This meeting was brought to you by the Public Law, Education Law and Children’s Rights Teams.
| Date: | Tuesday 27 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 6.00pm-7.30pm |
| Venue: | Garden Court Chambers, 9 Carmelite Street, London, EC4Y 0DR & Online |
| Cost: | Free |
| Areas of Law: | Community Care Law, Education Law, Administrative and Public Law, School Inclusion Project (SIP), Children’s Rights |
Join the School Inclusion Project for a discussion of pressing systemic issues in access to education for marginalised communities, and how strategic litigation can be used to address it.
Dr Sharon Smith, Special Needs Jungle: ‘Inclusion in Name, Exclusion in Practice: SEND Reform Before the Schools White Paper’
Aqsa Suleman, Runnymede Trust: “Child criminal exploitation and school exclusions- what more can be done?”
Olivia Hammond: Exclusionary practices faced by Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller children
Speakers
Kate Aubrey-Johnson, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)
Kate is a youth justice specialist barrister and mediator at Garden Court Chambers with experience as a criminal defence practitioner and public lawyer. Kate is co-author of the leading textbook Youth Justice Law and Practice (LAG, 2019). She is a youth justice expert and is regularly called upon to give lectures and deliver training. She chairs the Ministry of Justice’s Working Group on Youth Advocacy and works in an advisory capacity in the youth justice sector. Kate is working closely with the Law Society, the Criminal Bar Association and the Inns of Court College of Advocacy to ensure lawyers have the specialist skills and expertise to represent children. Kate was Highly Commended in Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT) UK’s ‘Children’s Champion Awards’ for her commitment to supporting child victims of trafficking.
Dr Sharon Smith, Special Needs Jungle
Sharon is a parent carer to two young adults, one of whom has Down’s syndrome. As Co-Director of Special Needs Jungle and Policy & Parliamentary Lead for the Down’s Syndrome Association, she works at the intersection of lived experience, legislation, and accountability. Sharon holds a PhD in Education from the University of Birmingham, researching the inclusion and systemic exclusion of children with Down’s syndrome in education. Her research and advocacy challenge tokenism and drive participatory change, ensuring disabled voices and families shape statutory guidance, policy consultations, and public discourse with authenticity, rigour, and rights-based intent.
Aqsa Suleman, Runnymede Trust
Aqsa supports the coordination of the APPG for Race and Community, and works with the wider policy team to generate knowledge, publicise our demands, and strengthen awareness and action around our policy priorities across education, migration and stakeholder engagement.
Olivia Hammond, Community Advocacy Caseworker, The Traveller Movement
Olivia Hammond is the Community Advocacy Caseworker at The Traveller Movement. She is a Romani (Gypsy) woman with over 7 years of experience in the education sector. She now supports Romani (Gypsy), Roma and Irish Traveller community members to engage with schools to achieve the best outcomes for their children.
