Accelerating Specialist Autonomy & Practice: A Sector-Led Response to a National Crisis

Introduction

The specialist education system in England faces acute pressures. Families struggle to access timely and appropriate support, mainstream schools are over-stretched, and local authorities are facing exponential rises in need and associated costs. National reviews and policy initiatives, including an anticipated White Paper, will hopefully chart a path forward, but the pressure on the system grows daily. Each day without practical interventions makes healing the system that much harder.

ASAP (Accelerating Specialist Autonomy & Practice) was created to support pragmatic, practical initiatives to support future reform. It is a national programme designed to surface, scale, and share solutions that are already working on the ground. While policy can set ambition, ASAP ensures local projects are supported with the structure, evaluation, and visibility they need to replicate their success. Each project is assessed for its ability to at least maintain current outcomes and deliver measurable financial impact within 12–18 months.

This is a sector-led contribution to wider reform: pragmatic, urgent, and scalable. The mission is simple — take what works, amplify it, and create the financial and operational headroom to help reforms succeed.

Our founders

ASAP is driven by sector leaders who have dedicated their careers to improving outcomes for children with SEND. Each founding member brings deep expertise, credibility, and a track record of innovation.

• Sir Mark Grundy, former CEO of Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust, is widely recognised for pioneering digital learning. His work has transformed schools across the West Midlands through innovation in pedagogy and technology, raising standards while ensuring inclusion remains at the heart of provision.
• Warren Carratt, CEO of Nexus Multi Academy Trust, has led the Trust since its inception in 2016. With schools across Yorkshire and the East Midlands, Nexus has become a beacon of inclusive practice under his leadership, embedding a culture of improvement and partnership across specialist and mainstream provision.
• Emma Bradshaw OBE, CEO of Alternative Learning Trust (ALT), leads a family of schools focused on pupils in alternative provision and SEND settings. She champions inclusion and positive outcomes for learners with complex needs, ensuring that barriers do not define futures.
• Dr Simon Witham, CEO of Venn Academy Trust, is a recognised leader in SEMH education and leads a number of high-quality provisions in the Yorkshire Humber region. He is currently developing a transformational coaching programme for SEMH.
• Premier Advisory Group - A founding organisation of the ASAP programme, bringing expertise in education and children’s services. PAG provides the leadership and infrastructure to identify, evaluate, and scale impactful projects, reflecting its commitment to sustainable SEND reform and improving outcomes for children and young people.

Together, these leaders exemplify what ASAP is about: practical solutions, grounded in the reality of schools and communities, scaled with urgency and integrity.

Project example: The Phoenix specialist classrooms

The inaugural ASAP project, developed in partnership with Phoenix School in Tower Hamlets, demonstrates exactly what the programme exists to achieve.

Phoenix, an Outstanding special school, has pioneered a model enabling mainstream schools to host specialist classrooms for pupils with complex needs. These classrooms combine the pedagogy and expertise of a special school with the setting and community of a mainstream environment.

The benefits are profound:

• Quality & Inclusion – Children receive autism-informed, specialist teaching while remaining close to home.
• Value for Money – The model costs around one third of an independent placement.
• Capacity Building – Mainstream schools gain staff training, shared resources, and mentorship from Phoenix, leaving behind a stronger, more confident workforce.
• Scalability – The approach is replicable nationally, aligned with government ambitions for inclusion, and adaptable to local contexts.

Early results show stronger outcomes for pupils, high satisfaction from families, and growing national interest. This is not just a project; it is proof of concept for what ASAP exists to do: support real-world innovation, rigorously evaluate it, and position it for scale.

Sponsorship, partnership & social value

ASAP is not simply an educational programme. It is also a platform for organisations that want to generate meaningful social value.

In the UK, the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires public sector procurement to consider the social, economic, and environmental well-being of communities. Partnerships with ASAP directly align with this, turning ESG principles into tangible, measurable impact.

For partners, engagement brings multiple benefits:

• Procurement & Compliance – Demonstrating a clear social value contribution strengthens bids for public sector contracts.
• Reputation & Trust – Association with a sector-led, values-driven reform movement enhances credibility and attracts talent.
• Strategic Alignment – Sponsorship links directly with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those on education, equality, and reducing inequalities.

Every contribution, from the smallest to the most significant, delivers direct social value. It funds evaluation, supports delivery, and ultimately ensures more children receive the education and support they deserve.

Conclusion: A call to action

Policy reform, including the white paper, may provide important frameworks for change. But the difference for children and families will come from effective, real-world practice.

ASAP provides the mechanism to find, support, and scale that practice. It is an incubator for proven solutions, a network for leaders ready to act, and a platform for partners to convert commitment into measurable impact.

If you believe in building a SEND system that is smarter, fairer, and more sustainable — then the time to act is not in the distant future. It is ASAP.

Contact:
📧 asap@asapprogramme.co.uk
📞 01926 956379
🌐 www.asapprogramme.co.uk