Tom Rees has been appointed as a co-chair of an expert panel that will lead on the creation of national inclusion standards for schools, as part of the government’s reforms of special educational needs provision.

The panel will also work on creating specialist provision packages that will underpin the support provided through education, health and care plans (EHCPs) in a reformed system.

Mr Rees, CEO of Ormiston Academies Trust, has helped to develop the government’s plans for special educational needs and disabilities provision, having chaired the Expert Advisory Group on Inclusion.

The government is now looking for a co-chair from the health sector to work alongside him on the panel, and has also published job adverts for panel members.

The new national inclusion standards will inform the provision that schools provide under the Department for Education’s SEND reforms.

Specialist provision packages

The DfE announced plans last month to move to a new system where pupils with SEND can receive one of three tiers of support: “targeted”, “targeted plus” and “specialist”.

Every student with SEND in these tiers will receive an individual support plan (ISP).

Students in the specialist tier will receive an education, health and care plan (EHCP) and an ISP, and their support will be based on specialist provision packages, which the expert panel will be tasked with developing. These could be delivered in special schools or mainstream settings.

The DfE said today that these packages will range from elements such as specialist teaching and therapies to communication devices and one-to-one care.

The panel will be asked to engage widely with key stakeholders and include the voices of children, parents and sector groups in the development of both the inclusion standards and the suppport packages.

It will then provide recommendations to ministers on their content, design and structure.

Mr Rees, who is now co-chair of the Expert Panel for National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages, said: “It has been a privilege to chair the Expert Advisory Group on Inclusion over the last year, working closely with ministers, parents and professionals across the sector to build a shared understanding of the challenges facing children and young people with additional needs, and the clear need for reform.

“Building on this work, I’m pleased to be able to continue to contribute to the reform, as co-chair of the independent expert panel.”

He added: “We want to create more inclusive, coherent education, health and care systems that have high ambition and deliver brilliant outcomes for every child. The panel will play an important part in making that a reality.”

The DfE said it expects further appointments to the panel to be made later this spring.