South East
The role of WSS is to support school in prioritising SEN. The expertise lies within the system and by sharing best practice, working with others and building on existing strengths, we want to unlock the knowledge for the benefit of all children and their families. We want to ensure that children and young people, along with their parents/carers, are at the centre of any provision.
In the South East, we want to work in partnership with all stakeholders to ensure that SEND is seen as part of the wider school improvement agenda and not an add on. We would like to invite all leaders and practitioners to get in contact and work with us to develop a collaborative, meaningful and strong community of practice that directly impacts the outcomes for children and young people with SEND across our region.
Local authorities in this region
- Bracknell Forest
- Brighton and Hove
- Buckinghamshire
- East Sussex
- Hampshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Medway
- Milton Keynes
- Oxfordshire
- Portsmouth
- Reading
- Slough
- Southampton
- Surrey
- West Berkshire
- West Sussex
- Windsor and Maidenhead
- Wokingham
Meet your Regional SEND Leads
Regional SEND Lead
Katherine is the Director of Inclusion for River Learning Trust. She is an experienced teacher and school leader and has led SEND provision in primary and secondary schools in England and America. Over the past ten years, Katherine has developed particular expertise in working with leadership teams to develop school-wide systems, establishing shared and inclusive visions for the education of children and young people with SEND. Katherine was a lead author on the Whole School SEND DfE commissioned Teacher Handbook: SEND and contributed to the drafting of the NPQ SENDCO Framework.
Katherine Walsh
Deputy Regional SEND Lead
Until July 2023, Tina was the Head of an Outstanding all age special school for children and young people with complex SEND, including those with autism. Tina held this post for over 30 years, during which time the school expanded its roll by 90%. Tina trained at Birmingham University and holds a Master’s Degree in Childhood Autism and has spent her career working within special education. Tina was a National Leader of Education until her retirement from Headship. Tina continues to work as a member of the South East Regional SEND team for Whole School SEND and undertakes a range of educational consultancy with schools and MATs; she leads on NPQs delivery, mentors for ITT with Roehampton University and is leading an Early Intervention and SEND Cluster Pilot Project in the Royal Borough of Kingston. Aside from Special Educational Needs, Tina’s interests are school improvement, ethical leadership and leadership development at all levels including governance. Tina firmly believes in the power of coaching as a professional development tool. Tina was awarded the OBE in 2023 for services to Special Education
Tina Harvey OBE
Deputy Regional SEND Lead
Lisa has worked in education for 23 years across mainstream and specialist settings, with a leadership career rooted in inclusive, high expectation practice. She is committed to whole school approaches that remove barriers, strengthen multi disciplinary working and ensure all learners experience ambitious, accessible curricula. Her areas of expertise include strategic SEND leadership, assessment and curriculum design, quality assurance, and developing communities of practice that empower staff and improve outcomes. She has led whole school improvement recognised through Ofsted ‘Outstanding’, Challenge Partners ‘Leading’ outcomes, and national inclusion awards, and is known for bringing clarity, collaboration and a values led approach to complex systems. Outside of her role with Whole School SEND, she is Head of School at Treloar School, where she leads an accessible curriculum from the Engagement Model through to GCSE, championing staff development and working closely with families and professionals to strengthen sustainable, inclusive practice.
Lisa Bond
Deputy Regional SEND Lead
Timothy is Director of Inclusion at The White Horse Federation, working across primary, secondary and special schools. He has extensive experience across mainstream, specialist, alternative provision and inclusion bases, and has worked as both a SENCO and senior leader, leading inclusion at school and trust level. Timothy leads SENCO networks across his trust and works closely with leaders for behaviour, attendance and alternative provision to strengthen whole‑school inclusive practice. He has experience of designing and implementing trust‑wide SEND frameworks, specialist CPD programmes and graduated approaches that support early identification and reduce exclusion. This work has contributed to The White Horse Federation being recognised as TES Inclusive Trust of the Year. Timothy has a strong knowledge of SEND practice, policy and SEND law, including EHCP processes and complex casework. Alongside his role with TWHF, he works with schools, trusts and local authorities to support sustainable inclusive practice, strengthen SEND provision and improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
