SEND in the experts with Georgina Durrant (Special Educational Needs Podcast)

SEND in the Experts with Georgina Durrant — Episode Featuring Dan Tresman (Light Years Education)

In this episode of SEND in the Experts, leading SEND podcast, host and former SENDCo and author Georgina Durrant welcomes Dan Tresman, Founder and CEO of Light Years Education Ltd and former Founding Headteacher of the Ofsted Outstanding Light Years School. With extensive leadership experience across specialist, residential, and mainstream settings, Dan offers a rare, honest, and deeply practical insight into what’s really happening across the SEND landscape today.
This episode is essential listening for anyone working in or alongside SEND provision, whether in mainstream or specialist environments and covers what mainstream schiools can learn from specialist settings and vice versa.
Why Listen to This Episode?
you'll get:
A clear understanding of the current challenges in SEND
Dan breaks down the pressures facing specialist schools, from the rising complexity of need to delays with assessments, and explains how these issues connect to the wider national picture.
Practical strategies for collaboration
The episode explores how specialist and mainstream schools can work together more effectively, with real examples of successful partnerships and the impact they’ve had on pupils and staff.
A future-focused perspective
Listeners hear thoughtful reflections on how specialist and mainstream provision might evolve, and what needs to change at policy and leadership levels to ensure every child receives the support they deserve. Reflecting on the current Dfe online conversations being had ahead of the Schools White Paper and SEND reforms.
Actionable advice for school leaders
From strengthening SEND provision to building inclusive cultures, Dan offers clear, grounded guidance for leaders who want to improve but aren’t sure where to begin.
What This Episode Covers
Dan’s career journey and what drives his passion for SEND
The creation and rapid success of Light Years School
The biggest challenges facing specialist settings today
How specialist and mainstream schools can share expertise
Real examples of effective collaboration
Barriers to partnership—and how to overcome them
What mainstream teachers can learn from specialist approaches
A shared vision for a more inclusive future

Who Will Benefit Most?
SENDCOs and aspiring SENDCOs
Mainstream teachers and senior leaders
Specialist school staff
Educational psychologists and therapists
Parents and carers
Anyone passionate about improving SEND provision

Twinkl inclusion hub: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/inclusion-teaching-resources
Symbols resources: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/apps/twinkl-symbols

Inclusive schools network sign up form from Dan:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=XIqdQkF82kSqaTLDifFGBe2ltw1d7CxIh9m0fCwTpaxUOEwyUlhOS1RUUEtIQktLOFIwRFY2MUFQRS4u&route=shorturl

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SEND in the Experts with Georgina Durrant – Supporting Families with SEND at Christmas
In this festive episode of SEND in the Experts, host Georgina Durrant speaks with Amanda Protheroe, Parent Educational Content Lead for SEND at Twinkl. Amanda draws on her experience as a class teacher, SENDCo in primary schools, and her personal journey of supporting a sibling with SEND. She shares practical advice and heartfelt insights to help families navigate the holiday season with children and young people who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
🎄 Episode highlights include:
Amanda’s background and passion for supporting parents of children with SEND.
What Christmas looks like in her household as a sibling of a SEND adult.
Common festive challenges for children with SEND- including changes to routine and sensory overload.
How parents can manage expectations and reduce pressure around creating the “perfect” Christmas.
Practical strategies to support children with sensory sensitivities during noisy gatherings, flashing lights, and busy events.
Preparing children for changes in routine, such as visiting relatives or attending school Christmas activities.
Tips for supporting restricted diets and food sensitivities during festive meals.
Alternative ways families can create meaningful traditions if they feel isolated.
Amanda’s one piece of advice for parents heading into the festive season.
✨ This episode is packed with SEND parenting tips, Christmas survival strategies, and supportive advice for families who want to make the holidays calmer, more inclusive, and more joyful for their children.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
SEND parenting tips
Christmas with SEND children
Supporting families with SEND
Sensory overload strategies
SEND festive traditions
Inclusive Christmas ideas

SEND parent support: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/parent-support-send-parents/home-support-parent-support-send-parents/seasonal-events-home-support-parent-support-send-parents
Parent guide to supporting autistic children at Christmas: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/supporting-your-autistic-child-at-christmastime-t-par-1665380754
Inclusion (SEND) resources: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/inclusion-teaching-resources

