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Anja Rellstab is a trainee teacher at the University of Manchester. She is currently studying for her PGCE after having done her BSc in Physics at UCL. As a neurodiverse student (ASD) Anja has had a passion for SEND advocacy since they were a pupil in secondary school where she went through most of her education without much support from her teachers. Anja started a YouTube channel to explain her needs to a wider audience and it has over time become a community where people can share their own school experiences too. Since creating the YouTube channel, Anja has expanded her advocacy to giving talks on autism to university students and teachers with SEND learners. Anja has also taken steps to improve representation of autism in the media, especially autistic girls, by collaborating with authors and screenwriters. Anja has found her own experiences valuable in identifying areas where pupils might have difficulties and how to then make adjustments accordingly. She hopes, through delivering training, to enable all practitioners to have a greater understanding of pupil needs, including Speech, Language and Communication Needs and to leave you with more ways in which you can support all learners, including those with SLCN.
Scarlet is a passionate ambassador for neurodiverse individuals in educational settings. Having struggled in mainstream education with undiagnosed ADHD and ASD, she then navigated two English degrees at Goldsmiths University of London, and is planning to embark upon a PhD. Currently, Scarlet works as both a specialist English Tutor for students outside of mainstream school, and as an Education Assistant at Portfield School- a special school for children who hold an autism diagnosis. She has also belonged to the charity Autistica’s Insight Group for autism research for the past four years, and is an alumni mentor for students with disabilities at Goldsmiths University. Outside of work, Scarlet remains fascinated with the representation of neurodiversity in modern literature, and has recently given talks on William Faulkner and autism. She also enjoys taking her assistance dog Peppa for very long walks.
Jack Grange, is a British rapper, songwriter, Mental Health and neurodiversity advocate. Jack was diagnosed with ADHD during the latter stages of his time in education. Before this he endured several years of feeling misunderstood leading him to hit rock bottom. His own personal experiences gave him a massive passion for creating vital awareness around neurodiversity and to use his platform to make a positive change. Jack currently delivers presentations to both students and teachers in a wide range of education settings, including Pupil Referral Units and mainstream provision. Jack has also appeared on BBC National news, radio stations and a number of online magazines. Jack also recently attended the all party parliamentary group (APPG) for ADHD and has worked with charities such as The Princes Trust. He is also a young ambassador for the ADHD Foundation.
Leon Allain is an autistic young adult currently studying for a master’s degree. He feels his school education was vital in enabling him to pursue his studies and reach this position. As a result, he wishes to help ensure that all pupils are able to achieve in school by highlighting the importance of schools having an awareness of autism. He hopes that autistic pupils may then face fewer barriers whilst trying to access the curriculum. Autism is still generally misunderstood within our society and these misconceptions can have an impact on the way autistic students are perceived within the education system. Leon hopes that from this webinar you are able gain a greater understanding of autism and will be able to use this knowledge to better support the autistic pupils that you work with and those you may work with in the future.
Catherine Clifton is very passionate about topics which are important to her, such as autism, dyslexia, as well other topics such as geography which she is in her first year of a foundation degree for geography, which she would like to teach in the future. In her spare time, she can be found in nature or participating in events with organisations such as Our Bright Future and the National Trust. She hopes that the session will support school staff to better understand what dyslexia is and that this deeper understanding makes it easier to consider what practical ideas for teaching and modifications to their classroom they can make. A key idea she hopes will take away with them is that children and young people themselves will be the expert on their own needs and therefore talking openly about what can help will be central to ensuring effective support.
Angela recently received an MBE for her services to children and young people with special educational needs (SEND). She is CEO of The Sea View Trust - an inclusive MAT, with schools in Haslingden and Blackpool. With 30 years of teaching and leadership experience in both primary and special schools, Angela also works with the Teaching School Council as the National Representative for SEND and as a Regional Representative for Lancashire and West Yorkshire nasen Whole School SEND. Angela is a driven and committed system leader, and in her role as a National Leader of Education, has supported schools, trusts, and Local Authorities in a range of educational improvement priorities.
