About the FLSE

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) sector encompasses children and young adults with an extraordinary variety of emotional, mental and physical needs; and the teachers and leaders who care for them and provide the support and guidance they need throughout their educational years. Ultimately, the FLSE represents the most vulnerable children and young adults within special education across the country and our singular goal is to make a difference to their lives.

The FLSE works with those people who are delivering education, welfare and care to children and young adults with special education needs wherever they are. Our members represent children and young adults in their care who may have a myriad of special education needs, from behavioural, emotional, social or learning difficulties and/or disabilities (BESD); through to severe learning difficulties (SLD), profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), complex learning difficulties and disabilities (CLDD), or physical difficulties and/or disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, hearing impaired, and blind or partially sighted.

The FLSE’s role and legacy is all about safeguarding the achievements and well being of these children and young adults, now and into the future, by making sure that leadership at all levels, and the learning and experience that children and young adults achieve, is ever improving. We look to work with our members and other bodies to help ‘shape and deliver’ SEND policy and improve the quality of leadership and collaboration across the Special Education sector, and create a powerful ‘Collective Voice for Special Education’ for all SEND leaders across the country.

But ultimately it is about championing the rights of the children in our care through the established networks of like minded practitioners within special education.

The FLSE facilitates co-operation and collaboration between its members and partners.  We identify and provide opportunities for professional development and leadership growth.  Our focus is on the work leaders and professionals do in whichever special education setting they serve. We work both at a national and regional level to support and share good practice and to increase the knowledge and skills within organisations. Our impact will be translated by good practice to improve the life outcomes for children and young people with disabilities.

The FLSE is a wholly independent professional body, providing support for our members through the development of SEND networks throughout a regional structure that mirrors central government across the country. It is essential that the FLSE is genuinely representative of the needs of all areas of SEND, and this can only be achieved with the extensive and energetic support of all leadership colleagues, wherever they may be and whoever they are responsible for.