News

Litmus Partnership launches first-of-its-kind Consumer Insight for special schools

We are delighted to announce our 12 finalists in this year's NASS Awards!

In this guest blog for NASS, Kathryn Layzell, Partner at Stone King LLP, explains the implications of the recent AGNI judgment for special schools and pupils with complex needs.

When an EHCP-funded placement is no longer working, finding the right way forward can be challenging. In this guest blog, our NASS partner Stone King explores placement breakdown, exclusion, early engagement and planned transitions.

In the week that Andy Burnham took office as Prime Minister, NASS wrote to the new Prime Minister to set out four priorities for SEND reform in a series of briefing papers.

In this guest blog, Gemma Hill of HCR Law explains what's in the government's latest consultation (currently open until 25th August), explores the proposed new rights for workers and agency staff, and highlights the key issues special schools need to be aware of as these employment law changes take shape.

NASS Trustees have appointed Clive Lawrence OBE as the new Chief Executive of NASS and he will join NASS in November 2026.

What does the government's new SEND funding consultation mean for special schools? In this analysis, NASS Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer Mari Davis explores the potential opportunities, risks and unanswered questions behind the proposals, and why special schools should be paying close attention.

KCSIE 2026 was published on 7th July and comes into force in September 2026. In this article, Kate Shields from NASS Partner HCR Law explores the key changes, what they mean for special schools, and the steps leaders should take to ensure safeguarding policies, staff training and practice remain compliant and effective.

Jasper Williams, NASS’s Policy & Research Intern reflects on the Government’s Experts at Hand proposals — the opportunities they could create for collaboration between mainstream and special schools and the unanswered questions around funding, workforce and local planning.

Mari Davis, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer at NASS, considers what the Milburn Review means for SEND reform and why special schools must be recognised as part of the solution to improving outcomes for children and young people.

Some of the most important progress learners with SEND make can be difficult to capture through traditional measures. In this guest blog, the team at PAGS reflect on the framework they have developed to address this complex challenge and the impact it is having in special schools.