CYP Now - Regularly assess pupils' non-academic abilities to identify SEND sooner, experts say

Developing better assessment tools to identify children’s needs and more training for education professionals to deliver improved support for young people and families are key recommendations in a report on how to tackle the “crisis” in special education needs and disabilities (SEND) services.

Many teachers don't feel confident in their skills to support children with SEND. Picture: NTI

The report by the Centre for Young Lives (CfYL) and Child of the North concludes that the SEND system has been unable to cope with rising levels of demand due to advances made in identifying and recognising when children have additional needs and require extra support.

Around 40% of children are identified as having a SEND at some stage between five and 16 years old, a number the report describes as “extraordinary”.

“This broken SEND system is holding back life chances and causing upset and distress to many children and families,” says report authors Anne Longfield, CfYL founder, and Dr Camilla Kingdon, former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, in their foreword.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included