Natspec is a national Centres for Excellence in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (CfESEND). Each centre provides expert support for further education (FE) leaders, managers and practitioners to help them put learners with SEND at the centre of their organisation, as part of a Department for Education (DfE) funded national programme.
The aim of this transformational programme is to place inclusion right at the centre of further education so that difference is valued, and all learners fulfil their aspirations. Natspec is working with ETF alongside the other Centres for Excellence in supporting and developing the SEND in FE workforce. Our offer complements the excellent work that the other Centres do and builds on the lessons learnt from our partnership working between specialist and mainstream FE colleges. Our primary focus is on supporting staff in FE who work with young people with complex needs in a wide variety of FE settings. We will be achieving this by sharing highly specialist knowledge, skills, and experience, through live sessions, communities of practice and provider reviews.
Table of contents
Our 2025/26 programme
Live sessions
This series of live webinars focus on current issues and concerns for FE providers working with learners with SEND. Each live, online webinar is led by one or more experienced SEND trainers and includes guidance and advice from Natspec member specialist colleges who have expertise in the topic in focus.
Planning a ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ Curriculum
Monday 23 June 2025, 4:00pm–5:15pmThis session, facilitated by Natspec, will introduce participants to planning a preparing for adulthood curriculum. It will explore how to deliver an effective, challenging, and creative curriculum that has a positive impact on learners with SEND moving into their futures. There will be opportunities to hear from professional colleagues about their approach to curriculum planning that meets the needs and empowers learners.
Communities of Practice
Our five themed Communities of Practice enable colleges to share good practice, network and discuss current issues. Each will meet online twice or three times during 2025/26, for around an hour.
Each online meeting will be facilitated by an experienced SEND specialist and Natspec’s Centre for Excellence supporters will be present to discuss their experiences and journey with the group.
Devising your ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ curriculum
Thursday 26 June 2025, 3:45pm–4:45pmThis free session as part of our 'Preparing for Adulthood' curriculum community of practice will focus on identifying why and how you will devise your curriculum, taking into consideration your learner cohort, their needs, and aspirations. It will also consider the potential difficulties with developing a new curriculum.
Implementing a ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ curriculum
Thursday 3 July 2025, 3:45pm–4:45pmThis free session as part of our 'Preparing for Adulthood' curriculum community of practice will focus on the implementation of the curriculum, the skills needed by tutors to deliver and the options for timetabling. It will also consider positive risk taking when planning a curriculum and how this impacts on success for learners.
Tracking progress and celebrating success in a ‘Preparing for Adulthood’ curriculum
Thursday 10 July 2025, 3:45pm–4:45pmThis free session as part of our 'Preparing for Adulthood' curriculum community of practice will focus on the process for monitoring and tracking progress and achievement, including case studies demonstrating life changing successes. It will also include ways to celebrate success, wow moments and summative celebrations.
Provider reviews
Our provider reviews are targeted at General Further Education colleges who have recently received a Requires Improvement or Inadequate grade from Ofsted or General Further Education colleges who have areas that they wish to improve in their high needs provision.
The review is intended to help colleges improve provision through a process of supported self-assessment and external review from an experienced SEND professional.
The reviewer will work with you and your team to establish a secure understanding of your current strengths and weaknesses and create a quality improvement plan with clear actions for moving forwards. Please fill out our provider review form to apply.
Get involved
Natspec member colleges graded Good or Outstanding are invited to actively support our Centre for Excellence by sharing expertise from within the specialist sector with mainstream FE providers.
If you are interested in getting involved and becoming one of our supporters, please complete our supporters application form.
Further information
Find out more about the work of the three Centres for Excellence in SEND on the ETF website or email CfESEND@natspec.org.uk