Commenting on the government’s announcement of new funding and guidance for mainstream inclusion in schools, Matt Wrack, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said:

“The government insists that it wants to listen to teachers and families, but instead of publishing the long-awaited response to the SEND consultation, ministers are already using guidance, funding conditions and tight deadlines to implement their preferred model. How can schools play by the rules government sets, when the government isn’t playing fair?

“£500m is no small amount of money, but SEND inclusion in mainstream schools is no small challenge. This equates to just £23k per school in England. Our school estate is nowhere near as accessible as it needs to be, and £23k is nowhere near the amount schools will need to build new classrooms, changing rooms, sensory rooms and gardens, wheelchair ramps and railings. That is before you take into account the new resources and staff required for these units to function day-to-day.

“These proposals are not ‘inclusion’ – they are passing the buck to overstretched schools and overburdened teachers. Government is asking schools to adapt buildings and change practice without defining clearly what an inclusive school must provide, auditing whether the estate is capable of delivering it, or publishing what all this will cost. Ministers cannot leave schools to decide what they can afford locally, then hold them accountable for delivering a national inclusion agenda.

“Teachers know they can’t deliver a fully inclusive education on a shoestring budget. Ministers, if they are honest with themselves, know this too. The government must press pause now on these new deadlines and implementation requirements. Instead, before moving any further, it should publish its consultation response and take stock of the evidence in full consultation with NASUWT and the many other organisations who have already made attempts to engage.”