We want all children and young people to have the same
opportunity to meet their potential – including children and
young people with special educational needs and disabilities
(SEND).
That’s why children and young people with SEND are set to benefit
from more wellbeing and technology support. Here’s what you need
to know.
How will children with SEND benefit from this additional
support?
Funding worth £21 million will go towards training 400 more
educational psychologists, who play a critical role in the
educational support available to children with SEND. A training
programme to help school staff use assistive technology to better
support pupils with SEND will be extended to up to 150 more
schools.
The new £21 million funding, in place from 2024, builds on the
£10 million announced earlier this year to train over 200
educational psychologists from September 2023.
How do educational psychologists help children and young
people with SEND?
Educational psychologists provide input into Education, Health
and Care assessments, and advise schools on how to support
children and young people with SEND. They also offer wider
support for the wellbeing of children and young people, families
and teachers.
What will the assistive technology training programme
help school staff with?
This course will teach school staff how to use assistive
technology effectively, with a focus on the technology schools
already have available or can easily obtain, such as
text-to-speech software. This will give school staff the
confidence and capability to take full advantage of the range of
technology available in the classroom to support children with
SEND.
The next cohort of assistive technology training will start in
March 2023. Schools can use this form to register their
interest in participating in this free training programme.
Where can I read more about the SEND and Alternative
Provision Green Paper?
The Education Secretary has confirmed that she and the
Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing will be taking time over
the coming weeks to listen to children and parents, sector groups
and teaching support staff before publishing a full response to
the SEND and Alternative Provision green paper early next year.
Proposals made through the Green Paper included introducing new
national standards across education, health and care, simplifying
the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process, and
instilling a new culture and practice in mainstream education.
You can find the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper
here.
