The Power of Specialist Further Education: Why it’s an essential part of an inclusive system
By Clare Howard, CEO of Natspec.
Conversations about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tend to focus on schools, too often leaving further education (FE) overlooked.
This year, from Monday 1st to Friday 5th December, The Power of Specialist FE awareness week seeks to change that by celebrating the transformative work of specialist FE providers and challenging policymakers to factor specialist FE into future SEND and FE policies.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of how specialist FE unlocks educational opportunities, transforms lives and has a lasting impact. It will call on government to recognise the vital role of the wide range of specialist FE providers, with high-quality education available to all learners, no matter how complex their needs.
Why specialist FE matters
Learners in specialist FE are working towards ambitious outcomes, including employment for many. But the recent Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper did not properly consider 16 to 25-year-olds who are working at Entry and Level 1, many of whom have employment as their end goal. They can contribute to national growth and meet local and regional skills gaps, but there is a policy vacuum at Level 2 and below. The government risks failing to meet its ambition of ‘no learner should be left behind’ if these learners and all providers, including specialist FE colleges, are not fully included.
The wider value of specialist FE
Specialist FE is not just about employment, however. For some young people, particularly those with the most complex needs, its primary purpose is to support them to develop agency, independence, friendships and social connections, to be healthy and make a positive contribution to their communities. Tailored programmes combine education with support and therapies, helping young people develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that prepare them for fulfilling adult lives.
When specialist FE isn’t understood or prioritised, education for these young people becomes vulnerable to cuts by cash-strapped local authorities. This is hugely short-sighted. The relatively small short-term savings to the public purse are far outweighed by the long-term costs of health, social care and unemployment benefits. There is not only a moral case for equality of opportunity for young disabled people, but also a hard-nosed financial case for investing now to save later.
The consequences are stark. Failing to value specialist FE properly doesn’t just limit individual futures, it represents a missed opportunity for society.
Turning awareness into action
During The Power of Specialist FE awareness week, we are shining a light on this vital provision. Colleges across the country will share learners’ success stories to show how specialist FE unlocks education, transforms lives and creates lasting impact. They will invite national, regional and local policymakers and their local communities to see their transformative provision and meet the students who are benefiting from it. Above all, they will be pressing government to recognise specialist FE as a central pillar of a high-quality, fair, and inclusive education system.
