Our next SEN Policy Research Forum event will take place on 6 December 2024. The focus will be on curriculum. More details about the speakers and venue, together with booking details, to follow.

National policy framework for SEND and inclusion   Many commentators are currently arguing that SEND policy is in crisis. This is in spite of the reforms that were supposed to improve children’s and families’ experience of the system, and in which so much time and effort was invested in the early years of […]

The new policy paper on : ‘Constructing a framework to evaluate the SEND Green Paper plans’ is now ready to be downloaded from this website – go to policy paper page. June 2023

The Department for Education and Department for Health and Social Care have recently launched a new green paper and associated public consultation on their proposals for Special Educational Needs and Disability and Alternative Provision in England. See  ‘SEND review: right support, right place, right time’ for more information. The consultation closes on 1 […]

For a commentary by the Forum Lead Group go to the Policy Paper page and you can read and download this commentary.

The Forum conducted a survey of stakeholders’ views about the lessons from Covid based on the conclusions of the June Covid policy paper. The results show much alignment with the conclusions from the policy seminar discussion groups. You can access this summary on policy paper web-page.    

Research commissioned by the SENPRF has shown that: There is continuing and considerable inequity in the levels of HNB funding allocated to English LAs, which cannot be explained by differences in need. LA systems that make greater use of specialist provision are likely to involve greater financial costs. Download summary from Policy paper […]

The new policy paper on : ‘How are schools coping with the impact of Covid-19 on the teaching of pupils with SEN: lessons for schools’ is now ready to be downloaded from this website – go to policy paper page. June 2021

The policy paper from the November 2020 seminar is now available to download from this website. Learning from the Covid crisis for educating children and young people with SEN / disabilities. Presentations  by Amy Skipp  (ASK Research) on ‘Special education during lockdown: Provider and parent experiences’; Sharon Smith (Parent Advocate) ‘Parents’ perspectives: what can we […]

A review of international research about the effects of inclusive education: which has been done by some members of the Forum Lead Group (Gray, Norwich and Webster) and was submitted to the SEN Review group at the DFE is available to download from the policy paper section of this website. Feb 2021

Trends in SEN identification: contexts, causes and consequences  Latest policy paper is available on this website It is based on a recent policy seminar which  addressed these questions: i. Are there shifts from an interactive to within-child model of identification? And if so, what are the factors that are contributing to this, ii. What are […]