@sharonlsmith
‘Dr. mum’. Learning about: ‘wacky philosophies’, creative research approaches, education, disability, inclusion, (not)belonging, becoming, co-production, risk/vulnerability, policy, Down syndrome. Co-director Special Needs Jungle https://linktr.ee/sharonls
image shows fingers places letters spelling out “make it easy” colourised in green
NEW POST: When “Easy Read” isn’t easy: @sharonlsmith.bsky.social asks why a consultation impacting disabled children and young people is set up to risk excluding them… www.specialneedsjungle.com/e...
NEW POST: A parent has launched a legal challenge against the Schools White Paper's SEND consultation. Catriona Moore writes about Melissa Hayhurst's claim that the plans are an “irrational, unfair” fundamental change www.specialneedsjungle.com/legal-challe...
NEW POST: The SEND reforms in the Schools White Paper reveal rights given, and rights stripped away— here is our initial overview www.specialneedsjungle.com/send-reforms... #SaveOurChildrensRights
SNJ NEW POST: After yesterday’s horrors, we take a calm look at that and some baffling independent school funding news. We say The Department for Education needs a plumber, better policymakers, less panic, and someone who truly understands SEND www.specialneedsjungle.com/dfe-needs-pl...
NEW POST: We’ve had a few SEND funding-related announcements recently. SNJ’s Matt explains the cash splash: What it means and if it’ll improve provision… www.specialneedsjungle.com/send-cash-wi...
ALLFIE’s Coalition for Inclusive Education has written to Schools Minister @georgiagould.bsky.social with concerns about systemic and structural barriers that push Disabled children and young people out of mainstream education, ahead of the SEND Schools White Paper:
www.allfie.org.uk/briefings/mi...
NEW POST: More government announcements today—this time changing mainstream units and resourced provision to “Inclusion Bases”: a new label, a big ambition, same unanswered questions www.specialneedsjungle.com/inclusion-ba...
Is this really why Labour MPs think they were elected: to strip some of the most vulnerable children in the country of their right to a decent start in life?
My @theipaper.com column on looming SEND reforms inews.co.uk/opinion/pare...
thank you John - it is not difficult to find alternative words to describe people whose actions you find 1. Ill‑judged
2. Reckless 3. Misguided 4. Thoughtless 5. Careless 6. Lacking foresight 7. Unwise 8. Inconsiderate 9. Poorly planned 10. Counterproductive etc etc
No need for ableist language!!
I was pretty cynical about the government’s listening exercise on send. But the more that is leaked, the more cynical it appears their whole approach is and was to disabled children and their families. It’s heartbreaking and cruel.
Ugh… well let’s hope at the next election they vote for someone who is more careful with their language 🤣
I am not your mate 🤣
And just because it’s everyday language doesn’t mean it’s acceptable and not offensive.
Maybe do some reading around ableism before you try to call me out for my comments.
If i lived in your constituency (thank goodness i don’t) this would put me off voting for you.
The same applies to stupid which you also used.
I am not a woke snowflake, before people jump on me. I just think that in a world where we have so many alternatives it is a problem to use such language when it can offend/is ableist.
Have a good day.
“Idiots” is ableist language - please could you carefully consider your choice of words.
We have a language that provides many other words that you could use to express yourself that would not be as offensive to some people who have learning disabilities and their families.
Thank you ☺️
Latest from me, and one of the most important pieces on Special Needs I've written so far: "In fifteen years of political journalism, I don’t think I have seen anything quite like this: a mad game of briefing, counter-briefing and official stonewalling."
maybeimamazed.substack.com/p/why-the-po...
NEW POST: The National Education Union announces support for the Save Our Children’s Rights campaign to protect SEND legal rights! www.specialneedsjungle.com/national-edu... #saveourchildrensrights
On the use of labels like 'complex' or 'severe' needs and the consequences of that. Very good overview of why they are misleading and unhelpful.
NEW POST: Complex needs, simple cuts: how vague, undefinable labels and lazy terminology could be a roadmap to rationing who gets SEND support. www.specialneedsjungle.com/complex-need...
image shows AI-generated cartoon of dismayed looking children at desks being dropped on by dirty water in a dark seria duotone
NEW POST: After a weekend of leaks, it’s time for the Government to realise that anonymous briefing of poorly thought-through plans and cuts to SEND rights will only end in tiers… however many tiers that may be… www.specialneedsjungle.com/l...
#Disability #SENDSky
Image shows a harrassed looking professional behind a laptop, colourised in yellow
NEW POST: “We are living on a knife-edge” @sharonlsmith.bsky.social reviews new #SENCo research that sounds the alarm about the high cost of under-funded and under-resourced mainstream inclusion www.specialneedsjungle.com/k... #SENDCo
#Disability #SENDSky #SaveOurChildrensRights
NEW POST Why the Government’s “SEND conversation” fell flat with parents: It’s failing to learn from voices of past experience www.specialneedsjungle.com/why-governme...
image shows a copy of the infographic in the post (accessible pdf in post)
NEW EXCLUSIVE: Our hero, @captaink77.bsky.social has followed the money via FOIs, discovering LAs largely ignored the Government’s “strong recommendations” to spend SEND cash on mainstream places: www.specialneedsjungle.com/e...
#SEND #EHCP #saveourchildrensrights #Disability #SENDSky
Now, in the first week of 2026, we’re back to where we were last spring: newspaper reports of the right to statutory support in education being slashed, and parents’ anxiety raised to new heights. And all of this during the festive period, when no one can get any answers about anything.
This on the ongoing SEND mess, by @catrionamoore.bsky.social, is a must-read www.specialneedsjungle.com/leaks-denial...
“SEND: Opening resource bases ‘risks making you a magnet school’” Inclusion must not be optional. It must be defined by national criteria that can’t be fudged when Ofsted comes round—and heads must face losing their jobs if they fail to meet them.
www.tes.com/magazine/news/ge...
“Performative, chaotic and desperate” The DfE’s national SEND “conversation”
Today’s @spcialndsjungle.bsky.social post
www.specialneedsjungle.com/performative...
image shows the inquiry cover plus three of the post graphics (graphics have alt text in post
NEW POST: In the 2nd SNJ article on the Education Committee's behemoth #SEND Inquiry report, we examine proposals to force the NHS to pay up, plus fixing #EarlyYears and #Post16 #education By @rachel.stopsafetyvalve.uk @sharonlsmith.bsky.social @tanialt.bsky.social www.specialneedsjungle.com/s...
image shows a map of Onrario in red, with a screenshot of the Ontario system document cover and an ontarian flag
NEW POST: The Ontario system: As Ministers search for new ways to "fix" SEND, they're looking overseas. @captaink77.bsky.social & @sharonlsmith.bsky.social ask, are they considering a Canadian province’s #SEND structure for England? www.specialneedsjungle.com/o...
In their latest attack on EHCPS, LAs say schools are fighting attempts to place SEND children, some claiming an EHCP is an easy way to say they cannot meet needs. No EHCP=you’d never know why they refused, or they’ll exclude later #SaveOurChildrensRights schoolsweek.co.uk/enforcemen...
www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Thank you @helenhayes.bsky.social
This Labour party is, for anyone who hadn't spotted it yet, exactly the same as the damn Tories were.