The TES SEND Show took place in Islington on the 9th October 2026. As expected, the reforms announced in the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ Schools White Paper in February of this year occupied much of the show’s conversation. Here is an overview of key trends and current opinion in school SEND provision that I encountered while at the show.
Is your school ready for the new SEND system?
Speech and language therapy enterprise Chatterbug gave an interesting presentation on how schools should move from a culture of referral, to a culture of readiness. Showcasing their new collaboration with Brightspeech, Teaching First is a toolkit designed to train schools to identify speech and language needs, start early intervention and monitor the student’s progress.
Chatterbug revealed that approximately 80% of children referred to their services could have had their needs met within their education setting. A staggering statistic that feels very relevant in the context of the drive to keep children with SEND in mainstream education whenever possible. Chatterbug found that by upskilling practitioners to recognise early signs of speech, language and communication needs and support children in early years to avoid escalation into more severe issues.
Making reading and literacy trends accessible
Oriel Square publisher Liz Cremona-Howard reported nostalgia, historical fiction and classic literature as key trends at the 2026 London Book Fair. This is something that I saw replicated at the 2026 SEND show, from symbolised classic literature readers to cosy soft furnishings for the SEND classroom.
Despite a focus on digital tools, there were several exhibitors at the SEND show that aimed to remind visitors of the importance of sensory stimulation and tactile experience for learners with SEND. Toys and resources made from natural materials were popular, along with darkened sensory areas with slowly moving LED lights and different textures and materials.
Every Cherry, imprint of Sweet Cherry Publishing, displayed their range of stories for readers with SEND. Their ‘Easier’ range is billed as dyslexia and neurodivergent-friendly, using literal language, broken down text, predictable formats, and coming with a free audiobook and audio glossary for every book. ‘Symbolised’ stories include all of ‘Easier’ features but have less text, extra visual cues, symbols and a free signed video included in the purchase. Symbols and visual cues seem to be the next trend in literacy for learners who are neurodivergent, dyslexic or have SEND, and I’m interested to see if any new research will emerge in support of this pictorial approach to inclusive literacy. Their licensed Peppa Pig books in Easier and Symbolised formats are sure to be a big hit too.
Emma Steel, head of Every Cherry, showed how their Easier and Symbolised versions of classic novels such as Great Expectations, A Study in Scarlet and The Tragedy of Macbeth can help support educators to teach texts aligned with the national curriculum to learners with SEND. I’m most excited to hear that Every Cherry are venturing into the world of Young Adult literature, with their Beacon High series, which follows a character with SEND through their school journey, and an upcoming fantasy novel.
AI-powered literacy intervention
Products powered by artificial intelligence are now firmly embedded into the EdTech sector, and the SEND show was no exception. Especially evident was the number of AI-powered literacy interventions. Digital picture book platforms, gamified software that can evaluate the learners weaknesses and AI-generated artwork in spades. As AI becomes ever more mainstream in education, I’m interested to see the results of products that offer tailored intervention for learners, and reduced workload for practitioners.
SEND employability, qualifications and disengagement from education
With the focus on NEETs, employability and vocational education across the education industry, I was intrigued to hear exhibitors’ opinions on how this may impact SEND provision.
Nudge Education, whose mission is to eradicate chronic education disengagement, disclosed a 95% success rate of supporting young people they have worked with ‘back into society.’ Their individualised approach to re-engagement, intervening through an academic pathway or a more personalised approach to coaching, was a sentiment replicated across the SEND show.
UAL’s creative and performing arts qualifications strive for inclusivity toward neurodivergent students and learners with SEND through an ethos that prioritises flexibility, authenticity and creativity. Featuring a pass/fail grading model designed to alleviate attainment-related stress, the Entry Level 3 Certificate-sized qualification asks students to assemble a visual diary portfolio in whichever medium they choose, which is then moderated in-person. Focussing on exploration and giving learners the opportunity to transition laterally into related qualifications or continuing study, UAL’s approach treats every student as an artist irrespective of their specific needs, forming a good model for developing inclusive qualifications.
Inspecting for inclusion
Unsurprisingly, Ofsted’s presentation ‘How Ofsted Inspects Inclusion’ was standing room only. For me, the main takeaway was the emphasis on the need for staff to inform Ofsted of all their inclusion accommodations that work to make a whole-school inclusive environment. Given that TES published an article in the month prior to the SEND show that claimed two separate analyses had shown a link between schools with a high proportion of pupils with SEND and negative Ofsted reports across all main evaluation areas, including inclusion, a discussion about these challenges between delegates and Ofsted representatives would have been insightful.
How can Oriel Square help you prepare for the new SEND system?
The need for up-to-date content that supports the implementation of the new SEND system is paramount as education settings will need to create a culture of readiness. Oriel Square can help ease the transition and make your products have an impact in the classroom and beyond – for example, through development of pilot materials, a programme of research, or a SEND reforms communications plan. Get in touch at contactus@orielsquare.co.uk to learn more.