The new Ofsted inspection framework unfairly penalises schools serving deprived populations or with high levels of special needs (SEND) inclusion, according to analysis undertaken by the National Association of Head Teachers.
The school leaders’ union warns that this “raises alarm bells for the Government’s ambition of more SEND inclusion in mainstream schools”.
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the LGA’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said: “For the SEND reforms to succeed, it is vital that children with SEND who require support receive this in a mainstream setting where appropriate. Ofsted’s inspection framework should place greater focus on inclusive practice and whether an individual school meets the needs of the community that it serves when inspected.
“Schools that are not playing a meaningful role in supporting vulnerable children, including those with SEND and who are care-experienced, should be held to account for their lack of action.”