Episodes

  • Neurodiversity and Sport: Creating Safe, Inclusive Spaces Where Neurodivergent can Thrive with Liz Day

    Neurodiversity and Sport: Creating Safe, Inclusive Spaces Where Neurodivergent can Thrive with Liz Day
    May 14 2026

    Sport has the potential to be a powerful, positive force in the lives of neurodivergent children - but without the right awareness and approach, it can become yet another environment where they feel excluded.

    In this episode, Dale is joined by Liz Day, founder of Collectively Diverse CIC, to discuss 'Neurodiversity and Sport: Creating Safe, Inclusive Spaces Where Neurodivergent Children Can Thrive'.

    Liz brings a wealth of personal and professional insight - as a former county-level gymnast, specialist PE teacher, and neurodiversity expert who completed a Master's in Psychology at the University of Exeter in 2024, exploring mental health literacy in young people.

    Together, they explore:

    • Why sport and physical activity can be transformative for neurodivergent children - and why PE lessons too often have the opposite effect.
    • The importance of psychological safety in sports settings, and what coaches and clubs can do differently.
    • Why children with EBSA still need access to physical activity, and how to make it happen.
    • How parents can communicate their child's needs effectively with sports organisations.
    • The link between physical activity, emotional regulation, and mental health.

    This episode is essential listening for parents of neurodivergent children, coaches, and youth sports club leaders - but also highly relevant for teachers, SENCOs, and anyone supporting the wellbeing of children and young people.

    View all podcasts | Visit our SENDcast Sessions shop

    About Liz Day

    Liz is an experienced trainer and facilitator, passionate about mental health, neurodiversity, and cultivating a safe environment for all. She began her career as a teacher with a specialism in PE, drawing on her background as a former county-level gymnast and lifelong love of sport.

    This shaped her inclusive teaching approach and continues to influence her work today — sport remains central to her identity and wellbeing.

    https://www.collectivelydiverse.co.uk

    https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572518254058

    https://www.instagram.com/collectivelydiverseUK/

    liz@collectivelydiverse.co.uk

    Useful Links

    EBSA Toolkit for Schools

    Compass Panel

    • 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.
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    58 mins
  • Living with Hearing Loss and Deafness with Samantha Baines

    Living with Hearing Loss and Deafness with Samantha Baines
    May 7 2026
    This Deaf Awareness Week, we welcome Samantha Baines to the podcast to explore what it's like living with hearing loss and deafness. Samantha is an award-winning actress, comedian and broadcaster who discovered she was deaf nearly 10 years ago and now advocates for accessibility. Samantha shares practical insights, challenges misconceptions, and explores what meaningful accessibility looks like in everyday life and in education. They discuss: The language that deaf communities prefer (and why words matter).How to make meetings, classrooms and public spaces more accessible.The role of BSL interpreters, captions and lip-speaking (and why "one size fits all" doesn't work).Practical ideas schools can apply. "People just assume deaf equals absolutely no hearing. And actually, it is more complicated than that." Samantha Baines View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop! About Samantha Baines Samantha Baines is a multi award-winning woman. An actress, broadcaster and a bestselling author as well as a business woman, speaker and mentor. She is a proud deaf and disabled person and advocate for women and disabled communities. Samantha presents on The One Show, BBC Morning Live, Rip Off Britain and BBC Radio London, researching stories with her journalist background. As an actress she has starred in Netflix's The Crown, Romesh Ranganathan's sitcom Avoidance, Alan Carr's comedy Changing Ends, Call the Midwife, Silent Witness or Magic Mike Live (directed by Channing Tatum). She is a voting BAFTA member, and has been a judge National Television Awards and the Nasen Awards. Her personal appearances include ITV's Loose Women, Sky News, ITV News and Andrew Neil's This Week. After seven years of stand-up comedy, two sell out Edinburgh Fringe runs and a UK tour, Samantha has proved her comedy chops but these days sticks to being funny on TV, social media, speaking events and books. A proud deaf and disabled woman, she is hearing aid wearer, lipreading and is learning BSL. Samantha is ambassador for the Royal National Institute for Deaf people, patron of Stagetext and the author of two children's books with deaf protagonists; the award-winning Harriet Versus the Galaxy (which she also voices on Audible) and Bloomsbury Education book The Night the Moon Went Out as well as bestselling non-fiction book Living With Hearing Loss and Deafness: a guide to owning it and loving it. Samantha is working on a new children's book serie to be announced soon. A regular on radio stations (yes even though she is deaf), Samantha can be heard on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio London, Virgin Radio, she uses video calls for her interviews so she can lipread. A professional speaker and event host, she is a TedxOxford speaker and has spoken at the House of Commons, BAFTA, BFI, FCA as international events. She is host of the multi-award nominated, smash-hit podcast The Divorce Social. A 'Times Podcast of the Week', a No.1 relationship podcast on itunes and reaching over half a million downloads, the podcast has won awards at the International Women's Podcast Awards, the British Podcast Awards (bronze) and has had a total of ten award nominations. ​ As well as being a successful author, Samantha has written for publications including The Guardian, The Radio Times, The Telegraph, Time Out, Huffington Post and Stylist Magazine. ​Samantha is also founder and director of a boutique social media management company Penguin in the Room and luxury accessories brand Baines London which raises money for charitable causes. Contact Samantha https://www.samanthabaines.com/ https://www.facebook.com/samanthabaines https://www.instagram.com/samanthabaines/ https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthabaines http://www.twitter.com/samanthabaines http://www.youtube.com/user/samanthabaines Useful Links Living With Hearing Loss and Deafness: A guide to owning it and loving it Signature deaf awareness course 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.
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • *Special Episode* - Who Will Be SEND? Questions, Not Answers on the Reform Ahead with Dale Pickles

