Simon Knight

Joint Headteacher, Frank Wise School

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.

1 Workshop series one

Cultivating a culture of belonging and connectedness

This panel will explore ways to create the conditions for belonging and connectedness to enable all pupils to flourish in schools – and the research evidence behind them. Anna Upton from Embark Multi-Academy Trust (comprising nursery, primary, and secondary schools) will share the trust’s approach to creating a collective commitment across its schools, fostering a universal offer as a foundation for every child’s success. Simon Knight of Frank Wise Special School will discuss the principles underpinning an inclusive culture within the context of a community special school, and how that relates to the lived experience. Stuart Kime of EBE will share research evidence for the conditions that cultivate a sense of belonging for learners, teachers and leaders alike.