Navigating change: A neuroaffirming guide to transitions and the Summer holidays
Jon Mansell shares neuroaffirming strategies to help families support young people through end-of-term changes and the summer holidays, using predictable routines, low-demand planning and realistic expectations to reduce anxiety and protect emotional wellbeing.
Understanding the crisis of Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA): A blueprint for support and re-engagement
Jon Mansell explores why Emotional Based School Avoidance is rising and how compassionate, individualised support can help anxious and neurodivergent young people re-engage with school safely, gradually and successfully.
Redefining boarding: How specialist boarding schools can support SEMH students
Niamh Little explores how specialist boarding can provide SEMH learners with consistency, trusted relationships and supported opportunities for independence, creating a secure home-from-home where young people can regulate, reconnect with education and prepare confidently for adulthood.
More than a document: How effective EHCPs can support young people to thrive
Amy Clampin explains how effective EHCPs can move beyond paperwork to become personalised, working plans that centre each young person’s voice, align families and professionals, and create the safety, support and ambition needed to thrive in education and adulthood.
Behaviour as communication: trauma-informed approaches for supporting children with ACEs
Matthew Mackay from Wilds Lodge School explores how behaviour often communicates unmet needs, not defiance. Using a trauma-informed lens, he explains how ACEs shape stress responses and why emotionally available adults, co-regulation and restorative repair can rebuild safety, trust and readiness to learn.
Getting the basics right: supporting SEMH students to learn and thrive
Mary Rennie explains how Wilds Lodge supports SEMH learners through emotionally safe environments where behaviour is understood as communication. From co-regulation to restorative “repair and reflect,” the focus is on relationships, consistency and a culture of hope that helps young people reconnect with learning.
Tailored support: How AHS personalises education for a year 7 student with autism, ADHD and EAL
Christopher Lloyd shares how Abingdon House School tailors integrated support for a pupil with autism, ADHD and EAL, combining therapy-led strategies, multisensory learning and clear routines to build focus, safe social connection and confidence ahead of a carefully planned transition.
Removing barriers: supporting a neurodivergent GCSE student to exceed expectations
James Gilbert-Farrell shares a case study showing how integrated support at Abingdon House School helped a GCSE student with autism and dyslexia build confidence and independence, using assistive technology and oracy strategies to reduce barriers and achieve strong qualification outcomes.
Personalisation in practice: Case study of a student with autism, ADHD, social communication difficulties and anxiety
Rachel Cullen shares a day-in-the-life case study showing how Abingdon House Prep personalises learning for a student with autism, ADHD and anxiety, blending classroom adaptations, therapeutic input and trusted relationships to reduce barriers, build resilience and support meaningful engagement.
The power of personalisation: how integrated support helps SEN learners thrive
Rory Vokes-Dudgeon is the Headteacher at Abingdon House School, a specialist school dedicated to removing barriers to learning for students with SEN. Rory is passionate about ensuring all students have the opportunity to achieve meaningful outcomes. In addition to his role at Abingdon House School, Rory guest lectures at King’s College London on maths education and support for SEN learners.
Embodied learning: The role of music in supporting specific learning difficulties
Maria Blasco-Garcia explains how music education at Burlington House School strengthens the cognitive skills that underpin learning, supporting students with SpLD through rhythm, pattern and structure, while also building confidence, emotional regulation and a sense of belonging.
Hands-on success: Practical learnings for students with Specific Learning Differences
Melody Carter explores how practical, hands-on learning, especially food tech and life skills, can boost confidence, independence and problem-solving for students with Specific Learning Difficulties, offering meaningful success beyond text-heavy classrooms and helping learners thrive in real-world contexts.
Dyscalculia vs maths anxiety: supporting students with barriers to learning mathematics
KS5 Maths Lead Ewan Dennis at Burlington House School explores the critical differences between dyscalculia and maths anxiety, showing how understanding the root cause of a learner’s struggle allows educators to provide the right emotional support, teaching strategies and pathways for success.
Dyslexia-friendly classrooms
English teacher and dyslexia specialist Annie Crerar explores how thoughtful classroom environments, multisensory teaching and inclusive strategies can remove barriers for dyslexic learners -supporting confidence, literacy and self-esteem while benefiting every student.
Speech, language and literacy: how speech & language therapy supports reading and writing
By Angela Sherry and Claudia Cardoso. Speech and language therapists (SaLTs) do more than support spoken communication, they help build the foundational language skills that underpin reading, writing, and learning across the curriculum.
Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms
Deputy Headteacher Victoria Howe and SENDCo Catherine Harrison explore how emotional safety shapes learning and wellbeing at Gretton School.
Beyond interventions: How Cavendish Schools support Autistic pupils
Supporting autistic learners is about more than teaching lessons. Beth Elkins, Headteacher of Gretton School, discusses with Niamh Little how Cavendish schools support autistic young people to thrive in education.
PE, sport and inclusion for SEN students
Through inclusive practice, adaptive teaching, and strong relationships, Jack Lee, PE teacher at Gretton School, explains how a specialist school can nurture a lifelong love of movement while supporting learners’ physical, social, and emotional wellbeing.
Small adjustments, big impact: Helping dyslexic students thrive with reasonable adjustments
By Harriet Reynolds.
Dyslexia affects more than reading, it shapes confidence, energy, and engagement. This guide explores small but powerful classroom adjustments that help dyslexic learners feel understood, supported, and capable of thriving.
