We are excited to announce that James, our Head of SCITT, has been selected to represent Embrace SCITT and The Sea View Trust on NASBTT’s SEND in ITT Co-Creation Group. 

This is a nationally significant project that will shape how SEND is understood, taught, and embedded across Initial Teacher Training in England. The work will directly inform the national SEND resources NASBTT will publish in Summer 2026. These resources will influence how future teachers are prepared to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.

The co-creation group brings together a small number of ITT leaders from across the country. It reflects different phases, settings, and regions. The work is practical and rooted in real experience. Supported by expert facilitators from Education Support, and building on work led by Margaret Mulholland, the group will co-design a sector-wide SEND content map for ITT.

This is not about reviewing a finished product. It is about building the blueprint from the ground up.

The group will:

  • Explore real barriers to effective SEND preparation in ITT

  • Identify what genuinely enables strong and sustainable practice

  • Share and challenge provision from across the country

  • Learn from expert witnesses, including trainees, mentors, families, and SEND specialists

  • Co-create SEND content that is experiential, usable, and rooted in classroom reality

This opportunity is particularly meaningful for our partnership.

James brings learning shaped by exceptional colleagues, committed mentors, honest conversations with families, and the lived experiences of children and young people with SEND. This work is very close to his heart. It reflects years of listening, learning, and working alongside schools to strengthen inclusive practice across mainstream and specialist settings.

SEND is not an add-on for us. It sits at the centre of how we think about high-quality teaching.

Across Embrace SCITT and The Sea View Trust, we are clear that:

  • High-quality SEND provision starts with high-quality teaching

  • Inclusion is everyone’s responsibility

  • Strong partnerships with families and specialists matter

  • Trainees need more than theory, they need guided, lived experience

Being part of this national work allows us to bring that learning to the table. It also allows us to learn from others doing powerful work in different contexts.

We are proud to contribute. We are energised by the opportunity. We are committed to using this work to strengthen our own provision and to support the wider ITT sector.

This project matters. For trainees. For schools. For families. Most importantly, for children and young people with SEND.

We will share learning as the work develops. We believe the strongest change happens when we build it together.