As a practitioner who has spent many years teaching in a specialist setting, I have seen first‑hand how essential it is that new teachers enter the profession with the confidence and competence to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The difference a confident teacher makes, one who understands how to adapt, respond and include students with a wide variety of needs, abilities, motivations and barriers, is enormous. And yet many trainee teachers across the country still begin their careers without meaningful exposure to SEND practice, especially in practical subjects such as Physical Education.

I would never claim to know the quality or structure of every university’s Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme. That wouldn’t be fair, nor accurate. What I can speak about, however, with absolute certainty, is the high standard of University of Sunderland’s programme and the depth of commitment they have shown to SEND-specific development. The growing collaboration between ourselves at Durham Trinity School (a Youth Sport Trust Lead Inclusion School) and the University of Sunderland, has demonstrated what can happen when universities and specialist schools work together deliberately and purposefully to bridge the gap between theoretical and real inclusion. From my perspective as a practitioner, this work has been among the most powerful, impactful and meaningful professional partnerships I have been part of.

The collaboration began when Alex Brown, a lecturer in ITE from the University of Sunderland, came into our school as part of their Lecturer in Residence scheme, a programme that places university staff in partnership schools for five days to ensure they remain closely connected to current classroom practice. It was during this residency that I was invited to deliver a session on inclusive PE at the university. The initial aim was to help trainee teachers understand how multi‑skills activities could be designed and adapted for a wide range of learners, including pupils who are neurodiverse or who experience mobility challenges. What struck me immediately was the willingness of the students to ask honest questions and their genuine desire to understand how to support children whose experiences might differ significantly from their own. They weren’t looking for broad, generic guidance; they wanted real examples, lived realities and strategies that had been used and refined with actual pupils.

As I delivered further sessions, including training on continuous provision in PE, it became clear that the University of Sunderland were not simply ticking a SEND box. They were actively creating space within their curriculum to help trainees develop real competence in inclusive practice. This impressed me greatly. Even so, like most ITE pathways across the country, trainees still needed opportunities to experience SEND learning environments first-hand as some things cannot be learned exclusively from a lecture theatre.

That recognition led us to the next phase of the partnership: providing trainee teachers with the chance to teach directly with pupils from Durham Trinity School. Watching trainees apply their learning in real time, with real pupils, has been one of the most powerful aspects of this work. The pupils bring authenticity, energy, unpredictability, humour, challenges and joy. They show trainees what real inclusion should and does look like, and why it is so important.

From my point of view, seeing trainees’ step into the sports hall at the university and initially carry a mixture of nerves and excitement is incredibly rewarding. Those nerves usually melt away within minutes, replaced by genuine engagement and a sense of pride as they adapt activities, read pupil responses, troubleshoot challenges and celebrate successes. I’ve supported them through those moments, not just as an instructor, but as someone who has lived this practice daily. I give feedback, but it is the pupils who give the most powerful feedback of all. Their smiles, their engagement, their trust, that is the moment trainees realise they can teach inclusively, and that inclusion is not a specialist skill reserved for a few. Inclusion is a mindset, a willingness and a commitment to provide every child with a chance to thrive.

This real-world experience also helps trainees understand the wider emotional landscape of teaching pupils with SEND. They see that beyond adapting equipment or adjusting activities, it is also about compassion, connection and an ability to tune into each child’s sense of safety and belonging. These lessons stay with them far beyond their training year and shape their practice as they move into classrooms, whether that's in mainstream or specialist schools.

Importantly, the collaboration does not only benefit the trainees. Our pupils gain so much from working in a completely different environment. They practise independence, communication and interaction with unfamiliar adults. They enjoy new surroundings and new people, and they thrive on the sense of pride that comes from representing their school at a university. Many are nervous at first, just as the trainees are, but with the right support they settle quickly and demonstrate skills and confidence that sometimes even surprise themselves.

This academic year, both primary and secondary ITE students have been involved in this collaboration. The success of the partnership has created momentum with university lecturers across primary, secondary, PGCE and apprenticeship routes expressing interest in becoming involved. There is a growing recognition that inclusive practice is a national priority and that these lived experiences offer something uniquely valuable.

At the same time, we have begun connecting trainees with CPD opportunities through the Youth Sport Trust and the Activity Alliance, broadening their learning beyond the university and embedding them into the professional networks that will support them long after qualification. This year, primary ITE students and lecturers have received support from the Inclusion 2028 grant, led by the Youth Sport Trust and supported by Association for Physical Education, which I have facilitated in County Durham.

Looking ahead, developing more structured pathways that includes resource packs, ongoing mentorship, and opportunities to revisit SEND teaching across the year, would ensure that this work becomes not just a one-off experience but a sustained thread running throughout their development as teachers. And while I cannot speak for every ITE provider, I can say confidently that the University of Sunderland is setting a strong example in how partnerships with specialist schools can enrich training and empower future teachers.

As a practitioner, it has been a privilege to support trainees in developing both the skill and the heart required for inclusive teaching. If we want an education system where every child has the chance to succeed, then supporting ITE students to understand and embrace inclusion from the very beginning is is one of the most important things we can do.