Commenting on the SEND and Alternative Provision Green
Paper, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the
NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said:
“The publication of this Green Paper is long overdue.
“There is a growing and urgent need to provide additional and
increased support for both pupils with SEND and for schools.
“There is growing evidence that there has been a significant
increase in the number of pupils with special and additional
needs, but many pupils are not able to access the support they
need and are entitled to.
“This is not due to failures on the part of school staff, who are
working tirelessly to do their best for these pupils. The
Government has to recognise that cuts to funding for specialist
services and real terms reductions in school budgets have
contributed to long waiting lists for assessment and reduced
levels of support available for pupils.
“The Green Paper’s ambitions need to be matched by substantial
and sustained additional investment.
“Much of this plan relies on inter-agency working and
collaboration in the provision of services for children, but it
is not at all clear that the proposals in the Green Paper will
repair a decade of damage done to key services, and much will
depend on the Government’s implementation plan, which is yet to
be published.
“Promising to improve training for school and college staff is
all well and good but must also be accompanied by guaranteed time
to access these opportunities or else it just risks adding to the
already excessive workloads which are driving too many teachers
out of the profession, further depleting the support available to
pupils with SEND.”
