Overview

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Support) Bill aims to improve the education of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England. It mandates increased training for teachers and support staff, ensures SEND considerations in school inspections, and strengthens protections against unfair exclusions for SEND pupils.

Description

This bill makes several key changes to existing education legislation:

Teacher Training and Expertise:

It requires local authorities to ensure all teaching staff receive sufficient training to educate pupils with SEND. They must publish strategies outlining how this will be achieved within 12 months. The Secretary of State will set the specifics of this training, including mandatory training for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs).

School Inspections:

School inspections will explicitly assess how well schools meet the needs of children with SEND, ensuring compliance with relevant statutory requirements.

Permanent Exclusion:

The bill restricts the permanent exclusion of pupils with SEND. Before exclusion, the school must review the effectiveness of reasonable adjustments (for disabled pupils) and special educational provisions (for pupils with SEND).

Definitions:

The bill clarifies the definitions of "autism," "disability," "local authority," and "special educational needs," aligning them with existing legislation.

Government Spending

The bill will lead to increased government spending, although no specific figures are provided in the bill text. Funding will cover the costs of teacher training, implementation of new requirements, and potentially increased support services for schools.

Groups Affected

• Local Authorities: Responsible for ensuring sufficient training and publishing strategies for supporting SEND pupils.
• Teachers and Support Staff: Required to undergo additional training on SEND.
• Pupils with SEND and their families: Will benefit from improved education and protection against unfair exclusions.
• Schools: Will need to adapt their practices and potentially increase resources to meet the new requirements.
• Inspectors: Will need to incorporate SEND considerations into their school inspection processes.

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