New SEND Training Resources Launched to Support Inclusive Practice
Schools and post-16 settings can now access a new suite of free continuing professional development (CPD) materials designed to strengthen support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The resources have been published by the Department for Education as part of wider plans to reform the SEND system and improve early support for learners. The materials form part of a £200 million training programme and sit alongside proposed National Inclusion Standards and the new Experts at Hand programme. The aim is to help teaching staff build confidence in identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with SEND and additional needs. Developed with Ambition Institute, the training packages are free to access, adaptable for different settings, and available in separate versions for schools and post-16 providers. They are intended for in-house delivery by SENCOs, SEND support leads, inclusion leaders, headteachers and others responsible for staff development.
The materials help staff understand the proposed SEND reforms and plan professional development for the rest of the year. The first set covers:
- Guidance on how to use the materials
- Introduction to SEND reform and inclusive teaching
- Introduction to Areas of Development
- Speech, Language and Communication Development materials
- Facilitator guidance and supporting resources
The Department for Education says the materials can be adapted to local contexts and learner needs. Future training resources are scheduled for release in January and April 2027, expanding the programme further.
Alongside the new CPD offer, the bulletin highlights a case study from Chestnut Grove Academy, which has developed a whole-school approach to inclusion linking SEND, behaviour, attendance, safeguarding and mental health. The academy reports improvements in attendance, reductions in behaviour incidents and only one permanent exclusion in recent years.
The Department has also published new SEND reform factsheets to help education professionals and families understand proposals set out in the Every Child Achieving and Thriving schools white paper and the Putting Children and Young People First consultation.
