Bright Futures SEND Conference

We are excited to bring to you our SEND Conference.

Hear from Gary Aubin- The Education Endowment Foundation’s SEND Associate, who will talk about topics such as:

• Strong leadership in relation to SEND
• Teaching & Learning
• What we can learn from special schools (both primary and secondary)
• Supporting learners while they wait for assessment
• Deepening your understanding of pupils with SEND in your setting
• Developing effective resourced provisions/SEN units in mainstream schools

Frances Akinde brings to you her session- From Awareness to Action: Strengthening Support for SEND Learners in Your Setting. Session aims are:

• Enhance Awareness: Develop a deeper understanding of the diverse needs of SEND learners and the barriers they face within the school environment.
• Analyse and Apply Data: Learn how to assess SEND data to identify patterns in demographics, progress, and behaviour, using these insights to inform inclusive practices.
• Strengthen Support Systems: Explore practical strategies to create a cohesive, strengths-based approach that empowers SEND learners and fosters a supportive school culture.

Bio:

Frances Akinde, a qualified SENCO and former headteacher of a Secondary Special School for learners with Autism, has over 20 years’ experience across primary, secondary, special/alternative provision, and local authority roles. She now works part-time as a SEND inspector and advisor while managing her consultancy service.

After discovering her neurodivergence and hearing impairment in 2022, Frances left headship to focus on promoting inclusion through training and support. In 2023, she co-launched the BAMEed SEND Hub to address racial inequities in education and serves as an Anti-Racist Schools coach with Leeds Beckett University.

Drawing on her professional expertise and lived experiences, Frances speaks and writes about intersectionality, Race, and SEND. She also mentors educators and supports workplaces as an Assistive Technology Trainer.

Her book, Be An Ally, Not a Bystander, was released in October 2024, with her second book, Intersectionality, Race & SEND: Conversations for Advocacy and Change, due in late 2025.

There will also be chances to share good practice and network.

Find out about the other events in our Bright Futures InnovateEd. Conference Collective by clicking here