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SEND Strategy

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Strategy 2022-25 for children and young people aged 0-25

This strategy sets a challenging agenda for improvement, alongside expanding the capacity of SEND provision locally. It is focused on ensuring good practice in every school and a stronger commitment to inclusion at all ages from 0-25.

The development of this strategy has been informed by all those involved in the SEND process. The views of children, young people, their families and carers as well as schools and other stakeholders were captured using a range of consultation activities, collated into a full consultation report and incorporated into this final document. In addition, throughout the process, we have maintained engagement and consulted with head teachers from special schools through the 16-25 Pathways to Adulthood board, through the ASD Review and the Early Years Strategy, and parents and carers are engaged through representation from Southwark Independent Voice on our boards.

Four key priorities came out of our consultation to form the centre of our joint work:

  • Priority 1: Improving provision for complex/multiple needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder/Condition (ASD/C).
  • Priority 2: Provision of more timely, high-quality identification and provision.
  • Priority 3: Development of greater confidence skills and competencies in all settings.
  • Priority 4: Development of pathways into adulthood for young people with SEND.
     

This current SEND strategy is a council focused document. Health partners are committed to the development of a collaborative SEND strategy for the local area's health, care, and educational systems, and participated in the consultation process.

The local area's SEND strategy will be reviewed regularly as the SEND landscape changes. We await publication of the Government's proposed approach to SEND reform as part of the forthcoming Schools White Paper to inform this work. The Spending Review 2025 also committed £547 million nationally in 2026/27 and £213 million in 2027/28 to be spent on reform of the SEND system.