Cate Marsden

Director of External Partnerships, Woodbridge Trust

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.

1 Workshop series two

Exploring effective models of special schools’ outreach

Chaired by Alistair Crawford of Eden Academy Trust, this session explores two distinct models of outreach. Cate Marsden of Woodbridge Trust (3 specialist settings across primary, secondary, and sixth form), with an Outreach Service supporting over 120 schools, will share an approach developed in close partnership with the local authority, rooted in collaboration and sustained support across mainstream schools. Rachel Wilkes of Humber Education Trust (4 specialist schools and 13 mainstream primary schools) will share a model of support enabling mainstream settings to inclusively meet the needs of more complex learners within and beyond the trust. Attendees will gain valuable perspectives on how outreach can be structured, sustained, and scaled to help inform or enhance work in their own trusts.