Annual SEND Conference 5th June 2025

Please join us for this years Regional Annual SEND Conference. The day is aimed at all educational professionals who work with children and young people in any area of SEND. Our Speakers for the day are:

Dr Nic Crossley, CEO at Liberty Academy Trust and National SEND Representative, ASCL - “Supporting an Inclusive and Ambitious Curriculum for Learners with SEND”

Nic will reflect on what high expectations, challenge and aspirations look like for learners with SEND, and how professionals can support this. Delegates will reflect on inclusive, high-quality teaching and the key questions to consider when creating an ambitious curriculum for all. Nic will introduce the Curriculum Planning Tool, a simple and effective approach which supports the development of understanding of key concepts, the presentation of information, and the embedding of learning into long-term memory. A practical case study will demonstrate the tool in action, and delegates will reflect on how it could inform their own curriculum planning now and in the future.

A compassionate and authentic advocate, Nic is CEO of Liberty Academy Trust, a small trust of specialist schools for autistic children. With over 25 years’ experience across primary, secondary, mainstream, and specialist education, her research focuses on factors contributing to educational underachievement. She serves as the National SEND Representative for ASCL (Association for School and College Leaders), is a member of the Ethics, Inclusion and Equalities Committee, and was the founding Chair of the Women Leaders’ Network. An Honorary Teaching Fellow at the University of Warwick, Nic co-authored ‘Inclusion: A Principled Guide for School Leaders’ and has a new book for early career teachers set for release in January 2025.

Dean Beadle – autistic conference speaker, trainer, guest lecturer and charity person “Inclusion: what it is and what it isn’t”.

Dean will look at inclusion through seven key areas to highlight what an inclusive learning environment should be. From understanding needs such as executive functioning and autistic inertia through to creating safe spaces and working with parents, this insightful and humorous session offers an autistic perspective on how to make settings fully accessible to autistic learners.

Dean is an autistic speaker and trainer who has spent twenty years using his personal experiences to challenge stereotypes, educate and create societal change. He has delivered countless conference keynotes across the UK as well as having presented at conferences and seminars in Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand. As an inset trainer, Dean has delivered twilight and half-day sessions for hundreds of schools across the country. He has also guest lectured at several British universities, and continues to present on Initial Teacher Education courses nationwide. He is honorary president of AP Cymru, a Welsh autistic-led charity and is patron of One-to-One Enfield and Space Hertfordshire.

Professor Maggie Snowling CBE – Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Oxford and Research Fellow, St John's College - “Risk Factors for Poor Reading: Beyond Phonological Deficits”

It is well established that phonological skills are critical for learning to read and that individuals with ‘dyslexia’ have phonological processing difficulties. However, as recognised by a recent Delphi study of dyslexia, there is also growing evidence that poor reading is the outcome of multiple genes of small effect acting through the environment to produce individual differences in the manifestation of dyslexia/poor reading. Maggie will draw on findings from a longitudinal study of children at high-risk of dyslexia, either because they have a parent with dyslexia or preschool language difficulties, to consider a range of risk factors that are associated with poor reading. The paper will begin by reviewing findings from longitudinal studies assessing the role of speech and language skills in reading development.

There will follow a series of analyses examining dyslexia outcomes which are either specific or associated with comorbid developmental language disorder. Retrospective analyses suggest that there is more than one pathway to poor reading; preschool phonological difficulties prior to reading instruction represent a significant risk, and children who enter school with poor language are likely to experience deficits in word reading and reading comprehension as well as mathematics disorder. We will consider the role of ‘protective’ factors including the home literacy environment and implications for screening and intervention.

Professor Maggie Snowling is Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Oxford, and Research Fellow, St. John’s College. She is Fellow of the British Academy, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and Honorary Fellow of the British Psychological Society. She served on Sir Jim Rose’s Expert Advisory Group on Dyslexia (2009), was advisor to the Phonics Screening Check (2010), Reception Baseline Assessment (2019) and the DfE’s Reading Framework 2 (2023). She served as President of St. John’s College, Oxford 2012-2022, was Chair of the Equality Forum (2018-19) and the Oxford Admissions Committee (2019-2021). She was appointed CBE for services to science and the understanding of dyslexia in 2016.

Zoe Burlison (NPQSL) - Senior Assistant Principal at The Ruth Gorse Academy, Leeds

From a strained and isolated SEND department to the winners of NASEN's Secondary Provision of the Year award in 2023, an outstanding OFSTED report and the best-performing school in Leeds, Zoe will share insights of her school's journey to an award-winning mainstream secondary provision. The reflective talk will touch on themes around building a non-negotiable culture of SEND, finding time-effective methods to support the delivery of quality-first teaching, and strategic methods to ensure that SEND 'is not an island' whilst acknowledging the ever-changing challenges of working within SEND.

Zoe joined The Ruth Gorse Academy in 2018 as a history teacher, and is passionate about removing barriers for pupils. She completed a Masters in Education, analysing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable pupils. Zoe is Senior Assistant Principal for SEND, ensuring that all pupils have access to an outstanding education, as well as forming part of the Safeguarding Team. She played a crucial role in securing the academy’s NASEN Award for Secondary Provision of the Year 2023, in recognition of their SEND provision, work around the THINK 5 strategy and the introduction of SEND Champions. Zoe is also a facilitator for the first cohort of the NPQSENCo course, supporting other SENDCOs across Leeds to develop their SEND practice.

Tasha Bradley, Co-Headteacher at Abbeymead Primary School, Gloucester

Tasha will share her school’s journey to becoming the NASEN Award winners of Primary Provision of the Year 2024, while also making substantial wider school improvements leading to an outstanding OFSTED report in November 2023. She will explore how the school has embedded inclusive practice at the heart of everything they do. Their path has not been without challenges, but it has been transformational – for staff, pupils and their families. Tasha will reflect on the steps taken to create a truly inclusive environment, from fostering a culture of belonging to equipping staff with the tools and knowledge to support every child. She will share the strategies that made the biggest difference, as well as the lessons learned along the way. To ensure that delegates leave with something practical, Tasha will also provide some takeaways, approaches and ideas that delegates can try in their settings.

Tasha is an experienced educator who began her career in 2001 in specialist provision before transitioning to mainstream schools. She has taught in every primary year group and nursery, building a deep understanding of how children learn and develop. In addition to her teaching experience, Tasha has worked as an educational leader, supporting a variety of schools to improve outcomes and create inclusive learning environments. As Co-Headteacher, she brings her passion for inclusion and teamwork to the role, leading with dedication to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Crowne Plaza Sheffield, Victoria Station Road, Sheffield, United Kingdom