A CREWKERNE woman has won the top prize for SEND Leader at nasen’s sixth annual awards.

Pearl Barnes was put in the spotlight at a ceremony at Birmingham's Grand Hotel for her remarkable work in helping pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and learning differences thrive and achieve.

The awards are hosted by nasen (The National Association for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), the leading membership charity that supports children and young people with SEND to reach their full potential, while being a champion, friend and protector of the SEND workforce.

Scooping nasen’s award for SEND Leader, Pearl was recognised for making a difference to the lives of children with SEND, along with a range of impressive lifetime achievements.

She has been an advocate for children and young people with SEND for more than two decades and currently carries out audits of SEND provision, coaches and provides ongoing support for SENCOs and special school heads to develop outstanding SEND provision and acts as child advocate and specialist in SEND law.

Her son’s birth trauma and subsequent learning difficulties sparked her original interest in SEND and, in addition to her 24 years of support, Pearl has also published a number of works relating to special educational needs, including mathematical learning difficulties and autism.

She was one of 18 other award winners judged by a panel of leading professionals with a wealth of experience in education and SEND – as well as individuals with lived experience.

Speaking of her win, Pearl said: “I am overwhelmed to have been awarded the nasen SEND Leader award.

"Working within the field of SEND has unique challenges, but the rewards of seeing children and young people with SEND thrive and access education is immensely rewarding.

"I hope that we will continue to see greater participation and understanding of the individual differences of our children and young people with SEND in order to enable them to shine and make their invaluable contributions to society.”

Chief Executive of nasen, Annamarie Hassall, said: “Pearl should be extremely proud of what she has achieved.

"Our judges were especially impressed by her long-term support of mainstream and specialist schools to develop outstanding SEND provision,her contribution to policy influencing, not least through her previous work with nasen membership across the SEND and education sector.”