Effectively Work with Other Adults in School

The first time a social worker, an educational psychologist and a parent are all looking at you across a table, it's easy to freeze or say more than you meant. Yet as the adult who works with the child every day, you often know things nobody else in the room does.

You'll find out who you're likely to meet, such as a speech and language therapist or the local authority's SEN officer. You'll also know what happens at a team around the child meeting, a child in need meeting or an annual review. Small things are worth passing on, since a fear of the corridor or a love of football can matter as much as a reading age. Keep to facts and dates rather than hunches, though, because the notes go to parents.

There's a simple rule for the meeting, too: be a cog, not a hog or a log.