Children and young people with additional needs and their families deserve an education system that works for them and meets them in their current need, without strife and conflict. With national efforts underway to design a more inclusive future, what can we as trust leaders do to act as agents of change right now? How do we build an inclusive schooling system that serves every child? This year’s conference will focus on inclusive policy and practice.
By attending, you’ll benefit from shared experiences that can help further develop upon your own trust’s response to the new policy environment and gain practical insights into developing inclusive practice.
Hear from some of today's leading educational thinkers
Give you and your leadership team time to re-think how your trust works
Connect with colleagues from school trusts across the country
Engage with innovative providers to the school trust sector
This conference is an extension of the CST SEND and Inclusion professional community - a unique space for school trust staff to network, share, and learn, all year round. Community membership is an integral part of CST membership.
Group Chief Quality Officer and Safeguarding Lead, Busy Bees Nurseries
Group Chief Quality Officer and Safeguarding Lead, Busy Bees Nurseries
Gill works for Busy Bees Nurseries as their international lead for quality and safeguarding.
Until recently, Gill was the deputy director for schools and early education at Ofsted, where she was responsible for school inspection policy, the curriculum unit, SEND, early years regulation and inspection, ITE, literacy and inspector training. She also led on the inspection of reading and worked closely with the DfE English hubs. As a HMI, she inspected schools, children's centres, SEND, local authorities and early years settings.
Before joining Ofsted, she was a headteacher of several primary schools. Her specialist subjects are English, particularly the teaching of reading, and music.
Director, Teacher and Author of Beautiful Lives: How We Got Learning Disabilities So Wrong
Director, Teacher and Author of Beautiful Lives: How We Got Learning Disabilities So Wrong
Stephen Unwin is an experienced theatre and opera director. He is also the father of a young man with profound learning disabilities and campaigns for the rights and dignities of people with learning disabilities. His recent book, Beautiful Lives: How We Got Learning Disabilities So Wrong, was described by The Guardian as ‘a landmark book’.
Emeritus Professor of Human Development, University of Oxford
Emeritus Professor of Human Development, University of Oxford
Ted Melhuish is Emeritus Professor of Human Development, University of Oxford
He has undertaken research in 12 countries, and is currently undertaking large-scale longitudinal studies in Norway, the UK, and Australia involving family, community and pre-school influences on child development, and policy implications. He is also taking part in an EU-project (ISOTIS) on inequality in childhood involving 11 countries.
His studies contributed to social policy in the UK in the area of families, young children, early education and social disadvantage, including the 1989 Children Act, the 2005 Children Act, 2006 Childcare Bill. He has served as an expert witness to several House of Commons Select Committees, and is a member of a child well-being working group of WHO, and the Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group Early Childhood Interventions Group. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and in 2016 was awarded an OBE for services to social sciences.
Over many years, he has acted as an advisor and consultant on a pro-bono basis to many charities and voluntary organisations involved with child well-being, including NSPCC, Save the Children and Action for Children. He has been a trustee of the WAVE trust and the Foundation Years Trust.
CST members only: Full conference access including keynotes, workshops, lunch, and resources
Book your place£420 inc VAT at 20%
Non-CST member place for conference including keynotes, workshops, and lunch
Coming soon£492 inc VAT at 20%
Our conference takes place at the Eastside Rooms, Birmingham.
We recommend using public transport wherever possible to attend. The venue is within Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone and there may be additional fees for driving to the venue.
Eastside Rooms
2 Woodcock Street
Birmingham
B7 4BL
The conference takes place on 6 May 2026.
The full programme will published nearer to the event date, but delegate registration is expected to begin at around 08:00 with main programme running approximately 09:30 to 16:00.
Delegate places include full access to conference main sessions, workshops, and exhibition, plus refreshments, and lunch during the day.
Overnight accommodation is not included and delegates are responsible for their own travel arrangements.
The event programme is provisional and subject to change. Booking terms and conditions apply.
Imagery is from past events and may not reflect future programmes.
Confederation of School Trusts · Registered in England & Wales, company no: 05303883 · Charity no: 1107640.
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