Education policy development in England: Effective ‘mainstreaming’ of <scp>SEND</scp> provision

The 2014 Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations (applying to England) have now been formally amended to facilitate the introduction of the National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for SENCos from 1 September 2024.1 From this date onwards the NPQ SENCo is the mandatory qualification for SENCos in England (see Robertson, 2024, for further details pertaining to eligibility for the new professional development programme and its purported aims). Interestingly, the amended regulations use the phrase ‘relevant SENCo Qualification’ when referring to the NPQ SENCo, indicating that it could be possible to offer alternative SENCo professional development options and pathways in the future. One such option would be the introduction of a SENCo apprenticeship, and this would align with the new Government's commitment to developing the skills of young people and adults through work-based training programmes.2 The amended regulations also make it clear that SENCos who have commenced a National Award for Special Educational Co-ordination (NASENCo) prior to 1 September 2024 will be required to complete this professional development programme before 1 September 2027.3 Remediating existing blocks to progress and good outcomes, with an especial concern for equity and ensuring positive outcomes for children and young people who are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, have a special educational need or disability and/or are otherwise vulnerable. Both Government initiatives referred to here will have implications for the role of the SENCo in mainstream schools and related settings. Taken at face value, they should strengthen the leadership role of the SENCo, particularly if the NPQ SENCo professional development programme equips future SEND co-ordinators to carry out the role in accord with statutory and non-statutory guidance set out in the Special Educational Needs Regulations (UK Parliament, 2014) and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice (DfE, 2015).5 The downside of these initiatives is that they appear to be long-term and aspirational. SENCos also need to be supported with more immediate and concrete policy-implementation changes that will enable them to help children, young people and their families—many of whom have unremittingly negative experience of the SEND system—now, rather than five years from now. Two examples illustrate the kind of action that the DfE could take in the short term to significantly improve SEND support in mainstream schools and related settings. First, it could introduce—possibly underpinned by statutory guidance—local area SENCo networks supported by local authority SENCo professional advisers (funded by the DfE) with relevant experience and proven SEND strategic leadership skills. Such networks—operating on a face-to-face and online basis—would draw directly on member experience, knowledge, skills and understanding. This would be complemented by local area, regional knowledge and central Government policy-implementation planning and development work. SENCo professional advisers would also be required to engage directly with all mainstream schools, including academies, in their area. Second, the DfE could—perhaps must—increase SEND funding levels in schools. The so-called ‘notional SEN budget’ (DfE, 2015) available to mainstream schools has not increased during the past ten years, and there is compelling evidence that special educational needs support for children and young people with less complex needs is patchy and often poor (IFF Research Ltd, 2021; Robertson, 2022). Whether an increased budget allocation should be ring-fenced or not is a moot point (school leaders currently determine how the allocation is used). For SENCos, what is more important is that the notional SEND budget can be used to put in place evidence-based early interventions and to access external advice for children and young people assessed as needing SEN Support. As the new school year begins, SENCos across England may look forward, with cautious optimism, to being better supported by central Government education policy in the future, but they will want practical and strategic support now, in the short to mid-term, as well as in the longer term.