I ask myself that question! I think that Finding Common Ground has to be free to those who use it otherwise it might not benefit those who most need it. Also, if it was paid for by the parents and carers then the school would see it as advocacy and, if it was paid for by the school, then the parents and carers would not trust it to be impartial.....
So for this pilot I am running it for free. If the service proves useful and positive then I am going to look for funding from charitable trusts to enable a group of experienced practitioners in secondary schools, with expertise in SEND, pastoral care and mental health, to be funded on an occasional basis to provide advice as needed, depending upon the case. The reputation of the advice will rest on the basis that we are current or recent practitioners so it is unlikely that anyone will work full time on this. I stepped aside from being a secondary headteacher in April (2023) and I am teaching part-time which gives me current understanding as well as allowing me to devote some time to this project!
If anyone reading this has any knowledge of educational charity funding or has good ideas about the best way to fund this going forward then I would love to hear from you!
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