Are SEND pupils at the heart of Ofsted reforms?

26 February 2 mins read Rebecca Lawton Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

Tom Rees, chair of the Department for Education's Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion, has emphasised that changes to the Ofsted inspection framework aim to put the focus on disadvantaged children and those with SEND.

Dr Rebecca Lawton is director of quality and compliance at specialist education provider Outcomes First Group

While this sounds promising, the reality of the proposed reforms appears to overlook the unique needs of SEND pupils, and risks sidelining the very children they aim to support.

Having worked across 100 schools supporting children with SEND, it's clear to me that there are three key areas where the new Ofsted report appears to have misrepresented SEND schools and their pupils.

Attendance is one of the proposed standalone metrics for school performance. While it may be indicative of performance in mainstream schools, it would not be so in specialist settings as it does not take into account the challenges that pupils may face. For children and young people struggling with mental health challenges or those with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, regular attendance can be difficult.

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