\u00a36,000 threshold<\/a> has remained the same since 2014 and \u201ceroded by over 30 per cent in real terms\u201d, the NGA report said, forcing \u201cboards to choose between supporting pupils with SEND and maintaining financial viability\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe organisation is urging the government to \u201capply inflation-linked indices to the notional SEN budget\u201d to protect its real-terms value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also believes this would allow the threshold for top-up funding to be increased to \u201creflect current costs\u201d. Doing this, NGA said, would allow councils to \u201cfocus their resources on pupils with the most complex needs\u201d, promoting a \u201cfocus on earlier intervention\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This would reduce \u201cconcerns about inconsistent or delayed provision caused by attempts to navigate existing inefficient EHCP processes which privilege the more socially-economically advantaged\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group warned the changes \u201cmust\u2026[be] part of a concerted effort to maximise inclusion in schools\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NGA said this should include Ofsted checking that \u201cthe notional SEN budget is being invested in SEN children, not diverted to fill other budgetary holes\u201d as part of its inclusion drive.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Workforce training<\/h3>\n\n\n\n NGA figures show just 42 per cent of boards believe their staff are equipped to support increasingly complex requirements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is calling for \u201ccomprehensive SEND training\u201d from \u201cinitial teacher training through early career frameworks to national professional qualification\u201d, adding they should \u201cbe equipped to identify needs early and differentiate learning effectively\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Parent complaints<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The report pointed to NGA research showing the scale of the \u201cbreakdown\u201d in relations between schools and parents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eighty-two per cent of boards have witnessed an increase in complaints, with \u201cSEND provision the primary concern\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The body said boards must \u201cchampion a fundamental redefinition of how the system measures school success \u2013 shifting from narrow attainment data to indicators that genuinely reflect inclusive practice and support for children with additional needs\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This would \u201chelp to eliminate the perverse incentives\u201d that lead to some schools not being inclusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To rebuild \u201ccollaboration\u201d with parents, NGA recommended \u201cprofessional development in relationship-building for school staff\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This would incorporate \u201cparent engagement training\u201d and \u201cequipping staff to handle difficult conversations and prevent escalation\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also called for new \u201cnational standards\u201d co-designed with parents, pupils and providers \u201cestablishing universal expectations for inclusive education that move beyond individual legal battles toward cohort-wide accountability\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For schools, this would \u201cprovide clarity, and a level playing field, including certainty on the support [they] can expect from external providers\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Keep EHCPs\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n One in 20 children in England now have an education, health and care plan (EHCP), 11 per cent up since last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
EHCPs attract extra funding and detail the support a child is legally entitled to, naming the school that must deliver it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With councils \u201cstruggling to absorb\u201d growing expenditure related to the plans, NGA argued for \u201ccohort-based interventions for shared needs\u201d to be implemented to reduce the \u201cdependency\u201d on EHCPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An example it gave was \u201cthe 1.5 million children with pandemic-related language delays\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also said that \u201crather than removing EHCPs or starting from scratch\u201d, the plans should be reserved \u201cfor multi-agency cases requiring co-ordinated health, education and social care input or specialist placements\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWithout urgent action, the SEND system will continue its trajectory toward complete breakdown, taking school budgets, workforce wellbeing, and most importantly, children’s futures with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIncremental change will not suffice\u2026the system requires fundamental transformation that addresses its interconnected failures simultaneously.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SEND system is on a ‘trajectory toward complete breakdown’ and ‘incremental change will not suffice’, warns NGA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":311204,"featured_media":239329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[25],"post-theme":[2378],"class_list":["post-239356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-ofsted","post-theme-ofsted"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t
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