Experienced SENCO

Abigail runs SENDCOSolutions, an SEN consultancy and SENsible SENCO CIC, a not-for-profit networking support group. She has been a SENCO for over 25 years and has taught a multitude of subjects across all phases from 2-year-olds to adults. She works with software companies developing supportive software for SEN and Safeguarding purposes, has developed and delivers on a teaching assistant apprenticeship programme, authored several books on SEN and exclusions and runs a support network for over 12000 SENCOs.

Following 26 years teaching and providing learning support, Amanda Keen is now a specialist dyscalculia tutor and assessor. She has a specific interest in maths anxiety.

Qualifications: BSc. (Hons) Psychology (University of Portsmouth), P.G.C.E. Primary Education (Oxford Brookes University), PGCert SpLD (Dyslexia) with Merit (Edge Hill University), • PGCert Dyscalculia with Distinction (Edge Hill University)

Amanda Keen has been teaching since 1995, spending 17 years working within the primary sector. After qualifying as a dyslexia specialist, she worked as a Learning Support teacher for students across Key Stages 1 to 4 in both independent and special schools. In 2018, she retrained as a specialist dyscalculia teacher and assessor. She now tutors internationally via remote learning platforms and is an assessor for dyscalculia in both children and adults. She has a keen interest in maths anxiety and led two Maths Hub work groups focused on research into this area.

Anne is a neurodiversity consultant and dyslexia specialist working across schools in London. She is passionate about early identification of Dyslexia and the importance of quality first teaching.

Qualifications: BA, MA, AMBDA, APC

Anne has worked in education for over 25 years in State, Independent and International schools, working with children aged from 5-18. She trained as a Dyslexia specialist 18 years ago and has since worked as a SENDCo, LEA advisor and now as a Neurodiversity Consultant and Dyslexia Specialist. She currently works with several schools in London providing staff training, parent talks and dyslexia assessments. She has spoken at a number of conferences and is passionate about early identification of Dyslexia and the importance of quality first teaching in the classroom.

Head of Service at Cadmus Inclusive

Qualifications: BA(hons) QTS, MEd - Inclusion and Diversity in Education, PG Cert - Professional Studies: SENCo, PG CERT - Specific Learning Difficulties: dyslexia, AMBDA

Beccie has worked in all aspects of Special Educational Needs including mainstream, additionally resourced provision and specialist settings. She has extensive experience as a SENCo, Inclusion Manager, Lead Local Authority Advisory SEND Teacher and SEND Consultant. She is currently the proud Head of Service for Cadmus Inclusive – a not for profit SEN advisory and pupil well-being support service. Beccie remains very ‘hands on’ in the classroom and is passionate about being at the chalk face to support teachers and children in order to practice what she preaches. She is the author of ‘The Complete Dyslexia Toolkit’, ‘SEND: The Things and the Stuff’ and co-author of ‘Getting it Right for SEND’ and ‘How to Create the Perfect Partnership with Parents’. Beccie also writes the national Ebriefing: SEND Bitesize and frequently blogs and produces magazine articles about education. She has also developed a number of educational resources to support learners with educational needs. Beccie is especially passionate about celebrating learning differences. She strives to support schools to think differently to improve and adapt teaching to ensure that every pupil has the chance to shine. Beccie is a mum/step-mum to four fantastic boys and Harry the dog.

Butterworth's Publications include The Mathematical Brain (1999), Dyscalculia: from science to education (2019), Can fish count: What animals reveal about our uniquely mathematical minds (2022).

Qualifications: MA (Oxon), MA (Cantab), PhD (London), FBA

Butterworth is in the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, where he is currently working on the neuroscience, genetics and evolution of mathematical abilities and disabilities. He was elected Fellow of the British Psychological Society (1993), and of the British Academy (2002). He showed that dyscalculia is due to a deficit in an inherited number sense mechanism. This is the basis for the Dyscalculia Screener (2003), still the only standardised assessment tool for dyscalculia. He has also developed digital games specifically for dyscalculic learners, including NumberBeads, which has been evaluated in UK, Argentina, Italy and Singapore.

