A lack of evidence on what works to support pupils with SEND could pose a “challenge” to reforms, the government’s go-to body for showing what works in education has warned. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has responded to the Department for Education’s SEND consultation, which closed on May 18. Proposed reforms would see mainstream schools support more SEND pupils, while education, health and care plans (EHCPs) would be reserved for pupils with the most complex needs. ‘Significant evidence gaps’ However, the EEF said there remained “significant evidence gaps” in terms what works for SEND pupils, with some research required that “does not yet exist”. “The DfE’s ambition to ensure that high quality evidence informs education decisions in relation to SEND is important. “However at present the gaps in the current evidence base mean that there are areas where that is likely to be challenging given the many practices for which high quality evidence does not yet exist.” The EEF also said there was a “practice gap”, and that it was important that teachers engage with new research as it emerges. National inclusion standards An expert panel led by inclusion tsar Tom Rees will develop national inclusion standards – members for which are under selection. The EEF said these standards should include creating a supportive environment for all pupils, a holistic understanding of pupils and their needs and ensure all have high quality teaching. This should also be complemented with small group and one-to-one interventions, and working effectively with teaching assistants, the charity said. And while the response said high quality teaching should be secured for all, it warned that a focus on adaptive teaching may pose “potential risks” at the expense of other pupils. Sector leaders warned earlier this week that SEND reforms, alongside other major policy changes, could “smother” schools. Leaders’ union NAHT and the Confederation of School Trusts both said implementing everything at once represented a “cumulative burden”, while the Association for School Leaders said it had “serious concerns about the scale of expectations being placed on schools”.