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The SEN Pod, Chelmsford (2026)

20/11/2025

TRACK IT!
It’s more likely than not, that when you speak to a SEND professional about an ongoing issue or concern, they are going to ask you to keep a diary of events! What happened, what time it happened, why it might have happened, what happened before the incident and what happened afterwards. 🤷🏾‍♀️
Yep! So why not be ahead of the game. Once you notice something different in your child that raises your eyebrows start to investigate and log your findings. That way you don’t have to book an appointment to come back! This is NOT the time for guess work, not only will thd data be incorrect but you the wrong data can actually affect a diagnosis. 😳
Plus the professional will note that you are on it and have been ding the detective work and taking notes.
I would say keeping a diary for at least 2 weeks is a sweet spot.
Your findings might even surprise YOU! 🙃

05/08/2025

Visions or Goals🤷🏾‍♀️
Trust me there is a difference! So Beware!

Don’t confuse the big picture with the parts that make UP the picture. However A vision is made up of goals. We’ve all had a vision or two They are part of each other.

Summer holidays is the best time when parents want to try and achieve some goals for their children. Especially if they are moving from one significant level of education to another eg from nursery to Reception or from primary to secondary 🇬🇧 It’s usually because they have at least 5-6 wks. It’s at least enough to START!
But Start WHAT?

Let’s keep it simple!
Let’s say your VISION you have for your child is to be more independent. 🤷🏾‍♀️
This could mean toilet training or a sleeping routine, it could even be for your child to start eating more foods or communicating more. whatever doesn’t matter.
So these could be the vision right?

To make the vision more ACHIEVABLE we need to split it into bite sized GOALS.

We DO NOT want to overwhelm our children or dysregulate them. We need to think about the vision and how we execute the goals.

6 weeks holidays may not be enough! We need to keep going regardless instead of stressing them.

Homework
1. What is a one vision you have for your child? Is it attainable? Has your child developed enough to be able to do this?
Is your child even ready? Think of these things BEFORE you start thinking of the goals.
2. Now try and split the vision into attainable goals and see what you come up with.

Are you ready? More importantly, is your child ready? This homework might let you know🤷🏾‍♀️

Then we can move on to the next level.

29/07/2025

It’s the Summer Hols and many parents are feeling the stress of getting their children ready for transition to Reception Year, a new nursery and even Secondary School.
Toileting is often the big one! More and more schools/educational establishments are refusing children without being toilet trained or an EHCPlan and this is leading to more children and their families being emotionally dysregulated!
Parents often have a goal but it’s often the strategies and or processes to be used that often lead to some kind of break down.
AND sometimes it’s even the GOAL that’s wrong! We haven’t always looked at the child’s developmental age or capabilities, their sensory needs and how that might impact their learning etc. if the goal itself is wrong how are the processes going to work? And if the goal is right but the strategies and timings are wrong then we might as well stop and start all over again. 😫
So before we turn summer upside down, let’s begin to breakdown the differences between the 3 and how best YOU as a parent/carer can achieve some progress.

Stay tuned!

30/06/2025

What’s on the menu? Order a review!
If you haven’t already; then it’s time - to book a slot to talk about YOUR child’s needs including progress and or difficulties they might be having AND how best to support them for the next stage. We are talking about transitions to Reception, secondary school and even just starting nursery.
This is your time to talk about your intentions, what you’ve noticed so far in regards to your child and even your fears for their next class and including things that YOU’RE finding difficult as a parent. Yess! It’s okay not to be okay ALL the time. MENCAP is also a great platform for parents with SEN children run by parents with SEN parents and trust me that helps so don’t finish this term without booking an appointment. So please reach out and contact them here on their FB group.

Hope this helps and let me know other things you would want me to talk about

03/12/2024

Will your child be starting their Reception Year in 2025?
Have you thought deeply about what your child needs in school?
Do your research BEFORE you choose the next school for your child. Here are some points you can think about to help you go about choosing the right school for your child’s needs.

