Reform is required – inclusion and early intervention must be key
We believe the education system is not working as well as it should be and major reform is the only thing that will ensure a quality education for all and bring an end to the crisis in SEND.
We must revolutionise education, focusing on inclusion at mainstream school and early help to ensure children’s needs are met at the earliest opportunity in their local state schools, wherever possible.
Specialist provision should only be for those children with the most complex needs.
Investing in early intervention will save in the long-term and will prevent mild to moderate extra needs from becoming serious. It will help children to reach their milestones and will reduce the need for more complex, costly support later on.
However, in order to effect change, schools must be provided with the right funding, training, staffing and resources to enable them to better support their pupils, including those with SEND.
Guidelines around ordinarily available SEND provision in mainstream will enable schools to ensure they are delivering the right support in the right way, whilst instilling confidence in parents.
Investment should also be made in support services, such as mental health and speech and language, which has declined in recent years and has resulted in teaching staff picking up the pieces, often without the necessary training or funding.
Schools must also be incentivised to improve their inclusion through greater accountability and inspection processes, which look at their SEND support, as well as their academic attainment.
We must also better regulate the independent specialist SEND sector to ensure they provide both quality provision and value for money.
f40 is campaigning for:
- A review of core SEND funding in mainstream, including the notional £6k funding, ensuring it is ringfenced and able to better support inclusion.
- Improved SEND resources, guidance and teacher training in every mainstream school.
- Greater accountability for inclusion in mainstream schools, along with a greater focus on inclusion during school inspections.
- Greater regulation and scrutiny of the independent SEND sector, including around value-for-money
- Improved clarity around expected ordinarily available SEND provision and support
