SEND review

SEND contextual league tables plan shelved

DfE claims proposals had 'mixed feedback', with concerns it could 'risk generating perverse incentives'

DfE claims proposals had 'mixed feedback', with concerns it could 'risk generating perverse incentives'

Exclusive

Ministers have shelved SEND review plans to use performance league tables to reveal how inclusive mainstream schools are.

The SEND and AP green paper said adding contextual information alongside results would “make it easier to recognise” schools that were “doing well for children with SEND”.

While it provided few details, the government admitted it had heard “too many examples” of mainstream schools that were not inclusive, although accountability measures could be seen as “a disincentive” to take on SEND pupils.

But last week’s finalised SEND improvement plan failed to mention the proposal.

The Department for Education told Schools Week it had “carefully” considered the “benefits and drawbacks of making data on how many pupils in a school have SEN more prominent in performance tables”.

But the proposals had “mixed feedback”, with concerns it could “risk generating perverse incentives”.

“We will continue to show information about a school’s cohort, including pupils with SEN, alongside attainment and progress data, but we do not plan to make cohort information more prominent for now.”

Concerns relate to identification ‘inconsistencies’

It is understood concerns related to inconsistencies in how children with SEND are identified, which the new national standards seek to rectify.

A 2021 report by the Education Policy Institute found a “lottery” in SEND identification.

The primary school a pupil attended made more difference to their chances of being identified as SEND than anything about them as an individual, their experiences or where they lived.

Bridget Phillipson
Bridget Phillipson

Leora Cruddas, the chief executive at the Confederation of School Trusts, said it was the right decision “at the moment”.

“What the improvement plan rightly focuses on is improving the expertise of the workforce…this is likely to result in much better outcomes for pupils and young people.”

But James Bowen, a policy director at the heads’ union NAHT, said it was “disappointing” as there “is a strong sense within the profession [that] the current accountability system does not appropriately recognise the most inclusive schools”.

“There is no doubt this would be a complex issue to deal with, but it is important that schools doing a particularly good job for pupils with SEND are recognised and certainly not penalised.”

Vic Goddard, the headteacher of Passmores Academy in Essex, which is known as a “SEND magnet school”, said contextual league tables would tell “a story” to parents that was not just about results.

Scrapping the idea was “just another weakening of the position of the schools that are inclusive”.

Dashboards will not show school-level data

Plans to publish “inclusion dashboards” are due to be trialled next month, but they will only show metrics based on the local area rather than school-level.

It will take at least three years for the government’s major SEND reforms to be fully rolled out. Key policies, such as producing national SEND standards and funding tariffs, will be trialled as part of a £70 million “change programme”.

Claire Coutinho
Claire Coutinho

Ministers will then finalise policies and decide whether to legislate, but not in this parliament.

A £9.8 million, two-year contract has now gone live for the creation of “a blueprint of the future system”.

Documents say testing “will be the critical success factor along with the ability to iterate at pace”.

A “continuous feedback loop of intelligence” will need to be made to the DfE to “learn fast and understand in real time what is working and what isn’t.”

Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s shadow education secretary, told MPs on Monday the plan was “symptomatic of a government who have simply given up and who are governing through a mixture of distraction and delay, pushing the tough decisions to the other side of the election”.

But Claire Coutinho, the children’s minister, told the Commons that “it is important that we consult and take time to get it right” when “setting out steps like national standards”.

Latest education roles from

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Solihull College and University Centre

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

It’s Education’s Time to Shine: Celebrate your Education Community in 2025!

The deadline is approaching to nominate a colleague, team, whole school or college for the 2025 Pearson National Teaching...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Navigating NPQ Funding Cuts: An Apprenticeship Success Story

Last year’s NPQ funding cuts meant that half of England’s teachers faced costs of up to £4,000 to complete...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Embedding Formative Assessment: not just a box-ticking exercise but something long-term and meaningful for all

Our EFA programme has been proven to help schools achieve better GCSE results, as evidenced by the EEF. Find...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Building capacity in family support to tackle low school attendance 

Persistent and severe school absence impacts children, families, and communities—especially in disadvantaged areas. School-Home Support’s Attendance Support and Development Programme...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

SEND, SEND review

Education committee SEND inquiry to focus on solutions

MPs launch call for evidence in major inquiry to help fix broken special needs system

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
SEND review

Revealed: The 21 experts to oversee roll-out of SEND reforms

Board members tasked with holding government to account for 'timely development and improvement' of SEND system

Freddie Whittaker
SEND review

Councils shortlisted to test SEND reforms

Groups will trial new policies put forward in the SEND and alternative provision green paper

Samantha Booth
SEND review

Sluggish SEND review risks leaving kids ‘stuck in vicious cycle’, says de Souza

'We have two more years of children being fed into this cycle with commensurate poor outcomes that has necessitated...

Samantha Booth

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *