A new NFER report further highlights that special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in multi-academy trusts (MATs) and schools is coming under increased pressure, with staffing, access to external support, parental relationships and inconsistencies in Local Authorities’ (LAs’) capacities to effectively support schools, being of particular concern.
The study, entitled The MAT Factor – Exploring how multi-academy trusts are supporting pupils with SEND, emphasises the crucial role MAT SEND leaders* are playing in tackling these problems. It highlights how MAT SEND leaders are effectively centralising SEND efforts, facilitating collaboration, and providing expertise and support to individual schools.
The research, conducted between November 2023 and January 2024, involved 49 interviews with MAT CEOs, MAT SEND leaders and school Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) from 19 MATs in England. The objective was to gain insights into the range of approaches MATs take to support SEND provision in their mainstream secondary schools, against a sector-wide backdrop of increasing demand.
The main challenges reported include inadequate funding for staffing, which is leading to recruitment and retention issues for SENCOs and support staff. SENCOs also reported their workload increasing considerably, primarily due to the rise in administrative tasks associated with managing Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs) stemming from the growing numbers of pupils with SEND.
