August 2018

Following our recent recruitment process, we are pleased to announce the appointment of two new trustees to the board. 

Gareth Morewood and Sharon Smith will join the existing board of trustees in November, and bring with them vast experience in the field of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

Gareth Morewood

Gareth Morewood started teaching in the mid 1990s and has been the Director of Curriculum Support (SENCo) at Priestnall School in Stockport since September 2002. At the start of his SENCo career Gareth volunteered for IPSEA supporting families with Tribunal preparation and appeals. 

Over the last twenty years, Gareth has helped shape provision in a number of schools, multi-academy trusts and local authorities across the UK, Ireland and Chile through support, research, training and consultancy. He continues to regularly support parents/carers with SEND legislation and provision, as part of his wider interest in equality and opportunity for all. 

Gareth is an Honorary Research Fellow in Education at the University of Manchester, Education Advisor to Studio III and Vice Chair of the senco-forum. Gareth has written and published extensively on SEND issues and his main areas of research are autism and emotional regulation.

Sharon Smith

Sharon has over 20 years’ marketing and communications experience, gained in both large corporate organisations and small business start-ups. 

She has two children, who are 16 and 13 years old. Following the birth of her youngest daughter, who has Down Syndrome, she co-founded a local Down Syndrome support group and subsequently acted as Chair of her local parent carer forum during the development of the Children and Families Act 2014. 

Most recently, she returned to study and is now studying for a MA Philosophy of Education at UCL. Having had to rely on IPSEA to help secure suitable educational provision and speech therapy for her daughter on more than one occasion, she is delighted to be able to give something back to the charity that has provided her with such valuable advice and information. 

 

Welcoming Gareth and Sharon to IPSEA, Elaine Maxwell, Chair of Trustees, said:

“I am delighted to welcome our new trustees to the board. We were looking for a blend of expertise and knowledge to complement our current trustees, and both Sharon and Gareth bring with them a wealth of experience that will benefit our work considerably. We look forward to working with them as we continue to support families of children and young people with SEND.”