Clare
@clarec.bsky.social
Education and Employment lawyer at Southwark Law Centre
Mother of two, one with SLD
Cricket fan: Surrey, Glamorgan and England
Mother of two, one with SLD
Cricket fan: Surrey, Glamorgan and England
I love when the dropdown options are things like: our school, our pupils and our parents because the term dates could possibly be under any of those. Then you eventually find they are under a completely different heading on the dropdown menu.
September 17, 2026 at 1:20 PM
I love when the dropdown options are things like: our school, our pupils and our parents because the term dates could possibly be under any of those. Then you eventually find they are under a completely different heading on the dropdown menu.
This has made me realise that I only access it online now. Nice to see a paper version again but it has grown in size for sure.
September 15, 2026 at 6:28 PM
This has made me realise that I only access it online now. Nice to see a paper version again but it has grown in size for sure.
It’s so good. I binged it completely yesterday as had a nightmare commute.
September 15, 2026 at 7:13 AM
It’s so good. I binged it completely yesterday as had a nightmare commute.
It’s so important and so undervalued.
September 6, 2026 at 7:45 PM
It’s so important and so undervalued.
Yes and the government will make it sound like a huge sum is being invested. But when that trickles down to school, it won’t cover much.
September 6, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Yes and the government will make it sound like a huge sum is being invested. But when that trickles down to school, it won’t cover much.
I wish that was an option for her but it’s not and (sadly) never will be. She will need care all her life. I feel I am deducted to begging for her to matter and for her education to matter and I really hoped that, as a society, we had moved away from that approach to learning disabilities.
September 6, 2026 at 6:59 PM
I wish that was an option for her but it’s not and (sadly) never will be. She will need care all her life. I feel I am deducted to begging for her to matter and for her education to matter and I really hoped that, as a society, we had moved away from that approach to learning disabilities.
There will always be people who play the system but it’s not special treatment for my child with severe learning disabilities to be able to access appropriate education. It feels genuinely terrifying to think that maybe denied to her & those like her on the basis she can attend a mainstream school.
September 6, 2026 at 6:59 PM
There will always be people who play the system but it’s not special treatment for my child with severe learning disabilities to be able to access appropriate education. It feels genuinely terrifying to think that maybe denied to her & those like her on the basis she can attend a mainstream school.
New England?? He doesn’t seem to like us much. Maybe he will rename it New Argentina??
September 6, 2026 at 6:48 PM
New England?? He doesn’t seem to like us much. Maybe he will rename it New Argentina??
This. It’s a battle all the time. My child also has a genetic condition resulting in severe learning disabilities and it’s been really hard work to get her a basic education.
September 6, 2026 at 6:21 PM
This. It’s a battle all the time. My child also has a genetic condition resulting in severe learning disabilities and it’s been really hard work to get her a basic education.
So she would spend more time out of school and less time learning and the appointments would be less effective. Pushing more pressure on the NHS.
September 6, 2026 at 6:18 PM
So she would spend more time out of school and less time learning and the appointments would be less effective. Pushing more pressure on the NHS.
That means her teacher can prepare her. The appointment doesn’t take her out for a period of time whilst she travels to a hospital so she stays in school. Even if this provision could be replicated across mainstream provision, I think the cuts to the school nurse provision show what would happen.
September 6, 2026 at 6:18 PM
That means her teacher can prepare her. The appointment doesn’t take her out for a period of time whilst she travels to a hospital so she stays in school. Even if this provision could be replicated across mainstream provision, I think the cuts to the school nurse provision show what would happen.
His work is inspiring. I hope my MP is due to go.
September 6, 2026 at 6:10 PM
His work is inspiring. I hope my MP is due to go.
No. But our children are already fairly invisible to the state so I don’t think their reality is at the front of their minds when they think about this. Unless they are supposed to be caught by the “complex needs” exclusion which is undefined and we have no idea what that means.
September 6, 2026 at 6:10 PM
No. But our children are already fairly invisible to the state so I don’t think their reality is at the front of their minds when they think about this. Unless they are supposed to be caught by the “complex needs” exclusion which is undefined and we have no idea what that means.
Every child is different but, as an adult, I can’t imagine moving from one workplace to another (I remember someone telling me it takes 3 months to become accustomed to a new workplace). Why should children be different?
September 6, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Every child is different but, as an adult, I can’t imagine moving from one workplace to another (I remember someone telling me it takes 3 months to become accustomed to a new workplace). Why should children be different?
I think Burnham has already indicated support for the proposals so my hopes are not high.
September 6, 2026 at 6:00 PM
I think Burnham has already indicated support for the proposals so my hopes are not high.
Schools (mainstream & special) badly need investment. Send aside, they are on their knees & it’s becoming harder & harder to keep the system going. I saw a commentator say that the proposed reforms would lead to collapse of the education system in 5 years. Feels a bit OTT to me but not completely.
September 6, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Schools (mainstream & special) badly need investment. Send aside, they are on their knees & it’s becoming harder & harder to keep the system going. I saw a commentator say that the proposed reforms would lead to collapse of the education system in 5 years. Feels a bit OTT to me but not completely.
It’s the fact that they expect the special schools to do the training that particularly gets me. And the idea that pupils can dip in and out of special schools and go back to mainstream. How on earth is that supposed to work? They clearly have no idea about the actual reality for children like ours.
September 6, 2026 at 5:57 PM
It’s the fact that they expect the special schools to do the training that particularly gets me. And the idea that pupils can dip in and out of special schools and go back to mainstream. How on earth is that supposed to work? They clearly have no idea about the actual reality for children like ours.
Me too. But they are all seeing financial savings and I just don’t think they have enough idea of the actual reality on the ground for parents or schools.
September 6, 2026 at 5:52 PM
Me too. But they are all seeing financial savings and I just don’t think they have enough idea of the actual reality on the ground for parents or schools.
Reposted by Clare
This is why we need to keep our children’s legal rights - not give them up as proposed in the ‘reforms’.
Pls sign & share the petition ❤️
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76...
Pls sign & share the petition ❤️
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76...
Petition: Protect legal right to support for children with SEND
I believe that the Government’s proposed SEND reforms could limit EHCPs, weaken legal rights, replace individual plans with packages, reduce appeals, and remove school choice. In my view, children cou...
petition.parliament.uk
September 6, 2026 at 5:50 PM
This is why we need to keep our children’s legal rights - not give them up as proposed in the ‘reforms’.
Pls sign & share the petition ❤️
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76...
Pls sign & share the petition ❤️
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76...
I really hope so. I have signed the petitions and I bug my MP but I don’t think the government are listening.
September 6, 2026 at 5:50 PM
I really hope so. I have signed the petitions and I bug my MP but I don’t think the government are listening.
any expertise. How can we possibly resolve these types of questions.
September 6, 2026 at 5:50 PM
any expertise. How can we possibly resolve these types of questions.
get funding for the specific needs of a pupil. I really don’t want to think about what will happen when the changes (and it’s hard enough now). I also worry about the fact that governors will be asked to decide on disputes between parents and schools over provision. We aren’t paid and we don’t have
September 6, 2026 at 5:50 PM
get funding for the specific needs of a pupil. I really don’t want to think about what will happen when the changes (and it’s hard enough now). I also worry about the fact that governors will be asked to decide on disputes between parents and schools over provision. We aren’t paid and we don’t have