The SENDcast

By: Dale Pickles
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • The SENDcast is a weekly podcast focusing on Special Educational Needs, it is an amazing way to keep up to date with all the different areas within SEN, best practices and to improve your knowledge around SEND.
    B Squared Ltd.
    Show More Show Less
Children's Audiobooks Parenting & Families Relationships
Show More Show Less
Episodes
  • Life's Ups and Downs of Having or Not Having a Special Needs Assessment with Dr Susie Nyman

    Life's Ups and Downs of Having or Not Having a Special Needs Assessment with Dr Susie Nyman
    Feb 6 2025
    In recent years, we have seen increasing requests for diagnoses related to autism, dyslexia, and other neurodiverse conditions. Often parents may feel that having a diagnosis is a golden ticket to access support, but this is merely a step in a long journey of understanding and support. Dr Susie Nyman joins Dale in the studio to discuss ‘Life's ups and downs of having or not having a special educational needs assessment’, bringing her wealth of experience as a teacher and curriculum manager for Health and Social Care at Farnborough Sixth Form College. She highlights the emotional complexities parents face when deciding whether to pursue an assessment, including concerns about stigma and the impact of labels. Susie elaborates on neurodiversity, explaining that it recognises neurological differences as valid human variations. She notes that specific learning difficulties (SpLD) affect how information is processed and can present across various abilities. The conversation touches on the potential strengths of neurodiverse individuals, such as unique problem-solving abilities and creativity. Susie stresses the importance of creating supportive environments for neurodiverse students, emphasising that challenges often arise from mismatches between individuals and their surroundings rather than the individuals themselves. Susie advocates for understanding each student's unique needs and finding strategies that work for them. About Dr Susie Nyman Dr Susie Nyman is passionate about discovering how children learn and supporting them in ways which enable them to succeed. She was appointed as a Biology teacher at The Sixth Form College Farnborough in 1995, and subsequently as Curriculum Manager for Health and Social Care where she has worked ever since. Susie strives to raise students’ achievements and support them in ways which enables them to succeed. She works with her students deploying a range of innovative and Multi-sensory teaching techniques to assist their learning including her ‘Equality and Diversity Tree’ and famous puppets! Additionally, she has provided training to PGCE students at Kingston University, and in a number of local schools and colleges on teaching strategies. Since February 2017, Susie has presented seminars on ‘Multi-sensory Techniques’ at The Learning Differences Conventions in Australia, Richmond College, The Helen Arkell Centre, Bell House, The Oratory School, The National Education Show and The Tes SEN Shows in London and Manchester. Recently, she was filmed ‘in action’ for The British Dyslexia Association as well as Oaka Books, and the footage is available on YouTube. Subsequently, she has written a chapter about ‘Multi-sensory Teaching’ in the BDA Dyslexia Friendly Schools Good Practice Guide and ‘The Multi-sensory Teaching Toolkit’ by Oaka Books. In recognition of over 21 years continued service at The Sixth Form College Farnborough, Susie has been nominated three times by the College for the ‘Tes FE Teacher of the Year Award’. This is an honour of which she is immensely proud. Contact Susie drnymanconsultancy.co.uk https://x.com/DrSusieNyman drsusienyman@drnymanconsultancy.co.uk Useful Links Listen to Susie's other podcasts B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast Email Dale – dale@bsquared.co.uk Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe The SENDcast is powered by B Squared We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 15 mins
  • nasen awards - Eugene Dwaah, Highly commended changemaker of the year

    nasen awards - Eugene Dwaah, Highly commended changemaker of the year
    Feb 4 2025

    The podcast features Eugene Dwaah, who was highly commended for his work in the ‘Change Maker of the Year’ category. He discusses his innovative approach to education, focusing on holistic development through sports and addressing social inequality and youth violence.

    Eugene emphasises the importance of engagement and belonging for young people, particularly those facing adversity. His initiatives at Dagenham's future youth scene have significantly improved school attendance, demonstrating the positive impact of his methods.

    He shares his personal journey, including overcoming trauma after losing his mother at 15, and how influential teachers and mentors guided him. Eugene transitioned from a career in football to education, aiming to create an inclusive environment for students who struggle in traditional schools.

