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Secondary school, special school and PRU improvement

Secondary school improvement

Our improvement advisers, specialists and consultants have a proven track record of supporting, promoting and achieving improvement, providing expertise, training and consultancy to support secondary schools.

Our experienced and skilled staff are able to quickly respond to schools’ needs and tailor training and support for all staff. Our specialist advisers have a proven track record and are highly regarded in their field.

We are passionate about raising school standards and that drives us to strive for excellence in our support of schools in all contexts. We believe that strong collaboration is the key to success, and we endeavour to work closely with all schools to achieve the very best for their pupils.

The Education People work closely with headteachers in Kent to ensure the quality of education and its delivery is of an outstanding nature. The context of every school is different, and our bespoke approach enables us to maximise the impact of our support.

Who can we support?

We are available to work with individual secondary schools and multi-academy trusts across Kent and beyond.

All the work we do is based upon supporting schools to provide the best education for their students. We do this by:

  • being readily available to offer expertise and guidance in leadership, curriculum, assessment and pedagogy
  • supporting leaders to review, evaluate and update their curriculums in line with best practice
  • planning and coordinating in-school reviews, providing key recommendations & resources for development
  • providing bespoke, research-informed CPD appropriate for each school’s context
  • creating and curating networks of professionals to share best practice beyond their own setting
  • working closely with Kent County Council and our other partners to ensure that schools are receiving the most up-to-date information, and in turn supporting schools to adapt their approaches where necessary
  • keeping up to date with all research-informed developments so that the support we provide is current, relevant and specific to those schools with whom we work.

Our bespoke approach to working with schools means that we can offer support in the way that best suits each context. Remote or face-to-face, intensive or longer term, we offer a flexible service, including:

  • curriculum reviews and audits
  • ECT induction and support
  • leadership training and support
  • bespoke in-school training and CPD
  • Ofsted preparation and support
  • governor support advice and guidance.

Secondary Teaching Assistant Training Package

Contact Us

Improving pupil outcomes and plugging the gaps in learning >>
Upcoming training and networking opportunities >>

Special school and Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) improvement

In the special school and PRU improvement team, we have an experienced SEND Adviser working with all special schools and PRUs across Kent and beyond.

We are dedicated to help provide the highest quality of education for every pupil with SEND, or those who have had difficulties in mainstream education.

We are extremely passionate about supporting schools to create robust inclusive offers to help pupils achieve a positive destination when they leave their education establishment.

Our support is bespoke to the needs identified, providing individualised advice, guidance and training to a high quality with both local and national SEND context at the forefront of our delivery.

Who can we support?

We are available to work with all maintained, non-maintained and independent special schools across the county.

All the work we do with our schools is based upon supporting children and young people to access the right support, at the right time, in their own community. We do this by:

  • being readily available to offer expertise and guidance with regards the management of Special schools and PRUs
  • ensuring the curriculum on offer is bespoke to their SEN needs
  • the curriculum is aspirational for all
  • giving all children and young people the opportunity to find a positive destination
  • providing the same opportunities for employment as non-SEN young people
  • working closely with KCC to ensure that schools are receiving the most up to date local information and in turn supporting schools to adapt their approaches and embed the key principles for SEND improvement
  • keeping up to date with all national SEND developments so that the support we provide is current, relevant and specific to those we collaborate with.

The Education People want all staff in educational settings to feel confident, knowledgeable and fully experienced in supporting all needs within their classroom and school environment.

We can work with you to enhance and improve the educational outcomes and chances for all young people.

We provide statutory guidance, tools, ideas and strategies to engage schools in securing the inclusive offer with confidence.

Some examples of the services we offer:

  • learning walks with immediate feedback
  • SEND development plan support
  • information, advice and guidance
  • bespoke in school training
  • Ofsted preparation and support
  • governor support advice and guidance
  • New products and training modules currently being prepared.

Specialist Resource Provision provides learners with special educational needs the opportunity of attending a mainstream setting. In Kent, The Education People monitors the quality of education and its delivery, the personal development of SEN learners within the mainstream setting and with specialist colleagues encourage participation within the mainstream classrooms ensuring the opportunity for integration helps the learners experience the best education possible.

In addition, our team can conduct full, rigorous Special Education Needs Reviews working with the Headteacher, their SENCo and the wider leadership team to promote inclusivity for all.

Meet the team

Ruth Gately - SEND Improvement Adviser

Ruth has over 30 years' experience in secondary education, including over 10 years in senior leadership. She has experience in working in Kent schools...

as a subject lead, pastoral lead, school leader, SENDCO and more recently as the senior leader for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Specialist Resource Provision (SRP).

Ruth has led the development of a high-quality inclusive model in a school with a large SRP that enables all pupils supported by the SRP and SEND to access their education. She has been responsible for leading strategic school improvement, training and developing inclusive practice.

Alongside her senior leadership role, she has supported the Kent Inclusion Leadership Programme as an Inclusion Leader of Education which has provided her the opportunity to work with a number of primary and secondary schools across Kent.

Over recent years, Ruth has delivered training sessions to trainee teachers on the Culture of an Inclusive Classroom and Practical toolkits to support pupils with SEND.

Ruth has a Master of Art specialising in SEND. Her research focussed on inclusion ensuring that pupils with SEND supported by a SRP are afforded an environment and education that they can successfully access and make progress academically, socially and emotionally.

Ruth believes that every school can provide high-quality inclusive education for all pupils irrespective of whether they have SEND or not enabling every pupil to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

Her main role within The Education People is SEND specialism providing support and advice for school leaders, SENDCOs, teachers and stakeholders to review and develop their SEND policy, provision and inclusive practice.

Our blog

View all

Boosting the Effectiveness of Teaching Assistants

By Louise Agley - Specialist Adviser (Secondary)
2 May 2023
Read more
A smiling boy in a school uniform reads Romeo and Juliet aloud to classmates in a classroom. A portrait of Shakespeare is projected on the screen behind him.

Five Ways to Engage Reluctant Readers in Academic Texts

By Louise Agley, Lead Specialist Adviser (Secondary)
14 October 2022
Read more

Upcoming events

Secondary Training and events
Bright green graphic with the text Face-to-face Training hashtag TEPevents features a smiling person with blue hair using a laptop. Includes Live in-person learning text.

New Headteacher Induction: Finance

14 January 2026
More info
Online training with hashtag TEPevents on a light green background. A person smiles at a laptop in a small image. Text reads Live online learning.

An Introduction to the Mainstream Core Standards

20 January 2026
More info