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December 2025
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 With the festive break just around the corner, we'd like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! Whatever you're getting up to during the holidays, we hope you have an enjoyable and restful time, spending quality time with family and friends.
Welcome from Iain Peel, interim director of education, strong start and integration
As we run up to the festive period, it’s always a good time to reflect on the fabulous work which has been underway over the last term.
Education providers have had an incredibly busy time working with children and their families and are now busy as the end of term celebrations are fully underway. Health colleagues have been busy staffing their services to address the surge in flu-like conditions whilst also working with individual children and working through Integrated Care Board changes.
It’s against this backdrop that a number of stakeholders from early years, schools, further education, health and parents too recently came together in Crewe to start a conversation about how to plan for the government reforms which we believe will be coming early in the new year. We will keep you informed as this conversation progresses in the new year and please let me know if you would like to be involved in the conversation.
I can also update you on some recent staffing changes too. Tia Sohi was introduced to you in the last newsletter and she has completed her projects and has moved on to projects outside of Cheshire East. I am delighted to inform you that oversight of the SEND and inclusion transformation work has now passed to Helen Wallace who is immersed in SEND experience.
I hope you find this update useful and I look forward to continuing to work with you.
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Message from Councillor Laura Crane, SEND Member Champion
With Christmas approaching, my house will be filled with the soundtrack of A Muppet Christmas Carol, and our thoughts will naturally turn to helping others and keeping the festive spirit alive throughout the year.
As we move into the New Year, my focus will remain on ensuring that every child in Cheshire East has the opportunity to thrive. As a SEND parent, I truly believe in the council’s ongoing work to support our whole school system in becoming as inclusive as possible, ensuring that parents have real choice over their children’s school placement.
My thanks go to everyone involved in this important work, and I promise to continue raising these issues nationally at every opportunity. I hope everyone enjoys the festive period however you choose to spend it, and I look forward to seeing you all in 2026.
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Hosting our second SEND careers fair
The Pledge Partnership, together with the Cheshire East SEND Transition Lead, recently partnered with local education providers and employers to deliver our second SEND Careers Fair. Hosted at Congleton Leisure Centre, the event attracted an impressive turnout of around 300 attendees.
Eighteen local education settings brought their students to explore future options and gain valuable insights from exhibitors representing education, social care, and employment pathways.
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Parents, carers, and professionals joined us throughout the day, sharing feedback that the information provided was invaluable in supporting preparation for adulthood.
We’re thrilled to announce that following the SEND Careers Fair, Everybody Leisure has offered several work experience placements to Year 10 and Year 11 students. Additionally, they have arranged an interview for a young person currently seeking employment. This is a fantastic example of how collaboration at these events creates real, tangible opportunities for our students.
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Inclusion is everybody's business
Following the launch of our Inclusion Strategy, we recently delivered training sessions across the partnership, led by Gary Aubin, focusing on Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision (OAIP) and its vital role within our graduated approach to effective support for children and young people, including those with SEND.
This initiative supports one of the key ambitions outlined in the strategy:
“Strengthening the knowledge and skills of our education community, parents, and partner agencies around the graduated approach – with a particular emphasis on Ordinarily Available and Inclusive Provision.”
More than 340 delegates have attended these sessions, which aim to ensure a consistent understanding of the importance of universal support (OAIP) for all children and young people, and how it is especially beneficial for those with SEND.
As we move into the new year, we look forward to continuing our work together to bring the strategy to life.
Jigsaw SEND Youth Forum
The SEND Youth Forum (now known as Jigsaw) allows young people with SEND or any additional needs, to come together to influence change in wider SEND services.
Young people can take part in fun, challenging activities, which build confidence and self-esteem. Advice and information is available.
If you know a young person who would like to have their voice heard and develop new skills, we’d love to hear from you. Contact participation@cheshireeast.gov.uk.
The group meets every week with sessions available in Crewe and Macclesfield.
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Short breaks provider update
The Endorphins Group will become the new lead provider across the borough from January 2026. The Endorphins Group delivers inclusive wellbeing and community programmes and currently partners with more than 25 local authorities across the UK. Their mission is to create welcoming spaces where every child feels valued and included.
These programmes not only support young people but also provide families with essential respite, giving parents and carers time to recharge while knowing their loved ones are thriving in a safe, supportive environment. We know from your feedback how much families appreciate the current offer, and this is an exciting opportunity to build on that success. By working with The Endorphins Group, we aim to deliver more personalised support to help every young person flourish and reach their full potential.
The Endorphins Group has already begun engaging with families about the support available. If you have any specific questions, you can contact them directly on 0330 133 2642 or email Bookings@endorphins.uk.
Update on young carer support
From January 2026, Cheshire East Council will take over the delivery of support for young carers. This means help and advice will be provided directly by the council rather than through Making Space/Carers Hub. This will align with the local authority team that currently completes all the young carer assessments.
This change is designed to improve how support is coordinated; it does not mean support is ending. Young carers will still have access to advice and guidance, emotional support and group activities and sessions.
We are working closely with Making Space/Carers Hub to ensure a smooth transition. If you have any questions, please contact: youngcarersteam@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Portage and Early Years Forum Report 2024-2025
In September, we published the annual report on our Portage offer and Early Years Forum, offering a detailed overview of the home-visiting educational service for pre-school children with SEND and their families.
As a reminder, the Portage service aims to:
- Work with families to create a quality of life and experiences where they can learn, play, and participate together, ensuring inclusion within their community.
- Help reduce the disabling barriers faced by young children and their families.
- Support the development of inclusive services for children at both national and local levels.
Best Start in Life strategy - embedding high quality inclusive practice to enable every child to thrive
As part of the government’s Best Start in Life strategy, we’re pleased to see a strong commitment to prioritising essential support for children and young people with SEND across all settings.
The strategy includes increased funding to strengthen the support available from providers and further promote inclusion. Under the strand ‘Embedding high-quality inclusive practice to enable every child to thrive’, investment is being made in evidence-informed professional development from infancy, recognising that expertise is particularly vital for children with emerging additional needs.
Improving inclusive practice is also highlighted as a key area for development, with a focus on enhancing collaboration among professionals in education settings to achieve the best possible outcomes for every child.
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Local Offer live events
In November, we continued to host Local Offer Live events, providing a friendly, in-person space for parents, carers, and young people to access initial advice and guidance on SEND services in their area. We were delighted to see another fantastic turnout.
Our next sessions will take place on:
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Wednesday 4 March 2026, 2:30–4:30pm at Daven Primary School, Congleton.
- Wednesday 18 March 2026, 2:30–4:30pm at Alsager Highfields Primary School, Alsager.
If you have questions or want to learn more about local SEND support, we’d love to see you there.
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Bookings for our Christmas Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme are open
With the festive season fast approaching, we’d like to remind you about the fantastic range of free activities available for children who receive income-related free school meals through our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme.
From arts and crafts to baking, sports, and more, there’s plenty to keep children entertained over the holidays, including specialist sessions for those with SEND.
Visit our HAF page to learn more about the programme, or click the link below to browse and book sessions in your area.
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Cheshire East SEND Music Day
The Love Music Trust is delighted to be running their annual SEND Music Day on Wednesday 25 March 2026 at Congleton Town Hall.
If you are a school and are interested in attending with pupils, the sessions are limited and will be awarded on a first come first served basis.
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