Schools white paper: The key SEND reform policies DfE documents finally flesh out proposed ‘layered’ approach
Private special school fees capped in ‘profit before children’ crackdown Plan for price bands and national standards follows award-winning exposure by Schools Week of soaring private sector spend
Movers and shakers: DfE, Camden Learning, CCT, Skills Builder UK This week’s movers and shakers include an American football referee and a collector of rare 1980s vintage fragrances
SEND bailout could ‘reduce incentives to contain costs’ Leaders welcome plan to write off 90% of deficits, but warn there is ‘not currently enough money in the system’
Ofsted requests schools publish QR code with report card content Watchdog wants parents to get links to full reports to avoid ‘cherry picking’ only positive grades
Ofsted reviews data shown in special school report cards New reports currently compare metrics like capacity of special schools to other schools in their phase, not other specialist settings
Government to write off 90% of councils’ SEND deficits Local authorities will get a grant to cover all but 10% of historic deficits accrued by the end of 2025-26
Recruiter: Hire us and get EHCP applications done free Concerns over ‘troubling commodification of statutory SEND processes at a time when schools are already overwhelmed’
Revealed: DfE’s orders to councils as SEND reforms quietly begin Whitehall tells councils not to wait for the white paper or further information on deficits to get started