Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted in Part
Involve stakeholders and parent organisations in SEND reforms; publish annual progress reports.
Recommendation
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 reforms and report on progress at least on an annual basis. (Recommendation, Paragraph 49) Securing inclusive education
Government Response Summary
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, which will include a formal consultation, but an explicit commitment to annual reporting on progress is not provided.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
Our response at this time is deliberately high-level and further detail on our plans for SEND reform will be set out in the Schools White Paper early in the new year following a further period of engagement with children and families. The Ministerial team and I are continuing to listen closely to families, teachers and experts, as we put together plans to transform outcomes for every child with SEND. Engagement across our stakeholder groups, from children and young people with lived experiences and their families, to experts and charities, allows us to draw on diverse expertise and experiences. Our engagement will centre around 3 core activity strands: SEND Ministerial development group -We have listened to feedback from SEND parent groups that, building on our engagement over the past year, they would welcome further opportunities to work directly with the Ministerial team to share their insight and help shape the reform proposals to ensure they are rooted in the lived experiences of children and young people with SEND. In response to this, I’ve brought together a development group of SEND parent groups and other key stakeholders, to meet between now and the end of January. This group will hear a range of perspectives and test potential solutions to the key challenges in our SEND system to ensure that policy proposals are built on the knowledge and experiences of children their families and those working in the system. Alongside those representing parents and carers, the group will include representatives from schools and local government as well as health, early years and further education. Regional and online engagement sessions - From early next month, we’ll be running events in every region in England and online, open to everyone with a stake in building a better SEND system. Ministerial roundtables – We will continue to attend roundtables, enabling us to listen to a wide range of different stakeholders, from parent groups to children and young people and other key stakeholders. We are committed to hearing as many views as possible in this phase of co-creation. The insights and lived experiences shared during these engagement opportunities will be vital in ensuring that our proposals effectively deliver meaningful reforms for families. We will also continue engagement as part of a formal consultation following the White Paper publication, and the responses received will be carefully considered in shaping the reforms.