SEND reform • support staff development • educational disadvantage

9 November 2026  |  Education, equality and school governance

Every school has an equality policy. But the more searching question is this: how do we know that our policies are making a difference to the children, families and staff who experience barriers every day?

Three education developments reported in November 2026 bring that question into focus: proposed reforms to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), gaps in continuing professional development (CPD) for support staff, and new research on homework clubs. These stories have something important in common. Equal provision is not always equitable provision.

Inclusion is not measured by what a school offers on paper, but by who can access it, participate and thrive.

1 | SEND reform: inclusion must be more than a place in a classroom

On 5 November, The National College reported that the Education Secretary expected a SEND Reform Bill in early 2027, alongside proposed national inclusion standards and specialist provision packages. These were proposals and anticipated reforms at the time of writing, not new duties already in force.

For school communities, the central issue is not simply where a pupil is taught, but whether they can learn, participate and feel that they belong. Appropriate adaptations, skilled staff, specialist input and meaningful partnership with families all matter. So does recognising that disability may intersect with poverty, ethnicity, language and other circumstances.

A school may describe itself as inclusive while some pupils remain absent from enrichment activities, experience disproportionate exclusions or struggle to have their needs recognised. Governors should therefore look beyond headline SEND numbers to the lived experience and outcomes of different pupil groups.

The governance question: Can we demonstrate that pupils with SEND are included, supported and achieving not merely enrolled?

2 | Support staff: an inclusive school must be an inclusive employer

An NEU survey of 4,715 school support staff, reported on 6 November, found that 21% said they received no CPD. That is a survey finding, not a figure for every support worker nationally, but it should concern anyone responsible for school improvement.

Teaching assistants and other support staff often provide crucial day-to-day support to children with additional learning, communication and wellbeing needs. If they are expected to respond to complex situations without appropriate training or development, the effect can be felt both by staff and pupils.

Equality applies to employees as well as learners. School leaders should examine whether part-time staff, disabled colleagues and staff with caring responsibilities can access training, progression and opportunities to influence decisions. A CPD offer is not genuinely equitable if some staff cannot realistically attend or benefit from it.

The governance question: Do we invest in every part of our workforce, and can we show that access to development is fair?

3 | Homework clubs: an opportunity offered is not always an opportunity accessible

Research commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation and undertaken by the National Foundation for Educational Research, based on responses from 187 secondary schools, found that 92% of surveyed schools offered homework clubs. Availability is encouraging, but participation and provision varied.

A quiet space, working internet connection, suitable device and adult support cannot be assumed in every home. Some pupils share crowded accommodation, undertake caring responsibilities or face transport barriers after school. Homework clubs may help reduce such disadvantages, but only if the children who need them can attend and feel welcome.

Schools should ask whose voices have shaped their homework arrangements. Do pupils with SEND find the environment and resources accessible? Are the timings workable? Is there a cost or transport problem? Are pupils inadvertently stigmatised for attending? Most importantly, what evidence is there of benefit?

The governance question: Who is missing from our support programmes—and what are we doing about it?

From good intentions to evidence of change

These three issues are connected. SEND inclusion depends partly on staff expertise. Educational disadvantage affects access to support. And the effectiveness of both depends on leaders knowing which pupils and staff face barriers and responding thoughtfully.

The Equality Act 2010 sets important legal obligations, including protection from discrimination and duties relating to reasonable adjustments; the Public Sector Equality Duty applies where relevant. But legal compliance must be the foundation, not the limit, of an inclusive school culture.

Governors do not need to manage day-to-day provision. They do need to ask incisive questions, seek proportionate evidence and ensure that equality and inclusion are visible in strategic priorities, resource decisions and school improvement planning.

Five questions for the next governing body meeting

• Who is doing less well or participating less—and what do we know about the barriers?
• What do pupils, families and staff tell us about belonging and inclusion?
• How fairly do we distribute staff training and development opportunities?
• Which interventions make a measurable difference, and for whom?
• What will we change, who is responsible and when will we review progress?

An invitation to act

A policy can state an ambition. A governing body must be able to see whether that ambition is reflected in people’s everyday experiences. The challenge is to move from reassurance to evidence, from consultation to listening, and from good intentions to sustained action.

Educational excellence and equality are not competing priorities. Every pupil’s opportunity to flourish depends on both.

A companion Equality and Inclusion Governance Challenge Sheet is available to support constructive discussion at a governing body or committee meeting.

Sources and further reading

The National College (5 November 2026), “SEND Reforms Expected in Early 2027, Says Education Secretary” — https://nationalcollege.com/news/send-reforms-expected-in-early-2027-says-education-secretary

The National College (6 November 2026), “NEU Survey Reveals One in Five Support Staff Do Not Receive Any CPD” — https://nationalcollege.com/news/neu-survey-reveals-one-in-five-support-staff-do-not-receive-any-cpd

The National College (6 November 2026), “New EEF Research Explores the Impact of Homework Clubs on Attainment” — https://nationalcollege.com/news/new-eef-research-explores-the-impact-of-homework-clubs-on-attainment

Commentary for education and governance discussion. School leaders should consult the relevant current statutory guidance and individual source documents before making policy decisions.