Stephen Mallett
Former headteacher, SENCo, and founder of SEND Navigate
About the creator
Stephen Mallett spent 25 years working inside the UK school system — as a teacher, headteacher, and SENCO. He has sat on every side of SEN meetings: as the professional asking families to trust the process, and as a parent discovering that trust had limits.
That experience — the system's language, its pressure points, its unlawful shortcuts, and its extraordinary wins when parents know the law — is what this site is built on. The Parent's Shield, the School Distress Operating Workbook, and the Starter Workbook are his, and they form the foundation of the resources here.
Stephen also runs SEND Navigate, a specialist SEN consultancy. He appears here as a contributor — not as a service. Everything on this site is free and independent. The consultancy is listed under "Where to get more help" because it genuinely is one of the routes — alongside IPSEA, SENDIASS, and the other organisations below.
The knowledge behind this site — in book form
The resources on this site are free. If you want to go deeper, these books extend the same plain-English approach into a complete reference you can return to.
Editorial standards & independence
How we ensure the resources on this site remain accurate, independent, and legally sound.
Legal accuracy
All templates and legal guides are grounded strictly in the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice. We do not publish local authority policy documents as law.
Regular review
Every article and resource is reviewed at least annually, or immediately following significant case law (Upper Tribunal decisions) or statutory changes.
No hidden influence
We do not accept paid guest posts, sponsored articles, or affiliate links for SEN services. Our sponsor, SEND Navigate, has no editorial control over the site's content.
What this site is — and isn't
It is
It isn't
Supported by SEND Navigate
This site is sponsored by SEND Navigate, a specialist SEN consultancy run by the site's creator. Sponsorship funds the hosting, development, and continued free availability of all resources. It does not influence editorial content or resource recommendations. SEND Navigate is listed among the support organisations below — on exactly the same terms as every other organisation on that list.
Where to get more help
If the resources on this site aren't enough for your situation, these organisations offer specialist support. They're listed as peers — not recommendations ranked by who paid for the placement.
Your local SENDIASS
Free, independent, LA-funded advice and support for parents of children with SEN. The single most important service to know about.
IPSEA
Free legal advice on EHCPs and Tribunal. Independent, rigorous, and genuinely expert.
Square Peg
UK campaign organisation working to change how school attendance is understood and supported.
Not Fine In School
Parent-led UK community with over 80,000 members. An extraordinary peer support network.
SEND Navigate
SPONSORSpecialist SEN consultancy offering one-to-one case support, EHCP review, and Tribunal preparation — including a free 15-minute initial call.