    *Special Episode* - Who Will Be SEND? Questions, Not Answers on the Reform Ahead with Dale Pickles
    May 5 2026
    Who Will Be SEND? Questions, Not Answers on the Reform Ahead Dale Pickles, Managing Director, B Squared England's SEND system is on the cusp of its most significant reform in a generation - but one crucial question is going largely unanswered: who will actually be SEND under the new framework? Dale has written another thought-provoking paper - and again he's recorded it too, so you can take it in without having to work through 34 pages of reading. He unpacks the quiet but profound shift hidden within the proposed move from four areas of need to five areas of development. The SEND register has long been used as a catch-all for children who need help - not all of whom have genuine special educational needs. The reform is set to separate those two groups, with major implications for children, families, schools, and SENCOs. This paper explores the four distinct populations affected by the changes, what the removal of Cognition and Learning as a category really means, why mental health is being repositioned as a universal concern, and how the familiar SEND vs non-SEND data comparison is about to become meaningless. Crucially, Dale argues that this reform is not about removing support - it's about making sure the right support reaches the right children, honestly described. Essential reading for SENCOs, school leaders, and anyone who cares about what happens to the children the system has always struggled to see. He is always open to conversations, so feel free to get in contact with your thoughts. Here are the timings for the different sections: Start - 00:00 Introduction - 01:37 Section 01 - 05:28 Section 02 - 09:35 Section 03 - 16:48 Section 04 - 27:09 Section 05 - 47:57 Section 06 - 01:02:53 Section 07 - 01:09:21 Section 08 - 01:21:58 Section 09 - 01:34:18 Section 10 - 01:40:49 Closing - 01:47:02 Useful links... Who will be SEND? document - https://bsquared.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Question-Who-will-be-SEND.pdf Fixing a Broken System document - https://bsquared.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fixing-a-Broken-System-1.pdf Listen to Fixing a Broken System - https://thesendcast.com/special-episode-fixing-a-broken-system/ SENDcast Session FREE Briefing on the White paper and SEND Reforms - https://thesendcast.com/product/whats-in-the-schools-white-paper-for-send/ 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/subscribeFixing a Broken System document - https://bsquared.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fixing-a-Broken-System-1.pdfSENDcast Session FREE Briefing on the White paper and SEND Reforms - https://thesendcast.com/product/whats-in-the-schools-white-paper-for-send/ 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.
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    1 hr and 53 mins
  • Barriers to Mental Healthcare for Autistic People with Dr Joanna Grace

    Barriers to Mental Healthcare for Autistic People with Dr Joanna Grace
    Apr 30 2026

    Did you know that a third of autistic people experience serious mental health challenges? This striking statistic is highlighted by Dr Joanna Grace in her latest podcast 'Barriers to Mental Healthcare for Autistic People'.

