SEND reforms welcomed by education leader
Government is planning to transform how SEND pupils are supported at school
Education leaders in Wiltshire are welcoming Government plans to reform SEND support in schools.
The Government revealed its long-awaited Schools White Paper on Monday (23/2), which sets out £4 billion of funding to overhaul education for special needs students and ensure they receive the best opportunities possible.
Cabinet Member for SEND and Education, Cllr Jon Hubbard, says it's a boost have clarity on what the Governments expectations are.
"Now that we've got their ambitions and plans, we can really start cementing our own ambitions and plans for how we deliver this in Wiltshire and we can now start working towards delivering a long-term sustainable service," he said.
He described the paper as "positive and constructive" saying: "I think it is going to strengthen the delivery of teaching for SEND in our schools, in our communities and in our special schools."
Tailored approach will boost understanding
Within the White Paper, hundreds of millions of pounds are earmarked for transforming different elements of education, including tailored support, extra training for mainstream teaching and support for families.
Cllr Hubbard believes ensuring a tailored approach will open the Governments eyes to the real cost of providing services for SEND children.
"Every child is different, particularly in the SEND sector, and we've always been delivering a very tailored approach to each child," Cllr Hubbard said. "It's really encouraging to hear the government recognising this far more than they did previously.
"I think that will help them understand better why the costs aren't as simple as sometimes they think they will be, with being able to give just a straight simple per person cost for things rather than looking at the individual needs of each person."
Extra teacher training a welcomed step
He praised the work already being done by teachers in the classroom, saying they do "an exceptional job" and that he is "in awe of them".
And while our teachers are trained to a high standard, Cllr Hubbard has backed the extra training to help them support SEND children in their classroom.
He said he "fully supports" the Governments aim of integrating more SEND students into mainstream classes.
"There are different skill sets required for meeting the needs of SEND young people than there are for meeting the needs of mainstream young people. And I think giving some additional training and support to our already exceptional teaching teams will help them to be able to best meet the needs of those individuals," Cllr Hubbard said.
While nothing is expected to happen immediately, Cllr Hubbard insists the Council will be working hard to work alongside families and ensure the changes are successful for children and young people in Wiltshire.