SEND


How can we transform lives through reading in SEND education?


GEMMA HARVEY, Deputy Headteacher at Engage Academy, part of Ethos Academy Trust, shares how innovative, consistent and personalised approaches can help encourage a love of reading and transform educational experiences for children with SEND.


Reading for pleasure is about fostering imagination, empathy, and a lifelong curiosity about the world. Research has shown that children who enjoy reading are more likely to achieve higher outcomes across subjects – but for many children with SEND, barriers such as difficulties with phonics, low confidence, or disengagement from traditional learning environments can make reading feel like an insurmountable task.


Many of our children arrive having either spent a significant period of time out of education or have disconnected from learning entirely. They sometimes have a history of negative experiences around reading, whether due to limited access to appropriate materials, a lack of tailored support, or simply not seeing themselves reflected in the stories they have encountered.


Our mission is to reframe reading as a joyful, empowering activity that is accessible to everyone. Our bespoke curriculum embeds reading into every facet of education, and the timetable is consistent, with the discrete teaching of reading systematic to support the pupils’ SEMH needs. From phonics to comprehension, every aspect of our approach is systematic and rooted in best practices for SEND education.


We see reading as a gateway to independence, confidence, and lifelong learning. By creating a culture where books are celebrated, we give our children the tools they need to succeed. By the time they leave Engage Academy, our pupils have re-engaged with their reading journey, made progress from their unique starting points and have developed a love of reading.


Here are some of the key strategies we use to inspire a love of reading among our children:


• Tailored approaches: Each child is assessed on arrival (using Read, Write Inc assessment tools), to identify phonetic gaps and key reading skills that would benefit from development.


• Daily reading opportunities: Every child reads every day, using levelled books across fiction and non-fiction that align with their phonics progression. This consistent practice builds fluency and confidence.


• Guided and 1:1 reading sessions: For children secure in phonics, one-on-one or group sessions target specific areas, from improving fluency to developing inference skills. Questions and activities are customised to their ability and attention span.


• Dedicated storytime: Reading is embedded into our nurture curriculum, with each class having daily sessions during snack time as a settling activity. This allows reading to become a shared and


enjoyable experience. Reading materials can range from high-quality picture books to short chapter books to more complex class novels.


• Embedded reading: Incidental reading happens across school, and is a key feature in most lessons, such as following a recipe or a set of instructions.


• Creative incentives: Strategies include assigning reading buddies (a member of staff or peer in school with whom to share a weekly story), inviting inspiring guest readers such as local football or rugby players, organising reading challenges, and offering books as prizes for special events and competitions.


• Interactive and sensory experiences: Utilising theatre, films, video clips, pantomimes and immersive library visits brings stories to life, connecting children with texts in a multi-sensory way prior to introducing the story.


• Reading in unexpected places: Encouraging reading beyond the classroom, whether outdoors, in dens, or even alongside Poppy, our school dog, creates unique and memorable experiences.


• Parental engagement: Key worker sessions with parents foster a shared love of reading, and story bags with activities provide a bridge between school and home learning.


• Promoting ownership and creativity: Children are encouraged to publish their own stories, becoming authors themselves and sharing their work with peers.


• Community and library connections: Weekly visits to local libraries with the headteacher, signing up for library cards, and engaging in sensory storytime sessions strengthen ties between reading and community resources.


For more information about Ethos Academy Trust visit www.eat.uk.com March 2025


Will the cost of inclusion be at the expense of SEND provision?


Comment by EMMA SANDERSON, Managing Director of Options Autism, part of Outcomes First Group, a specialist provider of education for neurodivergent pupils and those with complex needs.


The call for increased inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream schools is hugely important and welcomed for several reasons: it allows children with SEND needs to attend local schools, promotes community engagement, reduces pressure on specialist sectors, and can be more cost- effective. However, could the Government’s approach to this goal, come at the expense of specialist schools and services, which play a vital role in supporting and educating children and young people with the most complex needs? There is a difference between building a more inclusive mainstream system and seeking to respond to an acute SEND issue by ignoring the role of the specialist sector and the vital part it plays.


The assumption that all children with SEND can or should be accommodated within mainstream settings overlooks the reality that some pupils with higher needs will always require specialist interventions and a level of care that mainstream schools are not equipped to provide.


Recent Government initiatives focus on enhanced support for SEND students within mainstream education, including a £740 million investment to create more specialist places in mainstream schools. But what is the plan for those with much more complex needs where a specialist setting is the only suitable education environment?


Specialist environments provide tailored support, highly trained staff, and adapted environments, designed to help children with significant and complex needs flourish. A one- size-fits-all approach to inclusion will not work. Policymakers must acknowledge that inclusion should be about the ‘best fit’ for a child’s abilities. A truly inclusive approach means not just integrating all pupils with SEND into mainstream schools but ensuring pupils can access the right education according to their individual needs and abilities. For some, providing equal access to opportunities and resources and removing barriers can only be achieved in a specialist setting. In addition to the narrative on mainstream inclusion, Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson’s recent speech at the Centre of Social Justice, placed a strong emphasis on raising standards and left unanswered questions about how this agenda will impact the most vulnerable learners. Will the pursuit of ever-higher academic outcomes create an even more challenging environment for pupils who require additional support? There is a risk that without a nuanced approach, more children with SEND will be left behind, unable to thrive in a system that does not cater to their needs.


A balanced education system requires acknowledgment of both stronger mainstream inclusion and crucial specialist provision. Both must work in tandem to ensure all children have access to high-quality education, with the support they need to succeed. Mainstream schools should be supported to become more inclusive, but there must be recognition of specialist provision and its vital role in supporting the most vulnerable.


For further information please visit www.outcomesfirstgroup.co.uk


www.education-today.co.uk 19


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