Frances Akinde

Frances Akinde is a former headteacher of a Secondary Special School (11-19) for learners with Autism and associated difficulties and a qualified SENCO. Over the last 20 years, she has worked in a variety of roles across primary, secondary, special/Alternative Provision and local authority, from Art/Design Technology teacher to an SLCN advisory teacher liaising with speech and language therapists across a local authority. She has now returned to local authority work as a SEND inspector and advisor, a role she does part time whilst managing her own consultancy service.

Last year, after discovering that she was neurodivergent and had a hearing impairment, Frances left headship and now uses her lived experiences to offer training and support to ensure that our schools and workplaces are truly inclusive.

In January 2023, Frances co-launched the BAMEed SEND hub as part of the BAMEed Network, a diverse network for Educators which aims to ensure diversity and address racial inequities in Education.

As a neurodivergent educator, Frances uses her experiences to support and mentor people who may be struggling in the workplace and in education. She is also an assistive technology trainer and anti-racist schools award coach.