SEND News and Reforms

The DfE SEND Dvision have today (2 July 2020) published the following newsflash:

Earlier today, the Secretary of State announced plans for the full re-opening of schools in September. We would like to signpost a suite of guidance that sets out the actions that various educational settings need to take to enable children and young people with SEND to return to full-time provision from the beginning of the autumn term:

• Guidance for full opening: special schools and other specialist settings to support special schools, special post-16 institutions and other specialist education settings, such as hospital schools, to prepare for this;
• Separate guidance explaining the action that mainstream settings need to take:

• Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
• Guidance for full opening – schools
• What FE colleges and providers will need to do from the start of the 2020 autumn term

Schools should continue to increase attendance for those in target year groups and those children and young people with EHC plans for the remainder of the summer term. We are also able to confirm that out of school settings, providing childcare and short break or respite services will be able to open from 1 July and into the summer holidays. Guidance on this is at: Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children's social care services.