Leading Inclusion and SEND in Mainstream Secondary Schools
A practical, collaborative and solution focused programme for SEND leaders.
Start date
26 February 2026
Format
Online and in-person events
Cost for all sessions
SSAT members: £649 + VAT
Non-member: £775 + VAT
Need more information?
Get in touch or call 020 7802 2300
Leading Inclusion and SEND in Mainstream Secondary Schools
Why this programme?
This is a time of significant change for SEND. A commitment to the moral purpose of inclusive education is a core belief for many school leaders and teachers. The new Ofsted framework (2025) now places inclusion at the heart of school evaluation. Those with responsibility for leading SEND in mainstream settings face growing pressures, increasing needs and resourcing constraints.
How can schools respond strategically and rise successfully to the challenges?
We want to offer a helping hand in this challenging environment. We’ve designed a collaborative programme to seek positive solutions together, guided by our experts.
You’ll visit two schools – Beaumont Leys School and Kennet School, as well as hearing from specialist leaders Margaret Mulholland and Marius Frank.
This programme gives you the tools, expert guidance and professional community to lead SEND with confidence and impact.
What you’ll gain
Through expert-led webinars, school visits and practice-sharing with peers, we will equip you with solutions to:
- Strengthen first-wave classroom provision and inclusive teaching.
- Lead whole-school adaptations that improve outcomes for all learners.
- Manage external agencies and work confidently within complex systems.
- Build a sustainable, evidence-informed approach to SEND leadership.
Suitable for: SENCOs and those with leadership responsibility for SEND in mainstream secondary schools.
Programme benefits
- Stronger professional network: Join a national network of SENCOs and SEND leaders for collaboration and shared problem-solving.
- Expert strategies for compliance: Learn from specialist practitioners with expertise across SEND, inclusion and whole-school improvement.
- Inclusive practice in action: Visit schools to see effective strategies and explore solutions to common challenges.
- Improved confidence in SEND provision: Develop strategic leadership confidence in a time of significant change for SEND.
Programme overview
Event 1: Beaumont Leys School, Leicester
Thursday 26 February 2026
Beaumont Leys School is an 11-16 school in Leicester City serving an area of high social disadvantage. Over years a strong strategy of inclusion has been developed to support all students to be able to be their ‘best self’. Support for all SEND needs are well embedded, although the school has developed particular expertise in SEMH.
Focus:
- Leading SEND and inclusion in a mainstream school – the importance of context.
- Leading a graduated approach to SEMH.
- Making the SENCO role a great job.
Beaumont Leys is a highly inclusive and nurturing school. The school has high expectations for the achievement and behaviour of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff share a belief that pupils can be successful and be their best selves, whatever their starting point.
Ofsted, May 2025
Event 2: Online webinar with special guest Marius Frank, Co-Head of Education at Microlink PC UK Ltd
Thursday 19 March 2026, 15:45 – 17:15
Additional Needs rather than SEND: Why the problems facing schools today are “all in the mind”
A foundational knowledge of how the mind and brain work underpins so many aspects of current high-impact inclusive practice: for example, understandings ACEs, trauma-awareness, attachment, emotion regulation, metacognition, restorative interventions, behaviour management… as well as removing barriers to learning, achieving and thriving for so many of our ND (Neurodivergent) children.
This is not about turning every teacher into a brain scientist! But a solid, evidence-based and accessible understanding of the neuroscience behind growing and changing will empower the next wave of school improvement. And make a SENCO’s role easier!
Biography
Marius Frank, Co-Head of Education at Microlink PC UK Ltd, is a pioneering educational leader with a background in Brain Sciences and neurophysiology. He has held senior roles including Headteacher, CEO of ASDAN Education and strategic lead at Achievement for All, driving national school improvement and inclusion. Marius champions assistive technologies, trauma-informed practice, and systemic innovation, notably through the Be ThAT Teacher and Raising Attainment with Wellbeing programmes. He is currently developing the “neuroinclusive classroom” integrating AI and neuroinclusive practice to make learning genuinely accessible for all.
Event 3: Online webinar with special guest Margaret Mulholland, Send & Inclusion Policy Specialist, ASCL
April 2026
Event 4: Kennet School, Berkshire (part of Equinox Learning Trust)
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Leading an inclusive school culture
Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported extremely well. The school has made sure teachers have detailed information to help pupils overcome their individual barriers to learning. Teachers use this information to carefully craft adaptations to their teaching. Consequently, pupils with SEND progress through the curriculum successfully. They produce work that is of equally high quality to their peers. Pupils who attend the school’s specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND are fully integrated into the life of the school.
Ofsted, May/June 2024
*Subject to change
Dates and location
Beaumont Leys School, Leicester
Thursday 26 February 2026
Online – guest webinar
Thursday 19 March 2026
15:45 – 17:15
Online – guest webinar
April 2026
Kennet School, Berkshire (part of Equinox Learning Trust)
Wednesday 6 May 2026
membersDevelop Your Staff. Improve Outcomes.
Membership gives your SEND and Inclusion teams high-quality CPD, practical tools and expert guidance to support teaching, learning and school improvement.
Any questions?
Contact us or call 020 7802 2300.
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