How much tolerance is there in our system?

Georgina Newton calls for an ethos of inclusion and tolerance in our education system.

Girl sitting in green chair crouched with face in hands

Recent reports of behaviour policies being introduced into schools, enforcing silence on corridors at lesson-changeover have led to much debate about the purpose of schools, the nature of student communication, the needs of individuals and the tension between regulations and individual freedoms.

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      string(5838) "As a member of the Education Select Committee, it has been my privilege to be involved in the Forgotten Children: Alternative Provision and the Scandal of Ever Increasing Exclusions report over the last year.  I came to politics after a career in education, most recently as the headteacher of a primary school. My experience included primary and secondary settings, supporting teacher training courses and managing one of the first Stage One children’s centres in my local authority. Every day working in education drove home to me the importance of politics and policy making. It was a natural step – after a lifetime in the Labour party – to step up to be a representative for my home constituency in 2017. For me, it was the next stage in standing up for those who could not defend themselves. When I was asked to serve on the Education Select Committee, I was delighted to be able to bring thirty years of experience to the role, and to be part of the inquiry into such an important issue. Alternative provision – defined by the DFE as ‘education arranged by local authorities for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education; education arranged by schools for pupils on a fixed period exclusion; and pupils being directed by schools to off-site provision to improve their behaviour’ – is not simply an issue of the individuals concerned and their families.1  At its core, how we tackle the needs and wishes of our most vulnerable children informs and decides what kind of society we want to be. It is a question of how we include the excluded, how we pull families back from the brink, and how we see children with disabilities, mental health problems, and additional needs as an important part of our world rather than seeing them as a threat to Progress 8 results. The foundations of inclusion, equality and having a truly diverse society which enriches us all, can be laid at this early stage if we as policymakers are brave and compassionate enough to do so. The statistics around who ends up in alternative provision – and why – are telling, and reflect deeper structural inequalities. Children in care, in need, in poverty, and with SEND are all more likely to be excluded than children not in these categories.2 For every girl permanently excluded last year, over three boys were.3 Black Caribbean, Irish travellers and Gypsy Roma heritage pupils are disproportionately represented in Alternative Provision (AP).4 Almost half of children in AP are 15 and 16 years old.5 All these groups are subject to pre-existing vulnerabilities and are hugely over-represented in negative statistics as adults, significantly in the prison and justice systems. Parents of these children ‘can be left fighting a system that they do not understand and that they feel is stacked against them … parents often do not have the time or social capital to challenge schools.’6 The evidence we heard on this rang true with my professional and personal experience: the children most in need of articulate, consistent advocates are those least likely to have them, and the parents who need to defend their children most frequently may lack the confidence, skill, language and knowledge to do so. And once we start to unpick the types of inequality prevalent here, it is frankly difficult to know where to stop. It is my belief that alternative provision should be used to address and tackle the inequalities which affect particular sections of the population – not to embed and worsen it. Of course, the elephant in the room when talking about alternative provision is the fact that:…schools and school representatives told us that schools no longer have the financial resources to fund pastoral support, including teaching assistants, that would often help keep pupils in mainstream schools…financial pressures are affecting schools’ capacity and ability to identify and support problems and provide the early intervention that is necessary.7My own local authority, Kirklees, is the seventh largest metropolitan council in the country and is home to some of the 10 per cent most deprived families in the UK. Yet, when need is taken into account, it is the worst funded local authority in the country, having lost roughly half of its budget since 2010. There is no school in my constituency – even those serving areas of incredibly high need – which has not suffered a cut to its budget. Nationally the number of staff vacancies in the maintained AP and special sector has nearly trebled since 2011. Vacancies are 100–150 per cent higher than in mainstream secondary schools.8 It is simply not feasible to commit to resolving some of the issues highlighted by the Committee without also devoting adequate funding and resources. And it is my personal view that the near-decade of austerity has already done unforgivable harm to the teaching profession, to our education system and to the lives of children and families. Labour’s radical vision for the future of education is what I spent a career waiting for and fighting for. But we should be under no illusions about how long it will take to undo the last eight years. The IPPR report Making the Difference: Breaking the Link Between School Exclusion and Social Exclusion describes starkly how:the number of children experiencing intersecting vulnerabilities … is increasing. 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Behaviour

