Explained the process for the afternoon's debates, advising that opening speeches should be between 10 and 15 minutes, but all Back Benchers will have a six-minute slot to ensure equal opportunity. Mentioned the possibility of imposing time limits if necessary.

The debate calls for a review of funding for special educational needs and disabilities provision, noting that the current allocation is based on an out-of-date assessment of each area's needs. There has been a significant increase in demand due to population growth, better detection of conditions like autism, and longer life expectancy. However, the total number of EHCPs and statements of special educational need has more than doubled since 2015, with funding from central Government not keeping pace. Davis highlights specific examples such as Jennifer's son waiting for a Speech and Language Therapist for 22 months and Esther's son lacking speech therapy and occupational therapy needs for over three years due to lack of funding.

Mr. Thomas acknowledges the challenges faced by parents seeking support for their children with special educational needs and recognises the skill of those working in this field. He highlights the need for more funding, especially capital funding, to build a new 300-place special school in Harrow due to the increasing number of young people requiring EHCPs (Education Health Care Plans). The borough faces serious financial difficulties with its existing special schools and mainstream settings struggling to meet demands. Mr. Thomas also mentions that Harrow Council estimates an increase of about 100 children needing placements each year, currently relying heavily on private and out-of-borough schools for these needs.

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on championing this vital campaign, supporting his motion for three key reasons: addressing the challenge of meeting special educational needs funding demands, acknowledging that high needs funding has increased but not enough to meet demand, and calling for more resource and investment in training, infrastructure and needs-based funding. I pay tribute to the work happening in every single school in my constituency, noting rising levels of need and complexity. The Education Committee's findings show a 'wholly inadequate' implementation of reforms, with local authorities facing high needs deficits. Worcestershire is improving but still at a disadvantage compared with better funded areas. f40 calls for an extra £4.6 billion annually to prevent the current crisis in high needs from worsening and ensure fairer funding.

Called on Members to speak within six minutes, reminding them of the time limit.

The UK's spending on education is insufficient at 4.2% of national income, compared to the OECD average of 5%. The funding shortfall for SEND children in Northumberland County Council necessitates an additional £4.6 billion, while per-child funding has remained frozen at £10,000 since 2013. Increased demand for EHCPs is not being met with adequate funding growth.

The implementation of the Children and Families Act 2014 has failed to alleviate the struggles faced by parents fighting for proper education placements and EHCPs for their children. The St Edward’s School in Melchet Park, a private school catering exclusively to local authorities, provides exemplary support but faces financial challenges due to increasing fees and long-distance transport issues.

Expressing personal experience as a parent of a child with special educational needs, Jake Berry praised the work of specialist schools in his constituency and highlighted the success of an additional needs fair organised by Spectrum of Light. He discussed challenges such as increased cases of ADHD following covid lockdowns and the lack of availability of educational psychologists impacting EHCP processes. Berry called for increased funding for more educational psychologists to support councils across the country.

The debate highlights the increasing demand for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, with too many vulnerable children not receiving adequate assistance. There is a growing deficit in local council budgets due to high costs and lack of resources. Since 2016, there has been an increase in the number of children identified as having SEND, but shortages of speech and language therapists and teaching assistants are exacerbating the situation. Parents struggle with an adversarial system that rations special educational needs and disabilities plans (EHCPs). Private equity companies profiteer from the sector, making obscene profits while local authority budgets strain to provide basic education for children in need. The inefficiency of local authorities fighting tribunal appeals is also highlighted.

Cross-party support for SEND funding has been expressed during the debate. In Suffolk County Council, despite tight funding, there are examples of best practice, yet they still suffer from inadequate budget allocations. The introduction of EHCPs in 2014 improved consistency but did not resolve limited budgets. There is an inequality in access to diagnosis, with more affluent families having easier access to paid diagnoses and advocacy. This disparity leads to unequal distribution of EHCPs across income levels. Early identification and support through charities like the Accessible Learning Foundation are crucial for equitable education opportunities.

Back in 2014, Labour warned the Government that their rushed reforms would create a postcode lottery of variable provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Despite recognising their own failures in 2023, the government’s plans remain insufficient. South Shields' local council’s SEND department came out of special measures in 2022 but is now rated inadequate due to continued cuts. Assessments are delayed, EHC plans are not implemented properly, and children travel miles for education outside their borough. Parents pay for private assessments, tuition, and independent schools during a cost-of-living crisis. Appeals against EHC plans have risen to nearly 14,000 last year with 98% success due to systemic flaws. The North East Autism Society and AutismAble in South Shields fill the gap left by the state for essential services. Access to further education is hampered by funding cuts, depleting the sector which survives on donations and fundraising.

Children in the UK rank 11th globally for maths and 13th for reading, a significant improvement since they started school. Every child should have access to world-class education to make choices about their future. The high-needs budget has doubled since 2015, although there is also a significant growth in demand due to the pandemic's impact on early years development and mental health issues like online gaming addiction. Part-time timetables for children without an EHCP are concerning; systemic social issues may be impacting young people’s mental health. School attendance has been a focus with new guidance and recommendations from Select Committees, aiming to make support statutory rather than punitive measures.

