The National Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Conference 2025
London 19 November 2025, 9:00am - 4:00pm
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9:30am
Chair's Welcome Address
Kate Whittlesey, Director, The SEND Advisory Team
9:40am
Opening Keynote: A National Perspective on SEND Policy and Provision: Where Are We Headed?
• Overview of the national direction for SEND support, funding, accountability, and inclusion priorities
10:00am
Headline Sponsor
Peili Vision
10:20am
Panel Discussion: Tackling Challenges and Driving Inclusion: Strengthening SEND Provision Through Collaboration and Best Practice
- What are the current issues impacting the SEND system, and what immediate steps can the sector take to address them?
- Identifying and overcoming the barriers to ensure provision is truly inclusive and accessible for all learners
- How can educational settings work closely with external stakeholders, services and agencies to tackle sector-wide challenges?
- Highlighting and utilising the success and positive outcomes we are seeing in the space
Leora Cruddas CBE, Chief Executive and Founding CEO of Confederation of School Trusts and Visiting Professor at UCL Institute of Education
Claire Dorer, CEO, National Association of Special Schools
Amanda Allard, Director, Council for Disabled Children
Chaired by Kate Whittlesey, Director, The SEND Advisory Team
10:50am
Break and Networking
11:20am
Main Stage Sponsor
Kelly Dillon, Senior Manager, Progression, Transition and Removal of Barriers, The Careers & Enterprise Company
11:40am
Ofsted's New Vision for Inclusive Education
- Understand how Ofsted's proposed reforms aim to evaluate inclusion as a core pillar across all inspection areas
- Gain an overview of the proposed inclusion-specific judgment and what it means for schools, MATs, and local authorities
- Discuss how the sector can shape Ofsted's evolving approach through active consultation and what to expect from the rollout of the new framework and report cards
12:00pm
Panel Discussion: Making Resource Provision Work: Practical Strategies for Inclusive Education in Mainstream and Specialist Settings
- Embedding specialist expertise within mainstream classrooms to support diverse learner needs
- Strategic approaches to funding, staffing, and sustaining resource provisions in the long-term
- Innovative inclusion models that offer the right balance between tailored interventions and whole-school access
- Overcoming common barriers to scaling provision in both primary and secondary contexts
- Dr Nicola Crossley, CEO, Liberty Academy Trust
- Elizabeth Murray, National Director of SEND, Star Academies
- Sam Strickland, Principal, The Duston School
Chaired by Kate Whittlesey, Director, The SEND Advisory Team
12:30pm
Lunch and Networking
1:30pm
Chair's Welcome Back Address
Kate Whittlesey, Director, The SEND Advisory Team
1:40pm
Engaging Young People with SEND so they have a Voice
- Discuss strategies for establishing platforms that prioritise and amplify the voices of young people
- Share success stories and challenges encountered in fostering a culture of inclusivity and participation among diverse student groups
Kierran Pearce, Multi Schools Council
2:00pm
Supporting Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs in Preparation for Adulthood
- How can schools and early years settings integrate the preparation for adulthood outcomes into everyday teaching and learning?
- Discuss how schools, families, and support services can work together to equip young people with SEND with the skills needed for independent living, employment, and social participation
Amanda Wright, Head of Whole School SEND, nasen
2:20pm
Main Stage Sponsor
2:40pm
Afternoon Break and Networking
3:10pm
Panel Discussion: The Local Authority's Role in Driving High-Quality SEND Provision
- How are local authorities developing and implementing impactful SEND strategies?
- How are LAs improving the quality and consistency of EHCPs across boroughs?
- What does effective multi-agency working look like in practice?
Kate Whittlesey, Director, The SEND Advisory Team
3:40pm
Chair's Closing Address
Kate Whittlesey, Director, The SEND Advisory Team
3:50pm
Close
*programme subject to change without notice