Forgotten Children – Creating Policy with Heart

4 Dec 2018

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      string(5734) "feel most included? For themajority, the vast majority, that is and always has been inmainstream education. But for a minority, it is in some kindof specialist setting, where, instead of having to try to fit inwith what is provided for the majority, children who are sodisturbed that they cannot help disturbing others (and whomay be part of the one in 10 now said to have mental healthproblems), or whose moderat e learning difficulties arecompounded by having dyslexia and dyspraxia, can be ina place where the teaching, the approaches, the facilitiesand the resources, can be adapted to their needs, ratherthan expecting them to fit in with what is provided for themajority. We owe it to them to ensure that they have themost, not the least, specialist help, in order to maximise theirpotential – and the more limited or fragile that potential,the more important it becomes for it to be realised.In 2005 Mary Warnock, who has never lost her interest inSEN, reappeared on the national scene with the launch ofa slender publication entitled Special Educational Needs: ANew Look. She suggested that, 25 years on from her originalreport, it was time to take a fresh look at SEN. Warnock wasthe first person called to give evidence to the Educationand Skills Committee, when they set up an inquiry into SEN,which took evidence from autumn 2005 to March 2006. Lastsummer the committee published its findings in threevolumes. It recommended that, as Warnock had said, it wastime to consider SEN afresh, t o have clarity about themeaning of inclusion and less variability in the range ofprovision offered by different local authorities.The Select Committee pointed out that in the SENstrategy, it was suggested tha t special schools, whilehaving a continuing and dual role, would cat er for adiminishing population: “the proportion of childreneducated in special schools should fall o ver time asmainstream schools grow in their skills and capacity tomeet a wide range of needs.” Yet, in his evidence to theSelect Committee, Andre w Adonis, the ministerresponsible for SEN, said that the Government would be‘content’ if numbers remained much as they are now.I would like to say at this point that I do not believe thatthis shift in thinking is because of a failure on the part ofmainstream schools to welcome children with a wider rangeof needs. I spent nine years as an outreach co-ordinator, goingin and out of many of the 90 schools in the catchment areaof my special school, and I had nothing but admiration forthe majority of colleagues I met, who went to enormouslengths to try to accommodate pupils who tested the systemin a number of ways. Rather, I think there is a growingrealisation that all types of schools, mainstream and special,are experiencing a much more complex population.In Sue Palmer’s recent book Toxic Childhood she outlinessome of the reasons for this, starting from listing whatsmall children need:“They need physical nurturing (a healthy mind in a healthybody): nourishing food; plenty of exercise and play; adequatesleep. They need emotional and social support, which means52CommentCommentCommentCommentComment Special educational needsManaging Schools Today     April/May 2007time, attention, communication and love from the peopleclosest to them. As they grow older, they must widen theirsocial circle and learn cognitive skills, including the Three Rs.And throughout childhood they need moral guidance, tohelp them navigate the increasingly c omplex web ofcontemporary ethics.”She lists the technological and cultural changes thathave impacted on children’s development: the unhealthyfood riddled with additives, the couch potato lifestyle, alack of emotional stability in many homes, caused bysocietal changes and at school, a test- and target-drivencurriculum that runs the risk of demotivating those whoare not the average and above in terms of academic ability.She adds in the time spent in front of the TV or computerscreen, and the lack of time that families may spend withtheir children, helping them to develop their social andconversational skills.She goes on to mention the increase in the number ofchildren on medication for conditions such as ADD orADHD. In no way am I suggesting that these conditions donot exist or that drugs may not sometimes be necessary.But we have to consider how far hyperactivity, a lack ofconcentration and poor listening skills are caused, or at leastexacerbated by, children being fed a diet of ‘e’ numbers andput in front of the TV – where so many programmes are inthe mould of the Tom and Jerry cartoons and no scene lastsfor more than a few seconds – and where more sedentaryactivities have replaced running around and playingoutside, while at school, formal education starts at an earlierage, when boys in particular may respond better to a moreactive style of learning.There are other reasons, too, why schools of all typesare seeing a more complex p opulation. Mainstreamschools are learning to deal with children who mightformerly have been in special schools, while specialschools are also seeing pupils who have more complexdifficulties. Schools for pupils with moderate learningdifficulties are taking in those whose MLD ar ecompounded by a number of other conditions. Far morechildren seem to have several labels rather than one, andI do not believe that is just because our diagnostic abilityhas impro ved. The march of medical knowledge hasmeant that those working with children with SLD andPMLD are dealing with children born so prematurely thatthey present entirely new problems.And whatever"
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Leadership

