FE Is the Forgotten Middle Space — and the SEND White Paper Risks Overlooking It Further

There is a very particular kind of pressure that exists within Further Education.

One that often goes unseen.

FE professionals are expected to deliver an environment that is increasingly adult-focused — while still supporting many young people with very child-centred needs.

They are expected to:

• prepare students for adulthood and employment

• encourage independence and autonomy

• maintain safeguarding responsibilities

• support emotional wellbeing

• uphold attendance, conduct and professionalism standards

• create progression opportunities

• manage risk

• and still allow young people the space to make mistakes, learn, develop and simply be young

All at the same time.

And for neurodivergent students, this transition period can be one of the most vulnerable and misunderstood stages of education.

Which is why, as the SEND White Paper consultation closes, I believe FE colleges are about to become one of the most important — and overlooked — parts of the future SEND landscape.

The direction of travel makes sense… on paper

There are aspects of the proposed reforms that many professionals will understandably welcome.

The focus on:

• earlier intervention

• reducing crisis-point support

• improving inclusion

• strengthening mainstream provision

• and reducing the need for families to fight for support

…all sound positive in principle.

There is also recognition that the current system is under enormous strain.

EHCP numbers continue to rise.
Local authority budgets are stretched.
Tribunals are increasing.
And too many families feel exhausted by a system they experience as reactive rather than preventative.

The intention to create more accessible support within mainstream settings is not inherently wrong.

But inclusion without infrastructure is not inclusion.

And that is where many FE professionals are likely to feel deeply concerned.

FE is already holding a huge amount

The reality is that many colleges are already supporting significant numbers of neurodivergent learners — often with limited funding, inconsistent specialist access, stretched wellbeing teams and varying levels of staff confidence.

At the same time, the expectations placed upon students increase dramatically after 16:

• less structure

• greater independence

• more self-advocacy

• larger environments

• increased executive functioning demands

• more complex social navigation

• heightened pressure around future employment and adulthood

For many neurodivergent young people, this is not simply an academic transition.

It is a nervous system transition.

And too often, when that strain begins to show, it gets interpreted through behavioural or professional lenses instead:

• poor attendance

• lack of motivation

• disengagement

• emotional dysregulation

• “not coping with the real world”

• “not work ready”

Rather than asking:

What barriers are emerging here?
What support has reduced?
What is this behaviour communicating?
What systems are contributing to the overwhelm?

The nervous system does not magically become regulated at 16.

Some of the concerns that remain

One of the biggest challenges within the White Paper is that many of the proposed solutions rely heavily on mainstream settings being equipped to deliver them.

And currently, many are not.

For example, the proposal for “inclusion bases” could be incredibly valuable in the right environment:

• regulation spaces

• supported transition areas

• therapeutic learning environments

• flexible support hubs

But without proper understanding, staffing and neuroinclusive culture, there is also a very real risk that these spaces become:

• quiet segregation

• somewhere students are removed to

• behaviour-management spaces

• or a substitute for meaningful inclusion within the wider college environment

Likewise, funding models that are continually monitored and adjusted according to fluctuating levels of need may sound efficient on paper — but neurodivergent support rarely works effectively as a reactive system.

Consistency matters.

Relationships matter.

Predictability matters.

Students do not experience need in neat, measurable monthly cycles.

Some weeks require more support than others.
Some terms are harder than others.
Transitions, assessments, placements, change and burnout all impact functioning differently.

Support systems need enough flexibility and stability to respond to those realities.

There is still not enough focus on outcomes

And perhaps most importantly, there is still very little conversation around what successful outcomes for neurodivergent young people should actually look like.

Not just:

• attendance

• attainment

• retention statistics

• or progression data

But:

• wellbeing

• belonging

• confidence

• self-understanding

• sustainable independence

• emotional regulation

• healthy transitions into adulthood

• workplace readiness without burnout

• and the ability to advocate for needs safely and confidently

Because employment success is not simply about “getting a job”.

It is about sustaining one without chronic overwhelm.

So where do colleges go from here?

The good news is that colleges do not need to wait for 2030 to begin creating more neuroinclusive environments.

Some of the most effective changes are often cultural and relational, not just financial.

Start by building shared understanding

Staff need confidence in recognising:

• masking

• shutdown

• sensory overwhelm

• executive functioning difficulties

• demand avoidance

• emotional dysregulation

• behaviour as communication

Not just in theory — but in real-life FE environments.

Move towards anticipatory support

True inclusion is not waiting until crisis.

It is recognising accumulating strain before attendance drops, behaviour escalates or students disengage entirely.

Strengthen accessibility understanding

Many staff remain unclear on students’ rights around accessibility and reasonable adjustments — particularly for those without formal diagnosis.

Support should not rely solely on paperwork.
Barrier reduction benefits everyone.

Create psychologically safer systems

Students are far more likely to engage, communicate and self-advocate when environments feel emotionally safe, relationally consistent and genuinely supportive rather than punitive.

Think strategically, not reactively

The colleges that will navigate the next phase of SEND reform most successfully are likely to be those investing now in:

• staff confidence

• leadership understanding

• inclusive systems

• communication culture

• and long-term neuroinclusive strategy

Not simply waiting for policy changes to happen to them.

Final thoughts

FE professionals are already holding one of the most complex balancing acts in education.

They deserve:

• recognition

• practical support

• specialist guidance

• and realistic conversations about what meaningful inclusion actually requires.

Because if post-16 settings are going to become a central part of the future SEND landscape, then we cannot afford to continue treating FE as an afterthought.

Inclusion cannot stop at the school gates.