SEND
The latest news, analysis, research and advice relating to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) sector
Thursday
12th Feb 2026
Special schools must shout about their inclusion work
The government鈥檚 focus on driving inclusion in education gives us the chance to define what it means in specialist settings, write Claire Dorer and Anita Devi
Call to create new national standards for AP
Report warns that delaying the pipeline of new AP free schools risks more students being placed in unregistered alternative provision
Monday
9th Feb 2026
Government to cover 90% of council SEND debts
Local authorities will be able to apply for a new High Needs Stability Grant if they get DfE approval for a local SEND reform plan
Cash-strapped councils鈥� spending on private special schools soars
Local authorities with the biggest SEND deficits see their spending on places in independent special schools rise by up to 58 per cent, 糖心Vlog analysis shows
Exclusive
Thursday
5th Feb 2026
8 in 10 councils could be left insolvent by SEND deficits
Research suggests 95 per cent of councils have a deficit as a result of SEND spending exceeding their funding
Nearly a fifth of KS4 students recorded with SEND
The latest key stage 4 data shows that the proportion of students with SEND has been rising since before Covid, but also that the gender gap in KS4 results has narrowed
How occupational therapists鈥� role in schools is changing
It used to be the case that occupational therapists only really helped individual pupils with complex needs, but now they are increasingly working to a much broader brief with schools, finds Zofia Niemtus