nasen LIVE 2024 - Speakers and Panellists

Amelie is Assistant Director of Education - SEND and Specialist Provision at Greenshaw Learning Trust. Amelie has also worked as a SENCO and Deputy Headteacher with a focus on SEND/Inclusion. Prior to moving into Senior Leadership positions, Amelie worked as an Advanced Skills Teacher based in classrooms. Her practice has always been focused on the impact of Quality First Teaching in the classroom to support access to a broad, balanced, and meaningful curriculum for all learners. She is passionate about CPD with a particular focus on building opportunities to develop reflective practice. She was a Lead Author on Teacher Handbook: SEND.

André Skepple is a distinguished EdTech and HealthTech innovator, deeply committed to enhancing educational opportunities for neurodivergent learners through advanced technology. With a rich background in bioscience research and a transformative career shift into technology entrepreneurship, André has spearheaded the development of ground-breaking educational solutions that integrate AI, machine learning, and Web3 technologies.

As the Founder & CEO of FullSpektrum®, André was instrumental in developing FS:One, the first Agentic AI support intelligence platform designed to adapt and personalise educational, health, and social care plans. This platform has immense potential to become pivotal in holistically addressing significant challenges faced by educational institutions and healthcare providers, particularly towards streamlining operations and improving outcomes for individuals with conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia.

Under André's leadership, FullSpektrum® has not only secured high-value innovation grants from renowned bodies such as Innovate UK but has also cultivated strong partnerships with local government authorities and the NHS. These collaborations aim to revolutionise support frameworks for SEND & inclusion across Europe.

André's insights into AI, applied science and neuroinclusive education are informed by his extensive research background and his passion for technology-driven support solutions. His work emphasises the importance of inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring that all learners have the tools to succeed in their educational journeys.

André's presentation, "How to Make the Curriculum Neuroinclusive," will showcase innovative strategies and practical demonstrations of how technology can be harnessed to support diverse learning needs, promising to be an invaluable session for educators, administrators, and SEND advocates alike.

Toni is the Digital Teaching and Learning lead at The Stour Academy Trust. As a teacher, Toni spent most of her teaching career driving the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning. She is passionate about inclusion, accessibility and equitable learning opportunities for all children in the classroom and throughout education. Looking at ways technology can enhance this, to achieve best outcomes for educators and students. Toni is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, Microsoft Master training and ambassador for many technology communities, including Book Creator and happy to share ideas and ideas for Teaching and Learning on her X @ToniHammy

Bella Dhariwal is a Senior Occupational Therapist and Dialectical Behavioural Therapist at The Mercian Trust, within the Multi-Disciplinary Clinical Team. Bella has previously worked as an Occupational Therapist for CAMHS (Childrens Adolescent Mental Health Services) as a Senior Mental Health Practitioner and practitioner with the Youth Justice Service.

Bella also carries a clinical caseload of students who experience mental health related issues. Within the wider team, Bella leads on service development, particularly in developing the use of technology to support practitioners and students.

Clare is Head of Southampton Inclusion Partnership and Outreach Service, based at Springwell Special School in Southampton. She holds an MSc in Specific Learning Difficulties from the University of Southampton and an MA Ed in Special Needs and Inclusion from the University of Winchester. Clare is also Director of SEND for the HISP Learning Partnership and provides coaching, training and strategic support for SEND improvement across a range of schools within and beyond Southampton.

Conrad currently works within the within the school improvement team at The Mercian Trust as its Director for Special Educational Needs. Previously, Conrad served as a senior leader, for ten years, within secondary schools where he was also a SENCo and pupil premium lead.  Conrad has previously been a facilitator on both the NPQML and NPQSL programmes, undertaken training to become a school and MAT SEND reviewer and is a Pupil Premium systems reviewer and an SLE (SEND). Within his professional practice Conrad is also a specialist teacher and Assessor (SpLD Dyslexia). Conrad is the Deputy Regional Lead for Whole School SEND, in the West Midlands. Conrad was recently awarded the Recipient of Excellence, for SEND, at the National SEND Best Practice Conference 2024.

