In the first of a special blog series, Liam Donnison takes you through the key recommendations in Supporting Education Group’s submission to the Commons Education Committee inquiry into the SEND system.
With more than 1.6 million pupils in England now classified as having SEND needs – around a fifth of the school population and growing year on year – the school system is straining to cope with SEND.
The impact of this crisis is far reaching; more than half of exclusions involve pupils with SEND, and behaviour is a major recorded cause of exclusions which may often be rooted in unmet needs, according to research by the National Audit Office.
Managing SEND in mainstream schools can place additional pressure on staff, adding to existing recruitment and retention challenges.
It’s clear that the education system is facing a huge challenge which, if left unchecked, will only grow in scale, with potentially devastating consequences for society in the longer term.
The sheer scale and complexity of the SEND issue has prompted a long-awaited inquiry into the SEND system, launched by the House of Commons Education Select Committee at the end of last year.
Supporting Education Group is playing its part. We have drawn on feedback, data and evaluation from our work with schools and trusts, teachers and leaders from around the country to develop a comprehensive set of recommendations that have now been submitted to the inquiry.
The paper contains recommendations for improvements in three main areas: SEND training, data and tracking and the creation of whole school and system wide approaches to meeting pupil needs.
In this blog I’ll quickly outline our main recommendations in the first area, SEND training, and will focus on the other areas in the following two blogs.
The confidence of staff in managing increasing SEND in mainstream schooling limits the extent to which pupil needs can be met and creates stress and retention issues.
That’s why training must be central to any SEND reform strategy. Giving teachers, support staff and school leaders the confidence and skills to understand and address the impact of unmet developmental needs affecting learning and behaviour will play a big part in unlocking this challenge.
There are five key elements that we recommend:
1. Build more SEND and Inclusion into National Professional Qualifications (NPQs)
The NPQs are well understood and valued programmes which have strong take up every year. The SEND element in the Leadership qualifications should be extended to include a stronger inclusion focus, examples and evidence. SEND and inclusion should also be made more central to the specialist qualifications.
We think that these changes could happen relatively quickly and cost effectively. Realising the untapped potential of the Apprenticeship Levy to fund these training routes while minimising the impact on government budgets should also be part of these efforts.
2. Extend the Mental Health Leads in Schools programme
Schools tell us that the increase in SEND results in additional behavioural challenges if those needs are not fully met. We recommend building the existing Mental Health Leads in Schools programme from Thrive into an NPQSEMH qualification with a ‘trauma-informed’ focus.
Although the current programme can improve understanding of pupil behaviour as a way of communicating unmet needs, and how to identify and work effectively to help pupils engage in mainstream education, it could be expanded into a full NPQ, increasing the perceived status and value of the training.
We’re also recommending a bigger focus on how whole-school trauma informed practices can reduce system strain and deliver a quicker, positive impact for many pupils.
3. Create additional SEND specialist teacher training routes
For staff in specialist provision within mainstream schools. There is high demand among new teacher trainees for this, as the enthusiastic reception for our recently launched pilot SEND ITT curriculum shows. While some ITT pathways already have SEND elements, we need a more structured and consistent approach to give all new teachers a foundational understanding of inclusion so they can better support SEND pupils from the off.
We’re also recommending an amplification of SEND and inclusion specialisation for TAs. This would ensure that support staff who often work very closely with SEND pupils receive structured training to help them meet these needs effectively. The rapid take up and high demand for the SEND-route TA apprenticeships launched this year by Best Practice Network show that there’s a real appetite for this.
4. Expand the EYSEN programme
Early Years professionals receive less systematic professional development than others, even though research shows that early years experiences are pivotal in children’s development. Equipping the workforce with greater insight into identifying and meeting needs would have a big impact in both school-based and PVI (private, voluntary, and independent) early years provision.
Feedback from the existing EYSEN programme – delivered by Best Practice Network for the DfE – has been overwhelmingly positive. This backs up our belief that an expansion would improve practice and enhance outcomes for many more children.
5. More accreditation routes for Education Psychologists, SLCN, ASC and SEMH experts
Parents are often frustrated by the limited availability of assessments, while schools and trusts providing education for mainstream SEND pupils can struggle to access sufficient specialist practitioners. Developing career pathways that allow teachers to specialise in SEND would build capacity within the system – particularly when combined with strategies to attract career-changers and career-returners.
Empowering school-employed staff with the appropriate skills and expertise to conduct more assessments – moderated by highly qualified professionals such as educational psychologists – would help alleviate a key pressure point. This would reduce delays, minimise frustration and ensure that pupil needs are met more effectively.