How do you solve a problem like the SEND system?

Findings from NGA’s annual governance survey reveal an education system under growing strain. Supporting pupils with SEND has seen the steepest rise as the top challenge for governing boards across England (cited by 63% of respondents) and is accompanied by sharp increases in SEND-related pressures such as difficulties accessing funding and securing education, health and care plans (EHCPs).

Together, these indicators point to deep-rooted weaknesses, and, unsurprisingly, many NGA members now believe that “the SEND system has broken.” This view is echoed by many experts who have labelled the well-intentioned Children and Families Act 2014 a “public-policy disaster”. Across the sector, from parents and teachers to schools, LAs, governors and government, a clear consensus is emerging: children with SEND are being failed, and urgent, meaningful reform is essential.

Research overview

This paper channels the collective voice of England's 230,000+ governing volunteers, focusing on four key areas of debate, and makes recommendations for how the government might choose to address them in the forthcoming white paper:

funding
workforce
parental collaboration
EHCPs

It takes as a given the government’s manifesto commitment to improve “inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools” while maintaining special school provision to “cater to those with the most complex needs” – principles we wholeheartedly support – and focuses on how this might be achieved in practice.