Talking Inclusion… With Geoff Barton

In this episode, Geoff Barton speaks with Richard Hayhow, Director of Open Theatre in Birmingham, about how the arts can unlock the creativity and capability of young people with learning disabilities.

In this episode, Geoff Barton speaks with Natalie Walsh and Jacqui Bebbington, Executive Principals of SENDScope Independent School in Liverpool, about how they support young people for whom mainstream education isn’t working. They discuss how a culture of belonging, high expectations, and adaptive teaching helps students re-engage with learning — and, in many cases, return to mainstream education with renewed confidence.

In this episode, Geoff Barton talks to John Camp OBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Compass Partnership of Schools. Sharing an important philosophy that inclusion starts with belonging, that parents must be partners, and that the most powerful agents of change are the adults in our schools.

In this episode, Geoff Barton speaks with Cath Kitchen, Chair of the National Association of Hospital Education, about the often-overlooked world of children with medical needs. Cath explains how hospital education covers not only hospital schools but also medical alternative provision, home tuition, and online learning — all supporting children too unwell to attend mainstream school. She highlights the postcode lottery in provision, where some children receive rich, full-time teaching and others only a few hours a week.

In this episode, Geoff Barton speaks with John Pearce, Corporate Director for Children and Young People’s Services in County Durham, about the realities of inclusion and SEND provision in England. Drawing on over 30 years in local government, John explains the complex web of responsibilities local authorities hold — from managing EHCPs to ensuring educational outcomes for all children — often without the powers or resources to fully deliver them.

In this episode, Margaret Mulholland is joined by parents Beth and Michael, who share their story navigating the SEND system for their four-year-old son. They discuss the long waits for diagnosis and EHCP assessment, the confusion around choosing between mainstream and specialist settings, and the lack of transparency that leaves many parents feeling unsupported and invisible in the process. This conversation highlights a crucial truth: even families inside the system often can’t see the path ahead — a reminder of how urgently the process must change to put clarity, flexibility, and children’s needs first.

In this episode, Margaret Mulholland is joined by Philip Hedger, CEO of the LEO Academy Trust, to explore how schools can take ownership of inclusion rather than wait for policy change from above. Philip shares how investing in digital access for every pupil has boosted confidence and independence, particularly for learners with SEND and those acquiring English as an additional language.

In this episode, Margaret Mulholland talks to Melissa Farnham, CEO of ASDAN, to discuss how curriculum and assessment can be redesigned to create a more equitable education system. They examine how current systems can unintentionally limit young people’s potential, and rethinking these methods helps every learner belong.

In this episode Geoff Barton is joined by Marc Rowland, an experienced education adviser who has visited more than 1,000 schools to understand what makes inclusion work in practice. They discuss how strong leadership, a culture of care, and a deep understanding of what happens in classrooms every day are key to helping all pupils thrive — especially those at risk of underachievement.

In this episode Geoff Barton talks to Stephen Unwin, Theatre Director and author of Beautiful Lives: How We Got Learning Disabilities So Wrong. They dissect the historical stigmatisation of people with disabilities, and question how society measures worth.

In this episode, Geoff Barton talks to Amelie Thompson, Assistant Director of Education at Greenshaw Learning Trust, to explore what inclusion looks like in practice.

In this episode, Margaret Mulholland sits down with Vik Verma, Director of Education and Skills at Bristol City Council, to explore how local authorities can strengthen inclusion through collaboration. They discuss Bristol’s approach to building trust between schools, parents, and the council, supporting SENCOs, and creating systemic solutions across education, health, and social care.

In this episode, Geoff Barton talks to Claire Dorer, CEO of the National Association of Special Schools. Claire reflects on the vital but often overlooked role special schools play, the pressures driving increasing demand, and the systemic issues that leave too many families waiting for places.

In this episode, Geoff Barton talks to Simon Cook, principal and CEO of Mid-Kent College, making the case that further education colleges are a crucial and underappreciated part of the inclusive education pathway. As students arrive having struggled in the statutory school system, colleges offer individualised pastoral and academic programmes.

In this episode, Geoff Barton speaks with Chamika Hand - a lawyer, parent, and SEND campaigner - about her fight against reduced school hours for children in specialist settings.

In this episode, Geoff Barton talks with Jane Harris, chief executive officer of Speech and Language UK. They explore how language development sits at the heart of learning, behaviour, and mental health. Drawing on her professional expertise and personal experience as a parent, Harris highlights the urgent need for early identification and intervention, explaining how 1 in 5 children struggle with speech and language, often due to socioeconomic disadvantage, neurodivergence, or developmental language disorder.Read Speech and Language UK's Alternative White Paper: here

In this episode, Geoff Barton speaks with Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive of Ambitious about Autism, about what true inclusion for autistic children and young people really means. Jolanta shares her lived experience as a parent and leader, explaining why awareness of autism has grown but understanding and support have not kept pace. She highlights the urgent need for acceptance, early support, and better planning.

