At this year’s Labour Party Conference, the Education Policy Institute has partnered with the Fischer Family Foundation to hold a public panel on: ‘Early literacy: The key to inclusion?’
Reforming the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system is a top priority for the current government. Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs) have more than doubled in the last ten years, and more children than ever are being educated in specialist provision. The supply of specialist placements has struggled to meet this demand, with waiting lists often in excess of five years. With the ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review and the upcoming Schools White Paper, it is timely to consider how mainstream schools could become more inclusive to support the needs of children with SEND.
EPI research also finds that the disadvantage gap is widening: the gap for those on SEND support in reception year was at its highest in 2023, 0.7 months higher than in 2019.
By Year 3, most children successfully transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn,” having developed adequate decoding skills and reading fluency. These children can fully engage with the curriculum and benefit from classroom instruction. However, at least a quarter of pupils still struggle with basic reading skills and fluency at this stage, limiting their ability to access the broader curriculum, with SEND pupils over-represented in this group, mainly due to lower starting points. The current approach of short-term reading ‘catch-up’ interventions with lengthy waiting lists is proving insufficient.
Sustained small group early reading intervention starting in Year 1 could offer a solution to enable inclusion in mainstream schools: FFT data analysis shows small group intervention can accelerate progress in reading and give a second chance for children who are falling behind, including those with SEND, meaning a targeted programme could benefit those who need it most – the children the government is looking to support with upcoming SEND reforms.
This panel will bring politicians, policymakers, school leaders, and literacy experts to consider the role of a sustained intervention track and early literacy support in the process of SEND reform. We have a unique opportunity to reimagine early literacy policy and address systemic challenges, including the disadvantage gap and the supply of placements. The panel will therefore consider what it would look like in practice to centre pupils with SEND in mainstream schools.
Speakers will be announced in due course.
** Note: This event will take place in the conference secure zone. To access the secure zone you will need to obtain a pass directly from the Labour Party.**
