Search results

Bill was a Primary and Executive Headteacher for 28 years in West London. During his headship Bill led initiatives and programmes for NQTs and Leaders within the LA, followed by a secondment to lead similar work with the NCTL and DfE across London. As an NLE and leader of a TSA, Bill was involved in school-to-school support, coaching and mentoring, school improvement work, effective use of the pupil premium grant, and developing the capacity and quality of school leaders. Bill moved to the South West in 2015 and now works as an Independent Education Consultant, School Improvement Partner, Pupil Premium Reviewer and Ofsted inspector. Bill continues to develop and run CPD programmes, write and facilitate on NPQ programmes, and work collaboratively with groups of schools who are looking to develop effective partnerships. Bill also supports and challenges schools to review, re-evaluate, and improve their strategies for disadvantaged learners.

Natalie is an Independent Education Consultant specialising in SEN and school improvement. She develops and delivers a wide range of continuing professional development to schools and local authorities, and provides SEN leadership support to three multi-academy trusts across the Midlands. Natalie is a member of nasen's 0 to 11 Advisory Group and has supported the Whole School SEND school and MAT reviews. She is also a trustee of Learn-AT multi-academy trust in the East Midlands and a Leadership Matters Ambassador.

As a leading SEN expert for Optimus and The Key for School leaders, Natalie regularly write online articles and develops webinars for SEN CPD. She has also been series editor for an educational publisher developing Literacy resources for lower attaining KS2 and 3 pupils.  

Natalie is the author of The Perfect SENCO, an essential read for those wanting to develop their strategic SEN role effectively. Her latest book, The Teacher’s Guide to SEN, provides an overview of what all teachers need to know about SEN and was recently nominated for a national Educational Resources Award.  

Natalie has previously worked for the National Strategies SEN Team and DfE implementing the Achievement for All (AfA) project to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEN. Prior to this, she worked for several local authorities across the East Midlands as an Adviser for SEN and School Improvement. She has had primary headship experience and has previously been a SENCO. In 2015, Natalie was a member of the DfE Assessment without Levels Commission.

Malcolm has worked in the field of SEND for 30 years and in that time has worked in adult provision, mainstream schools, and special schools. He has worked in with children throughout the age range and with learning difficulties ranging from moderate to profound. Malcolm has been a Headteacher of three schools and one federation. He is a National Leader of Education, a Member of the National SEND Forum, and Patron of the Centre Algarve holiday centre for people with special needs.

In a career spanning more than 30 years, Barry has held the leadership positions of Headteacher, Principal, Academic Director, Chief Executive, Inspector of Schools and Director of the Centre for Special Education at Westminster College, Oxford. In 2009, he was appointed by the Secretary of State for Education as Director of the Children with Complex Learning Difficulties and Disabilities Research Project. Since completing that research, Barry has overseen the development of a national project developing online ‘Training materials for teachers of children with severe, profound and complex learning disabilities”(www.complexneeds.org.uk).

He is the author of over 150 articles and many texts on a range of learning disability/special needs topics. His most recent book publications (with Carolyn Blackburn and Jo Egerton) focus upon Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Most recently he co-authored “Engaging Learners with Complex Needs” (Routledge).He is the co-founder of the National Forum for Neuroscience in Special Education. For the Mental Health Foundation, he Chaired the National Inquiry into the Mental Health of Young People with Learning Disabilities. He is currently Chairing a working group looking at the needs of Girls on the Autism Spectrum, which will be the focus of his next book.

Barry has 3 children – one a School Principal, one a Senior Occupational Therapist and a daughter with Down’s Syndrome, who now has a home of her own, published her first book in 2017, and is on an Apprenticeship as a Teaching Assistant.

Prior to becoming a maths consultant, Nathan taught children in Years 1-6 across Oxfordshire. During this time, he qualified as a Maths Specialist Teacher (MaST) and became part of the National College for Teaching and Leadership’s ‘small schools making an impact’ programme.

Driven by his passion for helping to ensure that all children access mathematics learning to the full, Nathan has more recently worked as an NCETM accredited independent maths consultant to support schools across the country in delivering high quality teaching and learning. As well as providing training, he continues to work alongside classes and groups of children to explore how they learn best.

Nathan also believes in the power of mentoring and coaching, around which he has refined his skills whilst working to complete the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) programme. He now provides leadership training to support schools with growing capacity.

In addition to his day job, Nathan volunteers as a school Governor and works on the Executive of the National Association of Mathematics Advisers, which develops his understanding about the national mathematics landscape.

Julie Wharton is the course leader for the National Award for Special Educational Needs (SEN) Coordination at the University of Winchester. Julie joined the university in 2014, having spent seven years working as a SEND Inspector in Southampton. Prior to this she was an Advanced Skills Teacher for SEN.

Lynda is Joint Course Leader of the Masters in Education Portfolio of courses and the National SENCO Award at the University of Gloucestershire and Vice-Chair of Directors of LLSENDCiC, which oversees the Quality Standards of the NASENCO Award for 33 providers across England. Prior to this Lynda worked as a SENCO, Primary School Class Teacher and member of SLT in the south west of England. She has also worked as an Advisory Teacher for children and young people with Communication and Interaction needs in a county in the South West of England. She recently co-authored (with Tristan Middleton) ‘Using an Inclusive Approach to reduce School Exclusion’ published by Routledge and nasen.

Kelly is an Executive Assistant Headteacher who works within Oxfordshire for a cluster of schools in the GLF Academy Trust. She is passionate about developing a curriculum that is inspirational and inclusive for all. Over the course of her career, she has taught across the primary ages and is a Maths Specialist Teacher and a Maths Senior Leader in Education. 