Dawn is a qualified teacher of over 25 years. She has taught across the full early years and primary age ranges, with a number of leadership roles. Dawn has extensive experience of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including in specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. In her current roles, Dawn supports SEND strategically across the North West and West Midlands as a Regional Lead for Whole School SEND. She also works part time at a local authority level as an Inclusion lead and Area SEND Ofsted Inspector. 

Emma graduated from Cambridge University in 1998 and has been a teacher in mainstream primary schools, in Alternative Provision with both Primary and Secondary. After setting up the first Key Stage 3 Nurture Class in Cornwall she became Lead SENDCo across the Multi Academy Trust, ensuring that children and young people have opportunities to engage and make the best progress possible in their learning and emotional/social development. During her career she has developed her passion to develop the creative/outdoors opportunities alongside the academic curriculum, instilling a love of learning, curiosity, and positivity.

Emma is now Headteacher of Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery, part of Kernow Learning Trust, a newly opened school with a nurture inspired, sustainability, climate wise connection with learning beyond the classroom curriculum. The school is currently based at the Eden Project, and the new school building will be in the heart of West Carclaze Garden Village, an eco development, and is a carbon net zero school.

Kerry Kernan is the Head of Children, Young People and Families at Guide Dogs UK. She has been a part of the charity for nearly four years, having come from an education background and is responsible for our central UK wide offer of  Children & Young People’s Services.  This comprises the Family Support, Education, Family Events, Buddy Dogs and Technology Teams. It also includes our CustomEyes Books service.

These teams provide specialist advice and support to young people, families and professionals that helps them to live the lives they choose.
Kerry believes that for children with sight loss and their parents and families, early intervention from Guide Dogs is life changing.  Offering advice from the point of diagnosis, we can help children with sight loss and their families understand what support is available to them. We can facilitate this from offering advice on how to get the best from education, experiencing the joy of a Buddy Dog companion through to encouraging participation at our range of Family Events.

Kim is an occupational therapist with over 20 years’ experience supporting children, young people, their families, and teachers.  She is passionate about ensuring children and young people can participate successfully in the activities that are important to them.  Her interest areas are self-regulation, play, sensory processing and autism.  Kim’s website GriffinOT.com provides online training and programmes for those who want to learn more about sensory processing, motor skills and handwriting.  She also offers online sensory assessments for children and adults.  Kim is the author of Success with Sensory Supports (JKP) and 100 ideas for Sensory Processing (Bloomsbury).

Matt McArthur is Assistant Headteacher at Frank Wise School in Banbury, a special school for children and young adults aged between 2 and 19. Matt currently teaches in both primary and secondary classes, and is the subject-leader for Numeracy. He was Director of Teaching School at the school for five years, and continues to support the Oxfordshire Teaching School Hub with SEND-specific strands of Continuing Professional Development, School-to-School support and Initial Teacher Training. Matt is seconded to Whole School SEND as the Deputy Regional SEND Lead for the South Central and North West London region, supporting in the delivery of the Department for Education’s Universal SEND Services contract. Matt enjoys cooking, keeping fit and reading, and is a committed life-long learner. He has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, and has recently finished his NPQH.

Natalie is an Independent Education Consultant, specialising in SEND and school improvement.  She develops and delivers a wide range of training and support, including SEND reviews, to schools and multi-academy trusts. She works closely with several trusts to support their strategic development of SEND and is a trustee of Learn-AT in Leicestershire. She is an associate for national organisations nasen, Whole Education, Forum Strategy and Leadership Matters. Natalie regularly writes online articles for Optimus and The Key for School Leaders and is the author of The Perfect SENCO, and The Teacher’s Guide to SEN. 

Director of Inclusion/Deputy Regional SEND Lead, East of England and North East London (WSS/ NASEN).

