AoC SEND Conference & Exhibition 2025
Venue: 15 Hatfields, Chadwick Court, 15 Hatfields, London, SE1 8DJ
Date: 2 December 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:15 PM
Fee: Starting at £360 + VAT per delegate
Tuesday 2 December 2025, 09:00-16:15
Booking and amendments are now closed for this event.
Should you wish to attend or amend a booking, you can do so onsite on Tuesday 2 December, 09:00am at 15 Hatfields, Chadwick Court, London, SE1 8DJ.
This year’s AoC SEND conference will present a varied programme reflecting the wide world of college provision for students with special educational needs and disabilities. We will explore both policy and practice – with a focus on the prospects for reforms of the national SEND system and how they might work locally. We will hear inspiring practice from colleges about learning, teaching, technology, partnerships and all the many ways in which our sector supports our students to learn and flourish as independent adults
Join the conversation and stay up-to-date with the latest news: @AoC_Info
Delegate Fees:
AoC Member fee - per delegate £360+ VAT
Affiliate Member - per delegate £385+ VAT
Non-member institutions – per delegate £410 + VAT
Non-member commercial – per delegate £825 + VAT
10% off on 2 or more AoC Member tickets purchased
Ruth Perry leads the policy team at Natspec, the membership body for organisations that specialise in post-16 education and training for learners with SEND. She believes passionately in the right of all young people to be able to access further education that meets their needs, in a system that is inclusive of all. Before she joined Natspec in 2017, and after 10 years in education quangos, she provided research, training and consultancy support in a freelance capacity to a diverse range of organisations, all with an interest in securing good outcomes for disadvantaged young people.
Jo Pretty has 27 years’ experience in education, spanning higher, secondary, adult and further education. She served as Principal and Accounting Officer of the University College Isle of Man and as Principal and CEO of Lowestoft College, prior to its merger as East Coast College. Currently, Jo is an Adviser with the FE Commissioners’ team, supporting colleges and local authorities in aspects of curriculum, quality, financial resilience and SEND. Passionate about inclusion and post 16 education, since completing her doctorate, Jo continues to engage in evidence-based research within FE.
As the deputy CEO and principal, Asfa has over two decades of transformational and inclusive leadership across further and higher Education. She has consistently delivered improved learner outcomes, aligned education with the skills and employment agenda, led successful Ofsted inspections and strategic curriculum reforms.
Asfa is passionate about leadership development, having designed frameworks that empower emerging leaders and foster cultures of high performance and inclusion. Asfa’s national influence is reflected in her active roles with the Association of Colleges, Greater London Agency and South East London Chamber of Commerce and Business London.
Before I started the Performing Arts course, I wasn’t sure what it would involve and the commitment to the work that was expected. But when I started my confidence quickly grew and my passion for performing was lit. I felt excited to see myself grow in independence and in a place where I was able to express myself without criticism within such a supportive environment. On the course I have performed in The Picture of Dorian Gray at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, working collaboratively with industry professionals. I am very excited for my journey on this course, seeing where this path takes me for future progression.
This is my first year on Performing Arts and I feel happy and excited to meet new people and perform on stage. I have always enjoyed dancing, and this year I want to improve my skills in singing and acting. In my previous experience of performing on stage, I remember feeling nervous about learning songs and the lines. However, when I performed the dances, I felt very confident and I enjoyed it the most, so I want to continue to improve my confidence. I am really looking forward to working on our production of Lady Macbeth with my group and facing the challenges of the year ahead.
As a first-year student on Performing Arts, I want to improve my skills in acting and my confidence with speaking to people. My previous and related experience is dancing. I once practiced Hip-Hop and performed it to my family and it made me really happy. I haven’t acted or sung in a play before, and I would really like to experience this. I have been inspired by content creation and storytelling, and I feel that it is a career I want to do. My dream is to go to Hollywood and be on TV.
I am in my second year of the Performing Arts course, and I am passionate about developing my skills in communication, creativity, and teamwork. Performing Arts means to express yourself through your emotions and movements and telling a story to the audience in the play you are doing, it also helps to improve your self-confidence. I have previously done performances at Chickenshed since I was younger, and I have currently been at New Horizons Theatre Company for two years, performing in Love Labour’s Lost and The Dance of Dracula. I have also done a performance called The Matchgirls at RADA.
During my time on the Performing Arts course, I had the opportunity to do a Work Placement with Face Front Theatre Company. Once graduating from the Performing Arts course in 2016, Face Front offered me a place in the company to work as a professional actor, where I continue to tour in schools and colleges. As one of the alumni of the Performing Arts course, I continue to work as a volunteer supporting and working with the students towards their performance.
