The most recent meeting of the Parliamentary education committee on SEND took place on 29 April. Subject specialists included: Lisa O’Connor, vice president of the Association of Educational Psychologists. She noted that cuts to council budgets and the academies movement had led local authorities to “reduce considerably their EP services, with many of them only … Continue reading Parliamentary education committee on SEND
Tag: SEND
NEU General Secretary’s speech 2025
In his recent speech to the Union, General Secretary Daniel Kebede summarised the Union's key actions and concerns. Not surprisingly these centred on teacher pay and pensions, and one of his major criticisms was directed at Academy Trusts where CEO pay was felt to be much too high, using the half-million pound salary of the … Continue reading NEU General Secretary’s speech 2025
Curriculum and Assessment Review: interim report
The DfE published its independent review of the curriculum and assessment system in England, with statistical analysis on 18 March 2025. In July 2024, the Government commissioned Professor Becky Francis CBE to convene and chair a panel of experts to conduct the Curriculum and Assessment Review. This is their first interuim report. The evidence shows … Continue reading Curriculum and Assessment Review: interim report
SEND in crisis campaign
The f40 group of local authorities, of which Derbyshire is one, have started a campaign for: A SEND funding strategy, linked to the SEND and AP Improvement Plan, focusing on early intervention and inclusion. Additional SEND revenue funding – f40 has calculated that £4.6bn more is required per year. Substantial one-off capital funding to expand … Continue reading SEND in crisis campaign
Identifying SEND
A new report by the Education Policy Institute, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, highlights the inequalities and the blind spots that exist in SEND support across schools in England. The report identifies the structural challenges within the system where factors such as the fragmentation of the school system, prolonged school absences, language barriers and living … Continue reading Identifying SEND
Derbyshire Derbyshire SEND Partnership Priority Impact Plan
In the wake of the recent Oftsed report in Derbyshire Council's SEND provision, the LA has published its impact plan. In the plan's introduction they note: "The Partnership has apologised for these failings and is committed to addressing all the areas identified in the inspection report through this Impact Plan. The Impact Plan establishes the … Continue reading Derbyshire Derbyshire SEND Partnership Priority Impact Plan
SEND: guidance for school governing boards
The DfE have updated their guidance on SEND for Governing Bodies. They state that the purpose of this guidance is intended to: support school governing boards’ understanding of their role and responsibilities in relation to children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities; empower governors and trustees to hold their schools to … Continue reading SEND: guidance for school governing boards
Education Committee question Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson
Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education and permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood appeared before the Education Committee on 15th January. You can watch a video of the meeting here. Amongst other things, they spoke about: National funding formula under review; Academy changes will introduce a pay ‘floor, but no ceiling’; ‘Improving Education Together’ partnership aimed … Continue reading Education Committee question Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson
Martyn Oliver speaks about Ofsted reform
Ofsted chief inspector Martyn Oliver spoke to education committee MPs on new report cards, safeguarding 'spot checks' and SEND worries amongst other things. You can read the transcript of the meeting on the Parliament website, here (where there is also am link to watch the recording of the meeting). Some of the points he made … Continue reading Martyn Oliver speaks about Ofsted reform
Ofsted annual report: education and social care serving most children well, but system pressures bite for most disadvantaged
Ofsted find that most children are well-served by the education sector and, in social care, life-changing work is being done for children and young people every day. However: Many reasons to be positive about future of education and children’s social care, but huge challenges remain. Education and care providers struggling to recruit and retain skilled … Continue reading Ofsted annual report: education and social care serving most children well, but system pressures bite for most disadvantaged
New specialist places to be created in mainstream schools
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced 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 … Continue reading New specialist places to be created in mainstream schools
Towards an Effective and Financially Sustainable Approach to SEND in England
A report on SEND commissioned by the County Councils Network and Local Government Association has been published by the ISOS Partnership. The key findings are that: More children and young people than ever before are being identified as having SEND; There are more children and young people than ever before whose needs are not being … Continue reading Towards an Effective and Financially Sustainable Approach to SEND in England
MPs told SEND system is in crisis
The f40 campaigning group, which represents the 40 or so worst educationally funded councils in England, recently held a meeting with more than 75 MPs and their representatives at a parliamentary briefing in Westminster. Also involved were the Local Government Association (LGA), and the County Councils Network (CCN). MPs were told that the number of … Continue reading MPs told SEND system is in crisis
New findings from a national study of young people with Special Educational Needs
The SEND Futures Discovery Phase study is a national study carried out by the National Centre for Social Research, in collaboration with the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) on behalf of the Department for Education. Across two rounds of data collection, the study has gathered information and views from around 3000 parents of young people with … Continue reading New findings from a national study of young people with Special Educational Needs
Support for children and young people with special educational needs
A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) finds that around 1.9 million children and young people aged 0 to 25 years in England (11%) were identified as having special educational needs (SEN) in January 2024, with 1.7 million at school. This won't come as a surprise to teachers. The report finds that "although … Continue reading Support for children and young people with special educational needs
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