Let the future in

7 Aug 2007

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      string(5757) "84Vol 5.2School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comInclusionPractitionerfocusOn November 20th 2012, I was invited to speak on a panel at aWestminster Educational Forum Conference on the new Educational,Health and Care Plans proposed in the Green Paper for the Childrenand Families Bill 2010.The conference was set up as a briefing with chance for a few questions aftereach section, but fundamentally, this was an information giving and receivingopportunity, run to fairly strict time limits and so no real free flowing debate. Asa ‘working SENCO’, I was asked to speak for five minutes.To remind readers, the Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans suggestedsix major changes in the SEND structure, setting up a more streamlinedassessment process, integrating education, health and care services, and moreformal involvement of Children and Young People (CYP) and their parents. Thisincludes:New ‘all-through’ 0-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, replacingStatements and Learning Difficulty Assessments, which reflects the child oryoung person’s aspirations for the future, as well as current needs.■EHC plans –Are they enough?The launch of Education, Health and Care Plans in 2014 willmean major changes to the existing SEND structure. But willthey be enough to improve provision for our most vulnerableyoungsters? SENCo Bob Piggott shares his concerns.85Vol 5.2School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comInclusionPractitionerfocusNew requirement for LA, health and care services to commission services jointly,re-meeting the needs of CYP with SEN and disabilities.LAs to publish a clear, transparent ‘local offer’ of services for all CYP with additionalneeds, so parents can understand what is available.New statutory protections for young people aged 16-25 in FE and a stronger focuson preparing for adulthood.Offer of a personal budget for families and young people with a Plan, extendingchoice and control over their support.Academies, Free Schools, Non Maintained Special Schools, Further Education andSixth Form colleges to have the same SEN duties as maintained schools.The government commissioned pathfinder projects around the country to trial someof the more complicated proposals (personal budgets, joint commissioning, local offer)and legislation is promised for Royal Assent in Spring 2014.I was asked to present a fortnight before the date and during that time I was able tospeak to SENCOs at the local AEN Update and to colleagues to collect some responsesapart from my own. Since November, I have had a further chance to re-consider mythoughts and have added to it.The big questionsI am the Head of Learning Support for a heavily over-subscribed, mainstreamsecondary Academy in Dartford with approximately 1500 students. We became aCity Technology College in 1990 and I have been responsible for SEND since then.We became an Academy in 2007. We have therefore been outside the ambit, butworking with the LEA for nearly 22 years and have developed in many different wayswith different opportunities and constraints. We now form part of an Academies Trusttogether with two other secondary schools, a primary school and an outstandingspecial school, and the Trust will expand further in the near future. With the changingnational educational landscape and the resultant near-demise of Local Authorities,working collaboratively in and with such organisations seems to me to be critical tomuch SEND provision in the coming years.I would stress that I applaud the extension of the EHC Plans to age 25 and, providedwe can get the different agencies to agree about use of language and priorities (atough ask!) this does mark a step forward for students.However, the big questions for the SENCos I have talked to are:How can things really change when the underlying legal structure (the definition ofspecial educational needs) remains?Will services be more clearly available for both parents and schools (it’s too much tohope they will be more available in the current climate)?■■■■■■■86Vol 5.2School Leadership Todaywww.teachingtimes.comInclusionPractitionerfocus What will the new EHC Plans look like and how will they be accessed?How will we ensure equal responsibility for the Plans when it appears thateducation is the only service legally bound and others merely have to ‘have regard’to them?What will the parent budgets look like and how much power will they have toenforce them?How can you have an effective local offer provided by the LEA when most schoolsbecome Academies?An unsatisfactory definitionA huge underlying concern for me is that after more than 30 years, we still do not havea satisfactory definition of students with SEND to work with. 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Leadership

EHC Plans - Are they enough?

