SEND News and Reforms

Latest data on EHCPlans published by the DfE on 13 May 2021:

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans

Following the Prime Minister’s statement yesterday regarding the further easing of lockdown restrictions from the 17May, DfE have updated https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings

This guidance should be read alongside the main pieces of guidance for schools and post-16: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak and Further education COVID-19 operational guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision, which have also been updated to reflect the upcoming changes.  

Also updated yesterday was the guidance for early years: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures, out of school settings:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-of-children-attending-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak and Higher Education providers  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses

  In addition to the above, the https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak schools guidance includes updated advice on: pupils who are abroad, domestic educational visits, wraparound provision and extra-curricular activity, music, dance and drama and school performances, pupil wellbeing and support, Ofsted inspection and transitional, taster and open days.  

The https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision FE guidance covers all the above plus updated advice on: sports, supported internships and access to work.

 Please see the https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021 guidance on the COVID-19 response – Spring 2021 (Roadmap) for additional information. 

PPE Portal  

All Special Schools in England are eligible to access the personal protective equipment (PPE) portal provided by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The PPE portal allows eligible providers to order free PPE on a weekly basis for their Coronavirus (COVID-19) PPE requirements. 

Since January 2020, all special schools will have received an email asking them to register with the PPE portal. Those who have not registered will shortly receive another email invitation from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This email invitation will be sent to the email address which your setting used to register with the DfE Get Information About Schools Database. This is the only email address which is eligible to register. Please ensure that you have checked your junk folder. 

If you have not received the email invitation or would like to change your registered email address, please contact the Customer Service team at 0800 876 6802 who will be able to help support you in registering with the portal. 

All other settings should refer to the https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safe-working-in-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care/safe-working-in-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings-including-the-use-of-personal-protective-equipment-ppe safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care settings guidance to understand how they can access PPE to meet their Covid needs.

Change of Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests for use at Asymptomatic Testing Sites (ATS):  

DfE, SEN Implementation Team announce that from today, 10 May, NHS Test and Trace are introducing a new type of LFD test called Orient Gene. These are for use only at ATS in schools and colleges.  These tests involve double nasal swab samples only – a throat sample is not needed.  The Orient Gene devices return a positive or negative result in under 30 minutes. 

DfE SEND division wrote, on 6th April 2021, to signpost important information about face coverings:

  • 'We announced yesterday (6 April) that  face coverings should continue to be worn in secondary schools and college classrooms when students return after the Easter break to help limit transmission and enable continued monitoring of the effect of school and college returns, as twice weekly testing of students is established and embedded. It is important to note that those who rely on visual signals for communication, or speak to or provide support to those individuals, are currently exempt from any requirement to wear face coverings in schools or in public places.
  • It is expected that face coverings will no longer be required to be worn in classrooms, or by students in other communal areas, at step 3 of the roadmap, which will be no earlier than 17 May. At that point, the next stage of easements, including increased social contact indoors, will be confirmed following a review of the latest data on infection and vaccination rates.
  • We have also published updates to the following guidance to reflect this announcement:

DfE SEND division wish to make us aware of the following updates:  

'Firstly, we have updated the  Additional operational guidance for special schools, special post-16 institutions and alternative provision. The main reason for this is to convert it into HTML format to make it more accessible and more searchable.  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings Additionally, we have replicated the updates in other guidance, clarifying advice on a small number of other areas. 

Secondly, you may have seen that from Thursday 1 April, shielding guidance will be paused for clinically extremely vulnerable people (CEV). From that date they will no longer be advised to shield and must continue to follow the national restrictions that are in place for everyone.  

From Thursday 1 April:  

 

The DfE has updated guidance documents, which are used for all projects procured by the Department for both new build and refurbishment projects. They can also be used by Local Authorities for their own projects.

Please see below a link to the Department's Output Specification documents:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/output-specification-generic-design-brief-and-technical-annexes

The Generic Design Brief is the main document and the annexes provide more detailed technical requirements. The Key Principles and Educational Drivers are found in sections 1.6 and 1.7. There are also references to acoustic requirements and to BB93, for sensory rooms etc.

