SEND

The latest news, analysis, research and advice relating to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) sector

Friday

4th Sep 2026

‘Blanket’ approaches to suspension likely to fail, research finds
Schools need support to understand different factors behind exclusions – with disadvantage, SEND and students’ relationships all linked, study says
Suspensions

Wednesday

2nd Sep 2026

Schools face ‘cumulative load’ from reforms as term starts
MPs hear experts’ concerns about the volume of changes about to hit schools, as well as fears that new technical qualifications could be seen as ‘lower-status’
Workload

Tuesday

1st Sep 2026

Laura Trott: Labour risks repeating lowered expectations of the past
Summer policy announcements from the government with little depth risk undoing the excellent work of teachers over the past 10 years, argues the shadow education secretary
Laura Trott

Monday

24th Aug 2026

6 simple adjustments to help teachers who are neurodivergent to thrive
As a new school year looms, Sendco Nikki Cunningham-Smith suggests ways to make work more inclusive for all staff
Number six in book tunnel

Wednesday

19th Aug 2026

DfE sets out £800m SEND teacher development contracts
The government’s spending plans could include the creation of national SEND CPD programmes, with contracts expected to be awarded to providers next year
DfE sets out £800m SEND teacher CPD contracts
Low school belonging linked to lower GCSE attainment
Girls, disadvantaged students and children with SEND report lower levels of school belonging, DfE study finds
Low school belonging linked to lower GCSE attainment

Monday

17th Aug 2026

5 phrases to cut out of your vocabulary for a more inclusive school
Sometimes language used by staff can inadvertently lower expectations, says Jarlath O’Brien, and so it pays for leaders to work with their teams to phase these expressions out
Letterpress number five

Wednesday

12th Aug 2026

A new approach to tackling emotionally based school avoidance
One local authority is pioneering a new form of alternative provision that uses heritage buildings and the arts to re-engage children with education
Romeo and juliet

Thursday

6th Aug 2026

Autumn absence on the rise in England’s schools
Pupil absence increased in both school phases in the autumn term last year, official figures show, prompting calls for the government to focus on implementing its SEND reforms
Absence in the autumn term

Thursday

23rd Jul 2026

Key teacher training funding now conditional on SEND content
The intensive training and practice grant will only be given to training providers that tailor their content to supporting pupils with SEND and adaptive teaching
New guidance sets out SEND requirements for ITT providers.

Wednesday

22nd Jul 2026

Who are the new DfE ministers?
The DfE team has been reshuffled, with Lucy Powell now taking the helm as education secretary. But who will she be working with?
Powell’s DfE team: the ministers confirmed so far
3 research findings to inform your new inclusion strategy
When looking at inclusion data, whole-school averages conceal a lot, says Beth Williams. It’s only by digging further that helpful patterns start to emerge, as a recent research report shows
Inclusion boat with swimmers