Following months of speculation, ministers have now published the long-awaited Schools White Paper setting out what they describe as a “once-in-a-generation reset” of the SEND system in England.
Inclusivity is a positive and principled ambition. But the situation remains hugely complex and demands careful thought.
Inclusivity means far more than occupying the same physical space. True inclusion is about belonging — about feeling understood, supported and surrounded by peers who share or appreciate your experiences. Simply placing a child with complex needs into a mainstream classroom will not automatically create inclusion.
For some pupils with lower-acuity needs, greater access to mainstream provision may be entirely appropriate and beneficial. For others, it may not. My own daughter, who has special needs, attends a mainstream school and struggles with the noise of a classroom of 30 pupils. She can wear ear defenders, but doing so makes her feel visibly different. That is the opposite of inclusion. Inclusion should reduce difference, not amplify it.
Then there is the practical question of space and resources. Mainstream schools are already under immense pressure. While new funding and specialist support services are welcome, the question remains: how will schools deliver increasingly complex provision given staffing shortages and stretched budgets? Converting a spare classroom into a “quiet room” will not, on its own, provide the therapeutic and specialist care many children require.
At my daughter’s school there is one part-time SENCo working three days per week for 540 pupils. Across the country, recruitment and retention remain persistent challenges, with many teachers leaving due to workload and stress. If new specialist units are created within mainstream settings, who will staff them? Do existing teachers have the time and support to develop new skills? Where will all this new expertise come from? How will quality be assured?
If reform is to succeed, it must be about a ground-up revision: including flexible spaces, sensory-aware environments, calm regulation areas, reduced visual noise and learner-centred layouts. Inclusion must cover the whole school experience; dining halls, corridors, playgrounds and transport, not just the classroom. It must also include educating other pupils and staff about the experience of learners with additional needs to increase understanding.
To be clear, the ambition to reform the current system is understandable. Local authority SEND budgets are under acute strain, and too many families endure lengthy, adversarial processes to secure appropriate provision. The commitment to earlier intervention, clearer standards and better cross-agency collaboration is welcome. Change is needed.
Scapegoating of Independent Special Schools is unfair. There are parts of the sector that do warrant scrutiny: fees and transport are two particularly hot topics, but the fact is, without the independent sector there simply would not be enough capacity in the system at all. The number of state maintained special school places has fallen woefully behind the level of need for decades and the independent sector has been providing capacity where it is desperately needed.
At Harkalm, we work closely with specialist SEND schools to develop state-of-the-art facilities designed to achieve the best possible outcomes for young learners. Across the education sector, whether in mainstream or specialist environments, we share a common goal: enabling children to thrive.
The challenge is vast. The opportunity is significant. As we continue to scrutinise the detail and respond to consultation, one principle must remain non-negotiable: inclusion is not about location, it is about belonging, support and the best possible outcomes. And those outcomes must remain the true measure of success.
Alex Ringer, Senior Associate, The Harkalm Group
