@CaptainK77
Joined November 2012
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3.2KMedia
NEW POST: @captaink77 explains the Government's carrot and stick funding strategy as it steamrollers over dissent to its SEND reforms, without waiting for evidence or consultation specialneedsjungle.com/capit…
image shows a scary large man-carrot holding a cudgel, standing by a steamroller driven by a bureaucrat that is forging ahead crushing papers with "evidence" and "data" written on them

ALT image shows a scary large man-carrot holding a cudgel, standing by a steamroller driven by a bureaucrat that is forging ahead crushing papers with "evidence" and "data" written on them

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Matthew Keer retweeted
Eduardo Reyes@edreyesjournoMar 19
Government admits key final decisions on the SEND Tribunal have already been made, despite consultation on its SEND reforms being open till 18 May. It's at odds with ministers' statements on the consultation engaging people 'before any final decision'. lawgazette.co.uk/news/key-fi…

Plan to hobble SEND Tribunal a done deal, government admits

Position at odds with education secretary's statement that consultation happens 'before any final decisions are made'.

lawgazette.co.uk
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NEW POST: @CaptainK77 and @TaniaLT have some words of advice about answering the Government’s 39-Step White Paper #SEND consultation, including their—and your—use of AI specialneedsjungle.com/39-st…
image shows long steps upwards with the consultation at the top colourised in mauve

ALT image shows long steps upwards with the consultation at the top colourised in mauve

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NEW POST: We take a close look at the proposed “Specialist Provision Packages” and discover they’re more of a Trojan horse, reducing the #EHCP rights of children with SEND. specialneedsjungle.com/speci…
image shows a sepia colourised trojan horse image

ALT image shows a sepia colourised trojan horse image

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A large chunk of this happened to us as well. School tried hard to be inclusive - the rest of the community, not so much
aloe hen@newsworthy_gemFeb 26
Along with the detail that is missing from the SEND pre white paper, is the voice of the non send parents, will they be canvassed to do their bit ? Their support to reduce fiscal deficit by embracing inclusion? 1/
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Matthew Keer retweeted
Jon Severs@jon_seversFeb 25
Few people have as much expertise and policy knowledge of SEND than @JohnGRoberts - the @tes SEND and Inclusion Editor. This piece on the SEND reforms is critical reading for all and the very personal final section is incredibly important tes.com/magazine/analysis/sp…

The SEND reforms are out - now the real tests begin

The government has finally announced its plans for special educational needs provision. Tes’ SEND and inclusion editor John Roberts assesses the challenges to come

tes.com
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Incredible commentary here from Wilshaw, barking out bot mots on inclusion and a ‘scandal’ that he basically presided over as HMCI Like Caligula pointing out all the newly-dropped horseshit on the floor of the Roman Senate and wondering why independent.co.uk/voices/ofs…

The Ofsted SEND scandal that shows the public was sold a lie

For too long, schools were able to hide behind one-word appraisals – now they cannot simply get rid of SEND students who challenge the data, writes Ofsted’s former chief inspector, Michael Wilshaw

independent.co.uk
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In his final report as HMCI, with off-rolling at its height and thousands of SEND pupils fleeing mainstream for special schools and AP each year, this is what he had to say
182. There is no evidence from our school or local area inspections that mainstream schools, whether primary or secondary, are not welcoming pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities onto their rolls. Children and young people spoken with during school and local area inspections are generally positive about their experiences and the help they receive, whether in mainstream or special schools.

ALT 182. There is no evidence from our school or local area inspections that mainstream schools, whether primary or secondary, are not welcoming pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities onto their rolls. Children and young people spoken with during school and local area inspections are generally positive about their experiences and the help they receive, whether in mainstream or special schools.

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There’ll be a lot of references to different pots of SEND funding today Here’s a table with recent announcements- some new, some not
Inclusive Mainstream Fund E1.6bn 2026-2029 Broad inclusive provision funding Experts at Hand E1.8bn 2026-2029 LA-commissioned specialist support services (eg EP, SALT, OT) Best Start Family Hubs (SEND Offer) £200m Unclear Equip hubs with SEND support / outreach offer Teacher Training for SEND £200m 2026-2029 Training course across multiple stas of SEND for all teaching High Needs Provisional Capital Allocation £3.74bn 2025-2030 SEND capital funding (infrastructure, buildings) to create around 60,000 "specialist places," plus "inclusion bases" for all secondary schools

