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Danielle Broadbent

@danielle.broadbent

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📻 Radio Presenter @hitsradiouk @bcb106.6fm @ldcradio
📺 @gmb @gbnews
📚 Championing SEND & Education Pathways 🏫
💪Body/Mind Positivity!
🩷Family🌍

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I had such an important conversation on @bbcradioleeds yesterday with @gaylelofthouse — about GCSE alternatives and the wider education system 💡

I shared my personal journey as a parent — and how everything changed when I discovered Functional Skills Level 2 as a real, valuable option for my child.

Not because it’s new, but because we only became aware of it after years of struggle — through independent tutor, not school — and if we’d known about it earlier, our journey could have looked very different. It’s been an eye-opening reminder that success doesn’t have to follow one traditional GCSE pathway.

And the reality is — many families simply aren’t told about these options early enough, with school performance measures and league tables often shaping the focus towards more traditional academic routes.

In a recent survey I carried out, just 8 out of 140 parents had even heard of Functional Skills. That has to change.

GCSEs are not the only measure of intelligence — yet for many, they are still treated as the only acceptable pathway.

And not every child thrives in a one-size-fits-all education system.

Failing exams can have a huge impact on confidence — so we have to ask, why are we allowing so many children to reach that point if there are alternatives that may better support them?

This is about making sure every child has access to pathways that fit their needs, strengths, and future goals — whether that’s college, an apprenticeship, or another route entirely.

Because no child should feel like they’ve failed simply because the system didn’t fit them. And success doesn’t look the same for every child.

This isn’t just about neurodivergent children — this is about every child who doesn’t fit into a one-size-fits-all system.

If you believe in expanding educational choices and raising awareness of alternative qualifications, please take 30 seconds to sign and share my petition 📣

Every signature matters.
Every share matters.

🔗 Link in bio
🎧 Full interview also in bio

This is just a snippet — the full conversation goes much deeper, and I really encourage people to have a listen 💙

#BBCradioleeds #SENDReform #Autismawarenessmonth #FunctionalSkills taken in BBC Leeds by @danielle.broadbent

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6 months ago

@gmb yesterday… what an experience!

I’ve absolutely loved reading all your messages and comments since it aired. The feedback has been amazing and my now-famous eye roll 🙄 has clearly made an impression (I’m half expecting it to become a GIF or meme any day now 😂)

The conversation, that was also picked up in The Express and The Daily Mail, absolutely shocked me like it did so many of you.

Here’s the thing: eating out has become a rare treat. Between the cost-of-living crisis, skyrocketing restaurant prices, babysitters, and basically everything else, it’s usually a special occasion or treat when we do. Now we’re being told that women should eat smaller portions? That we should nibble politely while men clear their larger plates? Really?

Calorie intake isn’t determined by gender alone…it’s influenced by so much more: activity levels, metabolism, body size, age, and overall health. One size definitely does not fit all.

Women go through enough…we bleed, we give birth, we juggle careers, screaming kids, and more. Our dinner should be one of the few pleasures we get to enjoy. So no! we won’t accept gender-based portions. Our enjoyment, our choice, our bodies…leave them alone.

So now I want to hear from you: what’s your take on “women’s portions” on menus? Drop your thoughts below! 🤍

#gmb #goodmorningbritain #interview #livedebate #womensbodies #womenempowerment #bodypositivity #bodyconfidence by @danielle.broadbent

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10 months ago

It’s official! Join me and @whatalexthinks over on @hitsradioeastyorks Breakfast Show 19th to the 23rd of August! 🌟 enjoy your well deserved holiday @nicolalashley !

Can’t wait to kick off the mornings with you all—tune in for some chats, the best music around, and good vibes as always 🎶

#hitsradio #hitsradioeastyorkshire #radiopresenter #presenter #womenintheindustry #tvandradio by @danielle.broadbent

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2 years ago

20,000+ steps, questionable cow/bull encounters, dodgy sleeping arrangements 🛌 for some, hills from ⛰️ hell, a real lamp 💡 moment, great food and wine 🍷 , an apparent pool and darts 🎯 champion, and enough laughs to last us until next time! 🤣❤️

What a time with my girls in Sedbergh! 🩷🥂

10/10 time. 0/10 for my legs and backside 😂🍑

#girlsweekend #sedgbergh #weekendaway #photodump taken in Sedbergh by @danielle.broadbent

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🩷 This World Mental Health Day, the theme is lived experiences. Looking back at mine, I realise just how many different ways life can test your mental health, your resilience and your belief in yourself.