2.7.6.5. The Contractor shall provide information as described in BB93 to demonstrate compliance with the acoustic standards specified in BB93 in accordance with Section 2 of BB93. This shall include plans, construction details, material specifications, and calculations, as appropriate for each area of the School. These shall be included in the acoustics section of the Environmental Strategy Report, as required under the Employer’s Requirements Deliverables, and on acoustics drawings and calculations for Building Control approval. 2.7.6.6. The Contractor shall carry out pre-completion and post-completion testing in accordance with the Good Practice Guide for the acoustic testing of schools published by the Association of Noise Consultants, as required under the Employer’s Requirements Deliverables. 2.7.6.7. Where required for Special Schools, Designated Units or SRP, acousticians and audiologists specialising in hearing impairment and teachers of the deaf shall be consulted to identify the needs of the pupils. The Contractor shall agree these needs with the Employer. Specialist provision such as radio aids shall be provided where specified in the SSB.  

A link to BB93 (acoustic design of schools - performance standards) is here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bb93-acoustic-design-of-schools-performance-standards

·        On Monday, the government set out its plan for the return of all pupils and to schools and colleges from 8 March. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mass-testing-for-secondary-pupils-as-all-schools-and-colleges-fully-reopenfrom8-march. Alongside this announcement, we published updated Additional operational guidance for special schools, special post-16 institutions and alternative provision. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963557/Additional_operational_guidance_for_special_schools__special_post-16_institutions_and_alternative_provision.pdf

This guidance should be read alongside the main guidance: Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak and Actions for FE colleges and providers during the coronavirus outbreak. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision

In parallel, we published the following updates to:

o   Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures

o   Guidance for higher education providers https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses

o   Coronavirus (COVID-19) contingency framework for education and childcare settings https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-contingency-framework-for-education-and-childcare-settings

  • Also on Monday:

o   we published an Evidence summary: COVID-19 - children, young people and education settings; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evidence-summary-covid-19-children-young-people-and-education-settings

o   the Secretary of State wrote to education leaders setting out in more detail the plans to fully re-open schools. He also thanked leaders for their continued work and support during the latest lockdown. Leaders of special, special post-16 providers, and alternative provision schools were thanked in particular, for remaining fully open to children and young people with SEND.

Testing in specialist settings

We have worked hard to give specialist settings additional flexibility on testing as attendance increases. For specialist settings this means:

  • On site testing can continue in larger numbers in specialist settings if that is the most appropriate way of testing being accessed. We have built into funding that, should they choose to, SEND settings can maintain a full scale on-site ATS at their school.
  • If students are unable to test on site, but could be tested at home by a suitably competent adult, settings can provide home testing kits to them from the outset (without the pupil being tested at an ATS first), where this is appropriate for the pupil/student.
  • We are continuing to work proactively on other approaches to testing for children and young people who are unable to tolerate a throat or nasal swab.

A step-by-step guide to testing and frequently asked questions are available on the schools google drive. We will be publishing updated guidance on testing in specialist settings in the next week, the guidance will be published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings/mass-asymptomatic-testing-in-specialist-settings

Many thanks

Special Educational Needs and Disability Division

DfE have announced additional funding for catch up support and tuition in England. There is an additional stream of funding to run summer schools.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-education-recovery-package-for-children-and-young-people?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=4c92ba90-cbf3-4311-b8c3-319ad3508474&utm_content=immediately

As before, this funding is targeted at schools.

 

  1. **SEND NEWSFLASH** a) SEND funding 2021-22; b) HNFF Consultation; c) Supported Internships Access to Work funding
  2. **SEND NEWSFLASH** schools' SEND publication requirements & update on access to work funding
  3. SEND NEWSFLASH - Special & AP guidance & open ministerial letter
  4. New DfE guidance on education (England)
  5. Latest DfE announcement on remote education and exams
  6. Funding for National Star College for assistive technologies
  7. SEND Tribunal Annual Statistics for year ending September 2020
  8. ***NEWSFLASH*** Further Updates to Special School Guidance
  9. **NEWSFLASH** Updated guidance for full opening of special schools and other specialist settings
  10. **NEWSFLASH** Guidance for full opening of special schools and other specialist settings
  11. **SEND NEWSFLASH** Guidance for Aerosol Generating Procedures
  12. Open letter from the Minister for Children and Families - 9 November 2020
  13. NatSIP response to Education Select Committee Inquiry on the impact of Covid-19
  14. **NEWSFLASH** Guidance for full opening: Special schools and other specialist settings
  15. **NEWSFLASH** Expiration of EHC Regulations
  16. **NEWSFLASH** - Transport to school and other places of education: autumn term 2020