DfE names 19 inclusion advisers

The government has announced the members of two expert groups aimed at promoting inclusion for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
An expert advisory group on inclusion, led by Tom Rees (pictured), CEO of Ormiston Academies Trust, will meet monthly to look at how to improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND.
The group will focus on inclusive cultures, partnerships with families, improving identification and additional support for children in the mainstream, and workforce capability and expertise.
The members of this expert advisory group on inclusion are:
- Tom Rees, CEO of Ormiston Academies Trust (chair)
- Susan Douglas, CEO of The Eden Academy Trust
- Annamarie Hassall, CEO of Nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs)
- Anne Heavey, director of insights for Ambition Institute
- Andrew O’Neill, headteacher at All Saints Catholic College
- Claire Jackson, principal educational psychologist at Salford City Council
- Heather Sandy, executive director of children’s services at Lincolnshire County Council
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The government has also announced the members of its new Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, led by Professor Karen Guldberg.
The Department for Education has said this group will help the government to understand how to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people.
This group’s members are:
- Professor Karen Guldberg, head of the school of education and professor in autism studies at the University of Birmingham (chair)
- Anita Thapar, professor of psychological medicine and clinical neuroscience at Cardiff University
- Dr Jo Bromley, service lead and consultant clinical psychologist for the Clinical Service for Children with Disabilities, CAMHS at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Professor Duncan Astle, Goldman Sachs professor of neuroinformatics in the department of psychiatry at the University of Cambridge
- Professor Mark Mon-Williams, chair in cognitive psychology at the University of Leeds, professor of psychology at the Bradford Institute for Health Research, founder director of the Centre for Applied Education Research (CAER) and professor of paediatric vision at The Norwegian Centre for Vision
- Tim Nicholls, assistant director of policy, research and strategy at the National Autistic Society
- Ellen Broomé, CEO of the British Dyslexia Association
- Dr James Cusack, chair of Embracing Complexity and CEO of Autistica
- Heba Al-Jayoosi, assistant headteacher and inclusion and research lead at Mayflower Primary School, and deputy regional lead at Whole School SEND
- Zoe Burlison, inclusion lead at The Ruth Gorse Academy
- Hayden Ginns, assistant director for children (performance and commissioning) across Portsmouth City Council and Portsmouth ICB Place (NHS)
- Adam Micklethwaite, parent of an autistic child and director of the Autism Alliance
Announcing the appointment of these experts, schools minister Catherine McKinnell said: “Too many children are frankly being failed by the SEND system this government inherited, and the desperate need for change - as laid out by the NAO, IFS and more - is stark. We are thrilled to be able to work towards reform with the collective expertise and experience within these groups so that all children with SEND can achieve and thrive.”
Mr Rees said: “Collectively, we will use our knowledge and expertise, drawn from our professional and personal experiences, and a diverse range of perspectives from within and beyond the sector, to help advise the department on its commitment to deliver deep and long-term change.
“The SEND system is in urgent need of wide-scale reform so that it delivers better experiences and outcomes for children, young people and their families.”
Speaking at the Schools North East Academies Conference in Newcastle today, Mr Rees warned against the term SEND being used to suggest that some pupils are “different from the norm”.
He has also said that inclusion “is not about dumbing down the curriculum or lowering expectations”.
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