Government education advisor Brian Lamb has called for more responsibility to be placed on Ofsted to report on the quality of education and support offered to children with disabilities and special education needs (SEN).

In a letter to Schools Minister Ed Balls, released ahead of his full inquiry in September, Mr Lamb has recommended legislative change and called for wider improvements in an effort to enhance the standard of SEN support currently available.

“My belief is that the education system as a whole is insufficiently focused on objectives and outcomes for disabled children and children with SEN,” he wrote.

Mr Lamb said that his proposed new inspection arrangements would form an important part of improving accountability and that Ofsted must be compelled to carry a specific duty to report on the quality of SEN outcomes, in order to secure necessary improvements.

He wrote: ”I am recommending legislative change to place a specific duty on Ofsted to report on the quality of the education provided for disabled children and children with SEN.”

He also advised that significant improvements be made to the way that statements were written, arguing that there needed to be a greater emphasis on objectives and outcomes for children as well as a more robust approach to annual school reviews.
Mr Balls welcomed the recommendations in reply and said that he was grateful that Mr Lamb was able to respond quickly to his call for additional advice on how the Government might improve the quality of the SEN system.  

“I accept this proposal and will legislate to bring this into effect at the next available opportunity,” he wrote, “I share your view we need to ensure that we have a better focus on the outcomes of children with special education needs.”

Mr Balls also told reporters: “By making the achievements of children with SEN a top priority for Ofsted inspectors, alongside the extra funding and guidance we are giving schools, we will help to ensure these children make good and continuing progress.”

Ofsted said it would continue to develop appropriate training opportunities for school inspectors and that it would strive to provide additional guidance along the lines recommended by Mr Lamb.

An Ofsted spokesman said: ”We look forward to meeting the Government's strengthened requirements for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and their parents. Ofsted remains committed to evaluating the outcomes for this group of children.”
 
The Independent Panel for Special Needs Education has given its backing to the recommendations and is excited by the potential for research into exploring ways in which parental confidence in SEN assessments might be improved.

The Panel has urged its members to give their views to the Lamb Inquiry.