Kelly has supported many schools within her role as an NCETM Mastery Specialist and NCETM Professional Development Lead for the BBO Maths Hub and has worked closely with teachers and maths leads within these schools to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics by providing bespoke CPD and support. 

Nicole Dempsey is Assistant Principal for Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities and Safeguarding at Dixons Trinity Academy, a mainstream secondary free school in Bradford, West Yorkshire, as well as having a role supporting further development of equality and diversity across the Dixons Trust.  She is also a Deputy Regional SEND Lead, in the Lancashire and West Yorkshire region, for Whole School SEND, a consortium of organisations committed to enhancing the quality of education for learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities throughout England.  She writes about SEND and inclusion on her blog, inco14.wordpress.com, and tweets under the username @NDempseyDTA.

The Virtual School for Special Education Needs and Disabilities SEND) is a service for educators.

We work with mainstream schools, including academies and free schools, to support them to meet the needs of their learners with SEND. We work with other departments in the council and health, to help schools fulfill their duties set out in the Equality Act 2010, the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015. We do this through:

• SEND Know How, to inspire, inform and empower through a professional development suite that includes conferences, videos, workshops, SEND forums, webinars, ITT links, presentations, NQT training and Norfolk SENDCo Now training.
• Targeted support
• Offering advice and challenge
• Co-producing the SEN Support Guidance: provision expected at SEN Support

The Virtual SEND oversees the allocation of Element 3 SEN funding for schools from the high needs block (HNB).

We want to ensure that all Norfolk schools feel supported by us and have an inclusive culture. We foster relationships with other agencies working within the field of SEND, including local groups and national organisations.  

Margaret Mulholland is the Inclusion Policy Advisor for the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). ASCL represents 20,000 school leaders and acts on behalf of the pupils in their schools. Her extensive teaching and leadership experience spans both mainstream and special schools. Margaret is an Honorary Norham Fellow of the University of Oxford. Margaret is also joint project director on the WSS and EEF trial of the SEND Review in mainstream secondary schools. She also writes a column on research and inclusivity for Tes and you can follow her on Twitter @MargaretMulhol2

Clare is Head of Southampton Inclusion Partnership and Outreach Service, based at Springwell Special School in Southampton. She holds an MSc in Specific Learning Difficulties from the University of Southampton and an MA Ed in Special Needs and Inclusion from the University of Winchester. Clare is also Director of SEND for the HISP Learning Partnership and provides coaching, training and strategic support for SEND improvement across a range of schools within and beyond Southampton.

Clare is the Deputy Regional SEND Lead for South East England and South London (SESLON) region.

Youth Sport Trust are a children’s charity working to ensure every child enjoys the life-changing benefits that come from play and sport. They are also one of Whole School SEND's newest Consortium partners. YST harness the power of sport, physical activity and PE to increase young people’s life chances through improved wellbeing, healthier lifestyles and greater attainment. In this way we are helping children to become school ready, promoting inclusion and tolerance and giving young people a sense of belonging. Their work reaches around 20,000 schools across the UK and we operate on a local, national and global level. We lead in schools, partner in the community and support in the home.

Alistair is a Deputy Regional SEND Leader for Whole School SEND in the North. He currently leads two teaching schools and has extensive experience working as a teacher and senior leader across a range of specialist and mainstream schools. In his role as a specialist leader of education (SLE) and Teaching Schools lead Alistair has supported many schools and colleagues to develop their SEND provision and improve outcomes for all learners. More recently Alistair has enjoyed leading Physical development for Oak National Academy and is passionate about raising aspiration and participation levels for SEND learners in sport. 

Vicci has worked at the YST for over a decade in a variety of roles in sport and inclusion. As the national lead for  the Trust’s Targeted Interventions work, she drives positive social action and addresses inequalities for young people, and leads on the DfE SEND Inclusion in PE, school sport and physical activity grant called Inclusion 2020. Vicci is also both a Chair of Governors in a primary school and a Trustee in a Multi Academy Trust for young people aged 4-19, including a Teaching School.

Kate is Head of Physical Education and Achievement at the Youth Sport Trust managing the team and overseeing their education curriculum work with the Department for Education, Ofsted, Sport England and partners. Kate writes course content for YST membership, oversees PE programmes and initiatives and supports the YST learning academy in developing and delivering content. Kate joined the Youth Sport Trust in January 2014 as Development manager for Physical Literacy. Previously, she spent 13 years teaching in 4 secondary schools and working across 6 primary schools in the North West of England. Kate is an ex-Director of Specialism, Head of PE and Senior Leader in charge of Teaching and learning. Kate supported the LA in delivery of professional development for Primary PE colleagues in Sefton. She was a consultant working with YST inducting and mentoring new Heads of Department and Directors of specialism in their posts. Kate was part of the writing team for National curriculum 2008, authored the Assessment guide for Youth Sport Trust and was an examiner for AQA. 

Julie is an established English consultant with an extensive knowledge of the curriculum, assessment and effective learning and teaching approaches. Prior to this role, her experience of teaching in primary schools in both Oxfordshire and Devon included key roles in piloting and developing many aspects of English across FS, KS1 and KS2. Currently, she delivers CPD and school support on behalf of Oxfordshire Teaching School Alliance Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, Oxfordshire EYFS and many partnerships and Mats. She has been awarded the Gold Quality Mark for Professional Development by the London Institute of Education and is an accredited Edge Hill Every Child Counts trainer for 1stClass@Writing. She has designed and delivered many professional development programmes and training materials to support schools in English, including interactive remote CPD. Her passion and enthusiasm for engaging children in the curriculum is seen through her creative approaches, which inspire both teachers and learners. As a firm believer in working alongside schools, Julie is keen to ensure that support provided is bespoke to individual school needs.