ASCL Neuroinclusive Leaders' Community

Gemma Alldritt
Acting Deputy Headteacher and Director of the Learning Academy, Severn Academies Educational Trust (SAET)

Currently, I serve as an acting deputy head within my trust, on secondment from my role as Director of the Learning Academy for the Severn Academies Educational Trust (SAET). 

I am passionate about teaching, learning, and the school environment, integrating technology with pedagogy through my leadership in the National PedTech Programme. With a Master's in education and experience as an Evidence Leader for Education (ELE), I value research and collaboration. I am a Google Coach, Canva Ambassador, and I know the enablement of technology. I have recently completed NPQH and ADHD coach certification. 

I am a statemented dyslexic; this has tarred my own self-perceptions and caused volumes of self-doubt. However, more recently, I've come to view neurodiversity as a superpower, acknowledging that I simply see the world differently. 

This community aims to offer the support and understanding I lacked during my early school leadership. Back then, I often felt like an outsider, plagued by self-doubt. I now understand that a strong culture and community foster this comfort, and as a leader, I strive to establish this in the schools I work in. I've come to realise that my unique perspective is a valuable asset, allowing me to think more deeply than most. 


Mat Carpenter
CEO, Severn Academies Educational Trust (SAET)

I am proud to be the CEO of Seven Academies Educational Trust, a trust consisting of eight wonderful schools in the Wyre Forest area of Worcestershire. I have worked in schools across the West Midlands that serve post-industrial, working-class communities. I have loved working with communities with big hearts and straight talking.  

I’m the son of two fabulous educators, so education is in my blood. It’s a real vocation because I knew what I was signing up for. I wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until my second year of university when my academic performance hit a brick wall. The introduction of a laptop computer scheme for NQTs in Birmingham schools really set me up for the career I’ve had. It allowed me to make my own adjustments to my practice, mitigating a lot of the struggles I faced so that the many positives my dyslexic brain churns out can be strengths.  

The community will offer a voice that shouts of the untapped potential in our work force that can be liberated through an understanding of cognitive diversity.
 

Vision
An education system where cognitive diversity is recognised, valued, and influential at evey level.

Mission
The ASCL Neuroinclusive Leaders' Community celebrates and supports neurodivergent education leaders, fostering a professional space where all can thrive authentically and lead with confidence.  

Through peer connection, professional learning, and advocacy, we champion the unique strengths and perspectives that neurodivergent thinking brings to educational leadership and excellence.   

Together, we build shared resilience and shape inclusive practices that strengthen schools, trusts, and the wider education landscape. 

Values

• Curiosity
• Kindness
• Integrity
• Courage

Connection with peers who understand your experience​ 
Meet other neurodivergent education leaders in a space built on kindness and mutual understanding. End the professional isolation of feeling like the only one who thinks differently, and build relationships grounded in integrity and shared experience.​ 

Professional growth informed by lived experience​ 
Feed your curiosity with speakers, research, and practical strategies from people who understand how your brain works. This isn't generic leadership development; it's grounded in neurodiversity expertise and authentic experience.​ 

Strategies to support yourself as well as neurodivergent colleagues​ 
Develop and share practical approaches for creating neuroinclusive workplaces. Lead with courage and kindness as you champion neurodivergent staff and students within your own schools and across the sector.​ 

A space for authentic leadership​ 
No masking required. No performing. No judgement. This is a professional community where integrity matters, where you can be yourself whilst building your leadership practice.​ 

Recognition of cognitive diversity as strength​ 
We celebrate neurodivergent thinking as a strategic asset for education leadership: pattern recognition, creative problem solving, authentic communication, and systems thinking that drives meaningful change. 

Meeting structure and dates 
The community meets virtually every half-term on Wednesdays from 4.00pm to 5.00pm. Sessions follow an A-B structure:​ 

Session A: Knowledge focus​ 
Guest speakers, research insights, and practical strategies from neurodiversity experts and experienced neurodivergent leaders.​ Session A meetings are recorded. 

Session B: Collaboration focus​ 
Small group peer support using coaching models. Share challenges, celebrate successes, and problem-solve together in facilitated breakout rooms.​ 

Between sessions​ 

• LinkedIn group for ongoing connection, resource sharing, and discussion.​ 
• Member-protected space with recordings, research papers, and community documents. 

Wednesday 21 January 2026, 4pm 
Speaker: Chris Passey, Headteacher, Kimichi School  

This is a Session A meeting so will be recorded. Further details of this session will be provided shortly.  
 

All sessions include:​ 

• AI transcription and live captioning​ 
• recordings with adjustable playback speed​ 
• meeting summaries shared promptly after each session​ 
• multiple participation formats (voice, chat, emoji)​ 
• processing time built into the session structure​ 
• sessions are designed with a 45-minute core and 15 minutes for processing, connection, and collaboration. If you can't attend a session, recordings and summaries ensure you stay connected. 

Do I need a formal diagnosis to join?​ 
No. This community is open to both self-identified and formally diagnosed neurodivergent leaders. If you recognise yourself as neurodivergent, you're welcome.​ 

What if I'm not "out" at work about being neurodivergent?​ 
This is a confidential, member-protected space. What's shared in the community stays in the community. You control your own narrative about your neurodivergence.​ 

What if I can't make every session?​ 
That's completely fine. Session A –knowledge sharing sessions are recorded, and summaries are shared afterwards. Join when you can, catch up when you can't. There's no attendance requirement.​ 

Is this just for headteachers?​ 
No. This community is for neurodivergent leaders at all levels: headteachers, deputy heads, assistant heads, trust leaders, department leaders, anyone in educational leadership who is an ASCL member.​ 

What if I'm questioning whether I might be neurodivergent?​ 
You're welcome to join and explore. Many members are on journeys of self-understanding. This community can be a safe space for that process.​ 

Will this help me get reasonable adjustments at work?​ 
The community provides peer support, but ASCL also offers direct legal advice and wellbeing support. We'll signpost you to these services as needed.​ 

Can I invite colleagues who aren't ASCL members?​ 
The community is a member benefit, so participants need to be ASCL members. However, you're welcome to encourage colleagues to join ASCL to access this and other professional communities.