WIREDGOV

- Teach First and TDA to offer additional training to skill up new teachers to work with disabled children in special and mainstream schools -

Ed Balls has pledged more support for trainee teachers who want to work with severely disabled children in response to a major review of the supply and recruitment of teachers of children with severe profound and multiple learning difficulties.

Speaking at the Association for School and College Leaders conference, Ed Balls responded to Toby Salt's review, commissioned by the Government in September 2009, which calls for more to be done to attract and retain teachers who want to teach disabled children in Special Schools and Mainstream schools.

Ed Balls announced:

- A partnership with Teach First to bring top graduates into schools, particularly special schools, allowing them to gain the skills they need to teach severely disabled children;
- A new six-month specialist course for new teachers to enable them to be better prepared for their first job working with children with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties;
- New arrangements to collect data on skilled teachers to manage supply effectively for the future;
- New training on teaching children with severe learning difficulties will be developed by the TDA to ensure that every teacher has access to the quality professional development materials that they need to develop their skills.

Ed Balls said today:

"I know from all the Special Schools I have visited that they do a great job in teaching severely disabled children. I have met many inspirational teachers in these schools and I want to see more choose this route in teaching. Toby's report is clear that we must act now to grow the next generation of teachers in our schools, particularly special schools. It is vital that we provide teachers with the best possible training to help children with severe learning difficulties access a top quality education.

"All children have potential and we want to support them to take part in school life, to achieve and to be happy throughout their education. That is why we are working to provide more and better training opportunities for graduates and newly qualified teachers and to monitor the supply of specially trained teachers so all young people with severe learning difficulties get the education they deserve."

Toby Salt said:

"I am delighted that this sector, which caters for some of our most complex and vulnerable learners, is getting the focus it needs and deserves. Throughout the review, I have been impressed by the dedication of those currently in the system. But my recommendations provide the basis for some significant changes. I want to ensure we have the right quality initial teacher training so all children with SLD/PMLD receive the best possible education from the best teachers in the field."

In his speech Mr Balls will also announce the publication of a new edition of 'Breaking the Link', focusing on the link between special educational needs and low attainment. This document will be made available to all schools to reinforce the need to combat the problem of low-achieving children with SEN and to share strategies and best practice for supporting them to improve.

This action follows the significant investment the Government is already making in special educational needs and disability teaching and learning. The recent Lamb inquiry implementation plan, and our commitments in the 21st Century Schools White Paper to strengthen the place of special education teaching, are all helping to improve the support and educational achievements of children with SEN and disabilities.

Toby Salt was commissioned to identify the barriers that currently exist for effective supply of adequately trained teachers for pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties, and ways to address these barriers.

Editor's Notes

1. Toby Salt's review and the Government's response can be found here: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/saltreview/

2. The Breaking the Link document can be found here: http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF-00213-2010

3. The DCSF has allocated £600,000 for this work in 2010/11

Contact Details

Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk