Google hosts SEND symposium to spotlight accessibility and AI in UK schools
Google for Education welcomed 200 Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) to its UK headquarters in London for its inaugural SEND Symposium, bringing together school leaders, accessibility specialists, and technologists to examine how Google Workspace, Chromebooks, and Gemini for Education can support inclusive teaching.
Held at 6 Pancras Square, King’s Cross, the one-day event focused on practical implementation rather than product announcements. Sessions combined keynote presentations, panel discussions, and hands-on workshops aimed at helping schools apply accessibility tools and AI workflows in everyday practice.
On LinkedIn, Fiona Law of Google for Education wrote that the event saw “200 guests visit the UK headquarters of Google, where our education team welcomed Sencos from across England and Wales.” She added that the day included “keynotes, panels and hands-on workshops” exploring Google Workspace for Education, Chromebooks, and Gemini for Education.
Student voice and practitioner-led panels
One of the headline sessions featured a 17-year-old student, Mason, delivering a 45-minute keynote alongside teacher Peter Reeves on the role of assistive technology in his education and exam preparation. Law described this as “something of a first.”
A panel session examined findings from PedTech impact reports developed with Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith, bringing together school leaders including Emine Sabri and Tom Wade to discuss how digital tools are used in SEND provision.
On LinkedIn, Tom Wade, Assistant Head (Digital Strategy and Learning) at Haileybury UK, said it was “great to talk about the role of digital technology in SEND provision” and noted “there was so much experience and wisdom on the stage.” He added that the demonstration of NotebookLM drew “an audible gasp of excitement when it’s shown how NotebookLM can help develop an EHCP in record time.”
Accessibility, independence, and inclusion
Breakout sessions addressed themes including sensory support using Gemini and NotebookLM, mental health and emotionally based school non-attendance, and empowering blind and partially sighted learners through assistive technology.
Alex L. Henderson, Education Information Manager at Thomas Pocklington Trust, wrote on LinkedIn that his session focused on five principles, including listening to students, making environments accessible, empowering independence, and encouraging lifelong tech skills. He said, “If we get the building blocks right: accessible learning environments and the right skills and tools in students’ hands, technology can be a real game-changer.”
Cat Lamin, Computing and Digital Technology Specialist for Schools, reflected that “accessible technology by itself isn't enough.” She wrote that schools must ensure learners become independent and that “accessibility is not the same as inclusion - providing the tools without explaining their value means that many learners are not able to be fully immersed in the classroom.”
The agenda also included workshops on universal access, inclusive design through a neurodivergent lens, and the use of AI to support SEND.
Partnerships and next steps
Google partnered with nasen and the British Dyslexia Association to support the symposium and indicated further collaboration with SEND leaders is planned.
The event reflects a growing emphasis on applied AI and accessibility in UK schools. Rather than positioning AI as a standalone innovation, the symposium framed tools such as Gemini and NotebookLM within existing SEND frameworks, focusing on workflow integration, independence, and measurable classroom impact.
As generative AI becomes embedded within mainstream education platforms, events like this suggest the conversation is shifting from whether to adopt the tools to how they are implemented, monitored, and aligned with inclusive practice.
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