As the autumn term gets underway across England and Wales, attention swings back to Westminster and the Senedd. This week sees MPs return to Commons after their party conference recess while the education sector awaits with bated breath for more detail on the schools and FE and skills white papers.
Education Committee reports and the white paper countdown
Information on the content and format of the upcoming white papers remains scarce. There have been contradicting reports on how much consultation will follow the publication, what link the schools white paper will have with the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and whether SEND reform will or won’t be a major feature within the white paper.
In September, the Education Committee published two reports looking at the SEND Crisis and FE and Skills. Both reports incorporated areas of Natspec’s evidence from the SEND inquiry and FE and Skills inquiry and it was positive to see the strong focus on specialist colleges and recommendations in latter report. Whilst the government is not bound to take the recommendations of the report on board, they must formally respond to them and it remains to be seen whether these developments will have material implications for the final shape of the white papers.
Ministerial changes and pressure on the government
The recent changes in the ministerial team within the Department for Education have undoubtedly added another layer of complexity. In September, a reshuffle of the DfE ministerial team saw three ministers depart, with Georgia Gould OBE taking charge of School Standards, Olivia Bailey in charge of early education and Josh MacAlister OBE responsible for children and families. As part of this reshuffle, the ministerial brief for skills now sits across the DfE and the DWP. This reshuffle means new sets of eyes on the upcoming reforms and there will likely be changes – and delays to publication – as a result.
The DfE will also be aware of ongoing ‘Save Our Children’s Rights’ campaign, which has received widespread media attention in its drive to protect the existing legal rights upheld through EHCPs. Given the difficulties faced by the government, following backbench revolt in relation to winter fuel payments and the Welfare Reform Bill earlier in the year, there is now likely to be some hesitation about pushing forward any reforms that may impact the rights of children with SEND.
Ultimately, this means that the DfE is currently managing a complex matrix of moving parts. The protracted internal discussions and apparent ongoing redrafting reflect the political challenges inherent in reforming the SEND and FE systems. Despite this, suggestions are that the sector can anticipate the release, in whole or in part, of the SEND/schools white paper within the next couple of weeks.
Party conference season
Despite a flurry of activity during the respective party conferences, we did not see a detailed focus on proposed alternatives to the current government’s education plans. The Conservatives had some focus on education, advocating for a greater push towards apprenticeships and expressing support for specialist AP, but did not present their own vision for SEND or Skills. The Reform Party’s position on education remains relatively unknown, despite their suggestions that “a major crisis” was in part a result of children receiving SEND provision “who don’t need it” amid SEND provision being “hijacked by parents who are abusing the system”.
Review of the ALN legislative framework and the Estyn thematic review
In Wales, the education sector is awaiting an update from education secretary, Lynne Neagle, on the Welsh Government review of the ALN legislative framework. In the meantime, Estyn published its thematic review of the independent living skills curriculum in mainstream colleges in Wales. The report highlighted progress in the delivery of the ILS curriculum for learners with ALN since 2017 but also identified ongoing problems with the quality of independent development plans and concerns that local authorities were increasingly placing learners with complex needs in mainstream FE settings, even when these settings may not be set up to meet such needs.
The outlook for Senedd elections
Uncertainty around the ALN reforms is likely to continue as parties switch their focus to the Senedd elections in May next year. These elections are highly significant with the number of Members increasing from 60 to 96 under a new electoral system. Current polling, combined with this new voting methodology, suggests a high likelihood that no single party will achieve a majority, making a coalition government the most probable outcome.
This political shift is critical for the education sector. While the implementation of the ALN reforms approaches its conclusion, the sector continues to face substantial challenges related to consistency, resourcing, and capacity. Providers will be closely scrutinising the policy positions and manifestos of all parties to understand how a new, potentially multi-party government intends to address these ongoing challenges and ensure the effective delivery of the ALN framework.