Our Voice

Are you trying to choose a primary school for your child with additional needs?

Our Voice Parent Forum hosted two Zoom information sessions for parents and carers, in conjunction with Enfield SENDIASS and the SEN Team on Wednesday 8^th October and Wednesday 15th October.

The sessions looked at how to choose a primary school for children with additional needs, and expressing your preferences for children who have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). We will talk about what the process is, how you can get information about primary schools and what to look out for when making decisions.

 You can view the presentation here, along with a short Question & Answer summary. 

If your child was born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022, you will need to apply for a primary school place by 15^th January 2026, ready for your child to start reception class in September 2026. This workshop will be particularly useful for parents of children in this age group, but you may also wish to attend if your child is a year or so younger, so you can start thinking about the choice of school early.

Key information and dates: 

·    For children with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), the deadline for confirming your preference is 17^th October 25. You will be advised of the name of the school the LA is proposing to name in Section 1 of the EHCP on 15th February 2026. 

·    For children without an ECHP, applications must be submitted by 15^th January 2026. School places will be offered on 16th April 26 (after 7 pm) and you will have until 30th April 26 to accept the place offered. 

·     Schools hold open days/evenings usually during October and November, so you can find out more  – check with individual schools for details

·    You can see more information about the standard process (including options to defer for summer-born children) here and in this booklet.

·    If your child has an EHCP, the SEN Services team will get in touch with you to discuss the process.  

·    For more information about all special schools and other specialist provisions in Enfield see the Local Offer for SEND here. 

Other information and resources

You may also find it useful to look at these resources for preparing to start primary school.

• Enfield Communication Advisory Support Service (ECASS) Rising to Reception programme is aimed at parents and carers of children with communication difficulties. They usually provide a programme of events from about November to March about starting primary school which you can sign up to attend and the information and signing up links will be added to the website. The website also has lots of useful information about starting primary school including a range of presentations from previous years' events.
• Information about starting school on the Contact website here 
• Family Corner – starting school
• SENsational Tutors – Big ideas for little learners transitioning to big school
• NCCA – Suggested transition activities for moving from preschool to primary
• TTS Group – 9 top tips for managing transition from nursery to school

Our guide to What's On -Play and Leisure in and around Enfield has lots of information on local SEND-specific and inclusive activities in and around the area (including some days out in Central London and further afield). The guide was last updated on 14th October 2025. 

This guide focuses on ongoing term-time activities (although some continue during school holidays), and will be regularly updated with the latest activities and dates, so do check back regularly. We will also let you know about relevant one-off events via our weekly updates to members - please join our mailing list to receive these, if you haven't already done so. 

In addition, we usually publish a short 'What's on?' guide during each school holiday, featuring information about specific activities during the next holiday period.  

Please note that these activities are provided by external providers, not Our Voice, and inclusion in this guide should not be taken as our endorsement of any particular provider. 

If you know about any relevant local, accessible activities that aren't included in our guide, please do let us know - email us at info@ourvoiceenfield.org.uk 

As we mark Black History Month in the UK, it’s vital to centre not just race but the intersections that shape lives, including disability. For many Black people, disability is part of their story, yet too often it’s an aspect of identity that’s erased or ignored.

Why this matters

Disability isn’t a “single issue” — for Black people with impairments, it can compound the barriers caused by racism, stigma, poverty, and lack of access. Organisations such as Scope highlight that “there is no Disability liberation without Black liberation” — Black disabled people face additional hurdles that must be recognised and addressed. https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/honouring-black-history-month

Black disabled representation in the UK is still rare. As writer Nana Marfo reflects, navigating childhood as a Black disabled person meant constantly feeling unseen, even among communities that share one of those identities. The Independent

Black Child Down Syndrome Project

The Black Child Down Syndrome Project (BCDS) was founded by four SEND mothers with the aim of increasing awareness, representation and support for Black children with Down syndrome and their families, and creating a more inclusive world where every child can thrive. 

Earlier in the year, BCDS debuted with Reflecting Radiance, a powerful photography exhibition by world-renowned photographer Misan Harriman, celebrating Black children with Down syndrome.

To mark Black History Month and World Down syndrome Awareness Month, the project took over the Piccadilly lights for 10 minutes on Monday, 6^th October - a historic moment in visibility and representation for marginalised groups. Images from their Reflecting Radiance exhibition illuminated one of the world’s most iconic stages, affirming that these children are valued, celebrated and that their potential knows no bounds.

More information on this story, including pictures and videos from the event on the Down’s Syndrome Association website and on the Instagram page of BCDS.

