Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead 2026 SEND Conference & Exhibition

Dr Pooky Knightsmith

An internationally respected face of child and adolescent mental health, Pooky works tirelessly to ‘be the change she wants to see’. A prolific keynote speaker, lecturer, trainer and author, she develops and shares practical, evidence-informed approaches to promoting mental health – arming health, social care and education staff with the skills, understanding and knowledge they need to support the children in their care. Pooky has a PhD in child mental health from the Institute of Psychiatry, is the author of many books, is the research and development director at Creative Education and is a former chair of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition. She lives in Sussex and has two daughters and three dogs. She’s a keen climber an amateur knitter and a tenor in her local choir. She lives with PTSD and autism. Twitter:@Pookyh Instagram:@PookyH Website:www.pookyknightsmith.com YouTube:www.youtube.com/pookyh LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/in/pooky

Natalie Packer

Natalie is an Independent Education Consultant, specialising in SEND and school improvement. She develops and delivers a wide range of training and support, including SEND Reviews, to schools and multi-academy trusts. She is an associate for national organisations nasen, Whole Education, Forum Strategy and Leadership Matters. Natalie is the author of The Perfect SENCO and The Teacher’s Guide to SEN, co-author of Beyond Boundaries: Leading Great SEND Provision across a Trust and series editor for the All About SEND publications. Website: www.nataliepacker.co.uk Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-packer-23779847