‘Major inquiry’ into the SEND system launched
The Education Committee ‘will examine every phase of education and development’ for young people with SEND.
Today, the government has announced an inquiry into the SEND system.
It follows numerous, concerning reports about the current state of SEND in England.
The National Audit Office found no improvement for pupils with SEND since 2019 and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) projected ‘absurd’ council deficits if the system remains unchanged.
The Education Committee asks for input from anyone interested in the SEND system.
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?‘Long-term sustainability’
The committee will consider how to ‘stabilise’ the system ‘in the short term’, with the ultimate aim to ‘achieve long-term sustainability’.
The inquiry and call for evidence will focus on the following areas:?
Hoping to improve inclusivity in mainstream settings, the committee also wants to ‘increase the capacity of SEND provision’.
With the IFS projecting deficits of ￡8 billion if the system remains unchanged, the committee will also focus on how SEND is funded.
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Consistency across local authorities
The committee wants to address the ‘varying quality’ of SEND provision in England, hoping to? ‘make provision more consistent’ and look into how processes work across the country.
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It will consider the ‘effectiveness of multi-agency working,’ looking at how education, health and social care link together.
This follows the Children’s Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza’s, statement that there was often ‘too much passing of the buck’ over responsibilities, with departments more concerned with who will pay.
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‘Endless cycle of failure’
Helen Hayes MP, Education Committee Chair, stated that there is ‘absolute clarity’ that the ‘endless cycle of failure’ cannot continue.
‘Years of careful reform’ are necessary, and the committee will make ‘evidence-based recommendations’ for the government to take action.
‘As a Committee we now want to move beyond simply pointing out the problems and focus on finding solutions that are realistic and practical for the Government to implement,’ she said.
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Who can contribute to the call for evidence?
The Education Committee wants to hear from anyone interested in ‘the system of support for children and young people with SEND’.
This includes, but is not limited to:
The public can submit information to the call for evidence until 30th January 2025, which will help inform the committee’s plans.
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Project Manager
2 个月Good
Sales and business administrator, bookkeeper
2 个月This is long overdue. The entire system needs an overhaul and the Department for Education needs to consult with and work with families, educators/schools, and local authorities to co-produce a better way forward that serves ALL parties better. Ultimately it should be about true inclusion and support for the vast majority of students so that specialist provision is only required for those students who have high support needs. It would be easy to rewrite the approach required, as long as all parties are included in the work that is needed, to bring this area out of the Dark Ages and into a modern society.