Cheryl Ferner-Reeves BEM launched the Performing Arts Course for Supported Learning at Barnet and Southgate College 15 years ago. Here she was to be awarded Most Inspirational Tutor for her work on this course, Personal Tutor of the Year and most recently a finalist in the Association of Colleges Beacon Awards for their Centre Stage project for support for students. She is an Artistic Director of New Horizons Theatre Company, an inclusive company inspiring artistic and imaginative performers. She has recently been awarded the British Empire Medal for Founder of New Horizons Theatre Company and Services to young people and the community.
I graduated from the Performing Arts Course in 2023 and auditioned and was accepted into Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company where I studied the CertHE Acting & Theatre Making where I was to further develop as a creative artist. As one of the alumni of the Performing Arts course, I continue to work as a volunteer supporting and working with the students towards their performance. I now work as a Volunteer for the British Heart Foundation and as a French Assistant Teach, in collaboration with Paraplui FLAM Uk, supporting French speaking children to navigate through our educational system.
As a second year on the Performing Arts course, it’s been an absolute privilege to be able to learn such an amazing subject and be surrounded by such kind and talented people. It has brought me out of my shell, helped me meet new people and stretch me out of my comfort zone. Performing the role of Sarah Chapman in The Matchgirls at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and being a member of New Horizons Theatre Company for three years has given me confidence and self-discipline and the passion to develop as a performer and succeed within the arts.
Before joining the Performing Arts course, I had done some performances at school, but this course has given me challenges that I would never have dreamt of facing, never mind then achieving. I have had my contributions valued, my voice heard as well as learning the disciplines of dance, singing and acting. I really enjoy this special course, as it has helped me to feel more confident in myself and amongst others, make great friends and have opportunities to work with industry professionals at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
As a first-year student on the Performing Arts I am eager to build my confidence on a course that gives me many high expectations but in a very supportive and caring way. My previous experience has included singing with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for Children in Need and most recently I have been accepted to dance in a charity event, Strictly St Luke’s, paired with professional dancers to compete for the Glitterball Trophy. I am very excited and honoured to share my creative ideas and passion for our next production of Lady Macbeth working with all my group.
This is my fourth year being a study support assistant on Performing Arts. With my experience as an Actor, I am able to transfer my skills and experience to the students, giving them the necessary tools to express themselves proudly and confidently on stage. I also work as an Assistant Director for New Horizons Theatre Company. I’m excited to continue supporting these students in our upcoming production of ‘Lady Macbeth’.
Elizabeth is an experienced leader in the education and skills sector who specialises in policy, practice and funding. Her current role is Assistant Director in East Sussex, with responsibility for education strategy across early years, schools, post 16 and special educational needs.
Elizabeth previously worked at the Learning and Skills Council where she had a broad portfolio of responsibilities for the performance and funding of colleges and post-16 providers. Elizabeth is currently a governor for London South East Colleges.
Helen firmly believes that everyone has the right to a high standard of education to follow their aspirations, and she proudly champion the rights of the students at Northampton College to access the same learning and assessment opportunities as their peers. She specialised in Dyslexia teaching and assessment in 2004 and was the college’s Dyslexia Co-ordinator until 12 years ago when she moved into a managerial role at college.
In 2017 she gained the SENCo National Award and now manages the College’s Additional Support provision for students who are enrolled onto our vocational courses and is part of the College’s leadership team. She leads a team of specialists who support students with a range of SEN including dyslexia, dyspraxia, ASD, ADHD, Literacy/Numeracy difficulties and MH issues. She oversees the College’s Exam Access arrangements, is the college’s designated SENCo and MH Lead and am a member of the AoC MH Reference Group.
Assistant Principal for the School of Academic & Vocational Support, dedicated to fostering inclusive education. With 15 years’ experience, he plays a key role in developing new initiatives to promote student engagement, integration, and accessibility. Thomas has the responsibility of being liaison with commissioning local authorities and navigates the College through block-funding approaches which operate from two main unitary authorities. With a strong background in leadership and resource management, Thomas plays a key role in shaping policies, structuring services, and driving continuous improvement for students, and also supports a local specialist college as a Trustee.
Mark Owen is Assistant Principal for Student Services and Careers at Northampton College. He has worked in Further Education for over 25 years, holding a variety of roles focused on learner development, welfare, and inclusion. His work has centred on supporting vulnerable students, including those who are safeguarded, Children in Care, young parents, young offenders, and those at risk of exploitation. He oversees a wide range of support services, including financial and transport assistance (with provision for students with Education, Health and Care Plans), family and behaviour support, and one-to-one mentoring. He also represents Further Education in Northamptonshire on several multi-agency safeguarding groups, working in close partnership with local authorities and external agencies to promote the safety and wellbeing of all learners.
