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The Optimus blog

The blog that inspires leaders in the UK education sector

The Optimus blog

The blog that inspires leaders in the UK education sector

SEND

Gareth D Morewood
17 October 2023

Securing parental collaboration for pupils with SEND

Gareth Morewood emphasises the enduring importance of true co-production and collaboration with families to improve outcomes for pupils with SEND. He explores how to actively engage families and young people, working in concert to identify challenges to secure better outcomes. When it comes to SEND...
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Gareth D Morewood
1 March 2023

SEND Provision - an interview with Gareth Morewood

Gareth Morewood discusses the health and wellbeing of SEND pupils and his thoughts on the upcoming SEND Provision conference. What are you looking forward to on the day of the SEND Provision conference? Gareth: Firstly, it is an absolute delight to be asked to chair a live event again, there are...
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Sarah Hopp
6 September 2022

Why neurodiversity is not a diagnosis

Misuse of the term neurodiversity can promote a ‘them and us’ attitude, Sarah Hopp argues. Instead, she explains how to truly embrace our differences and uniqueness. In recent years, the term ‘neurodiversity’ coined by Judy Singer in 1998 has become prevalent in educational literature and policy...
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Gareth D Morewood
15 September 2020

University beckons: continuing the journey to independence

Ellen shares lessons learned around applying for university as an autistic adult, including the importance of deadlines and DSAs. In Ellen’s last post on becoming an autistic adult she shared her aspirations to attend university and how she was preparing for that on a personal level. Now Ellen...
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Gareth D Morewood
31 January 2020

Autism and inclusion in a mainstream secondary school

Gareth D Morewood reflects on how his previous school has successfully created an inclusive environment for their pupils with autism. During my last year as SENCO, my school was fortunate to be part of the Autism Education Trust (AET) good practice case studies . The case studies highlight eight...
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Joanna Grace
3 December 2019

'Tis a sensory season!

Christmas can be an exciting but overwhelming time, particularly for young people with SEND. Joanna Grace shares strategies to help children cope with and enjoy the festive period. Stepping out the door in the early morning last week, I turned to my little boy and said, “I think I can smell...
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Liz Murray
11 September 2019

Developing an effective SEND register

A comprehensive SEND register supports every aspect of the SENCO role and prevents children from slipping through the net. Liz Murray explains how to put together a SEND register tailored to suit your school. Every year it seems to be more challenging to be prepared for our students with SEND. My...
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Gareth D Morewood
10 May 2019

International perspectives and broadening horizons

Gareth D Morewood reflects on his latest international conferences, sharing lessons from the inspirational contacts he has made during the last few weeks. I have been very fortunate over the last few years, not only to gain some amazing insights and experiences in UK schools and settings but also...
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Freddie Roberts
29 April 2019

Researching for Optimus' SEND Update conference

Our annual SEND Update conference takes place on 23 May. Conference Producer Freddie Roberts shares what he discovered through his research calls, and what you can expect on the day. Going into researching my first SEND conference for Optimus, I was unsure about what to expect in terms of agenda...
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Gareth D Morewood
5 April 2019

Autism and peer relationships

What can research tell us about peer relations among autistic learners, and what can we do in our schools to support? I often talk about the peer group being one of the most untapped resources in our schools. Indeed, previously we have heard first-hand from young people about their real, lived...
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