Cat and Rob are the founders of The Dyscalculia Network C.I.C.

Qualifications: B'Ed / Level 5

Together, Rob and Cat run the Dyscalculia Network. They provide training, support and help to parents, educators, employers and adults with dyscalculia. They are part of the BDA Dyscalculia Committee and are on the CRestED council. Rob is a member of BPS, as a Certified Educational Assessor. He holds an OCR Level 5 Diploma in Teaching Learners with SPLDs, and is co-author of The Maths Difficulties and Dyscalculia Assessment. Cat is the co-author, with Prof. Steve Chinn, of a series of Dyscalculia workbooks, ‘Succeed with Dyscalculia’. Cat Eadle holds a B’Ed from Oxford University and is a dyscalculia specialist teacher.

Catherine is the Head of Accredited Training at the British Dyslexia Association. She is passionate about supporting neurodiversity in education, the workplace and society.

Qualifications: BSc(psy), PGCE, Ad.Dip.Ed., AMBDA, MA Education

Catherine’s current role involves developing and expanding the BDA’s accredited training services, including short courses, practical teacher training and postgraduate level programmes. She has previously worked in prison education, mental health services and higher education, as a specialist teacher, adviser and assessor. She has also been a lecturer in SEN and inclusion, assistive technology and dyslexia. She has specific interests in social responses to difference, technology for inclusion and mental wellbeing. Catherine is a passionate advocate for neurodiversity and believes that everyone can thrive in school, work and life when their differences are recognised, valued and accepted.

Claire has worked at Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity for seven years. As Head of Education, she oversees all the charity's courses and delivers numerous in-service presentations to schools and organisations.

Claire has worked at the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity for seven years. She is Head of Education and oversees all courses at the centre; courses for education professionals including the Level 5 and level 7, and courses for parents and learners. Claire also delivers numerous in-service presentations to schools and organisations. In the past, Claire worked in a large primary school as SEN Team Leader responsible for assessing mainstream pupils, identifying those in need of additional support, allocating them to appropriate intervention groups, teaching the weakest learners herself, closely monitoring all pupils’ progress.

David believes the best measure of a civilised society is how inclusive it is for its most vulnerable members. As such the most inclusive schools are schools driving socio-economic progress.

Qualifications: BSc (Hons), PGCE, research Master’s degree in Learning and Teaching specialising in student well-being from the University of Oxford

He has worked in Specialist and mainstream setting at all ages from Nursery to Higher Education, He completed the NASENCo in 2014, and the NPQH in 2019. David was a trustee of the British Dyslexia Association from 2010 to 2020, and was non-executive Chair of the Management Board and Chair of the Trustees from 2018 to 2020. For the past 10 years he has contributed to an APPG for Specific Learning Difficulties on matters regarding the current education and specialist training situation. Recently David has had articles both on Channel 4 news and in TES about a new Alternative Provision

Dr Helen Ross is a fully qualified special needs teacher and former SENCO, working as an independent educational research consultant, specialist assessor and SEND expert.

Qualifications: MEng (hons) PGCE (MFL) MA (Open) MRes PgCert PgCert PhD AMBDA AMBDA Dyscalculia APC

Dr Helen Ross works as an independent educational research consultant, specialist assessor and SEND expert. Helen is Co-Vice Chair of the British Dyslexia Association, Chair of the Wiltshire Dyslexia Association and is on the board of the US, not-for profit National Coalition of Independent Scholars. She has consulted for the British Dyslexia Association, The Committee for Science and Technology (part of the UK Government), and Wiltshire Local Authority. She also works internationally with various third sector and commercial organisations with evaluation, consultancy and resource development. Helen tweets as @drhelenross and regularly speaks on dyslexia and special educational needs.

Author, trainer and consultant committed to enabling access and breaking down learning barriers. I am a literacy, inclusion, neurodiversity, and SEND specialist, offering face-to-face and online training, consultancy, and support.