Rebecca is the Director of Inclusion for Every Child, Every Day Multi Academy Trust (MAT). Her role includes supporting and working in collaboration with Headteachers, Senior Leaders and SENCOs in developing a person-centred approach to inclusion. Rebecca also works as a Deputy Regional SEND Leader (DRSL) for East of England and North East London. She is a NASENCO tutor and a Module Leader with Middlesex University working in collaboration with Real Training. In addition, she is a Trustee of Calibre Audio, a charity focused on audio reading resources for those with a visual impairment and dyslexia needs. Rebecca’s philosophy is centred on the understanding that every teacher is a teacher of SEND and every leader is a leader of SEND. She has more than 15 years’ experience working as a Senior School Leader, Deputy Headteacher, Assistant Headteacher and a SENCO in several inner-city schools. As part of these multi-faceted roles, she has developed and delivers a five-part course on levels of SEND leadership, supporting SENCOs to progress through a structured hierarchy of competencies in executive leadership skills. At its core, is the empowerment of SENCOs to practice distributive leadership whilst influencing others to prioritise SEND.

She sits on several Local Authority panels, including Workstream 5 and a High Needs’ Funding Group. Recently Rebecca was commissioned to work with the Department for Education as one of their Trust and School Improvement (TSI) officers. This includes supporting schools and Trusts, to drive forward school improvement priorities.

Roisin McEvoy is the Head of Schools Training and National Programmes at Anna Freud. She leads the team of education and clinical experts who deliver professional learning and national programmes around whole-school approaches to mental health and wellbeing. She is a former teacher and school leader in London secondary schools.

Sarah is passionate about equality and the importance of valuing diversity; throughout her career she has focused on improving inclusion and accessibility for marginalised groups by advocating for their voices to be heard, respected, and acted upon.

She began this life-long mission when starting her first job working in social care, supporting adults with learning disabilities. Since then, all her roles have involved health, social care, and education and always with a focus on working with people with learning disabilities, autistic people, and family carers.

A visionary leader, with a desire to see a world where all autistic children and young people experience a positive education that supports their wellbeing, this has been strengthened by personal experience of trying to support her own neurodiverse child through education.
Sarah holds a doctorate in applied psychology of learning disabilities and autism, a post-graduate certificate in teaching in higher education, and is a qualified coach.

Stella is a School Improvement Partner for The Stour Academy Trust. She leads on SEND and Inclusion and has a doctorate in this area.  
Stella actively promotes inclusive practice based on providing equitable opportunities for all through developing learning spaces in which all children feel a sense of belonging, improved accessibility and personalised learning approaches. Her experience in education includes working in pre-school settings and primary schools. Her current schools have specialist resource provisions for pupils with a primary need of Autism.

Stella is happy to share insights into SEND education and inclusive practice and welcomes visitors to The Stour Academy Trust Microsoft Show Case schools.

Tina Harvey has been the Headteacher at Perseid School in Merton for more than 25 years and is the joint lead of the Merton Special Training Association, a provider of specialist training and outreach. Tina has been a teacher for more than 30 years and, for three years until Summer 2018, was also the Executive Head of a local primary school. Tina holds a M.Ed in Childhood Autism from Birmingham University and has a particular interest in leadership at all levels, coaching teachers throughout their leadership journey and the teaching of PSHE.

Vincenza De Falco (Vinny) is a distinguished autism and learning disabilities specialist, fuelled by a passion for systemic change. As an influential leader and dedicated changemaker, she has amassed a wealth of experience across the third sector and various educational settings. Her areas of expertise include learning disabilities, autism, behavioural needs, supported employment, internships, and fostering employer engagement.

Currently, Vinny is a key member of the senior leadership team at ThinkForward UK, an organisation dedicated to providing comprehensive, long-term, holistic coaching to prepare young people for the workforce. She leads their supported employment initiatives, including the innovative 'Making Strides' programme.