‘Attainment at all costs’ approach could undermine Send changes, school leaders in England say

Changes to special educational needs provision in England could be thwarted by “academic attainment at all costs” policies that prioritise exam results and punish inclusive schools, headteachers have said in response to a government consultation. The Association of School and College Leaders said the government’s emphasis on academic goals conflicted with its measures designed to help mainstream schools accommodate more children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send). The union said the adherence to “high-stakes” assessments, including a proposed test of year 8 reading, “all create perverse incentives for school and college leaders where they are penalised for any lower academic outcomes for some pupils with Send. This cannot be addressed with reform of Send in isolation.” In its formal response to the schools white paper, the ASCL said: “Contrary to the strong focus on inclusion in the early chapters of the white paper, the ‘ambition’ section of the paper omits Send and broader outcomes and is still focused on academic attainment at all costs. This critical inconsistency will be the basis upon which the reforms will succeed or fail. “If we want an education for all then that principle of ‘for all’ must apply to all areas of education policy.” Margaret Mulholland, the union’s Send and inclusion specialist, said: “The government’s reforms have the potential to do a huge amount of good but they must help schools deliver them. …