DfE tests what it is 'reasonable' to expect of schools on SEND

The Department for Education has set out examples of what could be seen as reasonable and unreasonable adjustments that schools could make for pupils with special education needs, in documents seen by Tes.

The government is currently working on producing new reasonable adjustment guidance after committing to this in SEND reform plans aimed at making mainstream schools more inclusive.

It is seeking views from the sector and has produced examples of how schools might respond to pupils’ needs in draft documents, which it has shared with trust leaders.

These documents, which are marked as not being government policy, set out case study “user journeys” and also give an indication of how schools might use the national inclusion standards that are in development.

‘Reasonable’ adjustments for SEND support

The document gives an example of the steps that could be taken in primary school to support a pupil with a neurodevelopmental disability affecting their sensory processing and ability to manage change and uncertainty, which, in turn, impacts on their attendance.

The reasonable adjustment steps that could be agreed include the child arriving during a short supervised arrival window before peers, having access to a designated quiet or low-stimulation space before joining class and having their attendance recorded from that location where needed.

National inclusion standards

The document also sets out that a school would, as part of its universal offer, “embed inclusive practices using the national inclusion standards to remove barriers to learning and participation associated with sensory needs”.

This includes providing a calm and predictable environment, with access to low-arousal spaces; using visual supports and rehearsal to reduce unpredictability in routines; delivering professional development for staff to strengthen inclusive practice; and offering flexibility in routines where appropriate.

The government has not yet published its planned national inclusion standards. A panel, chaired by academy trust chief executive Tom Rees, will develop these.

‘Unreasonable’ adjustments

The document also includes a separate case study setting out what might be considered to be reasonable and unreasonable adjustments.

It relates to a pupil who needs access to their phone to monitor a medical condition. The document says that a reasonable adjustment would be to make an exception to the school’s mobile phone policy, allowing the learner to use their phone during lessons to manage their condition.

However, the document adds that it may not be reasonable to permit unrestricted use of the learner’s mobile phone during lessons for purposes unrelated to the management of their health condition.

It also says that it may not be unreasonable to “suspend the school’s mobile phone policy entirely, where a more targeted exemption would enable the learner to manage their condition safely while maintaining the school’s wider expectations around behaviour, learning and safeguarding”.