Rory McDonnell is Head of Specialist Teaching and Learning Services (STLS) Sensory and Physical Disabilities at Kent County Council

Rory qualified as a Teacher of the Deaf in Manchester in 1991 and then worked in two resourced provisions in London through the 1990s,and following that worked as a peripatetic ToD in Bexley and then moved on to lead the Sensory Service in Royal Greenwich.  In 2024, he moved to his present role in Kent.

For the last twelve years Rory has been a governor and vice chair of governors at two local schools in a small academy trust, and was the governing body safeguarding lead.

Rory is passionate about staff training and networking and has helped to plan and run many south London staff conferences for teams from the SI sector in the last 18 years, and he also worked with colleagues to organise national conferences for Heads of Service and Heads of Schools for the Deaf in the past.