the country's only news agency specialising in disability issues
The government’s new plans for improving education for disabled children and young people have been described as “wholly insufficient” and an “all-round failure” by disabled people’s organisations. Alongside the long-awaited improvement plan, ministers have announced another “tranche” of new special schools […]
The special educational needs and disability (SEND) system is “creaking and ripe for long-promised reform”, according to the annual report of the education watchdog Ofsted. Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of education, children’s services and skills, warned in her annual report […]
The government appears to have admitted that David Cameron’s 2010 pledge to “end the bias” towards including disabled children in mainstream schools was a huge mistake and now needs to be reversed. The apparent admission comes in this week’s long-awaited special […]
An ombudsman has “strongly criticised” a local council’s children’s services provider for failing to provide educational support to three disabled children. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said there was also cause for concern about “systemic failures” between Richmond council […]
Disabled children in London are more likely to receive an inclusive education than those being educated anywhere else in England, according to a new report. The report, by the education consultancy MIME, found that the London borough of Westminster was delivering […]
MPs who released a report criticising the implementation of the government’s reforms of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system have been accused of a “disgraceful” omission of crucial evidence on inclusive education. The Commons education committee, chaired by the […]
An ombudsman has added to increasing concerns about the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system in England after revealing that it has been upholding an “exceptional and unprecedented” number of complaints. The new report by the Local Government and Social […]
The needs of many disabled pupils in England are not being met, while councils are under growing financial pressure because more children are attending special schools, parliament’s spending watchdog has warned. The report from the National Audit Office (NAO) says the […]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) appears to have secured funding to set up an independent panel to examine cases where its own failings have led to the deaths of benefit claimants. Although DWP refused to provide any details on […]
Young disabled pupils have described how they are targeted by school bullies because of their impairments, and are treated as social outcasts, but still do not view themselves as disabled people, according to new research. Researchers interviewed more than 40 disabled […]