Greg Dugdale is an experienced education professional, having worked in the sector for 28 years. For the past 24 years, he has held strategic leadership roles, managing large and complex curriculum areas. Greg possesses a proven track record in leading teams, driving quality in provision, and overseeing substantial educational programmes. His expertise spans leadership, management, and quality assurance, ensuring positive outcomes for both learners and staff. Greg’s commitment to excellence and continuous improvement has made a significant impact on the organisations he has served, shaping high-quality educational experiences and fostering professional growth across diverse settings.
Liz Wilcox is the Programme Tutor for Dyslexia at Oldham College. Passionate about leveraging assistive technology and structured support, Liz champions inclusive practices that empower learners to flourish academically and beyond. She was awarded NASEN Teacher of the Year in 2019 and was part of the team that received the NASEN Teacher Development in Digital Accessibility in 2022.
Krupali Parshotam works within the policy sector to improve the quality, accessibility, and experience of education for blind and partially sighted learners. Drawing on her experiences as both a student and teacher, she brings valuable insight into the challenges faced by learners with disabilities. Before moving into education policy, she worked as a Nutritionist and went on to become the first blind and partially sighted science teacher in the U.K. Throughout her career, she has remained committed to breaking barriers, ensuring that disability is never a limitation to aspiration or achievement.
Fiona Spence-Arnold is an experienced education practitioner with a background in education development. She has led employability projects in the charitable sector, supporting secondary schools and specialist provisions for young people with SEND, including vision impairment. At Thomas Pocklington Trust, Fiona now focuses on education policy, working to improve equity in education for children and young people with vision impairment. She contributed to a sector-wide project raising awareness of the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment (CFVI) and currently facilitates online professional training in vision impairment for educators in schools and colleges.
Faye McLaughlin is the Senior Assistive Technologist at Oldham College, leading on assistive technology and inclusive learning support for students with a wide range of additional needs. She works collaboratively with teachers, ALS teams, and curriculum leaders to embed assistive technology into everyday classroom practice, ensuring all learners can access and engage with their education. Faye drives innovation in accessibility, staff development, and learner independence, helping to create a culture where inclusion and technology empower success across the college.
Simon Brown has spent over 20 years working with Chichester College Group SEND, and Inclusion, and he is passionate about making sure every learner feels seen, heard, and supported. For him, inclusion isn’t just a practice; it’s a value, with compassion at its core. Now, more than ever, transition planning and future proofing provision is key to enabling young people to thrive.
With over 20 years’ experience at Ofsted, Maria Navarro is one of His Majesty’s Inspectors for Ofsted. She is a specialist adviser in Further Education and Skills, in particular in Offender Learning and provision for learners with High Needs. In the last year, she has been the specialist adviser on inspection improvement, leading on the renewed framework development for Further Education and Skills.
Penny has worked in post 16 education for over 20 years. Her current role is Strategic Lead: Post 16 Education, with responsibility for post 16 education strategy for young people with special educational needs (SEND) and those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Penny previously worked at a large general further education college with responsibility for a range of provision and services including SEND and learning support. Penny is also a parent carer for her autistic son who has severe learning disabilities. She is passionate about the outcomes of young people with SEND and their quality of life.
Christina Hart is an Executive Leader in Further Education with over 15 years’ experience in curriculum development, safeguarding, and SEND strategy. At MidKent College and as a consultant with Rockborn Consultants, she has led inclusive education initiatives, including co-designing a contemporary SEND curriculum with local authorities and parent forums. Christina has delivered ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted outcomes for high-needs learners across multiple sites and previously directed SEND provision for thousands of learners at Activate Learning. Her strategic expertise, safeguarding leadership, and national DfE advisory roles position her as a trusted contributor to projects shaping inclusive, learner-centred policy and practice.
Alasdaire Duerden has been a civil servant for over 33 years, working across a variety of policy and delivery areas initially in a Jobcentre, then in the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education. His career has been predominantly focused on social policy – particularly supporting those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged within our society.
Alasdaire is a veteran of the 2014 SEND reforms, having been part of the team that developed the SEND Green Paper (in particular, the post-16 policies), worked on the production of the subsequent policy response, and then helped develop and take the legislation through Parliament. Amongst other things, he is one of the architects of Education, Health and Care Plans and designed and set up Supported Internships. Subsequently spending over two years on secondment to Sheffield City Council to help implement the 2014 reforms, he has a strong insight into the development of policy from initial thinking right through to on-the-ground delivery.
Alasdaire has developed a number of policies and programmes that are still being delivered – Supported Internships, Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces, Support Achieve Fulfil and Exceed Taskforces (both focused on preventing youth serious violence) and the SEND and AP Change Programme (working with 32 LAs to take a “test and learn” approach to developing the SENDAP reforms). He is enjoying his return to the post-16 world, and renewing a lot of old acquaintances!
