Ahead of the publication of the Schools White Paper early next year, the Department for Education is currently engaging with families of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), practitioners and other experts regarding the proposals to reform the SEND system.

We were at the North West regional engagement event with the Department for Education (DfE) and the Council for Disabled Children (CDC) today, where we heard about the government’s five principles for reform and had some conversations with the CDC, DfE, school and Health professionals about some key themes relating to SEND, such as shared responsibilities, early intervention and support, transitions, and ensuring that local settings are inclusive and of high quality. It was also good to see a number of Parent Carer Forum representatives and individual parent-carers from across the North West that have attended the session.

If you missed this in-person event and/or would like to further get involved with the conversations, there are two other ways to make your voice heard:

These conversations are open to parents, carers, school and Early Years staff, Health and Social Care professionals, and other key interested stakeholders.

We encourage everyone across the SEND community and all those with an interest in these topics to please get involved.

After this period of engagement, there will also be an opportunity to share your views and experiences in a public consultation following the publication of the Schools White Paper.

Online Discussion on ‘EARLY’
Answer the Online Form
Online Discussion on ‘LOCAL’
Online Discussion on ‘SHARED’
Online Discussion on ‘FAIR’
Online Discussion on ‘EFFECTIVE’

The Department for Education’s five principles for SEND reform are:

  • Early intervention, including earlier in children’s lives when this can have most impact.
  • Local provision, so young people can learn at a school close to their home, alongside their peers, as well as the vital role of special provision for complex needs.
  • Fairness, so every school has the resources and capability to meet changing needs – stopping parents fighting for support and ensuring clear legal safeguards for children and parents.
  • Effective practice, grounded in evidence to ensure excellent long-term outcomes.
  • Shared working that means education, health and care services working in partnership with local government, families, teachers, experts and representative bodies.