The Education Training Foundation (ETF) is delighted to welcome Luminate Education Group as a Centre for Excellence in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
We are delighted to announce that Luminate Education Group has been appointed as a Centre for Excellence in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) by the Education Training Foundation (ETF). Hosting one of the largest post-16 cohorts of SEND students in the country, this represents significant recognition of our work embedding inclusive practice at the heart of further education provision across Yorkshire.
Operating across West and North Yorkshire, Luminate Education Group is one of the largest groups of post-16 education providers across the country, catering for around 30,000 learners annually. Consisting of Leeds City College, Keighley College, Harrogate College, Leeds Sixth Form College, Pudsey Sixth Form College, University Centre Leeds and Leeds Conservatoire. The Group is committed to delivering high quality training and skills that plug local skills gaps, increase social mobility and benefit the local economy, all of which sit at the heart of the Group’s strategic agenda.
The Centres for Excellence in SEND programme offers free expert support to leaders, managers and practitioners in the further education (FE) and skills sector, enabling organisations to place learners with SEND at the centre of everything they do. As a newly appointed Centre for Excellence, Luminate Education Group will collaborate with ETF to deliver CPD seminars, host discussions through Communities of Practice, convene peer reviews, and run employer‑led events. Through this, they will share best practice and valuable insights to support SEND provision in further education settings across the country.
Jo Swindells, Executive Director, Development and Delivery, at ETF said: “We are delighted to welcome Luminate Education Group as a Centre for Excellence in SEND. The Group’s commitment to inclusive education and its leadership in supporting one of the largest post-16 SEND cohorts in the country exemplify the values at the heart of this national programme. We look forward to working together to ensure that learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities are empowered to maximise their potential in further education and beyond.”
Chris Thornton, Director of Inclusive Provision and SEND at Luminate Education Group, said: “We are honoured to have been recognised as a Centre for Excellence in SEND. This enables us to extend our inclusive practice beyond our campuses, sharing tools, insights and leadership with the wider sector to improve outcomes for learners with SEND across the country.
“Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We are deeply rooted in the communities we serve and are firmly committed to removing barriers, embracing diversity, and ensuring every learner, regardless of background or need, has the opportunity to thrive.”
Centres for Excellence in SEND is one aspect of the support provided to the FE sector as part of the Universal SEND Services programme, which runs until March 2025. It provides sector-led support to leaders, managers and practitioners to create a step change in inclusive teaching and learning, hosting a wide range of activities and events. To access resources and find out more about upcoming activities and other support visit the CfESEND area of the ETF website.