Our trust is a family of 12 schools spanning early years to key stage 5, and including a PMLD unit and a unit for children with severe and persistent literacy difficulties. One of the challenges we face is we welcome pupils living across three local authorities, each with its own procedures. So, we greatly welcome the uniformity promised by the SEND green paper, particularly regarding funding and EHCPs. However, the recent change in government and the likelihood of a general election mean we don’t know when or if the already drawn-out review will bear fruit.
We’ve decided our vulnerable pupils, including those with SEND, can’t afford to wait. In fact, we decided that a while back, and we’ve spent the past year developing a new trust-wide SEND strategy.
Nadhim Zahawi said the green paper reforms would foster an “inclusive education system”, but we want our students to thrive, not merely survive. So, we have shifted from a language of inclusion (making adaptations for some) to one of belonging (ensuring everyone feels valued to begin with).
Belonging begins with the curriculum. Instead of planning and then adapting lessons, teachers will plan lessons with pupils with SEND in mind from the outset. Our schools are working on improving teaching with a focus on building in scaffolding and gradually removing it. This benefits everyone, not least teachers, because adaptations are not needed when accessibility is built in, not bolted on.
Belonging continues through to pedagogy. Research shows ability grouping lacks impact for most, so our default is moving towards mixed-attainment classes. But we are not going back to the old model of differentiation that was the norm when I started my career. I learned to differentiate by task by default, effectively telling pupils I expected a little from a few, more from some and a lot more from others.
Adaptations are not needed when accessibility is built in
This way of working not only increases teacher workload, it plays havoc with pupils’ self-esteem. If someone is working so far below age-related expectations that no amount of scaffolding will help, the teacher should plan a different task with the right learning objective for them. By aiming high and expecting the majority to achieve, teachers have time to do this.
Belonging applies to the whole community. Some parents have voiced uncertainty about the changes we are making, so a key part of our strategy is to work in partnership with them. We are creating parent, pupil and staff forums to take in everyone’s views with the aim of improving relationships, communication, provision, and instilling that imperative sense that everyone’s views are valued and valuable.
And belonging means sharing responsibility, not competing for resources. The green paper and the Opportunity for All white paper state the government’s intention for all schools to be part of a trust. The key benefit of this is the ability to maximise the impact of our abundance of staff with knowledge across SEND. We will formalise this expertise by creating consultants to provide training and advice within our family of schools and beyond, filling a gap in local authority provision. Because children deserve the best, irrespective of which school they attend.
Perhaps the biggest change for us is asking teachers to take ownership for SEND provision for one to three pupils they know well. A maths leader leads maths, but doesn’t teach every pupil. Neither does a SENCO. It doesn’t make sense to hold either responsible for all the pupils with SEND who come across their desks. For us, the graduated approach was working adequately. But adequate is not good enough – especially if it relies on a SENCO trying desperately to carry out 15 reviews in a day.
If the teacher leading a pupil’s provision is someone who knows them well, then quality should be exemplary. More than that, it should make everyone a better teacher and demystify SEND, which many have come to fear.
So, we keenly await the green paper’s streamlined processes that will ease the burden on our family of schools. But in the meantime, we are already helping ourselves by going beyond inclusion.
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