Listen to this story Members can listen to an AI-generated audio version of this article. 1.0x Audio narration uses an AI-generated voice. 0:00 0:00 Become a member to listen to this article Subscribe New fully funded training courses on supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be on offer by autumn next year. The Department for Education has shared details of its £200 million training package that forms part of the SEND reforms, with the teacher training provider Ambition Institute designing and developing “a suite of online and downloadable resources”. Training materials are set to be published in three phases. The first, which will be published in September, will “help all staff understand proposed SEND reforms, build a shared vision for inclusion, and plan professional development for the rest of the year”, said the DfE. The materials will be designed to “support a whole-setting approach to inclusive practice”, it said, adding that schools “should involve teachers and TAs” in the training. Further materials will be published this December and in spring next year, covering “pedagogy, creating inclusive environments, and working with parents”. The training is expected to be tailored for primary, secondary, and further education settings. £2m contract Hilary Spencer, the chief executive of Ambition, say it was delighted to have been “entrusted with this important work”. “Teachers and leaders need high-quality, evidence-based materials that help them turn strong inclusive practice into a reality for every pupil and student. “We are looking forward to working closely with schools, colleges and the wider sector as we develop these resources, so they reflect the realities of different settings and are genuinely useful to the people who will use them.” Ambition’s initial contract will run until the end of March, although the DfE may extend it a further year. It is worth a maximum £2.7 million. Training teachers and staff to better support children with SEND is seen as key to the success of the government’s plan to increase inclusion in mainstream settings. Training materials are one element of the £200 million package. SEND training courses to start next year They will be followed by new “inclusive education” training courses, which will begin next autumn. The courses will be for teachers, leaders, lecturers, teaching assistants and FE support staff in mainstream schools and FE colleges. Participants will be able to combine online self-study with “live, facilitated elements”. The department hoped the new courses will be boosted by a more comprehensive early years offer, including webinars and local support networks. Registration will open before the end of the next academic year. The DfE is yet to appoint a contractor to run the training. In a letter to education committee chair Helen Hayes last month, Bridget Phillipson, the former education secretary, said the £200 million scheme “will ensure staff are equipped with the skills and confidence to support children and young people with SEND”.