Taking a whole school approach to SEND: Lessons from a neurodivergent educator

Session details & slides

• About the session

  As a Neurodivergent educator, accessibility and inclusive education is personal for our keynote, Frances Akinde. In this session, Frances tells her story from school, into the world of teaching, to getting her diagnosis of Menieres, ADHD and Dyslexia in the Summer of 2022. By learning from Frances’ experiences, you’ll understand why we need to strive for inclusion to ensure all students in every school receive the support they need to achieve their potential and thrive. She’ll also explore the role technology can play to help educators support and include all students.

• About the speaker

  Frances Akinde is a former headteacher of a Secondary Special School (11-19) for learners with Autism and associated difficulties and a qualified SENCO. Over the last 20 years, she has worked in a variety of roles across primary, secondary, special/Alternative Provision and local authority. She has now returned to local authority work as a SEND inspector and advisor, a role she does part time whilst managing her own consultancy service. Last year, after discovering that she was neurodivergent and had a hearing impairment, Frances left headship and now uses her lived experiences to offer training and support to ensure that our schools and workplaces are truly inclusive. In January 2023, Frances co-launched the BAMEed SEND hub as part of the BAMEed Network, a diverse network for Educators which aims to ensure diversity and address racial inequities in Education.

• Presentation

  Get the slides