In this episode, Geoff Barton speaks with Tania Tirraoro and Sharon Smith of Special Needs Jungle about the lived realities behind SEND policy. They share powerful personal stories of advocating for their children, the systemic barriers families face, and why EHCPs aren’t the problem—underfunding, poor training, and lack of accountability are.

In this episode, Margaret Mulholland is joined by Dr. Susana Castro Kemp, Associate Professor of Psychology at UCL and Director of UCL's Centre for Inclusive Education. Drawing on international research to explore how early intervention, family partnerships, and cross-sector collaboration can transform SEND provision from Finland’s universal early-childhood screening to rethinking workforce training and professional development.

In this episode, Geoff Barton talks with Georgina Ellis, executive director of SEND at the Unity Schools Partnership - a family of 40 schools across Suffolk, Essex, and Norfolk. Sharing how Unity is integrating mainstream and specialist provision through SEND units, specialist schools, and shared best practice across the trust. Georgina emphasises one simple principle: inclusion works best when schools, families, and local authorities work together to put children first.

In this episode, Geoff Barton speaks with Dr Sami Timimi - consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and author of Searching for Normal. Together, they explore the controversial question: are we over-diagnosing and over-medicalising children?

In this episode, Margaret Mulholland speaks with Stephen Kingdom, campaign manager from the Disabled Children’s Partnership and former Deputy Director for SEND at the Department for Education. Drawing on decades of experience, Stephen argues that the question isn’t simply how to “fix” the SEND system, but how to build an education, health, and social care system that works for all children.

In this episode of Talking Inclusion, Geoff Barton talks with Ellie Costello, executive director of Square Peg, an organisation representing families of children who struggle to access or remain in education. Reflecting in part on her lived parental experience of what inclusion does and doesn’t feel like for too many young people.They discuss why the current system too often fails young people who don’t 'fit' the model of mainstream schooling, and the urgent need for an education system that builds equity in by design, not as an add-on.

In this episode, Geoff Barton speaks with Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, about her bold new Children’s Plan. Based on conversations with over a million children and responses from 90% of headteachers across the country, the plan lays out a vision for tackling some of the hardest issues in education: from SEND provision and waiting times to mental health, attendance, poverty, and the collapse of wider services.

In this latest episode Geoff Barton talks to Sarah Johnson, president of PRUsAP - the organisation that represents pupil referral units and alternative provision - about the important role these places play in helping children and young people to feel a sense of achievement and belonging.With over 20 years’ experience working with excluded children, Sarah explains how PRUs and AP settings can transform lives by providing belonging, achievement, and specialist support for young people too often pushed to the margins of education. She highlights examples of good practice, the importance of early intervention, and the need for stability and joined-up working between schools, health, and social care.

In this episode, Geoff Barton talks to broadcaster and vocal coach Carrie Grant. She is also the parent of four children with special education needs and talks about her personal experience of navigating a complicated system, including feeling she had to go into battle to gain an education, health & care plan (EHCP) to unlock further support.

In this episode, Geoff Barton talks to Professor Mel Ainscow, a global expert on inclusion, and long-standing adviser to UNESCO. Drawing on insights from his latest book, Reforming Education Systems for Inclusion and Equity (Routledge), he explores what England can learn from international examples to create a truly inclusive education system.

Geoff Barton talks to Katie Ghose — vice-chair of the Disabled Children’s Partnership and chief executive of KIDS (motto: “Disabled children say ‘we can’!”) — for a dose of optimism about what genuine inclusion could look like. Together they explore how the narrative around special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can move away from deficit and barriers toward joy, belonging, and opportunity.

Geoff sits down with Dr Nic Crossley, CEO of Liberty Academy Trust - a partnership of three specialist schools established in 2022 to support the educational experience of autistic young people - as they explore how schools and the state can better support children with special educational needs. The conversation highlights the need for autism-affirming practice, the importance of high-quality teaching for every child, and why real change requires courage and partnership rather than endless reviews.

Geoff sits down with Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion Policy Specialist at ASCL, as she shares her perspective on how the education system can better support learners with special educational needs. She discusses the importance of equity, the challenges of education, health and care plans (EHCPs), and the need for systemic reform that removes barriers rather than reinforces them.