    "Autistic people have been actively removed from research about mental health."

    Dr Joanna Grace

    A sensory engagement and inclusion specialist, Joanna emphasises that while there is substantial research on mental health, we often don't know if it applies to autistic individuals. During the podcast, they discuss:

    • The prevalence of inaccurate mental health diagnoses among autistic adults.
    • The impact the differences in interoception has on diagnosis.
    • Practical strategies to support mental health within the autistic community.

    Mental health has significant consequences for the quality and length of life. By understanding the risks and barriers, we can empower ourselves and others to take proactive steps in addressing these challenges.

    Please note this podcast covers sensitive topics, including suicide, and carries a trigger warning.

    View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

    About Dr Joanna Grace

    Joanna Grace is a sensory engagement and inclusion specialist, doctoral researcher, author, trainer, TEDx speaker and Founder of The Sensory Projects.

    Joanna has worked with people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent conditions aged from 0-100 (well 1 day old – 87 years old to be precise) in a range of settings and context.

    Through all she does Joanna is seeking to contribute to a future where people are understood in spite of their differences.

    Contact Dr Joanna

    www.TheSensoryProjects.co.uk

    www.Facebook.com/JoannaGraceTSP

    https://x.com/Jo3Grace

    sensorystory@gmail.com

    https://www.youtube.com/@TheSensoryProjects

    • 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.
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • *Special episode* The Autism and ADHD Shows 2026

    *Special episode* The Autism and ADHD Shows 2026
    Apr 28 2026

    Geoff and Nargis join Dale in the studio for this special episode to discuss the Autism & ADHD Shows (June–July) in London, Birmingham, and, for the first time, Liverpool (moved from Manchester).

    They share how the event evolved from the Autism Show, launched in 2011 after their son's autism diagnosis, to its current format that also includes ADHD - driven by the rise in co-occurring diagnoses.

    They also describe what attendees can expect: a welcoming, supportive community hub offering over 100 CPD-accredited learning hours, practical strategies, workshops, one-to-one clinics, and the chance to connect with exhibitors and services.

    About the Autism and ADHD Shows

    It's the national event dedicated to autism and ADHD. Attend to access a huge amount of trusted information and advice to help support an autistic or ADHD person in a home, education or workplace setting.

    The CPD accredited programme has been designed to enable attendees to pick and choose the learning which is most relevant, whether it relates specifically to autism, ADHD or when both conditions co-occur. Interwoven between the many theatres, one to one clinics, and practical workshops, you'll also find an essential selection of specialist products and services. Discover what's on at each location:

    The Autism and ADHD Show LONDON

    19 – 20 June

    The Autism and ADHD Show BIRMINGHAM

    26 – 27 June

    The Autism and ADHD Show LIVERPOOL

    3 – 4 July

    • 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.
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    33 mins
  • Rare but Recognisable: Isla's FOP Story with Nicky Muller

    Rare but Recognisable: Isla's FOP Story with Nicky Muller
    Apr 23 2026

    Today is Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) Awareness Day, and to mark the occasion we're sharing an episode focused on raising awareness of this rare condition.

    In this conversation, Nicky Muller - a former trustee of FOP Friends and mother of Isla, who has FOP - joins Dale to share practical insight into supporting children with rare conditions and to tell Isla's inspiring story.

    Nicky explains that FOP causes the body's soft tissues to progressively turn into bone, often after flare-ups triggered by injury or sometimes viruses. She highlights how unpredictable this is, and how it affects daily life - particularly movement, risk management, and schooling.

    A key focus is Isla's recent transition to secondary school where they discuss difficulties around inclusion, PE participation, breaks/lunchtime, and the emotional impact. Nicky highlights the importance of school-wide awareness and an inclusive culture. Stressing that genuine inclusion is not just about the support in place, but whether a child feels safe, seen, valued and able to belong.

    "The best one-on-ones are the ones where you don't even know they're there. Isla's voice is the voice that's heard - it's so difficult for her to feel not only included but valued."

