Annual SEND partnership summits
SEND partnership summits are a way of bringing the partnership, families and children and young people together to:
- hear different perspectives
- discuss developments and challenges within our SEND system
- discuss ways to improve the experiences for our children, young people and their families
The goal is to work towards supporting a system-wide, inclusive approach.
The event was on 3 July 2025 at the Syon Park Hilton Hotel.
It was attended by representatives from over thirty local schools and voluntary organisations, parents, carers and professionals across education, health and early help attended.
There were some fascinating speakers including:
- the authors Alice Hoyle and Tessa Hyde, of an important new book called Becoming a Sensory Aware School
- the Hounslow Parent Carer Forum, a group led by and for parents and carers of children and young people with SEND
Attendees were also treated to a fabulous performance from Oaklands School’s orchestra and learned more about the council’s SEND improvement journey.
The authors delivered a keynote address followed by an interactive workshop, offering valuable insights and practical strategies to support sensory inclusion in educational settings.
You can view the slides from Alice and Tessa’s interactive workshop:
The event was on 15 March 2024 at Cranford Community College.
Children, young people, parents and carers, professionals and other Hounslow representatives were in attendance to discuss a more collaborative approach to improving the lives of young people with SEND in Hounslow.
The morning featured workshops and a lively question and answer session, with young people from Marjory Kinnon School in Bedfont quizzing SEND education professionals and council leaders about their futures. Subjects raised included sixth form provision, the EHCP process, access to therapies and employment pathways.
Steven Forbes, Executive Director of Children and Adults’ Services at Hounslow Council, said:
"Today’s agenda spelt out some of the challenges that lie ahead, and that was apparent from the lived experiences of the families we heard today. We want to continue to learn from these experiences and capture ideas, make necessary improvements and create a system that works for all.
"The national SEND system is broken. Positive changes in legislation over a decade ago, designed to support all children and young people to thrive, have never been properly funded. As a result, children, young people, families, councils, the NHS, and others have been left to manage unprecedented levels of demand with limited resources, often causing friction and frustration - despite individuals and organisations’ good intent and best efforts.
"But we have a duty of optimism, and our children and young people have limitless talent, performing better in local schools and colleges than nationally. Our focus going forward together is to make sure all parts of Hounslow’s SEND system are working to further improve the experience of families."
You can hear more from the chair, Chaitan Shah, and the vice chair, Jennie Tweedy from the Hounslow Parent Carer Forum (HPCF), in this video:
There is a video embedded on the webpage here. View it here: https://youtu.be/6qTgGsa6arQ
