For completeness - this survey is also looking to capture evidence of more timely identification of SEN, provision that's put in place earlier, and increased quality / quantity of provision in mainstream school and college settings
The DfE has assured SNJ and national / specialist media that they have no issued no targets to reduce EHCPs, or to reduce placements in specialist provision, as conditions of their SEND financial intervention programmes in 89 local authorities
May 18, 2023 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
Deep-set cultures are holding Birmingham SEND back - but the political problems are a sideshow.
Coughlan's report doesn't cover the main cultural blocker- officers' serial disregard for SEND statutory duty, driving terrible decisions - because he doesn't see it as a problem
It's been 2 years since the Ofsted/CQC revisit report that triggered Coughlan's appointment.
The achievements that he can point to over 2 years are desperately slender: the main thing he can say is that 66% new EHCPs are now done on time, whereas it was 53% 2 years ago
Jun 9, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Grim milestone: over 10,000 SENDIST appeals registered in the 2021-22 financial year - 16.5% up on the previous year, almost treble the number six years ago
At the end of March, there were over 3,300 appeals in the SENDIST system. As with each of the last six years, new appeals are coming in at a faster rate than the system can dispose of them
Dec 10, 2021 • 13 tweets • 4 min read
Thread with bonus content on yesterday's SENDIST figures
We estimate that local authorities collectively committed ~£60m of resource to defend SENDIST appeals in 2020-21.
Just 3.6% of their decisions were upheld at SENDIST hearings over the same period. That's 1 kosher LA decision for every 27 LA decisions that were appealed
Jun 30, 2021 • 14 tweets • 4 min read
The way that these councils frame risk goes a long, long way towards explaining why their SEND services are so poor
SEND consultants & third sector folk: don your bibs, because the DfE are refilling the trough:
£19m of SEND system support contracts, Apr 2022-2025, bids likely required end of September
Part of the package: SEND cuts specialists
Some of these upcoming contracts are for services that the DfE already has running with the third sector: development & funding of parent carer forums, a 'strategic reform partnership', & information, advice & support services (IASS) for families
Jun 17, 2021 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Looks like the DfE are hiring people for SEND Review implementation: 8 posts, over £500k of Whitehall meatsack required
A few hints in the paperwork of what the SEND Review will trigger: Green Paper, funding bid in next Treasury Spending Round, legislation in the third parliamentary session (ie 2022-23)
Jun 10, 2021 • 11 tweets • 3 min read
SEND folk: if you're interested in how many SENDIST appeals your LA fielded in the 2020 calendar year, you can find these figures here: gov.uk/government/sta…
These figures also come with an estimated "appeal rate" - the official figure is 1.7%, which would indicate that parents go to SENDIST for roughly 1 in every 60 appealable decisions made by LAs
The official figure, unfortunately, is cock. Here's a quick thread explaining why...
Mar 5, 2021 • 16 tweets • 7 min read
It's Friday evening & I'm bored, so here is a thread about judicial review & the things that local authority senior managers get away with.
Warning: this is down in the SEND weeds - so if it's not your thing, mute me, mute the thread, or just look at the Father Ted gifs
1/
Summer 2020: Government has relaxed some of the key statutory duties around SEND provision. A judicial review is launched to challenge aspects of this decision, and the hearing takes place at the end of July
2/
Dec 22, 2020 • 13 tweets • 4 min read
This article about Surrey SEND services relies very, very heavily on what local authority leaders say. And it shows
1/ getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-ne…
The article provides detail on Surrey's use of the High Needs Block, 1 of 4 education funding blocks.
It's a year since the government launched a 'major' review into the SEND system.
There's no sign of a report, or any outcomes. The review process is shrouded in backroom mystery, impervious to accountability. Much like the system it's reviewing /1 gov.uk/government/new…
The SEND review was supposed to be completed last winter. We have no idea whether it's been completed, what conclusions it's reached, or what the implications will be for over a million pupils with SEND and the tens of thousands of front-line professionals that work with them
2/
Aug 16, 2020 • 18 tweets • 5 min read
My kid is deaf. He has an associated language disorder. He's brighter than I am. He works harder than I do. He's surmounted every barrier to learning thrown at him so far.
He's a GCSE student. On Thursday, Ofqual are going to kneecap his life chances. Here's how:
1/
J started life in mainstream primary school. Staff were great - but they were spread way too thin, & the local authority refused to give them the resources they needed.
By the time he left mainstream, J was 3-4 years behind his hearing peers, & things looked desperate
2/
Jul 23, 2020 • 33 tweets • 10 min read
In April 2018, @CommonsEd launched an inquiry into the state of SEND in England.
The Education Committee published their inquiry report 9 months ago. Today, the government have responded to it.
I'm going to summarise what the government response says, in as neutral a fashion as I can, with as few swear-words as I can. You can find the full response here: committees.parliament.uk/publications/2…
[Anything in square brackets or gif form is additional context that I've thrown in] /2
May 14, 2020 • 24 tweets • 8 min read
There are some disquieting things going on with some of the local area SEND inspections over the past year. This report is a good example.
I haven't done a thread on here for a while, so ....
Each local area SEND inspection team is at least 3-strong: an in-house, Ofsted-employed Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI) who leads the team; an inspector from the Care Quality Commission; & a contracted Ofsted Inspector, often a currently-serving or recently-retired LA SEND bod 2/
I don't talk much about my kids on here (they're teenagers, they prefer it that way)
But it's Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day, so the rules are different today #DLDYouAndMe
What's Developmental Language Disorder? Find out here:
