CSIE has responded to the government’s Call For Views on the forthcoming Green Paper (Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities). In its response, CSIE has urged the government to simplify legislation so that the system is clearer for parents, schools and other providers, as recommended in the recent Ofsted report. CSIE also suggested that this should provide an opportunity to move away from the term “special educational needs” and, instead, adopt terminology which is consistent with the social model of disability. CSIE argued that, if the promise of parental choice is to be meaningful for all parents, the capacity of mainstream schools to provide for the full diversity of learners has to be improved. Our response also suggested that, as part of far-reaching reforms envisaged, funding models that support processes, rather than individuals, should be developed, so that funds can be directed towards supporting young people’s education, instead of lengthy and bureaucratic processes of assessment and/or litigation. Stronger accountability procedures were suggested as a means of evaluating how resources are used and the impact these are having on the learning and development of all children and young people. Finally, CSIE offered a range of examples of good practice and urged the Department for Education to offer strategic leadership in developing more inclusive provision for all in mainstream schools, so that the government’s promise of parental choice can be meaningful for all parents.
CSIE response to Call For Views (Word, 134 Kb)
