CATHOLIC schools uphold the values espoused in Catholic social teaching which provides a vision for a just society in which the dignity of all people is recognised and where the rights of the most vulnerable are cherished and upheld.
It is in that context which those who lead and teach in Catholic maintained schools wish to add their voice by making a call for change in how our education system supports the needs of young people with SEN
The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) welcomes the renewed energy and the evident commitment that is being shown by our politicians and our colleagues in the department and in the Education Authority to place the needs of pupils with special educational needs at the heart of our debate on how we must shape education provision for years to come.
There should be no doubt that all school staffs are fully committed to inclusion and to improving the life chances for children with SEN. In reality though, with the year on year increase in the numbers of children with SEN and/or a disability and the growing complexity of needs, school staff are finding it increasingly difficult to meet these needs. Inevitably this is having a negative impact on the educational outcomes and life opportunities for far too many young people.
Today, CCMS calls for action, arguing that we must actively address the challenges, be decisive and make changes which will reshape the system so that we better support all our children and young people, particularly those who have barriers to their learning and/or a disability.
There have been numerous reports and publications over the past decade and more, all of which have referenced the significant challenges in this area. Indeed, there have been calls for change with debate focussing on the importance of improving SEN provision. However, such is the growing demand and complexity of SEN that the system has not been able to evolve at a pace that meets the needs of the children in our schools currently. We must all share concern about this and we must put children and their needs at the heart of this debate.
Following extensive engagement with the school professionals, pupils and parents in Catholic maintained schools, CCMS is publishing a report of its findings and makes key recommendations for the way forward aimed at supporting pupils with SEN and improving provision.
This report calls for leadership in addressing the challenges and in delivering improvements that will make a difference now and into the future.
Early identification and early intervention is not a new concept. Yet, the message is more important than ever. Proactive, consistent approaches to early identification and intervention can make a real difference to improving the educational outcomes and life chances.
We must improve our approaches to partnership working at all levels; between government departments, with managing authorities and educational sectoral bodies and with school professionals, pupils and their parents.
We need to develop further the concept of inter-agency and inter-disciplinary partnership working that is focussed on making decisions about how best to support each young person with SEN.
Additionally, we need to invest in our people and remodel our staffing structures to better address the mix of professional skills required of those who work in this area. We must also adopt an approach that enables teacher professional learning and continuous professional development that is tailored to address the specific and more general needs of pupils with SEN and staff in schools.
The burden of bureaucracy, particularly around reviewing the processes for the identification, assessment and record keeping associated with SEN needs to be addressed. We must ensure that they are streamlined and that information on pupils is shared and used more efficiently between partnership agencies.
Ultimately we must have a system that supports pupils accessing intervention without lengthy delay.
CCMS welcomes the ongoing review of existing specialist provision. We need to ensure that there will be an appropriate and equitable network of specialist provision so that children can access services close to where they live.
We must evaluate the effectiveness of the current funding model to ensure that funding and resources are being used efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of pupils with SEN. We must ensure that
we add value by giving school professionals greater autonomy so that they can make locally informed decisions about how resources should be deployed for all children in their schools.
Our commitment to these children should be supported by legislation which directs and supports inclusive education systems, embedding a fundamental commitment to every young person's right to inclusive and equitable educational opportunities in their own local community.
In developing a new approach, the report calls for a departure from the current circumstances where support and assistance must be fought for, to a better system which assumes such services are provided by right.
By working in partnership and by putting the needs of individuals at the centre of SEN structures and systems, change is achievable and positive outcomes in SEN can be delivered, implemented and sustained.
:: Gerry Campbell is Chief Executive of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools.
