As reported by the Guardian, new research has highlighted sharp disparities in Send provision across mainstream schools as school leaders warn accountability pressures may conflict with the government’s inclusion agenda
New research has highlighted widening differences in how pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) are distributed across England’s mainstream schools, while school leaders have separately raised concerns about the government’s wider reform agenda.
A study by the National Foundation for Educational Research found that some mainstream schools educate significantly higher proportions of pupils with Send than others. Schools in the highest fifth averaged 26% of pupils with Send, compared with just 10% in the lowest fifth.
Separately, the Association of School and College Leaders warned that the government’s focus on academic accountability risks conflicting with ambitions to make mainstream schools more inclusive.
In its response to the schools white paper, the union said there was a tension between proposals aimed at improving inclusion and policies that continue to prioritise academic attainment.
School leaders argued that high-stakes accountability measures – including a proposed reading assessment for year 8 pupils – could create pressures that discourage schools from taking on larger numbers of children with additional needs.
The ASCL said reforms to Send provision alone would not be enough unless wider accountability systems were also reviewed, warning that schools remain heavily judged on attainment outcomes rather than broader measures of inclusion.
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