How do we make education fairer for Special Educational Needs pupils?

Education providers today welcomed the commitment today from Tom Hunt MP, to write to both the Secretary of State for Education and Chair of the Education Committee, Robert Halfon, highlighting how the education system is still stacked against children with special educational needs. 

 

Tom Hunt MP: “I was pleased that the Secretary of State for education agreed with me, that all mainstream schools should be SEN schools.”

 

It seems that the current system is too tilted towards outcomes. It is welcomed that the Government has promised over £3bn worth of funding to help children catch up on the education they have lost over the pandemic, the Government needs to consider a more holistic approach to addressing the needs of children with SEN, whose education has been so disrupted in recent times.

Tom Hunt MP: “We know that lost learning has disproportionately affected students with Special Educational Needs, so the government’s investment of £3bn more for SEND provision is absolutely necessary.”

 

The OSFTED framework takes into account the grades produced by a school, which can disadvantage schools with a greater proportion of SEN students.

 

Tom Hunt MP: “We need a system which rewards and incentivises good provision of SEND in schools.”

 

Ofsted inspections should reward the fantastic work done regarding SEND, and incentivise schools to provide the best to students with additional needs; assessments of schools should be about the positive difference made, taking into consideration the wide range of backgrounds and needs that teachers may be providing for.

 

Nisai Virtual Academy CEO, Dhruv Patel: “The Government need to gain a real understanding of the journey a child with special educational needs makes through their academic career and what constitutes success for them.  Only 15% of adults with autism are in full time employment.  This is not because they are incapable of work. This is because schools do not get any credit for developing skills outside a narrow academic criterion by OFSTED which means many children with SEN remain marginalised.  This needs to be corrected.” 

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