Sara Alston

Uta Frith: ‘Autism is not a spectrum’ The autism spectrum has widened to the point of collapse, affecting how teachers should support autistic pupils in the classroom, researcher Uta Frith tells Helen Amass

‘I’ve been swept up by the autism spectrum idea, and it’s only in the past 10 years that I have felt things have gone too far. Very slowly, I have come to say, “No, this is not right”’: Autism expert professor Uta Frith talks to @helen-amass.bsky.social

I am also working in Supervision in Education, particularly for DSLs. Please message me

Thoughts about the SEND White Paper The SEND Consultation and the related White Paper are currently proposals about proposals: It is far from perfect and the devil will be in the detail. However, I am cautiously optimistic. This is more...

www.seainclusion.co.uk/post/thought...

If you are trying to work your way through the SEND White Paper, my blog may help

Thanks to Sara @seainclusion.bsky.social for reading and concisely analysing her view on education reform I found it helpful.
@talkingheadsoak.bsky.social #EduSky

Thoughts about the SEND White Paper The SEND Consultation and the related White Paper are currently proposals about proposals: It is far from perfect and the devil will be in the detail. However, I am cautiously optimistic. This is more than a rearrangement of the deck chairs on the Titanic. It is a document with scope and ambition which recognises that reform of education, including SEND, is a long term project. It views SEND as part of a wider approach to education, not something that can be ‘fixed’ with some tinkering at the ed

I am cautiously optimistic about the proposals in the SEND White Paper. Please read why.
www.seainclusion.co.uk/post/thought...

8 better than recent attempts

KCSIE consultation February 2026: What are the proposed changes? This is a consultation. A lot can and almost certainly will change between now and September, so there is no need for school staff to panic and rush into making changes. However, this document does gi...

The consultation version of KCSIE is 200 pages long with a wide range of changes including the long awaited guidance on supporting gender questioning children. I hope my blog will help others find their way through this vast document.

www.seainclusion.co.uk/post/kcsie-c...

JANE FONDA: “I know Don Lemon. My husband created CNN. And I will fight for their right to speak… they arrested the wrong Don. This is how autocrats act. We can’t fall for it.”

Streets Of Minneapolis | Bruce Springsteen I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis,...

brucespringsteen.net/news/2026/st...

Streets Of Minneapolis | Bruce Springsteen I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis,...

brucespringsteen.net/news/2026/st...

The SEND funding announcement - more questions than answers.

The announcement of funding for a SEND teacher training programme promoted a lot of debate, on our Facebook page & offline. We asked Sara Alston @seainclusion.bsky.social to give us her thoughts.

Read full article: zurl.co/cixwp

Daily Express headline saying elderly living in poverty 'could exceed 2 million'.

So half as many as the number of children living in poverty, then - but maybe they're not the Express's key demographic.

Headteacher Update Podcast: SEND staffing in primary schools - Headteacher Update Discover how primary schools can maximise the impact of the teaching team to deliver excellent SEND provision

Headteacher Update Podcast: In a new episode, we discuss ideas for how primary #schools can maximise the impact of the #teaching team to deliver excellent SEND provision, with great ideas from the amazing @seainclusion.bsky.social – Beth Tanton & Dr Kulvarn Atwal: buff.ly/Rkxj5SV #education

Happy birthday

A smug 9

Headteacher Update Podcast: In a new episode, we discuss ideas for how primary #schools can maximise the impact of the #teaching team to deliver excellent SEND provision, with great ideas from the amazing @seainclusion.bsky.social – Beth Tanton & Dr Kulvarn Atwal: buff.ly/Rkxj5SV #education

Conversations with parents about physical chastisement - Headteacher Update How can school safeguarding teams respond if parents are hitting their children as a form of physical punishment?

