Disabled Children’s Activity Programme – Easter holidays 2025

by Martine Cunningham Comment Closed
Children with disabilities who live in Leicester city can take part in free activities over the Easter holiday.  Activity sessions will take place at Thurnby Lodge children, young people and family centre on Tuesday 15 April and Tuesday 22nd April from 1.30 to 4.30pm.  Please note siblings are welcome to attend, and parents/carers are required to accompany  and support their children during the session.   A food hamper will be provided to those families attending where their child is receiving benefits related free school meals. No booking is required, however, those attending will be asked to complete a registration form on arrival.  Further information can be found on families.leicester.gov.uk/disabled-childrens-activity-programme SEND Easter Programme 2025Download...
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Open Letter on the SEND Crisis

by Becki Comment Closed
Educational Psychologists and relevant organisations have written to the Department for Education (DfE) asking for a new approach to the SEND system. The full letter can be found below. They are asking for: "a repositioning of ‘SEND’ within the wider education system so that it is no longer viewed as a ‘bolt-on’ or afterthought as it is now. Rather, those children and young people who need something additional and/or different to access education must be considered as central to all educational policy"....
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9 OFSTED Annual Report Findings

by Becki Comment Closed
There were nine key findings from the latest OFSTED Annual Report that you might find relevant and important. More schools ‘good’ or better, but fewer ‘outstanding’ More ‘outstanding’ schools keep grade after ‘wake-up call’ Fewer schools eligible for intervention Schools’ ‘deeper’ curriculum thinking helped catch-up Schools are ‘rising to the behaviour challenge’ Nearly a third of areas ‘failing’ on SEND AP used as a ‘shadow SEND system’ Short inspections ‘restrict professional dialogue’ Improving picture for ITT What does this all mean? Overall, schools have seen an improvement when it comes to inspections - for example, 97% of schools that had "inadequate" ratings had improved. Nationally, 89% of schools are now rated as "good" or "outstanding". Despite the government bringing more schools under their scope for intervention (if a school "requires improvement" twice in a row, the government must intervene), the number of schools actually under government guidance has dropped. Behaviour is a common theme that comes up in discussions around education. Whilst 93% of primary schools were judged "good"...
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