“The SEND reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure children and young people with SEND get the support they need and in a mainstream setting where appropriate.
Responding to the Government’s announcement of guidance on SEND inclusion, Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, said:
“The SEND reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure children and young people with SEND get the support they need and in a mainstream setting where appropriate.
“For inclusion bases to be successful, it is vital they meet all need in a local area. Councils should have a central role in admissions, while being able to work with schools to provide assurance inclusion bases are delivering the right support quickly and effectively.
“Inclusion bases must also be focussed on ensuring pupils can learn in a mainstream classroom as much as possible. They should not be seen as an alternative option to a mainstream education.”