Starting strong in SEND: practical, sensory and inclusive approaches

Name: Starting strong in SEND: practical, sensory and inclusive approaches
Start: 2026-11-13T09:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-11-13T15:30:00+00:00
Location: London

ABOUT

13 November 2026: 9 am – 3.30 pm

In-person training – Central London Venue

Moving into specialist education is exciting, rewarding and, at times, overwhelming.

Whether you are an Early Career Teacher or an experienced teacher making the move from mainstream, the questions are often the same.

Where do I start? What does good teaching look like in SEND? How do I balance individual needs whilst leading a whole class? How do I work effectively with teaching assistants, families and other professionals?

This practical, hands-on day delivered by Nick Sheffield, Carol Allen and Bex Watton will give you the knowledge, confidence, strategies and resources to make a successful start.

We will cover:

Setting up your classroom

Organising the physical classroom environment is crucial to successful learning. This will include:

creating calm, organised and purposeful classroom environments that make effective teaching and learning
how age-appropriate learning environments differ for learners with severe, profound and neurodiverse learning needs across the age range from EYFS to post-16 settings
transitions, routines and incidental learning opportunities in the classroom
using an engagement approach as the foundation for learning

Successful Lesson Planning

Delegates will work collaboratively to develop lesson plans, solve everyday classroom challenges and explore how small adjustments can make learning more engaging and successful. Including:

planning meaningful lessons using a practical five-point lesson structure
building flexibility into lesson plans that respond to individual learners whilst maintaining clear learning intentions
balancing one-to-one teaching, small group work and whole-class learning
teaching the core engagement skills that underpin progress across the curriculum
planning for whole-school events and celebrations such as Christmas
planning for successful swimming lessons

Understanding your Learners

We focus on recognising what matters most for learners with severe, profound and neurodiverse learning needs, including:

recognising challenges and identifying practical, achievable solutions that support individual learners
giving learners voice, choice and appropriate levels of independence to promote engagement
understanding behaviour as communication and developing supportive, practical classroom approaches

Leading your class team

We will consider the wider role of the teacher in a specialist setting, including:

leading and managing teaching assistants to create an effective classroom team
sharing ideas, reflecting on practice and building confidence through discussion and practical activities
working positively with parents, carers and other multi-agency professionals

Throughout the day, you will:

take away adaptable planning templates, lesson structures and resources ready to use in your own classroom
link your teaching practice to the Teachers’ Standards
explore real classroom challenges and solutions

By the end of the day, you will have a clearer understanding of how to build an inclusive, effective classroom where learners are engaged and ready to learn, with the confidence and practical strategies to support your first steps in teaching in SEND.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This in-person training course is for early career teachers from special nurseries, schools and colleges, and teachers from mainstream settings who are transitioning to work in a specialist educational settings.

It is for practitioners working with pupils with severe/complex or neurodiverse learning needs, from EYFS to post-16.

PRESENTERS

Carol Allen is an education advisor for ICT and Inclusion, currently offering specialised support to Local Authorities, schools, parents and carers and a wide range of educators across the world. She has taught since 1980 in both mainstream schools – primary and high, and schools for students with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties.Recognising, as an English specialist, that communication lies at the heart of all effective teaching, the majority of her work has centred on creative and engaging use of technology to support communication in its widest sense. Carol works in partnership with many companies in the educational technology field as she holds a strong belief in sharing and collaboration across all participants in order to maximise the potential opportunities for her students. All work centres on easy to replicate practice which is fun, achievable and creates communication enhancement opportunities.

Nick Sheffield is a specialist advisory teacher in London. Nick was part of the Expert Rochford Review Group which produced the Jan 2020 Engagement Model Guidance and is a guest lecturer at the University of Bedfordshire and Middlesex University. Nick’s main specialism is Profound and Severe Learning Disabilities (PMLD) (SLD). Nick has worked with the Hirstwood group for over 5 years, presenting at the Curriculum Conclusion Conference and The Sensory Festivals, where he appeared in a panel alongside Diane Rochford OBE and Barry Carpenter CBE and is looking forward to the next Hirstwood adventures in store!

Bex Watton is an experienced SEND teacher who has taught in Special schools and Autistic Resource Provisions. She currently works for two London Boroughs as a SEND Inclusive Education Teacher, supporting mainstream settings and Alternative Resourced Provisions to deliver quality, inclusive provision and meet all student’s needs. She is passionate about helping educators build inclusive, neurodiversity-affirming environments that promote autonomy and encourage active learning. With a PG Diploma in Early Childhood Education, she specialises in creating playful, intrinsically motivating, and meaningful learning experiences for learners with SEND.