The Naïve SENDCo Series In a mythical realm where harmony exists amongst the great thinkers of our era, sits a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Assistant Headteacher Okay, so it's a bit of a mouthful. It doesn't quite have the same ring to it as SENDCo, does it? But, the time for great change is … Continue reading The Fall of the Coordinator
Just over ten years ago, I fixed my gaze firmly on leadership. Armed with little more than confidence, enthusiasm, and a spectacular lack of experience, I was convinced that leadership was leadership, regardless of scale or setting. The logic felt sound at the time: if you could lead a classroom, manage behaviour, motivate thirty young … Continue reading The Art of Effective Delegation as a Middle Leader
The Naïve SENDCo Series In the chronicles of the SENDCo saga, there is one mantle few dare to speak of aloud - the invisible armour, forged not of steel, but of empathy, exhaustion and endless unseen vigils Settling into my role as Squire SENDCo, responsible for the practical and often unglamorous tasks, I set out … Continue reading The Burden Bearer: Tales From the Heart of SEND Leadership
A woman ensnared by profound sorrow and a misaligned sense of duty, bound by the constraints of her time. Is it not high-time we reconsider how we read this deeply misunderstood heroine? When I first encountered Shakespeare's Macbeth, I was beguiled by the trickery and deceitful nature of the leading lady. But as time yawned … Continue reading The Dichotomy of Lady Macbeth
The Naïve SENDCo Series As dawn broke through the early morning horizon, the Naïve SENDCo retreated to the troop accommodation to share battle wounds and strategy. As an educator, passionate about my field, there is nothing more fulfilling than galloping off to conference at the end of the working week, where there is the opportunity … Continue reading We Collaborate Special: Tales of the Naïve SENDCo
The Naïve SENDCo Series Past the valley of forgotten purpose lies the Land of Mediation, where confused struggles dwell a plenty. Before the dawn of a post-covid era, a mere 271,2001 students of the total pupil population had won the battle for an EHCP. Yet as the setting sun languished in late summer of 2023, … Continue reading The Melee of Mediation
Come with me as we journey through the misty realm of unrealistic expectations and the valley of forgotten purpose. The mythical creature that is the SENDCo is possibly the most misunderstood of all the teaching fairy tale characters. I talk about it in this way because rather than being the hero of the tale, the … Continue reading The Tale of the Naïve SENDCo
The hardest part about applying for a position on SLT was not knowing what to expect or how to even begin to prepare - hopefully this post might alleviate some of those worries for others out there. If you are coming to this post the night before the application deadline or the day of the … Continue reading Securing My First Senior Leadership Position
Here's where you are hoping that I give you the golden egg of creative writing, but unfortunately that is not how this cookie is going to crumble. I am not here to profess an uncanny talent for getting students full marks on Section B of the creative writing exam, I simply want to share some … Continue reading Miss Hale’s Approach to Teaching Creative Writing
There's nothing worse than when you're just done ad libbing a beautifully constructed example and a student tells you that they 'don't get it' or your perfectly planned and typed WAGOLL isn't quite getting the reception you'd hoped for. Overcoming these sometimes-unexpected hurdles mid-lesson can be quite daunting, right? Not to mention those moments when … Continue reading My Teacher Exercise Book
This wasn't a scheduled post, but I wanted to address the reality of returning to school, for the adults, after such a long period of absence (otherwise known as the Summer Holidays) For me, the Summer Holidays are always fraught with anxiety and having too much time to sit and ponder EVERYTHING, and I mean … Continue reading Returning to School After 1008 Hours
At the beginning of my career I was told that I had to pick one of two routes, the academic route or the pastoral route... no pressure. Now, I'm not the brightest crayon in the box and it takes me a while to master something properly so the idea that I had to quickly pick … Continue reading Why I Went Back to The Academic Route
A Scouser's Guide to Education 