Recommendations & Conclusions
12 items
3
Recommendation
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
An inclusive mainstream education system must be underpinned by several key elements, all of which we would expect to be included in the Department’s definition at a level of detail sufficient to enable professionals and families to have a clear understanding of the Government’s approach: • education settings and environments …
Government response. The government has established an Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion and deployed Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) advisors to improve inclusive practice. It is also implementing an explicit focus on inclusion in Ofsted's new framework and making inclusive …
Department for Education
8
Recommendation
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
It is essential that the Department addresses these challenges if it is going to succeed in making mainstream education inclusive and fixing the broken SEND system. The Department must involve stakeholders in reforms and begin to consult with parent-led organisations now. It should set out a clear timeline for SEND …
Government response. The government commits to extensive stakeholder engagement now, including with parent-led organisations, through a Ministerial development group, regional/online sessions, and roundtables. Further details on SEND reforms will be set out in a Schools White Paper early in the new year, …
Department for Education
9
Conclusion
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
The current inconsistency in SEN support and ordinarily available provision across England is unacceptable and results in deeply inequitable experiences for children and young people with SEND. The lack of consistent good practice in SEN support, driven by insufficiently clear and specific guidance and inconsistent interpretations of ‘best endeavours’ are …
Government response. The government acknowledges the need for consistency and commits to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools. It has established an Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion and deployed Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) advisors to disseminate effective inclusive …
Department for Education
11
Recommendation
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
The Department for Education should publish a unified national framework for ordinarily available provision and SEN support. This should offer clear, evidence-led guidance and include practical, real-world examples tailored to educators and educational settings, ensuring that all practitioners have access to quality-assured strategies and interventions. (Recommendation, Paragraph 74)
Government response. The government has not committed to publishing a unified national framework but is working to improve inclusivity and expertise through other means. These include deploying RISE advisors to disseminate effective practice, making inclusive practice standard in early years, funding training …
Department for Education
35
Recommendation
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
A national rollout of ELSEC and NELI is essential and should be accompanied by comprehensive, long-term funding and resources to meet the scale of children’s speech and language needs. In addition, the Government should undertake further work to understand where the balance of resource should sit between early years and …
Government response. The government commits to continuing fully funded access to the NELI programme until AY 2028/29 and funding specialist early language leads. However, an independent evaluation of the ELSEC programme is underway to inform future decisions, and the recommendation for further …
Department for Education
43
Recommendation
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
The Government must introduce a three-route model for those who have not attained grade 4 GCSE in maths and/or English based on their level of attainment at age 16 and their chosen post-16 qualification/employment pathway: • Students who, based on their GCSE results at age 16 and prior attainment, have …
Government response. The government commits to a package of reforms to break the cycle of unnecessary resits, including offering new Level 1 stepping stone qualifications and changes to the accountability framework, but does not adopt the specific three-route model proposed by the …
Department for Education
51
Conclusion
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
The Department should provide comprehensive training within ITT and clear guidance for schools, multi-academy trusts and education staff on delivering inclusive education practice. This will ensure that all settings understand their legal obligations and are equipped to make the necessary accommodations to support pupils with SEND effectively. Embedding this knowledge …
Government response. The government has introduced the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) and the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) with enhanced SEND statements, and committed to providing targeted support for ECTs in special schools, partially addressing the need for …
Department for Education
62
Conclusion
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
The Department should issue guidance on teaching assistant-to-pupil ratios and urgently address the worsening crisis in recruiting and retaining TAs and learning support assistants to ensure these ratios can be met. These professionals are vital to the delivery of inclusive education, yet their contribution continues to be undervalued and under-supported. …
Government response. The government commits to addressing competitive pay increases for TAs and LSAs through the new School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), which will also advise on career progression routes. However, it does not address issuing guidance on TA-to-pupil ratios, expanding …
Department for Education
67
Conclusion
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
The DfE and DHSC should urgently develop a joint SEND workforce plan to address shortages and build capacity across education, health, and care services. This should include explicit measures to deliver a shift in the deployment of educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and other allied health professionals away from …
Government response. The government is working with DHSC and NHS England to improve access to health services and ensure more effective deployment of allied health professionals away from bureaucracy. They are investing over £31 million to train 600 more educational psychologists by …
Department for Education
73
Conclusion
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
The High Needs Block should be refocused to enable and incentivise earlier intervention. Currently, a significant proportion of this funding is directed towards supporting high-cost, specialist provision once needs have escalated. While such provision is vital for some, a more preventative approach is needed to reduce long-term need and improve …
Government response. The government details specific investments in early intervention programs and strategies, including funding for early language leads and extending proven programs, but does not explicitly commit to refocusing or redirecting High Needs Block funding as recommended.
Department for Education
80
Conclusion
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
Bringing education and health more closely together should be supported by an evidence led approach, drawing on the role of NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) to produce new SEND guidelines and intervention pathways. (Recommendation, Paragraph 277)
Government response. The government agrees that reforms should be evidence-based and refers to the 10-Year Health Plan and an independent evaluation of the Early Language Support for Every Child programme to inform future decisions. However, they do not commit to specifically drawing …
Department for Education
90
Conclusion
5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis
Accepted in Part
The Department for Education should expand specialist SEND provision by investing in high-quality specialist state schools and mainstream resource bases and other mainstream provision. This should be achieved through shifting funding from some independent specialist school provision to better value for money state specialist school provision. This will help meet …
Government response. The government acknowledges the vital role of special schools and specialist post-16 provision, and states a commitment to improving support across the system. They also express a desire to explore how to make widespread the practices of mainstream settings delivering …
Department for Education