Claire Cannon and Alice Phillips, Episodes
Empowered: Student Self-Advocacy in Schools with Claire Cannon and Alice Phillips
SENDcast Episode
Empowered: Student Self-Advocacy in Schools
with Claire Cannon and Alice Phillips
When schools stop doing things *to* students and start doing things *with* them, everything changes.
Dale is joined by Claire Cannon a national inclusion consultant at Indigo Owl Coaching and Consultancy and Alice Phillips, a Year 11 student currently taking her GCSEs and a neurodiversity advocate with Tourette’s. Together, they explore what student self-advocacy really means – and why so many schools are still getting it wrong.
Alice speaks with remarkable insight and honesty about her own experiences: fighting for the right to wear a hoodie; being sanctioned for not going to lessons when she physically and mentally couldn’t and spending years masking at school.
Claire brings the professional lens – unpicking why schools default to rigid systems over individual understanding, and what genuine listening actually looks like in practice.
“Respect is two way. When teachers listen to you, it makes you feel like an actual person.”
— Alice Phillips
This episode is essential listening for anyone who works with or supports neurodivergent young people and wants to understand what it actually feels like to be on the other side.
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Useful links
GuesTS
Claire Cannon
National Inclusion Consultant
Alice Phillips
Student and Neurodiversity Advocate
Watch on YouTube
About the guestS
Claire Cannon
Claire Cannon is an experienced educational leader with 20+ years in education. With extensive experience across both mainstream and specialist settings, Claire has worked in a variety of roles including Assistant Head in secondary AP (SEMH) and SENCO across two education phases.
Claire also supports others as an Educational Leadership Coach, INSET day provider (specialising in SEMH and behaviour), and SEND consultant – frequently contributing as a conference speaker. She is an NPQ facilitator and has served as Chair of Governors.
Claire holds a degree in Psychology, bringing a research-informed, people-centred approach to her work supporting children, staff, and whole-school improvement. In her downtime, she enjoys taking time to reset – her spaniels happily take her for a walk twice each day.
Alice Phillips
Alice is 16 years old and getting ready to take her GCSEs this year. She has 2 bunnies and 2 naughty working cocker spaniels.
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