SAYING GOODBYE: THE CIRCLE OF LIFE AND THE SCHOOL YEAR
July 22, 2016 As the school year 2015-16 comes to its end, like so many teachers, I am saying goodbye to pupils and colleagues. In my...
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Sara Alston
Nov 14, 20196 min read
MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIOUR NOVEMBER 2018
November 21, 2018 This is non-statutory guidance to go alongside the existing guidance on Behaviour and Discipline in Schools (2016) and...
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Sara Alston
Nov 14, 20193 min read
WHY WE NEED TO ASSESS DAVE’S DANCING
September 24, 2015 Education and teaching are all about enabling children to reach their potential. It is key to have high expectations...
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Sara Alston
Nov 14, 20194 min read
THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING AN AUTISTIC CAT
October 16, 2015 In the years since I published this blog, sadly my cat, Mippy died. Life with my new cat has confirmed my belief that...
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Sara Alston
Nov 14, 20191 min read
NAS GUIDE TO AUTISM FOR THE POLICE
This guide is excellent. Clearly, useful for the police, but worth a look for all working with people with ASD/ASC.
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Sara Alston
Nov 14, 20194 min read
IS THE NEW ASSESSMENT SYSTEM BECOMING A TOWER OF BABEL THAT WILL FALL ON THOSE WITH SEN?
November 6, 2015 When I think of the new assessment system introduced in 2015-16, I am reminded of the Biblical story of the Tower of...
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Sara Alston
Nov 14, 20196 min read
IS THE EDUCATION SYSTEM UNDERMINING THE PREVENT STRATEGY?
December 3, 2015 In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris in December 2015, there was growing concern about how to counteract...
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Sara Alston
Nov 14, 20196 min read
‘IT’S THE CHILDREN, STUPID!’ ARE SCHOOLS LOSING THE CHILDREN IN THE DATA
January 17, 2016 Like so many teachers, I spend a lot of my time in pupil progress meetings. At these meetings, we talk about targets and...
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Sara Alston
Nov 14, 20198 min read
LOOKING FOR A MAGIC WAND: LABELLING CHILDREN
October 30, 2016 In my SEND work, I often have to discuss with parents the possibility that a diagnosis might help support their child...
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Sara Alston
Nov 14, 20193 min read
TEACHING VALUES IN THE AGE OF TRUMP
February 5, 2017 We are living in a frightening world. Donald Trump offers the world a role model that bullies, trivialises and boasts...
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Sara Alston
Nov 13, 20197 min read
ACCESS ARRANGMENTS: LEVELLING THE PLAYING FIELD?
February 24, 2017 In February 2017, the exam regulator, Ofqual, reported one in five pupils at independent schools benefit from access...
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Sara Alston
Nov 13, 20194 min read
TEACHING EMPATHY TO MOVE BEYOND OUR BUBBLE
June 18, 2017 The word of the week seems to be ‘bubble’ Not the soft soapy kind that children play with or that helps us to clean, but a...
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Sara Alston
Nov 13, 20197 min read
TEACHING ASSISTANTS: THE DANGERS OF TEACHING BY ECHO
February 17, 2018 The role of the TA is among the most controversial in schools. However, much of the debate focuses on numbers, not what...
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Sara Alston
Nov 13, 20195 min read
TA DEPLOYMENT IN STRUCTURED AND UNSTRUCTURED TIMES
June 6, 2018 The traditional approach to supporting children with SEND is to focus on lesson times. This is correct in that additional...
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Sara Alston
Nov 13, 20194 min read
CSE AND CONFUSED THINKING.
March 8, 2016 In March 2016 there was a spate of news stories about child sexual abuse and exploitation show an ongoing ambivalence about...
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Sara Alston
Nov 13, 20196 min read
WHAT LOUIS THEROUX CAN TEACH US ABOUT MANDATORY REPORTING.
October 4, 2016 In 2016 , the government launched a consultation to seek views on the possible introduction of mandatory reporting of...
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Sara Alston
Nov 13, 20194 min read
TERM-TIME HOLIDAYS: WHOSE RIGHTS AND WHOSE RESPONSIBLITIES?
April 13, 2017 The case of Jon Platt, the father, who lost his case about term time holidays in April 2017 raises a number of interesting...
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Sara Alston
Nov 13, 20198 min read
WHAT DO SCHOOLS NEED TO DO TO SUPPORT CHILDREN EXPERIENCING SEXUAL ABUSE?
May 7, 2017 In 2019 (later moved to 2020) schools will be required to teach Relationship Education in Primary Schools and Relationships...
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Sara Alston
Nov 13, 20194 min read
Victim and Perpetrator
February 17, 2019 In safeguarding, we are facing major confusion about children who are both victims and either perpetrators of abuse or...
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Sara Alston
Sep 17, 20194 min read
Keeping children safe in Education, June 2019: Changes and Actions
June 30, 2019 The DfE has produced a draft of KCSIE 2019 which will come into force on 2nd September. There are comparatively few changes...
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