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The Seventh Annual Special Educational Needs and Disability Conference 2025

Salford Community Stadium 8 May 2025, 9:00am - 4:00pm

CPD accredited by IGPP badge
8:30am
Registration
9:45am
Chair’s Welcome Address
Kate Whittlesey, Director, The SEND Advisory Team
9:55am
Keynote: Shaping the Future of SEND Education
  • Exploring the government’s renewed commitment to inclusivity and what this means within the education sector
  • Discuss actionable steps to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND
Simon Tanner, National Director of SEND, E-ACT
10:15am
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
10:35am
Empowering Educators: Meeting the Rising Tide of SEMH and Behavioural Special Needs
  • The landscape of student needs is changing. We're seeing more complex cases than ever before in mainstream settings. This session provides a roadmap for effectively equipping school leaders through our LEAD framework to support students with SEMH and behavioural needs. Discover how to build capacity, enhance understanding and collective responsibility, and create a truly inclusive learning environment. Don't get left behind – equip your school for success today.
Emma Shackleton, Co-founder, Beacon School Support
10:55am
Questions and Answers Panel
  • Speakers from the previous session will join for an audience Q&A
11:05am
Break and Networking
11:35am
How to Tackle Language Delays in Under-Fives
  • How to provide universal and targeted communication and language support within the classroom for children to support their understanding, speaking, transitions and behaviour
  • How to include and support families in developing their child's language, communication and behaviour at home through the use of symbols, routines and play
  • Questions and answers
Sophie Hutton, Speech and Language Therapist and CEO, Nest Therapy
11:55am
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
  • Questions and answers
Kierran Pearce, Multi Schools Council
12:15pm
Parental Perspectives: Strengthening Collaboration in SEND Delivery
  • Examine the evolving role of parents in shaping SEND services
  • Identify key challenges and opportunities for improving communication between schools and families
Dave Barnard, National Representative, National Network of Parent Carer Forums C.I.C.
12:35pm
Questions and Answers Panel
  • Speakers from the previous session will join for an audience Q&A
12:45pm
Lunch and Networking
1:45pm
Chair’s Welcome Back Address
Kate Whittlesey, Director, The SEND Advisory Team
1:50pm
Transformative Approaches in Alternative Provision
  • Discuss the imperative to meet the unique needs of every child referred to Solihull Alternative Provision Multi-Academy Trust, emphasising the importance of personalised education plans to prevent children from 'falling through the cracks'
  • Explore and address challenges in Alternative Provision schools
Stephen Steinhaus, CEO, Solihull Alternative Provision Multi-Academy Trust
2:10pm
Emotions Matter: Building Inclusive Classrooms Through Regulation Strategies
  • Discuss the importance of student wellbeing and explore effective strategies for improving emotional health and resilience in the classroom
  • Understand the importance of giving pupils a voice by helping them express their feelings, develop self-awareness, and communicate their needs effectively
Vicky Barker, Deputy Headteacher, Woodbridge SEND Service, and Rachel Berry, Specialist Teacher Woodbridge Trust Bolton, Woodbridge Trust
2:30pm
The Impact of Boogie Mites School Ready Music Programme
  • Understanding the superpower of sound processing and rhythmic awareness for pre-literacy skills
  • Exploring how Boogie Mites School Ready Music Programme addresses the lack of engaging Phase 1 phonics activities and strengthens early literacy foundations across EYFS, particularly benefiting SEND pupils
  • Highlighting how music-based activities improve home learning partnerships
  • Questions and answers
Paula Wint, Boogie Mites UK Ltd
2:50pm
Break and Networking
3:10pm
Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and Empowering
  • Professionals to Identify and Support Children and Young People with Autism
  • Overview of PDA and how professionals can identify and support children and young people who meet this profile of autism
  • Highlight the difficulties those with PDA face and the importance of overcoming the barriers
  • Questions and answers
Sarah Stewart, Lead Trainer, Pathological Demand Avoidance Society
3:30pm
Inclusion is Inclusion: Addressing SEND Challenges Across All School Settings
  • Explore why the roots and principles of inclusion are universal across all school types
  • Address the increasing demand for inclusive practices and the need for appropriate resources.
  • Hear lessons from mainstream, secondary, and rural schools, including examples from areas with deprivation
  • Questions and answers
Kate Hinks, Head of SEND, Excalibur Academies Trust
3:55pm
Chair’s Closing Summary
Kate Whittlesey, Director, The SEND Advisory Team
4:00pm
Close

*programme subject to change without notice

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