SEND News
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
New school statistics for England have been published today along with EHCP SENII figures for all ages.
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england
and for Education Health and Care Plans;
- Written by: Ian Noon
Please see information below published today on the new Department for Education guidance on mobiles phones.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools
The guidance essentially advises schools to develop a policy to prohibit the use of mobiles phones in schools. The guidance is non-statutory.
The guidance helpfully reminds schools of the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and highlights that some pupils may require access to mobile phones for reasons relating to their disability.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
On the occasion of her retirement as CEO of the Council for Disabled Children, Dame Christine Lenehan delivered a Valedictory lecture to guests at an event on Monday evening in Westminster.
A video is available here.
National Children's Bureau CEO, Anna Feuchtwang, alluded in her opening remarks to the National Children’s Bureau’s 60th anniversary, and the interactive timeline of NCB’s work over the last 60 years that they have produced. You can access the interactive timeline here.
You may also be interested in the interview that Christine did with Woman’s Hour on the day of her speech. You can access that here. The feature highlighted a Disabled Children’s Partnership report on the challenges facing the SEND tribunal system.
- Written by: Brian Lamb
School census figures have been published today:
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england
Headlines are;
Over 1.5 million pupils in England have special educational needs (SEN)
An increase of 87,000 from 2022. Both the number of pupils with an education, health and care (EHC plan) and the number of pupils with SEN support have increased:
- The percentage of pupils with an EHC plan has increased to 4.3%, from 4.0% in 2022.
- The percentage of pupils with SEN but no EHC plan (SEN support) has increased to 13.0%, from 12.6% in 2022.
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/11/29/message-to-the-education-and-care-sector-on-send-reform-from-the-secretary-of-state-for-education-gillian-keegan/
- Written by: Brian Lamb
Ofsted has published their response to the consultation and new guidance. It is summarised with links in a commentary by Amanda Spielman here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/hmci-commentary-publishing-our-new-area-send-framework
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), the National Deaf Children’s Society, Speech and Language UK (formerly I CAN) and Voice 21, a broad coalition of over 110 charities, royal colleges, professional bodies, professional associations, trade unions, parents and carers and others have publicly written to the ministers in charge of the SEND Review to ask them to invest in the specialist workforce for children and young people.
The open letter is now published and accessible on this link: https://www.rcslt.org/news/rcslt-leads-coalition-calling-for-investment-in-the-specialist-workforce
- Written by: Lindsey Rousseau
Today the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published their phase 1 report on safeguarding children with disabilities and complex health needs in residential settings, which can be found at: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Following publication of the report, our new Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan MP has laid a written ministerial statement in response to the report’s publication.
Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
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