Coronavirus and SEND
The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to specific issues in special schools and for SEND in mainstream schools.
Coronavirus: SEND planning for September
A guide for SENCOs and school leaders to the questions for mainstream schools on SEND students and arrangements for their safe return to school in the Autumn term.
Planning checklist for special schools (including PRUs and SEMH settings)
NEU/GMB/Unison/Unite have produced a commentary and checklist guide for special schools.
NASEN webinars
NEU has partnered with NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs) to produce a series of webinars looking at small group interventions.
Our webinars (Copy)
NEU webinars maintain members' access to CPD and learning.
SEND crisis
Up to 8,587 children and young people with SEND are currently classed as ‘awaiting provision’ for a school place, and have no access to any type of educational provision at all.
Advice
Coronavirus - SEND need to know for September opening
SEND: What you need to know for September. This information is for both special schools and SEND provision in mainstream settings.
Blog
Mental Health funding
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU writes about the impact of school funding cuts on pupils with SEND and poor mental health.
The frightening impact of SEND cuts
Emily Jenkins looks at the crisis in funding and support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The impact of SENCO workload on the professional and the school
Ninety-five per cent of SENCOs told us that they need adequate protected time to carry out their role, which means the government must fund schools properly so that heads can provide it.
SEND crisis: A teacher's perspective
Emma Parker has nine special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) children in her class, who aren't getting the support they desperately need.
Press release
Exclusions
Curriculum and behaviour are intertwined, but the Department for Education often acts as if how pupils feel and behave and what and how they learn are not connected.
Special Schools Survey
Serious questions about safety remain unanswered.
Public accounts committee on support for SEND pupils
As the Public Accounts Committee report makes clear, the Government approach on support has let SEND children down. Covid-19 means we have to put children's learning needs and interests at the heart of the offer in the classroom.
Budget 2020
The Government knows that lack of funding is putting schools and colleges under great pressure. This budget does not support a long term plan for the millions of young people being educated within a chronically underfunded system.
Budget
The Government’s pledge last year to increase school funding fell short of the £12.6 billion we estimate is needed to replace the cuts made since 2015. Schools and colleges continue to fall into disrepair, and at the present rate it will take several decades to rebuild them all.
Green Party Manifesto
The Green Party’s pledge to end centrally-imposed testing and Ofsted inspections is a welcome recognition of the pressures high-stakes accountability places on schools, narrowing the curriculum and driving teachers out of the profession.
SEND provision poll results
Government heavily criticised in new NEU poll about SEND provision. It should be a point of shame for the Government that so few education staff believe it is up to the task of providing for SEND pupils.
Education Committee on SEND
Education Committee publishes report on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
SEND court case
The National Education Union will continue to stand in solidarity with SEND Action and fight to ensure that all children with SEND have access to the provision they deserve.
Children’s Commissioner report into children and young people’s educational attainment
Schools and local authorities have been struggling to plug the gaps in SEND education left by years of cuts and underfunding, but without significant investment many children are unable to access the support they need.
National Audit Office on SEND
This report makes clear the challenges facing schools and local authorities in their efforts to give the best possible support to SEND pupils. It is plain to anyone working in education that the levels of education funding for SEND pupils are inadequate.
SEND Review
Every school wants to provide the strategies and support which work for each individual SEND pupil, but the real-terms funding crisis has had a devastating impact. We don’t need another review to tell us that children with SEND need quicker assessments.
Over 8,000 young people with SEND are ‘awaiting provision’.
The National Education Union has found that as of January 2019, up to 8,587 children and young people with SEND are currently classed as ‘awaiting provision’ for a school place, and have no access to any type of educational provision at all. This is significantly higher than previously known.
Children’s Commissioner report on Speech and Language Therapy Services
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary NEU comments on “We Need To Talk: Access to Speech and Language Therapy”, a report published today by Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England.
SEND National Crisis
The National Education Union is supporting today’s (Thursday) SEND National Crisis campaign day by joining its call on Government to provide more money for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). More than 25 events are happening nationwide.
SEND consultation
Commenting on the call for evidence on SEND funding announced today by Damian Hinds, Rosamund McNeil, Assistant General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: "For too long, children with SEND have been disgracefully let down by this Government".
Supporting Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Commenting on the passing of Motion 23 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The NEU is appalled at the continued off-rolling and illegal exclusion of too many SEND pupils and wants the government to address the underlying pressures which lead schools to take such action.
Schools at breaking point as funding pressures hit support for SEND pupils
The results of a snapshot survey* of 1,026 primary and secondary school teachers in England, shows the alarming levels of inadequate and underfunded provision for pupils with SEND.
PAC report: Poor NHS mental health provision for young people
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union has commented on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report Mental health services for children and young people.
NEU comment on pupils being excluded from schools in England
The Education Committee report highlights the exclusion of pupils from schools in England - Comment by Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union.
NEU comment on school funding for 2019-20
Nick Gibb’s statement on school revenue funding for 2019-2020 will do nothing to alleviate the enormous pressure on school budgets, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union says.
Event
How to prepare to deliver an intervention
Webcast 2 of 4 by NEU/NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs) in a series of webinars looking at small group interventions.
How to maximise the impact of interventions
Webcast 3 of 4 by NEU/NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs) in a series of webinars looking at small group interventions.
What to do following an intervention
Webcast 4 of 4 by NEU/NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs) in a series of webinars looking at small group interventions.
Why interventions are important and what impact can they have?
Introductory webcast of 4 by NEU/NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs) in a series of webinars looking at small group interventions.