The government will launch a call for evidence tomorrow to unearth the best school inclusion practice to help shape major SEND reforms.
The project, called ‘Inclusion in Practice’, aims to “identify and share practical, scalable solutions for inclusion in mainstream schools”.
The government said examples will include schools and trusts that have added special education units, offered mainstream classes with support from specialist learning assistants, and provided specialist equipment for sports.
Approaches to early identification of need, strategies for building workforce expertise and working with families, and system-level “enablers” such as funding or leadership initiatives are also sought.
A website has been launched as a “national resource to share examples of strong practice showcasing what works in inclusive education, helping to build capability across the sector and to better understand what good looks like”.
Tom Rees, CEO of Ormiston Academies Trust, was in November appointed chair of the government’s new expert advisory group on inclusion, which will oversee reforms aimed at making mainstream schools more inclusive.
The call for evidence will ensure future reforms are “rooted in hard evidence about what works in practice”, government said.
‘Time to move beyond talking’
Rees said there is a “consensus to move beyond just talking about problems and to push forward practical and evidence-led solutions and to build on the good work where it is happening in the system.
“We are urging schools and stakeholders leading the way to share their approaches – by telling their stories, they will help shape a national resource that ensures every child, in every school, has the best opportunity to succeed.”
The initiative has been brought together by organisations including Ambition Institute and the Confederation of School Trusts, and is supported by unions ASCL and NAHT.
The call for evidence submission window opens tomorrow and closes at midnight on Thursday May 1.
Findings will be published in the summer term. Researchers from ImpactEd will facilitate the survey.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “The Prime Minister’s Plan for Change sets attainment as a key milestone (…) Children and young people with SEND – along with disadvantaged children – have the most to gain from high and rising standards.
“And a classroom that caters to all is a strength. Children thinking in different ways is a gift.
“It’s time we recognised that. I’ve been told this is too hard, that it can’t be done.
“Of course it’s not easy, but it is possible. There are schools and trusts doing it already and I’ve talked to parents and they tell me how important this is.”
Government will pump another £1 billion into high needs budgets next year, with councils encouraged to set up more mainstream school specialist places from £740 million of capital funding.
‘Expertise, accountability and funding are key themes’
Rees is due to speak about the inclusion group’s progress and key priorities at the ASCL conference tomorrow.
He will say “key themes emerging from discussions” as part of the review “include expertise, accountability, and funding, as well as the need to focus on an inclusive system, rather than just one part of it”.
On Ofsted, he will say the review “supports the increased focus on inclusion and are particularly pleased to see it embedded across all areas of inspection”.
He will add: “There’s strong momentum to move beyond simply identifying challenges which are well-documented. We want to push further, focusing on practical solutions that genuinely improve outcomes for children, young people, and their families.
“To do this, we want to build a better understanding of what success looks like.”
Leora Cruddas, chief executive of CST, said: “Reforming our SEND system is one of our top priorities.
“We need to create a school system in England that is built on the foundations of excellence, inclusion and equity. There is some brilliant practice in our schools, built on evidence and what works.”
