From intent to impact: creating an inclusive curriculum for successful learning – a conference!
with Richard Hirstwood, Nick Sheffield, Carol Allen, Bev Cockbill and Dr Sarah Moseley.
We are announcing a conference focused on your curriculum’s intent, implementation, and impact on learners with severe, complex or neurodiverse learning needs, examining the foundations of an effective and robust curriculum. We examine five key foundations of an effective and robust curriculum:
Developing a Curriculum That Leaves a Lasting Legacy with Nick Sheffield
Nick will explore how to shape a curriculum that genuinely works for pupils, staff, and the long term. This session focuses on creating a curriculum that is both meaningful and manageable, with strategies for sequencing content, tracking progress, and supporting the team in delivering it. Nick will also share practical approaches for reducing workload, staying creative, and responding flexibly to learners’ needs in the moment. A must-attend for anyone creating a curriculum to deliver consistent impact.
Metacognition and Working Memory: The Building Blocks of Better Learning with Dr Sarah Moseley
Sarah will focus on two essential but often overlooked processes—metacognition and working memory—and how they play a crucial role in learning for pupils with severe, complex, or neurodiverse needs. This session will help you identify how these processes work in real classrooms and how to support them through daily teaching practice. Sarah will share inclusive, practical strategies to help learners become more aware, more independent, and more successful.
Using the Engagement Model to Support Progress and Personalised Learning with Bev Cockbill
Bev will demonstrate how the Engagement Model can become a practical and flexible tool for tracking meaningful progress in learners with complex needs. This session explores how to use the model to design personalised learning pathways, record engagement with clarity, and celebrate progress—even when it’s not linear. Bev will offer clear guidance and examples that make this statutory model work for you and your learners..
Circle Time: Making It Meaningful and Ready for Learning with Carol Allen
Many classes start the day with some form of circle time, but how effective is it for your learners? This session takes a closer look at how circle time can support a calm and purposeful start to the day, helping pupils transition from home to school and get ready to learn. You’ll reflect on your current practice and explore ways to make this routine more active, inclusive, and engaging. Whether your focus is communication, regulation, or building connection, you’ll leave with fresh ideas to make the most of this valuable time.
Creating Learning Environments That Work with Richard Hirstwood
The right classroom environment can make a massive difference for learners with severe, complex, or neurodiverse needs. In this session, Richard shares tried-and-tested ideas for creating sensory-informed spaces that boost focus, calm, and engagement. You’ll learn what’s worth investing in, how to create spaces that work for your learners on a budget, and how to avoid overcomplicating things. Simple, effective, and practical—this session is about making environments that truly support learning.
9 am Admissions and a virtual tea or Coffee to start the day!
9.05 am Welcome, introductions and a warm-up activity.
9.15 am Session 1: Developing a Curriculum That Leaves a Lasting Legacy – Nick Sheffield
10.15 am Session 2: Metacognition and Working Memory: The Building Blocks of Better Learning – Dr Sarah Moseley
11.15 am Coffee
11.30 am Session 3: Using the Engagement Model to Support Progress and Personalised Learning – Bev Cockbill
12.30 pm Lunch
1.30 pm Session 4: Circle Time: Making It Meaningful and Ready for Learning – Carol Allen.
2.30 pm Session 5: Creating Learning Environments That Work – Richard Hirstwood
3 pm Plenary, thank you and close of day!
Click on the names below to read more about our conference presenters!
Bev Cockbill
This conference will be appropriate for classroom practitioners from special schools and colleges, mainstream settings with specialist SEN provision and early years settings, and those working with pupils with autism, and severe/complex learning needs or both.
The recording of this event will be in your account at online.hirstwood.com. You will access this using the email address on the booking form and your password (instructions for creating your password are in the joining information).
Here you will find:
a digital recording of the event
a transcript of the Zoom chat
These will be available for 10 days after the event.
EARLY BIRD TICKETS UNTIL 31 JULY 2025 – £275 plus VAT per delegate.
STANDARD TICKETS 1 AUGUST 2025 ONWARDS – £295 plus VAT per delegate.
You can select multiple places on the booking form.
You can choose to pay by credit card for this booking.
You can also request an invoice by confirming your booking by entering a Purchase Order Number on the booking form.
