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PODCAST

SEND in the Spotlight

Woman’s Hour presenter Nuala McGovern delves into a key aspect of special educational needs and disabilities - or SEND - each week, and brings together families, young people, teachers, experts, and decision-makers. Featuring high-profile parents including Anna Maxwell Martin and Kellie Bright, expect straight talk, sharp insight, and practical advice. Share your story with us: send@bbc.co.ukSEND in the Spotlight is a Woman’s Hour podcast. Episodes are published on Mondays on BBC Sounds. If you

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

38:18

Specialist schools, John Harris

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/03/09

Specialist schools are to be reserved for those with the most complex needs, as the government pushes for more inclusive mainstream schools that will cater to pupils with SEND. They say they want to ensure fair admissions and better value for money, including potential fee limits for independent specialist schools. But those proposed changes are causing concern among some parents who worry their child will be left behind.BBC Education reporter Vanessa Clarke gives us the background, and Nuala speaks

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36:14

Health - spotlight on the 'H' in EHCP, Carrie Grant

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/03/02

An in depth look at the 'H' in EHCPs. That is the health part of Education Health and Care Plans, as they stand now.We hear from mum Becci, about what her day looks like before she even gets her child out of the front door, and what happens to meet his medical needs in school.We have news about a new parliamentary session which will be looking into exactly this, and we will be talking about a separate inquiry by MPs into the mental health of children and young people.SEND parent and broadcaster

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58:25

SEND reforms | A Woman's Hour & SEND in the Spotlight...

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/02/24

SEND in the Spotlight in collaboration with Woman's Hour brings you a special episode on the impact of the government's SEND reforms in England.Whether you’re a parent, a young person, a teacher or someone who works in the wider system we find out what the changes mean for you - and help you decode the new language - whether it's IB, ISP, Targeted, Targeted Plus, or SPP.Nuala McGovern speaks to parents, teachers, charities, the School Standards Minister and the Children’s Commissioner for England

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0:37

SEND reforms special episode coming soon!

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/02/23

SEND reforms special episode coming soon!

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22:05

Leaks of SEND reforms BONUS EPISODE

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/02/19

Today's leaks about upcoming SEND reforms in England in the Times newspaper have made headlines.Full details will be laid out in a white paper next week, which we will cover in depth in a future episode.In this bonus episode we discuss the suggestion that the legal right to special needs support will be compulsorily reviewed when children move from primary to secondary school.Nuala hears views from Labour MP and SEND parent Jen Craft, actor Kellie Bright, plus parent campaigners Kirsti Hadley and

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40:52

Supporting cast - TAs, SLTs, Ed Psychs, Kellie Bright

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/02/16

We put the spotlight on the crucial cast of professionals who work alongside teachers to support children and young people with SEND.Nuala McGovern hears from listener Helen, who shares what it's really like being on the frontline as a teaching assistant. She is also joined by Sarah Smith, a speech and language therapist and and Clinical Team Lead for Mainstream Schools at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust. And educational psychologist Dr Helena Bunn talks about the impact

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37:40

Transport, Kellie Bright, Amanda Hopgood

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/02/09

The cost of home to school transport of children with SEND is predicted to reach nearly 2 billion pounds this year, according to Local Government Association figures. This represents approximately a 200% increase on the amount spent a decade ago, and there is also debate over who should be eligible.Nuala explores why school transport is such a contentious issue with BBC political correspondent Alex Forsyth, and Councillor Amanda Hopgood, from the LGA.Back with us is Kellie Bright, actor and SEND

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34:18

Your questions answered, Carrie and David Grant

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/02/02

Listeners take the starring role this week as we get answers to your queries from a group of people with a wealth of experience and expertise. They don't give out legal advice but they aim to help you determine your rights and what you are entitled to, for your child.Nuala McGovern welcomes back Carrie and David Grant, BAFTA award winning broadcasters and parents of four children with SEND.Eleanor Wright is a solicitor with SOS!SEN, a charity which helps parents and families of children with SEND to

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33:27

Attendance and fines with Jayne Lowe, Anna Maxwell...

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/01/26

What works to help children with SEND to go into school, and what should happen when they don't? Nuala McGovern speaks to Jayne Lowe, an Attendance and Behaviour Advisor to the government. She helped to write its official guidance, and is helping to get new Attendance and Behaviour Hubs off the ground.We're joined again by actors and SEND parents Kellie Bright and Anna Maxwell Martin, who campaigns on these issues. BBC Education reporter Hazel Shearing has all the facts and figures on attendance and

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43:54

Local authorities, Carrie and David Grant

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/01/19

Many parents feel they need to go to battle with their local authority in the attempt to get their children's special educational needs met. In this episode we hear directly from those working for local authorities to help us see the world through their eyes.Julie Ely, Assistant Director of Education, SEN and Admissions at Kensington and Chelsea Council in London, talks to Nuala McGovern about how that council approaches its SEND obligations.Rebecca - not her real name - tells us what it's like to

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45:28

Mainstream inclusion with Tom Rees, Kellie Bright and...

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2026/01/12

Tom Rees is advising the Government on how to do inclusion well. Nuala McGovern speaks to him about chairing the Department for Education's Expert Advisory Group on Inclusion. Tom is a former primary teacher and headteacher, now CEO of Ormiston, one of the UK's biggest chain of academy schools, plus he's dad to a son who has Down's Syndrome.Also with us this week is Marsha Martin, founder and CEO of Black SEN Mamas - a network of over 7,000 families across the UK and beyond, and Kellie Bright, SEND

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34:21

Christmas tips from the Autism Dads and Katie Ghose

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2025/12/22

Christmas can be a time of great togetherness. It can also mean sensory overload and general overwhelm, plus changes to routine and health and care arrangements.Andy and Gaz from the AutismDadCast share how they plan to make it a bit more manageable this year.Also joining Nuala McGovern is Katie Ghose from Kids charity, which supports children with a wide range of disabilities. Katie offers her tips on what can help your family across the festive season - including the value of a half-wrapped

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37:07

EHCPs - an expert guide, Anna Maxwell Martin

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2025/12/15

It's just four letters, but getting an EHCP - Education Health and Care Plan - for children with special educational needs and disabilities can be a long and frustrating battle. In this episode we explain how to get one and what it means when you do.Joining Nuala McGovern are the actor and parent Anna Maxwell Martin and Jade, who over the past year has been through the process of obtaining an EHCP for her son. She'll tell us what she learned in what she calls 'the toughest year of her life'.BBC

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37:20

Schools Minister, Anna Maxwell Martin, Kellie Bright

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2025/12/08

It's a defining moment in the SEND story. The government will publish its delayed Schools White Paper in the New Year, and is now conducting an extended listening exercise on the changes it could contain.School Standards Minister Georgia Gould joins Nuala McGovern to lay out the complexity of the work ahead, and answers criticism from parents, educators and workers in the sector.Also with Nuala in the SEND in the Spotlight studio, three parents who know the system from the inside out - actors Kellie

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3:43

Introducing... Send in the Spotlight

SEND in the Spotlight ·

2025/12/01

The special educational needs system is widely considered to be broken. Put simply, demand is outstripping supply, and too many children are being left without the support they need or having to go to school far away from home.As the government embarks on an overhaul of the SEND system in England, in this podcast from BBC Woman’s Hour, Nuala McGovern asks: How can every child learn and thrive?Nuala will examine the facts about what’s already being offered, what’s wanted and what’s affordable. She’ll

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