11 Jul 2013

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      string(353) "... to Government. The Committee has asked people to submit evidence on the proposals by 11 October.Once the Government has considered the proposals by the Select Committee, they will introduce a Bill to Parliament inearly 2013. The changes to SEN and disability will be part of the Children and Families ..."
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      string(285) "Last year an Ofsted report claimed
that 500,000 children were
incorrectly diagnosed as having
special education needs prompting a
Government rethink about provision
in their latest Green Paper. But a
more complex debate lies behind the
numbers as Mathew Dodd reports."
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      string(5994) "local educational facilitiesThe current SEN Code of Practice includes explicit recommendations on theidentification of children with SEN. Teachers who have a child who is not making progressare advised, among other things, to differentiate the curriculum, adopt a differentteaching style, provide specialist equipment, and consider behaviour managementinterventions. The Code of Practice is very clear: these initial interventions do not meana child should be identified as having SEN and these interventions should be generallyavailable for all children. It is only when a child is still failing to make adequate progress,despite these interventions, that the school should consider whether they have specialeducational needs.nnThe SEN Green PaperIn September 2012, following a green paper consultation in 2011, the Government published draft SEN and disabilityprovisions which are proposals to replace Part IV of the Education Act 1996 and Section 139A of the Learning and Skills Act2000. Although these draft provisions particularly relate to changes to the current law on special educational needs, they willalso affect other services.The Education Select Committee, a group of MPs who specialise in this area, will examine the draft law and makerecommendations to Government. The Committee has asked people to submit evidence on the proposals by 11 October.Once the Government has considered the proposals by the Select Committee, they will introduce a Bill to Parliament inearly 2013. The changes to SEN and disability will be part of the Children and Families Bill which will also include measuresaffecting adoption and family law. The Government’s plan is for this new law to be in place by early 2014, when the Childrenand Families Bill will become an Act. It is likely that implementation will take place from September 2014 onwards.HeadlinesThe definition of special educational needs will remain the sameLocal authorities and clinical commissioning groups must make arrangements for jointly commissioning services forchildren with SEN in their areaLocal authorities must produce information on the education, health and care services it expects to be available locally(the local offer)Statements of SEN are replaced education, health and care Plans (EHC plans)EHC plans extend statutory rights into the further education and training sector for the first time, with the exception ofapprenticeshipsThere are no new duties on health and social care in relation to delivering the content of an EHC plan and the plan willcease when a young person is no longer in education and trainingnnnnnnnhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/part/IVhttps://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DfES%200581%20200MIG2228.pdfhttps://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DfES%200581%20200MIG2228.pdfwww.teachingtimes.com n Vol 3.2Policy Every Child Journal65Whether a child is identified as having SEN is therefore relative to the progress of otherchildren around them and the provision normally available within the school. The moreeffective the interventions generally available for all children in a school, the less likelythe child will need special educational provision. The more accessible a school is for alldisabled children, the less likely they will need additional support through the SEN system.It is these relative definitions which have led to the wide variation between authorities andallow for such different interpretations between schools. While there is obviously a problemif a school records very high numbers of children with SEN – how can the usual support onoffer be any good if 80% of children need something additional or different from it? – weshould be wary of having a nationally assumed ‘right’ number of children with SEN.Government proposalsThe Coalition Government has put forward three proposals challenge the supposedover-identification of SEN in its recent Green Paper on SEN and disability, Support andAspiration – a new approach to special educational needs and disability. They are to:1) Replace the current SEN levels of School Action and School Action Plus with a newsingle school-based SEN category for children whose needs exceed what is normallyavailable in schools;The Department for Education and the former Minister, Sarah Teather, have been very clearthat the proposal to reduce the levels intervention for children with SEN is about betteridentification of SEN, rather than arbitrarily reducing numbers of children with SEN orthe funding available for them. However, this proposal is still viewed with scepticsism bymany, being seen as either a way of saving the state money or reducing the entitlement ofchildren currently identified as having SEN. Newspaper headlines which have accompaniedCoalition Government announcements on SEN (see for example The Daily Telegraph 15May 2012: Hundreds of thousands of children face being taken off the special needsregister because they have been wrongly labelled as requiring extra help) have nothelped in this regard.2) Revise statutory guidance on SEN identificationThe Department for Education has yet to articulate how new guidance will differ from whatis already in place. As discussed above, the current SEN Code of Practice already offers clearadvice to schools about the careful identification of children with SEN yet Ofsted foundthat schools were precisely failing to do this. Will re-writing guidance really make a bigdifference in the classroom?3) ‘Redesignate’ the category in which children are described as having ‘Behavioural,Emotional and Social"
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Special Needs

Education by numbers

20 Nov 2012