Decoding complexity: Navigating the intersections of dyslexia with other learning differences
By Amy Leeke. Dyslexia rarely exists in isolation. This guide explores how it overlaps with ADHD, DLD, dyscalculia, and more – offering practical insights to help educators support learners with multiple, intersecting needs.
Dyslexia – Not always a superpower…
Dyslexia is often described as a “superpower,” but the day‑to‑day challenges can be significant. Jodie Grant explores the emotional impact of dyslexia and how supportive strategies at home and school can protect confidence and wellbeing.
Leading the way: piloting AI-powered teaching to support SEN
Koen Claeys outlines Cavendish Education’s pioneering trial of AI-powered teaching tools to enhance SEN support. From creative avatars to real-time feedback, students are engaging more confidently, while teachers gain a powerful partner, not a replacement.
Technology that transforms. How accessibility powers progress at Abingdon House School
Throughout November, our Insight Hub has explored how AI and digital technologies are transforming the educational landscape, reshaping how students access learning, how teachers personalise instruction and how schools design for inclusion. In this fourth instalment, we step inside one of our London schools to see what this looks like in practice.
When every student is seen: How AI can empower students with Special Educational Needs
Koen Claeys explores how AI can personalise learning for students with SEN, empowering diverse learners through tailored support. With teachers at the heart, AI becomes a partner in helping every pupil thrive as their authentic self.
The future of education: Human and AI partnership
Koen Claeys explores how combining Artificial Intelligence with human connection can transform education. By enhancing accessibility, confidence and personalised learning, this partnership helps neurodivergent pupils grow through both innovation and empathy.
Fair Tests: Rethinking Exams for ADHD Learners
When exams test endurance more than knowledge, ADHD learners are at a disadvantage. This article explores how early access arrangements and executive functioning support can create fairer, calmer exam experiences that reflect true ability.
Conditions for growth: Behaviour and focus strategies for ADHD learners
ADHD learners need the right conditions in order to thrive. This guide offers compassionate, practical strategies for behaviour and focus, helping parents. carers and educators shift from correction to cultivation so that attention, motivation and self-worth can blossom.
All the World’s a Stage: Why ADHD in Girls is Often Missed
ADHD in girls is often hidden behind masking and self-blame, leading to late diagnosis and unmet needs. This guide explores why symptoms differ from boys and how early recognition and support can help girls thrive.
AuDHD – what parents and teachers should know
Bridget Young is the Headteacher at The Holmewood School, London and has 20 years’ experience in education with 13 years in autism-specific education. She brings both personal and professional experience of neurodivergence, and has a special interest in coaching, habits, and wellness.
My Child Struggles to Make Friends
Louise Wallis-Jones shares practical, compassionate advice to help neurodivergent children build confidence, regulate emotions, and make meaningful connections with others—supporting friendship on their own terms.
A Parent’s Guide to Exam Access Arrangements
Learn how exam access arrangements support fairness for students with additional needs. From extra time to separate rooms, Cavendish Education explains what’s available, who qualifies, and how families can help secure support early.
What is ADHD? Signs, Support, and Strategies in Education for Every Learner
This guide explains ADHD in children, from signs and executive functioning to effective classroom strategies. Discover how to create inclusive, strengths-based environments that support focus, confidence, and success for neurodivergent learners.
What is Neurodiversity? Understanding Neurodiversity in Education
This guide explores neurodiversity in education, what it means, why it matters, and how educators can create inclusive classrooms that celebrate cognitive differences and support every learner’s strengths, needs, and wellbeing.
From Labels to Lives: Why SEMH Deserves a New Lens
Cavendish Education redefines SEMH by focusing on student strengths, not behaviours. Through trauma-informed care, emotional literacy, and nurturing school cultures, learners are empowered to feel safe, supported, and ready to thrive.
Understanding autism – what parents and educators can do to help
Introduction Every child has a unique way of seeing the world, shaped by their interests, experiences, and the way their brain works. For autistic young people, these perspectives are often particularly distinctive. Autism, officially referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), influences how someone communicates, processes information, and relates to others. While many are familiar […]
Understanding Diagnosis: Autism and Other Special Educational Needs
This comprehensive guide walks parents and educators through the process of recognising, diagnosing, and supporting children with autism and other special educational needs, with a focus on early identification, co-occurring conditions, and empowering families with the right tools.
Supporting children with Dyscalculia
Headteacher at Abingdon House School, Rory Vokes-Dudgeon, explains how he thinks both parents and teachers can best support children with dyscalculia.
What is an EHCP?
We asked Nuala Dalton, SENCo at Burlington House School, London, to outline the purpose of a child having an EHCP, what it might consist of and how to begin the process of obtaining one. What is an EHCP? An Education, Health and Care plan (“EHC plan” or EHCP) is a legal document which describes a […]
Top questions to ask when choosing a school for your dyslexic child
Gemma Doyle, Director of Admissions for Cavendish Education, shares the top questions parents should ask when choosing a school for a child with dyslexia- covering everything from classroom practice to technology and self-esteem.
What is dyslexia?
Jodie Grant, Head of Learning Development and SENDCo at Bredon School, explains what dyslexia is, how to spot the signs, when to seek assessment, and how families can support children to thrive with the right tools and understanding.
