Frances Akinde, a qualified SENCO, and former headteacher of a Secondary Special School for learners with Autism and associated difficulties.

Over the last 20 years, she has worked in various roles across primary, secondary, special/alternative provision and local authority. From an 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 consultancy service.

In 2022, 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 genuinely 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. She is also an Anti-Racist School's coach as part of CRED (Leeds Beckett University).

Drawing from both her professional and lived experience, Frances talks and writes about the intersectionality from the perspective of Race & SEND.

As a neurodivergent educator, Frances uses her knowledge to support and mentor people struggling in the workplace and education. She is also an Assistive Technology Trainer.

Her book, Be An Ally, Not a Bystander was released in October 2024. Her second book: 'Intersectionality, Race & SEND: Conversations for Advocacy and Change' will be out in late 2026.