About Matt Keer
Matt has two deaf children. He has over 20 years of experience grappling with the SEND system as a parent, and he’s seen the best and the worst that the SEND system offers. Matt specialises in SEND stats, data analysis, and in-depth investigations of policies.
He has given evidence to several Parliamentary Select Committee inquiries, and his articles for SNJ on SEND funding, local government policy, and the SENDIST Tribunal have been quoted in Select Committee inquiry reports and national media.
Pronouns: he/him
Matt's posts on SNJ
Matt's posts on SNJ
- How does the the SEND Improvement Plan intend to create more accountability?On 2nd March, the Department for Education finally published its plan to improve the SEND and alternative provision system. Over…Continue reading »
- Serially flawed, frequently unlawful: DfE-ordered SEND “Rapid Improvements” still barely visible in England’s biggest council“Every child and young person with special educational needs or disabilities should have access to high-quality services. Where a council…Continue reading »
- Why the DfE’s SEND Adviser,, Tony McArdle, is wrong, wrong, wrong: Matt’s Director’s CutEarlier this week Schools Week ran an article from us responding to their earlier interview about the SEND system with…Continue reading »
- A guide to Ofsted and CQC’s “new, improved” Local Area SEND Inspections 2023 (Part 2)Early this year, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will be kicking off a new approach to inspecting local…Continue reading »
- Leadership, strategy and EHCPs most significant weaknesses in England’s local area SEND Inspections (Part 1)This article comes to you in two parts. The first, below, explores the statistics of Ofsted and CQC’s Area SEND…Continue reading »
- The cruelest cuts that jeopardise disabled children’s life chances have become just another day for England’s SEND systemLaycock Primary School is a mainstream community school in the north London borough of Islington. It has a specialist SEN…Continue reading »
- SEND Tribunal 2022: With a 3.7% LA success rate, what will it take for the Government to finally understand the law matters?It’s freezing this week in the Keer stats dungeon – but mercifully, an annual set of statistics about the Special…Continue reading »
- Parents call on SEND Minister to invest in deaf children missing vital support in schoolswith Juliet, the mum of a profoundly deaf child I've got two deaf children. They've left the SEND system now,…Continue reading »
- School staff need a pay rise, but when LAs don’t pass on government funding, it’s SEND pupils who suffer mostEveryone’s feeling the cost of living crisis right now – and the world of SEND hasn’t been spared. Most children…Continue reading »
- SEND parents under surveillance… is your council watching you online?For families of children and young people with SEND, social media is one of the greatest assets we have. It…Continue reading »
- Are new SEND financial accountability measures compatible with lawful SEND provision?Accountability. Ask most SEND parents, and that’s what they’ll tell you is missing from the current system. Most of the…Continue reading »
- SEND Stats 2022: How has the pandemic affected the numbers of pupils with SEND?It’s the middle of June, and that means the Department for Education (DfE) has just published its annual set of…Continue reading »
- The EHCP statistics 2022 don’t tell the whole story. And see who topped the new EHCP LA Hall of Shame!At the end of last week, the Department for Education (DfE) published their annual statistical summary of Education, Health and Care…Continue reading »
- What are the implications of the #SENDReview for deaf children?with Justin Cooke, National Children's Deaf Society I’ve got two deaf boys. They’ve experienced some of the best and the…Continue reading »
- How can the #SENDReview implement new changes while avoiding the same mistakes of the last reforms?Let’s kick off with some Green Paper quotes: “Disabled children and children with SEN tell us that they can feel…Continue reading »
- Bureau of Investigative Journalism finds SEND funding black hole grew by 52% in a year, with one child in a SEND school 412 miles from homeThe Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation with a mission to hold power to account. TBIJ…Continue reading »
- What does the #SENDReview Green Paper say about funding the future of SEND?This post includes an explanation of how SEND funding works in the simplest way possible, before looking at funding in…Continue reading »
- #SENDReview Chapter 5 (part 1): The missing accountability questionIn this article, we'll be looking at the first part of Chapter 5, dealing with Consultation Questions No. 17 &…Continue reading »
- Publication day: Your first look at what’s in the SEND Review Green Paper.Updates Summary of the SEND review: right support, right place, right time Dedicated SEND Review website Open consultation SEND review:…Continue reading »
- “Impowering” the future of SEND where parents and SENCOs just need to be less “demanding”As the SEND Review Green Paper edges closer - maybe within a week - we decided to look into something…Continue reading »