#

05/11/2024

What time is it?
Top Tip!
If your child is currently 4 years old Or will be 4 years old by the 30th of August 2025, lease apply for a school place now or before the middle of January 2025. Your child does not have to have attended a nursery or child day care.
In this post I’m not referring to SEN Schools, Private Schools, Resource schools or any other school outside of the state school where most children start their reception Year. UK 🇬🇧

Tip 1️⃣ is to apply ‼️

Please don’t be caught out! It really is difficult to find a school that you want or close to where you live if you forget. Put it in the diary and let’s start planning how to choose the school for YOUR child
Follow for more tips. It’s that important!

02/10/2024

Don’t take the bait! 🎣
It’s still early days but some of our children have only just started their Reception Year. It’s actually a big deal‼️
But some children will need more time than others to settle in and that’s to be expected too. And that’s why I think a staggered approach will suit many children. However some parents have been told by a teacher, SENCO and others that they don’t think their school can meet the child’s needs and that the parents should look for another school for their child! 🤦🏾‍♀️

Accept in some specific situations as in if mentioned by a parent in the EHCPLAN or at a tribunal or resource provision meeting does does the parent have the opportunity to choose the school for their child. School places are awarded to children through the parent address and if they have a sibling at the school. Teachers, SENCO’s or even Head Masters do not have the right, the power or the privilege to deny a child their space on a needs basis! And they certainly do NOT have the right to ask the parent to go out and look for another school themselves when their child has already got one!

Please DO NOT take the bait and remove your child from the school🙏🏾 only for your child to sit at home waiting for a random school place that can be miles away from their home! It’s gets more complicated when you decide to turn down a school place without one in hand. I know of children who have missed school for a whole academic year because of this. It is not for you to find another school for your child.

Instead, ask for a meeting to discuss and know what the SCHOOL is going to put in place to ensure your child has an education? And even a staggered entry approach should be within 6 weeks!

YES It’s October but It’s still early days and maybe your child needs more time and that’s okay! Trust the process Give it time and work with the school to make it a smooth process. But don’t let them force your child out! Root for a smooth transition instead.

03/09/2024

And ALL the awards go to….
Yes there’s one for you too!
Doesn’t matter how you did it but that you did like an Olympian in full warrior mode!

And now you’re here - starting a new term.

Well done
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

# senparenting p

18/06/2024

Parents ask me how they can get their children to talk every day. That’s because they’re concerned when there’s a delay and so it has become so important to them for so many reasons.

Top Top Tuesday!

Creating an environment for language

What does it mean to create or to cultivate? It means sowing, growing, watering, feeding (with healthy nutrients) knowing when to Pune or cut, and after much patience harvest!

If we for one moment compare ourselves to farmers then we’ll understand that reaping just doesn’t happen! It takes a whole lotta patience and most of all CONSISTENCY! And even after this the harvest can seem slow or nonexistent🤦🏾‍♀️
This is where hope prevails otherwise there’s not much hope sowing.

And contrary to belief the spoken language isn’t the first entrance to communicating. 🤷🏾‍♀️There are so many more important steps that come before language itself and the first is shared attention.

However, early intervention is key and with parents being the first educators and the ones who know their children best, space they can encourage their children to communicate by providing a fertile environment for communication. Comment below if you need any more information on this topic.

# senparenting

16/06/2024

A birthday is always (for me anyway) a day of immense gratitude to God for life, family, friends and hope for times to come!
Today as mostly is the case🤪 share it with you a host of honourable fellas out there that have stood in the position of a mentor to children in one capacity of another and I’m okay with that!
Thanku in advance for all calls, well wishes and the lot. I’m truly grateful you don’t even know it ♥️

The SEN Pod

20/11/2025

05/08/2025

29/07/2025

30/06/2025

03/12/2024

05/11/2024

02/10/2024

03/09/2024

18/06/2024

16/06/2024

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