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Practical guidance on SEND operations, inclusion strategy, and the systems schools need to support pupils well.
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Browse all articlesA SEND handover is not a folder: the archive-dump problem
A SEND handover fails when the receiving teacher can find the file but not the current need, what works or what happens next. Use this practical UK test and checklist.
How we built a SEND document generator from real local authority examples
Local authority SEND formats vary, so a single generic template will never fit. Here is how we used SEND document examples from across England, plus synthetic test cases built with practising SENDCOs, to develop an evidence-grounded generation system.
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Product thinking, policy notes, and lessons from schools putting this into practice.
Switching SEND software in UK schools: the one-click migration myth
The one-click migration myth is that moving SEND software means uploading files and carrying on. This UK guide covers controlled migration of provision, plans, passports, evidence, reviews, permissions and exports.
Tes Provision Map alternatives for UK schools: where the map stops and SEND documentation begins
Tes Provision Map alternatives for UK schools should be judged on more than the map. Compare the full SEND workflow, from costed provision and pupil passports to plans, reviews, reporting and controlled migration.
How SENCO software should reduce paperwork without losing accuracy
Good SENCO software should reduce repeated admin while keeping evidence, professional judgement and the current SEND record clear. Here is how schools can judge whether a platform actually does that.
How to write a SEN support review that changes the next plan
A useful SEN support review compares the current plan with what actually happened, records pupil and parent views, and makes the next decision clear. Use this practical workflow.
Read articleNotional SEN budget 2026/27: what the £6,000 figure really means
The notional SEN budget is not a ring-fenced pot and it does not provide £6,000 for every pupil with SEN. Here is how mainstream schools should read the 2026/27 guidance and test whether funding matches provision.
Read articleChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026: SEND Home Education Checks Before Roll Removal
What should schools check before removing a pupil with SEND from roll for home education? This guide separates current duties from the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 measures still awaiting commencement.
Read articleA new SENCO's first 30 days: the record audit that keeps September calm
Start with the live record. Find the current support document for every pupil, give it an owner and next check date, flag what still needs verification, and give classroom staff one usable view.
Read articleNew DfE Five to Twelve Study: What Primary Schools Should Change for SEN
The DfE’s Five to Twelve Year 1 findings show that SEN differences are already visible at the start of primary school. Here is what schools should change in observation, evidence collection, and early support.
Read articleHow to Write a SEN Support Plan Without Waiting for a Diagnosis
A diagnosis is not a prerequisite for support. Use this practical guide to write a SEN Support Plan from observed need, recorded evidence and a clear review cycle.
Read articleHow to Turn a Specialist SEND Report Into a Support Plan Staff Can Use
A practical workflow for turning educational psychology, speech and language or occupational therapy advice into a current SEN Support plan without losing evidence or inventing certainty.
Read articleUpdated Exclusion Guidance 2026: What Schools Must Record for Pupils With SEND
The statutory exclusions guidance changed on 26 July 2026. Here is the SEND evidence schools should check before a suspension, managed move or permanent exclusion.
Read articleHow to Make Safeguarding Reporting Accessible for Pupils With SEND
A pupil cannot use a reporting route they cannot understand or access. This practical guide helps SENCOs and DSLs record communication needs without confusing support documents with safeguarding files.
Read articleHow to Write Measurable SEN Support Plan Targets That Start With Evidence
A target is only measurable when the starting point, context and review method are clear. Use this practical process to turn observed evidence into SEN Support Plan outcomes staff can review properly.
Read articleSEN Information Report Checklist 2026: What Schools Must Publish and Keep Current
An SEN information report cannot be a policy PDF that gets checked once a year. Use this practical 2026 checklist to make sure the public page matches how SEND support actually works in your school.
Read articleHow to Write a PMLD Support Plan Staff Can Use on a Difficult Day
A PMLD support plan must work when routines change, communication is subtle and a pupil's health or comfort shifts. This practical structure keeps the plan specific and usable.
Read articleNew DfE Autism and SEMH Evidence Review: What Mainstream Schools Should Record
The DfE's new review finds promising approaches for autism and SEMH, but no universal answer. Here is how schools can turn that finding into better intervention decisions and records.
Read articleHow to Keep a Pupil Passport Current: A Version-Control Workflow for Schools
A pupil passport only helps when staff trust that it is current. Use this practical draft, approve, publish, review and archive workflow to stop old information circulating.
Read articleAssess, Plan, Do, Review Is Not Four Headings: How to Build a SEND Evidence Trail
A practical guide to turning the assess, plan, do, review cycle into a reliable SEND evidence trail that shows what changed, why it changed and what happened next.
Read articleWhen Should a School Involve a SEND Specialist? A SENCO Evidence Checklist
Know when specialist involvement is the right next step, what evidence to prepare and how to turn advice into classroom action rather than another report in a folder.
Read articleWhat a structured pupil needs profile can do that a folder of PDFs cannot
SEND evidence often exists, but not in a form staff can reuse safely. A structured pupil needs profile keeps voice, source and current needs visible without flattening everything into one summary.
Read articleAI for SEND documents: 8 checks before staff use it
Generic AI can turn a prompt into a plausible plan in seconds. That does not make the plan safe, accurate or useful. These eight checks help SENCOs choose a more controlled approach.
Read articlePost-16 SEND study programmes 2026 to 2027: the handover schools need to get right
Updated DfE guidance puts individual needs, employment preparation and the right support at the centre of post-16 study programmes. Schools can make that work by sending a current, usable handover rather than a folder of history.
Read articleWhy unmapped content matters when schools import SEND documents
A clean import can still be a bad import if important evidence disappears. Here is how schools should review mapped, uncertain and unmapped content when moving SEND records out of Word files and PDFs.
Read articleMeritDocs appointed supplier on the Government Commercial Agency's Low Value Purchase System
MeritDocs Ltd is an appointed supplier on the Government Commercial Agency (GCA) Low Value Purchase System (LVPS), Agreement RM6237. Here is what that route means for public-sector buyers.
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