Thousands of pupils are to benefit from a £740 million cash
injection from the Government to pave the way for more pupils
with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve
and thrive in mainstream schools.
This new funding can be used to adapt classrooms to be more
accessible for children with SEND, and to create specialist
facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more
intensive support adapted to suit the pupils' needs.
It will start to pave the way for the government's wide-ranging
long-term plans for reform to help more pupils with SEND to have
their needs met in mainstream schools.
To drive support for neurodivergent children and young people in
mainstream education and increase understanding of inclusion,
Professor Karen Guldberg has also been appointed as Chair of a
new “Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group” - a group of experts
that will work alongside the Department to drive inclusive
education.
Professor Guldberg brings a wealth of experience from her
background as the Director of the Autism Centre for Education and
Research and Head of the School of Education at the University of
Birmingham.
Last month the National Audit Office highlighted the crisis in
the SEND system, with very limited progress having been made in
making mainstream schools more inclusive in recent years, harming
children's life chances.
That's why the government has also confirmed that it will not
enter any more of its Safety Valve agreements for councils in
financial deficits, pending wider reform of the whole system to
prioritise early intervention, properly supporting councils to
bring their finances under control.
Secretary of State for Education, said:
“The current picture is stark. For too long, too many children
with additional needs haven't been getting support early enough,
with dire consequences when issues escalate.
“But my commitment to reform – making tangible change to the SEND
system to improve experiences for children and families – could
not be clearer, and building a system where more children with
SEND can attend mainstream schools is central to our plans.
“We are determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all
children and will work closely with local authorities, schools
and families to ensure inclusion is at the heart of learning and
that all pupils are getting the support they need to achieve and
thrive.”
Last year, only 20% of pupils with SEND met the expected standard
in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 level. Without the
right support, children are falling behind their peers, impacting
their future life chances.
The funding announced today forms part of a broader £6.7 billion
capital settlement for education for the next financial year,
announced at the Autumn Budget, which will be used to deliver
this government's mission to break down barriers to opportunity
and give every child the best life chances while fixing the
foundations of the school system.
Allocations will be confirmed in the Spring, alongside the
publication of guidance outlining how councils can use this
investment to improve local mainstream provision.
Over time, over 30 local authorities have been supported to
manage their high needs budgets through the Safety Valve
programme. The programme provides support for councils with
deficits with their overspending on SEND but has not been
effective enough across the board given the scale of the
challenge.
We will continue to work with local authorities with Safety Valve
agreements to deliver their plans.
Chair of the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group
Professor Karen Guldberg said:
"Everybody should have access to high quality education,
regardless of their needs or background, but we face a crisis in
the SEND system.
“I feel honoured to be leading a group of experts who are all
committed to supporting the development of a more inclusive
education system. We are wholeheartedly committed to
co-production with those with lived experience and we will be
consulting widely.
“Our focus will be to advise and make recommendations regarding
the best ways to support and meet the educational needs
of neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream
settings.”
Confederation of School Trusts Chief Executive Leora
Cruddas CBE said:
"There will always be a role for specialist schools, but very
often pupils and families can benefit from high quality,
effective support in a mainstream school, and increasing capacity
for this will help children get the support they need more
quickly.
"There is consensus across trusts, local authorities, government,
and, most importantly, families, that the current approach to
SEND is not working. Fixing that will take time. This funding
initiative has the potential to make a difference to children in
our schools right now."
Strategic Advisor on SEND to the Government Dame
Christine Lenehan said:
"I welcome this as part of a really important programme of reform
for children with SEND and their families. I look forward to
talking to children, families and experts as we take this
forward.”
