Natspec welcomes the announcement of a £200 million investment in SEND training for the education workforce, recognising the potential this funding has to strengthen inclusive practice in mainstream settings across all stages of education.
We are pleased that colleges are explicitly included and hope that this is an indicator that colleges are being fully considered by government in national SEND reform developments. As the detail of the programme emerges, we will be seeking greater clarity on how this funding will be distributed in practice and on how the impact of the training will be measured. In particular, we would encourage government to focus on improved outcomes and increased learner/family satisfaction with their education experience rather than on numbers of practitioners who have completed the training.
Natspec is keen to support the planned upskilling of the FE workforce at both the design and delivery phases. We would be happy to explore how we could extend the work we are already doing via our DfE-funded Centre for Excellence, Transform and TechAbility services, through which we share the knowledge and expertise of specialist colleges with the wider FE sector. We have consistently identified supporting mainstream FE settings as a key role for Natspec and its members. Specialist colleges have unique strengths in developing and implementing specialist practice, workplace-relevant approaches, and tailored pedagogy for learners with the most complex needs. They also contribute to system-wide improvement through shared training, research and practice leadership on topics such as assistive technology. Drawing on the knowledge and expertise of the specialist college network to inform this SEND training offer would be a practical and effective way for the DfE to maximise the impact of this investment.
While we support the new expectation, to be enshrined in the SEND Code of Practice, that all staff in every setting receive training on including children and young people with SEND, we urge the government not to overlook the CPD needs of staff in specialist settings. They also require access to high-quality, ongoing CPD to ensure that they can continue to meet the complex needs of learners for whom mainstream provision is not appropriate.