Last week’s publication of the long-awaited SEND plan was of keen interest to many in the sector.
After all, it was a full year since the Green Paper in March 2022 finally showed that work was underway to tackle a SEND system in crisis - and provided glimmers of hope that the key priorities were going to be addressed.
While the consultation process for that Green Paper was clearly required, it caused further delay to an already stretched timeline when the need for action is now. Finally, though, the new plan has been published.
SEND plan: the ‘urgent’ need for action
The recommendation that new national standards will be a basis for developing a national approach to funding bands and tariffs, tied together with a digital and centralised approached to education, health and care plans (EHCPs), should ensure that every child receives the money required to meet need.
The key question is, why wait until 2025? This is needed urgently.
Local authority caseloads are at breaking point, and it is rare that an education, health and care needs assessment (EHCNA) meets the statutory timelines. This can leave children, parents and schools in limbo without the funding required to support inclusion within mainstream settings effectively.
The key question for me is addressing the “notional budget” issue: how this is assigned, and driving inclusion through the local area dashboards and calling out those schools that “don’t really do SEND’.
Currently, schools that are inclusive can be financially punished as they are far more attractive to parents and children than those that aren’t.
This subsequently stretches their provision and dilutes the provision available, but yet notional budgets are likely to be similar due to the communities that they serve.
More on the SEND plan:
As a multi-academy trust SEND leader, I am in a fortunate (to some extent) position, to see, first hand, the differences within the current system and the vast disparities in funding and staffing structures across authorities.
During a recent school visit, this was summed up perfectly in a conversation between two Sendcos, one of whom is in receipt of £14,500 per child for a high-need placement while the other receives £16,000 in total for high-needs funding across their cohort.
How can these figures be fair?
All Sendcos and parents would always demand more, but it perfectly highlights the postcode lottery that is currently in place across our system. This needs to be addressed before 2025 to see the long-term changes that are hoped for.
National banding will bring fairness to this and ensure that the opportunities are equal.
How MATs can do more
In my opinion, MATs are ideally positioned to buy services internally, buy training programmes in bulk and negotiate better rates for edtech, resulting in more “bang for your buck” for the children they serve and a strengthened SEN support approach to meet the target of effective early support.
MATs that ensure they appropriately fund SEND put themselves in the market to support local schools and provide services that are non-existent now in local authorities or inaccessible due to waiting times.
MATs may be an under-utilised resource at present versus old local authority models and traded services, and may well lead to an attractive proposition if a school is looking to academise and join a MAT.
As the intention is for the national standards to improve provision of SEN support, protected funding must be released to schools to allow this to happen.
This can then allow programmes of intervention to be put in place by a trained and invested-in workforce of teaching assistants and specialists.
Embedding speech and language support is something that I am extremely passionate about, and seeing this as a key recommendation, in terms of early identification and intervention, is a welcome relief.
According to the latest census data, this area of need accounted for nearly a quarter of children classified as needing SEN support.
I have seen, first hand, how the pandemic has impacted on children in this specific area and the knock-on effect to deployment of staff and support in EYFS.
Skills and whole-school support
Finally, chapter 4; section 24 of the SEND improvement plan - “Ensuring SEND expertise is held at every level” - is something that will be music to all Sendcos’ ears.
For many years effective SEND provision has always been defined as “built in, not bolted on” and by targeting the areas outlined in this section it will help to ensure that SEND is viewed as a priority by all, not just the Sendcos’ responsibility.
The same chapter, section 14, recognises the retention and recruitment challenges being faced currently within education. The training programme outlined is certainly welcome, with focus on EYFS specialists and 400 new educational psychologist training places being made available.
More must be done to support Sendcos drowning in statutory paperwork and buried deep in the operational aspect of the role.
The strategic side of the Sendco role is usually, from what I have witnessed, the casualty and where most impact can be made through learning walks, book looks and targeted staff CPD.
Hopefully the standardised and digital approach to EHCPs will help with this and ensure that Sendcos will remain in post. If not, who will fight for the children?
Simon Tanner is a former Sendco and now national director of SEND for E-ACT multi-academy trust; a member of Liberty Academy Trust; and co-chair of the MAT SEND Leaders’ Network with Dr Nicola Crossley
Simon Tanner will also be one of the speakers at this year’s E-ACT Ideas Conference: SEND and inclusion for all, in partnership with Tes. Find out more and book your place please here
