Ensuring London’s schools are ‘genuinely inclusive’ is vital to protect the success of London’s schools as the number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) grows, according to a new report from London Councils, commissioned from Mime Consulting.
The Inclusion in London Schools report shows that children with SEND currently make up just over 17 per cent of the pupil population in the capital, an increase of 3 percentage points since 2016. Seven London boroughs have at least a fifth of their pupils who have SEND.
Inclusive education is the practice of educating students with and without special educational needs in the same classroom, while ensuring the needs of all pupils are met. London Councils’ report finds that inclusion in London’s schools provides greater opportunities for young people with SEND and there are many examples of good practice across the capital.
Learning in a classroom alongside pupils without SEND reduces emotional distress and boosts attendance levels for children with additional needs. It also leads to better short-term educational outcomes and long-term employment prospects. Alongside this, inclusion allows families to avoid financial distress and career sacrifices that may be required to look after their children if they are not in mainstream school, while having the added benefit of tackling prejudice towards people with SEND as pupils interact and learn together.
However, in London there are a number of barriers that prevent inclusion from being part of a school’s offer to pupils. The biggest issue is that there is insufficient funding for many local authorities to meet their statutory duties. Alongside this, the report reveals only 1% of school senior leaders believe they have enough funding to meet the needs of their pupils with SEND.
This has a knock on effect in many areas, including a reduction in the number of teaching assistants, who have a crucial role in supporting SEND pupils. Heavy reliance on third-party agency teaching assistants has grown by 245% in the last decade.
Another major concern is that despite stronger outcomes for children with SEND in London compared to the national average, there is a significant and growing gap in outcomes compared to pupils without SEND.
Children with SEND face higher rates of suspensions, being absent, and leaving schools compared to their peers without SEND. There is also disparity among black pupils with SEND in London, who are more likely to be suspended than other pupils with SEND and pupils without SEND. Inclusion is also harder to achieve in schools with high rates of deprivation.
Cllr Ian Edwards, London Councils’ Executive Member for Children and Young People, said:
“This report shows the clear benefits that inclusion in schools can have for both children with and without SEND. Currently, school leaders and London boroughs show commitment to inclusion, but in practice they are not always able to deliver. This has to change, and we need all education partners and Government to come on board to support schools to move towards a genuinely inclusive education model.
“We’re pleased to see government taking steps, committing in last week’s Budget to spend an additional £1 billion to help with the underfunding of SEND as well as promising to reform the SEND system. We look forward to shaping those reforms with national government.
“With the number of pupils with SEND growing nationally, increasing by 27% from January 2019 to January 2024 and reaching 1.7 million pupils across England, we must take steps now to ensure all children in London and across the country get access to an excellent education.”
The Inclusion in London Schools report identifies a number of recommendations to tackle the challenge of boosting inclusion.
A properly trained and supported workforce with the skills needed to deal with greater number of pupils with SEND would allow for more inclusion in mainstream schools. London Councils is calling on the Government and DfE to increase support for SEND specialist teachers and to professionalise teaching assistant roles.
Greater funding and an updated framework for performance measures would support mainstream schools to offer inclusive education to pupils with SEND in their area, while establishing inclusion as common practice.
Finally, the report recommends an increase in collaboration between education providers, NHS, local authorities and parents to ensure a supportive and strengthened education environment for children with SEND.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1) For more information, please read the full report.