Julian Scholefield

I am standing for the advisory board to ensure there is a clear focus on issues affecting pupils with SEND and/or disadvantaged.

I am CEO of a trust of eleven special, alternative provision and primary schools, and was previously headteacher of two special schools in Derbyshire. As a teacher and senior leader in this region for over twenty years I feel I have a good local knowledge of the SEND and AP sectors that could usefully inform the decisions of the RSC and the advisory board.

There are many challenges facing SEND provision across all schools and I would see it as my job to put these issues in a meaningful, local context to the advisory board. Local authorities in our region still play a crucial role through their responsibility for funding SEND and AP from ever-tightening high-needs budgets. I currently work in close partnership with the three LAs in which our trust schools are based and would use these links to provide further contextual information for the RSC and the board.

I strongly believe that special, AP, and mainstream schools should work together for the benefit of all pupils. This approach is needed now more than ever.