About nasen
nasen is the National Association for Special Educational Needs – a charitable membership organisation that exists to support and champion those working with, and for, children and young people with SEND and learning differences.
We do this by providing free resources and support for all members, leading targeted programmes and projects to deliver widespread improvements, offering a structured programme of professional development, accredited training and conferences as well as a package of SEND services throughout the UK and internationally.
Our Values
nasen are committed to ensuring that expertise in SEND is available to each and every school and setting across the UK. Our values define how we do this.
What we do
Rooted in research and evidence-informed best practice, our information, training and resources ensure that our community members in the UK and across the globe are provided with the most up-to-date knowledge and support required to become effective, inclusive practitioners. Together we are able to contribute to the debate and effect change to improve outcomes for early years, schools, post-16 and wider settings and ultimately, the children and young people that they support.
Support Us
nasen is a charitable organisation. Our mission – to equip every educational professional with the skills and tools they need to deliver truly inclusive practice, so all children and young people thrive – has never been so pressing.
Too many children and young people with SEND are being let down because their needs are misunderstood or unmet. The results can be disastrous for their emotional well-being, their educational outcomes, likelihood of employment, and long-term life prospects.
Team nasen
Our team work hard to support and develop the SEND workforce. We have a dedicated, specialist education team, as well as marketing, operations, financial, and commercial functions. Find out more about the staff who work at nasen.
Trustees
Our group of trustees meet regularly throughout the year to ensure nasen are operating effectively at a strategic and operational level, and in the most charitable way possible. Find out about the members within our trustee group and how they inform nasen decisions.
Our Patrons
nasen are proud to be affiliated with patrons that help raise our profile and core messaging to the masses. Find out about our celebrity patrons, their background and how their work supports our charitable objectives.
ISO 9001 Certification
nasen is pleased to have obtained the revised standard ISO9001:2015. ISO 9001 is the international standard that defines the requirements for a Quality Management System (QMS). A Quality Management System enables organisations to manage their processes and systems in order that customer and other stakeholder requirements can be achieved. At its core is the principle of continuous improvement.
ISO aims to ensure that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. Whilst ISO certification does not guarantee product quality it does ensure that the processes that surround the product are controlled and performed in a consistent manner.
The Equality and Diversity Working Group
This is an internal group to discuss and action change on equality, diversity, accessibility and inclusion within nasen. It's a safe space for nasen and Whole School SEND (WSS) colleagues to talk about their experiences of equality and diversity, and to identify solutions to take forward to senior leaders and trustees.
We meet once a quarter and have an Action Group, with one representative from each team in nasen, which meets once a month to follow up on actions we have agreed on. In recent months, we have advocated for several proposals both small and large-scale. For example, we recently suggested changes to email signatures to include pronouns and other identifiers people wish to disclose and have produced a draft of an internal equality and diversity monitoring form which we hope will produce a baseline of data on our inclusivity.
If anyone is interested in what we do and would like to find out more, please email membership.
SEND Partner Networks
nasen has an influential voice at national level on issues concerning special educational needs. We are regularly invited to meet with government agencies to offer advice and support at policy level and are represented on many influential national organisations.
NASENCo
nasen is committed to supporting quality NASENCo training and preserving the integrity of the award. As a result, we have agreed that Leading Learning for SEND Community Interest Company (LLSENDCiC) are the preferred organisation to quality assure NASENCo courses.
Our Sponsors
Axcis Education
Axcis are the foremost supplier of SEND staff to mainstream and specialist schools in England and Wales. Providing teaching, leadership and support staff, Axcis has experience with all levels of recruitment across a wide range of special needs. Visit the Axcis website or contact your local office to learn more about how we can help.
Concero Education
Concero supports education organisations by designing, building and delivering specialist technical services and solutions. Our schools benefit from a personalised, future-proofed IT environment, which is inclusively designed to support teachers in exploring accessible and engaging ways of teaching and learning. Get in touch to unlock the capabilities of accessible tech and discover what's possible.