Department of Education Circular on SET Supports

Sorry I am late sending my email this week! Busy week.

So, over the past few months, many parents have been reaching out feeling confused, worried, or unsure about how support decisions are being made within schools.

And I understand why because schools are currently navigating significant change and pressure. Alongside increasing complexity in children’s needs, schools are also working within updated Department of Education guidance around Special Education Teaching (SET) supports and deployment.

One of the key documents informing schools at the moment is Circular 0064/2024 and the updated SET Guidelines.

These guidelines place strong emphasis on:
• inclusive practice within mainstream classrooms
• problem-solving approaches
• school-led decision making
• allocation and deployment of existing SET resources
• documenting supports and interventions
• monitoring and reviewing need over time

In many ways, there are positives within this approach. There is increasing recognition that children’s needs are diverse, fluid, and cannot always be reduced to categories or labels. However, I also think it is important to acknowledge the reality schools are sitting within.

Teachers and principals are holding enormous responsibility right now.

There is increasing pressure around:
• curriculum change
• inspections and accountability
• allocation of limited resources
• deciding who receives what support
• balancing the needs of many children simultaneously

And when systems feel under pressure, rigidity can sometimes increase (like we have talked about before). 

This does not mean schools do not care, but it does mean that parents may sometimes experience:
• reduced flexibility
• defensiveness
• slower responses
• hesitancy around accommodations or support requests

As both a psychologist and a parent currently navigating advocacy myself, I’ve really felt the emotional complexity of this. Because we absolutely want to maintain good relationships with schools. But we also need to stay connected to what we know about our children.

Our children need:
• emotional safety
• appropriate support
• access to learning
• autonomy to move, regulate, stim, and be authentic

And sometimes parents need support to hold those needs in mind consistently within systems that are under strain.

That’s what we’re going to talk about in today's LIVE. How to stay positive about schools and support teachers, while also:

But:
• understanding the current educational landscape
• understanding the SET model and school pressures
• learning how to advocate calmly and effectively
• maintaining relationships while still holding boundaries
• preparing proactively for September transitions

We’ll also talk about practical transition planning for next year:
• meeting next year’s teacher
• visiting classrooms
• creating transition plans
• reducing uncertainty over summer
• supporting nervous system safety ahead of September

Because forward planning can make a huge difference for our children.

I hope this conversation helps you feel less alone in what can sometimes feel like a very emotionally loaded process.

Myself and our team are here to help. You can join by the link below in the PS and talk to us on Thursday at 12:30 noon. 

Your Child and Adolescent Psychologist,

Lorraine Xx

P.S. In the Membership this week, our webinar will explore how the SET Circulars from the Department of Education

Members, please login and go to your newsfeed to this weeks 5 strategies.

To join the Membership, click below:

 Neurodiversity Parenting Membership