Case Study: Teacher Training CPD
The SEND Foundation provided CDP Training in Understanding SEND and Mental Health at Fashion Technology Academy To strengthen professional development so that tutors further improve their pedagogy and consistently apply expert teaching techniques to teach apprentices and learners of varied abilities.
The Organisation
Fashion-Enter Ltd is a leading organisation supporting young people and adults to develop skills and progress into the creative textiles and fashion industry.
Based in Leicester and London, Fashion Enter delivers education, training and industry opportunities through its Fashion Technology Academy, supporting apprentices and learners working towards careers within the fashion and textiles sector.
With learners coming from a range of backgrounds and with different abilities and support needs, the organisation wanted to further strengthen its tutors' understanding of SEND, mental health and inclusive teaching approaches.
The Challenge
Following an Ofsted inspection under the new framework in November 2025, Fashion Enter identified an opportunity to further strengthen professional development for its teaching team.
The focus was on helping tutors further develop their pedagogy and consistently apply expert teaching techniques when working with apprentices and learners with varied abilities.
Rather than viewing this simply as a training requirement, Fashion Enter used the opportunity to take a deeper look at what "varied abilities" means in practice and how tutors can provide a graduated learning approach while remaining alert to both lifelong and newly identified needs.
This led the team to The SEND Foundation.
The Training
The SEND Foundation delivered a tailored SEND and Mental Health awareness training session for Fashion Technology Academy teaching staff.
The session explored how SEND and mental health needs can present within an educational environment and, importantly, what this can look like in the context of further and higher education and creative learning.
The training combined:
-
Practical SEND and mental health awareness
-
Understanding varied learner needs
-
Recognising potential barriers to learning
-
Adapting teaching approaches to support different learners
-
Developing a graduated approach to learning
-
Understanding the importance of identifying and responding to emerging needs
-
Practical strategies tutors can use within their own teaching
-
The importance of recording and documenting concerns and support
The session was designed to be practical, engaging and directly relevant to the tutors' day-to-day work.
The Experience
The response from the teaching team was extremely positive, with staff actively engaging throughout the session and taking part in practical activities and discussions.
Rather than delivering generic SEND training, The SEND Foundation worked with Fashion Technology Academy to contextualise the content around their learners, their teaching environment and the challenges faced within creative education.
This helped tutors explore some of the "grey areas" around SEND, mental health and varied abilities, giving them practical ways to recognise needs and respond appropriately within their own classrooms and learning environments.
The Impact
The training gave Fashion-Enter's tutors the opportunity to step back from their existing teaching practice and consider how they can better recognise and respond to individual learner needs. For the teaching team, this meant:
Greater awareness
A stronger understanding of SEND, mental health and the different ways these needs may present within education.
Practical strategies
Approaches that tutors can apply within their existing teaching practice.
A more graduated approach
Greater consideration of how teaching and support can be adapted according to individual learner needs.
Confidence around identifying needs
Helping staff remain alert to both established and newly emerging needs.
Stronger recording and awareness
Reinforcing the importance of documenting concerns, observations and support appropriately.
Why This Matters in Further Education
SEND and mental health support doesn't stop when a learner leaves school.
Further education providers, colleges, apprenticeship programmes and specialist training organisations all support learners with a wide range of abilities, experiences and needs.
For tutors, understanding these differences can be crucial in creating an environment where learners can engage, develop their skills and progress towards their goals.
At The SEND Foundation, we believe SEND and Mental Health training should be practical, relevant and applicable to the environment in which professionals work.
That's why our training is adapted to the organisation, the staff and the learners they support.