Qualifications: PhD, MA, PGCE, NPQH, BSc (Hons)

I have over 30 years of expertise within special and mainstream education, from teaching assistant to Headteacher. My unwavering passion lies in empowering all learners, championing neurodiversity and SEND. Grounded in a robust research foundation, I hold an MA and PhD in Special Education, delving into the psychology of learning. My commitment to driving positive change culminated in the recent publication of 'Teaching Reading to All Learners' and consistent contributions to influential industry publications. I aspire to bridge the gap between theory and practice, cultivating a culture of high expectations to enhance outcomes and dismantle barriers for every learner.

Over nearly 30 years of teaching Susie has created bespoke multi-sensory techniques to assist dyslexic students. Many of these are published in her Multi-sensory Toolkit by Oaka Books.

Susie is a teacher, author, exam board moderator and CPD trainer. She celebrates every day helping her students at The Sixth Form College, Farnborough. Her research has been shared with students, parents, and educators virtually or personally world-wide at The Australian Learning Difference Convention, Tes SEN Show, Scanning Pens, Dyslexia Show and The British Dyslexia Association. The highlight of her nearly 30-year teaching career was in 2021 when the Ofsted inspector said during her “deep dive” ‘Susie, you have passion. I could put you in front of any class and they would listen and believe you!’

Emily began her journey spreading awareness about her dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia journey back in 2018. She has shared her story on BBC Radio 5 Live, YouTube, Podcasts.

Qualifications: BA Hons Musical Theatre

"Emily is part of The Dyscalculia Network Advisory Board since 2022, as well she is a board member for the British Dyslexia Association: Dyscalculia Advisory Board: she is the only dyscalculic and youngest board member. Emily began her journey spreading awareness about her dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia journey back in 2018. She has shared her story on BBC Radio 5 Live, YouTube, Podcasts, Facebook, Twitter , The i Paper Newspaper and Webinars. Emily studied Musical Theatre at the University of Winchester. Emily’s goal is to change the education system to be more understanding and inclusive to dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia.

Director at Fee Kempton Ltd, Transform Through Tech; Innovation and Tech Coach, Google Champion, Coach and Trainer, Applied Digital Skills Ambassador

Qualifications: MEd CANTAB, FCCT

I am a highly experienced EdTech consultant with a proven track record of developing and implementing successful EdTech strategies for the education sector. I am passionate about bridging the gap between technology organizations and the education sector, and I am committed to using agile methods to innovate within the curriculum. I believe that EdTech tools should be enabling rather than an added extra, currently focused upon how AI can help neurodivergent students manages their lives and fall in love with learning.

Fintan J O’Regan MA (Management), PGCE, BSc Hons www.fintanoregan.com Fin is one of the leading Behaviour and Learning specialists in the UK. He is currently an ADHD and ND consultant and trainer,

Fintan J O’Regan MA (Management), PGCE, BSc Hons www.fintanoregan.com Fin is one of the leading Behaviour and Learning specialists in the UK. He is currently an ADHD, Neurodiversity and Behaviour Consultant for number of schools and organisations and an associate lecturer for Leicester University, the National Association of Special Needs, The Helen Arkell Charity, the Institute of Education and on the advisory board at University of Michigan USA.

Neurodiverse Educator with over 20 years of experience across Primary, Secondary, Special/AP and Local Authority Education

A former headteacher (Secondary Special) and a qualified SENCO. After discovering that she was neurodivergent and had a hearing impairment, Frances decided to use her lived experiences to offer training and support to ensure that our schools/workplaces are truly inclusive. As a neurodivergent educator, Frances uses her experiences to support and mentor people in the workplace or in education as an assistive technology trainer. Frances is co-lead of the BAMEed SEND hub as part of the BAMEed Network and an Anti-Racist school coach. Drawing from both her professional/lived experience, Frances is interested in the intersectionality of Race & SEND.

