Speakers

Amanda has been Director of Education in Manchester for the last 8 years.  Prior to working in the Local Authority she was a primary teacher working in mainstream, a SENCO, specialist SEND teacher. She has also been Head of Local Authority SEND and Inclusion services.  During her time as Director of Education, Special Educational Needs provision within Manchester had a successful OFSTED/CQC inspection in 2021 and Children and Education Services was judged to be outstanding by OFSTED in October 2025 – the first authority in the North West.  Amanda has successfully ensured that there is a coherent and collaborative education system including settings, schools, MATS and colleges in the City working as a ‘family’ of providers with shared values and priorities with clear expectations from the Local Authority. 

Under her leadership Manchester has developed an Inclusion Strategy for the City, first launched in 2018 and now on its 3rd refresh. Manchester has adopted a 3 tier approach to inclusion. Outcomes from this have included higher than national school attendance at secondary, reduced persistent absence from school, reduced exclusions and higher than national numbers of children with EHCPs in mainstream schools. The toolkit developed to support the strategy has been shared nationally.  Manchester was also asked to be the lead Local Authority for the DFE’s SEND and AP Change Programme for the North West working with Trafford, Oldham and Rochdale.  Amanda leads this work and chairs the NW partnership Change Programme board.

Over the last 8 years, working with the DFE, Manchester has opened 8 new high schools and 2 new special schools, with a further one in the pipeline, as well as completing a significant number of school expansions to meet the needs of a growing school age population in the City.

Amanda is also the designated deputy lead for SEND work in the North West and is a SEND School Improvement Partner. Prior to this she established and chaired the Greater Manchester SEND Board for 5 years.