NASS Conference 2026: agenda and talks
43 sessions across 3 theatres. Times and access details as published by the organiser: always check the official programme on the day.
Wednesday 11 November 2026
- 08:45–09:30Registration opens and refreshmentsExhibition and networkingNetworkingIncluded
- 09:30–09:45
- 09:45–10:05Why young people's voices matterPlenaryIncluded
Sam Webster, Former student, William Henry Smith School
- 10:05–11:00Juggernaut thinking: the mindset that underpins the future of your organisationPlenaryIncluded
Diana Osagie, Founder, Courageous Leadership
- 11:00–11:20Refreshment breakExhibition and networkingNetworkingIncluded
- 11:20–12:20Practical application of juggernaut thinking to use tomorrowWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Diana Osagie, Founder, Courageous Leadership
- 11:20–12:20Holding complexity, sustaining compassion: supervision in special educationWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Jules Sanderson, Talking Heads Supervision
- 11:20–12:20Supporting student wellbeing: from monitoring to meaningful actionWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Stuart Lane, Moor House School
- 11:20–12:20Cyber risk in special schools: practical guidance for leadersWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Tim Larden, Access Insurance
- 11:20–12:20Measuring and evidencing impact in special schoolsWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Younes Henini, Stone Soup Academy · Rebecca Hale, Esteem Valley Academy · Feliciea Jibson, PAGS
- 11:20–12:20Artist in residence: a decade of profound impact at St Joseph'sWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Kathryn Hitchings, St Joseph's Specialist Trust · Laura Buckle, St Joseph's Specialist Trust
- 12:20–13:20LunchExhibition and networkingNetworkingIncluded
- 13:20–14:00The pause before the room: looking after your own lane in uncertain timesPlenaryIncluded
Elly Chapple, TEDx speaker and author of Diagnosis: Human, #FlipTheNarrative
- 14:00–15:00Next steps for SEND reformsPlenaryIncluded
Dame Christine Lenehan DBE, Strategic Advisor on SEND, Department for Education
- 15:00–16:00Panel discussion: building meaningful partnerships with local authoritiesWorkshopsIncluded
Dale Pickles, SENDcast · Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion Policy Specialist, ASCL · Hero Slinn, Octavia House School · Richard Frieth, Stone King · Hannah Spencer, Spaghetti Bridge
- 15:00–16:00
- 15:00–16:00Resilient by design: the CIPD award-winning leadership model transforming SEND schoolsWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Nicky McGarry, Forest Bridge School
- 15:00–16:00When school feels too hard: what can we do differently for pupils with EBSAWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Rachel Boylan, High Peak School
- 15:00–16:00Redefining success in a meritocratic system: the leadership contribution of special schoolsWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Phil Leaney, Birch Wood Area Special School
- 15:00–16:00An organic approach to teaching neurodiversity within the curriculumWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Hannah Stollar, Inscape House School · Carla Kellegher, Inscape House School
- 16:00–16:30Refreshment breakExhibition and networkingNetworkingIncluded
- 16:30–17:30NASS Awards 2026PlenaryNetworkingIncluded
- 18:00–18:45Strong for Life wellbeing workshopWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
- 19:30–23:00Conference dinner and discoExhibition and networkingNetworkingPaid pass
Thursday 12 November 2026
- 08:45–09:30Registration opens and refreshmentsExhibition and networkingNetworkingIncluded
- 09:00–09:30NASS AGMPlenaryInvite only
- 09:30–09:40
- 09:40–10:20Ready or not? Keeping a step ahead of Ofsted, the DfE and everyone else! What special schools need to do nextPlenaryIncluded
Deirdre Fitzpatrick, Goddard Education
- 10:20–11:10Ofsted: one year of inspections of special schools under the new framework. What have we learned?PlenaryIncluded
Lee Owston, National Director of Education, Ofsted · Rebecca Bhageerutty, Mortimer House School · Calvin Wallace, Peterhouse School · Laura Thackaberry, Quest Academy
- 11:10–11:30Refreshment breakExhibition and networkingNetworkingIncluded
- 11:30–12:30Special schools: do they really make a difference?WorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Tracie Linehan, BeyondAutism
- 11:30–12:30Child sexual abuse in the family environment (CSAFE)WorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Carolyn Eyre, Eyre Safeguarding Ltd
- 11:30–12:30More than words on a wall: building a culture that pulls togetherWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
John Reilly, Orchard Hill College and Academy Trust (OHCAT) · Anna Huzzey, Addington Valley Academy
- 11:30–12:30How to protect your organisation from a campaign of vexatious complaintsWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Ryan Campbell, Prior's Court · Natalie Boothroyd, Prior's Court · Helen Franks, Prior's Court · Natalie Wargent, VWV
- 11:30–12:30
- 11:30–12:30Future-proofing the special school estate: climate-resilient design for new and ageing buildingsWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Mark Guyatt, TG Escapes
- 12:30–13:20LunchExhibition and networkingNetworkingIncluded
- 13:20–14:00
- 14:00–15:05Sustainable leadership: leading well whilst feeling wellWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Julie Liddell, Still Human
- 14:00–15:05The secret sauce of achieving outstanding wellbeing across all staff, over a bumpy 4-year journeyWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Martin Lonergan, Northern Counties School
- 14:00–15:05
- 14:00–15:05A space to pause: an experiential introduction to group supervisionWorkshopsWorkshopIncluded
Jules Sanderson, Talking Heads Supervision
- 15:05–15:15