The government has been criticised for failing to make inclusive teaching of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) a central focus of teacher training and development.
The warning is contained in the NEU teaching union’s newly published submission to a Public Accounts Committee hearing on the support available for young people with SEND.
It comes as a Tes investigation revealed that just one in 10 primary school teachers felt their training had prepared them to meet pupils’ social, emotional and mental heath (SEMH) needs.
Inclusive teaching kept as an ‘add-on’ in ITT
The union’s submission to the inquiry said: “Inclusive teaching practices and pedagogy around effectively teaching SEND students in mainstream classes should have been the central focus of the revised initial teacher education (ITE) and early career teaching (ECT) frameworks.
“Unfortunately, despite advice from the profession about what teachers were saying they needed, the current government retained SEND teaching as an ‘add-on’ rather than making inclusive teaching the enshrined principle upon which initial teacher education is based.”
It added that there are good examples of ITE courses that have inclusion and diversity at their core, but added that this needs to be the standard by which accreditation is achieved.
Last week, Tes revealed how ministers are being urged to examine how support for pupils with SEND is being taught in initial teacher training (ITT), as new Teacher Tapp data showed how unprepared many teachers feel.
Inclusion a central focus for Labour
The Labour government has said it wants more pupils with SEND to be educated in mainstream schools and has made inclusion a central focus since taking office.
The new Early Career Framework (ECF) and initial teacher training (ITT) core content framework are set to be rolled into one from September 2025.
Tes revealed last week that four out of five of the existing providers of the ECF have successfully bid for a new contract but the Best Practice Network has missed out.
The Public Accounts Committee has published a raft of evidence submissions it has received for its inquiry into SEND, which held a session with top Department for Education officials last week.
Funding concerns around SEND
The NEU submission includes a recommendation that the government brings back School Action Plus as a support category for pupils with SEND.
It also says the government should “ensure good value” from independent special schools by creating a price scheme for places at independent special schools based on state costs.
A submission to the inquiry from the NAHT school leaders’ union said that core per pupil/placement funding in mainstream and special schools should match annual inflation increases as a minimum.
The union highlights how almost two-thirds of councils are involved in government intervention schemes to bring down their high needs deficits - through either the Safety Valve or Delivering Better Value programmes.
It adds that the “question must be asked… about underinvestment in the wider SEND system by the previous government”, given the majority of councils are unable to provide SEND support “without resorting to overspends.”
Impact of intervention programmes questioned
Both the NAHT and the NASUWT teaching unions also raise concerns about the impact of the Safety Valve programme, which sees councils with the largest deficits receive short-term funding as part of a deal in which they are expected to bring their spending back into balance.
The NAHT adds: “Whilst the Safety Valve programme aims to reduce costs, school leaders believe the effect may actually be a reduction in provision for children and young people with SEND, which is unacceptable.”
In the NASUWT submission, the teaching union says it is concerned that pressures on some local authorities to reduce their deficits is leading to councils rationing access to education, health and care plans or forcing children with complex needs to be educated in mainstream settings “without the capacity, expertise or resources to support them”.
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