The law protects parents who physically punish their children, but to a point & the line is fine. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – on how DSLs can talk to these parents: buff.ly/ls1r6yZ (Get access to this article via our Safeguarding Digest: buff.ly/47SIzqG)

Conversations with parents about physical chastisement - SecEd How can school safeguarding teams respond if parents are hitting their children as a form of physical punishment?

The law protects parents who physically punish their children, but to a point & the line is fine. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – on how DSLs can talk to these parents: buff.ly/8ylmJUV (Get access to this article via the SecEd Safeguarding Digest: buff.ly/I0nq3Q8)

Headteacher Update Podcast: In a new episode, we discuss ideas for how primary #schools can maximise the impact of the #teaching team to deliver excellent SEND provision, with great ideas from the amazing @seainclusion.bsky.social – Beth Tanton & Dr Kulvarn Atwal: buff.ly/Rkxj5SV #education

Conversations with parents about physical chastisement - Headteacher Update How can school safeguarding teams respond if parents are hitting their children as a form of physical punishment?

The law protects parents who physically punish their children, but to a point & the line is fine. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – on how DSLs can talk to these parents: buff.ly/ls1r6yZ (Get access to this article via our Safeguarding Digest: buff.ly/47SIzqG)

Conversations with parents about physical chastisement - SecEd How can school safeguarding teams respond if parents are hitting their children as a form of physical punishment?

The law protects parents who physically punish their children, but to a point & the line is fine. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – on how DSLs can talk to these parents: buff.ly/8ylmJUV (Get access to this article via the SecEd Safeguarding Digest: buff.ly/I0nq3Q8)

A model for teaching assistant appraisal - SecEd An outline of an effective appraisal system for the development and recognition of your school’s teaching assistants

The development & recognition of your school’s #teaching assistants begins with effective appraisal systems tailored to this unique role. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – considers what such a system looks like in practice:

A model for teaching assistant appraisal - Headteacher Update An outline of an effective appraisal system for the development and recognition of your school’s teaching assistants

The development & recognition of your school’s #teaching assistants begins with effective appraisal systems tailored to this unique role. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – considers what such a system looks like in practice: buff.ly/CZj7eD7 #schools #education #CPD

Supporting your Jewish pupils in school This is an incredibly difficult time for the Jewish community. We are still reeling from the attack on Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur (2nd October) which was both dreadful in itself...

My latest blog looks at the vulnerablities of Jewish pupils in schools at the moment and how they can be supported. Please read.
www.seainclusion.co.uk/post/support...

A model for teaching assistant appraisal - SecEd An outline of an effective appraisal system for the development and recognition of your school’s teaching assistants

The development & recognition of your school’s #teaching assistants begins with effective appraisal systems tailored to this unique role. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – considers what such a system looks like in practice

A model for teaching assistant appraisal - SecEd An outline of an effective appraisal system for the development and recognition of your school’s teaching assistants

The development & recognition of your school’s #teaching assistants begins with effective appraisal systems tailored to this unique role. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – considers what such a system looks like in practice:

A model for teaching assistant appraisal - Headteacher Update An outline of an effective appraisal system for the development and recognition of your school’s teaching assistants

The development & recognition of your school’s #teaching assistants begins with effective appraisal systems tailored to this unique role. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – considers what such a system looks like in practice buff.ly/CZj7eD7 #schools #education #CPD

A model for teaching assistant appraisal - Headteacher Update An outline of an effective appraisal system for the development and recognition of your school’s teaching assistants

The development & recognition of your school’s #teaching assistants begins with effective appraisal systems tailored to this unique role. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – considers what such a system looks like in practice buff.ly/CZj7eD7 #schools #education #CPD

A model for teaching assistant appraisal - SecEd An outline of an effective appraisal system for the development and recognition of your school’s teaching assistants

The development & recognition of your school’s #teaching assistants begins with effective appraisal systems tailored to this unique role. Sara Alston – @seainclusion.bsky.social – considers what such a system looks like in practice – buff.ly/zDanWpi

Delighted to have a copy of Kenny Wheeler's excellent new book for SENCos