Adam Sproston is Senior His Majesty’s Inspector for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), alternative provision (AP) and inclusion. He is a qualified teacher and has taught across the full primary age range. Before joining Ofsted, Adam gained extensive school improvement and senior leadership experience in primary schools, including specially resourced provision. He has also worked at local authority level in both early years and SEND strategic leadership. Adam holds a NPQH and the national award for SEND coordination. He leads inspections of primary, special and independent schools. Adam also leads and quality assures area SEND inspections.

Polly joined Browne Jacobson in 2024 as Head of Education Employment. She offers specialist expertise advising the education sector on a wide variety of strategic, contentious and regulatory matters and has a wealth of experience in staff issues including national terms and conditions, industrial action, trade union liaison, TUPE, restructure and equality issues. 

Polly is particularly skilled in assisting clients with crisis management situations, including safeguarding allegations against staff, and provides hands-on advice to help her clients navigate the most high-profile cases.  

Shirley is an Executive Director of Leadership and Governance at a specialist multi-academy trust in Greater Manchester. 

Her unapologetic, openly neurodivergent leadership was recognised by UNESCO/International Federation of Inclusive Practitioners Global Inclusion Awards in both 2024 and 2025: acknowledging her impact in creating inclusive education, work and skills policies and practices. 

She is deeply engaged in shaping inclusive practices across multiple sectors including leading the national network of Medicines in Specialist Schools (MiSS). The network covers all eight regional areas of England.

Pauline joined Schools North East in July 2017 as Business Manager and was appointed Deputy Director in 2020. She also leads the National Network of Special Schools for School Business Professionals (NNoSS), a network representing 400 schools in the specialist sector across England.

Prior to joining Schools North East in 2017, Pauline was a School Business Manager and has more than 25 years experience of working in education.  She has a wealth of knowledge with an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by schools and is committed to making a difference to the learning chances of all pupils.

Pauline is also experienced in school governance having served on various governing bodies and is currently a trustee of a special school trust and a committee chair.  She has an MBA in strategic leadership and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management.

• How to Join ? - Once you have registered and the events team have approved your place, you will be sent your confirmation email which contains your unique joining link from Zoom. If you have not received this, please check your spam/junk folder. If you are still struggling to find your join link, you can contact us in advance of the event and we will resend it to you. events@schoolsnortheast.com
• Do I need to install Zoom? - You can join the call without downloading Zoom by clicking ‘join from browser’ when you launch the call on the day of the event. If you are using the Zoom app from your laptop or PC, please ensure that you have the latest version installed prior to the event. Download and install here
• Can I ask the presenter questions? - You can submit questions for the speaker when you register, using the Zoom registration form. The Zoom chat function will also be available during the call and questions can be submitted here. You will also have the chance to unmute and speak directly with the speaker during any allocated Q&A sessions.

Pauline joined Schools North East in July 2017 as Business Manager and was appointed Deputy Director in 2020. She also leads the National Network of Special Schools for School Business Professionals (NNoSS), a network representing 400 schools in the specialist sector across England.

Prior to joining Schools North East in 2017, Pauline was a School Business Manager and has more than 25 years experience of working in education.  She has a wealth of knowledge with an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by schools and is committed to making a difference to the learning chances of all pupils.

Pauline is also experienced in school governance having served on various governing bodies and is currently a trustee of a special school trust and a committee chair.  She has an MBA in strategic leadership and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management.

• How to Join ? - Once you have registered and the events team have approved your place, you will be sent your confirmation email which contains your unique joining link from Zoom. If you have not received this, please check your spam/junk folder. If you are still struggling to find your join link, you can contact us in advance of the event and we will resend it to you. events@schoolsnortheast.com
• Do I need to install Zoom? - You can join the call without downloading Zoom by clicking ‘join from browser’ when you launch the call on the day of the event. If you are using the Zoom app from your laptop or PC, please ensure that you have the latest version installed prior to the event. Download and install here
• Can I ask the presenter questions? - You can submit questions for the speaker when you register, using the Zoom registration form. The Zoom chat function will also be available during the call and questions can be submitted here. You will also have the chance to unmute and speak directly with the speaker during any allocated Q&A sessions.

Pauline joined Schools North East in July 2017 as Business Manager and was appointed Deputy Director in 2020. She also leads the National Network of Special Schools for School Business Professionals (NNoSS), a network representing 400 schools in the specialist sector across England.

Prior to joining Schools North East in 2017, Pauline was a School Business Manager and has more than 25 years experience of working in education.  She has a wealth of knowledge with an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by schools and is committed to making a difference to the learning chances of all pupils.

Pauline is also experienced in school governance having served on various governing bodies and is currently a trustee of a special school trust and a committee chair.  She has an MBA in strategic leadership and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management.

• How to Join ? - Once you have registered and the events team have approved your place, you will be sent your confirmation email which contains your unique joining link from Zoom. If you have not received this, please check your spam/junk folder. If you are still struggling to find your join link, you can contact us in advance of the event and we will resend it to you. events@schoolsnortheast.com
• Do I need to install Zoom? - You can join the call without downloading Zoom by clicking ‘join from browser’ when you launch the call on the day of the event. If you are using the Zoom app from your laptop or PC, please ensure that you have the latest version installed prior to the event. Download and install here
• Can I ask the presenter questions? - You can submit questions for the speaker when you register, using the Zoom registration form. The Zoom chat function will also be available during the call and questions can be submitted here. You will also have the chance to unmute and speak directly with the speaker during any allocated Q&A sessions.