still unclear: How schools should update their policies around who should access the inclusion base to avoid inappropriate referrals. If a child’s needs cannot be effectively met within the school’s support base, what will be the mechanism for reassessing the move to a specialist base?

8. £200m SEND CPD package

This was announced in advance of the white paper and will cover training for professionals in nursery, primary and secondary and FE settings. 

There’s also a commitment to continue working with the EEF and promoting evidence-based practice which we fully support.

9. National Price Bands for independent special schools and greater curriculum controls

New national “fee bands” will be set for different types of Specialist Provision Packages. They are expected to be fully implemented from 2029 onwards.

While reports leaked prior to the white paper suggested a cap of £60,000, the official white paper focuses on these “price bands” which will vary depending on the complexity of the child’s needs. 

What’s still unclear: Could the proposed National Price Bands for independent special schools pose a risk that these schools may decline to meet the needs of some pupils, potentially forcing Local Authorities to incur higher costs by establishing new, urgent, or alternative provision?

10. New inclusive progress measure and updates to School Admissions Code

The white paper recognises that “we need to ensure breadth is recognised in our accountability system” and so proposes to consult on including more creative subjects in Progress 8. 

To ensure that access to high-performing schools is not dependent on household income or local house prices, the government will develop new resources to encourage schools to adopt more inclusive admission arrangements, while tightening the rules to ensure banding produces representative intakes. This builds on existing tools in the code that allow schools to prioritise children who are eligible for the pupil premium.

11. Measuring belonging to become compulsory

A new Pupil Engagement Framework will be published by the government later this year and all schools will be expected to measure belonging. There is strong evidence that a child’s sense of belonging and their attainments are positively linked.  We would all support the aspiration for children and young people to feel like they belong to their school, and so encouraging schools to focus their resources on supporting this ambition is helpful. 

The white paper states: “We expect schools to make effective use of this data, highlighting evidence-based practice that can be embedded into their improvement plans, which not only improve engagement, but also support outcomes including attendance and attainment.”

What’s still unclear: Will schools need to report on belonging scores for individual cohorts, such as pupils with SEND? Which standardised belonging indexes will be used?

What next for SENCOs?

Ask the experts: If you’re uncertain about how to prepare, join our webinar happening on Friday March 20th where we’ll be discussing the practical implications of some of the changes.

Have your say: The consultation is open for 12 weeks (closing 11.59pm 18th May 2026). The DfE has specifically asked for the views of “teachers and leaders.” This is your opportunity to have your voice heard. Respond to the consultation here:

Develop a robust communications plan: Parents will understandably be anxious, so schools should be developing a cadence of communications, as well as one-to-ones and drop-ins. When preparing content for SEND newsletters, asking AI to predict some of the questions parents may be thinking about might be helpful, especially as LLMs are currently digesting a lot of requests from parents who are keen to get their head around the changes. 

Take a look at the separate, shorter documents for parents that the government has published.

Improve outcomes for your students by extending your team’s SEND training

Inclusive classrooms need skilled support professionals so that all learners can succeed.

We are proud to launch the all-new International Diploma in Inclusive Classroom Support, designed to extend the expertise of experienced teaching assistants, LSAs, individual support assistants, and junior assistant teachers specifically in international settings.

How the Diploma can make a difference to your learners and setting

This 12-month level 5 qualification offers incredible impact:

• From Assistant to Specialist: Delegates will deepen their knowledge of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and inclusion, giving them the confidence and practical skills to assist with early identification and to lead targeted interventions for learners with SEND.
• Growth Beyond the Theory: Practice-led learning, with the support of an in-school mentor, means delegates evidence their progress by applying their knowledge and immediately putting it to use in your setting.
• Access to Experts: Tutors on the course, who will guide and provide valuable feedback, have been hand-picked for their experience in international settings and their commitment to driving inclusion in schools. SEND Masterclasses, presented by experts in topics such as EBSA, dyslexia, autism, ADHD, and speech and language delay, will be an opportunity to expand delegates’ knowledge and gain inspiration.
• Global Recognition: On successful completion, delegates will be awarded the NQual Level 5 Diploma in Specialist Teaching Assistant, an Ofqual regulated qualification, providing a prestigious benchmark for your school’s professional development standards.

Building on established internationally-focused SEND training

Our postgraduate International Award in SEN Coordination (iSENCO) is already highly regarded as a programme for leaders of inclusive education. It is validated by Middlesex University, so you can be further assured of its quality.

The Inclusive Classroom Support Diploma empowers even more practitioners so that your culture of inclusion is cohesive and seamless. Train your whole team with us!

Find out more and apply

The first cohort begins on 15 May 2026. Make a booking today. You can also share our course flyer with your colleagues.

To find out more, including eligibility requirements, please visit our course page.

The past couple of years have seen a doubling down of effort to enhance pupils’ sense of belonging in schools, with links being drawn to wellbeing, motivation and absenteeism, as well as academic achievement.

Although particular targeted interventions show signs of promise, improving belonging typically involves whole-school systematic and cultural changes. This relies on building the right foundations, starting with relationships in the classroom. When relational inclusion is prioritised, we ensure every pupil feels valued, we demonstrate that their contributions matter, and we invite them into a shared sense of place and reference. There are no quick fixes, but backing this up with plenty of opportunities for cooperative learning, peer bonding, and strong inclusive practice can have a positive impact on pupils’ self-esteem and has the potential to improve their sense of belonging.

Lack of belonging an issue for UK schools – but potential signs of improvement

Data released after the pandemic illustrates the problem of belonging in UK schools. An analysis of TIMSS data between 2019 and 2023 has shown a stark decline in pupils’ emotional engagement with school after transitioning to secondary level; a drop noticeably more pronounced in England compared to other countries.

Lately, the picture is perhaps more hopeful. Survey results from the DfE’s Pupil Experiences in School report show a 12 percentage point increase in the number of secondary pupils stating they felt they belonged at their school ‘most or every day in the past week’ in May 2025, compared to the same time the year prior. Time will tell whether these green shoots of improvement can be sustained.

It’s worth remembering that the survey also showed that 16% of secondary pupils said there was “rarely” or “never” an adult who “really cares about me” in school, an improvement from previous years, but a demonstration of the work still to do. The problem of belonging is less pronounced in primary schools, but it is still something that needs to be addressed, especially amongst pupils with SEND.

An intentional system for maintaining positive staff-pupil relationships

You’d be hard-pressed to find a teacher who doesn’t value and pursue positive relationships with their students. Yet stretched timetables and the pressures of meeting targets can erode relationships over time. By way of example, a 2024 University of Bath report found that secondary pupils felt their sense of psychological safety and belonging was undermined by several factors, such as being put on the spot, having misunderstandings dismissed as ‘laziness,’ or being treated unfairly. These classroom experiences directly contribute to a wider sense of isolation from adults.

Dr. Larissa Gaias from the University of Massachusetts recommends that schools make time for an intentional approach to relationship building. “Relationships in general, regardless of their nature, without intentional efforts tend to degrade over time,” Gaias says, “we need intentional ongoing efforts to keep those positive relationships intact”.

