SEN0487

Written evidence submitted by London South East Colleges

Background Context

London South East Colleges (LSEC) is a further and higher education college operating across seven campuses in the boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and Lambeth, with over 11,000 young and adult students. We teach vocational subjects ranging from entry levels to Access to HE courses, apprenticeships, and professional qualifications in our University Centre. We provide a destination-led offer anchored in industry innovation and ensure our students have strong social and community engagement.

We serve communities that face significant levels of deprivation. Even in relatively well-off areas like Bromley, we support various disadvantaged groups. Our college students have the lowest starting points in English and maths compared with other Further Education (FE) colleges, ranking in the lower quartile among 224 institutions. In 2023/24, about 39% of our students did not have English and Maths GCSEs compared to the national GFE average of 31%. Over 80% of our 16-18 students retake English and maths more than once.

The number of young people with SEND and of those with learning difficulties or disabilities (LDD) has increased exponentially in recent few years, with increasing requests for education, health and care plans (EHCPs). For instance, in Bromley and Greenwich, the number of pupils with EHCPs and receiving SEN support has increased more than the London average between 2018 and 2023. This has meant a growing cohort of young students who enter our college and need additional support. Nearly 30% of our students on the Bromley campus in 2023-24 self-declared having LDD. Just under 800 learners at LSEC have EHCPs. Two fifths of our EHCP learners study at our Nido Volans specialist centres, for high and complex needs.

Developing the Local SEND System

As part of this development journey, in 2013, the College was asked by the DfE and a Local Authority to become an academy sponsor and take on a failing alternative provision setting in the London Borough of Bromley.

Understanding the importance of supporting our community, within which our College of Further and Higher Education was deeply rooted, we agreed and established what has now become London South East Academies Trust (LSEAT). With our College already providing high quality pathways into vocational training, apprenticeships, higher education and careers, we had the capacity and expertise to help improve the life chances of all children and young people, no matter what their interest, ability, special educational need or background.

Giving these young people the opportunity to progress into further education and beyond to employment, independent living and adulthood was, and remains a priority for both our Trust and our College. Being able to support children and young people at an earlier stage is fundamental to improving their life chances and outcomes, so the strategic alignment between our multi-academy trust (LSEAT) and the College has enabled us to systematically influence and develop the SEND system right across the region in which we operate.

An example of this includes the decision by the DfE to transfer two failing, linked, school and post-16 High Needs special provisions in Lambeth into the Trust and the College in the past eighteen months. This speaks to our ability to respond to and create the conditions for learners with SEND to thrive within the education landscape and to begin to effect change within the systems within our subregion.

Support for children and young people with SEND

Outcomes for children and young people with SEND and how these can be improved

Firstly, we believe better outcomes for children and young people with SEND start with ensuring inclusivity in our culture and in our offer. For us, inclusivity means that all students are given the support they need to access a curriculum that enables them to fulfil their potential and thrive. This includes both internal and external support, from a range of specialist teachers and therapists.

This support should not only enable learners to progress academically but also foster their sense of belonging. We believe that belonging needs to be placed at the centre of young people’s experience in education, in a way that encourages their sense of acceptance and wellbeing. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs[1] places belonging in the middle layer of needs and in terms of importance. A sense of belonging can only emerge after physiological, security and safety needs are met and is key to support the higher layers such as achievement and self-actualisation which are the focus of education. When serving young people with the levels of deprivation that characterize our cohort and many FE Colleges, one can see the additional challenges that SEND children and young people may face in feeling that they belong. 

Furthermore, in the wider inclusion context, we see real synergy between intersectionality in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and the concept of belonging in the SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) system. Both share some common principles, though applied to different contexts. 

Intersectionality in EDI

Intersectionality is a framework that examines how various social identities (such as race, gender, class, and disability) intersect and create overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage. It recognises that individuals can experience multiple forms of oppression simultaneously, and these experiences are interconnected rather than isolated.

Belonging in the SEND System

In the SEND system, the concept of belonging goes beyond mere inclusion. It emphasises creating an environment where all students, regardless of their abilities or needs, feel valued, accepted, and integral to their community. This approach ensures that students with SEND are not just present in mainstream settings but are actively supported to thrive and participate fully. Common principles across EDI and the SEND system include recognition of diversity, a focus on equity, a holistic approach and empowerment and advocacy. We think there is merit in considering system reform from this perspective and building on what has worked in this space.