Ms. Blake emphasised the underfunding of SEND provision in the UK, citing a £4.6 billion funding gap as highlighted by the f40 report. She noted that while additional funds were welcome, they did not meet the needs to stand still let alone address growing demand. She criticised the government’s approach, which includes targets to cut Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) by 20%, arguing it is not just about the target but also the method of achieving it through early intervention and an inclusive education system. Ms. Blake highlighted issues such as under-resourced systems for EHCPs, inadequate health visitor support with a shortfall of 5,000 health visitors in England, and significant cuts to Sure Start services since 2010. She also pointed out the undervaluing of early years staff, noting that nearly three-quarters of participants in a Fair Foundation survey believed these workers should be paid more. She stressed the importance of systemic changes including addressing staffing shortages and wait times for speech and language therapy, with waits having increased by 42% since 2021. Ms. Blake advocated for strength-based approaches to SEND and inclusive classroom practices that understand all behaviour as communication rather than off-rolling students.

The current SEND legislation has created an impossible situation for local authorities, with high levels of demand and expectation on services facing huge budget and capacity pressures. Local authorities are caught between balancing budgets and meeting demands of families while dealing with the risk of tribunal overturns. The system does not work due to a contradiction in policy expectations versus real-world limitations, leading to inconsistent outcomes nationally. Nottinghamshire has introduced an independent SEND improvement board and a specific cabinet role for SEND support but is constrained by funding issues, inspection challenges, and conflicting Government guidance. Despite these constraints, Nottinghamshire continues to innovate and invest in SEND specialist places and school improvements.

Ms. Maskell emphasised the dire need for increased funding in York, noting that York is the 17th worst area for school funding and struggles with higher needs funding. She cited a significant rise in autism assessments at York Hospital from 42 children in 2018 to 118 by 2022. She stressed the need for better workforce planning, equipment provision, residential care support, and therapeutic schools. Ms. Maskell also highlighted issues with teaching assistant contracts and funding for out-of-school services, advocating for evidence-based improvements.

Mr. Selous thanked school staff and acknowledged the improvements in children's performance in England but noted that local authorities like Central Bedfordshire still face challenges with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding. He highlighted a disparity of £786 per child between Central Bedfordshire and Hampshire, suggesting that if Hampshire receives adequate funding, so should Central Bedfordshire. Mr. Selous also raised concerns about delays in completing education, health and care plan applications and the long waiting times for specialist assessments at the Edwin Lobo Centre. He called for a more integrated approach to addressing SEND needs by both Department of Education and Department of Health.

All Members present have experiences of their own constituencies. I was the chair of governors of a specialist school; like the right hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen, I brought together local organisations and parents over time. My wife is an educational psychologist who chairs the British Psychological Society’s education and child psychology division. Experiences in constituencies are very similar: wonderful young people achieving despite disadvantages, dedicated staff, but also a large number of tragedies related to struggles for assessment and support. The 60% increase in complaints from parents failing to get access to services is due to difficulty getting assessments needed for plans. This issue comes down to money; the closure of Sure Start centres has had an impact. I welcome additional funding provided by the Government but it does not address the cumulative lack of investment over years. The review called for in the motion should be urgently conducted. Educational psychologists are crucial, with 88% of local authorities reporting difficulties in recruitment and retention issues affecting outcomes for children requiring support. Industrial action was taken due to pay issues; the recent settlement may not solve retention or future recruitment problems.

I have two special needs schools in my constituency: Alderman Knight School and Milestone School. There is a lack of special school places, with estimates suggesting 330 short across the county, leading to increasing class sizes which affects the quality of education provided. The funding formula for educating children in special schools is outdated and insufficient, especially for one-to-one situations. This means that pupils who should be in special needs schools end up in mainstream schools struggling to provide necessary care and education due to inadequate funding. We need a reassessment of how many children have special needs and require places in special schools against the number of available places. Mainstream schools are also underfunded for educating children with special needs, requiring better assessment and changes in the formula. Assessment of EHCPs often takes too long, affecting timely care provision.

Every visit to a school reveals the pressing issue of SEND due to chronic lack of resources. Schools feel abandoned despite adequate legal powers since 2014. Teachers are not specialists in mental health or neurodiversity, leading to disruptive behaviour in classrooms. Without proper support, children cannot learn, yet there is no funding for these necessary services. Local authorities face budget cuts of over £150 million since 2010, impacting SEND provision negatively. Parents wait too long for EHCPs and face flawed plans; many appeals succeed but few parents can navigate the system effectively. The National Autistic Society highlights inefficient spending due to insufficient funding. Training for teaching assistants, transport, and therapeutic support are lacking, leaving children at home without school places.

The Government have taken positive steps, but increased demand for SEND support has exacerbated challenges. Early intervention is crucial with skilled staff spotting gaps in provision. Hastings and Rye need more alternative provision to meet the needs of left-behind children. East Sussex County Council faces budget pressures and rising demand for statutory services. A fairer funding formula reflecting local need is required. The threshold for a full SEND assessment should be reviewed, giving mainstream schools autonomy to support pupils without labelling them as such.

