The Secretary of State for Education faced departmental questions in the House of Commons this week. Shadow Education Secretary and MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, Bridget Phillipson, asked about the Schools Bill, published earlier this month and building on the Government’s Schools White Paper.
She said that the bill gave the Secretary of State sweeping powers over the operation of schools, and asked if this meant that the Government’s approach to school improvement had failed over the past 12 years. Secretary of State Nadhim Zahawi MP responded, saying that families of schools in high-performing multi-academy trusts had delivered better outcomes for students.
Last week, Schools North East held a roundtable with Leora Cruddas, CEO of the Confederation of School Trusts, and leaders from academies and maintained schools in our region, to discuss the implications for both of the Schools White Paper.
While schools said there is a strong argument for trusts and the collaboration they facilitate, there were fears that the current rhetoric around academisation would undermine collaborative efforts. Concerns were raised for both maintained schools and schools in smaller trusts that they may lose the positive structures they already have in place.
Bridget Phillipson went on to ask about rising school costs, on staffing, energy, and national insurance. Nadhim Zahawi said that £4 billion extra was going to schools this year compared with last year. He added that while increased funding makes a difference, he said great leadership teams also deliver for students.
This week also saw the Education Select Committee hold a session on the Government’s SEND Review, taking evidence from stakeholders across the sector. Gateshead MP Ian Mearns asked what more could the Government be doing to support children and young people with SEND. Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said that there is a fundamental problem with resourcing in the system.
Mrunal Sisodia, Co-Chair of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums, agreed, saying there is not enough money in the SEND system, and additionally that this funding is not being spent effectively. He said that too often, money is being spent when families have reached a crisis, and that it is vital to ensure earlier identification of SEND.
Throughout the session, those giving evidence discussed the importance of a robust accountability system. Ali Fiddy, Chief Executive at IPSEA, said that more needed to be done to improve the decisions local authorities (LAs) make and ensure all decisions are lawful. Mrunal Sisodia agreed, saying that the legal frameworks are consistent nationally, but there is huge variation in how needs are assessed and met and in the services that are available.
Earlier this month, representatives from the DfE’s SEND Review division attended Schools North East’s regular roundtable with school leaders in the region’s SEND and AP sector. This discussion focused on the importance of establishing clear pathways of provision, with a continuum between special and AP settings to ensure students had the right support, in the right settings, at the right time. School leaders also discussed the need for accountability across the system, not just the education sector.
The discussions in this roundtable will feed directly into the DfE’s SEND Review consultation. We will shortly be publishing stakeholder briefings with the key points from both our SEND Review roundtable and our Schools White Paper roundtable, both held this month.
