Lambeth nursery praised for ‘special needs’ pupils work

A London nursery school has been named as one of the best for children with special educational needs — on the day the whole sector was criticised.

A report by Ofsted said thousands of pupils are wrongly labelled as having special educational needs when all they need is better teaching and support.

The watchdog said up to 25 per cent of the 1.7 million pupils in England labelled as having special needs would not be if schools focused more on teaching for all their children.

Inspectors visited 228 nurseries, schools and colleges and carried out detailed case studies of 345 young people with disabilities and special educational needs. The report named nine schools that are "strong providers" — including Ethelred Nursery School and Children's Centre in Lambeth.

Many of its pupils speak English as a second language, and there are children with both learning and physical disabilities on the roll.

The nursery's latest Ofsted report said: "Excellent systems are in place to ensure inclusion as staff ensure all children, including those who have identified learning difficulties and/or disabilities, can actively participate in all activities."

Today's Ofsted report said the term "special needs" was used too widely, but the National Union of Teachers said such claims were "insulting and wrong".