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Evelyn Forde MBE and Tes Teacher of the Year 2020, explores the benefits of attending the SEND Leadership Summit for senior education leaders

I’ve never attended a Tes SEND Show before, so I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been running for over 30 years and attracts thousands of people. When I became a headteacher I would have seen it as the preserve of my SENCO or my support staff to go. Over recent years I’ve completely changed my mind as I’ve realised this meant I didn’t build my knowledge and skills to lead the provision for a steadily increasing number of children. 

We shouldn’t lack confidence to be a leader of SEND. That’s why having a Leadership Summit as part of the Tes SEND Show is such a fantastic addition. I, like many school leaders, have recognised the importance of strengthening my own leadership for children who struggle to access school or access the curriculum. Far from this relating to a minority, as we know it is the lived experience of a significant number of young people. The more we understand, the better we can support and distribute the leadership knowledge needed to fulfil our ambition to lead inclusive schools. 

The summit recognises the change we want to see, for every leader to be a leader of SEND. One thing I do know - being a good leader is contingent upon being a good learner. I’m looking forward to October 11th and our opportunity to learn together.

The day has been crafted by ASCL’s SEND & Policy Specialist Margaret Mulholland, who is also a regular columnist for Tes. Her articles champion the importance of the strategic role leaders play in ensuring equitable education through the ongoing process of inclusion. Margaret has designed the Leadership Summit agenda to wrap around the Tes SEND Show keynote and allow time to visit the exhibition hall. 

There are however some leadership perks that I must share with you. You have permission to jump the queue that snakes down Upper Street as people wait eagerly for the main Tes  SEND Show doors to open. The Leadership Summit starts at 8.45am so you can go straight to the registration desk and up to the first-floor venue. The view from there is definitely worth a picture for your social media! 

Once Margaret, our host, has provided an overview of the day, we will kick start with coffee and croissants and work with Baz and Conor from The Centre for Education and Youth to get to know each other and start to share. The opportunity to learn from others is central to this event and I’m keen to walk away with email addresses and social media handles as well as insights and resources.

During the morning we’ll enjoy two keynotes. First, the full panel event where sector leaders including John Camp OBE, ASCL’s past president, will debate the priorities for change. Then the second keynote with Jonny Uttley, CEO of The Education Alliance Academy Trust in the North East. He will share feedback on the findings from his work with the Centre for Young Lives and recommendations for changing the current accountability systems. I’m sure we will be asking the questions:  Why and how do we measure inclusion?

There’s sessions throughout the day working with knowledgeable leaders who will share successful models of leadership to deliver inclusive experiences. These will include: Adaptive teaching and how it informs an adaptive curriculum, Distributed leadership and how to ensure it’s impactful, and Establishing a sustainable resource provision. Ultimately, together, we will demystify SEND for our wider school communities.

Panel discussions will be hosted by Jon Severs, Editor of Tes, and there’s a fantastic line up of panellists as well as, I am told, some surprise guests too.

I am looking forward to laughing, learning and ultimately leading for inclusion.

See you there!

To register for the SEND Leadership Summit simply register for the main Tes SEND Show and add the Summit from the list of seminars.

Evelyn Forde Biography

Evelyn Forde was Headteacher of Copthall School, from 2016 to 2023.  She won the TES Headteacher of the Year Award in November 2020, followed shortly by an MBE in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List.    She is acutely aware of the impact that lack of investment in schools and young people has and wants to add her voice for the change the sector needs.  She is an advocate for those from underserved and marginalised backgrounds as well as advocating for better recruitment, retention, mental health and wellbeing.    

Evelyn is a regular contributor to the broader national educational debates, is a conference speaker, committee member, and writer. She was the first black female President of the Association of School and College Leaders 2022/23 and was the inaugural Chair of ASCLs Ethnic Diversity Network.  

As a regular contributor to educational debate, Evelyn has represented the profession at both Labour and Conservative party conferences and is asked to speak on a range of media platforms discussing current educational issues. Evelyn was a member of the ‘Times Education Commission’ which published a cross-phase report on English education, and she then went on to Chair the Commission on Teacher Retention examining the reasons for teachers leaving the profession.    

Evelyn is a Trustee of Education Support, an organisation that supports the well-being of staff in schools.    She currently facilitates the delivery of the National Qualification for Headteachers and coaches a number of school leaders.  In addition to this she is a sought-after keynote speaker and supports a number of schools to improve standards. 

Her book ‘Herstory’ which focuses on the challenges for black leaders in the sector will be published in Autumn 2024 and lends itself to the work she is currently undertaking on race equity in schools.   

Evelyn Forde

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