Camden Learning, an area-based partnership of 57 schools, today published its collective response to the SEND reform consultation – and to wider consultations from the Schools White Paper. In this response, we encourage the Government to design simpler new processes to support SEND reform, which genuinely free up capacity to focus on the needs of students.
In February, the Secretary of State for Education published the Schools White Paper, setting out major reforms in key areas such as provision for students with special education needs and disabilities (SEND). As a partnership of schools across all phases collaborating to deliver for students across Camden, we gathered the views of our member schools on these proposals.
Responding to the Government’s SEND reform consultation, the Chief Executive of Camden Learning, Stephen Hall, said:
We strongly support the ambition to meet the needs of all children by strengthening mainstream inclusion – along with the wider aims of the Schools White Paper to provide all students with an inclusive, broad, and enriching educational experience.
To deliver these ambitions, we encourage the Government to monitor if its welcome new investment in SEND is sufficient to meet its ambitions, and whether these reforms are enabled by processes which are genuinely easier to navigate. This is important at a time when schools already face rising funding and capacity pressures.
In Camden, schools across the borough are ready to work closely with the Department for Education to feed into the design of the reforms, drawing on our insights from building strong local collaboration. To meet the scale of ambitions set out, it will be critical to shape plans alongside schools, students, and their families.
Reforming the SEND system
We welcome the Government’s intentions to strengthen how the system supports SEND provision – including the aims for enhanced mainstream inclusion, earlier intervention, faster access to expert support, and strengthened collaboration.
It will be critical for Government to ensure that there are sufficient resources to deliver these reforms, for example by monitoring if the supply and funding of experts is proving sufficient, and that additional resources are factoring in new ongoing costs moving towards schools.
There is also a need to deliver SEND processes which are simpler to navigate for schools, students, and their families. Whilst we support the aim for easier access to specialist support, several proposals risk introducing additional layers of process. We therefore call on the Government to closely monitor how the design of these processes – such as Individual Support Plans, Specialist Provision Packages, refreshed EHCPs, and Inclusion Strategies – will genuinely free up time from bureaucracy, towards supporting children and young people.
We will monitor proposals on ‘local SEND groups’ as these develop. We encourage that the reforms allow local areas to build on existing school partnerships. In Camden, pupils with SEND typically achieve above national averages, and this is supported by strong collaborations such as the Camden Learning SEND Hub – a network which supports schools to share best practice in meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND.
As the Government rightly looks to strengthen this local collaboration and deliver the wider aims of the White Paper, it will be critical to ensure schools and local areas have ongoing autonomy to choose the structures that serve their specific local contexts and students.
Introducing new Level 1 English & Maths qualifications
Camden Learning has also responded to the consultation on introducing new Level 1 English and maths qualifications at 16-19. We strongly support this move, as part of efforts to deliver for a broader range of students that the system is not currently working for.
In designing these new qualifications, it will be important for the Government to work closely with employers. This can ensure that, alongside a focus on foundational skills in preparation for GCSE, the new qualifications also include practical content with real-world applications, supporting the qualifications to be useful whatever routes a student then takes.
These qualifications will generally be delivered to small cohorts of students who may face complex needs, and this has implications for both the design and funding of the courses.
Reforming KS4 attainment measures and RISE support
Lastly, through our response to the KS4 Measures consultation, we welcome the aim to support a broad curriculum and to capture progress of learners with lower prior attainment.
As Progress 8 slots are finalised, we encourage the Government to undertake close analysis of any potential unintended consequences from the changes. In particular, that there are ongoing incentives for providers to deliver subjects such as drama, art, music and languages – which are critical enablers of an enriching and broad education.
We also suggest that the Government allows schools to opt-in to targeted RISE support. As with wider reforms, this RISE support should work with existing school partnerships, to benefit from the strong sharing of practice and resources already happening in local areas.
Across these reforms, there is a real need for Government to be mindful of the various curriculum changes being consulted on to ensure these are as aligned as possible. This will support staff workload and wellbeing and ensure coherent delivery for students.
Building collaboration
Across the Schools White Paper and wider developments such as the Curriculum and Assessment Review response, the Government has set out a bold vision for a broader, inclusive, engaging education system that works for every child.
To deliver on these ambitions will take close monitoring of the resources and processes needed to genuinely unlock system challenges. School partnerships such as Camden Learning look forward to sharing the insights of school leaders and communities in this key next phase.