SEND in the Experts: Margaret Rooke on Dyslexia
Welcome back to SEND in the Experts, hosted by Georgina Durrant, where we bring you conversations with leading voices in the world of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Each episode is designed to support parents, carers, and teachers who want to better understand and empower children with SEND.
This week, Georgina is joined by acclaimed author Margaret Rooke, whose books have given a platform to young people with dyslexia and other forms of neurodivergence. Margaret has written multiple titles, including Dyslexia is My Superpower and Different Like Us. Her latest book revisits the young people she first interviewed, now adults navigating life with creativity, resilience, and strength.
🌟 What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Margaret’s journey as a writer and advocate for neurodivergent voices
Why she chose to reconnect with the young people from Dyslexia is My Superpower as they entered adulthood, and the powerful lessons their stories reveal.
How dyslexic strengths—like problem‑solving, creativity, and innovation—challenge traditional narratives in schools and education.
Reassuring messages for parents of younger children who may feel anxious about the future, and why hope is central to Margaret’s work.
The tension between conventional academic routes and the reality that many neurodivergent young people thrive outside them—and how schools and families can hold space for that.
The origins of Margaret’s passion for writing about dyslexia, and how her journey began.
Why her books don’t just inform but validate lived experiences, and how that intention evolved through storytelling.
Insights from Different Like Us on what it means to feel “different,” and the patterns Margaret observed across diverse stories of childhood.
The one thing Margaret would change about how society views dyslexia and neurodivergence today.
👩‍🏫 Why This Matters for Parents & Teachers
This episode is especially valuable for:
Parents who want reassurance about their child’s future and practical insights into how dyslexia can sometimes bring strengths
Teachers looking for ways to celebrate creativity and problem‑solving in the classroom, and to challenge outdated narratives about SEND.
Carers and advocates who want to hold space for young people to thrive both inside and outside traditional academic routes.

👉 Tune in now to hear Georgina and Margaret Rooke’s powerful reflections on dyslexia, difference, and the importance of celebrating every young person’s unique path.
Dyslexia podcast for parents and teachers
SEND education support
Parenting children with dyslexia
Margaret Rooke books and author insights
Dyslexia strengths and creativity
Different Like Us book discussion
Dyslexia is My Superpower revisited

🎙️ New Episode: “Play Time” with Céin McGillicuddy & Andy Kinnear
In this very special episode of SEND in the Experts, host Georgina Durrant is joined by the brilliant creative duo behind ITV’s brand new pilot Play Time — comedy writer/director Céin McGillicuddy and editor/writer Andy Kinnear.
Play Time is a joyful, heartwarming new show where six neurodivergent comedians are challenged to devise and perform an original stage play — all in one school day — based entirely on the imaginations of a group of 6 to 8-year-old children from a primary school’s SEND department. It’s a celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the power of neurodivergent voices.
In this episode, Céin and Andy share:
The inspiration behind Play Time and how Céin’s own late autism diagnosis shaped the show’s vision
Why amplifying neurodivergent voices in comedy and media is so vital
Behind-the-scenes stories from filming — including the most surprising and joyful moments
How Play Time contributes to Disability History Month and wider conversations about inclusion
The legacy of The Assembly and how it paved the way for this new format
What they hope families take away from watching the show
Whether you’re a parent, educator, or just someone who believes in the power of inclusive storytelling, this episode is not to be missed.
📺 Play Time is streaming now on ITVX and YouTube.

🎙️ SEND in the Experts with Georgina Durrant: Ofsted’s New Inspection Framework & Inclusion Focus with Adam Sproston
In this insightful episode of SEND in the Experts for Twinkl, host Georgina Durrant, former teacher and SENDCO, author and Twinkl's National Inclusion Lead - welcomes Adam Sproston, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector for SEND, Alternative Provision (AP), and Inclusion at Ofsted. Together, they explore the 2025 updates to Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework (EIF), which now includes an enhanced focus on inclusion.
🎧 What you’ll learn in this episode:
Adam’s career journey from classroom teacher to national SEND leader
Why he joined Ofsted and his passion for inclusive education
What the new inspection framework, confirmed in September 2025 (rolled out November 10th), means for schools and SEND learners
How inspectors will evaluate inclusion and SEND support during inspections
What school leaders and teachers can expect from the enhanced inclusion lens
How school context, such as high proportions of learners with SEND, is considered during inspection
Reassurance for parents and carers about the quality of SEND provision
Ofsted’s broader work to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND
Whether you’re a teacher, SENDCO, school leader, or parent, this episode offers essential insights into how Ofsted’s 2025 inspection reforms are reshaping inclusive education in England.
Tune in now to stay informed on the latest developments in SEND and inclusion within the UK education system.
Twinkl's Inclusion hub : https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/inclusion-teaching-resources
Ofsted Inspection Framework: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-inspection-framework/education-inspection-framework-for-use-from-november-2025

Ofsted 2025 inspection framework, inclusion in schools, SEND provision UK, Adam Sproston Ofsted, Georgina Durrant podcast, Twinkl SEND, educational inspection updates, SENDCO support, alternative provision Ofsted, inclusive education England