Schools do not have enough staff to make SEND reforms work, union warns

"Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, stated that the overwhelming feeling among teachers is that inclusion cannot be achieved 'on the cheap'. He emphasized that the funding provided will only equate to a part-time teaching assistant for the average primary school, which is insufficient to meet the government's goals."

"The government has committed an extra £4 billion between now and 2029 to prepare schools for the changes in the SEND system. However, the NEU argues that this funding will merely soften the blow of underfunding, as schools will struggle to fund even a 2% increase in teachers' pay from their budgets."

"Kebede remarked, 'I think everybody recognises that the government has difficult economic choices to make. However, if there is investment in education today, government will save much more money in the future.' This highlights the long-term benefits of investing in educational support."

The National Education Union (NEU) states that schools in England do not have enough staff to meet the government's aims for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Major reforms announced by the government include the establishment of inclusion bases in all schools, backed by a £4 billion funding commitment. However, the NEU argues that the funding is inadequate, equating to only a part-time teaching assistant per primary school. The NEU emphasizes that without proper investment, schools will struggle to meet the demands of inclusion.

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