(England) Teachers not prepared for mainstreaming students with "complex SEND needs"

Dec 16, 2025, Special Needs Jungle: The complex SEND needs teacher training gap in mainstream schools and how to fix it 

https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/complex-send-teacher-training-gap-fix/  

While the £3 billion [$4B] for more mainstream SEND places may sound encouraging, one of the flies in the ointment, as Matt pointed out yesterday, is who is going to staff them? Recent research from a teacher training charity is a case in point: it showed most initial teacher training (ITT) providers don’t think new mainstream teachers are equipped to manage children who have more complex needs.

Not only that, but the survey, by the National Association of School-based Teacher Training (NASBTT), revealed an even bigger problem. The majority of the 75 ITT firms responding also don’t believe their trainers have the skills to ensure their recruits leave ready to support classes with larger proportions of children who need intensive support.

The NASBTT represents "the interests of schools-led teacher training provision in relation to the development and implementation of national policy developments". Its CEO, Emma Hollis, has written for SNJ about their research and how they’re aiming to tackle the skills shortfall to "bridge the SEND practice gap".

Teacher trainers not equipped to train for complex mainstream SEND pupils—and how we’re aiming to adapt. By Emma Hollis, CEO, NASBTT

Nearly two-thirds of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) providers believe teachers don’t have the skills to manage growing numbers of children with complex SEND needs in mainstream schools. This is the key finding from NASBTT's recently published ITT Insights Survey.

Indeed, 65% of the 75 respondents are concerned about teachers’ readiness to support pupils with more complex needs, and only 39% feel their own organisations are equipped to prepare trainees effectively.

But what is abundantly clear is that SEND and inclusion remain among the highest-priority issues facing ITT and the wider sector. The overarching message from our survey is unequivocal: effective SEND preparation must be holistic, practical and continuous. It must also be underpinned by the resources, expertise and structural support needed to ensure every teacher can confidently deliver inclusive, high-quality education for all pupils.

Knowledge is not enough; teachers need practical evidence-informed strategies

So, what does this look like? As part of the survey, we spoke to providers about the specific training they felt teachers needed to support children with more complicated SEND needs in mainstream schools. According to our respondents, teachers need a deeper understanding of complex needs, particularly neurodiversity, Social and Emotional Mental Health (SEMH), trauma-informed practice, cognition and learning difficulties, and overlapping or co-occurring conditions.

Many respondents emphasised, however, that knowledge alone is not enough. Teachers must learn practical, evidence-informed strategies that enable them to adapt teaching, interpret EHCPs and pupil profiles, work effectively with teaching assistants and support staff, and maintain high expectations while personalising provision. Several also highlighted the importance of holistic, relational approaches – including restorative and relational practices, psychological safety, and building strong relationships with pupils and families.

Practical immersion with experts and systemic-wide changes are needed

Another common theme is that exposure to expert practice is essential. Respondents called for opportunities to observe specialist teachers, work alongside SEND professionals, collaborate with SENDCos, and spend time in specialist settings as part of Intensive Training and Practice (ITaP) or placement experiences. This practical immersion is seen as crucial for contextualising theory and helping trainees to adapt strategies to real classroom environments. In addition, many noted trainees must learn where to seek further support and how to work with external agencies, therapists, and multi-disciplinary teams, rather than being expected to become specialists in every area of need.

That said, there was scepticism that “more training” on its own could solve the problem. A substantial number of providers argue that escalating levels of complexity cannot be addressed without systemic changes – including smaller class sizes, more support staff, protected time for planning and collaboration, and sufficient Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA). They point out that mainstream schools often lack the capacity, staffing, and flexibility to meet complex needs, even when teachers have relevant training. What's more, curriculum time available within ITT/PGCE programmes is already extremely limited, making it unrealistic to cover the breadth and depth of needs expected.

The widening remit of SEND is cause for concern

Providers we spoke to also raised concerns about the widening remit of SEND, the pace of change, and gaps between theory and practice. They highlighted that the range of needs is so broad and context-specific that no ITT curriculum can prepare trainees fully. Instead, they recommended a graduated, multi-year pathway that continues into the Early Career Framework (ECF).

Several called for clearer national guidance, updated case studies, better access to assistive technologies, and stronger alignment between ITT providers, placement schools, and specialist services. Some argued that broader systemic issues – underfunded external services, limited capacity for referrals, and pressure to prioritise curriculum coverage – undermine even strong SEND training.

Overall, the responses suggest that teachers require both targeted training (e.g. trauma-informed practice, specific learning difficulties, adaptive teaching) and structural support (time, staffing, expert input, appropriate placement experiences). The data reflects a consensus that preparing teachers for increasing complexity in mainstream settings is not solely a training issue. It is a systemic challenge requiring coordinated action across ITT providers, schools, leadership teams, and wider services.

We must stay ahead of the curve

Here at NASBTT, we fully recognise that teacher training must evolve to meet the increasing complexity of pupil needs in mainstream schools. And we are advocating for enhanced SEND and inclusion training to be embedded within the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF).

With current policy shifts, there is growing anticipation that both the diversity and complexity of needs in classrooms will continue to rise. This will fundamentally reshape how schools operate and how teachers must be prepared. Solving the SEND Crisis, the recent report from the Education Committee, calls for comprehensive training within ITT and clearer guidance for schools, MATs and education staff on delivering inclusive practice across its 209-page plan.

ITT programmes must look beyond the needs of the current system and proactively equip trainees for what lies ahead, where the complexity threshold in mainstream settings may be significantly higher. We must stay ahead of the curve and anticipate what inclusive, high-quality SEND provision will require in increasingly complex environments. Mainstream classrooms will inevitably need to be structured and staffed differently to support children with additional needs. Senior leaders and teachers must start considering what this means in practice, and new entrants to the profession must be ready for it.

Promoted

How NASBTT is bridging the SEND practice gap

NASBTT is continuing to “bridge the SEND practice gap” in several ways. In partnership with the National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen), we have already developed an ITT SEND Toolkit offering support, resources and guidance to providers. However, a gap remains between what ITT providers teach as best practice for SEND and what trainees experience in schools.

This ‘cognitive dissonance’ is not a failure of schools, but a natural consequence of reform and the time lag between policy development, ITT delivery and classroom implementation. Ofsted’s thematic monitoring visit report identifies that while trainees feel their SEND training is strong, mentor understanding of high-quality SEND practice does not always align with centre-based training because schools are still adapting. Trainees are being taught high-quality approaches, but they are not always seeing these applied consistently in schools.

Rather than adding more content to an already crowded curriculum, we advocate embedding SEND throughout the ITTECF. Working with Margaret Mulholland (SEND and Inclusion Specialist at ASCL) and Education Support, NASBTT is shifting from teaching to the mainstream majority, to adopting an outliers-first approach. We have a project underway that will involve a series of focus groups with NASBTT members to identify examples of strong practice and understand barriers to effective SEND integration within ITT programmes. This will inform a ‘state of the nation’ paper, followed by the co-creation – with selected members and expert witnesses – of a framework and mapped suite of resources and materials for 2026.

NASBTT remains firmly committed to supporting the government’s ambition to strengthen SEND inclusion in mainstream settings. As this vision advances, teachers must be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to meet increasingly complex needs. We are determined to play our part in making that happen.