Teachers training to work in the further education (FE) sector will be explicitly required to learn how to support students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), under new Government guidance.
Ministers are tabling new rules around teacher training for the FE sector, which includes sixth form colleges, to bolster support for SEND students as the number of young people with additional needs continues to soar in the UK.
The new guidance comes ahead of the Government’s Schools White Paper, which is due to set out major reforms to the SEND system, which has seen record numbers of children categorised as having additional needs leading to ballooning costs.
SEND is already costing the Government £12bn a year, with concerns this could rise by a further £3bn by 2029 without reform, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Bursaries of £31,000 to tempt teachers into FE
Under the changes to FE training, which is from age 16, teachers will be trained to spot students with SEND and be able to adapt their teaching to meet their requirements, working alongside support staff and SEND specialists.
Skills minister Jacqui Smith said: “Colleges are already leading the way in inclusive education, supporting learners with additional needs to be independent and prepare for adult life. We want every trainee teacher in further education to be equipped from day one to continue that vital work.
“Our new statutory standards will ensure consistent, high-quality training across the board by explicitly requiring trainee teachers to learn to support students with SEND, from spotting barriers to learning to using assistive technology.”
The Government has already announced £200m to provide teachers with additional training in this area, and is offering bursaries of up to £31,000 to try to tempt people into further education.
The changes are likely to be viewed as a signal of how teachers across the rest of the school sector will be expected to meet the needs of children with SEND as the Government moves a greater proportion of the provision into mainstream settings.
Under the plans due to be set out by the Government, primary and secondary school teachers will also be given greater training in SEND to support pupils with extra needs in the classroom, as well as being expected to spot children who may have additional needs earlier on in their school career.
New SEND units in mainstream schools
Ministers are expected to set out that mainstream schools will also create new SEND units for pupils with extra needs, which will be staffed by specialists. The aim of the reforms will be to eventually phase out the use of Educational Health and Care Plans, which are currently funded by local councils.
EHCPs are a legal document that entitles children to receive additional support from their local authority, and parents are often forced to fight for months, if not years, to secure them.
While officials insist the reforms to the system are not part of a money saving exercise, the cost of the current SEND system has been blamed for putting significant strain on council services.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies recently warned spending on SEND in England has been rising significantly in recent years, with a 13 per cent real-terms increase expected this financial year alone.
Councils have warned that they will go bankrupt due to the current rate of increase in the number of children receiving EHCPs.
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In November the County Councils Network warned the system faced collapse with local authorities facing “unimaginable” deficits of £18bn by the end of the Parliament.
The National Audit Office previously said the system was “financially unsustainable” and faced “soaring demand” with a 140 per cent rise in the care plans since 2015.
But ministers and officials are braced for a backlash from some corners against the plans, as parents fear the changes will mean their children will lose their EHCPs.
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