Some things to think about, in order to follow Gaias’s advice include:

Revisiting the Establish, Maintain, Restore (EMR) method

While the Establish, Maintain, Restore (EMR) framework is a staple in many classrooms, its success relies on being fully embedded and prioritised across school, with staff given time to reflect. Segmenting pupil registers into establish, maintain or restore categories can help teachers and behaviour teams build a bigger picture of their student population, spotting not only individuals, but also trending groups of pupils that might need greater focus or coaching support. Categories are divided into the following;

• Establish: For new pupils. Focus on getting as much background information as possible, “talk them up” to other adults, use activities to get to know them, send positive notes home, show genuine excitement for their presence, and give one-to-one time to establish psychological safety.
• Maintain: For the steady middle. Don’t let them become “invisible.” Keep the momentum with low-stakes high-impact moves: warm greetings at the door, quick “weekend check-ins”, “this or that” voting for conversation starters, celebrating achievements, giving targeted, derserved praise and recognising effort, not just outcome.
• Restore: For pupils where the bond has frayed. This requires the most intensive effort, prioritising empathetic listening, collaborative problem solving and structured restorative sessions to repair trust, including (where necessary) admitting when we may have overreacted or made mistakes.

Placing restorative practice at the heart of behaviour policy

Restorative practice is a key part of the EMR approach. While consequences for behaviour remain, it redirects focus away from re-instating obedience towards rebuilding relationships by listening to students. Moving away from punative punishment can be an essential part of helping students feel heard and fairly treated in school. A Teach First report noted that five out of the six secondary schools who scored highly on indexes of inclusion and attainment used disciplinary systems grounded in restorative practice.

Some schools quoted in the report above, ensure that if detentions have to be issued, they are always held same day so teachers can follow up with reflective conversations and an all-important fresh start the next morning. Others have appointed a designated Head of Year who has purely pastoral responsibilities to help immediately reset behaviour before punishment is necessary.

For restorative practice to work for all pupils, the process must be both accessible and adaptable. For neurodivergent individuals, traditional verbal scripting can be a barrier. Effective schools adapt this by using visual supports (like comic strip conversations) and ensuring students are fully regulated before attempting a restorative dialogue – even if that means waiting until the next day.

Finding a system to notice the good things

Simple visual cues, such as gratitude boards in corridors or ‘hype boards’ in classrooms, can serve as effective prompts for connection. By dividing these boards into sections for both teacher and student to leave positive sticky notes to recognise weekly wins and positive actions, teachers can build a regular habit of positive affirmation.

This example is from a US classroom, but still demonstrates a potential system to notice the good things.
Credit @Loolislearning. Video available here

Tapping into a shared sense of place

Mariya Mobeen is an Assistant Principal in a large mainstream secondary in Bradford and Lead Tutor on our course, Educational Leadership through a Cross Cultural Lens. Her school has started offering tours of the local community to all new teachers. “We realised that staff who have the best relationships with students are those who know the community really well,” she says.

Mariya explains that, as well as encouraging a “shared frame of reference” so staff can easily converse with students about their lives outside of school, it can also make lessons more engaging. “A local area of interest can also be incorporated into geography lessons, a takeaway shop can raise a smile in a maths question – there are so many ways to show young people that their world matters to us too and to help teachers and pupils feel that they have this shared space and connection,” she adds. It can also help the curriculum feel more purposeful.

Regular staff training in trauma-informed practice and attachment

Most schools have some level of training, but this is not the same as regular scenario-based practice and a consistent shift away from “punishment” to both logical and consistent consequences for unwanted behaviour. Staff also need the headspace and skills to practice self-care and avoid empathy drain.

Peer relationships – we are like a family here

Many pupils report that having close friends and feeling respected by their peers is important for their sense of belonging. It is no great surprise, perhaps, that pupils who are persistently absent rate their ability to make friends as 15% lower than those who are not.  Some things that can help include;

Peer-based restorative practice

Large-scale US studies have shown that the use of practices such as restorative circles can reduce feelings of victimisation and can strengthen a sense of belonging in schools (Eisman et al., 2020; Melendez-Torres et al., 2021). A trial of the Learning Together intervention at 40 secondary schools in the South East of England has also shown a significant reduction in bullying behaviour and improvement in wellbeing, compared to a control group.

Encouraging a “family ethos”

Several schools have had success trying to bring in elements of nurturing and caring relationships in smaller groups akin to those found in a family environment. In Mariya Mobeen’s school in Bradford they run an additional learning provision for students with educational needs. The numbers within this setting are smaller with a higher adult to child ratio. At lunchtimes, students participate in family dining where they are encouraged to take turns serving their group, rather than queuing up at the canteen.

“Pupils are seated 10-12 to a table, one person serves from a large dish, another fills the desserts, one person tidies up etc, and often teachers will come and sit with them,” Mariya says. “It’s a really lovely initiative that helps pupils bond and socialise over a meal and has been especially useful for helping children who have faced adverse circumstances before they join us.”

Introducing more circle time in primary and secondary contexts

Jenny Mosley, an educational consultant who specialises in circle time, observes that it has often fallen off the agenda of many lessons, even in primary schools, save those involving the very youngest pupils. Yet the pupils she interviews speak of how gathering with peers in a circle “gave me a family,” and headteachers often are surprised about how effective it can be to enable pupils to tackle emotionally challenging topics.

Exploring Circle Solutions

Circle Solutions is a pedagogy for encouraging healthy relationships developed by Dr. Sue Roffey. It is similar to circle time, but adheres to a more structured philosophy drawing on positive psychology, without reference to specific incidents. The aim is for students to take the lead and come up with solutions to real or imaginary scenarios, referring to people in the third-person. It is deliberately structured to allow many students to participate in small groups, while maintaining psychological safety and giving children the ability to impact their community.

Empathy training

Two things to highlight include the LEANS resource, designed to help students aged 8-12 learn about neurodiversity, and the Empathy Training programme for 5-18-year-olds run by Empathy Studios. The latter has been found to have positive effects on teacher-rated empathy scores, emotional literacy and curiosity about other cultures in a recent study conducted by researchers from Cambridge University. Interestingly, empathy training might benefit some teachers as well. A brief empathetic mindset intervention (using maths teachers at two secondary schools in England as participants) demonstrated a significantly postitive impact on students’ feelings of belonging, as well as reducing suspensions and detentions.

Creating more opportunities for cooperative learning

What if, every so often, we set ourselves the challenge of noting down how we might support a belonging objective in lessons alongside the learning objective? While there’s not a great deal of research linking belonging specifically to cooperative learning, there are a significant number of studies that show it can lead to reduced anxiety, higher self-esteem, and improved releationships with peers, compared to settings where it is not prioritised. (Johnson et al, 2000, Van Ryzin et al, 2020, Roseth et al, 2008). This only works, however, if participation is truly equal. Revisiting strategies like Kagan’s Cooperative learning techniques, and the Jigsaw method reduces the likelihood of pupil contributions becoming unbalanced and one or two students dominating.

