In 2018 we gave a grant to the Education Endowment Fund (EEF) to produce a Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) evidence-based guidance report for schools in England. The report was officially launched this month and can be viewed here.

Pupils with SEND have the greatest need for excellent teaching and are entitled to provision that supports achievement at, and enjoyment of, school. The attainment gap between pupils with SEND and their peers is twice as big as the gap between pupils eligible for free school meals and their peers. However, pupils with SEND are also more than twice as likely to be eligible for free school meals. The SEND guidance report offers practical, evidence-based recommendations relevant to all learners. The goal of this report is to help schools evaluate the effectiveness of their SEND provision, and then implement a bespoke action plan to target areas of priority. Throughout this process, schools will be supported by EEF to provide the best support for their pupils. The guide has been downloaded by over 5,000 schools to date.

EEF is a charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement by supporting teachers to use the most effective teaching methods in the classroom. We are proud to have supported such an important and wide-reaching project, and will be keeping a close eye on the positive impacts that this Review will have on our education system! You can read more about the project here.