The State of the SEND system in England

You may have seen the report from the National Audit Office about the state of the SSEND system in England.  It's very damning but does not make surprising reading for any parents who have navigated the SEND system in the last decade, nor any teachers or SENDCos.

Some of the key messages in the report are:

The system is still not delivering better outcomes for children and young people or preventing local authorities from facing significant financial risks.

The DfE has been implementing its 2023 plan for system improvement, but there remain significant doubts that current actions will resolve the challenges facing the system. None of the stakeholders we spoke to believed current plans would be effective.

 The Children's Commissioner for England responded very quickly to this report saying:

I hear directly from children and their families about their declining confidence in the current system. They are exhausted by its combative nature, which requires them to jump through hoops and too often robs children of years of their childhoods waiting for practical support.  

Based on this report and the Children's Commissioner's response, it's essential now that the government spends time really looking at wholesale change to the system rather than tinkering around the edges. In the meantime, schools and parents need to be as knowledgeable as possible about how to navigate the system and understand the law that local authorities should be working within.

If you would like to understand this better- do have a look at our upcoming session with Garry Freeman called SEND, the law and funding. Garry gives heads and SENDCOs the toolkit theyr need to really advocate for their pupils.