The results of a snapshot survey of 1,026 primary and
secondary school teachers in England, shows the alarming levels of inadequate
and underfunded provision for pupils with Special Educational Neesd and Disability (SEND). School and local authority
budget cuts are making it nigh impossible to provide the quality of education
that every child with SEND is entitled to and which teachers, pecial Edcational needs Co-ordintors (SENCOs) and school
staff want to be giving.
When asked to describe the situation at their school, and
whether there are enough appropriately trained staff to support SEND pupils
effectively:
·
81% said that there was ‘less than enough’
staff.
·
Only 14% believed that there was ‘about enough’
or ‘more than enough’.
·
Respondents went further, describing their personal
situation in compelling detail:
·
“Half of the teaching assistants were made
redundant. Only seven Teaching Assistants (TAs) for nearly 800 kids.”
·
“Number of SEND support staff is a quarter of
what it was ten years ago.”
·
“Cut by over 50% due to budget cuts.”
·
“Class sizes too large, so even when support is
available, it’s ineffective.”
·
“28 students on SEND register and no support. I
teach a practical subject where it is dangerous.”
·
When asked if there has been a change in the number of
learning support assistants or TAs at their school since 2017, as a consequence
of real-terms funding cuts:
·
73% confirmed there were now fewer posts.
·
As a consequence of these staff cuts, 94% of
respondents confirmed that it was having a negative effect on the support which
schools are able to give SEND pupils.
·
The survey also asked what barriers are faced by SEND
pupils in the school environment:
·
Excessive waiting times for access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS),
speech and language or behaviour support, is true for 95% of primary schools
and 75% of secondary schools, according to respondents.
·
The situation is generally worse for primary
schools. 84% reported excessive waiting times for assessment of need/Education. Health and Care
plans, compared to 65% in secondary schools. 56% of primaries confirmed there
are no local specialist services available to them, compared with 40% of
secondaries.
·
Over one-third of primary school respondents
(38%) said that a school or parent must personally fund pupil assessments as
the local authority cannot. This compares with a quarter (25%) of secondary respondents.
·
Across the board, 82% of respondents confirmed
that SENCOs do not have enough time to support classroom teachers.
90% of respondents said these barriers conspire to make it
harder for pupils to access the curriculum or succeed in learning. 94% confirm
that the pressures on teaching are increasing as a direct result and 59% said
pupils miss school, part of the school day or part of the curriculum.
Finally, we asked respondents to consider the National
Audit Office’s question as to how support, and outcomes, for pupils with SEND
could be improved within current funding levels.
The responses were
overwhelmingly of a piece:
· “Not within current funding levels. It’s impossible.”
·
“Less paperwork? But really, they can’t. Funding
must be increased for improvement.”
·
“We need more people on the ground.”
·
“To be honest maintaining current funding levels
is out of the question – education is in crisis.”
·
“Within current funding? No way. Schools are
stretched tight!”
·
“Teachers want to meet the needs of all children
but we are not experts. We now have to buy in to essential services and we
cannot afford to do so.”
·
“We have children on part-time timetables as
adequate support cannot be given. We have staff off on stress as adequate
support cannot be given. Both of these could be alleviated
Reacting to the findings, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“These are shocking reports from the frontline of teaching. The infrastructure to support SEND pupils is wearing away. Schools do everything they can, but the barriers and waiting lists created by this Government’s actions, are having terrible effects on pupils who need help now. It is alarming that excessive waiting times are more pronounced in primary schools, where early intervention is so vital, and that so many children are on part-time timetables.
“These facts are plain to schools and parents. It therefore beggars belief that in spite of successive reports showing the real experience of teachers and school leaders, the Department for Education simply digs its heels over funding. The NEU will continue to campaign for our schools to get the funding they need to give children the education they deserve.”
