SEND | Schools Week

Williamson plans behaviour survey and urges ‘sensible debate’ over exclusions

Schools will take part in a new survey on student behaviour every term, the education secretary has announced. Gavin Williamson outlined the proposals as part of a wider drive for “strong behaviour and discipline policy,” including the behaviour hubs project and a crackdown on mobile phone use in schools. The minister also called for “proper […]

DfE to target £20m SEND capital funding at councils with ‘safety valve’ bailout deals

Up to £20 million from a £300 million capital fund to provide more school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be targeted at councils that have agreed to cost-cutting measures in exchange for deficit bailouts. The Department for Education has today re-announced a capital funding injection announced at last year’s […]

School funding: ‘Serious questions’ for government over £100m bailouts

Ministers have “serious questions to answer” over school funding bailouts for five councils, Labour has said, with calls for transparency over funding deals and other authorities demanding cash. Last week the Department for Education revealed that deals totalling almost £100 million had been struck with Bury, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond upon Thames […]

Councils in deficit told to find SEND savings in exchange for £100m bailouts

Five councils have been told to cut special needs and disabilities (SEND) spending and reform services in exchange for government bailouts totalling almost £100 million to fill black holes in their budgets. The Department for Education has reached deals with five local authorities which have some of the largest dedicated school grants deficits in England. […]

Ministers asked to ‘guarantee’ SEND rules won’t be relaxed again

Ministers have been asked to “guarantee” laws won’t be relaxed again that “downgrade” support for SEND pupils, as special schools are granted flexibility over provision during the latest lockdown. The Department for Education confirmed to Schools Week that special and alternative provision schools will be closed to all but vulnerable pupils and the children of […]

SEND review won’t be out until 2021, says Williamson

A landmark review into provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities won’t be published until next year, Gavin Williamson has said. The education secretary admitted in April that work on the review has stalled because of the coronavirus outbreak, and confirmed today that the report will now not be published until “the early […]

Ofsted’s autumn SEND ‘visits’ could prompt school inspections

Inspections of local area SEND provision could prompt emergency visits to individual schools if “serious concerns” emerge, Ofsted has said. In July it was announced that full SEND inspections, normally conducted across whole council areas by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, would not go ahead in the autumn. Interim visits would be carried out […]

No joint SEND inspections in the autumn, but Ofsted and CQC will still ‘visit’ areas

Joint area SEND inspections will not resume in the autumn term, Ofsted has announced. But the watchdog and the Care Quality Commission will conduct “a series of visits” to council areas to understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and support local areas to “respond effectively”. The inspectorate will also produce a new area SEND […]

Government faces legal challenge over emergency SEND powers

The government is facing a legal challenge after temporarily “relaxing” the duty of councils to provide support for SEND pupils during the coronavirus outbreak. A notice at the end of April told councils they would only need to show “reasonable endeavours” to fulfill their duty in pupils’ education, health and care plans (EHCPs) during May. […]