We Love SENCos Birmingham 2026: Building Better SEND Support

We Love SENCos Birmingham 2026: Building Better SEND Support realiza-se a 17 de novembro de 2026, Millennium Point, em Birmingham.

We Love SENCos is coming to Birmingham We Love SENCos is a practical, thought-provoking day for the people leading SEND and inclusion in schools. Our first event brought together 250 SENCos and inclusion professionals at the London School of Economics. What made the day special was both the incredible speakers on stage, and the opportunity for people doing some of the most demanding jobs in education to meet, speak and share ideas that could make a difference back in school. We are bringing that same spirit to Birmingham - with a bigger programme, more choice and more free stuff! SEND is changing. This event will help you prepare. The Department for Education has set out significant proposals for reforming the SEND system through Putting Children and Young People First . Schools are also beginning to work with the new £1.6 billion Inclusive Mainstream Fund, alongside emerging National Inclusion Standards, inclusion strategies, Experts at Hand and a greater emphasis on identifying and meeting needs earlier in mainstream settings. These changes could reshape how SEND support is funded, organised and delivered. But SENCos and school leaders cannot wait for every detail of reform to be settled. They are already managing increasing levels of need, stretched budgets, growing workloads and pressure from pupils, families and colleagues who need answers now. We Love SENCos Birmingham has been designed to help bridge that gap. What we will explore The programme brings together practitioners, school and trust leaders, policymakers and specialists to examine the challenges facing SEND - and, most importantly, what schools can do next. Throughout the day, we will explore: What the DfE’s SEND reforms could mean for schools, trusts and families How schools can make effective use of the Inclusive Mainstream Fund The changing expectations around mainstream inclusion and early intervention More manageable ways to identify need and turn evidence into action How the developing Experts at Hand offer could improve access to specialist support Assistive technology and the practical potential of AI Effective intervention that does not depend on expensive programmes Executive functioning, SEMH, speech, language and communication How overlapping needs can affect identification and support Practical ways to reduce SENCo workload without losing professional judgement Building school cultures in which pupils and staff genuinely feel they belong SEND equality - and which children and young people are still most likely to be excluded, disengage or become NEET How schools can respond to reform without creating another layer of bureaucracy Choose the sessions most relevant to you Alongside the main-stage programme, delegates can choose from three parallel tracks: SEND Masterclasses Practical sessions exploring comorbidity, executive functioning, SEMH, and speech, language and communication in the classroom. Operational SEND Support for the day-to-day realities of leading SEND, including workload, AI, belonging and building an inclusive school culture. Strategic Inclusion Two extended panel discussions examining the changing SEND system, the Inclusive Mainstream Fund, inclusion bases, Ofsted’s developing approach and the children and young people who are still being left behind. The afternoon will also include Experts at Hand , an audience-led session giving delegates direct access to specialists in access arrangements, speech and language, educational psychology, executive functioning, SEMH and dyslexia. More than a conference programme There will be time throughout the day to meet other SENCos and inclusion professionals, compare experiences and speak directly with specialists from across the sector. Lunch and refreshments are included in the ticket price, giving everyone the opportunity to stay, talk and make the most of the whole day. This is not a day of abstract discussion or sales pitches. It is an opportunity to step away from the immediate pressures of the role, hear honest perspectives from across the system and leave with practical ideas for your own school or trust. Run on a not-for-profit basis We Love SENCos Birmingham is run on a not-for-profit basis. Income from ticket sales and exhibitors is put back into making the event as valuable as possible - from securing an accessible, high-quality venue and providing lunch and refreshments to bringing together an ambitious programme of speakers, specialists and practical sessions. Our aim is not to make money from the event. It is to create the kind of day we believe SENCos and inclusion leaders deserve: useful, welcoming, affordable and focused on making SEND support better. Who should attend? The event is designed for: SENCos and assistant SENCos Inclusion leads Headteachers and senior leaders Multi-academy-trust and local-authority leaders Specialist teachers and assessors Educational psychologists and other SEND professionals Teachers with responsibility for inclusive practice Anyone involved in improving SEND provision in schools What will you take away? Delegates will leave with: A clearer understanding of the DfE’s proposed SEND reforms A better sense of what the Inclusive Mainstream Fund means for schools Practical approaches to identifying and responding to pupils’ needs Classroom strategies that do not add unnecessary cost or complexity Ideas for reducing workload and making sensible use of technology New perspectives on inclusion, belonging and equality Direct access to experienced practitioners and specialists Connections with SENCos and inclusion leaders facing similar challenges Time and space to decide what you want to change in your own setting Join us at Millennium Point in Birmingham for a day of practical support, honest conversation and shared determination to build better SEND provision. Your ticket includes access to the full event, your choice of parallel sessions, lunch and refreshments.