Dyslexia Awareness Week is an annual campaign held in early October (in 2025, from 6th to 12th October) to raise visibility, understanding, and support for people with dyslexia. The week is closely linked with World Dyslexia Awareness Day, observed on 8th October.

In the UK, the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) spearheads the week’s activities, sharing resources, stories, and research to help shift attitudes and practices.

2025 Theme: “Raise the Volume”

This year’s theme, Raise the Volume, focuses on amplifying the voices of young people with dyslexia — their experiences, challenges, strengths, and hopes for change Dyslexia Awareness Week - British Dyslexia Association
This week the BDA has published a new report titled “Set up for somebody else”: Young people with dyslexia in the education system, built on insights from 500 young people.

Dyslexia in Enfield

In Enfield, ‘Specific Learning Difficulties Information and Guidance for Schools and Parents’ sets out the local approach to identifying and supporting Specific Learning Disabilities (SpLD), including Dyslexia. A key principle is that the lack of a formal Dyslexia diagnosis should not be a barrier to a child being fully supported in school.

The Parent/Carer’s Guide to Ordinarily Available Provision sets out the ‘reasonable adjustments’ that schools should be making to support children with additional needs, and what you should do if you think your child is not getting the support they need.

Identifying and diagnosing Dyslexia

The formal diagnosis of Dyslexia can only be done through a Diagnostic Assessment carried out by a certified assessor. However, schools should be able to give support without a formal diagnosis, so you should initially talk to your school SENCO about what support they can provide and what assessment tools they are able to use.

You might also like to have a look at some of the other tools that can help you to get an idea of whether your child might be Dyslexic. The British Dyslexia Association gives several tools, including checklists and information about screening tools, which can give you an idea whether it is likely your child has Dyslexic difficulties, to help you to get support put in place quickly without waiting for a formal diagnosis. 

Dyslexia often occurs alongside other differences

Dyslexia often appears alongside other differences, such as ADHD, dyspraxia (DCD), autism, or dyscalculia. This means that many people experience a mix of strengths and challenges that make them unique learners and thinkers. For example, someone might find reading or organisation difficult, but excel in creativity, problem-solving, or visual thinking. Understanding that dyslexia can co-occur with other forms of neurodiversity helps us support people in the ways that work best for them — not through one-size-fits-all solutions, but by celebrating different ways of learning and communicating. When we do this, we create spaces where everyone’s abilities can shine.

Why It Matters

• Misconceptions persist: Many still associate dyslexia solely with mixing up letters, when in fact it’s a neurological difference in processing language and written text. This short animation from the British Dyslexia Association explains the real challenges dyslexic people face and acknowledges their strengths and potential.  
• Prevalence: Around 1 in 10 people are estimated to be dyslexic. How Common Are Dyslexia and Dyscalculia in the UK? [Updated 2024] | Dyslexia UK
• Strengths & potential: People with dyslexia often have exceptional creativity, problem-solving, pattern recognition, and holistic thinking.
• Barriers remain: In education and workplaces, text-heavy communication methods, rigid teaching styles, and lack of accommodations can exclude dyslexic learners and professionals. Awareness week is a chance to challenge these norms.

North Mid's Occupational Therapy team will offer a 1.5-hour online training session for parents, looking at independence skills for children.

The session will be on Wednesday, 15th October, 10 am - 12 pm 

The session will:

• Explore what we mean by independence and factors that help or hinder its development.
• Give practical strategies for developing independence at home.
• Discuss different ways, we can provide support to our children when teaching them
  independence skills. 

To book your place, call 0204 553 7704 or email northmid.otgroups@nhs.net giving the following details: 

• The name and date of the session you wish to attend
• Your name and the name of your child   

If you would like to attend but cannot do this date, then please email the OT team (as above) to let them know and they will place you on the waiting list for the next training. 

The groups running on online via Microsoft teams. You will be sent the link via email on the email address you have given. Please check your email a few days before the training starts to ensure you have downloaded Microsoft teams and know how to log in to avoid delay on the day.  

Positive Behaviour Support information and resources

Following our successful Positive Behaviour Support project last year, Our Voice ran an additional Introduction to Positive Behaviour Support workshop on 2nd October 25.  

The Cheviots Team (part of the Joint Service for Disabled Children) are continuing to run monthly Behaviour Support Drop-in sessions for families, giving you an opportunity to discuss individual questions regarding your child/young person's behaviour. 

The next session will be on Friday, 7th November at Cheviots Children's Centre, 10 am to 12 noon. You do not need to book, but if you would like Cheviots to provide creche facilities and/or a translator for the session, please email them to confirm clare.redrupp@enfield.gov.uk, giving as much notice as possible. You can see more information on this flyer. 

