Condition of Funding changes will prove detrimental to SEND learners

• 91% of respondents said that the new minimum teaching hours would hurt some or all of their students who are studying qualifications.
• 81% of respondents said that the requirement for “stand-alone, whole class, in-person teaching” would harm some or all students.
• Guided Learning Hours for 63% of students studying English and 65% of students studying maths are less than the new minimum requirements.

The Department for Education’s (DfE) Condition of Funding rule changes will remove learning opportunities for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a specialist further education (FE) membership organisation has warned.

A survey has revealed that 91 per cent of specialist colleges believe that the new minimum teaching hours will hurt some or all of their students who are studying qualifications.

The survey by Natspec, the National Association of Specialist Colleges, involved 46 colleges – nearly 40 per cent of Natspec members – representing 3,173 students with an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP).

One respondent said that

“the new guidelines for all providers will cause a huge amount of behavioural and staffing issues”

While another highlighted that they would

“impact on other areas of the curriculum, such as learning skills for employment and independent living, which are the primary aims of the courses the learners have enrolled for.”

The survey came following the DfE’s announced changes to the policy relating to funding restrictions for students who do not study eligible qualifications in English and maths if they have not achieved grade four or above in English or maths GCSE.

The new requirements mandate up to seven minimum teaching hours a week, three hours for English and four for maths. These hours must be “stand-alone, whole-class, in-person teaching,” with any additional support supplementary to these minimum classroom hours.

The results show that for 63 per cent of students studying English and 65 per cent studying maths, the Guided Learning Hours of the qualifications they are studying are less than the new minimum requirements.

81 per cent of respondents said that the requirement for stand-alone, whole-class, in-person teaching” would harm some or all students, citing the importance of a person-centred approach and flexible teaching methods.

One college said

“We need flexibility to offer the programme in smaller chunks. Not all our learners can manage three or four hours of content each week.”

Another said

“To take away our person-centred learning and replace it with dictated hours will make learning difficult to access for our autistic students.”

Colleges also expressed concern about the financial implications of the Condition of Funding. These specialist colleges are already reliant on donations, fundraising, and reserves as they receive an average of just £40,000 annually for all of their capital needs.

One respondent said that

“From a budget perspective, having to staff these additional hours because they are mandatory would almost certainly lead to reductions elsewhere and we already run a lean organisation.”

Commenting on the survey findings, Clare Howard OBE, Chief Executive of Natspec, said:

“The findings from our survey highlight the negative consequences of the Department for Education’s recent Condition of Funding rule changes on students with SEND. These are made all the more frustrating given the lack of consultation with Natspec and other key stakeholders in the education sector.

“I am pleased that the Department is now consulting with the sector and I hope that listening to the collective expertise of FE organisations and colleges will lead to more inclusive policies which acknowledge the nuanced needs of students with SEND.

“Moving forward, it is imperative that any policy affecting such vulnerable learners is shaped by thorough engagement with those who understand their needs best.”