Overview
- Ministers will add a new expectation to the SEND code of practice that every nursery, school and college provides staff training on SEND and inclusion.
- The programme extends beyond teachers to cover teaching assistants and early years practitioners.
- Courses will focus on adapting classroom practice for needs such as speech and language difficulties and visual impairment, using evidence-based approaches and assistive technologies.
- Materials and delivery are designed for staff already in post, with flexible online modules and face-to-face sessions planned.
- School leaders and unions welcomed the investment but warned that scale, sustainability and shortages in specialist services remain concerns, with wider SEND reforms expected in a spring Schools White Paper.