    Nicky Muller

    View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

    About Nicky Muller

    Nicky is an FOP awareness advocate and mum to Isla who is now 12 and diagnosed with FOP as a baby. A former trustee of the UK charity, FOP Friends and a career in Marketing, she combines lived experience with expertise to drive awareness, fundraising and support for families.

    Contact Nicky

    https://www.fopfriends.com

    https://www.facebook.com/fopfriends

    https://www.instagram.com/fop_mum/

    https://x.com/FOPFriends

    nickyjmuller@gmail.com

    https://www.youtube.com/FOPFriends

    Useful Links

    www.fopfriends.com

    • 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.
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    53 mins
  • Supporting Young People with Long-Term Illness in Education with Josh Pelled

    Supporting Young People with Long-Term Illness in Education with Josh Pelled
    Apr 16 2026
    Bright Futures' research estimates that around 270,000 young people (age 5–24) miss 20% or more of their education each year due to long-term illness. The consequences for qualifications, employment and wellbeing are severe - for example, 79% of 18-24 year‑olds who are out of work due to ill health only have qualifications at GCSEs or below, compared with 34% of their peers. These young people don't just lose learning: prolonged absence damages social connections, confidence and everyday school experiences. "Returning to normal" needs careful planning, not a simple reinstatement of lessons. Josh Pelled, CEO of Bright Futures UK and a two-time cancer survivor, founded the charity based on his lived experience of missing significant portions of his education. Josh joins Dale to discuss 'supporting young people with long-term illness in education', covering the academic, social, and mental-health impacts of prolonged absence, the difficulty of reintegration, and how technology can help maintain learning and connection but cannot replace full inclusion. "We can try to do things to bridge the gap between illness and education and make sure that a young person feels as supported as possible." Josh Pelled Listen to Josh delve into the practical, emotional, and systemic challenges faced by ill students and explore how educators, SENCos, and pastoral teams can be more proactive in helping these students stay connected to learning and community life. View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop! About Josh Pelled Joshua Pelled is the Founder and CEO of Bright Futures UK, a pioneering charity dedicated to reintegrating young people into education after serious long-term illness. His journey is deeply personal, having survived cancer twice— first at the age of five and again at sixteen. These experiences revealed the profound educational and social challenges that come with prolonged medical absences, inspiring him to create a support system he wished he had. Contact Josh https://www.brightfuturesuk.org https://www.facebook.com/BrightFuturesUKOfficial/ https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturesuk/ info@brightfuturesuk.com Useful Links ONS Statistics – People with long-term health issues Statutory Guidance – Ensuring a good education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs 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.
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    44 mins
  • Assessing Complex Learners with Jordan Garrett

    Assessing Complex Learners with Jordan Garrett
    Apr 9 2026

    The needs around SEND in schools are increasing - both in numbers and complexity of needs – and many schools are struggling with the best way to support their learners effectively. They want to do the best for their students, but the DfE provides very limited guidance on supporting learners with SEND.

    Jordan Garrett from Sensory Classroom joins Dale to discuss 'assessing complex learners'. Jordan brings a wealth of experience from specialist and mainstream settings, plus years of curriculum and resource development, and offers practical, classroom-tested advice.

    Their discussion includes:

    • Clear explanation of the gaps in current guidance and why schools struggle to turn these into day-to-day practice.
    • Practical, person-appropriate approaches for curriculum and assessment that meet learners where they are - including translating mainstream topics into meaningful, multi-sensory lessons.
    • How to use frameworks to track small steps of progress, show meaningful outcomes to parents and plan bespoke learning without creating lots more work.
    • Ideas for making regulation, communication and sensory needs the foundation of teaching so pupils can access academic learning.
    • Advice on building collaboration between teachers and TAs, using APDR cycles, and choosing trusted, adaptable resources rather than one-size-fits-all "solutions".

    View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

    About Jordan

    Jordan is an experienced Specialist Education Teacher in the UK. She shares daily ideas, support and resources to support supporting adults of non-speaking children with SEN.

    Contact Jordan

    https://sensoryclassroom.org

    https://www.facebook.com/share/z4JM3rfbXWsuw2Kb/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

    https://www.instagram.com/sensoryclass

    https://www.tiktok.com/@sensoryclass

    Useful Links

    Sensory Curriculum

    • 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.
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    1 hr and 12 mins