MPs discuss SEND provision
Provision for students with special educational needs and disabilities was the topic of this week’s Education Select Committee, with a panel of representatives from Ofsted and the Quality Care Commission in attendance.
Asked if England has a functioning SEND system, Jonathan Jones said that there is too much duplication of effort by the various bodies involved in providing special education. He reported that inspections often find a disjointed and inconsistent picture, with Local Authorities and schools not working together effectively.
Gill Jones added that there are examples of areas where reforms have been introduced effectively and that many pupils were getting “a good deal” as a result. However, she also said that Ofsted saw many instances of Local Authorities failing to learn from what successful LAs nearby had done to implement SEND reforms.
Robert Halfon, Chair of the Select Committee, asked why the North East was among the worst areas in England for SEND provision. He suggested that it could be because Ofsted deploys its most experienced inspectors in the region and that their judgements may be more critical than those of their less experienced colleagues. However, Jonathan Jones said that this was not the case and that Ofsted inspections are standardised and processes are in place to ensure consistency.
Gateshead MP Ian Mearns asked whether the successful delivery of SEND education was just about leadership or whether resources were also important. Both Ofsted’s Jonathan Jones and the CQC’s Ursula Gallagher agreed that, though it was a multifaceted issue, leadership was most important to success. Jones emphasised that the best examples of SEND provision seen by Ofsted each have in common joined-up leadership and collaborative working.
Gallagher acknowledged, though, that this can be more complex in situations where there are numerous leaders – in large counties, for example, there might be several Clinical Commissioning Groups which means there are more leaders required to work together.
Gill Jones also stated that authorities will not receive a written statement from Ofsted if they have funding challenges, but they could do if leaders are not found to be working together properly.
The Committee also asked whether Ofsted required a more robust role in inspecting SEND provision in England. Gill Jones responded by saying that, at present, inspectors do not always get the time required in order to sufficiently consider SEND provision, but that the proposed new Ofsted framework would allow for more time and a greater focus on SEND pupils.
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