Targeted interventions – I can grow my sense of belonging 

Two very different, but established interventions, both involving aspects of positive psychology, include;

• The social belonging intervention. Developed by a team led by Stanford psychologist Gregory Walton, the intervention has shown strong, reliably replicated results in the US, especially with students from minority backgrounds. Students starting school or college are shown survey results from older peers graduating in order to normalise the feeling of not immediately ‘fitting in’. The older students then go through guided reflection, enabling them to provide written or video advice to the younger students and explain how things can, and do, get better. Younger students who were exposed to this showed improved persistence, better mental wellbeing and were less likely to drop out of college. It is currently being trialled in four English secondary schools.
  
  
• ELSA sessions. Research suggests that access to ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) sessions can give pupils who feel isolated the skills to build and maintain relationships with others and develop a feeling of positivity in school (Bravery & Harris, 2009; Dunn, 2020; Purcell et al., 2023). A recent literature review in Educational and Child Psychology draws a clear link between ELSA and school belonging. Qualitative feedback captured in this 2024 evaluation summary shows headteachers report a wide range of anecdotal benefits, including increased attendance and self-esteem.

For a review of the evidence behind the ELSA programme see also: 7 Ways ELSAs Can Improve Children’s Mental Health

Inclusion and representation – other people like me belong here

A tokenistic approach to inclusion can widen the belonging gap. Mariya Mobeen emphasises that inclusion must be threaded throughout everything you do and recommends conducting a belonging and inclusion audit. “Try walking the school and asking yourself, what languages, what cultures, what festivals can you see within your school and how welcoming does it seem?” she says.  

“If there’s a visual timetable, for example, are the words written in some of the students’ home languages as well? If you go to the library, can you easily find books with main characters that represent different faiths, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicity, physical appearance, etc.? If you regularly attended assembly, would you have heard from neurodivergent people and those from different faiths or backgrounds – either directly or through narrative accounts?”

Some of the things you might ask yourself as part of this also include:

• Can students see themselves in the trusted adults available? Of course, having a good representation in your staff base is the ideal scenario. Some schools have even taken to actively recruiting ex-pupils to school support staff, teaching and SLT positions to help improve this. If that’s not possible, look at what outside agencies you could draw upon for cohorts that need it most. At Mariya’s school, absenteeism amongst Eastern European students has been a particular problem. One of the initiatives that has been most effective involves using an outreach agency made up of staff from this particular community to do weekly group sessions with the students. They address issues around school absence and aim to make coming to school seem ‘irresistible’. This can include reward initiatives like bowling or a pizza party at the end of a series of sessions.
  
  
• Are different voices represented in the curriculum? Are students only exposed to black history during one dedicated month, or all year round? Will they have studied a diverse range of authors by the time they leave school?
  
  
• How are staff informed about student backgrounds? Consider holding regular practice clinics to share pupil profiles of new joiners with all staff, so that staff are aware of pupil backgrounds and experiences prior to joining.
  
  
• Can neurodivergent students fully participate? Understandably, many pupils report that the ability to engage with the curriculum is an important part of feeling part of their school community. Researchers interviewing children with SEND aged 3-16 about belonging, identified teaching and learning as a key theme, alongside the environment, relationships and extra-curricular activities. Using inclusion by design goes a long way to address this, alongside a diverse curriculum offer, plenty of multisensory learning and well-designed spaces for learning and recuperation. When it comes to specific activities like reading, however, it may also involve offering greater choice, having dyslexia-friendly Barrington Stoke books readily available, for example, as well as the right specialist support.
  
  Some changes might be small. To support students who need more processing time,  a “heads-up” on a discussion agenda/outline might be helpful. Alternatively, a simple post-it note system can let that individual know you’ll remember to circle back to them if they want to contribute. There’s nothing more frustrating for a pupil than finding their voice just as the conversation shifts to something else. If you are asking questions or doing a brainstorming task, Dr Helene Cohen recommends pausing and letting pupils know that you’ll be asking for feedback after a certain ammount of time, in order to communicate there is no need for the pupil to be anxious about having to come up with an answer on the spot.

Read also: How Teaching Assistants can support
and champion dyslexic students.

Read also: Improving the wellbeing of autistic girls in school

Building character and agency – there are many ways I can allow myself to belong

While low self-esteem can be caused by many factors, it can be triggered when students feel their value is measured through academic achievement alone. This can create a negative spiral, limiting participation in the very activities that would otherwise help to improve mental wellbeing and build belonging. Some thoughts on how to address this include;

Extending enrichment clubs

As recently reported in the Tes, Redhill Academy Trust have had such success with their enrichment programme in which pupil premium pupils who signed up to just one extra session experienced an average attendance boost of 4.4 percentage points over the term. While we should be wary of using attendance as a direct proxy for belonging, the positive impact of enrichment clubs is being borne out in wider research, while recent reports capturing student voice demonstrate how they enhance teacher-pupil relationships and give pupils something to look forward to. A 2023 Australian study also found that participating in an enrichment club not only predicts higher scores on belonging and mental health indexes, but that the effects are still present two years down the line.

Having a range of sporting and non-sporting activities, creating girls-only groups, non-competitive groups, options that neurodivergent pupils have expressed an interest in and no or low-lost activities are just some ways to encourage participation. Staffing needs to be considered, but there are creative ways to manage this, such as hiring PE TA apprentices.

Embedding or revisiting your character curriculum

Focusing on character-led values and goals can help shift focus away from purely academic achievements, as well as build agency. Not all teachers receive explicit training in character education, however, and it can be a weak area of the curriculum. To improve belonging, Harris Academy Chafford Hundred revamped their character curriculum to include specific HACH Character Traits, a Character Hub and Character Ambassadors using shared vocabulary that’s consistently explained. House systems are just one way to celebrate character traits, and can work especially well when teachers are able to earn points for houses on certain occasions, e.g. sports day, and sixth formers have some autonomy leading them.

Tracking and celebrating non-academic achievement

Carr Manor, an all-through school in Leeds, recently featured as a case study school in a milestone report on the value of enrichment clubs released by Centre for Young Lives, and is frequently held up as an example of a school where pupils feel like they belong. The school has used an dedicated app to allow students to earn badges in extra-curricular activities that are added to personal Recognition Timelines. The timelines are linked to different aspects of their character curriculum, enabling qualitative and quantitative data can be mapped against this and recognised throughout school. It is also made available to coaches in their coaching programme, where groups of 8-10 pupils (of mixed ages) meet three times a week with the same member of staff throughout the school, focusing on character development, celebrating achievements, as well as giving practical health, careers and financial advice.

