SNE Event

Adam Sproston

Senior His Majesty's Inspector, SEND & AP, Inclusive Education Team, Ofsted

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.

Dr Shirley Woods-Gallagher

Executive Director Leadership, Health & Care, New Bridge Group

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.

Polly O’Malley

Partner, Browne Jacobson

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.  

Hannah Bingham

Senior HR Consultant, Browne Jacobson

Hannah has worked in a variety of HR roles across the education, health and private sectors for the past 16 years. The education sector, however, is where her real passion for good quality, solution focused HR started to grow. When Hannah made the move into the education sector nearly 10 years ago it became clear that being part of something new and innovative alighted to her ambition and strengths. 

After working in house for two large multi-academy trusts, Hannah joined Browne Jacobson LLP in 2018 as a HR Consultant and was soon promoted to a Senior HR Consultant leading a team of experienced and credible HR Consultants. Hannah has been the HR lead on large scale change programmes, TUPE, complex discipline, grievance, and whistleblowing cases. Having been part of teams which have undergone rapid growth and change, Hannah has a firm understanding of how change affects the workforce and the challenges and opportunities growth can bring. 

Pauline Aitchison

Deputy Director, Schools North East & NNoSS Network Lead

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.