CONNECT ROADSHOW

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Alliance Connect Roadshow 

Celebrating SEND: a world without limits

Members £55 per person; Non-members £95 per person

To allow as many educators as possible to attend, this popular Connect Roadshow will run on two dates:

  • 1 May 2025: TTS Offices, Heyworth Rd, Hucknall, Nottingham, NG15 6XJ
  • 16 October 2025: Engineers’ House, The Promenade, Clifton Down, Avon, Bristol, BS8 3NB

Both events will run from 9.30am to 4pm.

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The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) tells us that “every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident, and self-assured”.

It’s our role as early years professionals to ensure that each individual child is given the opportunity to thrive and reach their potential – and that, of course, includes children with known or suspected special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

That’s why we’re excited to share with you that our two next in-person Alliance Connect Roadshows are dedicated to ‘Celebrating SEND: a world without limits’. These events, which will take place in Nottingham in May and in Bristol in October, will focus on what children with SEND can do and bring together like-minded early years professionals to discuss ways that we can promote true inclusivity in our practice to ensure that no child is left behind.

The events will include a range of inspirational keynote speakers who will share their knowledge, experiences, scientific findings and practical ideas. Throughout the course of each day, attendees will have the chance to find out more about supporting neurodivergent children in talks about responding to children’s sensory systems and challenges around feeding and mealtimes, delving into the neuroscience of neurodiversity, and discussing inclusive practice through our approaches and environments.

Keynote speakers at both events include:

  • Catherine McLeod Dingley's Promise
  • Cat Jewkes TTS
  • Lucy Wood Early years dietician
  • Professor Sam Wass ADD
  • Cheryl Warren Early years consultant
  • Sue Newman Boogie Mites.

These keynote speakers will also join Early Years Alliance’s Neil Leitch (CEO) and Shannon Pite (communications and external affairs director) in a panel to discuss what changes are needed to ensure that all children with SEND get the support they deserve.

The May event will also include inspirational speaker Musharaf Asghar, while Emma Pinnock, director of The Essential Education Group, will join the October event.

Prize draw

Attendees will also have the chance to win a mini-sensory space bundle worth around £200, including:

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  • a mini pop-up sensory pod
  • light-up recordable domes
  • light-up lanterns
  • a vibrating guinea pig

Agenda

9.30am - 9.45am: Refreshments and networking

9.45am - 10.00am: Welcome and introductions - Michael Freeston - Alliance director of quality improvement

10.00am - 10.25am: Celebrating Inclusive early years practice – how early years professionals can provide the best foundation for children with SEND - Catherine McLeod - Dingley's Promise

10.30am - 10.55am: Wondering why in the early yearsCatherine Jewkes - TTS

11.00am - 11.30am: Feeding challenges and neurodivergence - Lucy Wood - Early years dietician

11.30am - 11.50am: Refreshments

11.50am - 12.20pm: A blooming buzzing confusion: young brains and neurodivergence - Professor Sam Wass - Baby Development Lab at the University of East London

12.25pm - 1.00pm: 

  • MAY EVENT: Musharaf Asghar - Inspirational speaker and journalist
  • OCTOBER EVENT: Emma Pinnock, director of The Essential Education Group

1.00pm - 2.00pm: Lunch and networking - lunch is included with your Roadshow ticket

2.00pm - 2.55pm: Panel discussion: Building a brighter future: What needs to change to ensure that all children with SEND get the support they deserve - Keynote speakers will join Neil Leitch - Alliance CEO, chaired by Shannon Pite - Alliance director of communications and external affairs

3.00pm - 3.30pm: Belonging and Connection – The power of becoming a neurodiversity affirming educatorCheryl Warren - Early years consultant

3.35pm - 3.50pm: Sue Newman - Boogie Mites 

3.50pm - 4.00pm: Prize Draw and close

Keynote speakers and topics

Catherine McLeod, Dingley’s Promise Celebrating Inclusive early years practice – how early years professionals can provide the best foundation for children with SEND

Catherine will consider what great inclusive practice looks like – both in leadership and in practical delivery, the tools we have to support this practice, and the partnerships that are critical for getting it right. She will use best practice examples from key areas to demonstrate how we can achieve meaningful inclusion for every child.


Catherine Jewkes, TTS Wondering why in the early years

In the session we will:

  • explore the SEND Code of Practice and what that means for Early Years settings.
  • discuss ways to develop an inclusive environment with experiences and opportunities that scaffold all learners, including those with special educational needs.
  • share practical ideas and resources to use in your setting.

Catherine is a former teacher, senior leader and qualified SENCo, having taught across many different year groups from Nursery to Year 6. She has also worked for a Local Authority leading and supporting a locality of over 70 mainstream and specialist settings from nurseries through to colleges, helping to develop and implement provision for their learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Session led by Catherine Jewkes, and supported by Michelle Reid and Irina Bartlett, from TTS.


Lucy Wood, Early years dietician Feeding challenges and neurodivergence

In this talk we will look into some of the specific feeding challenges that arise with neurodivergent children and the impact these can have on physical health and everyday life. Strategies to manage difficulties and to create more positivity with food will be explored.

Lucy has a BSc honours degree from King’s College London with additional postgraduate learning through the British Dietetic Association in common paediatric disorders. Lucy is trained to work with children with feeding difficulties in both the Sequential Oral Sensory Approach to Feeding (The SOS Approach) and Emotionally Aware Feeding Responsive Feeding Approach. She has been working as a registered dietitian for 11 years both within the NHS and the private sector. Lucy is on a mission to eliminate outdated generational feeding myths to help parents to work with, not against, the individualism of their child. By creating connections that prioritise both nurture and nutrition, families can enjoy healthier relationships with one other and their food.

As a neurodivergent single parent to two young children, Lucy understands the difficulties that can arise from parenting children with emotional and sensory difficulties. This fuels her determination to assist parents struggling with feeding difficulties, striving to alleviate their stress whilst creating an environment where children can build their confidence around foods whilst feeling truly understood as an individual.


Professor Sam Wass, Baby Development Lab at the University of East London A blooming buzzing confusion: young brains and neurodivergence

In this talk, we open with some key findings on how children’s brains develop and why all young children (not just neurodivergent ones) experience the world as a ‘blooming, buzzing confusion’. Then, we talk about the neuroscience of neurodiversity and the different pathways that can cause a child to become neurodivergent. This includes the neuroscience behind why neurodivergent children like repetition and why unsuitable environments can trigger meltdowns, while also sharing how repetition and rhythms drive early brain development.


Cheryl Warren, Early years consultant Belonging and Connection – The power of becoming a neurodiversity affirming educator

In this session, Cheryl will share her lived experiences and passion for all things neurodiversity affirming practice. Cheryl will discuss our eight sensory systems, and we’ll learn how to activate or calm them, depending on the behaviours we observe in our children, as well as learning how sensations (not emotions) impact children’s behavioural responses to stimulus.


Sue Newman, Boogie Mites

Sue Newman will lead a presentation on the important part that music and movement activities play in supporting development of auditory processing and rhythmic awareness, and to invite everyone to join in with a music activity demo.


***May event only*** Musharaf Ashgar, Inspirational speaker and journalist

Reflecting on his own inspiring experiences, Musharaf will speak about the significant influence educators can have on children and families, and why we can never underestimate the difference that one person can make in a child’s life.


Emma Pinnock, director of The Essential Education Group

Topic to be confirmed.


Get your tickets here: bit.ly/U5-ConnectRoadshow2025.

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