EDUCATION leaders from across Warrington joined the council and colleagues at a Warrington Head Teacher Conference and an Early Years Conference.
The events, at the Village Hotel, brought together a mix of professionals including early years teachers, head teachers and council colleagues to listen to inspirational speakers, attend workshops and network with other delegates.
There are 813 children and young people with special educational needs or social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs attending either a Warrington mainstream or special school.
The focus of the Head Teacher conference was therefore to enable school leaders to come together, to consider further ways to support some of the most vulnerable pupils and celebrate and share best practice in Warrington.
Supporting the conference were guest speakers Angela Holdsworth MBE and Joe Sparks, founder of the Green Room Foundation.
Angela Holdsworth MBE is a teacher and advocate for the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools. The CEO of Seaview Trust, Angela runs six schools in Lancashire and is responsible for more than 2,000 learners and 500 staff.
Joe Sparks is the founder of The Green Room Foundation and has built three successful alternative schools for young people who can no longer access mainstream education, all rated outstanding by Ofsted. His approach to leadership has enabled his workforce to grow and thrive and provide vital support to young people who need additional support.
The SENDCO conference was for special educational needs and disabilities coordinators (SENDCos) working in Warrington schools and aimed to provide practical solutions to some of the challenges faced by the school workforce, in meeting the needs of children and young people with social emotional and mental health needs.
Dr Anna Cook, a developmental psychologist specialising in neurodiversity and improving access to education for autistic children and young people. Dr Cook’s talk introduced research that explores some of the environmental and social factors in school that can impact the wellbeing of autistic pupils.
To wrap up the SENCo conference, two commendation awards were given to Old Hall Primary School and Statham primary School for outstanding practice, with a further 75 schools achieving “Committed to Inclusion” awards.
Cllr Sarah Hall, cabinet member for children’s services said: “Its great news that Warrington was able to host these events, bringing together professionals from across the region to share knowledge, expertise and ideas about building brighter futures for our young people. It is always heartening to hear about the huge amount of work that goes on to guide the future generation in the early years settings – particularly for those who may need additional support.
“The conferences were a great success and I’d like to thank everybody involved in the organising and running of it, including council officers and all of the conference speakers.
“By continuing to work together, learn from sector leaders and share ideas, I am confident we can continue providing the best support possible to our children and young people.”
Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School receive a commendation award for their outstanding work in supporting children and young people with Special educational needs. The award was presented by Chester University to John Marciniak – Headteacher and Sian Storey – SENDCo
