After years of endless discussions, things are finally happening around special educational needs and disabilities: capital investment, teacher training and the long-awaited schools White Paper.
In this, we can see signs of possible optimism as we hope to move from the “broken” system to something more positive. And it will take a lot to be positive amid low parent confidence, stretched teacher capacity, Sendcos under intense , high-needs funding frozen and schools forums and local authorities under pressure.
One part of this fix is seen as bringing more resourced provision into more mainstream schools. As of January 2025, only 1,217 schools housed a resourced provision. The government’s commitment to provide 10,000 new places in such provision is much needed expansion in this area.
So, what makes for an effective resourced provision?
At our school, we have had a resource base since 2007. Consistently strong progress data (including little to no attainment gap) for students with SEND for over 10 years shows we have experience of what it takes, in our context.
We believe the ingredients are: vision, investment, expertise and relationships.
1. Vision
Inclusivity has long been part of who we are and what we do, deep wired into the school vision and ethos. We view this as everyone’s responsibility.
An October 2025 inspection described it as “deep-rooted in the DNA”. SEND is not a bolt-on; students are integrated into mainstream, integral to what we do and how we do it.
Students are known individually, cared for and understood - equally challenged and supported to be their best selves with ambitious outcomes and destinations.
Any school operating a resourced provision has to have this mindset across the entire setting. It can’t be seen as a separate entity or one person’s responsibility.
2. Investment
Investment is a broad term. The provision itself was the first in the county, and we co-designed the building, which has stood the test of time through expansions. As we expand again, we apply the same keen eye to proposed plans, environment and room design.
Investment in staffing means a master’s-trained Sendco with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) expertise, an assistant-Sendco with current national professional qualification knowledge and literacy expertise and specialist teaching assistants.
Both the Sendco and assistant-Sendco are trained teachers, but not timetabled, which impacts both our staffing budget and contact ratio.
Investment in regular professional training time dedicated to specialist knowledge and sharing of expertise benefits all.
From regular training in autism spectrum disorder and SLCN to personalised knowledge sharing with class teachers, and from repeated cycles of pedagogical training in the ingredients of responsive classroom practice to department-driven input on using technology.
Our decision 10 years ago to move to a one-to-one device scheme supported transformative adaptive teaching and an accessible curriculum.
This is an investment and cannot be done via cheap shortcuts. It can lead to difficult choices, but the uncomfortable truth is that inclusion, done well, costs. Anything less is a false economy.
3. Expertise
This investment in rich, personalised and expertise-driven professional learning creates a shared understanding that is palpable and powerful. This extends across the school and beyond.
Externally, our Sendco’s expertise has supported county-wide training as well as a review of local authority provision, led a SEND Hub, mentored new Sendcos and advised on new provisions.
We welcome specialist practitioners to train wider staff to become localised experts on numerous topics: emotionally based school avoidance, trauma-informed practice and attachment, among others.
Knowledge of future cohorts is vital for high-quality transition, with staff working across phases to maximise success.
Internally, knowledge of each child and domain expertise has currency over position or hierarchy: the senior leadership team receive regular Sendco input, teaching assistants share pupil-led knowledge with teachers and curriculum leaders expertly explain future learning. Co-planning is embedded in our structures.
Underpinning it all is student and parent voice; student profiles are the first port of call for any teacher or leader to understand students, their barriers and preferred pedagogical or relational approaches.
They are accessible to all, highly valued and integral to students feeling seen, known and heard.
4. Relationships
Finally, it is vital that there is trust and rapport that underpins powerful relationships between staff, but also students and parents, too.
Needs are acknowledged, but each student leads the process of their growing confidence and independence.
Strong staff retention builds organisational belief and collective responsibility. We are therefore able to work with empathy, honesty and ambition for all.
The application of these ingredients is context-specific, but the principles could be common to all. It has taken time and much learning along the way.
These children are too important to be short-changed in our investment, understanding or ambition for them.
Done well and appropriately to context, resourced provision can ease pressure on the system, ensure young people genuinely thrive and benefit the wider culture of an inclusive school community.
Caroline Barlow is co-chair of the Headteachers’ Roundtable and headteacher of Heathfield Community College and Sixth Form in East Sussex
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