SEND Committee Report – Defining What Inclusive Autism Education Looks Like

The Education Committee’s SEND report echoes what families and professionals have been saying: children are waiting too long, too many are excluded, and accountability has been weak. The recommendations now give us a chance to do things differently. 

We welcome the calls to: 

• Extend the Local Government Ombudsman’s powers so families have a clear route to redress. 

• Embed inclusion into Ofsted inspections, with mandatory SEND training for inspectors and governors. 

• Hold health services accountable alongside education 

• Define inclusive education and invest in early years and the workforce. 

At BeyondAutism, we believe accountability alone is not enough. The sector needs leadership and practical models that deliver inclusion in real life. Our priorities are: 

• National leadership in autism education: Autism is the largest primary need in EHCPs. BeyondAutism can act as a national exemplar of inclusive autism education, helping set the benchmark the Department for Education has yet to define. 

• Equipping practitioners: Exclusion often stems from misunderstood behaviours. Our Outreach and training programmes equip teachers and leaders with classroom-ready tools, meeting new Ofsted and CPD requirements and helping schools include, not exclude. 

• Policy influence: The lack of a definition of inclusive education is unacceptable. BeyondAutism can contribute evidence, case studies and lived experience to shape that definition and the reforms that follow. 

• Preparing for life: Education must open pathways to employment, independence and community life, not just exam halls. Our Post-19 hubs demonstrate what adulthood with dignity can look like. 

• Building family trust: Early Years is critical. Our peer-to-peer networks and family-first approach already deliver the trust and resilience the Committee calls for. 

Our direct services and Outreach teams show what this looks like in practice: identifying need quickly, meeting that need fast, and giving families and schools the tools to succeed. From Early Years through to Post-19, we provide support that adapts to each stage of life. 

This is where we add something different to the national conversation: real evidence from families and professionals who are seeing change today. We will continue to share these insights so reforms deliver not just accountability, but outcomes that matter.