Teachers' concerns about the new special educational needs (SEN) reforms

Teaching unions express concerns about SEN changes coming too fast without enough support from government.

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, questions whether the changes will lead to real changes for children, young people and families with special educational needs.

‘In the context of cuts to local authority budgets, teachers hold significant concerns about the impact on children with special educational needs. 1 in 5 children have SEND. This week’s SEND reforms contain some positive proposals but may have little real impact for children overall, because of wider education reforms and other decisions by Ministers. Cuts to vital support services for pupils with SEND which schools need to call on has been an issue for some years and is getting worse. It has never been harder for schools to get access to speech and language therapists, educational psychologists or experts in complex behavioural needs. Expecting schools to ‘buy’ in support on a case by case basis is an approach which is very wasteful of taxpayer’s money- it puts quality, and local services, at risk. Local authorities play a vital role in co-ordinating provision, in ensuring all schools are as inclusive as their neighbour, and in developing special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) in schools. The new SEND reforms do not address the fragmentation of the education system through the academy and free schools programme. The reforms also overlook the powerful ingredients which can assist schools to develop inclusive practice but which Ministers are ignoring – flexible curricula, appropriate qualifications reform, reduced class size. Vitally, SENCOS need sufficient time within the school week to support their colleagues and develop their school’s strategy and practice on SEND’.