AN education czar who specialises in inclusion will help Devon push forward with its bid to schools reform efforts.

Mark Vickers will act as an adviser for Devon County Council as it pushes to improve its provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Mr Vickers, who in 2021 received an MBE for his services to children and young people with SEND, is the chief executive of Olive Academies Trust, which runs six alternative provision academies across London, Kent and the East of England.

He has also been a headteacher and an Ofsted inspector, and is the education watchdog’s external adviser for inclusion, and a member of the Department for Education’s Advisory Group for Inclusion.

Devon’s Liberal Democrat-led administration has outlined its aim to focus heavily on children and young people, with its leader Councillor Julian Brazil (Kingsbridge) taking on responsibility for education alongside cabinet member Councillor Denise Bickley (Liberal Democrat, Sidmouth) overseeing SEND and Councillor Richard Jefferies (Liberal Democrat, Feniton & Honiton) leading children’s services.

Cllr Brazil told Devon’s cabinet (Wednesday 12 November) that Mr Vickers had “unparalleled credibility”.

“He really is the main man on inclusion, and his multi-academy trust has a strong track record on inclusion work with proven outcomes,” he said.

“We have been failing our most vulnerable children for far too long.

“Mark’s extensive expertise and passion for inclusive education will be instrumental in transforming outcomes across Devon. Together, we will ensure our education system prioritises equity, collaboration, and the highest standards for all.”

Mr Vickers will help Devon find ways for its schools and trusts to collaborate on SEND issues and help promote “inclusive practices”.

Perhaps most crucially, Mr Vickers will be tasked with helping Devon find where it can build capacity for more alternative provision.

That could be vital as Devon’s SEND overspend continues to grow, with a key factor in the stretched finances being that it has to fund places in the independent and private sectors for children with SEND needs that can’t be accommodated in mainstream schools.

“This will mean we can stop using the people who profiteer out of our most vulnerable children,” Cllr Brazil added.

Cllr Bickley added she was “really excited” about Mr Vickers’ appointment as a strategic adviser, and that it was a “real coup” for Devon.

“I hope we can get behind this vision we have as schools are struggling to reorganise themselves while coping with difficult situations they find themselves in, so to have someone with such experience to help is exciting,” she said.

“We want to work in partnership with schools and want to make sure we are doing everything we can to help.”

Cllr Brazil also stated that the drive for greater inclusion now echoed national policy, with the Education Secretary Bridgit Phillipson writing last month to the education select committee to say she believed “we must move towards a system where high quality support is provided as soon as a need is identified, rather than only once an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is in place”

At present, an EHCP plan is required for children with SEND needs to secure extra support in school, but the wait for these can often be months, or even years.

Just this month, parents of SEND children held a protest outside County Hall due to their concerns about the system, including the delay for EHCPs to be completed.

In 2024, the number of overdue plans hit a peak of 744 in June, but had fallen to 620 by November.

The number of active EHCPs has continued to rise, hitting 9,833 in January this year compared to 8,400 in January 2023.