Capturing and acting on pupil voice

Pupils feel a renewed sense of agency when their opinions and recommendations are listened to and implemented. By way of an example, Harris Science Academy in East London noticed that girls, in particular, had low scores on measures of belonging. They created a designated female-only space in order to provide a safe place for girls every lunchtime. Senior female members of staff and various external organisations then held workshops to explore concerns and come up with improvements. Sense of belonging scores improved considerably amongst girls once this had been put in place. The full case study is on the ImpactEd website here.

For tips about inclusive ways to capture pupil voice read also:
Strengthening pupil voice in wellbeing initiatives

Staff, parents and local community

When staff and parents and carers also feel a sense of belonging it helps build pride and purpose within the school community. Meanwhile, drawing links between different centres of belonging between school, home and the wider community, can also help pupils feel like they are part of a network and that different aspects of their identity are mutually valued and understood. Bronfenbrenner called these interconnecting links the mesosystem and emphasised that strengthening these connections can help improve children’s development. We can also think about this through the lens of belonging, focusing on the following:

• Parental engagement. Research tells us that there is a consistent relationship between increasing parental engagement and improved attendance, behaviour and student achievement. It’s also worth reflecting that the same study found that parents labeled as ‘hard to reach’ often view the school as being in the same category. 
  
• Showing all staff are valued. Developing a close-knit community that outwardly demonstrates pride in their school can be extremely difficult when staff are grappling with burnout, or considering leaving the profession. While the nature of pressure on TAs is different, the sense of feeling left out or forgotten about can still hinder their sense of belonging. 
  
• Community outreach programmes. When school is obviously a welcoming place for lots of different types of local support groups, faiths, interest groups, it becomes more easily identified as a place where many voices are heard and respected. It also gives students the choice to open up about other aspects of their identity. 

Relationships at the heart of belonging

Belonging, at its heart, is about seeking out more significant relationships – something that’s deceptively easy to say and harder, in practice, to cultivate and maintain, especially with those pupils who are already disengaged. 

Doing this often means going back to basics, prioritising check-ins, creating space to focus on relationships and restorative practice – and it may require intentional systems and strategies in the short-term. It also means prioritising opportunities for group problem solving and teambuilding activities that allow young people to connect.

Once relationships are strengthened, then other factors can help grow a student’s sense of belonging, but this only works as long as barriers to inclusion aren’t already in the way. Schools that do this well are continuously looking for ways to offer a sense of purpose, offering alternatives to the naysayers, diversifying curriculum paths, generating a sense of school pride and celebrating all kinds of achievements together as a school community. This is underpinned by a leadership culture that allows teachers both autonomy and support.

Many young people today are lonely and seeking connection in all kinds of places, not all of them healthy or safe. It is dangerous for school leaders to make assumptions about who these pupils are; they are not just confined to secondary schools, they are not confined to one gender, sexual orientation or ethnic minority – they aren’t always the ones who will be already on your radar. This is why it’s so important that schools really listen and respond to their own pupils.

Building a stronger sense of belonging in school is arguably one of the most powerful ways to improve mental wellbeing and resilience in our children and young people. Fostering this sense of belonging is not merely an educational ideal, but a vital necessity for every student in our schools.

Our courses

You can find out more about how to conduct cross-cultural inclusion and belonging audits, identify specific areas of improvement, engage your school, parent and local community and carry out an action plan for change in our course; Educational Leadership Through a Cross-Cultural Lens.

Learn how to create an inclusive offering for autistic students, with a specific focus on addressing wellbeing and belonging in girls in our course: Contemporary Topics in Autism

Develop an action plan for belonging and tackle whole-school system-led change for mental health and wellbeing in our Masters in Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools and Colleges, which includes advanced training for Senior Mental Health Leads.

Train to become an ELSA via the Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship, offered by our sister company, ESF Apprenticeships. 

Children’s Mental Health Week, run by charity Place2Be, is just around the corner. This year’s theme, This is My Place, focuses on belonging.

Many children still do not feel a strong sense of belonging in our schools. Data from the 2023 International Maths and Science Survey (TIMSS) demonstrated that by the time children reach fifteen, one in three feel like they don’t belong – one of the steepest drops in any OECD country. A 2024 report from London’s Violence Reduction Unit, produced not too dissimilar results – a third of primary aged students and 44% of secondary students in London did not feel a secure sense of belonging in school.

This Children’s Mental Health week, we’re supporting the many schools and professionals who have been tirelessly trying to to reverse this trend, with the aim to help every child feel happier in school.

Activity ideas for Primary and Secondary Schools

We’re taking things back to basics with some simple activities that can help pupils understand and connect to each other and their school community a little better. With a focus on connecting, collaborating and contributing, take a look at our creative activities and games below.

The Connection Factor: How Schools Can Build a Sense of Belonging

DfE data from May last year shows almost 1 in 3 pupils were not able to agree with the statement that they felt they belonged in school “most or every day in the past week.”

In our latest blog, we take a look at some of the barriers and facilitators to belonging, including exploring aspects of relational inclusion, some promising evidence-backed interventions and innovative individual school initiatives.

Why is belonging so important?

A sense of belonging, as Maslow identified, is a prerequisite for self-esteem, achievement and finding our sense of purpose in the world. When children feel accepted and valued in school, the sense that “I can be myself here,” and that “I belong here“, they gain the secure foundations to learn and achieve. Not only does this improve their chance of success in a purely academic context, but also as rounded young people with the resilience to persevere and fulfil their passion.

Research shows us that the extent to which students feel like they belong in school has a marked effect on motivation, engagement and academic performance (Korpershoek et al.,2019) as well as anxiety and depression (McMahon et al.,2008). Children with a higher sense of belonging in school are also much less likely to engage in behaviour such as drinking and smoking (Bonell et al., 2016). There may even be a link between how strongly students feel like they belong in their secondary school and later mental health outcomes as young adults. (Allen et al., 2024).

Other resources for Children’s Mental Health Week 2026!

• Visit the Place2Be website to download free assembly guides, activities and top tips for primary and secondary schools to build belonging. 
• PE software platform Imoves has teamed up with Davies Sports to create a free collection of play and dance activities and fun games for playground Belonging Zones . Resource available here 
• Raising Resilience is holding live online workshops for Year 3 classes on the topic of dealing with big emotions and how to return to calm. Sign up here
• The School of Kindness is offering free live virtual assemblies, resources and recorded workshops on kindness.
• Sue Roffey’s book, Circle Solutions for Student Wellbeing contains lots of brilliant ideas for using circle solutions across different age groups to encourage emotional literacy, overcome challenging situations, promote teamwork and build resilience and empathy.

Many pupils with learning differences face difficulties with emotional regulation, which can lead to anxiety, frustration, and isolation, manifesting as challenging behaviour.

In this blog, we’ve gathered the views of Darleen Grimsby, SENCO and Inclusion Officer for Unity Education Trust, Matthew Lee, Real Training tutor and Vice Principal of Wales International School, and Joanna Wood, who works as an Educational Psychologist for our sister company, Real Psychology. 

All three have worked across both mainstream and special educational settings and give their take on supporting pupils with more significant SEMH needs, with a particular focus on non-speaking individuals.