As Ofsted is reforming its Education Inspection Framework for FE to embed inclusion as a criterion in its new report cards, it is important that there is a clear definition that not only applies to the sector, but the local contexts each college operates in. Post-16 young people with SEND will face different barriers to their inclusion compared with children with SEND in mainstream schools, for example, the significantly larger estate, greater disadvantage among learners and a greater diversity of starting points

Post-16 landscape and learner outcomes

In terms of the structural qualification and curriculum system, improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND requires a more structured and aspirational approach to planning and measuring progress than currently exists. The National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTI) initiative[2], supported by the Department for Education, provides a strong foundation by reforming EHC outcomes around four key areas: education and employment, community participation, good health, and independent living. Local authorities, such as Bromley, are beginning to shape their annual EHCP review processes around these principles, ensuring that from early years onwards, preparation for adulthood is embedded. Mapping progress against these outcomes should be more widely adopted, helping to align education, health, and care services effectively.

In addition to education, greater focus is needed on employment opportunities. Supported internships have expanded significantly and are rightly included in Ofsted inspections. However, more inclusive employment programmes are necessary to ensure that those who require additional support, including those who may not be able to travel independently or communicate easily, are not left behind.

Employers should be encouraged to hire individuals with learning disabilities, with appropriate support in place. Raising awareness of supportive internships and fostering inclusive recruitment practices will be key to improving long-term employment outcomes. Opportunities to foster improvements in this area may be afforded through the National Procurement Framework.

Fostering partnerships with parents

There is currently little confidence among parents in the SEND system, as evidenced by the number of successful appeals against SEND tribunal decisions. This means the SEND system is characterised by confrontation rather than collaboration. Parents know their children best individually, mostly in the home environment, and therefore have a key role in ensuring their child can meet the outcomes set out in their EHCP, particularly being prepared for transitions into adulthood and employment. Thus, stakeholders such as local authorities and colleges should focus on collaborating with parents, starting with strong engagement so the system can start to function in a collaborative way, prioritising children’s interests rather than creating counter-productive division, affecting the joined-up support they need.

Workforce issues for teachers, SENCOs, specialists, early years practitioners and all those who work with children with SEND

Workforce challenges in SEND provision arise from both recruitment difficulties and a lack of wider understanding of the complexity of these roles, worsened by the £10,000/year pay gap between school and FE college teachers. Recruitment of specialist staff is particularly challenging for those working with learners with complex needs, with high costs limiting access to job advertising platforms, making the recruitment process more expensive. FE colleges could benefit from targeted recruitment support, alongside greater investment in specialist pathways, to address these shortages as well as greater equity in pay to their academy and sixth form counterparts.

Beyond recruitment, there is a need to improve awareness and appreciation of the demands placed on those working in SEND settings. Teachers, SENCOs, Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), therapists and other professionals face educational and emotional pressures that are often underestimated. This lack of understanding contributes to low retention rates. Greater recognition of the specialist skills required, improved pay structures, and tailored professional development opportunities would help to create a more sustainable workforce.

A comprehensive strategy to recruit for specialist therapist roles needs to consider the pipeline of skills entering the healthcare sector, supported by the NHS Long Term Workforce plan[3]. Local authorities and colleges currently struggle to find the required services due to a lack of workforce available with the level of expertise that is required. Regional and local partnerships with higher and further education providers have to be at the centre of a strategy to train this workforce and could be connected into future iterations of Local Skills Improvement Plan developments, informing priorities and investment interventions in the skills systems. Incentives on the supply side need to include higher salaries for roles such as educational psychologists who are employed in local authorities to review EHCPs. SEND reforms for colleges should be aligned with skills reforms such as the post-16 skills strategy, Industrial Strategy and labour market reforms. The Curriculum and Assessment Review is an opportunity to ensure that broader and more inclusive pathways are developed supporting the work of the specialist workforce.

Teachers also rely on the day-to-day support of Learning Support Assistants (LSAs)during class. However, this is one of the hardest to recruit vacancies in the education sector more widely due to historically low salaries and high demands that are made of them compared to jobs in other sectors. These support roles are also the one most in risk of redundancy when colleges need to make efficiencies amidst tight funding. One way as a system leader that LSEC has tried to create a solution is by using our Business Development and Employer Engagement team to successfully partner with our MAT, London South East Academies Trust and our local DWP provider to run Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) addressing entry level role into education and health.

The desire for learners to progress to mainstream is well catered for by the FE sector. This can be supported further if steps are taken by the government to reduce the longstanding £10,000 average pay gap between school teachers and FE lecturers. This includes LSAs working in FE who are often severely underpaid, however funding challenges faced by Local Authorities mean it is difficult to recruit more LSAs in the sector.

