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Barry Carpenter joined Sunfield School as its Chief Executive/Principal in 1997. He has over 30 years experience in special education, having held the leadership roles of headteacher, inspector of schools and principal lecturer.
In 1992, he established the Centre for Special Education at Westminster College, Oxford, which became a national teaching and research Centre. As part of his role at Sunfield he now directs the recently established Sunfield Research Institute. He has been awarded honorary professorships by the universities of Northumbria and Worcester.
He has been appointed by the Disability Rights Commission as their representative on the General Teaching Council for England. He chaired the UK National Inquiry into the Mental Health Needs of Young People with Learning Disabilities. He was awarded the OBE by the Queen in 2001, for services to children with special educational needs.
Barry is the father of three children, one of whom, Katie, has Down’s syndrome.
Barry has written extensively in the field of special educational needs. His book ‘Enabling access’ won the National Association of Special Educational Needs Academic Book Award. He has recently edited, (with Jo Egerton), ‘New horizons in special education: Evidence-based practice in action’.
Barry has lectured nationally and internationally, most recently in USA, Japan, New Zealand and Croatia.