Trust schools come together for SEND conference on inclusion and belonging

Inclusivity and belonging were on the agenda when Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos) from across Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland came together at a Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust conference.

Delegates from our member schools attended ‘Inclusion and Belonging: Every Child, Every Chance’, which took place at the Grand Hotel in Gosforth Park on Friday 13 February.

“We had a selection of speakers, including Gareth Morewood, an interesting and thought-provoking speaker who works at a national and international level, sharing his experiences of developing successful, whole-school approaches to supporting the understanding of neurodivergence in schools and local authorities,” explained Nicola Taylor, who is our Lead for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and oversaw the event.

“We had educational psychologists presenting a session on the neuroscience of stress responses, and our Speech and Language Team presenting on ways to develop relational practice through the language of the classroom,” she continued.

“Two of our schools also provided a session on their work developing communities of belonging through their work with families.”

SENCos from the Trust’s schools have the opportunity to meet in person three times each year, including at the annual conference, while further meetings take place virtually.

Feedback from delegates was universally positive, with the event described as ‘fabulous and thought-provoking’, ‘brilliant’, ‘informative’, ‘relevant’, ‘a good mix of theory and practical ideas’, and ‘a great opportunity to get together’.

“Events like this help to build the community of practice around SEND provision,” added Mrs Taylor. “They are invaluable opportunities to meet others and make connections, share best practice as well as common challenges, and develop shared solutions.

“As a Trust, we know that we are ‘greater than the sum of our parts’, and the annual conference is an opportunity to really see that in practice.

“All our schools work together tirelessly every day to meet the needs of all children and young people, and, through sharing knowledge and understanding, searching together for solutions and being connected, we are building staff confidence and improving outcomes for all.”