AllChild’s response to the government’s Schools white paper ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’

The publication of a white paper this week outlining proposals to boost attainment and opportunities for all children, improve local collaboration and reform the SEND system is a considered and decisive step forward, one which AllChild welcomes.

Steps in the right direction

The proposed creation of a new model of local partnership and shared accountability for children’s outcomes across local communities is a positive commitment that reflects the government’s proposed shift towards a new collective responsibility for education in this country. This responsibility will unite local government, schools and trusts, Integrated Care Boards, police, and other stakeholders who have a role to play in children’s wellbeing and development. Having seen how locally co-designed shared outcomes frameworks can shift the way local systems work to support children, we welcome the commitment to this approach. We look forward to seeing further detail as plans develop, recognising that the real impact will lie in how effectively it is implemented.

It is well documented that children and young people affected by poverty face persistent and systemic barriers to flourishing in their schools, communities and later in life. Efforts to remove or reduce these barriers – specifically through introducing the ambitious target of halving the Key Stage 4 disadvantage gap and developing a new model for targeting disadvantage funding – have the potential to positively impact many children and young people through better targeted resources and a sustained focus on delivering approaches that are proven to improve attainment outcomes.

As poverty presents in different ways for children, so does it present differently for places, where it uniquely affects infrastructure, social networks, and joins up across the system. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach – support can only be effective when tailored to specific local contexts, designed with the local communities and coordinated across the services that operate in each place. For example, strengthening the transition from primary to secondary school requires strong, intentional collaboration between schools, local authorities, community organisations and other public services in order to ensure young people have continuity of support – particularly critical in light of the announced SEND reforms. Consequently, we are pleased to see the white paper’s recognition that place-based approaches are critical for transforming young people’s outcomes locally through the launch of two new place-focused missions, ‘Mission North East’ and ‘Mission Coastal’. These programmes will establish local partnership boards and bring schools, local leaders and partners together to drive towards shared educational outcomes.

Reforms to the SEND system

We know that current support systems are stretched and siloed, meaning many children and young people often go without the support and opportunities they could most benefit from, until their needs escalate – this is particularly true for young people with SEND. Changes to the SEND system have long been needed to ensure that every child and young person is getting the right support, in the right way, at the right time, and the plans outlined this week indicate a positive step towards achieving this.

The introduction of a new layered identification and support system is of particular interest, recognising that timely targeted action can significantly improve a young person’s development, wellbeing, and academic outcomes.

We’re pleased to see the aim of an Individual Support Plan for all young people with additional needs, co-designed in partnership between schools and families, to provide support and opportunities tailored to children’s needs and strengths. We have seen first-hand how impactful getting the right support – delivered through collaboration with local specialists – into mainstream settings can be in enabling young people to flourish alongside their peers. This partnership working with external and internal providers must be strong, in order to ensure those young people that no longer meet the thresholds for an Education, Health and Care Plan will receive the high-quality, consistent and targeted support and opportunities they would most benefit from.

Schools are uniquely positioned to be the centre of a more joined-up system, given their deep understanding of young people’s needs and strengths, their daily contact with families and their role as a universal service that offers a consistent point of access for children and young people. However, such a shift will require all schools to be supported to take a more intentional approach to partnership working, working as part of a wider, coordinated network that includes local authorities, specialist services and community-based provision. This effective collaboration requires clear structures, shared accountability and dedicated leadership, alongside training, funding and capacity building with schools. While the additional investment is welcome, we look forward to further clarity on how the reforms will be implemented with schools, and the role VCSE organisations can play in supporting schools to deliver this new remit.

School belonging, family engagement and the role of trusted adults

We were disappointed to see no reference to the value of trusted adults within schools, especially given the government’s commitment through the National Youth Strategy to invest in this workforce. While we strongly welcome the government’s focus on school belonging, rebuilding relationships between families and schools and the introduction of a new Pupil Engagement Framework, it is a missed opportunity not to highlight the role of trusted adults within this.

Children and families’ engagement in education and enrichment will be critical in meeting the government’s targets around halving the disadvantage and participation gaps, and trusted adult roles can have a significant role to play, bridging gaps between families and the resources around them and rebuilding relationships and connections. With the introduction of an enrichment entitlement and framework, trusted adults can also play a role in enabling consistent access and can work with schools to integrate enrichment into personalised plans that reflect each child’s needs and strengths, driving meaningful progress through enrichment towards clear goals and the right outcomes for them.

Reform to the current system and a package of additional funding is gladly welcomed and we hope it will ensure that many more children and young people have access to an early action ecosystem of support and opportunity that addresses current inequalities. We look forward to continuing to work with schools, local partners, and families as the reforms and changes come into effect, to ensure all children and young people have the support and opportunities they need to flourish within their school and community.

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