Louise is the Executive Headteacher of Tor View School, an Outstanding Special School in Lancashire, and Valley College, an education provider for post 19 learners with SEND, both are part of The Sea View Trust. She is an experienced school leader, having been Assistant Head, Deputy Head, Headteacher and now Executive Headteacher, leading the school through its fourth Outstanding Ofsted inspection. Louise is committed to system leadership and has supported a number of schools as a Specialist Leader of Education for SEND.
James is an Acting Director of Teaching School at East Lancashire Inclusion Partnership, Tor View – part of The Sea View Trust based in Haslingden, Lancashire. He is an experienced school leader having worked in Primary, Secondary, PRU/Alternative Provision and Special Schools as Assistant Head and Deputy Head. He also supports schools as a Specialist Leader of Education for SEND and was part of a team that collaborated to develop a SENCo and SEND Leader training package about High-Quality Teaching. He is a new tweeter and can be found at @inclusion_JFP
Becky is an Executive Assistant Headteacher and Inclusion Lead across 5 Primary Schools in Oxfordshire run by the Multi-Academy Trust GLF Schools. She has previously held positions as Headteacher of Ambitious about Autism’s Treehouse School in North London and as Acting SENCO in a large secondary comprehensive. Becky holds Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and completed an MSc in Psychology of Education at the Institute of Education, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Applied Behaviour Analysis at Bangor University and holds the NASENCO Award through Oxford Brookes University. She is a Specialist Leader in Education in the area of SEND. In her role as SEN Improvement Lead across GLF Schools, Becky currently leads the GLF Primary SENCO Network, facilitating exchanges of good practice between schools across the MAT. Becky has experience of designing and implementing SEND-specialist CPD programmes and developed a Teaching and Learning Policy based around current research on Cognitive Load Therapy. Becky has a sound knowledge of SEND practice, policies and research and is dedicated to improving education for children and young people with SEND.
Amy Loxley is a Speech and Language Advisor for I CAN, the UK’s leading children’s communication charity. With 14 years’ experience as a Speech and Language Therapist, Amy has worked with a diverse range of client groups across early years, primary and secondary phases, and in community, mainstream and specialist settings in the UK and Australia.
Amy’s current work includes developing a range of resources on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) for mainstream school staff, including a series of introductory and intermediate webinars, a downloadable DLD guide, and a school workforce development package. She is also involved in developing and piloting I CAN’s Teletherapy service.
Amy has authored articles for various magazines and blogs, and part of her role includes collaborating with I CAN’s communications team on content that is shared on their website, social media channels and other publications. Other recent work for Amy has included working with a partner to develop a website with information on the links between music and communication.
Steven is the Creative Arts Lead at The Bridge Secondary and teaches Music, Drama and Literacy along with having his own tutor group. Over the past fifteen years, He has worked in various SEN settings, working with students that need support with Autism, SLD, PMLD, PDA and behavioural challenges. He has also worked as a Performing Arts teacher in mainstream and further education settings such as ALRA and Arts Educational and originally trained in the Performing Arts at Mountview Academy.
He is a trainer at The Bridge Training Centre and teaches Creative Arts and Literacy courses, as well as training PGCE students from Goldsmith’s University in voice and body language for the classroom. He has also worked as a trainer at other organisations such as MIND.
Jeremy Single is the Principal of Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre in Tenterden, Kent. Homewood is a larger than average secondary school with over 2000 students. He has been in post since September 2019, so managed six months of proper headship prior to COVID! Jeremy has teaching and leadership experience in both selective and non-selective schools, all from very different contexts. Jeremy started his career as an English teacher but has also taught Classics. He worked as an Ofsted inspector for several years and has also provided leadership support to schools in challenging circumstances. Jeremy believes that leaders should inspire and motivate by maintaining high expectations and through leading with a strong moral purpose.
Lucy Stephen has been teaching for 19 years with the last 10 of these as a SENCO and currently as Director of Learning Support at Homewood school. She has taught internationally including a sabbatical teaching in rural New Zealand. Lucy is a Specialist Leader of Education and a member of the Department of Education's SENCO Advisory Group. She is also actively involved with reviewing and developing SEND provision at a District and County level. Lucy is passionate about inclusive mainstream education along with the role of nurture has to play in successful school experiences.
