Author: Carrie-Anne Sturt, PhD Researcher, Edge Hill University
Current teacher training practices in the UK are inconsistent in adequately preparing educators for inclusive teaching, particularly for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) (Carol et al, 2019). The Carter Review of 2014 (Carter, 2015), found a significant variability between teacher education courses and a resistance towards practical approaches within the training. These oversights, which have also been highlighted in my own research, have considerable potential to lead to gaps in knowledge, experience and exposure to SEND learning, leaving many new teachers underprepared to meet the diverse needs of their classrooms.
As a result, teachers are increasingly expected to support SEND learners without the necessary training or experience. This creates significant pressure, as educators risk being labelled as non-inclusive or even ableist if they struggle to meet these expectations. The burden contributes to rising teacher attrition rates, which are already at critical levels in the UK (McClean, Worth and Faulkner-Ellis, 2023). More importantly, it fails SEND students by attempting to force inclusivity into mainstream settings without first establishing the necessary infrastructure and support systems.
To begin addressing these challenges, it may be worth exploring a more foundational shift in how we approach teacher training. One possibility could be to encourage or eventually require prospective teachers to gain hands-on experience in a SEND setting, perhaps through a role such as a teaching assistant, prior to beginning Initial Teacher Training (ITT) or other teacher education courses. Spending time in such environments could offer invaluable real-world insight into the diverse needs of SEND learners and the practical strategies that support them. While implementing this as a formal prerequisite would require careful planning and resourcing, it is a step that could help bridge the gap between theory and practice in inclusive education.
Another important consideration is how SEND pedagogy is integrated throughout teacher training. Rather than being treated as a standalone topic, it could be more meaningfully woven into every stage of a teacher’s professional development. This might include developing a deeper understanding of reasonable adjustments for learning difficulties, exploring the use of assistive technologies, and learning how to collaborate effectively with teaching assistants. Encouragingly, some institutions are already moving in this direction. For example, Edge Hill University’s Faculty of Education is supporting Jamie Oliver’s pledge (Edge Hill University, 2025) to ensure that all teachers are equipped with a toolkit of strategies to support a broad spectrum of learning needs, not just those with formal Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Given that every classroom includes students with varying abilities, this kind of holistic preparation could be a valuable step toward more genuinely inclusive practice.
Moreover, funding for SEND support could be restructured. Currently, funding is tied to EHCPs, which can delay or limit access to resources (Sibieta and Snape, 2024) and is a current and ongoing debate in Parliament (Parallel Parliament, 2025; Pike and Sullivan, 2025). Perhaps funding should instead be allocated based on individual schools’ objectively measured and declared needs at the start of each academic year, similar to how certain funding is allocated within the FE sector (Mime, 2024). This would allow schools to plan and provide support more effectively, ensuring that both teachers and students receive the help they need from the outset.
There are varying and unrealistic expectations of teachers to meet every learner’s need (Skinner, Leavey and Rothi, 2021), but they must be given the tools, training, and support—both financial and logistical—to create inclusive classrooms. This includes working collaboratively with other learning support professionals to ensure all students can thrive (Admiraal, et al., 2021).
In an ideal world, we’d get all of the above and more. If, in order to be inclusive, we have to add-on to our curriculum or react to demand as an afterthought, then what we’re delivering isn’t really inclusive education (Slee and Tomlinson, 2018). It must be a core component of teacher education and school planning. Only then can we ensure that SEND learners are not left behind, and that teachers are empowered, rather than overwhelmed in their duty to help all learners work towards and ultimately achieve their aspirations.
Biographical Statement
Carrie-Anne Sturt is an experienced educator with over 20 years in the classroom. She is a PhD candidate at Edge Hill University within the Faculty of Education and supervised by Dr David Allan and Dr Christina Donovan. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant and a qualified Further Education teacher, with a specialism in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), her work bridges practice and research. She is passionate about inclusive education and committed to shaping teacher training that truly supports all learners. Follow her work on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-anne-sturt-03711a4b/
This blog has been written for Educational Insights.
References
Admiraal, W., Schenke, W., De Jong, L., Emmelot, Y. and Sligte, H., 2021. Schools as professional learning communities: what can schools do to support professional development of their teachers?. Professional development in education, 47(4), pp.684-698.
Carroll, C., Russell, A., Wall, K. and Shaw, A., 2019. Effective practice for special educational needs and/or disabilities content in initial teacher training.
Carter, A., 2015. Carter review of initial teacher training (ITT). London: Department for Education.
Edge Hill University., 2025. Edge Hill supports Jamie Oliver’s dyslexia campaign (2025) Edge Hill University. Available at: https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/news/2025/06/edge-hill-university-supports-jamie-olivers-dyslexia-revolution-campaign/ (Accessed: 11 July 2025).
McLean, D., Worth, J. and Faulkner-Ellis, H., 2023. Teacher labour market in England. Annual report.
Mime, 2024. Inclusion in London’s schools: a review of inclusion of young people with SEND in London. Commissioned by London Councils, https://www.mimeconsulting.co.uk/report-launch-send-inclusion london-schools/.
Parallel Parliament., 2025. Debate: Send funding – 12th jun 2025. Available at: https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/debate/2025-06-12/commons/commons-chamber/send-funding (Accessed: 11 July 2025).
Pike, J. and Sullivan, H., 2025. Ministers urged to keep education plans for children with special needs, BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2vn950d5go (Accessed: 11 July 2025).
Sibieta, L. and Snape, D., 2024. Spending on special educational needs in England: something has to change (No. R341). IFS Report.
Skinner, B., Leavey, G. and Rothi, D., 2021. Managerialism and teacher professional identity: Impact on well-being among teachers in the UK. Educational review, 73(1), pp.1-16.
Slee, R. and Tomlinson, S., 2018. Inclusive education isn’t dead, it just smells funny. Routledge.