General principles for SEMH support

Map out needs for that individual child and identify gaps in the environment

With so many strategies to help pupils with SEND, the danger is that teachers and TAs can get bogged down in trying lots of tactics without understanding what’s going on in that particular individual child’s brain. This can make it harder to find the right fit for support. 

Darleen Gilbert has worked in education for over twenty years in both mainstream, PRU and special settings and currently leads initiatives across a network of schools in her trust. “We need to look at where developmental gaps might be first in order to get to a truly effective menu of ideas,” she explains. 

“In broad terms, a child’s needs can be bracketed under social and communicative, cognitive, physical/sensory, and emotional, yet so often these intertwine.” Darleen says. “Often, problems with challenging behaviour and emotional regulation come about because there is a need that hasn’t been explored – so we have to start with the most fundamental difficulties.”

For example, if a child has an underlying difficulty processing verbal information and has struggled with the transition to an older key stage where whole-class verbal instruction is more common, then this could be triggering anxiety. It might be best tackled by slowing the overall pace of lessons and implementing more visual scaffolds and take-a-break cards. 

On the other hand, if the pupil has not had basic needs of safety, trust and security met as a very young child, the behaviour might be triggered by issues with trauma or poor attachment. Without focusing first and foremost on establishing strong relationships and a sense of safety and trust, working on other adaptations or interventions will not be as effective in isolation. 

Two great tools Darleen highlights to help assess where foundations might be a bit more weak and wobbly are the Development Wall and Marion and Trott’s Pyramid of Learning, often used by occupational therapists. Teacher and parent observations play a vital role in helping the team around the child determine this.  

Help pupils feel confident that both adults and the learning environment will meet their needs

Darleen has recently conducted research into how autistic non-speaking pupils typically experience anxiety. Her study showed that the single most important factor influencing anxiety levels is the level of trust a child places in key adults and their ability to adapt the immediate environment to meet their needs.

“Once adults are able to combine approaches into a cohesive plan and a child feels the adult will acknowledge and respond to day-to-day needs and wants (even through a non-verbal gesture), then anxiety can be successfully managed. Self-regulation improves as this trust develops, ” says Darleen.

In mainstream environments where staff-to-pupil ratios are greater, this can be more challenging than special schools, but in either context, the role of the trusted adult doesn’t have to fall on one person’s shoulders.

Even if a particular member of staff is not available one hundred percent of the time, once the trust is established, it can be transferred. “If you have robust SEMH provision in place, children (and parents) know that when they set foot inside the building that the environment is going to meet and manage their needs. This allows other members of staff to reassure the child that Mrs Grimsby isn’t here today, but I know that you like to do this,” Darleen explains. 

Understand what each child’s triggers are and how to help them return from overwhelm

Neurodiversity impacts how a child’s nervous system functions when dysregulation tips into overwhelm. Children with special educational needs, especially autism and ADHD may have greater difficulty staying within their window of tolerance – where the prefrontal cortex is functioning normally to regulate executive function and impulse control.

When experiencing stress of any kind, the brain can go into a state of hyper-arousal, activating a fight/flight response – you may see this sometimes referred to as “meltdowns”. Alternatively, it can also go into hypo-arousal, characterised by disconnection, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating – often referred to as “shutdowns”.

When stress takes the form of cognitively challenging tasks, some recent research suggests that many autistic children tend towards ‘hyper-arousal’, although some also display patterns of hypo-arousal. Children with ADHD, however, tend towards hypo-arousal when tasks are passive and less engaging. 

Observing an individual child’s behaviour and triggers can help determine potential strategies, especially as responses can be highly individualised. The following universal principles apply however if a child is clearly beyond their window of tolerance: 

• Keep language to a minimum, or use no language at all

Using too much language can overwhelm any child outside of their window of tolerance. Avoid questions completely if possible, although if it’s a matter of absolute necessity/safeguarding to establish what has happened, a mini-whiteboard can help a non-speaking child. It also gives you time to think about the strategies you are going to use.

• Give children space, time and safe places 

Be mindful of your body language and tone and direct them to safe spaces. Calming strategies might include deep and slow breathing, gentle physical movement or listening to calming music. Hypo-aroused children will need strategies to raise their energy levels, perhaps bright lights and exercise in fresh air, hyper-aroused children tend to need darker, quieter spaces. 

• Use strategies recommended by professionals for pupils with more complex needs

Educational psychologists and/or occupational therapists will be able to recommend tailored, person-specific strategies that engage the proprioceptive system (connected to position and body movement), vestibular nervous system (regulating coordination and balance) and/or oral/tactile systems, for example, chewing dried fruits or a crunchy snack. 

• Watch for signs of the prefrontal cortex taking back control

Once the nervous system is retuned, you can use words and gestures to first empathise and then reason with the pupil. For non-speaking children with more complex needs, this often means observing behaviour then using appropriate communication strategies.

“There was one non-speaking child I was working with who had fled the classroom and the staff wanted to immediately intervene, but instead we waited,” Darleen recalls. “After a little while, the child touched their shoelaces; a clear sign that executive functioning was returning. The signs are there if you observe closely – but it was essential not to crowd the child or to expect a response straight away. We then used signs and language like ‘walking to hall or not yet?’ offering a simple option that they could respond to.”

Where special schools excel in supporting SEMH

Classroom environments are both flexible and predictable when required

Establishing clear routines, providing clearly structured tasks and using explicit rewards avoids the anxiety and anger that can erupt from the unknown and unpredictable. “If you don’t find a means to convey how activities will be sequenced and how and when they will explicitly finish, this can be incredibly anxiety-provoking for some autistic children,” says Matthew Lee, Vice Principal of Wales International School. 

Classrooms can also be zoned in such a way to help pupils participate in group work or go to areas where they can focus. You can read more about how to create an autism-friendly classroom and whole-school environments for pupils with more significant needs in Matthew’s full article here.

Curriculum adjustments are made wherever possible

“It’s not always easy for mainstream schools, but one of the best things I see from special schools is how well they adapt the curriculum to meet the interests of pupils,” says Dr. Jo Wood, Educational Psychologist at Real Psychology. “Instigating a love of learning and giving a sense of meaning and purpose to school can really make a difference to pupils’ mental health and overall engagement.” Could they take a extra-curricular workshop in something they enjoy, like health and beauty? Could a subject be extended to include a special interest? Could a pupil submit their work as a podcast, series of video shorts, animation or comic strip – at least in the early key stages before transitioning to more formal means of assessment? 

Pupils can express themselves in multiple ways and when needs and wants can’t be met, alternative choices are offered

“Two-way communication is really important, which is why, above and beyond “now and next” boards, I encourage use of “more and finished,” Darleen explains. “It’s a simple thing, but it empowers children to say whether they want to continue or whether they are done.” She also suggests choice boards and simple traffic light cards.

When it comes to managing wants and needs that you know you can’t fulfil, Darleen suggests reframing requests as a choice. 