Dr Jim Rogers is an education specialist and leads his own educational consultancy. Dr Rogers works regionally in the south west for the Teaching Schools Council and is currently leading on a number of initiatives supporting leadership development and school improvement across the region. Dr Rogers is an advocate of research and evidence-informed practice, inclusive practice and also of collaboration, to ensure long-term, sustainable professional and system development. Dr Rogers is a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, and a facilitator for Education Development Trust. Previous roles include Director of Professional Development for the White Horse Federation, Director of Plymouth Teaching School Alliance and Teaching and Educational Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, following a career teaching in secondary schools.
James Butterworth is a committed Head of School passionate about educating and supporting the life opportunities for students at St Ives School. Dedicated and motivated to encourage student and staff growth through carefully monitored academic progress with a drive on developing effective mindsets. Focussed on designing an effective school curriculum which inspires, challenges and motivates students to achieve their potential.
Every Child. Inspiring Learning. Every Day.
Marc is the adviser for improving outcomes for disadvantaged learners for the Unity Schools Partnership, a large cross-phase Multi Academy Trust based in the East of England.
Marc works with the Education Endowment Foundation’s national Research School Network on a range of programmes. He is also working on a range of long term programmes focussed on educational disadvantage nationally.
Marc works with and advises the Department for Education on addressing educational disadvantage in schools. He has worked with over 600 individual schools to support them with their strategies to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. He has spoken to over 12,000 school leaders on addressing disadvantage at local, regional and national conferences.
His most recent book ‘Addressing Educational Disadvantage’ was published in February 2021.
In 2018, Zachary joined the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IOE) as an Associate Professor. At IOE, Zachary currently serves in the Department of Psychology and Human Development as Head of Department and the Programme Leader for Graduate Programs in Special Education and International Inclusive Leadership.
Prior to joining IOE, Zachary was a a faculty member at the National Institute of Education in Singapore from 2013-2018. He was named a Think College Emerging Scholar (2012), a Millennium Milestone Maker by the World Academy for the Future of Women (2015), was awarded the John Cheung Social Media Award for Innovation in Teaching and Pedagogy (2015), and nominated for the Wharton School Reimagine Education Awards (2016).
Zachary’s current work focuses on educational neuroscience, mobile technology, and leadership.
Julie is a qualified social worker who has worked to improve opportunities for disabled people for many years. She has worked in a number of local authorities, and started her career in social care working for the Inner London Education Authority as a "Residential Houseparent!"
Julie was on a secondment from Surrey County Council for 2 days a week to support the Preparing for Adulthood Team with its work, and successfully gained a full-time post with the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) as the Delivery Manager for the programme in April 2015.
Her particular passion is how we ensure disabled young people have the same opportunities as their non-disabled peers. She has worked in the field of "Transition" for around 20 years and worked on the National Transition Support Programme, and Aspirations for Life as a consultant with Paradigm.
Julie believes that person centred approaches provide the key to ensuring disabled young people and their families are central to any plans for their future, and that the best services are those that are designed by those who are going to use them.
Linda is a Senior Development Advisor with NDTi. Linda worked for the Valuing People Team from the beginning of 2002 until March 2011. She was the London regional adviser and the lead for transition. In 2008 Linda became the joint programme manager for Getting a Life while continuing to lead on transition for the Team.
Linda previously managed special educational needs’ services in the London Borough of Hackney and before that she was a teacher. From 1986 to 1994, Linda was an elected councillor in the London Borough of Newham where she led the policy of inclusive education.
She is the parent of a woman with a learning disability. Linda is now working with the National Development Team for Inclusion.
Chris Pollitt is one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors for schools and a Specialist Lead for Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.
Chris Pollitt is a qualified teacher and has achieved a NPQH. Before working for Ofsted, Chris gained extensive senior management experience as a headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher and middle leader in several mainstream and special schools. His responsibilities included school improvement, self-evaluation and working with individual departments to raise the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Chris has also been a school governor in a number of schools and a partnerships consultant for a teaching school alliance.