What strong inclusive leadership looks like in practice — Frances Akinde
Frances draws on her experience as a former headteacher of a Special School, and consultant supporting a range of mainstream schools, her role as a neurodivergent educator, and her advocacy work on behalf of families and young people with SEND to highlight the ways in which schools can inclusive environments where every learner and educator can thrive.
About the speaker
Frances Akinde, a qualified SENCO, and former headteacher of a Secondary (11-19) Special School for learners with Autism and associated difficulties. Over the last 20 years, she has worked in various roles across primary, secondary, special/alternative provision and local authority. From an Art & Design Technology teacher to an SLCN advisory teacher liaising with speech and language therapists across a local authority. She has now returned to local authority work as a SEND inspector and advisor, a role she does part-time whilst managing her consultancy service. In 2022, after discovering that she was neurodivergent and had a hearing impairment, Frances left headship and now uses her lived experiences to offer training and support to ensure that our schools and workplaces are genuinely inclusive.
