A KEIGHLEY school is taking part in an initiative to help schools enhance how they cater for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. (SEND)

Holy Family Catholic School is to be the lead school for the Chartered College of Teaching’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator network in Bradford district.

Damian Moore, deputy head at Holy Family, said he and his colleagues were very excited to be involved with this programme.

He added: "A recent report in the Times Educational Supplement shows that students with SEND are more likely to be unhappy in school than their peers.

"As a school we want to be a hub of ideas that every other secondary school can access through the Chartered College for free.

"Schools must work together as friends to develop and build excellent SEND teaching.”

The Chartered College of Teaching regional network is meant to help build up the "professional knowledge base of teaching" and provide centres to bring together members working on issues of direct concern to the classroom.

The network programme includes a range of face-to-face events and online forums.

Dame Alison Peacock, chief executive of the Chartered College of Teaching, said: "A key element of our mission is to support teachers in engaging with research evidence.

"Our network programme has been carefully designed to offer flexible, high quality opportunities to ensure as many teachers as possible can enjoy access to professional collaboration and development."