EvidenceforLearning

📢 Announcing our latest keynote contributor

We are delighted to welcome Janet Collins, Head of the Specialist Provision Unit within the SEND and AP Directorate at the Department for Education (DfE) to the EfL LearningShared National Conference 2026.

Janet will lead a key session titled:
“SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First”

This session will provide valuable insight into the direction of SEND reform and what these developments may mean for specialist providers and the wider system. It offers a timely opportunity to hear directly from the SEND and AP Directorate and to reflect on how policy can be translated into meaningful provision and practice.

Roundtable Discussions
In keeping with the collaborative nature of EfL LearningShared events, Janet will also facilitate two roundtable discussions, creating space for colleagues to share perspectives and contribute to the ongoing conversation:

Roundtable 1: Delivering for the Long-Term
What infrastructure is needed to enable the sector to provide robust, specialist packages for pupils requiring long-term support?

Roundtable 2: Bridging the Gap
What do we need in place to empower specialist organisations to deliver effective outreach support to mainstream settings?
Who should attend?

This session will be particularly relevant for specialist providers, school and trust leaders, and SEND practitioners who are shaping inclusive provision across their settings.

📅 Friday 8th May 2026
📍 Friends House, London

We would be delighted to welcome you to join the conversation and contribute to this important dialogue.

👉 Reserve your place: https://www.evidenceforlearning.net/nationalconferences/

Preparing young people for life beyond school: lessons from Wilson Stuart School

What happens when a school decides that “good on paper” is no longer good enough?

Tom Elmes shares why, and how Wilson Stuart School made the decision to move away from accreditation-led learning and refocus their curriculum around real-life outcomes. From listening to alumni voices to strengthening community-based learning, this piece explores how ambition can remain high, even when progress looks different for learners with SEND.

👉 Read the Wilson Stuart School story: https://www.evidenceforlearning.net/accreditation-driven-learning/

What does it really mean to prepare young people for life beyond school? How Wilson Stuart School reshaped their curriculum around real life outcomes - Evidence for Learning Learn why Wilson Stewart School moved away from accreditation-driven learning and rebuilt their curriculum using authentic evidence to show real progress.