SEND News
- Written by: Brian Lamb
DfE today issued overall guidance on how Experts at Hand funding is going to be handled and used.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The government guidance; How local authorities should implement Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies services was updated today.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The government's long awaited White Paper and consultation about SEND reform 'Every child achieving and thriving and Putting children and young people first' has been published today.
The links are here:
- Specialist SEND support: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/specialist-send-support-in-every-school-and-community
- The White Paper, 'Every child achieving and thriving': https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-child-achieving-and-thriving
- The consultation on 'SEND Reform: 'Putting Children and Young People First' :https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first
- A series of documents setting out the key information and proposed reforms in the schools white paper and SEND consultation document for parents and those working in the sector: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-send-reforms-sheets
The consultation is open until 18 May 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Alongside a wider announcement on the Education Estates Strategy, the Government will be announcing the new term inclusion bases which will replace the terms SEN units, resourced provisions and pupil support units, alongside an ambition that every secondary school will, in time, be expected to have a base.
The new terminology is intended to simplify and clarify the complex landscape and the various types of in-school unit in the current system. It will encompass both local authority and school or trust led provisions. More detail on how we plan to deliver on this ambition and to support schools to deliver effective provision through inclusion bases will be set out in the upcoming Schools White Paper.
We are aware there are already many excellent examples of this form of provision, and so in lots of cases this will be a continuation of the support children and young people with additional needs already receive. Where new places are needed, including by repurposing existing space, this can be supported by the £3.7 billion in high needs capital that we are investing between 2025-26 and 2029-30.
The expansion of inclusion bases will also be supported by guidance on best practice to be published later this year; national networks to support peer learning, share what works, and develop the staff leading these provisions; and we will improve data collection where bases already exist.
We will also be publishing guidance in the spring on adaptations to enhance inclusivity and accessibility in mainstream settings – which is set out in the estates strategy.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/10-year-plan-to-revitalise-schools-and-colleges-for-every-child
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The CDC (Council for Disabled Children) has now published a webinar for schools to complement this guidance. Philippa Stobbs, the lead author on the materials, has written a blog about the new material, Embedding the disability duties in schools.
DfE really hope the new material will be a useful resource for schools in helping craft a more inclusive future where, to quote Ofsted, all pupils can thrive together, understanding that difference is a positive, not a negative, and that individual characteristics make people unique.
Links to all the material in this family of publications and training materials are as follows:
Schools:
- The new webinar: Guides and training packages for schools on the Disability duties in the Equality Act
- Blogs: Embedding the disability duties in schools and A more inclusive future? The new series of CDC guides to the disability duties in the Equality Act
- Guides: Guides and training packages for schools on the Disability duties in the Equality Act
- Linkedin post
Early Years:
- Blog ‘The foundation of everything he’s achieving now’: a new guide and training package for early years providers on the disability duties in the Equality Act
- Training and guides Guide and training package for early years providers on the disability duties in the Equality Act
- Linkedin post
FEIs and 16-19 academies:
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Details of the DfE SEND consultation which was launched today can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-national-conversation-on-send
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
After 18 months of campaigning on Mikey Akers’ petition for better access to speech and language therapy, last week a new statement was published calling for urgent investment in services:
https://rcslt.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Invest-in-SLT-statement-October-2025.pdf
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