Finally, a new model of mainstream inclusion should not be pursued at the expense of the specialist sector and needs to recognise that the SEND system includes 16-25 provision. Effective inclusion requires clarity, collaboration and transparency, not competition between mainstream and specialist provision. Both must co-exist to meet the diverse needs of young people, but we are seeing worrying trends where mainstream schools with tight budgets are competing with specialist settings for the same funding opportunities. These practices risk deskilling SEND professionals and undermining the quality of support for young people with complex needs, which must remain a priority. We firmly believe that inclusivity can be achieved in mainstream education while a proportion of pupils have their needs met in specialist settings, such as our High Needs Centres ‘Nido Volans.’ This is particularly important amidst the growing cohort of learners in mainstream college who have an EHCP and receive SEN support.

What substantive training is needed for teachers, teaching assistants and all those who work with children with SEND to improve knowledge of SEND and pedagogical approaches to teaching SEND Children to increase their inclusion in schools?

Improving training for all professionals working with children with SEND is essential to increasing inclusion in all parts of the education system especially Further Education which tends to educate a significant proposition of young people with SEND at Post 16 level to age 25. This includes providing targeted and specialist training for existing staff and upskilling under/un-qualified staff who are interested in progressing in these important roles. This requires a joint approach among all providers involved with children and young people with SEND of all ages recognising the importance of connecting each phase of development.

Whole School SEND training has provided valuable resources for mainstream teachers in secondary education, but more needs to be done to embed SEND expertise across all levels of education. The scale of the challenge in FE is magnified with the size of College Groups and the pressures on staffing and CPD budgets. Some colleges are seeing significant increases in learners with SEND progressing into mainstream programmes which is a positive outcome. However, this creates further challenges to train all staff to become SEND specialists. In addition, the technical vocational requirements of teachers in FE already provide upskilling pressures, but for the sector to properly meet the needs of learners coming through more investment in SEND training for all is required. A significant step would be making SEND placements mandatory in Initial Teacher Training (ITT), ensuring all teachers gain first-hand experience in specialist settings. SEND should not be treated as an optional placement but as a core part of training, equipping teachers with practical strategies to support diverse learners. Indeed, to us it is and should be central aspects of Equity Diversity and Inclusion training.

Training should also focus on a collaborative approach, ensuring teachers, teaching assistants, and leaders work effectively with therapists and local services to provide truly personalised learning. With over a third learners in mainstream college having additional learning needs, teachers need to have a deep understanding of how to adapt teaching, communication, and interactions to meet the needs of all learners.

Current and future model of SEND provision

What is working effectively within the current SEND system and how can best practice be sustained or scaled up?

We would like to highlight three parts of the current system. First, the focus on preparation for adulthood, including supported internships, is a positive step. Internship rates among learners with SEND have increased considerably thanks to this programme. Next steps for this programme would be to liaise with employers to increase the number of these learners who then transition into paid employment, this includes training employers, so they understand how to support these learners, improving outcomes. Reducing the disability employment gap needs to be a priority of the Get Britain Working strategy, properly linked to programmes that support young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). Over the past four years, we have collaborated with the Education and Training Foundation’s (ETF) SEND Spoke programme to facilitate the sharing of best practice among employers to identify practical ways in which they can easily make their workforces and workplaces more inclusive for young people with SEND. As a result, we have shared a toolkit to support employers on their journey towards inclusion[4]. This good practice needs to be embedded and expanded across various industries.

Second, local authority hubs have ensured accountability and coordination, helping families navigate the system. Strengthening these hubs could improve consistency in support. Bringing together education, health, social care, headteachers, clinical leads, and charities is key in ensuring joined-up decision-making.

Multi-agency working across education, health, and social care is often inconsistent, with EHCPs primarily focused on education and limited input from health and care services. These sectors should be held accountable in the same way as schools to ensure a truly joined-up approach. There are major inconsistencies in access to external therapists and reviews for EHCPs. A national model for multi-agency collaboration would help standardise support. Embedding the principles of operating as Anchor/Public Institutions in this approach would support the delivery of better outcomes and greater public and social value.

Thirdly, we would encourage the government to proactively foster and enable formalised collaborations at a local level for the progression of SEND learners from school to FE. We have as a College and Trust over the past decade developed our thinking and work in this space into a blueprint which we call Project Galaxy. We have practical examples of where this approach is working well and can share further details with policy makers if required.

How can innovation be encouraged across the system to address the current pressures and challenges?

