SEND News
- 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
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Inclusion in Practive held their first webinar of the term last week and saw very high engagement, with 330 attendees and over 800 sign ups (who will have received the webinar recording as a follow up). They have also received really positive feedback from attendees after the event related to the practical nature of the discussion and the quality of the speakers. If you'd like to catch up yourself, you can find the recording on our website here: Webinar - Inclusion in Practice: Building evidence-informed teaching that works for all - Inclusion in Practice
We are now promoting the next webinar in the series, "Inclusion as a Shared Responsibility" which will be held on Thursday 13 November, 4.00-4.50pm. The sign up link to attend is: https://www2.ambition.org.uk/inclusion-as-shared-responsibility-webinar
This webinar will explore inclusion as a shared responsibility involving partnership between teachers, schools, trusts, families, local authorities, and other experts and services. Our expert panel will explore on how you can build strategic approaches to work with families and external partners on inclusion. We will discuss practical ways to build trust with and support families, and understand what effective approaches to drawing on external expertise and services look like.
This webinar is primarily aimed at senior leaders, teachers, SENCOs, school staff and trust teams who want to strengthen inclusive practice through partnership working. It will be particularly valuable for those leading on external partnerships, engagement with parents, carers and families, or SEND provision, and anyone committed to ensuring high-quality teaching benefits all pupils, not just some.
The third webinar in the series will be held on Tuesday 2nd December on the topic of 'Meeting needs early'. Save the Date in your diaries.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Updated guidance on supported internships is available:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-internships-for-young-people-with-learning-difficulties/supported-internships
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The Secretary of State responded to the select committee report on SEND on 22 October and it is clear that the White Paper will not be out until early next year.
This will enable the Department "to have a further period of co-creation, testing our proposals with the people who matter most in this reform – the families – alongside teachers and other experts as you highlight in the Select Committee’s report. We will bring forward a full Schools White Paper early in the new year, underpinned by our belief that high standards and inclusion are two sides of the same coin. Through this period of co-creation with parents, educators, experts and representative organisations, we will test policy options being considered and seek views through listening sessions in every region of the country, and fortnightly Ministerial meetings with key parent and expert groups. We will publicise these events clearly across the department’s channels to ensure that we reach as many people as possible."
The letter also outlines the principles to inform the reforms.
- Written by: Brian Lamb
The government will publish “best practice” guidance to help mainstream schools set up and run SEN and pupil support units as part of their inclusion push.
The Department for Education has chosen the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) as the lead partner for the work, with interim guidance for schools due to be published in December. The final guidance is scheduled for February.
It will form part of Labour’s SEND strategy to educate more pupils with additional needs in the mainstream, rather than costly special school placements.
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