    He highlights the unique facilities and low staff-to-student ratios in his program, which foster a supportive atmosphere. Eugene believes in the power of relatable educators who share their own experiences to connect with students and motivate them to pursue their potential.

    About Eugene

    Eugene, the driving force behind Evolution Sports Group, has a diverse background that uniquely positions him to understand the challenges faced by disadvantaged youth. His career has spanned various sectors, including education, community development, and professional sports. As a head of behaviour and engagement in an inner-city school, he gained valuable insights into the systemic issues that can limit young people's potential. Subsequently, he served as a community development manager for Genesis housing association, further deepening his understanding of the social and economic barriers faced by marginalised communities. Eugene's passion for sports led him to join Fulham Football Club as Head of Recruitment. Drawing on his extensive experience, he founded Evolution Sports Group to provide a platform for young people in alternative provision settings to develop their skills, build confidence, and pursue their dreams through sports.

    About the nasen awards

    The nasen awards celebrate outstanding contributions to the education and support of children and young people with SEND. These annual awards recognise individuals, schools, and organisations that demonstrate exceptional commitment to inclusive education and the advancement of SEND practices.

    nasen is a charitable organisation that supports children and young people with SEND. nasen's goals include Influencing government policy, providing information, training and resources to support practitioners and contributing to the debate and effecting change to improve outcomes for children and young people.

    Contact Eugene

    https://evolution-education.com/

    Useful Links

    nasen website

    nasen events and CPD

    nasen live conference

    nasen Awards 2025

    • B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
    • Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
    • Email Dale – dale@bsquared.co.uk
    • Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe
    The SENDcast is powered by B Squared

    We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • The Power of Language with our SEND Kids with Ali Fanshawe

    The Power of Language with our SEND Kids with Ali Fanshawe
    Jan 30 2025
    “CALM DOWN!” “I’ve already asked you THREE times to put your shoes on!” “How dare you talk to me like that!” Do you ever find yourself standing at the bottom of the stairs, hollering at your child? Or perhaps you’re dealing with a child who is sobbing hysterically while you're racing against the clock for work. We all carry 'core scripts' learned during our childhood, which influence our daily interactions with our children. It often feels natural to use familiar phrases and tones from our own upbringing. But do these phrases really work? Being a parent or educator is hard. But being a SEN parent or educator is relentless. A few years ago, this was the experience of Ali Fanshawe. Ali couldn’t understand why she was struggling to deal with her children’s ‘fizzy moments’ in a more compassionate way. In today’s episode Ali joins Dale to discuss ‘The power of language with our SEND kids’. Ali tells us that it is critical to accept that our SEN kids need a different form of communication and interaction in order to support them. Adopting a new parenting language can radically transform family dynamics and help calm the chaos at home or in a classroom. It’s about re-learning the way we talk to and interact with our kids so that we’re being the parents and teachers they need us to be, not the ones we were taught to be. Listen to discover tools and strategies to use that can ease the pressure at home and school. About Ali Fanshawe Ali founded FizzyKids in 2018, having left the corporate world to become a full time Parent Carer to her two adopted kids with special needs. Frustrated by the lack of practical resources on parenting her children, she set out to re-learn her parenting approaches and in doing so created a new parenting language which she is now sharing with other parents in the hope that it helps transform family and classroom dynamics. Contact Ali www.fizzykids.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/@thefizzykids https://www.instagram.com/thefizzykids/ Useful Links https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stop-Telling-Your-Kids-CALM/dp/1036900746 Ali has recently released a new book 'How to stop telling your kids to calm down (and why it doesn't work anyway)'. Ali Fanshawe has been on a journey to better understand and parent her two adopted kids with additional needs. Her work has led to a realisation that you have ‘core scripts’ learnt during your childhood, that are embedded in the day-to-day language you use when you parent your kids. B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast Email Dale – dale@bsquared.co.uk Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe The SENDcast is powered by B Squared We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins

What listeners say about The SENDcast

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.co.uk reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User

Really interesting topics

Really enjoying this podcast - some great insights and strategies as a mum with an audhd child.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!