Speakers
Heba Al-Jayoosi
Heba is the Assistant Head and Lead for Inclusion and Research at Mayflower Primary School in Tower Hamlets, London. She has been a primary school teacher since 2007, specialising in Science for Years 2 and 3. Heba completed her NASENCO award at the UCL Institute of Education in 2013 and a Master’s in Special and Inclusive Education in 2016. In 2019, Heba was awarded a Churchill Fellowship for her research report on support for autistic pupils in mainstream schools under the NEST model: https://www.wcmt.org.uk/fellows/reports/inclusion-pupils-autism-diagnosis-mainstream-classrooms. She is passionate about inclusive education and is a Specialist Leader of Education in special educational needs. Heba has worked closely with professionals, families and children with SEND for a number of years and has conductive a number of research projects on improving inclusive teaching practice.
Michelle Unstead
Michelle is the Inclusion Leader St Peter & St Mary Catholic Primary School, and the Lead SENCO for the St John the Baptist Catholic Multi-Academy Trust. She has previously worked for Sapientia Educational Trust and Norfolk City Council. She has worked as an educationalist for the past 16 years, focusing on SEND consultancy and inclusion. She completed her National SENCO Award in 2011 and is currently studying for her Master’s in Education at the University of Wolverhampton, with a focus on Inclusion and SEND. Michelle works with MAT schools across Norfolk, Suffolk and Peterborough and is a Specialist Leader for Education for SEND, Behaviour and Teaching and Learning with the East Anglia Schools Teaching Alliance (EASTA). She is a driven and enthusiastic school-based SEND professional, with significant experience designing and influencing nationwide training and excellent practice.