About South Star
Shining a Light on Inclusion
South Star Inclusion Services was founded by Rachel and Ashleigh, two experienced SEND professionals brought together by a shared belief that every child deserves to be understood, supported and included.
For three years, they have worked closely together as SENCos within the same school, building a professional partnership rooted in trust, shared values and a commitment to making inclusion work in practice.
Our Story
When we began working together, our school had limited SEND processes, procedures and consistency of support for children with additional needs.
Together, we set about changing that.
We rebuilt SEND systems and processes, strengthened relationships with families and professionals, and developed a clear, consistent approach to identifying needs and putting effective support in place.
Most importantly, we worked to create a culture in which inclusion became everyone's responsibility.
The transformation was significant. Under the new Ofsted inspection framework, our school achieved Strong for its inclusive practice — an achievement that reflects the systems, relationships and culture of inclusion we worked hard to develop.
Seeing what could be achieved through strong systems, collaborative relationships and genuinely inclusive practice made us realise that we wanted to take what we had learned beyond our own school.
And so, South Star Inclusion Services was born.
Why South Star?
The name and ethos behind South Star came from something said to us by a professional we worked closely with.
They told us that we had “shone a light on inclusion.”
Those words stayed with us because they captured exactly what we wanted our work to achieve.
Our aim is to help schools, families and young people shine a spotlight on inclusion — ensuring children with additional needs are not simply supported, but understood, valued and celebrated.
Our Approach
At the heart of South Star is a simple belief:
Inclusion should be meaningful, not just something written in a policy.
We combine professional SEND expertise, school leadership experience and lived understanding with practical approaches that can be used in the real world.
Whether we're working alongside a school, supporting a family or developing resources through the South Star Learning Hub, our focus remains the same:
Understand the child. Identify the barriers. Put the right support in place. Review what is working. Keep the child at the centre of every decision.
Meet the Founders
Rachel Summerland
Co-Founder & SEND Specialist
Hi, I'm Rachel. My career in education began in 2012 after graduating with a BA (Hons) and qualifying as a teacher.
I started my teaching career in a specialist school supporting children with moderate to severe special educational needs. Those early years gave me invaluable experience of supporting children with complex needs and helped shape the inclusive approach I bring to my work today.
I later moved into mainstream education, where I spent eight years teaching and supporting children and families, including within communities experiencing additional challenges.
My experience extends beyond the classroom. As a family support worker, I worked directly with vulnerable children and families both in schools and in their homes, providing practical support and helping families work towards positive and sustainable change.
In 2023, I became a SENCo and Inclusion Leader, and since 2025 I have also worked as an Assistant Headteacher.
My work includes supporting families with applications, appeals and tribunals, working alongside local authorities and other professionals, and helping secure appropriate provision and support for children.
Alongside my professional experience, I bring lived understanding of neurodiversity and SEND. Growing up with a younger brother with additional needs first inspired my commitment to this work. I am also a parent of neurodivergent children and am also diagnosed ADHD myself.
These experiences allow me to understand SEND from several perspectives — as an educator, school leader, professional, parent and a person.
I believe families deserve to feel listened to and schools deserve practical support that works in the real world. My aim is to bring empathy, clarity and practical guidance to both.
Ashleigh McGuigan
Co-Founder & SEND Specialist
Hi, I’m Ashleigh. I graduated from King’s College London with a BSc in Geography before completing my PGCE in Primary Education in 2015 and beginning my teaching career.
After four years in my first teaching role, I spent the 2019–2020 academic year teaching in North Carolina, USA. Experiencing another education system broadened my perspective on teaching, inclusion and the different ways schools can respond to children’s needs.
After returning to the UK, I continued working in mainstream education and completed a Master’s degree in Education, specialising in Special Educational Needs, in 2023.
My postgraduate study confirmed where my passion lay, and that same year I became a SENCo. In 2025, I also became an Assistant Headteacher.
Throughout my teaching career, I have taught across the primary age range, from Year 1 to Year 6. This has given me a strong understanding of children’s development, classroom practice and the realities of implementing SEND provision within busy mainstream schools.
My experience across different fields has shaped the way I approach SEND. I believe that effective support starts with understanding the individual child and looking beyond what we see in the classroom to consider the barriers that may be affecting their learning, participation and wellbeing.
Working alongside Rachel, I have helped develop and implement clear SEND systems, processes and structures designed to help schools identify needs earlier, plan appropriate support and create provision that is both effective and manageable.
I am passionate about making SEND practice clear, practical and achievable.
My aim is to work collaboratively with schools and families so that children with additional needs are understood, appropriately supported and given every opportunity to succeed.
Ready to talk?
Whether you're looking for support for your school or setting, or guidance for your family, we'd love to hear from you.