Received from: AEP
Congress notes the government’s recent consultation on its review of special educational needs and disability (SEND) for children and young people (CYP) and the subsequent report expected to be published later this year.
The consultation rightly highlights the continuing poor outcomes for CYP with SEND and acknowledges the disproportionate impact the pandemic had upon CYP with SEND, and the need for them to be especially considered within the levelling up agenda.
Congress expresses its concern that despite this acknowledgement, the focus of the consultation document’s recommendations is upon changing administrative structures at national and local levels rather than addressing the narrow curriculum and pedagogical approaches currently being favoured by the government. The increasing numbers of CYP who are identified as having SEND and the growing disadvantage gap provides evidence that these approaches are not appropriate if there is a genuine desire for a system that offers CYP the opportunity to thrive.
Congress calls upon government to actively engage with a wide range of trade unions, academics, professional associations and children’s groups, who can contribute to producing a national education plan for CYP. This plan would enable all communities and their schools, colleges and early years settings to provide an inclusive learning environment for all CYP, enabling them to leave the compulsory stage of their education happy, healthy and well-equipped to enter adulthood.
Association of Educational Psychologists