Met with J Grange to discuss neurodiversity
I met with J Grange who is a respected public speaker and neurodiversity advocate who goes into Pupil Referral units, schools and colleges such as Kings College London to speak to students, staff and parents. He is fairy local to Ipswich as he is from Chelmsford. He is an ambassador for numerous organisations and charities. He has spoken for the United Nations, live at the Bournemouth International Centre and regularly speaks to a wide range of businesses, charities and corporates. These include, Harvey Nichols, JCDecaux, Johnson Matthey, Metro Bank and News International to talk about creating equality for those 1 in 5 who are neurodivergent. J was also recently a finalist for the prestigious National Diversity Awards 2023 in the ‘Positive Role Model’ category which is a huge achievement.
We met at a recent event I hosted in the Houses of Parliament, the launch of Conservative Friends of Neurodiversity where we got chatting about our lived experiences, mine with dyslexia and dyspraxia and his with dyspraxia and ADHD. We wanted to continue our conversation about how we can make society more inclusive and aware of all types of neurodiversity’s.
We talked about both of our childhood’s and how being neurodiverse impacted our education and how teachers need to be more aware of all types of neurodiversity to better be able to help these children succeed. J was permanently excluded from two schools which were mainstream and did not support him. He then went to a pupil referral unit which he believes helped him turn his life around, receiving the specialised support he needed such as smaller clashes and more time to do work.
We discussed how there is generally a negative connotation to neurodiversity’s such as ADHD having the words ‘deficit’ and ‘disorder’ in. However, neither of us would change being neurodiverse. Neurodiverse people think in different ways, outside the box and see things others don’t. this is a great benefit to society and the workplace also needs to become more inclusive so that we can utilise this talent.
J has had personal experiences with the justice system and ended up in court during his childhood. We talked about how many who end up in the prison system are neurodiverse. As a society we need to support these people. When I was on the Education Select Committee we campaigned for every prison to have a Neurodiversity Support Manager and this was put in place by the Government. We need to ensure everyone gets the support they need to succeed.
J and I discussed him coming to Ipswich to visit local schools and share his lived experiences with students. Also talking with local businesses about how they can be a more neurodiversity inclusive employer. You don’t stop being neurodiverse when you leave school. J also will get involved in my work on neurodiversity, it is great to have a young advocate with so many lived experiences that people can relate to.
Launch of APPG for Neurodiversity in Defence and National Security
I met with colleagues to launch my new All Party Parliamentary Group for Neurodiversity in Defence and National Security. It is a cross party group and good to have a Labour peer on board, Baroness Anderson, who is also a Honorary Captain in the Royal Naval Reserve. Alongside Baroness Anderson and myself, there will be Paul Bristow MP and Chris Clarkson MP. With Dan Harris, Founder of Neurodiversity in Business as our Secretariat.
Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience and interact with the world around them in many different ways. This applies to people not only such as myself who have dyspraxia and dyslexia, but also individuals with ADHD, autism and other associated conditions.
As you know, I am very passionate about neurodiversity and have done lots of work in this area during my time as a Member of Parliament. I was also part of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme 2022-2023. The aim of the Scheme is to give Members of the House of Commons and House of Lords experience and an insight into military life that would not otherwise be available to us. I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in this Scheme.
However, through this scheme myself and colleagues identified a number of issues around the accessibility of the armed forces for neurodiverse people. My APPG will aim to rectify these and I would like to launch an inquiry into how there can be better recruitment of neurodiverse people in the Armed Forces.
Whilst part of the Scheme, I met a Commanding Officer at Sandhurst and we had an interesting discussion about how warfare is progressing further and further towards cyber. Those who are neurodiverse can think outside the box and see things differently such as pattern recognition and keen attention to detail. These skills are paramount to enhancing our cyber security as a country.
Despite the wealth of research and studies into challenges faced by the neurodivergent community in general, there is very little on the lived experiences of neurodivergent individuals specifically in the UK Defence and National Security sector. There is already good work and commitment in progress across a number of initiatives, such as the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Neuro Inclusivity Network.
This new group I am launching will formally seek to identify and address these sector specific challenges and promote utilising and being more inclusive of the neurodivergent workforce in the Armed Forces. I greatly look forward to all the great work on Neurodiversity in Defence and National Security that will come.
Northgate School Statement
I have been left concerned by some of the material that is being promoted in our schools over the past few months. I believe strongly that all teaching relating to sex education and gender identity should be age appropriate. It should also have parental consent and not promote controversial, contested, and often radical gender theories as fact.
A number of parents have raised concerns with me over the past year or so but often lacking any real evidence making it hard for me to pursue. The Government is currently in the process of developing clear statutory guidance for schools on these issues. It is critical that this is published as soon as possible to make it abundantly clear to schools what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.
A few weeks ago, it was brought to my attention on social media that an example of radical gender theory called the “Genderbread person” was being promoted at Northgate High School. A document promoting this concept with the School’s logo and contact details at the bottom was shared on social media. The social media account that shared this document and a related video promoting the school’s “LGBTQ+ LANGUAGE TOOLKIT” had a big following, so unsurprisingly a number of media outlets picked up on the issue including the Daily Express. I expressed my concern on social media about what I saw.