Innovation in SEND is often constrained by funding shortages, workforce challenges, and the daily pressures of delivering support. Innovation is often limited by funding constraints, staffing shortages, and the intense day-to-day pressures within the system. Many professionals are so focused on managing immediate challenges that they have little time or capacity for strategic thinking and innovation.

Addressing recruitment and retention issues is essential, as a stable workforce enables schools to move beyond crisis management and explore new approaches. Collaboration across schools, Colleges, Teaching School Hubs, and local authorities can foster shared learning and best practice. Targeted grants for trialling innovative ideas, alongside structured support for cross-sector partnerships, would create the conditions for sustainable, impactful change in SEND provision.

We welcome the government’s recent investment in EEF research into FE practice but as has been well documented research in this area is woefully underfunded. We would encourage the Government to foster research and development capacity in all colleges to enable practitioners to contribute to professional dialogue in this space and provide the expert insight required to improve pedagogy for learners with SEND in post 16 education.

Addressing recruitment and retention issues in education is crucial to innovation; without a stable workforce, it is difficult to step beyond operational demands. The government could replicate the highly successful Cabinet Office delivered Leadership Programme for Leading Collaborative Organisations[5] with a focus on the requirements of cross system planning and collaboration for SEND reform. 

We also welcome the government’s plan to embed AI tools across the public sector to increase the efficiency of public services including FE. Colleges such as ours have already rolled out packages such as Copilot and Teachermatic to teaching staff including specialist staff which is already having a reported impact on reducing workload. We are keen that learners also realise the benefits of AI, such as improving the availability of assistive technologies via investment so colleges can innovate by applying the most effective AI functionalities to support their learners.

What steps should be taken to improve the post-16 landscape for students with SEND? What reforms are needed to ensure that all post-16 qualifications meet the needs of students with SEND?

Post-16 qualifications landscape

The post-16 landscape for learners with SEND must balance accredited and non-accredited learning, ensuring qualifications are meaningful and purposeful. For some learners, the focus is often on recognising progress rather than requiring formal qualifications to move into employment. Awarding bodies could liaise with employers to develop vocational qualifications with strong employer endorsement in industries where leaners with SEND can thrive. Vocational learning needs to be complemented with more personalised progression pathways that use a preparation for adulthood framework to support learners in achieving their individual goals.

The government needs to include entry level qualifications in the ongoing curriculum review and revise the PSEQ framework proposed by the previous government. Young people with SEND would particularly benefit from the reintroduction of entry level 3 qualifications in vocational areas such as construction. At entry level 3, we also suggest that employability skills qualifications are reviewed to ensure that they include more ambitious and relevant topics that reflect the modern world. This includes some of the demands of today’s labour market which, linked to the right career advice, could help learners identify employment opportunities that suit their strengths and interests. In a similar way, entry level 2 in skills for independence need to be updated to adapt to rapidly changing society in areas, such as online safety and social media management. In addition, the introduction of supported apprenticeships, exempt from GCSE requirements could be fundamental to increasing progression rates into employment for learners with SEND.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review should consider creating accessible qualifications in English and maths in both pre- and post-16, so more students can succeed at school while those that do not can experience a more relevant curriculum at college. Assessment methods should be inclusive and not purely exam based.

Needs assessment

Local authorities must be held accountable for meeting statutory deadlines on EHCP reviews, particularly at key transition points, to ensure up-to-date information reflects students' evolving needs. We often struggle to assess the support that will need to be in place with learners transitioning into post-16 provision whose plans are out of date and do not focus on preparation for adulthood outcomes. While we have information from annual reviews, the legally binding documents often do not align with current support requirements. Improving accountability for timely updating of EHCPs and reassessment of needs before college could support a seamless transition into post-16 education, and updated information could be used to jointly develop a transition into college plan. Digitalising EHCPs and progressing the consolidation of a national EHCP system could also promote consistency between local authorities. For Colleges such as ours that work across multiple local authorities, this has led to variable quality where some our students have clear targets and monitoring mechanisms in their plans and others do not, depending on the area they live in.

Mechanisms for sharing information of students who receive additional support in schools without having an EHCP should also be considered. This currently relies on learners self-declaring a need for support but barriers such as the stigma around SEND prevent them to do so in a timely manner. Many of these learners are at risk of withdrawing from the college, as they might not get the support they need. As part of Project Galaxy, our joint project with LSEAT (the MAT that we sponsor) we have established communication channels that facilitate this information sharing. This prevents delays in the assessment of the additional support that young learners require for a seamless transition and to thrive in the College. However, this is only possible because of our institutional framework and good relationships with schools, rather than due to a nationally standardised process.

