The results of a snapshot survey* of 1,026 primary and secondary
school teachers in England, shows the alarming levels of
inadequate and underfunded provision for pupils with SEND. School
and local authority budget cuts are making it nigh impossible to
provide the quality of education that every child with SEND is
entitled to and which teachers, SENCOs and school staff want to
be giving.
When asked to describe the situation at their school, and whether
there are enough appropriately trained staff to support SEND
pupils effectively:
• 81% said that there
was ‘less than enough’ staff.
• Only 14% believed
that there was ‘about enough’ or ‘more than enough’.
Respondents went further, describing their personal situation in
compelling detail:
- “Half of the teaching
assistants were made redundant. Only seven TAs for nearly 800
kids.”
- “Number of SEND
support staff is a quarter of what it was ten years ago.”
- “Cut by over 50% due
to budget cuts.”
- “Class sizes too
large, so even when support is available, it’s ineffective.”
- “28 students on SEND
register and no support. I teach a practical subject where it is
dangerous.”
When asked if there has been a change in the number of learning
support assistants or TAs at their school since 2017, as a
consequence of real-terms funding cuts:
• 73% confirmed there
were now fewer posts.
• As a consequence of
these staff cuts, 94% of respondents confirmed that it was having
a negative effect on the support which schools are able to give
SEND pupils.
The survey also asked what barriers are faced by SEND pupils in
the school environment:
• Excessive waiting
times for access to CAMHS, speech and language or behaviour
support, is true for 95% of primary schools and 75% of secondary
schools, according to respondents.
• The situation is
generally worse for primary schools. 84% reported excessive
waiting times for assessment of need/EHCR plans, compared to 65%
in secondary schools. 56% of primaries confirmed there are no
local specialist services available to them, compared with 40% of
secondaries.
• Over one-third of
primary school respondents (38%) said that a school or parent
must personally fund pupil assessments as the local authority
cannot. This compares with a quarter (25%) of secondary
respondents.
• Across the board, 82%
of respondents confirmed that SENCOs do not have enough time to
support classroom teachers.
90% of respondents said these barriers conspire to make it harder
for pupils to access the curriculum or succeed in learning. 94%
confirm that the pressures on teaching are increasing as a direct
result and 59% said pupils miss school, part of the school day or
part of the curriculum.
Finally, we asked respondents to consider the National Audit
Office’s question as to how support, and outcomes, for pupils
with SEND could be improved within current funding levels. The
responses were overwhelmingly of a piece:
- “Not within current
funding levels. It’s impossible.”
- “Less paperwork? But
really, they can’t. Funding must be increased for improvement.”
- “We need more people
on the ground.”
- “To be honest
maintaining current funding levels is out of the question –
education is in crisis.”
- “Within current
funding? No way. Schools are stretched tight!”
- “Teachers want to
meet the needs of all children but we are not experts. We now
have to buy in to essential services and we cannot afford to do
so.”
- “We have children on
part-time timetables as adequate support cannot be given. We have
staff off on stress as adequate support cannot be given. Both of
these could be alleviated by better funding.”
Reacting to the findings, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint
General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“These are shocking reports from the frontline of teaching. The
infrastructure to support SEND pupils is wearing away. Schools do
everything they can, but the barriers and waiting lists created
by this Government’s actions, are having terrible effects on
pupils who need help now. It is alarming that excessive waiting
times are more pronounced in primary schools, where early
intervention is so vital, and that so many children are on
part-time timetables.
“These facts are plain to schools and parents. It therefore
beggars belief that in spite of successive reports showing the
real experience of teachers and school leaders, the Department
for Education simply digs its heels over funding. The NEU will
continue to campaign for our schools to get the funding they need
to give children the education they deserve.”
Editor’s Note
* The survey of NEU members in primary and secondary schools was
conducted from 10-11 January 2019. There were 1,026 responses.
