Speakers

Amelie is Assistant Director of Education (SEND and Specialist Provision) at Greenshaw Learning Trust. Amelie has extensive leadership experience and is passionate about strong system leadership that challenges and enables all leaders to be leaders of SEND. Amelie has worked in several roles, including as SENCO, head of inclusion and headteacher and in all these roles focused on developing school-wide systems that built inclusive practices so that all children could thrive. She is a member of the regional team for Whole School SEND and was a lead author on the Department for Education commissioned Whole School SEND Teacher Handbook: SEND.

Anna Upton is the Deputy Trust Leader at Embark Federation, where she works alongside schools to support improvement and inclusion. She leads the school improvement team, focusing on creating welcoming, high-quality learning environments where every child can thrive. With experience as both a headteacher and a school improvement advisor for Derbyshire, Anna has spent her career helping schools strengthen teaching, leadership, and support for pupils. She is particularly passionate about fostering inclusive practices that ensure all children, regardless of their background or needs, have access to great opportunities. Anna enjoys working collaboratively with school leaders, staff, and communities to make a positive difference. She believes in the power of teamwork and shared commitment to help schools grow and succeed.

Anne Heavey has a diverse work experience spanning various roles in the education sector. Anne is currently the Director of Insights at Ambition Institute. Prior to this, they worked at The National Autistic Society as the Assistant Director - Governance and Commissioning in Schools. Anne also served as the Priority Project lead - Schools and Early Education at Ofsted. Previously, Anne was the National Director at Whole School SEND and an Education Policy Advisor at the National Education Union (ATL Section). Anne's earlier experience includes being the Director of Music at Enfield Grammar School.

Anne Heavey completed their education with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of Oxford in 2009. In 2010, they pursued a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with a focus on Music at Nottingham Trent University. Anne is currently working towards a Research Doctorate in Curriculum Reform, Gender, and Primary History from IOE - UCL's Faculty of Education and Society since 2017.

Cassie has been an educator for over 15 years, working in both South London and Kent as a class teacher, SENCo and headteacher. She is now Executive Inclusion Lead for ‘Our Community Multi-Academy Trust’ (OCMAT) which is a mixed church and community primary trust with 10 schools and an specialist resource provision for speech, language and communication disorders. Cassie is also an Inclusion Lead of Education across Kent, supporting primary, secondary, and special schools in improving practice. She is passionate about inclusion, action research and supporting vulnerable pupils.

Cate is a passionate advocate for inclusion and equity in education. A former SEND advisory teacher for a local education authority and a Fellow of MMU, she has played a key role in delivering the National SENCo Award and now leads NPQSEND program coordination in her area for the National Institute of Teaching. As Director of External Partnerships at Woodbridge Trust, she fosters collaborations between schools and education systems to drive inclusive practices. Her work bridges the gap between special schools and mainstream education, ensuring all children receive effective support.

Cate has contributed to Natalie Packer’s Teachers’ Guide to SEND and has recently written for The Times Education Supplement, Autism Eye, and SEND Magazine, exploring "Waiting Well"—supporting pupils awaiting a diagnosis. An INLPTA Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), she applies expertise in communication and learning strategies to enhance SEND education.

Ellie works nationally across policy and practice to effect cultural and systemic change on behalf of all children who experience barriers to school attendance.

She gave evidence to the Education Select Committee in 2023 and has collaborated with broadcast news (BBC, ITN, Sky News) and documentaries (Panorama) to tell the stories of families and professionals struggling in the current system.

She is co-author of the critically acclaimed book “Square Pegs: compassion, inclusion and fitting in - a guide for schools” and is Parliamentary Vice Co-Chair for the Council for Disabled Children’s Special Education Consortium. Ellie is a critical thinker, curiosity geek and lifelong learner.

Prior to entering the policy, lobby and change-making space, Ellie enjoyed a successful career in the media working as a producer. She is parent carer to two incredible teens with additional needs spanning education, health, mental health and social care.

As a Therapeutic Parent, mental health, wellbeing, neuroscience and child development inform Ellie’s advocacy and campaigning.

Passionate about the potential of accessible, equitable education systems and all services around children and families.

Ellie draws on the power of hope, collaboration and transformative collective endeavour to create solutions which are appropriate and sustainable, carving new landscapes with brighter horizons for all.

George joined Unity Schools Partnership in 2013 as the first headteacher of Churchill Special school successfully opening it and leading it through two outstanding Ofsted inspections. Prior to this, she has been headteacher at a mainstream primary school which hosted a specialist dyslexia unit. In her role, George supports SEND across specialist SEND units, special schools and mainstream provision.

