An inclusion task force led by former headteachers’ union leader Geoff Barton is being set up to develop ways to improve support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The IPPR Inclusion Task Force will announce panellists during the summer and make recommendations in the autumn.

Mr Barton, who was general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders between 2017 and 2024, told Tes that the new task force will look at how money is being spent, the role of special schools and the accountability system.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank is launching the task force, which it said will set out principles that should guide reform of the SEND system.

Its recommendations will come as the government is expecting to set out its plans for SEND reform through a new schools White Paper in the autumn.

The government has made inclusion a key focus of its education plans, saying that it wants more pupils with SEND to be educated in mainstream schools. It has also appointed an inclusion adviser, Tom Rees, to support its work, along with a panel of advisers.

Mr Rees, who is CEO of Ormiston Academies Trust, has set out key principles for supporting inclusive practice in mainstream schools, based on the panel’s work so far.

New task force for SEND and inclusion

The IPPR said today that children with SEND continue to have poor outcomes, and that the system is adversarial for families - and impractical and bureaucratic for professionals.

Mr Barton, the task force chair, said: “Too many families face a daily struggle to get the right support for their children. This task force will bring fresh thinking and a clear focus on delivering the change that’s urgently needed to make our education system work for every child.

“After 15 years leading a state school and then a national education union, I know how complex and challenging the SEND system can be - for families, for schools and, most of all, for the children it is supposed to support. Too often, getting the right help takes too long, feels too hard and leaves young people feeling left out. We must do better on their behalf.”

Speaking to Tes, he said the task force was keen to seek views from across the sector as it develops its proposals.

Mr Barton added: “Whoever you speak to in the system - whether it’s people working in it, children and young people or parents - you find there is a lot of anxiety and frustration, and we know that the outcomes aren’t good enough.

“As the government is committed to do something to improve equity, we think now is a good time to look at producing a set of principles which will support us to have a more effective system in which every child can thrive.”

He identified the current use of funding as one of the challenges in the SEND system.

“In Norfolk, for example, £40 million is being spent putting children into taxis. That can’t be in the interests of young people,” Mr Barton said.

“How do we change the system using existing resources in a way which keeps more children and young people in their locality?”

He acknowledged that some of the system costs are being driven by the placement of students with SEND in independent schools.

“Can we expand state-funded special schools? Primary schools have falling rolls. Is there an opportunity to use existing facilities with space available to increase this type of provision?” Mr Barton asked.

“I know from speaking to special-school leaders that there is a feeling that people with influence do not recognise the expertise they can bring to bear.”

There has been controversy over the government’s SEND reforms after a Department for Education adviser revealed that it is looking at whether education, health and care plans (EHCPs) are the “right vehicle” to support children and young people. This led to calls to ensure that the rights of young people with SEND are not eroded.

Mr Barton highlighted evidence given by schools minister Catherine McKinnell to the Commons Education Select Committee last month.

“She said that the government would be keeping high-quality provision. I think there is a question about what does high-quality support through an EHCP look like and how do we make sure this becomes a staple for more young people.”

He also identified the accountability system as a key focus for the task force, saying there is a question over whether it incentivises specialist provision within mainstream schools.

The task force’s recommendations will come as several major changes to the education system are expected to be announced.

As well as the government announcing its SEND reforms, Ofsted is set to reveal its finalised plans for a new system of inspections to start in November. The watchdog has said that it plans to inspect inclusion as an evaluation area.

The government’s review of curriculum and assessment is also set to publish its final report.

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