Judy is an educational consultant specialising in Maths and learners with dyscalculia and dyslexia. Judy delivers key notes, workshops and training in Dyscalculia and Maths Mastery across the world.

Qualifications: BSc PGCSpE FHEA AMBDA

Judy is an educational consultant specialising in Maths and learners with dyscalculia and dyslexia. Judy delivers key notes, workshops and training in Dyscalculia and Maths Mastery across the world, including New Zealand, Australia and Dubai. She has been involved in curriculum development for many years including • Co-founder and lead author for Everybody Counts • Senior Trainer for Maths-No Problem. • Series editor for Maths No Problem, UK and NZ editions • Senior Lecturer in Inclusion at Edgehill University • Trainer and author for the British Dyslexia Association • Co-founder of the Dyscalculia Association alongside Prof. Steve Chinn

Katrina has been a specialist assessor and trainer for nearly 25 years. She set up her company Positive Dyslexia Ltd in 2016.

Qualifications: MA, PGCE, PG(Dip) Dyslexia, CCET, AMBDA, AOC, FRSA

Katrina started as a secondary English teacher before qualifying as a specialist and working for Dyslexia Action. She moved to the BDA as Head of Education and then set up her company in 2016. She is joint Executive Vice Chair of the BDA Accreditation Board, an APC reviewer for the BDA and a Trustee of the Adult Dyslexia Centre. She assesses both children and and adults and offers accredited and non accredited training up to Level 4.

Having worked in special education for the last twenty years I have supported young people and adults in understanding their own learning profiles in order to flourish in education.

Qualifications: Assessment Practising Certificate, AMBDA, PGCE, BA Hons

I was fortunate to begin my education career at a special school which taught me the importance of person centred learning from the outset. It also gave me the opportunity to teach literacy and from there, I have specialised in literacy difficulties and worked as a SENCo as well as in additional support in Further and Higher Education. More recently I have worked for a leading education charity supporting schools in becoming champions of literacy difficulties through consultancy and training. In the past year, I have returned to assessing for dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.

Myles has been a special schools teacher and an adviser for ICT SEN and is now an assistive technologist working in the education and workplace sector

Qualifications: BA , MEd

Myles has 28 yrs experience in teaching special needs followed by 10 years as an Adivser for ICT SEN where he operated an assessment and loan bank service for a local education authority. For the last 10 years he has been with working as an Assistive Technologist in the education and workplace sector

Paloma Forde, the Founder of Award winning Screening4Dyslexia, is an inspiring advocate for early dyslexia detection and a passionate expert in SEN education.

Paloma Forde, the Founder of Award winning Screening4Dyslexia, is a relentless champion for early dyslexia detection and a fervent expert in the realm of Special Educational Needs. With a remarkable career spanning 26 years, she wields a Master's in SEN education, igniting a profound dedication to empowering students. Paloma is celebrated not only for her unwavering commitment but also for her exceptional contributions, acknowledged by luminaries such as BBC's Theo Pathitis and the late Jacqueline Gold (CBE). Her mission is not merely a vocation but a passionate journey, transforming lives through the power of education and innovation.

Pete is a specialist teacher and assessor with an interest in maths learning difficulties. Pete's primary focus is FE and the workplace.

Qualifications: AMBDAD, AMBDA

Pete is a specialist teacher and assessor with an interest in maths learning difficulties. Pete's primary focus is FE and the workplace. Pete is Chair of the BDA Dyscalculia Committee and a member of the advisry board of the Dyscalculia Network. Much of Pete's work focuses on supporting neurodiversity in the workplace, with a focus on maths in particular. Pete also contributes to a number of data science projects globally in the area of cognitive psychology and neurodevlopmental disorders.

Peter is Chair of the Adults with Dyscalculia Advisory Board at Dyscalculia Network. He has written about dyscalculia in the Guardian, and been interviewed for the BBC and iPaper.