“If at all possible, avoid saying ‘no’!” she advises. “A mini whiteboard can come in handy, so you can present two or more different options, even if you don’t immediately have a PECS or Widgit for that item. Once you’ve shown the visual, put it away and it signifies the end of the conversation. A child may not like either option and some may stamp their feet a little but they will find it harder to argue with a gestural prompt!”

When visuals are used, all staff should know what is to be offered in advance, especially during daily transitions. This avoids “inadvertently ending up with a good-cop bad cop situation,” Darleen cautions.

Relational behavioural policies are consistently embedded

Relational behavioural policies are the best way to reduce exclusions in any setting, but they work especially well for children with SEND. Continuous reinforcement is essential. “When a pupil displays challenging behaviour frequently, schools can fall out of the habit of following through with good reflective practice,” Matthew Lee observes, “but it’s really important to keep persisting. Once regulated, most children with special educational needs absorb more than might at first appear and following through with the technique allows you to get ahead of the behaviour next time. In order to help pupils, make sure you keep language to a minimum, simplify and keep questions you pose to a minimum and use real-world photos of facial expressions in your supporting visuals.” 

Taking the time to build trusting relationships where pupils feel adults respect and understand their needs is essential. Making sure all staff are regularly and consistently using trauma-informed approaches like PACE can reduce time spent out of class, as well as exclusions and suspensions.  

Staff are aligned around pupils’ SEMH needs and action plans

With a smaller number of pupils, all teaching staff and TAs are typically able to have weekly meetings to explore aspects of behaviour both in lessons and extra-curricular activities/play time that not every teaching professional might see. Specialist workshops are often held by SEMH outreach teams, who are trained social workers and staff regularly engage in scenario-based CPD. There’s also a tacit understanding that sometimes staff have to miss other meetings if they are spending time with a child who needs help to self-regulate.

Many special schools also make sure there is suitable supervision in place, helping staff process their own emotional responses. It may often be accompanied by methods such as solution circles providing a useful way of collectively troubleshooting behavioural problems.

Tips for commonly used SEMH strategies

Incredible 5-Point Scale

The “Incredible 5-Point Scale,” developed by Kari Dunn Burton and Mitzi Curtis, is a highly effective visual tool used to help children understand and manage their emotions, social interactions, and responses. You can read more about how to get the most out of the tool in our dedicated blog here.

Jo’s top tip: Although a template for a 5-Point Scale can be a good starting point, the most effective 5-Point Scales are personalised around a theme that the child will enjoy and recognise. 

Calm down kits

Teach the child how to use this in advance, then if they feel emotionally overwhelmed they can grab their personalised kit. They also satisfy needs such as sensory-seeking behaviours. Eventually it’s likely possible to reduce the number of things they need and frequency at which they need to access them. 

Matthew’s top tip: Think portable wherever possible. Relying on a large folder/sheets of paper/ or a heavy calm down kit that can’t be slimmed down into a portable unit limits the contexts it can be used in. Aim for lanyards/keyrings/lightweight boxes that can be easily used in other contexts, such as in assembly, at lunchtime or the playground.

Zones of Regulation

Make sure you are not falling into the habit of just using this as simply a daily check-in activity; make sure it’s being actively used as a remedial tool and that it’s personalised to the children who need it most. Some autistic children may need pre-teaching and it’s advisable to build up to a range of emotions and explicitly name them, for example, “it looks like you’re feeling excited”. Avoid the situation where pupils get hung up on ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ because they are the most commonly taught expressions and assumed to be the correct answers.

Matthew’s top tip: Make sure pupils know how to use the sensory kits that go underneath each zone to help them move on from just labelling emotions to actually being able to bring themselves back into the green zone. It needs to be at a child-friendly height, and where the behaviour might be triggered, such as lining up for lunchtime or in group work/play areas, as well as in the classroom. This can be backed up with laminated personalised versions of Zones that can go on desks or tucked into workbooks.

Calm down corners

Make sure they are adaptable to the needs of the child. As explained earlier, some children might need sensory deprivation to feel less anxious, others might feel more secure with brightly coloured rooms and textures in order to gain stimulation. 

Jo’s top tip: Plastering the walls with too many posters and calming strategies tends not to be that helpful for many children. It is often too generic, too wordy or too distracting. Instead, focus on providing something individualised and independently accessible, like personal calm down kits. These will need to be built up over time and used in the calm times as well as times of greater need, often with support from an attuned adult.  

Behavioural lanyards

These can work for some pupils, but make sure communication can flow two-ways and that they are safe to use with a particular individual as they can encourage yanking on teacher’s necks! The teacher can wear a lanyard that tells the child how they are feeling and the pupil can signal on their own lanyard their emotional state by way of return, or what they want and need. 

Reflection cards and restorative practice

Many children with special educational needs are capable of reflecting even though they may tell you otherwise. Thinking about what happened not only helps with what to do next time, but also assists children to cool down more quickly and prevent behaviour from escalating further. Comic strip conversations and reflection lanyards, such as the one from Twinkl below are a good example.

Nick Burnett and Margaret Thorsborne have written extensively on the topic of taking this a step further with restorative practice and this article in the European Forum for Restorative Justice has some great tips and case studies. Tes also have a free download that uses Widgit symbols to guide pupils through each stage.

Social stories

Used to help pupils understand social norms, social stories emphasise the positive action behind a particular behaviour (e.g. keeping our hands and feet to ourselves) and why it is desirable. They can be used as a pre-emptive tool and are really useful for helping reduce anxiety and overwhelm around major transitions to pupils, but also can be used as a reflective tool (i.e. what should have happened). 

Jo’s top tip: Co-created social stories are much more impactful and effective – the child may even like to draw what they picture is happening as you explain each step. Try not to recycle off-the-shelf examples.

Final points to remember

Ultimately, the goal of SEMH support, as highlighted by Darleen, Jo, and Matthew, is to create lasting change. This requires a three-pronged approach to implementation:

Ground in understanding: Ensure that every strategy is meticulously tailored to the individual pupil’s unique profile and needs.

Promote autonomy: Prioritise the development of pupil independence so they can utilise support strategies successfully on their own.

Teach proactively: Maximise the effectiveness of all strategies by teaching and practicing them before a crisis occurs.

About our contributors

Darleen Grimsby is the SENDCO and Inclusion Officer for Unity Education Trust. Her current research project is centred on providing mental health support for non-speaking autistic individuals, an area she is deeply passionate about. She has recently published a book Developing Educational Plans for Learners with SEND: How to Support Speaking and Non-Speaking Children in All Settings that provides practical ideas and resources to develop educational plans for learners to allow them to access the curriculum.

Matthew Lee is currently Vice Principal at Wales International School, shortlisted for the Tes International School of the Year 2025. He has been a senior leader in multiple award-winning inclusive international schools and has a strong background leading in both mainstream and specialist settings. He has been widely published, and writes about pastoral structures, leadership challenges and supporting marginalised groups in international schools. Matthew currently tutors on our iSENCO award.