I then received an email from the Headteacher at the school expressing frustration that I commented upon the issue without knowing “the full picture” and meeting with her to discuss my concerns. Very shortly after this, the Headteacher emailed parents implying that I had refused to meet with her and that I didn’t have “the full picture”. It also mentioned that the Daily Express were aware of the issue.
In a separate statement to the media, she claimed that the “Genderbread person” concept was only ever communicated to teachers. According to the BBC, “The school said the resource has only ever formed part of a staff tool kit on language, which has not been used since October 2022 and has never been used as a teaching resource.” Both the BBC and the Ipswich Star published this statement without question and didn’t come to me for a response.
My initial thoughts in response to this statement from the Headteacher was confusion. What would be the point in communicating all of these controversial theories to the teachers if the expectation wasn’t for the teaching staff to then communicate these ideas to the pupils?
However, there was then a very significant development. I was contacted by a parent of two children at the school. That day his daughter had gone on the school intranet and gained access to all of the material under discussion. Far from being taken down, discontinued or only being accessible to teaching staff, the “Genderbread person” and other associated material was fully accessible and available to pupils. I was sent a video of the pupil in question logging on and accessing the material on the intranet.
In many respects, this makes me even more concerned than if it was being used and promoted in the classroom. At least then a responsible adult would be present to hopefully provide some balance. As it is, a radical gender theory is there on the intranet, accessible to pupils, and from what I can see, promoted as fact, not even just a contested theory.
I’m concerned that there is such a discrepancy between what the Headteacher claims and the apparent reality of the situation. I understand that the Daily Express emailed the Headteacher about this discrepancy but didn’t receive a response. I look forward to getting a full explanation when I meet with her over the coming weeks. How can she credibly claim that the “Genderbread person” was never used as a “teaching resource” when all pupils appear to be able to get easy access to it?
Interestingly the Labour candidate for Ipswich decided to wade into the debate criticising me for raising concerns about controversial gender ideology being promoted in the school before knowing the full facts and gaining “the full picture”. Largely on the back of the inaccurate and unbalanced story in the Ipswich Star I imagine. If ever there was a case to keep your powder dry this was it.
I do not believe that controversial debates around gender identity should be promoted in primary schools at all and I don’t think that controversial concepts like the “Genderbread person” have any place in schools whatsoever. If a pupil is struggling with their own gender identity, then of course I want them to be supported. However, I think there are potentially dangerous and damaging consequences for our young people when radical and controversial gender theories such as the “Genderbread person” are promoted in schools. I also think it’s right that parents have full oversight of what their children are being taught in schools when it comes to these sorts of issues, many seem to be totally in the dark. Something I can’t understand from this experience, is that I clearly haven’t been able to secure a proper response from the school in question, about what is actually promoted to children within the school.
The “Genderbread person” model in question states: “Gender is one of those things everyone thinks they understand but most people don’t. Gender isn’t binary. It’s not either/ or. In many cases it’s both/ and. A bit of this, a dash of that.” This essentially states that gender identity is something purely in your head and that biology has no role to play at all. It also states that gender isn’t “binary”, meaning that you can be a mixture. These are pretty out there ideas that I personally disagree with. However, the idea that they aren’t just promoted, but promoted as fact with no counter balance I find deeply disturbing.
The concept also promotes regressive gender stereotypes which I also think have no place in our schools. For example, under “Gender identity” it has a “Woman-ness” category and a “Man-ness” category and with each associated “roles”, “jobs” and “hobbies”. I thought we were trying to break down the view that there are roles and jobs for men and roles and jobs for women? The bizarre way in which this concept is promoted leaves me thinking that you’d be told you are 5% male for liking football but 10% women for wanting to be a nurse? I’d be fascinated for the creator of the “Genderbread person” to outline to me what roles and hobbies are associated with “man-ness” and “woman-ness”.
My concern is that this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to some of the theories being promoted in our schools, which is why last week I wrote to the Education Secretary and the Equalities Minister requesting that the statutory guidance for schools be urgently published to ensure this sort of stuff is nipped in the bud.
I’m sorry it has come to this. On the whole, Northgate is a good school, and it saddens me that it has attracted national media attention for the wrong reasons. I want stability for the school and the pupils at it, but I will always act if I believe potentially harmful content is being promoted to young people in Ipswich that is not age appropriate. In this case, I felt like I had no alternative but to speak out.
I will be meeting the Headteacher soon to discuss my concerns and a way forward. I am also making myself available to meet with all parents that have concerns.
Local Skills Champions’ Reception
On Tuesday evening I brought Matthew Applegate, founder of Creative Computing Club, to Number 10 as my guest for the Local Skills Champions’ Reception hosted by the Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP, Secretary of State for Education. I chose Matthew as my Local Skills Champion as Creative Computing Club do great work in helping young people in Ipswich and across Suffolk engage in technology-based activities, having a positive impact on their educational and social opportunities.
