Reflections on the Curriculum and Assessment Review by Dr Daniel Stavrou, Council for Disabled Children The Curriculum and Assessment Review Call for Evidence carried a promise to focus on the most significant areas for improvement, with particular concern for supporting children and young people who are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, those with a […]
Isos report: ‘Towards an effective and financially sustainable approach to SEND in England’: Commentary by the SEN Policy Research Forum Lead Group by Peter Gray, Co-coordinator, SEN Policy Research Forum This commentary on the Isos report has been produced by the Lead Group of the SEN Policy Research Forum drawing on a range […]
Can Relationships with Professionals in Mainstream Education Be Improved? Insights from Parent Carers of Children with Learning Disabilities Emma Foley, BA, MA, MBACP. Introduction As debates about the inadequacies of SEND provision and funding continue, especially in the wake of a general election, this blog focuses on an important aspect: the relationships […]
We would like to invite you to contribute research informed blog posts relating to the forthcoming UK General Election, taking place on 4 July 2024. The SEND system is in crisis. The Government has responded by putting in place the SEND & AP Improvement plan, currently being tested in nine different Change Programme […]
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 […]
Enhancing Public Dialogue about Inclusion in School Education: a Citizens’ Panel Pilot (UKRI-RSA Rethinking Public Dialogue Programme) Brahm Norwich and Rob Webster Public dialogue gives members of the public opportunities to learn about and debate important issues in a safe and respectful space. The discussions produce practical recommendations to share with the people […]
By Peter Imray This short response paper concentrates specifically on children, young people and adults (CYPA) with complex learning disabilities (CLD), a fairly new ‘category’ of LD marking those who are on the severe end of severe learning disabilities. The ‘label’ itself does not carry any special significance, other than being an indication […]
What is the consequence of more children being sent to private special schools? Gary Thomas, University of Birmingham There have been large increases in the number of children sent to non-maintained special schools in recent years. To assess the extent of this trend and its probable consequences, I and my colleagues sent Freedom […]
The Children and Families Act 2014; are we expecting too much of it? Carol Long The Children and Families Act 2014 (CFA 2014) was hailed as landmark legislation aimed at improving services for vulnerable children and supporting families no matter what their background. Eight years on the effectiveness of the legislation continues to […]
Are virtual/on line assessments now the norm? Liz Malcolm, Director PSI(UK) The use of virtual assessments by educational psychologists appears to be on the increase. This may be for several different reasons. The strategic leads for SEND and Inclusion of the Eastern Region Local Authorities in England have commissioned a focused piece of […]
