School leaders share frontline experience with Schools Minister
- Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould, joins SEND roundtable at Woodside Academy in Erith, hosted by Daniel Francis, MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford
- Headteachers, SENDCos and inclusion leads from mainstream and special schools share frontline experience ahead of forthcoming Education for All Bill
- Discussion focused on challenges of delivering SEND support, including EHCP pressures, transition, mainstream capacity, workforce training and funding
Local education leaders and practitioners have come together with national policymakers for a roundtable discussion about the future of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision.
The event welcomed the Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould, and was hosted by Daniel Francis, MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford. It took place at Woodside Academy in Erith – one of London South East Academies Trust's 20 schools – that supports children and young people aged 4-19 years who have a diagnosis of autism and a wide range of learning needs.
Attendees included headteachers, SENDCos, inclusion leads and trust-level SEND leaders representing mainstream primary and secondary schools and special schools from across the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency.
The roundtable was held to gather feedback from local schools on the Government's SEND reforms ahead of the forthcoming Education for All Bill, with a particular focus on the challenges of implementation within mainstream settings. Drawing on their frontline experience, attendees shared insights into the realities of delivering SEND support in schools, covering themes including:
- Role of local authority and pressure on EHCP processes
- Involvement of health partners and Experts at Hand model
- Primary to secondary transition
- Funding sufficiency and distribution
- Mainstream capacity and inclusion challenges
- Workforce capability (SEND training needs)
Attendees also heard about the successful school-college transition model that has been developed by London South East Academies Trust and London South East Colleges in Bexley, following the SEND reforms in 2013. Working in partnership with the Local Authority and schools across the Borough, this approach is supporting young people with SEND to progress successfully into further education.
Dr Sam Parrett CBE DL, Group Principal and CEO of Elevare Civic Education Group said:
"We were delighted to welcome the Minister and colleagues from across the sector to
this discussion, bringing together those who work on the ground every day with children and young people with SEND to share their experience and insight directly with policymakers.
"As the Government begins to implement its SEND reforms, it is vital that the voices of practitioners help shape the next steps. The views and ideas shared today can make a real difference to ensuring the reforms are deliverable and, most importantly, that they improve outcomes for children and families.
"I would like to thank the Schools Minister, Georgia Gould, for taking the time to join us, and our local MP, Daniel Francis, for bringing us together. Daniel is a great advocate for high-quality education and SEND provision, and we are hugely grateful for his continued support."
Closing the discussion, Georgia Gould outlined her plans to feedback the valuable insight and underlined her commitment to supporting those delivering SEND support in schools.
