SEND: inconsistent support for children who are out of school

There is inconsistent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who do not attend school full-time, according to a new report by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

In addition, missed opportunities to identify children’s needs early and to get the proper support from local education, care and health services mean that too many children with SEND are leaving school when it could be avoided.

This is because some parents and carers feel that they have no choice but to home educate their child because their needs are not being met in school, and they are struggling to navigate an overly complex SEND system.

The report also found that capacity challenges and a lack of understanding of roles and responsibilities also mean the quality of oversight and support for children varies across local areas.

However, many school leaders stressed that they lack the necessary resources – such as staff with the right expertise – to effectively identify or meet children’s needs.

Need real improvements for children with SEND

Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, said: “Too many children with SEND are out of school, which is deeply concerning. As well as missing out on the school experience, they are also out of sight of local services and don’t always receive the help and support they need.

“These children deserve better. Although the national picture is worrying, our report also highlights some good practice where local areas have worked together effectively to ensure children with SEND either remain in school or return to full-time education, where appropriate. I hope this report and its recommendations support wider understanding of these issues and real improvements for children with SEND.”

Inspectors heard that there was limited understanding of how ‘education otherwise than at school’ (EOTAS) arrangements should be applied, which meant parents’ expectations often didn’t align with what local areas could offer.

Schools and local authorities generally have strong information-sharing processes for children with SEND not in school, but health partners are often absent from these arrangements. This means some children with SEND are unable to access key services, such as occupational therapy or speech and language therapy, when they are out of school.

The report also highlights some of the innovative work that local areas are doing to help ensure children with SEND receive effective, multi-agency support to remain in, or return to, school full-time, where appropriate. For example, one local area partnership jointly funded a nurse educator to provide training for education and school transport staff, helping them to feel more confident about supporting children’s health needs.

Recommendations from the report

The report recommends that the Department for Education prioritises working with local area partnerships to ensure that children’s emerging needs are identified early and accurately. Also, local area partnerships have access to resources and training to support schools in taking a needs-led approach to supporting children with SEND.

In addition, the Department for Education should lead on developing guidance on the appropriate use of EOTAS arrangements, ensuring that health partners are involved.

Professor Bola Owolabi CBE, Chief Inspector of Primary Care and Community Services at the Care Quality Commission, added: “Well-coordinated support – where colleagues across education, health and social care work together – can make all the difference to ensuring children and young people with SEND have their educational needs met and in the right place.

“We have seen this done well, with innovative approaches to collaboration and support for children and young people who require these services. However, as highlighted in this report, barriers still remain which inhibit a joined-up approach, and inconsistencies from area to area meaning some children and young people with SEND are missing out on their education.”

Alison Bloomer

Alison Bloomer is Editor of Learning Disability Today.

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