Staff Wellbeing, Inclusive Schools and the SEND Reforms: What Needs to Change and How Can EPs Help.

Episode 7 of In The Pod

Teachers, SENCOs, and school staff are under unprecedented pressure. Classrooms have more children with SEND, trauma, and mental wellbeing needs than ever before, while systemic support and resources haven’t kept pace. The result? Unsustainable workloads, mounting administrative burdens, and staff functioning as a frontline service without adequate support.

In this episode of “In the Pod,” hosted by Heather Altinok, Senior Educational Psychologist, we’re joined by Dr. Maddi Popoola, an Educational Psychologist and co-author of Reimagining Education. Drawing from relational and trauma-informed approaches, the book explores ways to design and sustain a successful school system through the voices and experiences of children and young people themselves.

With the government’s SEND White Paper proposing significant reforms, what will this actually mean for staff wellbeing? And what systemic changes are needed to create schools where both pupils and staff can thrive?

What we discuss:

• Why staff pressure has reached crisis point and what’s driving it
• The administrative and emotional burden on SENCOs and teachers
• How the proposed SEND reforms could impact workload and staff capacity
• Leadership and cultural shifts needed to genuinely support staff
• The role of Educational Psychologists as “expert at hand” in supporting systemic change
• What inclusive education actually requires (hint: it starts with teacher training)
• Why teacher autonomy and purpose matter for motivation and engagement

For Educational Psychologists, this conversation explores how EPs can support schools through capacity building, training, and walking alongside staff as they navigate these changes, potentially shifting away from primarily statutory EHCP work.

You can find Maddi Popoola co-authored book Reimagining Education here: https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/reimagining-education-book-maddi-popoola-9781032980638?sku=NGR9781032980638