A new survey was published by the DfE last week that discusses the challenges the Government will face addressing the SEND system in the UK.
An article by Samantha Booth published by Schoolsweek identified four key challenges they will face:
1. Parental Concerns – Only 59% of parents feel their children with additional needs are well-supported compared to 90% – in special schools
2. Inclusivity Goals – The current government aims to make mainstream schools more inclusive and improve support for SEND students, there is a long way to go to build trust with parents trust in mainstream settings.
3. Funding Issues – Many school leaders report they cannot effectively support SEND pupils and students due to financial constraints.
4. Policy and Practice – Schoolsweek suggests that mainstream schools need to prioritise resources to improve SEND awareness among staff and involve parents more in decision-making.
Schools minister Catherine McKinnell said they will be… “looking at teacher training to ensure people have the things they need to be able to identify children’s needs, and to stop those issues from escalating”.
“We’ll be making sure that teachers as well get that support and training they need to be able to meet every child’s need within their cohort,” she added.
The DfE did not provide further details on this work. But it has recently updated the teaching training framework to include “significantly more content” on SEND.
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