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4 minute read
What does SEND reform mean for schools, and how can leaders strengthen inclusive provision now? Ahead of the Schools & Academies Show, Carole, Chief Executive of HFL Education, shares her perspective on the White Paper’s ambitions, the challenges facing schools and trusts, and the practical steps leaders can take to improve SEND provision. From early intervention to workforce development, she explores how collaboration can help build an education system where every child belongs.
1. Carole, as Chief Executive Officer of HFL Education, how does your work bring you close to the challenges and opportunities raised in the White Paper, and what perspective are you hoping to bring to this conversation?
As Chief Executive of HFL Education, I am fortunate to work and talk with hundreds of schools, trusts, local authorities and partner organisations, which gives me a unique view across the whole education system. As an organisation which is owned by over 530 academies and maintained schools, we really get to understand the challenges being met by all phases, in all kinds of schools. I see first-hand both the commitment schools have to being inclusive and the challenges they face in securing the right support for children and young people with additional needs.
What resonates most strongly in the White Paper is the emphasis on earlier intervention, stronger inclusion in mainstream settings and greater collaboration across education, health and local services. Those principles are supported by educators across the sector. The challenges are always are more about how we move from a shared vision to something that works in practice for schools, leaders, families and young people.
The perspective I hope to bring is a system focussed, practical one. Successful reform will not be achieved through policy alone. It will depend on how effectively local systems work together, how confident the workforce feels, and whether schools are given the capacity and support they need to deliver change sustainably.
2. Six months on from the White Paper, what do you think has genuinely changed for schools, trusts and local partners, and where are the biggest challenges still unresolved?
One important change is that the conversation has shifted. Inclusion is no longer being viewed as a specialist area sitting alongside school improvement. Schools universally accept that building more special schools is not the only answer. Instead, inclusion is increasingly recognised as central to school effectiveness, leadership and system reform which will impact upon all settings.
We're also seeing schools, trusts and local authorities beginning to think more seriously about what a stronger universal offer might look like and how they can build more inclusive provision within mainstream settings. Certainly, we have had conversations about how what 'ordinarily available' provision should look like locally. To genuinely reach consensus at scale is tough in terms of engagement, but we have proved it can be done.
However, many of the biggest challenges remain unresolved. Leaders are still looking for greater clarity about implementation, funding, workforce capacity and accountability. There is broad support for the ambition of reform, but schools need confidence that expectations will be matched by the resources and specialist support required to deliver them.
The risk is that we create additional expectations without tackling the underlying pressures that schools, local authorities and families continue to experience every day.
3. Are there any early responses to the proposed reforms that you think show promise, and what can the sector learn from those examples?
The most encouraging examples are those where organisations have focused on collaboration rather than structure. Across the country we are seeing schools, trusts, local authorities and specialist services working together to develop shared approaches to inclusion, workforce development and early intervention.
What these examples have in common is a recognition that SEND and inclusion cannot sit with a single individual or team. The most effective organisations are building inclusion into leadership, classroom practice, professional development and organisational culture.
The lesson for the sector is that sustainable improvement comes from developing local capability and shared responsibility. While national policy provides the direction, it is local relationships, trust and collective expertise that ultimately deliver better outcomes for children and young people. It is very 'in vogue' to talk about place-based education - but we do know that creating a sense of place and shared accountability is key. And I am continually heartened by how strong the unanimous commitment to serve all pupils is.
4. While the sector waits for further policy development, what practical improvements do you think schools and trusts can make now to strengthen SEND and inclusion provision?
There is a great deal that schools and trusts can do now.
Firstly, they can strengthen their focus on inclusive classroom practice. High-quality teaching remains the most important driver of outcomes for many children with SEND. So getting the basics right remains really important.
Secondly, they can invest in workforce confidence. Many colleagues are highly committed but do not always feel equipped to meet increasingly complex needs. Professional development in adaptive teaching, communication and inclusive practice can make a significant difference. I think the emergence of AI will be useful in this area - I can't wait to talk about that more at the show!
Thirdly, leaders can take an honest look at whether pupils and families genuinely feel they belong. Inclusion is not simply about systems and processes. It is about culture, relationships and creating schools where every child feels recognised, valued and able to succeed.
None of these actions require schools to wait for the final details of reform. In many ways they represent good practice regardless of future policy changes. And they represent improvements for all pupils.
5. What is the one thing you hope delegates take away from this session about the future of SEND reform and inclusion?
If delegates take away one message, I hope it is that inclusion is not a separate agenda. It is the challenge of our generation of educators. And it will require every school, regardless of phase or legal status, to have collective accountability and commitment.
The future success of SEND reform will depend less on new structures and more on our collective ability to build a system where all children and young people can thrive. That requires partnership, trust, professional expertise and a shared commitment to acting earlier and more effectively. We have had a long period of discussing what kind of schools are better, and of sector division. Getting back to the key issues we should be focussing on - the issues not the structures - is something I am really hoping will invigorate delegates.
The opportunity before us is not simply to improve SEND provision. It is to create a more inclusive education system that works better for every child, every family and every school.