Jacqueline is a highly skilled and experienced teacher with a passion for education, the science of learning and improving classroom practice. Qualifying in 2006, she spent ten years teaching primary aged children and during this time developed a broad range of expertise from early learning through to year six. Following this, Jacqueline moved to secondary education to support young people with SEND and not secondary ready cohorts. Jacqueline then became part of the SEND leadership team with a focus on teaching and learning, emotional regulation, and wellbeing. Qualified in ‘instructional coaching’, Jacqueline has successfully improved classroom practice by supporting colleagues with lesson structure, strategic planning and making the necessary reasonable adjustments required to raise attainment for all in an inclusive classroom. As a mental health first aider, Jacqueline is an advocate for ensuring that the needs of all young people are met within their learning environment. Now a Director of SENDSCOPE Ltd, Jacqueline provides teachers and school leaders with CPD and effective teaching and learning strategies for pupils with SEND and promotes ‘good teaching for SEND is good teaching for all’.

Katherine Walsh 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 Department for Education commissioned Whole School SEND Teacher Handbook: SEND.

Katherine is the Chair of the SEND and Inclusions Professional Community.

Leora Cruddas is the founding Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts – the national organisation and sector body for school trusts in England. She has advised successive governments and sits on several Department for Education advisory bodies. She was recently the vice chair of the Head Teacher Standards Review Group, a member of the external advisory group for the Schools White Paper, SEND National Implementation Board and the Regulatory and Commissioning Review.

Prior to founding CST, she was Director of Policy and Public Relations for the Association of School and College Leaders. Leora has six years of experience as a director of education in two London local authorities. She is a visiting professor at UCL Institute of Education. Leora was made a CBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours.

Natalie is a highly skilled and experienced teacher and SENDCo with a passion for the inclusion of neurodiverse young people. Qualifying in 2006 she spent seven years teaching primary aged children, with a proven track record in upper KS2.

Natalie then spent the next eight years in secondary education and set up a thriving Nurture Hub. She has successfully supported many neurodiverse young people across Merseyside in coproduction with families, local authorities and professional partners. As an assessor in JCQ Access Arrangements, Natalie is familiar with the numerous barriers to learning involved in individuals with learning needs and her robust knowledge of SEND and the law has resulted in young people succeeding in mainstream or transitioning to a specialist provision that effectively meets their needs. Natalie is passionate about driving forward standards for young people, raising attainment and improving outcomes. Now a Director of SENDSCOPE Ltd, Natalie provides diagnostic and advisory services to schools on the strategic and operational management of SEND, recommending solutions to the challenges faced across SEND within available resources.

Stuart is Director of Education at Evidence Based Education, and one of the team behind the great teaching toolkit - the personalised professional growth platform to help teachers flourish. He is a qualified teacher himself, who has worked in both middle and senior leadership roles in schools. Currently, Stuart serves on the advisory boards of lernen: digital (a German teacher development project) and Impact. He is a co-author of the EEF's Implementation Guide, as well as the EEF's DIY evaluation guide, and EBE's 'great teaching toolkit: evidence review'. He is fascinated by finding sustainable ways to help teachers flourish and belong in their professional lives.

Rachel Wilkes is the founding Chief Executive of Humber Education Trust - a multi academy trust of 17 primary and special schools which have inclusion and ambition for all at the heart of their values. Rachel has worked in education for over 25 years and spent eight years as the headteacher of Clifton Primary School, a national support school, prior to becoming the CEO at Humber Education Trust. Rachel has been involved in system leadership at many levels during her career, has supported colleagues across the sector as a NLE and regularly contributes to educational publications and blogs. Rachel believes that all children are capable of great things when they are given the opportunity to shine and is committed to working collaboratively with all partners to secure the best outcomes for children and young people.

In addition to leading Stone King's national Education Sector Group of over 70 lawyers, Roger specialises in school governance and re-organisation (notably for multi academy trusts), school finance, admissions and also all pupil provision issues. A recognised national specialist regarding special educational needs law, Roger also works as a judge in the SEN Tribunal in addition to his role at Stone King.

Roger contributes to the education sector more generally by working closely with national schools’ membership organisations, notably the Confederation of Schools Trusts, the Institute of School Business Leadership and the Co-Operative Schools Network on education developments. Outside work, Roger volunteers as a trustee for a sixth form trust.

Simon has worked in special education for more than twenty years and is Joint Headteacher at Frank Wise school, a community special school for children aged between two and nineteen with severe or profound learning disabilities. He has sat on the DfE panels developing both the Professional Standards for Teaching Assistants and the Standard for Teachers’ Professional Development and is currently a member of the Teaching School Hubs Council with a focus on SEND. He regularly writes and contributes comment and content to a range of publications and events on the theme of SEND, including DfE guidance documents and qualification frameworks, and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Education by Brookes University.