Education Secretary said the aim was a “truly inclusive education system” for the UK

More children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, including in the West Midlands, are set to be supported in mainstream settings, the Government said.

Ministers have described the plans as the most ambitious SEND training programme ever introduced in England.

The Government said £200 million is being invested in new courses for teachers and support staff.

This follows feedback from parents during a national conversation on SEND.

The aim is to ensure pupils can thrive at their local nursery, school or college with staff trained to meet a wide range of needs.

A study found SEND provision to be inconsistent

Ministers said training has been inconsistent, with almost half of primary and secondary teachers previously reporting that more support would improve their confidence in helping pupils with SEND.

The reforms are intended to give parents greater assurance that their children can succeed locally.

The new offer will be available to all teaching staff and will focus on adapting classroom practice for needs such as visual impairment, speech and language difficulties and neurodiversity. Teachers will also learn how to use assistive technology, including speech-to-text tools, and how to build awareness of additional needs among all pupils.

A new expectation in the SEND Code of Practice will confirm that staff in every nursery, school and college should receive training on SEND and inclusion.

‘Every child should have a chance to attend school and achieve’

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said every child should have the chance to attend a local school where they can “achieve and thrive.”

She said the programme would help deliver a “truly inclusive education system.”

The announcement builds on a £3 billion investment to create around 50,000 more inclusive spaces in mainstream schools, alongside £740 million already spent on specialist places.

Training will be delivered flexibly through online and in-person sessions from next year and will include materials for schools to run their own courses, dedicated programmes for teaching assistants and a new early-years continuing professional development scheme.

Tom Rees, chair of the Expert Advisory Group on Inclusion, said building confidence and expertise across the workforce was central to creating a high-performing and inclusive school system.