Expression of Interest: Join our new What Works in SEND Local Area Learning Community
What is What Works in SEND?
The aim of the What Works in SEND (WWiS) programme is to capture evidence of what works in establishing and sustaining effective local SEND systems. The programme is reviewing existing research evidence and putting together case studies which capture evidence from the practice of local SEND systems.
What are we aiming to do with the WWiS learning community?
We are developing a learning community of local areas that want to develop their approach to enabling the voices of children and young people with SEND to shape aspects of the local SEND system. We have published three case studies focused on youth voice and coproduction with young people – the Multi Schools Council in Essex, Lincolnshire Young Voices, and Surrey ATLAS. We hope to draw on these and other examples in supporting members of the WWiS learning community to strengthen existing or develop new approaches to strategic coproduction with children and young people with SEND. The learning community is open to local areas that want to establish new models of youth engagement, as well as those with existing approaches they want to develop and strengthen.
What will the learning community involve?
The learning community will consist of six local areas, arranged into two ‘triads’. Both triads will take part in a parallel 6- to 9-month ‘action learning set’ around youth voice and coproduction, drawing on the approaches evidenced in our existing case studies on the Multi Schools Council, Lincolnshire Young Voices, and Surrey ATLAS. The action learning set will consist of:
- An initial 1-1 session with each local area team to brief areas and hear about their work, plan what they want to do and agree what they want to get from the action learning set
- Workshops with each triad, to allow local areas to share learning and practice
- Regular individual check-ins between workshops, as required, to share latest activity, emerging learning and any evidence of impact, and to problem-solve and plan
- A final learning event, bringing together all six local areas across both triads, to share learning, reflect on the process and consider next steps
| Initial 1-1 sessions to brief areas and hear about their work, plan what they want to do and agree what they want to get from the action learning set. | Group workshops, with potential input from youth voice groups featured in our WWiS case studies, in which local areas will share their aims and ideas for projects, check in on learning and progress, review the impact of the work and what has been achieved, and plan actions. | Final learning event bringing both triads together to reflect on the process and next steps. |
| Regular individual check-ins between workshops as required | ||
What kind of culture and values are we looking to foster within the learning community?
We want to create a learning community underpinned by three core values:
- Inclusiveness and collaboration: all local areas will feel equally included in the process and committed to each other’s success. Local areas will engage in reciprocal learning, sharing insights and using their expertise to suggest and prompt.
- Rigour and consistency: local areas will be expected to attend workshops and check-ins, and respond flexibly to the work of the pilots to ensure the learning community sustains momentum.
- Responsiveness: local areas will come to the table without pre-conceived ideas about what ‘good’ looks like. They will be willing to learn from the other local areas involved, reflect and adapt their own approaches.
Who is the learning community designed for?
As a local area, you are an ideal fit for our What Works in SEND learning community if you:
- Are looking to develop your approach to youth voice and participation within your local SEND system, or have started work on embedding a new approach
- Want to draw on the learning from our existing What Works in SEND programme to inform your own local approach
- Want to share the learning from your work with other local areas, and learn from the work they are doing
We are envisaging each local area putting forward two individuals to be part of the learning community. These individuals could be from a range of roles within the local SEND system, including those with senior leadership responsibility (such as an Assistant Director or Head of Service), service management or delivery roles.
How will I benefit from being part of the learning community, and what will the output be?
This is a valuable opportunity to learn from other local SEND systems working on similar priorities, share practice, and develop and test ideas, within a structured process, planned and overseen by external facilitators. We will publish a summary of the learning from both triads on the WWiS website, potentially including tools and resources developed as part of the action learning set.
What should I do if I’m interested?
Please fill in this short web form by 5pm on Monday 7 July 2025 to let us know you are interested in being part of our local area learning community, and we will get back to you. We are really looking forward to hearing from you!