Dr Joanna Wood is a practising Senior Educational Psychologist, and leads a team of educational psychologists at our sister company, Real Psychology. She is also a module leader on Real Training’s Senior Mental Health Lead Advanced Award. Prior to becoming an Educational Psychologist, Joanna spent fifteen years teaching in London secondary schools, including as Head of Science in a PRU.

As a part of Real Group, we’re pleased to announce that today, the company has transitioned from private ownership to being 100% employee owned.

Why transition to employee ownership?

This decision has been made after careful consideration of potential options, and is driven by the board of directors’ commitment to securing the long-term future and independence of Real Group Ltd. 

This ownership structure will allow Real Group to:

• Focus on its values and impact: Being owned by an Employee Ownership Trust (Real Group EOT Ltd) allows Real Group to maintain the core values and principles upon which the company was founded (inclusivity, integrity, positivity, curiosity, growth and sustainability). Our mission to transform lives and societies by delivering outstanding and inclusive professional development and services to educational settings will remain central to our strategic business plan.
• Maintain independence: This route ensures Real Group retains its independence, allowing us to continue the transformative work in schools across the UK and internationally that we have been known for over the last two decades.
• Continue to attract employees who share the company’s commitment and passion for inclusion: This will enable us to retain and recruit employees committed to carrying-on our work to support inclusive communities and promote positive mental health.
• Strengthen the existing company culture: Becoming employee owned will empower our teams to shape the future of the successful (and expanding) organisation they are contributing to.
• Be sustainable, stronger and future-ready: The change sets the company up to tackle the challenges of the future and establish long-term sustainability. Being employee owned provides a robust succession plan, securing the company’s future in the long-term.

What does this mean?

The EOT model is a change in ownership, but not a change in operation. The Trust will be governed by the newly formed board of trustees including long-standing company employees, one of the former owners – Dr Siobhan Mellor, and an independent trustee.

For the foreseeable future, nothing substantial will change. Dr Mark Turner remains as Managing Director and will continue to lead the company. This transition is about putting the building blocks in place so Real Group can flourish and continue its mission long into the future. Our delegates and partners should continue to expect high-quality course delivery, support and collaboration.

Dr Mark Turner, Managing Director, commented:

“We’re proud of the growth we’ve achieved and the significant positive impact we’ve had in the lives of children and young people with SEND over the last 20+ years. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our delegates and partners as we enter this exciting next stage of the company’s evolution.”

Dr Siobhan Mellor, Director of Pedagogy and Learning, added: 

“We have always aimed to be good employers, and this is a really exciting next step. This transition embeds a way for colleagues to grow together to continue our mission.” 

We are excited about this transition which secures our independence and commitment to supporting educational professionals and settings. Please feel free to contact us directly with any questions about what this new stage means for our valued partners and stakeholders.

Looking back on my years as a SENCo and deputy designated safeguarding lead, I often find myself revisiting the difficult conversations I’ve had with parents. I’ve talked about significant behavioural concerns, discussed sensitive and emotive safeguarding issues, and had to offer a conflicting opinion when stakes are high and emotions are strong.

The good news is that navigating these encounters, whilst never something you’ll look forward to, requires a skill set that can absolutely be developed and refined, moving you from simply dreading them to managing them productively. After all, developing effective partnerships with families is at the heart of being an effective teacher or SENCO. When you and a student’s parents are on the same page, everyone benefits. So you’ve already worked hard to lay the groundwork by keeping an open door policy, holding informal coffee mornings and being led by the cultural values of the families you are working with. But then something happens, and you know you are going to need to have a difficult conversation with a family and your heart sinks.

Those challenging conversations can sometimes feel a bit complex for us to navigate. Why is that? Research by Gartmeier et al. (2017) points to three fundamental differences between a teacher’s role and a parent’s role that impact communication. Understanding these is often the first step in being able to navigate challenging conversations with both empathy and efficiency! Whilst we can never avoid having to have challenging conversations with a parent or a carer, there are lots of ways to ensure it is a productive and ultimately positive experience.

Looking back on my years as a SENCO and deputy DSL, I often find myself revisiting the difficult conversations I’ve had with parents of children with SEND. I’ve talked about significant behavioural concerns, discussed sensitive and emotive safeguarding issues and had to offer a conflicting opinion when stakes are high and emotions are strong.

The good news is that navigating these encounters (whilst never something you’ll look forward to) requires a skill set that can be developed and refined, moving you from simply dreading them to managing them effectively. Having productive, difficult conversations early on in relationships can be a powerful way of building trust. After all, developing effective partnerships with families is at the heart of being an effective teacher or SENCO. When you and a student’s parents are on the same page, everyone benefits.

Why are these conversations so complex to navigate?

So you’ve already worked hard to lay the groundwork by keeping an open door policy, holding informal coffee mornings and being led by the cultural values of the families you are working with. But then something happens, and you know you are going to need to have a difficult conversation with a family and your heart sinks.

Those challenging conversations can sometimes feel a bit complex for us to navigate. Why is that? Research by Gartmeier et al. (2017) points to three fundamental differences between a teacher’s role and a parent’s role that impact communication. Understanding these is often the first step in being able to navigate challenging conversations with both empathy and efficiency! Whilst we can never avoid having to have challenging conversations with a parent or a carer, there are lots of ways to ensure it is a productive and ultimately positive experience.

The Relationship: Heart vs. Head

This is arguably the big one. For a parent, their child is their whole world. They have a deep, lifelong emotional attachment – and that’s absolutely how it should be! As someone who has also been on the parental side of a challenging conversation with a SENCO as well, I know my emotions were heightened and the tone and language used made a huge difference to how I felt as a parent and how I processed the information shared afterwards. If I’m being honest, it also influenced how I viewed the different professionals involved for quite a while later.

Equally, as a SENCO, you care deeply, but you also need to maintain an appropriate professional distance. This can allow you to be more objective about the student’s progress and behaviour in the classroom.

Key takeaways:

• Lead with empathy and kindness before sharing data or concerns. When talking with a parent, remember you’re speaking to someone whose emotions are heavily invested.
• Plan your approach. Decide what you want to say and why. Write a few key messages ahead of time to help you keep the conversation on track and, if necessary, refer back to three or four key things you want to cover in the meeting. Gather any necessary information or specific examples to support your points ahead of time. 
• Choose the right time and place. Pick a time when you and your parents are both calm and have plenty of time. Ensure the location is private and free from distractions. 
• Anticipate their reaction. Think about your parents’ perspective and how they might react. This will help you respond calmly and effectively.

The Responsibility: Forever vs. Today

Parents are responsible for their child in a massive, all-encompassing way – from their health to their happiness, often throughout their entire lives. It’s a huge, enduring but often incredibly rewarding role.

Teachers and SENCOs, however, have a time-limited instructional role. You’re focused on their academic and social growth right now. This boundary allows you to remain highly focused on specific school-based challenges and goals.

