Political opinion: Reforms to the SEND system will take pressure off thousands of families in Mansfield
Week after week I hear from local parents in Mansfield about how the system of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) isn’t working for them.
How the support their child needs is obvious, but can’t be provided.
How the waiting list for assessments for an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP), to unlock more support, is measured in months and years, not days and weeks.
The Tories left SEND in crisis.
That’s why I was pleased to see Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson (Lab), set out the Government’s plans to reform and transform the system so that support comes earlier, is easier to access, and works around children and families rather than forcing them to fight for help.
She’s launched a consultation on an ambitious and bold vision which will see more kids getting EHCP style support without the legal fight they face today.
By investing in trained teachers to deliver better access to specialist expertise in mainstream settings, the Government wants the system to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and towards education that understands and includes every child.
Under our plans, children with SEND will get the right support when they need it, closer to home, without parents having to battle to get the better education – and results – their kids deserve. Labour’s plans are about improving support, not removing support.
Every child who needs extra support will have a personal plan that sets out the extra help they’ll get to succeed, matched against high national standards.
Every classroom will have a teacher trained to meet the needs of children with SEND, based on the latest evidence.
New dedicated school funding will be there to deliver proven SEND programmes such as small-group teaching or speech and language therapies.
Every secondary school will have an inclusion base where teachers can deliver additional support.
The new ‘experts at hand’ package provides professional support for those with speech, language and communication needs, allowing families in Mansfield to send their child to school with confidence knowing that they are getting the right support for their needs.
Whether it’s children with the most complex needs or those who just need a bit of extra support, we will keep what works and improve what doesn’t, building a new system and investing in new provision so that all children can achieve and thrive.