Over the coming weeks, the long-anticipated government white paper on children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities will be published. This is an area that matters deeply to us at Acer Trust. We believe passionately that all learners, especially those with special educational needs, belong in our schools and should be supported to achieve and thrive within a comprehensive education system.
In Oxfordshire, the Local Authority has been on a significant journey over the past two years in relation to SEND provision. Following a very challenging Ofsted inspection in 2023, the most recent report published in December last year recognised that meaningful progress has been made. Acer Trust has played an active role in this improvement work, supporting, co-creating and piloting a number of initiatives that are now being discussed nationally as examples of effective practice. This week, I attended a meeting with Sir Kevan Collins and was able to speak openly and proudly about the impact of Acer and Oxfordshire’s work, particularly around enhanced pathways and special school outreach, where Acer schools have been pivotal in both design and delivery.
When the white paper is published, it is expected to set out a number of national priorities for SEND. At Acer, our work already strongly aligns with this direction. Through enhanced pathways now operating in five of our schools, we have created learning environments where pupils with very complex needs are able to make strong progress alongside their peers, in settings that allow them to feel safe, supported and able to flourish.
There will, however, be challenges ahead. It is unlikely that there will be sufficient funding to fully resolve what is a complex and evolving system for families and pupils with SEND. As I have written previously about neurodiversity, we also need to be realistic about the future. Over the coming decades, we are likely to see a significant increase in the number of neurodiverse learners in our classrooms. This means that an education system designed for a very different era must continue to adapt. Rather than expecting young people to conform to a rigid model of schooling, we need a compassionate, flexible system with high expectations for all, one that adjusts to meet pupils’ needs and enables learners with SEND and neurodiverse profiles to access learning alongside their peers.
At Acer Trust, we believe strongly that all children should be in school and that all children should have the opportunity to achieve and thrive. To make this a reality, we know we must work in close partnership with families and collaborate openly with one another to find solutions that work.
Parents and schools share the same aim: children with SEND who are happy, supported and successful. At times, we may have different views or expectations about how best to achieve this, but the answer is almost always the same. Through communication, collaboration and compromise, we can focus on what is possible together, rather than on what feels difficult in isolation.
When you visit Acer schools, you will see pupils learning, growing and achieving in environments that value every child and place inclusion at the heart of what they do. This is something we are proud of and remain deeply committed to as we look ahead to the next phase of national SEND reform.
Acer Trust Arnolds Way Oxford OX2 9JE