• Revealed: The 3 colleges that will share £1.2m to open centres for excellence in SEND

    Three colleges have been chosen to open centres for excellence in special educational needs and disabilities. City College Norwich, Derby College and Weston College will each share a slice of £1.2 million to provide support for leaders, managers and practitioners who wish to put learners with SEND at the heart of their organisation. Selected by…

    10.58 Jun. 19th, 2019 | News

  • DfE launches consultation on improving SEND funding arrangements for colleges

    The Department for Education has today launched a consultation on how to improve funding arrangements for learners with high needs. The department is seeking views on what “may be adversely influencing local authorities, mainstream schools, colleges and other education providers” in their support for young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND). “We welcome…

    16.37 May. 3rd, 2019 | News

  • Let’s spend more cash on SEND learners and less on admin

    Some of the funding that used to be spent on support for learning disabilities now goes on administration. Students would benefit if the money went direct to providers, says Graham Razey Throughout the 25 years I’ve worked in further education, there have been a number of clichéd expressions thrown about. From Cinderella service to cash-strapped,…

    5.00 Dec. 2nd, 2018 | Opinion

  • Hitting the targets, missing the point

    While apprenticeship starts have risen for ethnic minorities and those with learning difficulties, much of their progress has been through reduced opportunities for others, laments Fiona Aldridge Last week’s figures showing a decline in the number of apprenticeship starts continue to make headlines, both in and beyond the sector. Average monthly starts are currently 17…

    5.00 Dec. 4th, 2017 | Opinion

  • Quick-fix approach to SEND is poor strategy

    There has been a marked increase in refusals to assess young people for education, health and care plans. Fixing this will require a shift in attitude from government, says Pauline Bayliss-Jones The latest government figures about learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) make for sombre reading. In 2016 the number of requests for…

    5.00 Jul. 9th, 2017 | Opinion

  • New children and families minister must continue to implement SEND reforms

    With Edward Timpson a shock casualty of the election, we can’t let his SEND overhaul drop off the agenda, says Clare Howard Edward Timpson, the minister overseeing a complete overhaul of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, lost his seat at the election. Widely respected for his dedication and passion, he will a…

    5.00 Jun. 18th, 2017 | Opinion

  • ‘Patchy’ progress with work training for special needs

    A government drive to help young people with learning difficulties and disabilities prepare for the world of work is making “patchy” progress, despite plans to make it universal. So-called ‘supported internships’ were first introduced through a pilot in autumn 2012 with 15 FE colleges. They are unpaid study programmes for 16- to 24-year-olds lasting around…

    8.30 Jun. 5th, 2017 | News

  • National charity opens London's first-ever autism college

    A national autism charity has celebrated the official launch of London’s first-ever FE college for learners with complex autism. Samantha King reports Operating across two campuses in Tottenham and Isleworth, Ambitious College is the first specialist day college solely for young people with autism, catering for those between the ages of 16 to 25. After…

    10.00 Apr. 22nd, 2017 | Bulletin

  • Institute for Apprenticeships silent on learning difficulties and disabilities

    The Institute for Apprenticeships has been silent on learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and that’s simply not good enough, says David Harbourne When I was still at school, I helped a partially-sighted boy practise reading. Both of us had ambitions, but he faced more challenges than I did. It was a lesson I never forgot.…

    15.00 Jan. 30th, 2017 | Opinion

  • How to create inclusive learning spaces

    To successfully create inclusive spaces for those with learning difficulties, the entire organisation needs to be brought on-board, says Karen Roberts. While dyslexia is estimated to affect around 10 per cent of the general population (four per cent severely), the figure is estimated at around one third in young offender institutions. If colleges and FE…

    10.00 Nov. 6th, 2016 | Opinion

  • Council forces students with special needs to pay over £600 in travel costs

    One council’s controversial decision to make families of students with disabilities or special needs to pay for college transport costs has come under fire from an autism charity and the National Union of Students. Sunderland City Council started charging families £600 per academic year to transport each post-16 student with educational needs or disabilities (SEND)…

    10.00 Oct. 8th, 2016 | News