My story isn’t one journey. It’s many. But two, in particular, have changed me in ways I could never have imagined…

🧠 Learning to love myself. After years of body insecurity and negative self-talk that affected my mental health, I began to realise just how much the way we think about ourselves impacts how we feel and live. From walking fashion runways to wearing what I want without letting my insecurities dictate my choices, I’ve learned that changing my mindset can be just as powerful as changing my circumstances. The relationship I have with myself matters far more than I ever understood.

🧠 Learning to fight for my son. Navigating an education system that has left us overwhelmed and exhausted, whilst fiercely advocating for my son and so many other children whose needs aren’t being met. Finding the strength to challenge things, push for change and help other families, whilst learning that I matter in the process, too.

Two very different experiences, but both have tested me, taught me and changed me.

This World Mental Health Day, I’m reminded that resilience isn’t always about how strong you are. Sometimes, it’s about how much you’ve overcome, how much you’ve grown and how you keep going, even when things feel impossible.

Be proud of how far you’ve come. And please, give some love to the person you were when you were just trying to find your way. 🩷

#worldmentalhealthday2026 #worldmentalhealthday #mentalwellbeing #mentalhealth #educationsystem by @danielle.broadbent

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4 days ago

For every parent and carer of a child who learns differently… 📣

If I could sit down with myself at the very beginning of our journey, there are so many things I’d tell her.

Fighting for support in an education system that often isn’t built with children who learn differently in mind? Exhausting.

Trying to understand what your child actually needs, what support exists, and how on earth you access it? Even harder.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s this:

You are allowed to ask “What else?”
You are allowed to question “Why?”
And you are absolutely allowed to expect an answer.

You don’t have to accept “that’s just how it is.”

Questioning a system that isn’t working for your child doesn’t make you a difficult parent.

It makes you their advocate. 🧡

And honestly, I wish I’d understood that sooner.

I wish I’d known that my child didn’t need to be moulded to fit a system. Sometimes, the system needs to be willing to adapt to the child.

That’s why I’m now so passionate about helping other families navigate this journey.

So trust your gut.
Look beyond the surface.
Ask the questions.
Keep pushing for the answers.

And most importantly, remember this:

Your child does not have to follow a path simply because it’s the path everyone else is on.

There may be another way.
And it’s okay to fight to find it 🧡

#educationsystem #learningdifferently #diversity #schoolsystem by @danielle.broadbent

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6 days ago

I sat down last night and wrote this poem, and honestly, it came straight from the heart.

OCTOBER IS #ADHDAWARENESSMONTH 🧡

But ADHD deserves understanding, patience and acceptance all year round — not just in October 🧡

Being an ADHD mum has made me question so much — education, expectations, the way I listen, the way I parent, the way we measure success and the way we sometimes see behaviour before we see the amazing person behind it.

This poem is a little piece of that journey.
There have been very hard days.
There have been many battles.

There have been moments I’ve felt completely lost.
But there has also been so much learning, growth, laughter and a lot of love.

I hope my poem resonates with anyone else on this journey.

#adhdchild #adhdawareness #poem #livingwithadhd by @danielle.broadbent

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9 days ago

Happy 1st of October!🕷️

Throwing it back to last week when me and my family braved ScareCity together!

Walking through those abandoned theme park trails in the dark was next-level terrifying!!!

10/10 would recommend going if you’re after a spooky night out this Halloween 💀

#halloween2026 #scarecity #scarecityexperience #october1st by @danielle.broadbent

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13 days ago

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14 days ago

Obsessed with this trend! It really is kinda chic to grow into the woman you were always meant to be✨

What’s your “kinda chic”?! 💭

#kindachic #kindachictrend by @danielle.broadbent

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17 days ago

PROUD MUM MOMENT! 🥹❤️

After everything we’ve been through, watching Mikey finish his first 2 weeks at college on his bricklaying course has me absolutely bursting with pride. 🧱👷🏽‍♂️

School was tough for him — and for us as a family — so seeing him find a place where he can learn in a way that works for him has been incredible.

It’s proof that, given the right opportunities, there really is a pathway for everyone.

His journey has taught me one thing:

There isn’t one route to success. There are many.

And sometimes, finding the right route can change everything. ❤️

So proud of you, Mikey 🥹

#collegelife #functionalskills #vocationalskills #gcsealternatives #post16education by @danielle.broadbent

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20 days ago

60 seconds of pure Indy magic 🇺🇸✨

Because some trips deserve a Reel as well as the photos! ❤️

Until the next adventure…. ✈️

#indianapolis #usatrip #travelling #travelling taken in Indianapolis by @danielle.broadbent

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22 days ago