ISC Daily News Summary

In a written question in the House of Lords, DUP peer Lord Weir of Ballyholme asked how many pupils were attending the 20 schools referred to in the earlier written answer relating to the number of independent school closures since July 2024. Responding, Labour peer Baroness Smith of Malvern said the information is available on Get Information about Schools, which "shows these schools had over 1,500 pupils". Baroness Smith added: "Overall pupil numbers at these schools combined were only at 51 per cent of the combined capacity of these schools in January 2024 - before details of tax changes were announced. Low pupil numbers relative to capacity can be a risk factor associated with subsequent closure." Hansard. 

A father who is turning to an independent school for his daughter’s education has called on ministers to improve the state system for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Matt Woods is the co-founder of Firefly Education, a London-based company which places special needs professionals and teachers with families and independent schools. Mr Woods' seven-year-old daughter has autism spectrum disorder and an education, health and care plan (EHCP), which was secured through a private consultation, but he tells iNews its support has been far more limited than the family expected. He adds that, looking ahead, the family is worried that the system will be further stretched. Children with SEND "will still be there, regardless of whether the systems are or not", he warns. By Maddy Staples.

The Times publishes a selection of letters on the issue of SEND reform. In the first letter, a group of teaching unions and academy leaders warn that the current system is failing too many children and families and "nurtures an unhealthy adversarial relationship between parents and schools". The signatories, who include Pepe Di’Iasio (Association of School and College Leaders) and Paul Whiteman (National Association of Headteachers), say ministers' reforms must prioritise timely and flexible support, before concluding: "We need to build trust with parents and we need to build the new system with them." Drawing on years of professional experience, Philip Graham, emeritus professor of child psychiatry at University College London, says "extra resources should be allocated on need, not on psychiatric diagnosis". Professor Graham urges ministers to direct resources "where they will make the most difference", to maximise learning and minimise classroom disruption. The letters appear at the top of the page.

Writing in Tes, Leyla Gambell, an experienced SENDCo at a state secondary school in Kent, outlines four ways schools can support the families of children with SEND. She suggests creating spaces for people to come together, and signposting families to external support services. "By focusing on key strategies to improve open communication and parental engagement, families will feel well supported and included in the school community," Ms Gambell says.

Senior Tes writer Ellen Peirson-Hagger warns that the "damaging effects of the SEND tribunal process are being felt far beyond specialist settings", and urges ministers to take this into account in their reform plans. Ms Peirson-Hagger speaks to a number of experts on the issue, including Margaret Mulholland, SEND and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, who says tribunals are just part of "a wider, dysfunctional system that lacks the infrastructure needed to support families and schools".

The full transcript of Bridget Phillipson’s end of academic year speech, delivered at a schools sector event in Westminster, is published in Tes. The education secretary thanked everyone working in education and acknowledged the challenges of policy reform, noting there are "no simple solutions... on SEND especially".