Last week, the Government published a raft of interim evaluation reports into programmes started as part of the previous Government’s SEND Change Programme. They add to the interim evaluation of …
It’s over three years since the Department for Education (DfE) announced it planned to introduce a standardised and digitised process and template for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Under …
With Lisa McDonald, Head of SEND Education, Participation and Skills, SEND, Plymouth City Council Late last year, we ran a two-part article on “Ordinarily Available Provision” (OAP) from SEND expert, …
Yesterday, England’s HM Courts and Tribunals Service issued their annual set of statistics about the activities of the Special Educational Needs and Disability First-Tier Tribunal (SENDIST). SENDIST is a legal …
There’s a lot of talk of reform in the air for the English SEND system. There aren’t many specifics, but the general message from the new government and its advisers …
It’s an old saying about bureaucracies: bad news doesn’t make it to the top until it’s too late. That applies doubly to SEND, particularly when that bad news comes from …
Last week, the National Audit Office (NAO) issued a damning report on the state of SEND in England. On the same day, the Department for Education also issued a report …
The Law Commission has spent the last 12 months carrying out a much-needed and long-awaited review of the laws underpinning social care for disabled children in England. The aim is …
The new government has plenty in its in-tray. That in-tray includes SEND (below), and one of the things at the top of the teetering SEND pile will be funding. Most …
When a system is going as badly wrong as the SEND system is for 16–25-year-olds, it’s easy to focus on all the failings. In much of our policy work at …
with additional reporting from Matt Keer Over the next few months, we’ll be marking 10 years since the Children and Families Act 2014 (CFA) received Royal Assent. We’ll be looking …
With Margaret Doyle, mediation expert and research fellow If you want to appeal against a decision concerning an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), you need to either participate in …
This is the third in our series of posts looking at the complex and toxic tyre fire that is SEND funding. Some is wasted fighting parents and SEND consultants It’s …
This is the second in a series of ‘what’s happening?’ posts on SEND funding. In the first post, we looked at the Department for Education’s claim it’s made record increases …
On Friday, we wrote about the Department for Education announcing a new phase to its short breaks innovation programme and extending supported internships. The announcement also briefly included plans to …
Yesterday, Matt looked at how local authorities have been spending the £2.6 billion pound SEND capital funding. Today, we have news of another funding announcement for SEND – this time …
It’s 2024, and that means the Department for Education’s £70 million SEND and Alternative Provision Change Programme will start moving into a slightly higher gear. As part of this programme, …
with Julie Pointer, NDTi You may be aware that work is going on on developing a national template for the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), so that they are …
by Matt Keer and Tania Tirraoro Matt writes: On Friday, we took a look at the Department for Education’s Delivering Better Value in SEND financial intervention programme. Fifty-five of England’s …
Today, we are delighted to welcome a new columnist, Frances Akinde. Frances is a former special secondary headteacher and NASENCO who has worked across the breadth of education settings. She …
