Belonging Matters: Creating Inclusive Environments for Learners with SEND
- Face to face
- South West
- 18 Nov 2025 (08:30 - 15:00)
This conference brings together educators, researchers, practitioners, to explore the vital link between Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and the sense of belonging in educational settings. Fostering a true sense of belonging goes beyond inclusion—it is about ensuring that every learner feels valued, accepted, and supported as part of the school community.
Through keynote presentations, interactive workshops, and panel discussions, the conference will address key questions: How do we cultivate a culture of belonging for students with SEND – what should our ordinarily available provision look like? What strategies and practices, such as adaptive teaching, genuinely support inclusion beyond compliance? How do intersectionality, identity, and lived experience shape belonging in schools?
Participants will leave with practical tools, research-informed insights, and a deeper understanding of how to create learning environments where all students—especially those with SEND—can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.
Location:
Sandy Park Conference and Banqueting Centre
Sandy Park Way, Exeter, EX2 7NN
Discover additional information about sessions and our speakers
Agenda
| Time | |
|---|---|
| 08:30 - 09:00 | Arrive, Register, Coffee |
| 09:00 - 09:15 | Introducing the conference (nasen) |
| 09:15 - 10:00 | Keynote speaker 1: Amjad Ali – How do we master CPD to create truly adaptive teachers? |
| 10:00 - 10:10 |
Discussion activity: |
| 10:10 - 11:00 | Keynote speaker 2: Dean Beadle – Inclusion from an autistic perspective: Getting it right for autistic young people. |
| 11:20 - 11:50 |
Workshop choices:
|
| 12:00 - 12:50 | Keynote speaker 3: Ben Mitchell – Inclusive Careers Education: What it means and what it looks like |
| 13:00 - 13:45 | Lunch |
| 13:45 - 14:30 |
Workshop (Claire Thomson) Overview: In this dynamic and thought-provoking session, participants will explore what meaningful inclusion looks like in practice—and how curriculum development can truly support all learners, especially those who are not yet able to access the age-related curriculum. Drawing upon the facilitator’s insight as an experienced Ofsted inspector, the workshop will examine how the inspection framework align with inclusive practice, offering practical strategies and reflective tools for teachers and leaders. |
|
14:30 - 14:45 |
QA Panel – Education Leaders, Careers Enterprise Company and Keynote Speakers |
| 14:45 - 15:00 | Closing reflections and next steps – nasen, Devon Research School and SWiFT. |
See more information on speakers and sessions here
This is a fully funded event by the Department for Education.
If you have any questions, please contact the Whole School SEND team.
Sandy Park Conference and Banqueting Centre, Sandy Park Way, Exeter, EX2 7NN
Suitable for: Assistant Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, Head Teacher, Newly Qualified Teacher, SENCO, Senior Leader, Teacher, Teaching Assistant, Governor, Inclusion Manager/Leader, Student
