I have been in many meetings for pupils with additional needs where I have had to fight hard on behalf of the child for the provision they are entitled to. This hasn’t always earned me friends, but in most cases I have gone away secure in the knowledge that by not just accepting the status quo, I have given a child a chance of an education that may change their life.

But there is more that I could be doing. As a school leader, it is my responsibility to challenge colleagues wherever I believe their views and actions are not in the best interest of pupils with SEND. Calling people out when they express unacceptable views is something that I need to do more often.

And this does not stop with my colleagues who take part in meetings about additional needs. I should also be standing firm for the children I am entrusted to care for by calling out politicians and leaders of education. I know budgets are limited and expertise is sparse, but neither of these reasons is good enough to fail repeated generations of children.

In 2011, I walked away from calling someone out on changes to flexi education. I wrote to the DfE and had a lovely response, but I lacked the courage to follow up and take things any further than that.

My real fear is that this same thing happens all the time when it comes to children and adults with learning or mental health needs. We make a token effort to stand up for them, but are rarely prepared to take the extra step of directly confronting someone about their actions.

If someone was being bullied for their race, gender or sexual orientation, many of us would want to call the bully out about it. But we all need to be doing the same thing for people with SEND. Whether we are teaching assistants, teachers, senior leaders or headteachers, we must not be prepared to accept unsatisfactory decisions and to do no more than politely challenge for the equality of all.

Schools need to be standing up for every child - especially those with SEND, who often need us the most.  

Jeremy Thompson (pictured) is a headteacher of an urban primary school in South Wales

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