Search results
Refine your search
Found results
Karen Ross works for the Army Families Federation as their Health and Additional Needs Specialist and has been in the role for over fourteen years. Her role involves advocating and empowering Army families on any health or additional needs related issues. She regularly meets with stakeholders and policy makers in MOD and single Service chain of command and with outside organisations and agencies such as NHS England & the Department of Health and Social Care and with the equivalent agencies in the Devolved Administrations. Karen’s role covers the UK and overseas commands, so anywhere that Army families are based.
Alexandra Stokes is the Policy Advisor for Education and Childcare at the RAF Families Federation (RAFFF), with responsibilities covering a broad range of issues affecting families, including SEND. Drawing on a background in primary education, Alexandra engages directly with families to provide information and guidance; collects evidence on the lived experience; and advocates for the RAF community to policy makers and stakeholders as the RAFFF work to shape change and improve the quality of life for the RAF family around the world.
Anna Hutchinson is an experienced education professional with a background in teaching, school leadership, and policy development. She began her career teaching across the primary key stages, developing expertise in classroom practice, assessment, and senior leadership. Anna later moved into an advisory role within a local authority, supporting schools to improve outcomes for children from minority backgrounds. For the past six years, Anna has worked for the Army Families Federation (AFF), advocating for improved education and childcare provision for military children. Her work is evidence-based and focused on shaping policy and informing decision-makers to reduce barriers and improve access.
Julie Lowe is the Policy Officer for Families, Homes and Communities at the Royal British Legion (RBL). Part of RBL’s Campaigns, Policy and Research team, Julie works to improve public policy and services that support children and families in the Armed Forces community, including special or additional education needs or disabilities. Qualified in adult and children’s nursing, Julie has experience across the Armed Forces charity sector, the Ministry of Defence and British Army.
February 2026
On Monday 23rd February the Department for Education published its schools white paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving which shares their plan to reform special educational needs and disability (SEND) support.
February 2026
Teachers and practitioners working with young people with SEND are being offered a free two-part webinar series this March aimed at making democracy and voting more accessible.
February 2026
The Gatsby team is working with leaders in England’s secondary and special schools, and colleges, to highlight how making careers guidance a strategic priority is helping them tackle attendance, engagement and other indicators of NEET risk
Many schools across the UK are unknowingly paying for tools or software that are already built into Microsoft or Google platforms. Imagine how much your school could save by leveraging these built-in features.
March 2026
The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a new consultation on significant reforms to Key Stage 4 (KS4), aiming to ensure that schools with lower prior attaining pupils are judged more fairly.
March 2026
Specific learning difficulties (SpLDs) are not being identified equally among school pupils in England, according to a major study by Durham and Oxford universities.
March 2026
We are seeking trustees who have currency in:
-Matters related to digital, whether that is strategic or analytics, cyber security or AI
-Marketing, especially the public or non-profit sector
-Legal experience in UK Commercial or Charity Law
March 2026
Join the National Children's Bureau for a funded webinar exploring fresh insights from ten years of the A Better Start (ABS) programme and their insights into improving outcomes in the early years.
March 2026
A major new study, led by the University of East Anglia in collaboration with Lancaster University and Durham University. has revealed that the pandemic significantly disrupted the development of children’s executive function skills.
March 2026
Are you a creative and organised digital marketing professional with a passion for engaging audiences and making a real difference? If so, we’d love to hear from you.
March 2026
The House of Lords has opened a major inquiry into how well England equips people with the numeracy skills needed throughout life, with a public call for evidence now live.
March 2026
The Specialist National Reference Group (SNRG) has recently submitted a paper to
Government to support the implementation of the School’s White Paper. We want to hear from School Leaders and Senior School Staff, join the discussion!
March 2026
On Friday 3rd July 2026, the SEND community will come together at The Vox Conference Centre, Birmingham, for nasen LIVE 2026 - a national conference designed to support the sector through a period of significant change.
Simon Currigan is co-founder of Beacon School Support, which supports more than 150 schools across the West Midlands and provides SEMH and behaviour guidance to 60,000 educators across the UK. He hosts School Behaviour Secrets, a top 15 UK education podcast with 750,000 downloads. With more than 18 years’ experience, Simon helps schools create inclusive, supportive learning environments using practical, evidence-based strategies. He previously worked as a mainstream primary teacher and in pupil referral units as both a teacher and centre manager.
Whole School SEND has published six self-evaluation frameworks aimed at improving the quality of provision in mainstream and special schools for children and young people with SEND.
Sarah Seleznyov, Director of London South Teaching School Alliance, writes about about a research project supporting teachers to better meet the needs of pupils with autism, run in collaboration with UCL Centre for Inclusive Education.