Ministers have appointed Sir Kevan Collins as delivery adviser to the Department for Education (DfE), focussing on SEND reform.
Collins will also lead a review of how the department engages with local councils.
The former CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation, who worked on New Labour’s “London Challenge” school improvement programme, said: “Having worked across the education system, I know that ambitious plans only matter if they translate into real change in classrooms and communities.
“Children with SEND and their families have waited too long for the support they need, and I’m determined to help ensure these reforms deliver for them.
“I look forward to working with colleagues across the department and with local authorities to make that happen.”
Collins was previously catch-up tsar during the pandemic under the Conservative government, but resigned over a lack of funding for the scheme.
According to an article in Schools Week, Collins will support the delivery unit at the DfE “to ensure reform programmes are clear and achievable” following the publication of the Schools White Paper on Monday, which detailed reforms to the SEND sector.
Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, said: “Kevan has a proven track record of driving improvement across education, and his expertise will be invaluable as we deliver the Schools White Paper and our mission to shift children with SEND from sidelined to included.”