You can see the slides for the Introduction to Positive Behaviour Support workshop here, along with the 'Capable Environments reflection tool' that we use in the session. 

Links for services referred to in the session, and additional useful resources: 

• Enfield Advisory Service for Autism - Home
• What do we mean by quality of life? factsheet from BILD
• Managing Anxiety factsheet from BILD 
• The Impact of the Environment factsheet from BILD 
• https://eric.org.uk/advice-for-children-with-constipation
• Information sheet on spitting

• The National Autistic Society website has a useful section on Behaviour which includes: Information about distressed behaviour, Anger Management, Meltdowns, and Dealing with Change.

• The Educational Psychology Service offers a telephone support helpline  which you can use to book a call to discuss concerns or issues relating to your child
• You might also like to have a look at this video - on Supporting Children's Behaviour at Home. 

The 24-25 Positive Behaviour Support Project 

Our Voice ran a joint Positive Behaviour Support Project from April 24 to April 25, as part of the Empowering Families and Networks in Enfield Project, delivered jointly with the Joint Service for Disabled Children (Cheviots team): 

• We ran six Introduction to Positive Behaviour Support workshops - you can see the presentation from these sessions here. 

• We co-delivered Positive Behaviour support drop-in sessions, giving parents a chance to discuss individual questions relating to their child/young person's behaviour. All the joint sessions between Our Voice and the JSDC have now been completed. 

Contact are running a seminar for fathers of young children with SEND to discuss how to engage with and support the needs of male carers of early years children with additional needs. The seminar will bring together practitioners, parent carer forums and male parent carers to explore how services can work better for dads and why that matters. 

The seminar will be online and takes place on Wednesday 15^th October 11.30 am to 1 pm. 

All the details are on the flyer here. 

The booking link is https://maleparentcarerseminar.eventbrite.co.uk

We recently held two 'Wills and Trusts' events with Estate Planning Solutions. 

You can see the presentation from both sessions here. 

If you would like to book a 1:1 appointment with Estate Planning Solutions, please email us at info@ourvoiceenfield.org.uk confirming that you give your consent for us to share your details with them. 

The Whizz Kidz Youth Board, a group of young wheelchair users aged between 16 and 25, is conducting research into the suitability of the equipment provided to young wheelchair users by NHS Wheelchair Services. To understand what works well and what may need improving, Whizz Kidz would like to hear about your experiences of accessing NHS Wheelchair Services and about the equipment they offered or provided you with. 

If you would like to contribute to the research, please complete this anonymous survey by Tuesday, 30th September 2025. It should take no more than 10-15 minutes. Your response will be used to inform a research report that Whizz Kidz will use to campaign for changes to NHS Wheelchair Services. 

There are some important changes to Child Benefit eligibility, taking effect from 1 September 2025, which will affect some of our families, and some may also be entitled to backdated payments.

Current rules

Child Benefit usually stops on 31 August after a child’s 16th birthday if they leave education or training.It continues if HMRC is told the young person is staying in approved full-time education or training, which currently means more than 12 hours of supervised study or training each week.

What’s changing from 1 September 2025

The definition of full-time education will be expanded to include:

o   Young people in non-advanced education who cannot meet the 12-hour weekly requirement due to illness or disability.

o   Young people in full-time non-advanced education outside a school or college (for example, being home-educated), whether this started before or after their 16th birthday.

Parents and guardians in these circumstances will continue to be eligible for Child Benefit and can extend their claim through the HMRC app or online at https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit-16-19

Backdated payments

An error in legislation in 2014 meant that some families in England missed out on Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit.  About 7 million families received Child Benefit last year. HMRC have identified that a very small number of families in England, about 500 over 10 years, may not have been paid their correct entitlement. As HMRC do not hold records of people who have been affected by this error, any parents or guardians who believe they may have been one of those affected should contact HMRC as soon as possible.

Parents and guardians may be entitled to backdated payments if, between 6 April 2014 and 31 August 2025, they had a young person who was:

o   Aged 16–18,

o   Living in England,

o   Receiving education outside a school or college (e.g. home-educated), and

o   Where the Local Authority assessed the education as suitable.

How families can check:

o   Child Benefit enquiries: Call 0300 322 9620 or write to HMRC — Child Benefit Office, PO Box 1, Newcastle upon Tyne NE88 1AA.

o   Child Tax Credit enquiries: Call 0345 300 3900 or write to HMRC — Tax Credit Office, BX9 1ER.