A new statutory “additional learning support” category should be introduced in schools for children with SEND, with “specialist plans” replacing EHCPs for children with the most complex needs, a think tank has said.
However a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), which is influential in Labour circles, said education, health and care plans should be retained until any SEND reforms are working effectively.
The think tank warned that the “systemic nature” of the SEND system “failure” means that “iterative, incremental reform of the existing system is not an option”. It needs “root-and-branch” reform, they added.
The think tank set up the IPPR Inclusion Taskforce in July, headed by former ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton, to find a cross-party solution.
It’s the latest report recommending sweeping changes to how children with additional needs receive support, as the sector awaits for government to unveil its reform plans – which have now been delayed until next year.
1. New ‘additional learning support’ in schools
The IPPR said all children should be able to attend a local school where they “routinely receive timely, high-quality support through a combination of better universal provision and targeted support”.
This should include a new statutory category delivered in mainstream schools called “additional learning support”.
Researchers said this would be “determined by a child’s needs rather than relying on a diagnosis or lengthy assessment”. It would be “evidence based, responsive and flexible so that it supports children as their needs change”.
They also recommend it be recorded in a digital format that is easily accessible to parents and underpinned by legislation, accountability and a route to redress.
IPPR said this new layer of support would be similar to School Action Plus, which was removed in the 2014 reforms. They told Schools Week it would sit above and have “more ‘teeth’” than the current “SEN support” in schools – for children without an education, health and care plans.
However, Catriona Moore, policy manager at Independent Provider of Special Education Advice, said there’s no need to create a new form of school-based support, adding: “Schools already have a responsibility to identify children with special educational needs and use their best endeavours to meet those needs through the existing system of SEN support.
“Instead, SEN support should be strengthened by making it a statutory requirement.”
2. ‘Specialist plans’ to replace EHCPs (but not straight away)
IPPR also called for new “specialist plans” to be coordinated by councils and targeted towards only those with the most complex needs.
This system would replace EHCPs. However the think tank said children with existing EHCPs should keep them “until there is significantly better support for families through substantial reform”.
It did not provide a date for this. Instead, ministers should clearly set out how they decide when this condition has been met and changes should be consulted on, researchers added. No further detail was provided on what new plans should look like.
“Assurance” should be given to schools and parents that provision identified in EHCPs will be protected through system reforms.
Where children do have specialist plans, and need a specialist setting, this should “form an element of the overall continuum of school provision” and integrated into groups of schools rather than as a “separate sector”. This would offer “more fluid support”.
3. Parents as ‘strategic partners’
To make these changes, the government should see parents as “key strategic partners”.
“Their active involvement in shaping policy and practice is essential to achieving this vision,” they added.
Margaret Mulholland, SEND and inclusion specialist at ASCL school leaders’ union, said any new approach will need to have families’ confidence.
“The question of what role education, health, and care plans play in this new landscape is fraught with jeopardy as families see these plans as a legal guarantee of support for their child.”
4. Funding ‘rebalanced’ – but few details
But Mulholland added “schools struggle with insufficient core funding to meet the range of additional needs in every classroom”.
“They require more staff, more training support, and access to specialists such as speech and language therapists, and educational psychologists. Addressing these issues will be critical to the success of any new system.”
IPPR said funding and resources should be “rebalanced” so they reach children sooner, and empowers groups of schools to deliver high-quality support in mainstream schools.
But no further information is provided on this.
Barton told Schools Week: “The basic principle is moving funding back towards schools, trusts and colleges as well as community partnerships. Lots of modelling is needed around that, as it’s not a quick hit.”
The government is exploring this funding model – also called locality clusters – as part of its reforms.
5. More cash for SEND training and better evidence base
Workforce professional development on supporting children with additional needs should also be given more funding, bringing “the same level of rigour and evidence we expect in other areas of education and health”.
Ministers should build an evidence base for effective intervention on SEND, too. Researchers said it should start “from the strong foundation of what evidence already tells us about how children learn and what makes good teaching”.
The government should also consider the proportions of teachers, teaching assistants and school leaders with responsibility for inclusion.
6. Inclusion ‘core part’ of accountability
IPPR called for inclusion to be a “core part” of school improvement and accountability, with inspection practice and performance tables giving “greater weight” to how schools work alone and in partnership on SEND.
Admissions practices should be “improved and monitored” so fair access to education “is the norm”, with schools reflecting their local communities.
Barton added: “Funding is locked behind thresholds, delays in getting necessary support can stretch on for years, and teacher training doesn’t cover the expertise our teachers need on behalf the young people they teach.
“We need to radically reform the system so that resources are readily available to provide children with effective and timely support, and so that parents feel genuine and active partners in their child’s educational journey.”
A DfE spokesperson said: “This report rightly highlights the vicious cycle underpinning the SEND system this government inherited.
“It’s unacceptable that parents across the country are forced to fight for every scrap of support, while rising demand means children’s needs are spiralling to crisis point – that’s why we’re determined to deliver reforms which ensure all children can access the right help at the right time, without delay.”
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