SEND Conference Programme

This panel session will explore key elements of inclusive education, including the design and flexible use of buildings and spaces, the location and type of provision in both stand-alone and mainstream settings, and the role of culture, support, and training. Panellists will also discuss the importance of collaboration between parents, teachers, and specialists, and examine physical and educational barriers to accessibility.

We are all affected by the characteristics of the different spaces and places around us. The way things look, sound, feel and smell is also uniquely individual. The combination of the physical environment and our own sensory responses can create positive or negative experiences. Stephen Long from SFT and Jean Hewitt from Buro Happold will explore how learning environments can be sensory inclusive to enhance the experiences of all users, including children and young people, staff and the wider community.

This session will look at the practical realities of delivering SEN provision - how schools, local authorities, and design teams are navigating the balance between small-scale refurbishments and larger-scale capital projects.

Sharing knowledge and insights into what works (and what doesn’t) when resources are limited, timeframes are tight, and needs are complex.

Lessons learned to equip delegates with practical knowledge for planning and delivering impactful SEND environments.

This session will explore how thoughtfully designed learning environments can shape learners’ identities, support neurodiversity, and enhance developmental outcomes.

As SEND demand grows, schools must adapt existing estates to create inclusive, future-ready environments. This panel session will explore how existing school buildings and campuses can be adapted and reconfigured; and highlight scalable, affordable design and estate strategies that unlock latent capacity, support inclusion and wellbeing, and enable schools to accommodate SEND provision in a way that is flexible, sustainable and future-ready.

Ascendancy Partnership Trust has reimagined estate planning with SEND children at the heart. With the help of Building Spatial Intelligence, and by embracing full digitisation, they’re developing a data-rich, sustainable strategy to meet rising demand without continued sacrificing of specialist spaces. Their approach protects vital resources like hoists and sensory areas, guided by meaningful, child-centred data rather than crude numbers. With fast, standardised decision-making and a clear focus on soft benefits, the trust is proving that digital thinking can transform SEND provision and that, above all, the children are what matter most.

Local authorities and MATs face a twin challenge: falling mainstream rolls and rising demand for specialist provision. New-build is sometimes not agile or fast enough to meet immediate and dynamic needs. This session explores how trusts and SEND specialists are collaborating to unlock surplus space in mainstream schools and co-locating resources to create high-quality, local satellite SEND provision - quickly, safely and affordably.

Drawing on a live exemplar of Dysart School and Latchmere Academy the panel will unpack what it takes to deliver a co-located solutions that are targeted, inclusive and sustainable. We will cover delivery (from due diligence to scheme approvals), the operational realities (design, zoning, safeguarding, staffing), and the conditions for success (governance, finance, community engagement). The discussion will spotlight replicable models that meet needs, make better use of existing assets, and help schools stabilise budgets amid falling pupil numbers.

With SEND needs at an all‑time high and national reforms (the upcoming Schools White Paper) being co‑created with families and professionals, the future of school design demands genuine collaboration.

This panel will examine the current demographic alongside the importance of early stakeholder engagement. The session will explore how engagement methods tailored for neurodiverse users can not only help meet the increasing demand for SEND provision in mainstream settings, but also foster environments that support and benefit all learners.

As the DfE Construction Framework 2021 draws to a close at the end of 2025, with a significant number of SEND schemes now delivered, this panel discussion offers a timely Whilst lessons learnt are typically shared at a project level, this can limit the potential for broader knowledge exchange across the education sector. As the DfE Construction Framework 2021 draws to a close at the end of 2025, with a significant number of SEND schemes now delivered, this panel discussion offers a timely opportunity to reflect on those projects in the round. The conversation will also draw on findings from Post Occupancy Evaluations and feedback from end users, offering a rounded view of how design intent has translated into real-world performance.