ALT Inclusive Mainstream Fund E1.6bn 2026-2029 Broad inclusive provision funding Experts at Hand E1.8bn 2026-2029 LA-commissioned specialist support services (eg EP, SALT, OT) Best Start Family Hubs (SEND Offer) £200m Unclear Equip hubs with SEND support / outreach offer Teacher Training for SEND £200m 2026-2029 Training course across multiple stas of SEND for all teaching High Needs Provisional Capital Allocation £3.74bn 2025-2030 SEND capital funding (infrastructure, buildings) to create around 60,000 "specialist places," plus "inclusion bases" for all secondary schools

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Matthew Keer retweeted
Steve Dresser
@dressermanFeb 22
Ahead of the SEND white paper tomorrow, there are two sides to every story. So here's the performance of the local authorities around SEND. These are people charged with upholding the law so these children & families can get the support they need. ehcpcompliance.com

PEG — EHCP Compliance Tracker

Only 46.4% of EHCPs completed on time. Councils lose 99% of tribunal cases yet keep refusing families. 25,002 appeals in 2024. Search your council's record.

ehcpcompliance.com
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Utterly harrowing testimony, collected by @civicwatchblog
Special Needs Jungle@SpcialNdsJungleFeb 23
NEW POST: Children died. The system looked away... On the day the Government seeks to slash the support rights of most neurodivergent children, accountability group Measure What Matters publishes evidence of the lethal cost of unmet need Part 1 specialneedsjungle.com/child…
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First look at the £4 billion figure that most media outlets will be leading with today Plus some extra work for special schools that doesn’t seem to come with any earmarked funding
Special Needs Jungle@SpcialNdsJungleFeb 23
NEW POST (No 3!) Before it drops, we got a look at some funding plans in the Schools White Paper: We're grateful to @CaptainK77 for giving it a once-over to see what it says so far about funding for SEND specialneedsjungle.com/schoo…
image shows a screenshot of the table in the post

ALT image shows a screenshot of the table in the post

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Even by DT standards, this is half-arsed: unpublished TPA report, no specific examples in the article to back up what the headline says Buried in para 11: "average share of LA spending on SEND increased from 1.7% to 2.8%" over 8 years Adult care spending the biggest driver
The Telegraph
@TelegraphFeb 21
🔴 Councils cut back on pothole repairs to pay spiralling special needs bill telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02…

Councils cut back on pothole repairs to pay spiralling special needs bill

Authorities spend almost half of budgets on social care and children’s services, up from a third a decade ago

telegraph.co.uk
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TPA haven't published their report, but the numbers indicate the figures are based on revenue spending There are delegated revenue and capital funding streams for pothole repair: SEND admin & transport is revenue-only Weak, weak sauce
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Better commissioning of specialist provision would eventually drive council general fund SEND spending downwards As would hamstringing some children's rights to an appropriate education Tomorrow should reveal what the government has chosen
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Matthew Keer retweeted
Steve Broach KC@SteveBroachFeb 21
Those advocating for reduced powers for the SEND Tribunal always seem to forget that it is the current extensive powers that make the Tribunal an alternative remedy to judicial review. Doubt the SoS or her officials actually want to see school placement disputes in the High Court
Matthew Keer@CaptainK77Feb 21
“[SEND] tribunals will no longer have the power to direct a pupil to be placed in a specific school, only to require councils to re-run assessments” Drip, drip ft.com/content/dd46dba4-fc46… via @ft

Parents to lose free choice of schools under special needs education reforms

Their ability to challenge amount of support their child receives will also be curbed as government overhauls system in England

ft.com
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“[SEND] tribunals will no longer have the power to direct a pupil to be placed in a specific school, only to require councils to re-run assessments” Drip, drip ft.com/content/dd46dba4-fc46… via @ft

Parents to lose free choice of schools under special needs education reforms

Their ability to challenge amount of support their child receives will also be curbed as government overhauls system in England

ft.com
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more replies
The article describes councils powers to refuse parental requests as “limited” This is what those powers are, per s39(4) of the Children & Families Act 2014 legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/201…
3)The local authority must secure that the EHC plan names the school or other institution specified in the request, unless subsection (4) applies. (4)This subsection applies where— (a)the school or other institution requested is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs of the child or young person concerned, or (b)the attendance of the child or young person at the requested school or other institution would be incompatible with— (i)the provision of efficient education for others, or (ii)the efficient use of resources.

ALT 3)The local authority must secure that the EHC plan names the school or other institution specified in the request, unless subsection (4) applies. (4)This subsection applies where— (a)the school or other institution requested is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs of the child or young person concerned, or (b)the attendance of the child or young person at the requested school or other institution would be incompatible with— (i)the provision of efficient education for others, or (ii)the efficient use of resources.

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“Ministers had considered restricting parents' right to appeal against the refusal to grant an ECHP [sic], but ultimately backed away” Unclear whether this covers both refusal to assess and refusal to issue a plan
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