“For the SEND reforms to succeed, it is vital that children with SEND who require support receive this in a mainstream setting where appropriate."
Responding to analysis by the NAHT suggesting the new Ofsted inspection framework unfairly penalises schools with deprived populations and high levels of SEND inclusion, Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said:
“For the SEND reforms to succeed, it is vital that children with SEND who require support receive this in a mainstream setting where appropriate.
“Ofsted’s inspection framework should place greater focus on inclusive practice and whether an individual school meets the needs of the community that it serves when inspected.
“Those schools that are not playing a meaningful role in supporting vulnerable children, including those with SEND and who are care-experienced, should be held to account for their lack of action.”