A young man wearing a black and camouflage-print hoodie reads Braille in a bright classroom.

SEND reform: early support is essential, but expertise matters

RSBC responds to the government’s new SEND White Paper 

 

Today, the government has published the new White Paper ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ which sets out plans to reform support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).   

RSBC welcomes the focus on inclusivity, and the ambition for every child to achieve and thrive. For children with vision impairment (VI), the right support, in the right place at the right time, can be life-changing; opening doors to independence, confidence, education, and employment. But reforms must also recognise that vision impairment is a low-incidence, high-impact disability which requires specialist expertise. 

We support the ambition of a system that delivers help earlier, reduces bureaucracy, and improves outcomes. However, the success of any reforms will depend on how the system recognises the unique needs of low-incidence disabilities and supports them by providing 'just enough support' in the right place and at the right time.

Too many children and young people come to us at crisis point. We stand ready to work with the government, schools, local authorities, and partners to ensure reforms deliver real and sustainable change for VI children and young people.  

Many children with a VI diagnosis attend mainstream schools. With the right support, they can succeed alongside their peers. However, the support they need is not generic. VI pupils often need highly specialist help that includes access to: 

  • Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (QTVIs) 
  • Mobility and habilitation training
  • Assistive technology
  • Accessible learning materials
  • Social and emotional support
  • Guidance and support for families navigating complex systems

Without this specialist input, barriers can quickly multiply; affecting educational progress, independence, and mental health and wellbeing. Early intervention works only if the right expertise is available.

Across the UK, there is a critical shortage of professionals trained to support VI children. Schools and local authorities frequently struggle to access: 

  • QTVIs
  • Habilitation specialists
  • Assistive technology experts
  • Professionals with sensory impairment expertise 

Investment in this specialist workforce is critical, and we look forward to learning more about the government’s plans to train more qualified specialists. 

 

Why this matters 

For nearly two centuries, RSBC has supported blind and partially sighted children to live their lives without limits. For the last 20 years, our work has seamlessly combined specialist provision with mainstream education.  

Our hybrid model helps young people thrive not only academically but socially and emotionally. We have consistently seen improvements in our learners’: 

  • Confidence and independence
  • Engagement in education
  • Social connection and reduced isolation
  • Preparation for adulthood and employment
  • Academic outcomes and sustainable, meaningful destinations 


By working collaboratively with mainstream settings, we ensure specialist support reaches children wherever it needs to. 

Josie Grainger-Francova, Chief Impact Officer at RSBC says: 

“Each student at RSBC Dorton College follows a curriculum tailored specifically to their needs, attending a mainstream partnership college as well as accessing specialist VI education at RSBC’s regional VI Centres of Excellence. Our unique hybrid education model focuses on early, consistent, long term and intensive VI interventions and support, significantly improving student educational outcomes and achievements.

There are still many unknowns, and the government will need to outline how they will train specialist workforces at scale to bridge the gap in needs. Transparency around placement costing is also essential, to ensure best value is considered and to get things right for young people the first time around and to avoid a series of multiple failed placements and setbacks. 

Our research clearly shows that the hybrid education approach provides a significantly better financial return on investment for local authorities, than inconsistent or sporadic support, to achieve short term savings.

We welcome the reforms and look forward to seeing more detail on the plans for how these can be implemented to ensure that low-incidence high-needs disabilities, like VI, are not forgotten.”

If your child has a vision impairment and you need support, we are here to help. Get in touch with us via: connections@rsbc.org.uk. 

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