Commenting on The MAT Factor - Exploring how multi-academy trusts are supporting pupils with SEND, a new study from the National Foundation for Educational Research looking at the demand for SEND support in multi-academy trusts (MATs), Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“It’s good to see this report explore the issues of collaboration across schools and what can help or hinder good collaboration. MPs should note that this presents yet further evidence around how the growing complexity of pupils’ needs are straining resources and placing pressure on mainstream schools due to a lack of special school places.
“NFER conclude that to enable MATs to perform at their highest level, it is crucial that local authorities are adequately resourced so that their provision is both timely and effective. The Government has made the mistake of running down the capacity of LAs to support families and children with SEND, and this short-term thinking isn’t working.
“The main challenges, as this report shows, are timely access to SEND and mental health specialists, SENCOs with time to do their job, and well-trained teaching assistants.
“Our most recent survey of members showed that one in three teachers have no behaviour support team whatsoever, a quarter no educational psychologist or CAMHS. Only a minority believe that referral for SEND assessment will result in students getting the right support in a timely fashion.
“Undiagnosed SEND is connected to exclusion and attendance rates, meaning children’s engagement with learning is jeopardised unless we can deliver more teachers, more capacity and more personal learning support.
“Across MATs and LA schools, there is a shared challenge because national education policy isn’t working for enough children and young people with SEND. A more flexible curriculum is needed, with better funding, more stable staffing and a more varied range of pathways. All schools in a local area need to be working together, and we think that restoring a central role for the local authority in SEND planning, commissioning places and admissions is the only way to tackle the huge funding challenge.”