Matthew supports many children who are neurodiverse through his Club. He helps them gain confidence and qualifications in areas that interest them, giving them the skills they need to enter high paid tech-based jobs. Those who are neurodiverse often think in unconventional ways, this is an advantage when it comes to tech. Matthew teaches them how to utilise their strength and the organisation has and continues to have excellent outcomes.
I have linked up many young people in Ipswich to Matthew and the Club. Many of their lives have been turned around and they have developed and strengthened their social skills, which they previously struggled with.
I would like to thank Matthew for taking the time to come to London. The work Creative Computing Club do is outstanding, and it is clear how committed they are to ensuring young people succeed in their chosen path. I know Matthew will continue the work he is so passionate about, helping children in Suffolk thrive.
Ipswich Academy
Suffolk SEND provision Roundtable Discussion
I hosted a roundtable discussion on SEND provision. Whilst we mainly focused on Suffolk, we discussed what can be done on a national level to ensure those who are neurodiverse are supported. Those who are neurodiverse often feel they don’t have the support they need to break down the barriers they face in education and in learning the life skills they need for a fulfilled life.
Present were, myself; Cllr Chris Chambers, Deputy Cabinet Member for Education at Suffolk County Council; Dhruv Patel, Nisai Education Trust; Gemma Grace, Adult Autism Awareness Advocate; Wayne Taylor, Director of Youth Services at TCHC; Boo Dendy, Leading Lives and Adam Dabin, Head Teacher, Sir Bobby Robson School.
Together, we discussed how not only education reform is needed, but also SEND provision for adults to ensure they hold necessary life skills alongside helped on the path towards gaining a job.
On education reform, we discussed the need for all teachers to have a good awareness and understanding of all types of neurodiversity, not just SEND specialists. This needs to be incorporated into the curriculum for teachers. We also need to ensure schools are held to account for their provision of SEND through Ofsted. A SEND review is needed as part of Ofsted reports. Alongside this, more funding is needed. Suffolk is underfunded and more funding is something I continue to campaign for in Parliament.
Adult SEND provision also needs reform. Shockingly, fewer than 3 in 10 people with autism are in work. The recent Buckland Review by the Government is aiming to change this. We need to see job centre staff trained in neurodiversity awareness. This will help them when talking with those who are neurodiverse and placing them. Alongside this, employers need to make a conscious effort to make changes to the work environment to help those who are neurodiverse thrive.
This meeting was a productive and positive step in the right direction and I look forward to continuing discussions on such an important topic.
Meeting Inspire Suffolk CEO
Tools with a Mission
UK Education for Change
any occasions where I’ll be critical of the way UK aid is spent and where it’s sent. However, UK Education for Change which I saw in Bangladesh last month are doing some great work.
Large numbers of Bangladeshi girls are forced into child labour and are denied basic education. UK Education for Change works to change this. Quite a touching moment communicating with some of the girls and their parents via an interpreter about how their lives have been changed for the better.
Bangladesh is a fast developing country with increasing influence and of course a Commonwealth country with which we have strong ties.
There is a need for an aid budget but it needs to work in accordance with British interests and should also ideally be linked to increasing trade and Investment. Clearly morally it’s important the aid goes to where’s its really needed. Not to countries that don’t need it and which aren’t allies with which we have close links!
New Skills Centre
Visited the New Skill Centre today to see their SEN school and meet with headteacher Mark Winston. I visited their centre for adults the other week, and it was great to hear about all the work they do for young people as well at their school. When I visited, they were having a “Paws for Thought” day to raise money for the Blue Cross charity.
The centre only opened in September 2019, and their building, a former church, originally had no classrooms. They’re off to a great start. Since opening, they’ve grown enormously and have already got a good all round Ofsted rating.
The NSC supports students aged 11-19 with complex needs like autism, some of whom have been out of school for many years. They help many students who have suffered trauma causing social issues, not just those with SEND. Post-16 students do placements and often help teach younger students.
NSC has classes of about 3-4 students in a nurturing environment, offering a full GCSE curriculum. Within a short space of time, their students make progress in interpersonal skills and confidence. 95% of students’ places are commissioned by local authority, and they’re very strict on having only students suitable to the environment. They’re independent but subscribe to the funding structure for SEN pupils, giving them more freedom to manage the school and funding.
During my visit, I met James, a post-16 student who has progressed hugely and is now going for a work placement. After two years here, he’s off to Suffolk New College to study business. It was great to learn about how much progress he’s made and hear about his future plans.
I also got to see the design and technology workshops. They have a 3-D printer and CAD software, and I saw some of the impressive projects the students have worked on.
The school also works closely with parents, gives confidence and breaks down barriers. I met Emma Mirams, the assistant head who is also in charge of mental health and pastoral care, and learned about the kind of extra support they offer.
The school is off to a great start, and I look forward to seeing them continue to grow and support more young people.