Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 3
3
Accepted in Part
Include accessible settings, expert staff, flexible curriculum, and robust accountability in the definition.
Recommendation
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 must be accessible, safe, and designed to meet a wide range of sensory and physical needs; • teachers and teaching assistants and other support staff should have the expertise, training, and confidence to support diverse learners, underpinned by regular access to embedded specialist professionals; • the curriculum must be flexible, relevant, and reflect the representation of young people with SEND; and the Government must ensure the curriculum itself and the assessment of it reflect and accommodate their needs; 154 • accountability systems must examine and prioritise the progress and outcomes of all pupils, on a rounded set of indicators which include but are not limited to academic attainment, so that inclusion is embedded as an essential component of quality for all settings. The proportion of pupils with SEND should be published and compared with other local schools and multi-academy trusts, to act as a disincentive to exclusionary practices; and • critically, good inclusive practice must always ensure rigorous, systemic approaches to understanding the individual needs of every child and delivering personalised support. (Recommendation, Paragraph 36)
Government Response Summary
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 practice standard in early years through working with educators and providing professional development, though it does not fully address all aspects of the broad recommendation.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools to ensure they have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate. In December 2024, we created an Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion, led by Tom Rees, to advise the Secretary of State for Education and the Minister of State for School Standards on how to drive inclusive education practice. In September 2025, the group’s remit was extended, to ensure that as the government progresses towards publication of a Schools White Paper, Ministers can draw on a broad range of advice and input. Our new team of expert Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) advisors will also work with mainstream schools to become more inclusive places as one of four priority areas for improvement. The RISE advisors include leaders from the SEND and alternative provision sectors, with a track record of improving schools, who will work with schools and their responsible bodies to drive improvement. They will work directly with schools through bespoke targeted intervention, and support the identification and dissemination of effective inclusive practice as part of the RISE universal improvement offer. Through regional events, conferences and networking opportunities, universal RISE will enable schools and trusts to come together to discuss issues and share learning, drawing on expertise from across the whole school system. RISE will help all schools to identify how they can drive inclusion and support them to go further, improving outcomes for all pupils. The government aims to deliver a rich, broad and inclusive reformed curriculum as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and commissioned an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review July 2024. The Review was clear that whilst many young people are succeeding through the current system, too many are still leaving full-time education without the essential knowledge and skills they need to thrive and adapt in a rapidly changing world, particularly those with SEND and from disadvantaged backgrounds. Furthermore, for the first time Ofsted have set out an explicit focus on inclusion in their new framework, gathering evidence on factors from school culture to assessment of need. The new inspection framework came into effect on 10 November. The biggest in-education factor that makes the impact to a child’s educational outcomes is high-quality teaching. This is particularly important for pupils with Special Educational Needs and disabilities (SEND). As we set out in the Best Start in Life strategy, we will make inclusive practice standard practice in the early years. We will do this by working with early years educators, including Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), to embed inclusive practice across all early years teaching and qualifications, alongside additional resources and funding. In schools, we want to make sure teachers can access high quality professional development that supports them to deliver the best teaching for all pupils, including those with SEND.