Education Secretary takes action to reform SEND system
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The Education Secretary is taking action to reform the SEND system
as she announced a call for evidence is due to be launched tomorrow
(Saturday 15 March) to ensure every child achieves and thrives. The
call for evidence will draw on the voices and experiences of
teachers and school leaders who have a proven track record of
effective inclusion in mainstream schools for pupils with SEND, as
part of its Plan for Change. Several ground-breaking reports
– from the...Request free trial
The Education Secretary is taking action to reform the SEND system as she announced a call for evidence is due to be launched tomorrow (Saturday 15 March) to ensure every child achieves and thrives. The call for evidence will draw on the voices and experiences of teachers and school leaders who have a proven track record of effective inclusion in mainstream schools for pupils with SEND, as part of its Plan for Change. Several ground-breaking reports – from the National Audit Office, ISOS, IFS and more - have highlighted the realities of what families and children with SEND face every day - that outcomes for children with SEND are poor and parents have to fight for support. This marks a major step towards improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings for children with SEND, making sure special schools cater to children with the most complex needs and restoring parents' trust that their child will get the right support. It follows the government investing £1 billion more into SEND next year, alongside £740 million to encourage councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools, paving the way for significant, long-term reform. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said at Association of School and College Leaders' conference today: “The Prime Minister's Plan for Change sets attainment as a key milestone (…) “Children and young people with SEND – along with disadvantaged children – have the most to gain from high and rising standards. “And a classroom that caters to all is a strength. Children thinking in different ways is a gift. “It's time we recognised that. “I've been told this is too hard, that it can't be done. “Of course it's not easy, but it is possible. There are schools and trusts doing it already and I've talked to parents and they tell me how important this is.” Inclusion in Practice will be formally launched by Tom Rees, Chair of the Government's Expert Advisory Group on Inclusion, working with the Confederation of School Trusts and Ambition Institute, to ensure their recommendations to the Department for Education on reform are rooted in hard evidence about what works in practice. It will call for examples of excellent practice that schools and trusts are already implementing ahead of wider reform being announced. Examples will include schools and trusts which have expanded mainstream schools with resource and SEN units, provided access to mainstream lessons supported by specialist learning assistants and provided support and specialist equipment to play sports. Chair of the Expert Advisory Group on Inclusion Tom Rees said: “In just a few months, we've engaged with parents, professionals, policy-makers, charities, providers and, most importantly, children and young people with lived experience of the SEND system. “What's clear is that there is consensus to move beyond just talking about problems and to push forward practical and evidence-led solutions and to build on the good work where it is happening in the system. “Inclusion in Practice will allow us to gather evidence to help improve experiences and outcomes for children, young people, families and providers. We are urging schools and stakeholders leading the way to share their approaches – by telling their stories, they will help shape a national resource that ensures every child, in every school, has the best opportunity to succeed.” Chief Executive of Confederation School Trusts Leora Cruddas CBE said: “Reforming our SEND system is one of our top priorities. “We need to create a school system in England that is built on the foundations of excellence, inclusion and equity. There is some brilliant practice in our schools, built on evidence and what works. “Inclusion in Practice seeks to capture this practice so that we can use it to transform the SEND system and create the conditions for all our children to flourish in England's schools.” Chief Executive Officer of Ambition Institute Hilary Spencer said: “All children deserve the best possible education, and we know that teachers and school leaders up and down the country work hard to achieve that. We want to draw on the high-quality practice that already exists, and help build system-wide capacity to implement effective and evidence-based strategies for children with SEND. “We are very pleased to be working with partners across the education sector to launch this work, and we hope it will become a useful resource for schools.” Chief Executive at Dixons Academies Trust Luke Sparkes: "Our sector can only provide the high-quality education that all children deserve by working together: Inclusion in Practice is an important step for us all in sharing and collaborating in increasingly challenging times. “Learning from each other should be a badge of honour for all educators and we're proud to be a part of the Inclusion in Practice work.” Inclusion in Practice is being launched alongside supporting partners including ASCL and NAHT, with the survey facilitated by ImpactEd. The call for evidence will open tomorrow from 10:30am and will close at midnight on Thursday 1st May. Alongside the EAG on Inclusion, Dame Christine Lenehan has been appointed as the Strategic Advisor to the Government on SEND to inform reform while a Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group has been established, led by Professor Karen Guldberg. Notes to editors
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