SEND and Inclusion Consultancy
Aroa’s SEND and Inclusion Consultancy is delivered through Aroa Training Federation and led by our Creative Director for SEND and Inclusion. Projects can draw on Aroa Educational Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and other professionals where specialist input is required.
We help schools review, design and implement effective SEND and inclusion provision, from whole-school strategy and individual plans to inclusion bases, accessible curricula and staff development. Aroa can help a school move from diagnosis of the problem through to implementation and evaluation. We do not stop at an audit; we help leaders implement and sustain the changes.
A multidisciplinary team around your school
School leadership and implementation
The Creative Director brings direct experience of headship, SEND leadership, staffing, curriculum, budgets, accountability and turning plans into daily practice.
Educational Psychology
The EP contributes psychological understanding, assessment, outcomes, graduated planning, evidence-informed intervention, progress measurement and quality assurance.
Occupational Therapy
The OT contributes sensory and environmental assessment, accessibility, regulation, functional participation, physical-space design and sustainable strategies.
Chris England NPQH
Creative Director for Aroa SEND and Inclusion Consultancy · Former Headteacher and SENDCo · Part of the Aroa Training Federation
Chris England NPQH is an experienced school leader and SEND specialist with over 18 years of experience as a SENCO and more than a decade in senior leadership roles within primary education. Most recently serving as Head of School at Knotty Ash Primary School, Chris has led whole-school improvement initiatives across teaching and learning, inclusion, safeguarding, attendance, English and mathematics. He holds the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and has extensive experience in strategic leadership, school improvement and developing high-quality provision for all learners.
Throughout his career, Chris has developed particular expertise in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), supporting children and young people with a wide range of complex needs and working closely with families, schools, local authorities and external agencies. He has successfully established specialist nurture provision, led inclusion projects, overseen EHCP processes and developed bespoke curricula that enable children and young people with significant additional needs to access meaningful and engaging learning opportunities.
Chris is passionate about helping schools create inclusive cultures where every child and young person can thrive. He believes strongly in empowering school staff through high-quality professional development, evidence-informed practice and practical strategies that improve outcomes for pupils.
At Aroa, Chris brings a wealth of experience in school leadership, SEND provision, safeguarding, school improvement and strategic development. He is committed to working alongside schools and organisations to develop effective, sustainable solutions that improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.
Our services
01Inclusion and Ofsted Readiness ReviewKnow what is working, where the risks sit and what to do next.
An independent, developmental evaluation of how effectively a school identifies and removes barriers to learning, participation and wellbeing, and how securely this can be demonstrated against the September 2026 Ofsted inclusion framework.
Best for: Schools that know provision is inconsistent, have an inspection approaching, are experiencing increasing SEND pressures or cannot clearly evidence impact.
Framework: A 14-stage review completed across four weeks, with a 6-8 week implementation follow-up and a two-term-later impact review.
Includes:
- Review against the September 2026 Ofsted inclusion criteria
- Review of the school’s current SEN Information Report or Inclusion Strategy
- SEND and inclusion learning walk
- Review of a sample of support plans, provision maps and review records
- Staff, SENDCo and senior leader consultation
- Optional pupil and parent voice
- Review of attendance, suspension, engagement and progress evidence
- Review of SENDCo authority, capacity and deployment
- Initial assessment of any existing inclusion or resource base
- RAG-rated findings
- 90-day, one-year and three-year action plan
- Senior leadership and governor presentation
02Inclusion Base and Resource Provision DesignA high-quality inclusion base is not a spare room with sensory equipment.
It is a clearly led, carefully staffed, ambitious educational provision connected to the life of the whole school.
Best for: Schools, MATs and local authorities planning a new inclusion base, resource base, nurture provision or internal specialist offer, or needing to redesign an existing provision.
03Inclusion Strategy and Individual Planning SystemPlans that describe what adults will actually do, how support will be reviewed and how everyone will know whether it is working.
Best for: Schools with inconsistent SEND plans, weak assess-plan-do-review processes, overburdened SENDCos or limited connection between assessment, provision and classroom practice.
Framework:
- Whole-school Inclusion Strategy
- Cohort needs analysis
- Universal, targeted and specialist provision map
- Clear definition of ordinarily available provision
- Individual Support Plan template
- Parent and child/young person contribution sections
- Barriers, adjustments, provision and outcome framework
- Review and quality-assurance process
- Reasonable-adjustment guidance
- Complex-case exemplar plans
- Governor SEND and inclusion dashboard
- Staff implementation workshops
- Termly sample-plan quality assurance
The service creates a planning system that staff understand and can use. Aroa can directly write or co-produce plans for particularly complex children or young people, but the Aroa model builds school capability, trains staff and quality-assures plans rather than externally writing every plan.
04Inclusive Curriculum and Alternative PathwaysA broad, ambitious curriculum that removes barriers while maintaining appropriate expectations.
This offer supports schools to maintain ambition while creating accessible routes into learning.
Framework:
- Alternative curriculum design for children/young people currently unable to access the National Curriculum
- Reintegration into mainstream curriculum
- Assessment of small-step and functional progress
- Whole-school curriculum accessibility review
- Curriculum pathways for inclusion bases
- Adaptive teaching framework
- Careers and preparation for adulthood
05Whole-Workforce SEND DevelopmentAn implementation programme, bringing sustained development that changes everyday practice.
Delivered through Aroa Training Federation: role-specific development across the whole school and the option of joining our Community for Continuous Professional Development and on-hand access to specialists.
06Annual Inclusion PartnershipAn experienced inclusion team alongside your school throughout the year.
Annual package:
- Termly Creative Director consultation
- Termly EP or OT clinic
- Annual Inclusion Review
- Sample-plan quality assurance
- Inclusion-base review where applicable
- Staff development allocation
- Parent workshops
- Governor briefing
- Data and Impact Review
- Priority access to additional consultancy
- Training Federation membership for an agreed number of staff
School inclusion readiness
From self-check to independent review
Step 1 · Self-check
2026 School Inclusion Readiness Checklist
A 15-minute self-check for headteachers, SENDCos, inclusion leads and governors. It helps schools identify strengths, inconsistencies and priority questions across ten areas of school inclusion, giving a readiness score out of 60.
Download it, complete it, then talk to us about an independent Inclusion and Ofsted Readiness Review.
Step 2 · Independent review
Would an independent evidence review help?
Aroa’s Inclusion and Ofsted Readiness Review is led by an experienced former Headteacher and SENDCo, with Educational Psychology and Occupational Therapy involvement added where specialist input is needed.
Email your total score and lowest-scoring domain using the subject ‘Inclusion Readiness’, or use the contact page to arrange an initial conversation.
This is an Aroa self-reflection tool, not an official Ofsted checklist, a mock inspection or a predictor of an inspection grade. Ofsted does not require schools to complete a formal self-evaluation or create additional documents for inspection.
SEND and Inclusion enquiry
If you’d like to find out more about our SEND and Inclusion Consultancy, we’d love to start a conversation.
Complete the form below or get in touch directly with the team.
Email: admin@aroaeps.co.uk | Telephone: 07845 039 433
