SEND Provision - London - Speakers

SEND Provision speakers

Sam Garner, Mental Health & Inclusion Consultant, Founder of Balanced People (Chair)

Sam was a SENCo in a large secondary schools, is a qualified CBT Therapist, Child and Adolescent Counsellor, and CBT Coach. Sam founded Balanced People and regularly speaks at conferences, provides consultancy and training for organisations both nationally and internationally. Lauded for her humour and 'tell it like it is' approach to mental health and inclusion, Sam has also written a range of CBT resources which are used by staff in school to support student mental health.

Heba Al-Jayoosi, Assistant Head, Deputy Regional Lead, NASEN Whole School SEND

Heba is the assistant headteacher and inclusion and research leader at London's Mayflower Primary School. She is also seconded as deputy regional lead at Whole School SEND (NASEN). Heba has taught in inner London primary schools since 2007, and is also a PHD student at CRAE (Centre for Research in Autism Education) UCL, exploring the collaboration of caregivers of autistic children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with school professionals. Heba is passionate about research and implementing innovative practice. She was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2019 to look at inclusive practices in mainstream schools in New York for autistic pupils. She was subsequently awarded further funding to pilot a project at her school on the use of flexible seating in collaboration with the Centre of Research in Autism Education (CRAE), UCL.

Ginny Bootman, Special Needs Co-ordinator and Author

Ginny Bootman is a SENCO who has over 25 years’ experience as a class teacher, having also been a headteacher. She is now SENCO of four primary schools. Her passion for the role which empathy plays in the job of the class teacher shines through her recently published book Independent Thinking on Being a Senco and in articles she has written for publications including TES. She shares this passion in her talks to a variety of audiences. Find her at www.ginnybootman.com and on Twitter @sendcogirl.

Ray Boxall, Head of SEND Services, Kings InterHigh

Ray has been teaching for over 20 years, he began his career in the state sector in London where he worked in schools with complex cohorts and held senior leadership roles including the position of deputy headteacher with the responsibility for pastoral care and special educational needs. Ray joined King's InterHigh in 2021 and currently heads up the SEN Services team which supports 1,600+ students with additional needs. His interests outside of school include fell-walking, wild camping, and playing his guitar.

Alessandro Capozzi, Executive Headteacher, Academy21

Alessandro began his career as an English teacher, acquiring a wealth of experience and moving on to lead in the areas of inclusion and staff development as well as pastoral care and the curriculum as a Deputy Headteacher. Recently, Alessandro served as Headteacher of an online school, leading the school in developing a flexible, quality student experience. Having led on SEND and inclusion, Sandro has a considerable understanding of the barriers to learning that many young people face. He has also seen the huge positive impact that alternative provision can have on learners facing challenges that prevent them from learning or attending physical schools.

Owen Carter, Co-Founder and Managing Director, ImpactEd

Owen has led the development of ImpactEd since inception, a social enterprise partnering with schools and trusts to support them in evaluating the impact of their programmes and interventions. Prior to ImpactEd, he led research and evaluation projects at education charity The Brilliant Club, and developed a digital platform for teacher development at Optimus Education. He's a winner of the Teach First Innovation Award and was named one of PwC's 'Tomorrow's Business Leaders'.

Delyth Hughes, SEND and EHCP Consultant

Delyth is an independent special education needs and disabilities consultant and specialises in whole school improvement, staff training and supporting parents and carers to secure the best outcomes and provision for children and young people, including supporting parents and schools through the EHCP process. Delyth has worked in mainstream education for over 20 years inspiring inclusive practice, working extensively with a variety of age groups from early years through to secondary. Delyth has experience in school leadership, as a SENCO, local authority school improvement, and EHC Plan writing. Delyth has a particular interest in developmental trauma, social emotional and mental health and attachment theory and the links to behaviour. She is, in addition, a trainee psychotherapist.

Natalie Packer, Education Consultant, SEND

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 supports several MATs with the strategic development of SEND and is a trustee of Learn-AT multi-academy trust in the East Midlands. She is the author of The Perfect SENCO and The Teacher’s Guide to SEN.

Lorraine Petersen OBE, Educational Consultant

Lorraine spent the first 25 years of her career as a teacher and headteacher in a number of primary schools. In 2004 Lorraine was appointed as the CEO of The National Association for Special Educational Needs where she worked for nine years, during which time, she was awarded an OBE. At the end of 2013 Lorraine established her own consultancy business and has been delivering training, advice and support to schools and local authorities. She is a SEND Improvement Adviser for Blackpool Council and is a qualified Youth MHFA First Aid instructor and she is currently delivering Senior Mental Health Lead Training for one of the DfE Quality Assured training providers. Lorraine is Chair of Governors at Chadsgrove Special School.

Karl Pupé FRSA, Education Consultant, Teacher & Author of 'The Action Hero Teacher'

Karl is an author, speaker and teacher with over a decade of experience in primary, secondary, and further education. He is known for his award-winning books, 'The Action Hero Teacher: Classroom Management Made Simple' and 'The Action Hero Teacher 2: Teachers of the Lost Class.' He's the founder of actionheroteacher.com, specialising in behaviour management. Karl served as a not in education, employment or training (NEETs) coordinator and alternative provision lead, focusing on re-engaging and reintegrating challenging and SEMH learners into mainstream schooling. In September 2021, he was honoured with a fellowship from the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (The RSA) for his outstanding contributions to the wellbeing of young people through his Action Hero Teacher initiative and workshops.

Emma Shackleton, Primary Teacher, SEMH and Behaviour Consultant, Co-host of School Behaviour Secrets Podcast and Founder, Beacon School Support

Emma's journey in education began in mainstream primary settings, where her passion for supporting students with social, emotional, mental health (SEMH) challenges and behaviour issues truly ignited. Her dedication led her to Birmingham, where she spent 15 transformative years teaching permanently excluded students and leading on inclusion and outreach programs in an Inner City PRU. Driven by her commitment to empowering schools and families, Emma founded Beacon School Support. Her mission is to equip schools with the tools they need to effectively address SEMH and behaviour challenges, fostering an environment where every student can succeed. Emma's impact extends beyond the classroom as the co-host of the immensely popular podcast, School Behaviour Secrets. Her unique insights and strategies have garnered a dedicated following among educators and parents, further solidifying her reputation as a trusted expert in the field.

Clare Williams, Primary Teacher, Author and Educational Psychotherapist, Hamish & Milo

Clare has worked in primary schools, mental health and education provision and within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). She has led on national initiatives for local authorities as the social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) consultant, leading on training, curriculum implementation and development as well as the local coordination of the national PSHE CPD programme. Clare was co-author and co-creator of Jigsaw PSHE. She is a senior trainer and supervisor for Trauma Informed Schools (TISUK) and an advisor for the Optimus Education Wellbeing Award. She is the author of Hamish & Milo Wellbeing Resources.