When the government set out its major reforms for pupils with special education needs and disabilities, one of its key pledges was for new SEND and inclusion training to be delivered to all teachers.
This week the sector has been getting to grips with the first set of introductory training materials that have been produced for the government.
The training aims to support the Department for Education’s aim of ensuring that mainstream schools become more inclusive for pupils with SEND.
The first set of materials, which has been developed by Ambition Institute and is optional for schools, includes an introduction to the government’s SEND reforms, an introduction to inclusive teaching and “a deeper dive into speech, language and communication development”.
But how has the sector responded?
There have been concerns in schools about the scope of what has been published so far, the timing and specifically about the contents of the training for speech, language and communication development.
But the materials have also been praised for reinforcing the message that every teacher is responsible for every pupil in their class, and for providing distinctions between universal approaches, adaptations and additional support.
Reaction to SEND training materials for teachers
‘Glaring omission’ on speech, language and communication
Neil Maslen, education director at the charity Speech and Language UK, has raised a number of concerns about the deep dive materials on speech, language and communication.
He said: “SEND reform is totally dependent on the quality of the implementation of the positive ideas set out by the government like Experts at Hand, inclusion bases and teacher training. These materials are far from a reassuring start on this journey.
“Many teachers will be disappointed that these training materials aren’t giving them practical strategies that they can actually use to improve children’s outcomes, which is what we all want to see.”
He also warned of a “glaring omission”, with the materials failing to mention developmental language disorder (DLD) in the published slide packs.
Mr Maslen added: “SEND reform cannot be successful without a major initiative to improve knowledge of DLD.”
‘Positive’ message about every teacher responsible for every pupil
The publication of the government’s document has been described as “a positive development” by Donna Waring, head of SEND at Endeavour Learning Trust, which runs 11 schools in the North West.
She said that it reinforces the idea that every teacher is responsible for every pupil in their classroom.
“While this is not a new principle, the materials represent a more explicit attempt to embed inclusive practice within everyday teaching, rather than treating it as a statutory expectation led primarily by the Sendco,” said Ms Waring.
Posting on social media, Amjad Ali, CPD and inclusion lead at Chiltern Learning Trust, which runs 21 schools in the East of England, also praised aspects of the new materials.
“SEND is positioned as part of everyday inclusive teaching, not something that simply sits with the Sendco. I particularly like the distinction between universal approaches, adaptations and additional support,” he wrote.
Mr Ali also welcomed the focus on understanding “the learner, their development and the barriers they are experiencing, rather than simply reaching for a list of strategies linked to a diagnosis”.
However, he pointed to missing elements such as conversations about how to scaffold support without creating dependency, how staff should promote independence and how teachers and teaching assistants should work together.
The need for whole-school capacity
Ms Waring said that the greatest value in the materials may not be in the core training itself, but in , which she said “shifts the conversation from agreement with the principles of inclusion to consideration of implementation”.
She added: “Most schools would readily endorse the idea that SEND is everyone’s responsibility. The more challenging questions are whether teachers feel confident adapting learning, whether staff understand the difference between universal provision and individual adaptation, whether barriers are identified before pupils struggle, and whether the Sendco is building whole-school capacity rather than acting as the default problem-solver.”
Margaret Mulholland, SEND and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “This is just the first tranche of materials to support the SEND reforms and, as much of the content is yet to be released, it is difficult to form an overall picture as to the impact this training will make.
“However, the methodology appears to be limited to a simple in-house delivery, with no opportunities or expectation for collaboration between schools to share best practice. Teachers need time for sustained, ongoing training that meets the needs of their locality.”
Worries over timing
Concerns have also been raised about the timing of the materials’ release.
Ambition Institute was , and the first of three sets of training was published just over a week ago.
Catherine Lock, director of education at Grace Schools, which runs 38 schools in the East of England, said: “There are some useful parts to these materials. However, some of the suggested practice needs work to reflect what many in the sector would consider ‘best practice’.
“The authors are seeking feedback from colleagues, which is encouraging, but we are concerned that the speed of the publication feels rushed and makes this difficult to implement well and to the benefit of all.”
Marie Hamer, executive director of Ambition Institute, said: “We take the responsibility of designing these materials seriously. We are developing them in collaboration with the sector, with input from teachers, leaders, professional development leads and experts in special educational needs, and we’re very open to feedback.
“One message has come through consistently: settings are starting from very different places, so the materials need to be accessible, practical and adaptable to different contexts. Now the first set of materials is out, we encourage people to get in touch, share their views and help us shape the next set due later in the academic year.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We are proud to have kickstarted the most comprehensive teacher training offer in a generation, backed by £200 million and developed with the sector to help put inclusion at the heart of settings across the country.
“We have been clear that this is the first step as part of a wider offer, with more materials to launch next year ahead of training courses in the autumn, and we’ll continue to work with the sector to make sure the support is practical, useful and works for the staff using it.”
