The DfE press release about earlier support for speech and language for 20,000 children can be read through this link

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/earlier-support-for-speech-and-language-for-20000-children

 

 

 

Government launches Inclusion 2028 programme which will improve access to PE and school sports for pupils with SEND:

Improved PE and sport for more than 240,000 pupils with SEND

The Interim report of the curriculum review was published today:

Curriculum and Assessment Review: interim report

DfE has today published the latest updated guidance on Equality Act duties to the general school governance guidelines.

This section links to relevant guidance and resources for governors of local-authority-maintained schools:

Local-authority-maintained schools: governance

and also for academy trusts:

Academy trusts: governance

 

DfE has published new analysis of SEND data around school capacity today, 27 March 2025.

You can access it here; https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2023-24 

DfE today announced the £740 million for SEND. This would appear to coincide with the updating of the high needs budget allocations which have been published today.

It is worth noting that the fund is for making classrooms more inclusive and this is an opportunity for schools with learners with sensory ipmairments.

New announcement;

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/740-million-allocated-for-10000-new-places-for-pupils-with-send?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=1c04e9b9-7c89-45a8-9f42-9d5571702da4&utm_content=immediately

High Needs Budget Capital Allocations announcement;

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-provision-capital-allocations?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications-topic&utm_source=597fef27-348b-4949-8a2b-44382024d0c5&utm_content=immediately

The Department for Education and the Council for Disabled Children have just published two sets of guidance to support school governing boards in understanding their role and responsibilities in relation to children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities and empowering them to hold their schools to account.

SEN and disability duties: guidance for school governing boards

This guidance from the Department for Education provides a high level summary of the expectations of boards in relation to disability and SEN. It includes a checklist for governors/trustees and suggestions about how to use school performance data and build an evidence base to underpin its strategic oversight. 

Equality Act 2010 and disabled pupils: A guide for governors and trustees

The Council for Disabled Children guide which was commissioned by the Department, focuses in more detail on the Equality Act duties to disabled pupils.  It sets out the individually owed duties and the more strategic duties; and again it promotes a discussion about the evidence that governing boards need in order to understand how well the duties are being met in their school.

To illustrate how the duties work in practice, the guide uses examples from schools and from case law where claims of disability discrimination have gone to the Tribunal. At the back of the guide is a set of checkpoints that schools can use to inform a discussion between senior leaders and their governing body or board of trustees.

The new guide is a companion publication to the 2022 Disabled Children and the Equality Act 2010: What teachers need to know and what schools need to do which offers teachers more detailed practical guidance on meeting the duties to disabled pupils.

Following the publication of the government's Disabled Students’ Allowance’s Non-Medical Help call for evidence in April 2024, they have today shared the findings:

https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/non-medical-support-for-disabled-students-in-higher-education

The DSA team thank NatSIP partners for their participation and for promoting the call for evidence, which has enabled them to continue to develop their understanding of the non-medical help system. They will use these findings to inform any next steps.