Council welcomes additional investment to improve services for children with SEND

Thirty three new special free schools are to be built under the new plan, including one in East Devon, provisionally located in or close to Cranbrook. A further 49 special free schools across the country are already in the pipeline.

The government published its SEND and AP improvement plan last week, confirming extra investment in training for teachers, and additional specialist school places for those with greatest needs.

Thirty three new special free schools are to be built under the new plan, including one in East Devon, provisionally located in or close to Cranbrook. A further 49 special free schools across the country are already in the pipeline.

There will also be expanded training for staff, ranging from up to 5,000 early years special educational needs co-ordinators, to 400 educational psychologists, covering a range of educational needs.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Schools Minister Nick Gibb, described the Government’s plan as ‘ground breaking’.

The plan, he said, “seeks to make sure that provision in mainstream schools, where many children with moderate special educational needs have their education, is the right provision of high quality. We want to make sure that children in mainstream schools ordinarily have the right provision to support them.”

Steve Crocker, President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, said that the Government’s improvement plan is promising start.

“However, the plan must go much further and faster in a number of areas. While the response is largely focused on children in school, there is more we must do to re-set the system so it has a sharp focus on outcomes, not just for children today but also for the adults they will become in future.”

Our Cabinet Member with responsibility for schools, Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, broadly welcomed the announcement.

“We welcome the Government’s announcement of additional vital resources to ensure that the growing numbers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across the country receive the help, support and education they need.

“And we specifically welcome focus on resources that will help and improve the provision and inclusion within mainstream schools for children and young people who have moderate special educational needs and disabilities.

“However, here in Devon, as in local authorities across the country, we see high needs budget deficits rising, and a national shortage of professional case workers. Both these issues need addressing nationally.

“We have allocated extra resources in this year’s budget to strengthen our SEND casework team and to help us compete with other local authorities to recruit and retain experienced staff, and we are totally committed to and focused on working together with our schools, health colleagues, and our ongoing partnership with parents and carers, to improve our SEND services.”