SEND contextual league tables plans omitted from Green Paper
The DfE appears to have cancelled plans to assess the inclusivity of mainstream schools through performance league tables as part of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) review.
The SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper had originally supported the plan, arguing that providing contextual information alongside results would “make it easier to identify” schools effectively supporting students with SEND.
Although specific details were sparse, the Government had previously claimed it had received reports of numerous instances of mainstream schools lacking a satisfactory inclusivity policy.
However, it also admitted that accountability measures might inadvertently discourage schools from enrolling students with SEND.
Following the publication of the finalised SEND improvement plan, the proposed performance league tables are no longer included, suggesting that the initiative has been shelved.
Leora Cruddas, Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, welcomed the revised proposals saying: “What the improvement plan rightly focuses on is improving the expertise of the workforce…this is likely to result in much better outcomes for pupils and young people.”
However, James Bowen, Policy Director with the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “There is a strong sense within the profession [that] the current accountability system does not appropriately recognise the most inclusive schools.
“There is no doubt this would be a complex issue to deal with, but it is important that schools doing a particularly good job for pupils with SEND are recognised and certainly not penalised.”
According to a 2021 report by the Education Policy Institute, SEND identification is currently a “lottery,” and is often down to the primary school a student attends rather than any personal factors, experiences, or their place of residence.
It is understood that the Government’s major SEND reforms will take a minimum of three years to go live, with an initial £70million ‘change programme’ due to be trialled before a roll out across all schools.