Key takeaways:

• Start with a positive. Begin by mentioning a positive aspect or strength to set a good tone before moving to the more difficult topic.
• Use clear and calm language. You have to be direct and honest, but this can be achieved with non-judgmental, compassionate language.
• Listen actively. Give them the chance to speak. Show you are listening by using phrases like “I can see why you’re concerned” and try to show you understand their point of view without necessarily agreeing.
• Keep the scope of the conversation focused on your shared goal: the learner’s success. If it goes off-topic, gently guide it back to the original purpose.

3. The Expertise: Parent Know-How vs. School Know-How

Let’s face it, no one knows the child better than the parent – their quirks, their history, their home life. They are the experts on their own child. But, as Gartmeier et al. suggest, they often have “low school-related expertise”. They may not understand the curriculum, the school’s systems, external processes, or pedagogical methods.

Conversely, SENCOs and teachers are the experts on the school system and best pedagogical practices. You know how things work! You also have the benefit of working with a range of learners, so will have a clearer oversight of what falls into the often wide range of developmentally or academically appropriate and what may require further exploration either via assessment, observation or referral to a specialist. This can also be helpful if you are trying to support a parent to navigate potentially overly simplistic data, for example, the parent who is extremely anxious about a two-month discrepancy between reading and chronological age, until you talk through their standardised scores showing they are making progress well within the normal range.

Key takeaways:

• Don’t assume parents understand school jargon or procedures. Your knowledge is a valuable asset, but it’s your job to translate it. Frame your advice in clear, actionable, and jargon-free ways. This is particularly important when discussing reports from other professionals.
• Share specific examples. Try to avoid vague statements and provide specific examples of behaviours or situations you want to address. For example, “we’ve observed that for the past three days Leo has walked to the back of the room for several minutes when given work to complete” instead of “his behaviour has been challenging”. State the impact on the individual pupils’ learning.
• Work together on solutions with your parents to co-produce a plan of action.
• Manage expectations. Understand that you may not reach a full resolution in a single conversation. It might be a process that requires ongoing discussion over time or requires other colleagues to be involved.

4. The unplanned challenging conversation or a planned conversation gone awry

The takeaways above often rely on a difficult conversation being planned ahead of time, but that is not always within our control. It happens to us all; you’re on the playground or rushing between classes and suddenly, an unexpected and angry parent is standing in front of you. Now what? Graham-Clay (2024) offers us a guide to navigating an unplanned, tough conversation with a parent.

When confronted, the first step is managing your own reaction.

• Breathe: Take a few deep breaths to stay calm.
• Acknowledge: Respond in a neutral tone and thank the parent for bringing the concern forward. This simple act validates their concern.
• Listen and paraphrase: Pay attention to their words and body language. Paraphrase the issue back to them. This ensures you clearly understand the problem and, crucially, makes the parent feel genuinely heard.

After the initial exchange, quickly decide if you can, or should, meet right now.

• Check capacity: Do you have enough time for a meaningful conversation?
• Consider backup: If the concern is serious, consider whether another staff member should be present.
• Find a good location: If you can meet immediately, invite them to continue in a private, safe location.
• Set the parameters by clarifying the timeframe (e.g., “I have 15 minutes”) and the intent of the discussion.

Once settled, use your best communication skills: active listening, strategic questioning, and observing non-verbal cues, aiming to end the conversation with clear next steps.

If you don’t have sufficient time or the issue requires investigation, politely book a planned meeting for the near future. Deferring the conversation shows the parent you heard them, but also gives you time to prepare and investigate the issue. You also get the added benefit of potentially meeting with a calmer parent later!

Whether planned or unplanned, things will on occasion become heated. It is useful to have a prepared ‘go-to’ phrase that you feel confident you can slowly and calmly deliver in the heat of the moment to de-escalate but also set a boundary for your own well-being on the kinds of interactions you will engage in.
“I can hear that you are frustrated, and I want to help solve this. But to do that effectively, we can only continue this conversation by communicating calmly”.

Look upon challenging conversations about SEND as an opportunity

The manner in which the current SEND system currently operates often forces parents into a combative role – last year 21,106 SEND tribunals were initiated.

Many parents are so used to having to fight their corner, or hearing from others that have had to do so, that they may be much more inclined to make inferences about what you are saying, or adopt a highly defensive position. This is especially true when things aren’t clearly communicated in context. If needed, try asking parents, “What worries you/what do you fear the most about X, Y, Z situation, or this proposed solution?” Offering the other person a chance to put across their perspective and be vulnerable helps us to listen with empathy and unpick their concerns.

As a SENCO, learning how to build trust as early as possible has never been more vital. Difficult conversations, handled well, are fantastic opportunities to cement a strong trust base that can carry you through potentially much more challenging things to navigate later down the line. The ultimate goal isn’t to avoid these difficult encounters, but to transform them into productive, dare I say, positive experiences.

As and when you know you need to have that difficult conversation, my message would be to give yourself enough time to plan for these conversations, but don’t delay them.

If you are naturally as conflict-avoidant as I am, remember to keep telling yourself, “the best time to start a difficult task is now”.

You’ll be glad you did.

Bibliography:

Gartmeier, M., Aich, G., Sauer, D., & Bauer, J. (2017). “Who’s afraid of talking to parents?”
Professionalism in parent–teacher conversations. Journal for Educational Research Online,
9(3), 5–11.

Graham-Clay, S. (2024) ‘Difficult Conversations With Parents: Practical Skills for Teachers’, School Community Journal, 34(1), pp. 61–84.

Katie Hickin is Real Training’s MEd Academic and Programme Lead. Prior to this, she has worked as a SENCO and Designated Safeguarding Lead in mainstream schools, and has also led specialist unit for children with complex needs.

We were once again delighted to celebrate with this year’s graduates at Middlesex University!

Donning their graduation caps and gowns, and celebrating in style, were our delegates who have completed Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Masters in Education.

Our Director of Pedagogy and Learning, Siobhan Mellor, and our SEND Programme Leader, Katie Hickin, headed up to Middlesex, with balloons and selfie frames, to commemorate our delegates’ hard work and their fantastic achievements!

The June 2025 Assessment Board outcomes included:

• 547 Modules successfully completed
• 23 Masters of Education awarded
• 14 Postgraduate Diplomas achieved
• 355 Postgraduate Certificates gained

Graduates from all around the world joined us for this very special day. Some even travelled impressive distances, such as all the way from California and the UAE!

Congratulations to all our 2025 graduates, we hope that your well earned qualifications have set you up for a successful future.

One of the graduates, Julie Cooper-Fear, shared her experience of studying: “I’ve had such a positive experience with Real Training – I found the tutor support to be incredible and every step of the way they have given me concise feedback and they’ve coached me through the process. They have really helped me grow and understand what I want to do in the future.

All of the knowledge and skills I have developed have made me into a very well-rounded educational professional – thank you!”

We’d like to wish our successful delegates a huge congratulations and best of luck in all their future plans!

If you’re feeling inspired by our graduates, then why not take a look at some of our courses to find out how you could take your career further?