Polly has announced that Kent is to receive the largest share of funding of any local authority in the country to support children with SEND needs in mainstream schools.
Kent is set to receive more than £10 million this year from Labour’s Inclusive Mainstream Fund to support schools and other education settings to invest in high-quality adaptive teaching, inclusive whole-school approaches, and evidence-based support for children with SEND.
For years Thanet families have faced a postcode lottery that has left children fighting for the right support, travelling miles to access it, or waiting months or years to receive it.
Today (25 June), Labour is taking an important step to end this lottery by setting our clear how Thanet schools can design their SEND provision so children and young people can thrive.
For the first time, new guidance sets out what families can expect to see on the ground, building on the commitment that every secondary school will have an inclusion base – a dedicated space providing targeted teaching and specialist support those who need it.
East Thanet’s inclusion bases will be run by a qualified teacher and will allow access to an adapted, broad, ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of every child. That means more time for children in mainstream classes alongside their friends and will put a stop to inconsistent and patchy provision where children feel excluded from the wider school, like being left out of lessons, trips, or activities.
The bases will go hand-in-hand with a Labour overhaul on physical spaces including classrooms, with landmark guidance for schools, early years and post-16, setting out a roadmap for how settings can adapt buildings that are shaped around the real experience of a child or young person with SEND. Whether that’s starting their day through an alternative entrance or taking time out in a calmer space, every child will be able to navigate the day with confidence.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
“Every child and young person deserves to feel included, without fighting for the support they need to succeed.
“We are giving schools a clear, practical blueprint to become truly inclusive, from calmer classrooms and sensory-friendly spaces, to specialist support embedded right in the heart of the school, so children can learn alongside their peers rather than miles from home.
“Every child deserves to attend a school where they belong, where the environment works for them, and where the right support is simply part of the school day. That’s what we’re building.”
Polly said:
“Huge numbers of parents in East Thanet tell me of their battles to get support for their kids, including feeling forced to take them out of mainstream education because the support simply isn’t there. For too long, families have faced an unacceptable postcode lottery, with many children unable to access the support they need in their local school.
“The £10 million investment for Kent will help ensure that more children can get the right support at the right time, in mainstream settings and alongside their friends. By backing inclusive teaching, specialist support and dedicated inclusion bases in our secondary schools, I’m so pleased that Labour is working to build an education system that works for every child.”
The results where high-quality inclusion bases already exist are striking. Eight in ten parents (80%) who want their child to attend a base report a positive experience, and nationwide they are delivering strong outcomes.
In Sheffield, autistic pupils access up to 100% of mainstream lessons with tailored support and every single pupil from the base has entered education, employment or training after leaving. In Nottinghamshire, 80% of pupils accessing a base achieve strong passes in GCSE Maths and
English. In Oxfordshire, pupils who previously struggled to attend school at all are now averaging 93% attendance.