Agenda item

The Director of SEND and Education submits a report summarising the implications of the Government’s Schools White Paper 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving' for Leicester City.

The Director for Send and Education submitted a report on the Schools White Paper ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ for Leicester City. The following was noted:

An introduction was provided by the Assistant City Mayor for Children and Young People outlining the Schools White Paper as a positive and ambitious direction of travel, noting that much of the work already underway locally aligned well with government expectations, particularly in relation to inclusion and the development of DSPs.

• The White Paper covered the whole school system and was not limited to SEND, with a renewed national focus on academic standards alongside inclusion, and an expectation of further movement of schools towards academy status.
• SEND remained a key national focus, with increasing demand and rising costs over recent years creating an unsustainable system, and that the government intended to address this through a 10 year reform programme.
• The reforms aimed to ensure that more children could be supported within mainstream settings, with schools expected to develop internal provision and inclusive practices, supported by government policy and funding mechanisms.
• It was highlighted that inclusion and high standards must be delivered together, with a stronger emphasis on early intervention, improved integration of services, and reducing reliance on specialist and independent placements over time.
• The Local Authority role was described as a system convener, with greater responsibility placed on schools to make decisions and deliver support, supported by strengthened partnerships with health and other professionals.
• Leicester was noted to be in a strong position, with existing early intervention approaches, established partnerships, and access to specialist expertise such as speech and language support, which would be built upon as part of the reforms.
• Local Authorities nationally would receive support with High Needs Block deficits, with central government indicating it would cover 90% of these deficits.
• It was acknowledged that the scale and pace of change would place significant pressure on schools and the wider system, and that supporting schools through this transition would be critical.
• Workforce development was identified as a key priority, with a focus on training and an ‘experts on hand’ model, noting that Leicester already had strong foundations in this area.
• Local areas were required to submit a Local SEND Reform Plan by June 2026, with Year 1 delivery commencing in the 2026 to 2027 academic year. This placed an expectation on the local system to begin implementation at pace, while further national policy and legislative detail continued to be developed.
• It was confirmed that the plan would be co-produced with a wide range of stakeholders including schools, health partners, the ICB, parents, children and young people, and education professionals, with workshops taking place across the city including within family hubs.
• Members were advised that implementation would begin in the next academic year, with delivery continuing through to 2027 alongside wider legislative changes, including reforms to EHCP processes.
• A national consultation was highlighted, consisting of 70 questions, with a closing date of 8th May, and Members were encouraged to submit responses or send over any feedback to Governance Services to support a coordinated council response.

In discussion with Members and Young Peoples Council, the following was noted:

• Support was expressed for the ‘experts on hand’ model, alongside concern regarding consistency across local authorities, with a request that progress and impacts be reported back to the Commission.
• It was confirmed that ongoing monitoring would take place, with regular engagement established with academy trust CEOs to support strategic discussions and address concerns.
• Positive engagement from secondary schools was noted, particularly in relation to inclusion, belonging and improving outcomes for children and young people.
• It was highlighted that academy trusts would be subject to Ofsted inspection, strengthening accountability arrangements.
• Clarification was provided that funding and support arrangements would apply consistently regardless of whether a child attended an academy or maintained school, with increased expectations on schools to meet needs without reliance on EHCPs alone.
• It was noted that Element 3 funding would provide additional resources to schools to support children with higher levels of need.
• The importance of bringing primary schools along in the reforms was raised, with reassurance provided that strong relationships existed across the primary sector and mechanisms were in place to engage all schools
• It was acknowledged that some schools were already demonstrating strong inclusive practice and effectively prioritising the needs of children despite system challenges.
• Concerns were raised regarding sufficiency of local SEND provision, with it confirmed that while additional places were being developed, including 300 new places in mainstream schools, demand continued to exceed supply and further work was ongoing.
• Reducing demand through earlier intervention remained a key priority, alongside capital investment to expand provision and reshape the education estate.
• The Commission highlighted the scale and challenge of developing the local SEND reform plan within the required timeframe and sought clarity on the co-production approach. It was confirmed that engagement had taken place across partners and stakeholders, with a focus on capturing a wide range of views within the constrained timescales, and that further co production would continue as the programme progressed.
• Recognition was given to the scale of work already undertaken, particularly in relation to DSPs, with a request for assurance on consistency of inclusive practice across mainstream schools.
• It was confirmed that specialist teachers, quality assurance mechanisms, and inclusion reviews would support monitoring and improvement across schools.

AGREED:

1.    An update on the Schools White Paper and local SEND reform plan be brought back to the Commission in September.

2.    The current council response to the national consultation be circulated to Members.