CEOs and school leaders are turning away SEND pupils and the practice “needs calling out”, the ASCL union head has said, as he called on leaders to adopt “ethical” approaches and become “models for the next generation”.
Speaking on the eve of ASCL’s conference, his first as general secretary, Pepe Di’Iasio said that, while wide-ranging SEND reform was needed, leaders had a “part to play” in creating a “culture that is more inclusive and more open”.
Schools need the money and resources to do that, and accountability structures then need to “acknowledge, recognise and reward schools that are inclusive – and not punish them”, he added.
Schools Week has documented how some schools attempt to discourage children with education, health and care plans from applying, sometimes overtly turning them away. This is because they must pay for the first £6,000 of support detailed in an EHCP.
‘We’ve got to be models for the next generation’
Speaking to this newspaper, Di’Iasio said: “The stuff going on that some CEOs are doing, some school leaders are doing, that absolutely needs calling out. And they are our members, and I would want to do my best to help them come to a better conclusion.”
He said some of the non-inclusive behaviour “has been modelled to them by predecessors”.
He added: “There’s plenty of models out there for leadership in the world right now that I don’t think are positive models for inclusive, ethical, moral leaders.
“[But] we have got to be those models for the next generation. I know that the vast majority – if not all school and college leaders – want to do that, but some of them are under immense pressure because of the way the system is set up.”
Di’Iasio is concerned that this won’t change.
As the former head of a school with large numbers of SEND pupils, he pointed out that Ofsted’s proposed new inspection framework would require pupil attainment in national tests to be “broadly in line with national averages” in order to get a ‘secure’ rating for achievement.
“What that will immediately do is put a barrier up to headteachers wanting to have students with SEND and emotional and mental health needs coming into their school.”
‘Take action on SEND deficits now’
The Guardian reported this month that the government was considering drawing up a white paper to set out its proposed reforms later in the year. But Di’Iasio said the crisis was “something that that can be addressed with a realignment of investments in the first instance”.
A big part of the crisis is soaring council SEND deficits. Four in 10 councils face bankruptcy over estimated deficits of £4.9 billion when a measure keeping them off their books runs out next April.
“If you look at the amount of money going into local authorities, that’s going in there to service a debt and pay off a debt, and we think there should just be a line drawn under that debt,” Di’Iasio said.
“There’s an understanding about the systemic issues where money is being spent that shouldn’t be spent, be it on tribunals, be it on long drawn-out processes for EHCPs, be it on transport. All of that money could be reinvested more directly into the provision for young people.”
Some reform of SEND “will require legislation”, but “some of it can be done tomorrow”, he added.
Di’Iasio to press Phillipson on ‘highs and lows’ of office
ASCL’s conference will hear from education secretary Bridget Phillipson and Ofsted chief Sir Martyn Oliver today.
Di’Iasio said he wanted to hear from Phillipson that accountability pressures would be eased, for example through the scrapping of the EBacc performance measure.
He will interview the education secretary on stage, asking her to reflect on the “highs and lows” of her time in office so far.
He said: “I think I know what they are trying to achieve, but I don’t think that’s the way the messaging has always come out, particularly around the schools bill.”
He also welcomed comments from Ofsted national director Lee Owston, who told the Apprenticeship and Training Conference they will “think again” if there is sector-wide opposition to its report card plans – including another consultation if necessary.
Di’Iasio said that “behind the scenes, we’ve been working on this for six months, and I think our people would say we haven’t got very far.
“We were pushing at doors that were often bolted and secured when we were hoping that they would be willing to be opened, and they weren’t opened before Christmas.”
But Owston’s comments were “incredibly reassuring”, he said. “I would hope that we would continue with that theme.”
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