National Association of Special Schools (NASS)

John Turberville, Jessica Hooper and Richard Hartwell reflect on the first day of the National Association of Special Schools (NASS) Conference. After a successful day 1, they are all looking forward to getting stuck in on day 2. Make sure to say hello of you see them 😀 #mulberrybush #nass #conference #education #learning #support

Day 2 of #NASSConf2024 We kicked off the day with Ofsted ‘s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver who shared key findings from The Big Listen, outlined upcoming reforms, and engaged in an insightful Q&A with our members. Thank you, Sir Martyn, for headlining day 2 for us! AI expert Darren Coxon inspired us with his keynote on the transformative potential of AI in special schools. He focussed on how AI can enhance SEND classrooms through content generation, analysis and insights, as well as also fostering creativity and student autonomy. Throughout the day, our workshops covered a range of key topics: Mental Health - Harry Anderson from MUNTHAM HOUSE SCHOOL shared details of their successful Therapy Hubs programme, which for the last three years has been supporting pupils from local schools in mental health crises or at risk of exclusion. This programme has made a significant impact with significantly reduced exclusion rates and CAMHS referrals while also improving attendance and wellbeing! Workforce challenges - Dr Matt Silver (NPQEL) 🌱 and Gerianne de Klerk - van Someren CPsychol led a session about reimagining your workforce in which they presented valuable insights into addressing workforce challenges in education. Their workshop explored root causes and how to reduce budget pressure using tailored diagnostic tools. Safeguarding - NASS Safeguarding expert Carolyn Eyre provided and update on new guidance and recent changes in safeguarding practice, along with discussing what a ‘whole school approach to safeguarding’ means for NASS members. VAT on Independent Schools - Our new NASS partners VWV hosted a practical workshop to help members navigate the government's VAT plans and offered guidance on managing the necessary changes in schools. Improvement journey – Northern Counties Headteacher Martin Lonergan delivered an enlightening and lively session sharing his school improvement journey from inadequate to good with outstanding features in 5 different settings over the last 8 academic years. The Percy Hedley Foundation AI in the SEND classrom: Following his earlier keynote, Darren Coxon led a hands-on workshop, demonstrating practical examples of how AI can enhance teaching and learning in SEND classrooms, ultimately improving outcomes for learners. And that’s a wrap on #NASSConf2024! Thank you to all our brilliant speakers and everyone who joined us in Leeds for two packed days of learning, inspiration, and connection. While the NASS team may be a bit frazzled, we feel energised and inspired by our wonderful special school community ✨

Excited to be at the National Association of Special Schools (NASS) conference in Leeds today with OccPsyence! Interested in developmental leadership and what it can do for you and your organisation? Come and visit our stand! #LeadershipDevelopment #NASS #ProfessionalDevelopment #EvolvingEducation #InclusiveEducation

We have thoroughly enjoyed an inspiring National Association of Special Schools (NASS) conference. Meeting leaders from other special schools and sharing best practice. Great sessions from some wonderful speakers. We are feeling inspired and motivated! And very proud to be an award finalist and celebrate our wonderful achievements. Leilah Sheridan Gemma Briggs Emma West #nassconference2024 #specialschools #nassawards #inspired #partofateam #nassconf2024

A fantastic second and final day at #NASSConf2024 It was great to hear Sir Martyn Oliver speaking with such openness and thoughtfulness about his determination for Ofsted to do better and to truly support the incredible work happening in special schools. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Martin Lonergan talking with such clarity about school improvement. Attending the workshop also highlighted for me that the fear, uncertainty and doubt that many head teachers and school leaders feel, has been hugely reduced for me by our inspection having happened last week. I feel freer and more confident to move forward with school improvement for its own sake. My mind was blown by Darren Coxon ‘s workshop about AI, and the seemingly limitless ways it can support learning and teacher workload. Lots to think about but I’m excited to share the tools with colleagues and think about how we can use them in Talk for Writing next term. Another excellent conference. Thank you National Association of Special Schools (NASS)

#NASSConf2024 Day 1 What an incredible start to our conference in Leeds! The atmosphere was buzzing as we welcomed over 200 people from our special school community, along with SEND and industry sector experts, sponsors, and exhibitors from across the UK. We kicked off with Rosie’s inspiring journey from student to staff member at Peterhouse School, reminding us of the transformative power of the right support in the right setting. Her story set an uplifting tone for the event. NASS CEO Claire Dorer OBE delivered a compelling State of the Sector address, emphasising the opportunity over the coming year for special schools to assert their value and position within the education system. We were delighted to welcome Matt Keer, a SEND parent and member of Special Needs Jungle Ltd, who delivered a keynote on the current state of the SEND system and efforts by national leaders to improve it. He painted a picture using national data, FOI responses, and the lived experiences of children and young people with SEND. Throughout the day, our workshops provided invaluable insights: With rising stress levels in education, Julie Liddell from Still Human led a practical and interactive session on stress management, helping delegates explore stress responses and how adopting mindfulness practices can make a difference. Deirdre Fitzpatrick facilitated an insightful masterclass on school leadership, focusing on decision-making for student success, the purpose of education, and garnering support for our choices. Delegates also discussed curriculum innovation and fostering psychological safety based on the latest research. Sharon Gray's trauma-informed workshop drew from her extensive experience, debunking myths and offering strategies for creating safe and empowering environments that boost engagement, strengthen relationships, and improve outcomes for all students. We were thrilled to hear from the Inscape House School Team (Hannah Stollar & Marie Young - Together Trust) and JESS BATES from AtkinsRéalis, who shared how they have been bridging the gap with careers education, empowering neurodiverse youth for the future workforce. The Peterhouse School team showcased their evolving tutorial system, which empowers autistic students through meaningful conversations, leading to improved personal and social-emotional development. During the day we also held our #NASSAwards2024 Ceremony, sponsored by The Edwin Group, where we celebrated outstanding achievements in our special school community. A huge congratulations to this year’s winners - Treloar's, Aurora Hanley (The Aurora-Group), Gretton School and Jenny McConnell from Dawn House School (Speech and Language UK). We will be sharing further details about their projects in the coming week, so keep an eye out! It was a packed day, and we’re excited for more tomorrow! Thank you to our conference sponsors – Innovation Broking, B Squared Ltd, Simplyhealth and Townsend McCormack Ltd.

In advance of my keynote and workshop at the National Association of Special Schools (NASS) tomorrow, I've been looking at how to create simplified digital revision resources using HTML. This has a three stage process: 1️⃣ Create the revision content in Perplexity 2️⃣ Simplify the reading age in Claude 3️⃣ Use ChatGPT to write the code, which is quickly deployed on Neocities. It's a great way to create quick to share flashcards (and even works in Google AI Studio...)

Today's the day! We're here ready for #NASSConf2024 🙌 Our CEO, Melissa can't wait to meet you! "I am excited to spend the next few days at the NASS conference in Leeds. Over the last decade I have been a loyal trustee to this wonderful organisation and watched the impact National Association of Special Schools (NASS) has on behalf of the sector. As the CEO of ASDAN, it is great to explore how we can build a partnership and bring together a shared voice of the Education landscape." #NASS #NASSConference #EducationForAll #EngageElevateEmpower

All set up ready for the NASS conference over the next couple of days with Tyrell Nedd! National Association of Special Schools (NASS)