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Articles on SEND, inclusion and emotional safety

Practical reading for UK parents, school leaders and employers on school anxiety, attendance, SEND, inclusion and psychological safety at work. New articles most weeks.

For parents For schools and MATs SEND and inclusion For workplaces

Naomi Withers 20/10/2025 Naomi Withers 20/10/2025

🎃 How Halloween Can Teach Empathy

I wrote Gus the Ghost because so many of us grew up being told to “be brave”… but not how.

We learned to mask, to rush past feelings, to hold everything in until it spilled out.

Gus reminds children (and adults) that bravery isn’t about pretending we’re not scared — it’s about pausing long enough to notice what’s happening inside, and choosing kindness anyway.

That’s what emotional intelligence really is. Not perfection — just awareness, compassion, and growth. 💙

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