New national training materials designed to strengthen support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across schools and colleges have been developed with the support of NCG expertise.

Claire Heywood, Vice Principal at Kidderminster College, and NCG's Strategic Lead for SEND, was invited by the Department for Education to join a group of experts responsible for developing new SEND and Inclusion professional development programmes for teachers and leaders.

Claire was recommended to be part of the group through her involvement with the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) FE Leaders Group. She also sits on the Association of Colleges (AoC) SEND Reference Group, helping to inform discussions around national policy and its implications for the further education sector.

Working alongside school and college leaders from across the country, Claire helped shape the content of new training programmes, ensuring they reflect best practice in inclusion and adaptive teaching while remaining grounded in the latest available evidence.

She contributed a further education perspective throughout the development process, helping to ensure the distinct needs of college learners and vocational learning environments were reflected in the guidance.

The materials are designed to support leaders, teachers and support staff, including teaching assistants, to develop a shared understanding of inclusion and agree approaches that help learners to belong, achieve and thrive. They can also be adapted and tailored to reflect local needs and priorities.

The first set of materials for schools and post-16 settings includes:

  • introductory content on SEND reform and inclusive teaching;
  • an introduction to the proposed Areas of Development;
  • speech, language and communication development materials; and
  • facilitator guidance and supporting resources.


Commenting on the launch, Claire said: “The strongest feature of these materials is that they place inclusive practice at the heart of high-quality teaching, recognising that meeting the needs of learners with SEND is an integral part of effective teaching and learning.

"The attention given to vocational and technical learning, learner independence, progression and preparation for adulthood means the resources feel both evidence-informed and genuinely relevant to the further education sector.

"Crucially, they provide staff with practical approaches and tools that can be readily applied in the classroom and workshops to support the success of all learners.”

Claire's involvement reflects NCG's ongoing commitment to creating inclusive learning environments and supporting learners with SEND to achieve their potential.

Across its colleges, NCG supports thousands of learners from diverse backgrounds and remains committed to ensuring all students can access high-quality education, develop the skills they need for the future and progress successfully into employment or further study.

Claire continued: “I was proud to contribute to the development of these materials and to help ensure the voice of further education was heard. The resources recognise the outstanding work already taking place across colleges, where teachers and support staff work every day to remove barriers, build independence and help learners achieve their aspirations.

“I am delighted to be continuing this work with the Department for Education as further materials are developed, helping to support colleagues across NCG and influence inclusive practice more widely across the sector.” 

Tony Lewin, NCG’s Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Principal, added: "Claire's involvement in this important national work is testament to the depth of expertise we have across NCG and the leading role our colleagues play in shaping inclusive practice.

"Ensuring every learner can access the support they need to succeed is central to who we are. As colleges rooted in our communities and committed to enabling social mobility, we know that high-quality SEND provision changes lives, opens doors and creates opportunities.

"We are proud to see Claire helping to ensure the further education voice is reflected in training that will support educators and learners across the country."

The publication of these materials marks the first phase of a wider national SEND training offer. Further SEND In-House Training Materials will be released throughout the 2026/27 academic year, with additional free SEND training for early years practitioners, teachers, leaders, teaching assistants and further education support staff planned from autumn 2027.

The first set of SEND and Inclusion training material is available here.