Navigating SEND with Laura-Jayne Ward

✨ THRIVE TUESDAY Q&A ✨

Have a question about SEND, EHCPs, school support, or navigating the SEND system?

Drop your questions in the comments below by 6PM ⬇️

Every Tuesday evening, I’ll come on here and answer as many questions as I can to help support families navigating their SEND journey 💙

Because every child deserves to thrive 🌱

Feeling overwhelmed by the SEND process? You’re not alone.

Whether you’re just starting to explore an EHC needs assessment or preparing for an annual review, understanding what to do next can feel confusing and full of jargon. That’s exactly why I created these courses.

Each module breaks down the SEND process into clear, easy-to-understand guidance, packed with practical tips and strategies you can use straight away to help secure the right support for your child.

Everything in these courses is based on over 20 years of professional experience working across SEND as a teacher, SENCO, school leader and Local Authority SEND officer. I’ve seen the process from every angle and know the questions, challenges and frustrations families face.

✅ Jargon-free explanations
✅ Practical, actionable advice
✅ Step-by-step guidance through the SEND journey
✅ Learn at your own pace with individual modules or the complete course

If you’re looking for trusted, professional guidance to help you feel more confident navigating SEND, these courses are for you.

Click the link in the bio to explore the modules and find the support that’s right for your family. 💜

Trying to navigate the SEND system and not sure where to start?

Whether you’re facing an EHC needs assessment, struggling to secure the right support in school, trying to understand your rights, or simply feeling overwhelmed by the process, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

With over 20 years’ experience as a teacher, SENCO, school leader and Local Authority SEND officer, I provide clear, practical guidance to help families understand the system, advocate effectively, and move forward with confidence.

✨ Clear answers, not jargon
✨ Practical advice you can act on
✨ Support tailored to your child’s needs
✨ Helping you save time, reduce stress and get the right support

Book a FREE 15-minute consultation and let’s discuss how I can help.

Comment “SEND” below and I’ll get in touch with more information.

Together, we can help ensure your child gets the support they need to thrive. 🌱

Choosing support for all things related to EHCPs can feel overwhelming. There are lots of excellent professionals out there, many who contribute to responses in FaceBook groups free of charge.

However, many parents assume that because someone offers EHCP advice, advocacy or representation, there must be rules about who can do it. In reality, this is a largely unregulated area and I know it’s difficult to know who to trust.

So what should parents look for when considering who to listen to? Especially when looking at their fees can mean it starts going into the hundreds if not thousands!

Before you instruct anyone, make sure they can demonstrate:

✔️ Clear information about their services and fees - including written confirmation of what they are agreeing to do and for how much before you pay anything
✔️ Professional indemnity insurance
✔️ Knowledge of SEND law and EHCP processes
✔️ Secure handling of your family’s information
✔️ A clear complaints process
✔️ Honest, realistic advice (not guarantees)
✔️ Relevant experience and training
✔️ An understanding of the realities faced by SEND families

One of the most valuable things an adviser can bring is experience from multiple perspectives – understanding the system as a parent or family member, as an education professional and from within local authority processes. That combination often provides insights that can make a real difference.

Remember: the best support isn’t necessarily the person making the biggest promises. It’s the person who combines expertise, professionalism, honesty and empathy.

Disclaimer: I am one of those who offer support for families but I share this post to raise awareness of how you can know that whichever person/business you’re talking with is going to be in the best position to support you.

Have you ever been unsure how to choose the right support for your child’s EHCP journey?

👇 Share your thoughts or experiences below.

When a child with an EHCP can’t attend school in person, many families feel like they’re being told there are only three options:

➡️ Section 19 provision (education arranged by the Local Authority because a child can’t attend school)

➡️ Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS)

➡️ Electively Home Educate

But there is another option that is often overlooked…

💻 An online school can be named in Section I of an EHCP.

For some children and young people, an online school can provide the structure, teaching, peer interaction and qualifications they need, whilst removing the barriers that make attending a physical school impossible.

This won’t be the right answer for every child, but it’s important to know that the conversation doesn’t have to stop at Section 19/EOTAS or Home Education.

If your child is unable to attend school because of anxiety, health needs, sensory difficulties, trauma, or other SEND-related challenges, it may be worth exploring whether an online school could meet their needs.

The key is understanding the different options available and being clear about what educational setting you are actually asking the Local Authority to name in Section I.

I support families to explore the available options, consider the pros and cons of each, and build a clear case for the setting they believe is right for their child, so they can confidently tell the Local Authority what they are asking to be named in Section I.

💬 Not sure which option might be right for your child? Book a free 15-minute phone call and we can talk through your situation and how I may be able to support you:

https://calendly.com/laurajward/15minsen

Top tips for submitting appeal evidence

These tips come from having compiled Tribunal Bundles myself and knowing what helps ensure evidence is included, easy to find, and readable for the Tribunal panel.

✅ Send evidence as PDF attachments wherever possible (most files can be saved using “Print to PDF”).

✅ If you’ve photographed documents or taken screenshots, paste them into a Word document and save as a PDF. This helps prevent images becoming distorted when the bundle is compiled.

✅ In your email, list all attachment titles in the body of the message.

✅ If your evidence exceeds 10MB, split it across multiple emails. Include “Email X of Y”, the hearing date, and registration number in the subject line so it’s clear there are multiple submissions.

✅ Keep a master list of everything submitted. This makes it easy to check all evidence has been included when the bundle arrives (though it may appear in a different section than expected).

❌ Don’t simply forward emails or send standalone photos. These can be overlooked or mistaken for correspondence rather than evidence.

❌ Don’t use ZIP files or online folders. Local Authority firewalls may block them.

❌ Don’t resubmit evidence you’ve already sent. Duplicates make it much harder to track what should be included in the bundle.

Need a second pair of eyes on your evidence? I offer an evidence review service to identify any gaps, assess the strengths and weaknesses of your case, and highlight the arguments the Local Authority is likely to raise.

You’ll receive a written report with clear recommendations on any additional evidence or points to address before the hearing. I can currently do this for £35 per hour (typically 2 hours for a B, F and I appeal).

DM me or book a free 15 minute phone call to discuss how I can help you (link in bio).