Capital investment in the post-16 specialist sector

Further education colleges urgently need better capital funding to support the growing number of students with SEND. The planning of college places for learners with SEND by Local Authorities is not always planned well or strategic in approach with colleges sometimes not receiving sufficient consultation. The large year-on-year increases in the 16-18 population since 2019 means extra spaces created by government investment such as the post-16 capacity fund are already nearly full. While the expansion of special free schools up to age 16 is celebrated, this needs to be extended to the post-16 sector to meet the increasing demand for places and additional learning support in colleges.

Local authorities often exclude colleges from their SEND capital investment plans, despite continuing to commission learning places. To address this, LAs should be held more accountable for having clear place planning and capital investment. High Needs Provision Capital Allocations must also include specialist provision within colleges to ensure funding is directed where it is needed, rather than being concentrated on schools. This would allow colleges to respond to the scale of the demand and enhance their vocational offer for high needs learners, contributing to addressing the disability employment gap.

Employability outcomes

As a destinations-led College, we believe that improving outcomes for learners with SEND requires a stronger focus on preparation for adulthood, particularly in employment and independent living. The NDTi initiative, which structures EHCP reviews around education, employment, health, and community participation, should be expanded to ensure early and consistent planning for life beyond school. This would promote seamless transition between key stages. We celebrate the significant growth of supported internships and the attention they have received from Ofsted, but more inclusive employment pathways are needed. Some learners cannot currently access this programme due to travel and communication barriers. Employers must play a greater role in providing meaningful opportunities, with better support and awareness to recruit individuals with SEND, as part of their EDI strategies.

14-16 college provision

Colleges’ role in 14-16 education needs to be strengthened, along with greater emphasis on vocational subjects in key stages 3 and 4. The schools in the Trust that we sponsor (LSEAT) have experienced the positive impact that studying in a college for a few days a week can have on 14-16 year olds. This supports the role of alternative provision, rather than compete with it and is particularly beneficial for pupils with SEND who struggle in large mainstream classes. Promoting and properly funding this provision would prevent many pupils from dropping out of the system at an early age. This would require a change in the assessment system so that it does not penalise schools with larger groups of part-time college students.

Finally, we welcome the Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) report in January 2025 on SEND support[6]. It highlights a crisis in the support system for children and young people with SEND. We believe that its recommendations support the points we have made earlier in our evidence being submitted, including:

• Understand and address local variations: Work with local authorities and the Ministry of Justice to understand differences in identifying and supporting SEN needs, share good practices, and improve decision-making by analysing tribunal decisions.
• Investigate increasing demand: Collaborate with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to understand the reasons behind increasing demand for SEN support and provide more efficient support, such as group support and earlier identification of needs.
• Define inclusive education: Clearly define what inclusive education means, set out the expected provision for children with SEN, and ensure adequate resourcing and accountability for inclusive education.
• Improve access to health expertise: Ensure Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) consider SEN alongside other priorities, address workforce shortfalls, and reduce waiting lists for health support.
• Address financial challenges: Develop a fair and appropriate solution for local authorities facing financial challenges due to SEN-related overspends, involving local authorities in the planning process.
• Ensure long-term financial viability: Provide specific support and guidance to local authorities for sustainable SEN-related spending, improve demand forecasting, and ensure value for money in spending on independent schools and transport costs.
• Develop a clear, costed plan: Improve data collection and use this information to create a fully costed plan for improving the SEN system, with clear actions, interdependencies, and metrics to measure outcomes.

What steps can local authorities take to ensure funding is in place to meet the transport needs of post-16 students with SEND?

Local Authorities should be collaborating with local providers to design a joined-up system in their own locations which reduces travel costs to expensive out of borough provision. A good example of this is the case study mentioned earlier of our College and Trust with Lambeth LA delivering high needs provision. This is a scalable and replicable model which could be developed. Travel training should be encouraged on pre-college preparation for adulthood outcomes to build independence skills at early stages. This could help to reduce travel costs for older students. These skills should be assessed in annual EHCP reviews to ensure that funding is appropriately targeted. Local authorities need to work closely with colleges to ensure that, once a place is commissioned, there is a timely identification of the learner’s need for transport support. This service needs to be properly arranged for them before the start of the academic year to promote a seamless transition into college.

Local authorities should be taking steps to create a sustainable transport system, based on close collaboration with education, health and transport providers in the area that is responsive and adaptable to the needs young people with SEND including post-16. LAs could pool financial resources such as SEND transportation with neighbouring local authorities. As well as supporting long-term financial sustainability, it could help strategic co-ordination and reduce costs for learners with SEND who must travel out of their borough for their education.

January 2025

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