Blog

Link to the speeches coming soon!

Read all about what our Reps did to get ready for the day, and their thoughts on how the day went from Louise here:

“At our summer social, we met up with other Shout Out for SEND reps and inclusion advisers to discuss the key aims of the Inclusion Conference, a conference designed for SENDCos and teachers from primary and secondary schools across Buckinghamshire. Together, we explored how we could make the most meaningful impact at the conference and considered how to structure our input to the conference to ensure that it resonated. We decided to combine lived experience with practical advice to not only provide the direct realities of our daily lives as disabled young people but also share the actionable steps for educational professionals to create change.

We visited the conference space to prepare ourselves, test the microphones and practice our speeches to ensure that everything ran smoothly on the day. We also created handouts to accompany what was said to give professionals practical takeaways to support disabled students in their schools. It was an opportunity to work together, refine our ideas and ensure that we felt confident in our speeches. We also agreed that we would record the speeches so that we could share them more widely to increase the impact of our message.

On the day of the conference, we delivered our opening speeches. Delivering at the start of the day helped to ensure that disabled children and young people’s voices were kept at the heart of the conference and in discussions throughout the following workshops. The response was powerful with several professionals approaching us afterwards to share how our experiences changed their perspective. It was encouraging to see the impact of our speeches and it highlight just how crucial it is to centre disabled young people’s voices and experiences in shaping education.

I felt so lucky to be surrounded by the other incredible Shout Out for SEND reps, who were also delivering speeches and workshops at the conference. It was amazing to be surrounded by young people who are just as passionate as I am and I hope that collectively we will help build a better future for other disabled young people.

At the heart of it all, I hope that one day disabled children and young people don’t have to face the same struggles I did in the education system. They deserve to feel like they belong as they are, to know that they are worthy of adjustments being made for their disability and to feel safe within their schools. I hope that from this conference, education professionals implement the necessary reasonable adjustments for students in their setting, ensure disability is represented and create environments where young people have safe adults to turn to. Importantly, it also means listening to the voices of disabled young people and acting on what they say.

On a wider level, I am forever hoping for policy changes so that disabled children and young people have access to the support and resources they need in education. No child or young person should spend their childhood caught in the fight for their right to an equal education. Teachers and SENDCos too must be given the time, space and resources to meet diverse needs in their classroom. Real change will only come when we combine individual actions and shifts in the systems themselves.

I hope that Pippa and I opening the conference is just the beginning of a wider shift – one where the voices of disabled children and young people are kept at the centre. Too often, our stories are told from the outside, from other people looking in. Change begins with recognising, valuing, and believing in disabled children and young people’s voices and experiences, and committing to act on it in ways that lead to real, lasting difference.”

Each and every one of four of our Reps did a fantastic job of representing the SEND community of Buckinghamshire, and this is clear through feedback from the people that attended the conference:

• The Young Person experience talk was excellent and should be a fixture on all future conferences.
• A further insight into the difficulties a child/ young person can face. How with the right support or ear to listen to / trust can help.
• Great input from young people
• All young people speaking were amazing – thankful for their stories having a happier time. They can inspire others to know it will be okay with the right support and trust
• The young speakers were inspirational, and to hear their perspectives and experiences was extremely beneficial.
• The students that spoke were fantastic!
• Young people speaking made the session
• Hearing from young people with SEND was very powerful and inspiring.

And when asked what the audience learnt today, here is a selection of some feedback that our young people influenced:

• How powerful having young speakers who have SEND is in making the purpose behind inclusion clear for all to see.
• Importance of child voice and understanding things from their perspective
• To be the person that makes a difference.
• Importance of the voice of the young person
• Ask pupils ‘what needs to change at school?’

If you would like to find out more, or getting your voice heard through projects like this is something you would love to get involved in in the future, please get in touch with us at shoutoutforsend@buckinghamshire.gov.uk