One in three teachers asked for it: the free SEND training materials are now live
What happened
On 25 September 2026, the Department for Education published the first set of training materials in what it calls the most comprehensive SEND teacher training offer in a generation. SEND stands for special educational needs and disabilities. The materials were developed by Ambition Institute, a training organisation, drawing on expertise from across the education sector. They are free, adaptable and designed to be used in whatever way suits a school: across the year, or on existing training days. They cover schools and post-16 settings, including further education colleges. The techniques described are deliberately practical rather than theoretical. Examples given include breaking instructions into smaller, digestible steps, pre-teaching specialist vocabulary before a lesson needs it, and setting aside time for pupils to practise that vocabulary. Alongside this, there is online training for early years staff, developed and delivered by the charity Dingley's Promise. That focuses on age-appropriate inclusive practice from the start: using visual timetables to help young children move between activities, for instance, or adapting rooms to cut unnecessary noise that gets in the way of communication. This is the first step in a £200 million investment. More resources are due in January and April 2027, with fully funded training courses for teachers, leaders and support staff following in September 2027.
Why this matters
Most children with special educational needs are taught in mainstream classrooms, by teachers who are not SEND specialists. That is how the system works, and it is not going to change. So the quality of that ordinary teaching is, in practice, the quality of SEND support for most families. The demand for this is coming from teachers themselves, which is worth noting. In a recent survey, one in three teachers said they wanted more training on supporting children with SEND. A quarter of teaching assistants surveyed said a lack of sufficient training was a barrier to supporting these pupils effectively. Minister for School Standards Georgia Gould said she had heard from teachers, parents and young people "about the need for more investment in teacher training", and described the announcement as responding to those concerns. There is a longer-term reason too. The government cites research finding that young people with SEND are around 80% more likely than average to end up NEET: not in education, employment or training. Support that starts earlier is intended to change that trajectory. The department also uses the phrase "ending a postcode lottery". Whether free materials achieve that depends entirely on whether schools use them.
What the evidence actually says
It is important to be straight about what has and has not been shown here. What exists today is a set of training materials and an early years online course. There is no published evidence yet that using them improves outcomes for children, because they have only just been released. The survey figures are real and specific: one in three teachers wanting more SEND training, a quarter of surveyed teaching assistants citing training as a barrier. The claim that young people with SEND are around 80% more likely to be NEET is cited by the department as research. The £200 million figure covers the wider teacher training investment, not just these materials. The timetable is stated clearly: further resources in January and April 2027, fully funded courses from September 2027. Two people who saw the materials have commented publicly. Claire Heywood, Vice Principal at Kidderminster College, said their strongest feature is that they "place inclusive practice at the heart of high-quality teaching", and noted the attention given to vocational and technical learning. Hilary Spencer, Chief Executive of Ambition Institute, said educators "want to feel more confident and well-equipped" to support children with SEND. Those are endorsements from people involved in producing or reviewing the work, so read them as such.
Practical advice
If you are a parent or carer of a child with SEND, here are some things you can do with this. Ask your child's school whether they are using the new materials, and when. It is a reasonable question, and asking it politely makes it more likely the answer becomes yes. Ask specifically what it will look like in your child's classroom. Broken-down instructions and pre-taught vocabulary are concrete things you can ask about. If your child is in early years, ask the setting whether staff are doing the Dingley's Promise training. Keep your own record of what works for your child. A single page listing what helps, what sets them back, and what to do in a difficult moment is genuinely useful to hand to a new teacher in September. If you are a teacher or TA, the materials are free and adaptable, and you do not need to wait for a whole-school decision to read them. If support is not happening, use the school's SENCO first. Most issues get resolved there. If they do not, your local authority's SEND Information, Advice and Support Service, often called SENDIASS, is free and independent. And remember that a child's needs can change. What was agreed in Year 3 may not fit in Year 6.
What to know
The Department for Education published the first free SEND teacher training materials on 25 September 2026, developed by Ambition Institute for schools and post-16 settings. They focus on practical classroom techniques such as breaking instructions into steps and pre-teaching specialist vocabulary. Separate online training for early years staff, delivered by the charity Dingley's Promise, covers inclusive practice for young children. This is the first stage of a £200 million teacher training investment. More resources arrive in January and April 2027, with fully funded courses from September 2027. One in three teachers surveyed said they wanted more SEND training, and a quarter of surveyed teaching assistants said a lack of training held them back. Sources: Department for Education (GOV.UK), "Biggest ever overhaul of SEND teacher training begins", 25 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/biggest-ever-overhaul-of-send-teacher-training-begins; GOV.UK, "Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)", accessed 26 September 2026, https://www.gov.uk/children-with-special-educational-needs; Council for Disabled Children, "SENDIASS", accessed 26 September 2026, https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/. This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, and it does not replace guidance from a doctor, paediatrician, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional on any health matter.
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