Peter Cherry is a passionate volunteer for the Dyscalculia Network, where he serves as chair of the Adults with Dyscalculia Advisory Board. His drive to raise awareness and advocate for dyscalculia has led to him to write about his experiences in letters to the Guardian, in an article for Frame Magazine, and to be interviewed for pieces on dyscalculia for BBC News, BBC Sussex, and the iPaper. He has ambitions to write a book on dyscalculia. Peter works as Assistant Director at the British Institute at Ankara and holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Edinburgh.

Julia Carroll is a professor of education at Coventry University, specialising in research around dyslexia.

Qualifications: DPhil, BA (Hons), CPsychol.

Julia Carroll is Professor of Child Development and Education within the Centre for Global Learning at Coventry University. She has research interests in language and literacy development and disorders, and more broadly in special educational needs. She has published over 40 journal articles, books, and government reviews. In 2018 she received the lifetime achievement award from the British Dyslexia Association for services to dyslexia. She is a member of the Board of Directors for PATOSS.

Sam is the Chief Executive of National Numeracy, having joined in 2020 following leadership roles at social work charity Frontline, Teach First and Yale University.

Qualifications: BA (Hons) UCL, MSt Oxon

Sam is National Numeracy’s Chief Executive, currently leading the organisation towards a new five-year strategy. Sam brings a range of experience in helping to scale-up the reach and impact of charities. He was the Chief Operating Officer at social work charity, Frontline, and previously served as Director of Development at Teach First and as an Assistant Director of Research at the Yale University Office of Development. Sam has held trustee positions at a number of youth development and humanitarian aid charities, and has degrees from University College London and the University of Oxford.

Mental Health & Inclusion Consultant. Founder of Balanced People Ltd

Sam is a renowned speaker, trainer and author specialising in Mental Health and Inclusion. She has worked in the education sector as a SENCo and the corporate sector in a variety or roles. She is a qualified Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, Counsellor and Master Mindset Coach. Sam has also founded a company, Balanced People Ltd, providing mental wellbeing and support to individuals and companies. Lauded for her humour and ‘telling it like it is’ approach to mental health, Sam is in high demand to speak at conferences and events and provides in-house training for schools and companies, nationally and internationally.

Sam is a Education Officer at nasen, where she brings her SEND knowledge and experience across the education sector to support her colleagues in schools and settings.

Sam has had a varied yet specialised career in education, including holding several SENDCO posts in mainstream schools and a alternative provision setting. Sam is a specialist in dyslexia, and has an interest Specific Learning Difficulties; having lectured on the subject of SEND, trained teachers in specialist assessment. Sam also led a local authority Learning Support Team in the support, development, and implementation, of SEND provision across schools and settings. More recently, Sam has worked with adults supporting accessibility in the workplace.

Sarah believes that the principals of multi-sensory maths remediation need to be applied to specialist maths assessment, so that we can find out what a student really understands.

Qualifications: BA. PGCE. SpLD Dip. AMBDA. MCCT.

Sarah Wedderburn founded Unicornmaths in 2003 based on the principle ‘Make numbers real and make them fun’. She believes that effective maths remediation needs to encourage students to touch and move concrete resources so that they develop full understanding and strong visual images before moving on to abstract reasoning. Sarah is the author of the Diagnostic Assessment of Numeracy Skills (DANS), a qualitative maths assessment that uses activities and games to discover what a student really knows, rather than what they can present on paper. The DANS Map clearly shows which numerical concepts are fully understood, and which need reinforcing.

Sue Smits is a specialist handwriting consultant, adviser and the founder of Morrells Handwriting. Sue is also the author of the Morrells Handwriting series of handwriting resources for EYFS to adult.

Sue has been working with early years, primary and secondary schools for over 18 years, helping children with pencil grasp, letter recognition and joined-up handwriting technique whilst supporting human development for pre-writing skills. Sue is very passionate about teaching handwriting correctly and she just loves sharing her knowledge and expertise on how to teach the correct foundations for handwriting. Her handwriting training course covers everything you need to know about the root causes of handwriting problems. Most importantly, her school training helps teaching staff to understand why everyday pre-writing activities are an important factor for developing handwriting skills.