The provision of resources for children with additional needs in Yorkshire is under immense strain. Local authorities' high-needs funding deficit predicted to reach £3.6 billion by March 2025, failing both quality and quantity of provision. Parents struggle with endless cycles of pushing disjointed agencies, while service providers are overworked and under-resourced. The number of children excluded or waiting for school places has risen by 29% in the past three years. In Selby and Ainsty, rurality, poor transport infrastructure, and wealth inequality create additional challenges. Parents have to send their children long distances in taxis daily, leading to exhaustion and stress. Urgent engagement is required on temporary accommodation uplifts during phase-in periods for a new SEND school.

I am a passionate advocate for SEND, recognising the difficulties faced by families and the need for cross-party collaboration. The Government is investing £2.6 billion between 2022-2025 to support local authorities in providing new places and improving existing provision for children with SEND. Despite this investment, outcomes for these children are not comparable to their peers due to system inefficiencies. I urge Bracknell Forest Council to be more ambitious in its funding requests from the Government. We must invest further in mental health services, as CAMHS is currently failing families by having long wait times and creating a vicious cycle of under-diagnosis and under-resourcing.

Devon is facing a significant increase in the number of children being diagnosed with special educational needs, leading to an 126% rise in EHCPs since 2017. This has caused budget pressures and raised concerns about social mobility and educational attainment for young people in Devon. The situation is exacerbated by high rates of off-rolling and home education due to the lack of available places in special schools, which currently face a ratio of 140 applications per 30 places. While new special schools are being built, delays cause further strain on council budgets. There is an urgent need for sustainable early intervention support to reduce the reliance on EHCPs.

The Conservatives have made significant improvements to education, including phonics and academies, free schools, and an increased core schools budget of £59.6 billion for the next financial year. However, there are still issues with SEND provision in primary schools, particularly in Nottinghamshire where funding per pupil is significantly lower than other regions like Westminster and Camden. The county faces a shortfall of 494 planned places compared to the required 657 by September 2027 due to an increase in complex needs and transport costs. There are also challenges with processing funding applications quickly enough, which can result in children leaving schools before receiving necessary support.

The importance of universal education for all children, including those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), has been recognised since the late 1800s. However, today not every child is receiving the necessary education to grow and learn effectively due to insufficient SEND provision. There are currently 1.4 million pupils with diverse educational needs in England, many of whom do not receive adequate support. While the Government have acknowledged this issue and increased funding for SEND, local authorities like Hillingdon face significant financial strain from transport costs and inflationary pressures. The challenge is to ensure that these funds reach local councils effectively so they can provide suitable education provision for children with special needs.

Suffolk's SEND provision is in crisis, with parents unable to secure appropriate school settings and schools struggling due to funding issues. Suffolk receives poor high needs block funding settlement compared to other areas, leading to urgent need for a review of both funding and provision models. The bespoke needs of specialist further education colleges should be addressed and the National Deaf Children’s Society highlights an immediate need to train 200 more qualified teachers of the deaf.

Barton Hill Academy in Torquay faces challenges due to delays in diagnosis through the NHS, impacting school resources and headteachers' ability to provide appropriate support. The debate highlights the need for better co-ordination between the education system and NHS, prioritisation of urgent cases on waiting lists, and further examination of family hubs and home-education provision.

Congratulates the MP for Haltemprice and Howden on securing the debate, emphasises his campaign promise to give children in Aylesbury a brilliant start in life. Praises specialist SEND schools in his constituency such as Pebble Brook, Booker Park, Chiltern Way Academy, and Pace Centre. Expresses concerns from families about delays in assessments and form-filling for EHCPs. Acknowledges funding challenges faced by the council despite recent increases in high needs funding. Notes a 101% increase in requests for EHCPs since 2016 and a 30% rise in unit costs since 2020. Highlights the overrepresentation of children with SEND in the criminal justice system, stressing the need for appropriate education to prevent this trend. Mentions an initiative to involve local SEND schools in designing his Christmas cards to celebrate their achievements.

I congratulate the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden on securing this important debate... This Government have been failing children and families for 13 long years. Labour will put children first again and we will work to rebuild the support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, which has been so badly broken on this Government’s watch.

I am pleased to hear of the number of things the hon. Lady is suggesting, but will she also support my private Member’s Bill to tackle the issue of school attendance?

He congratulated Sir David Davis on securing the debate and acknowledged his knighthood. He discussed his background as a former children's Minister, noting that parents face a war of attrition with the system to get support for their children with SEND. Johnson highlighted the considerable investment by the Government, including a £10.5 billion budget in 2024-25, which is 60% higher than in 2020. He also mentioned two programmes supporting local authorities facing financial pressure: the safety valve programme and the delivering better value programme. Johnson emphasised the need for reform through the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan, focusing on special school provision and capital funding, combatting regional variations, and improving staff skills.

He commended the speeches that crystallised the issue most clearly, particularly those highlighting the need for a review of funding and allocation. He emphasised that despite increases in expenditure, the system has not delivered what was intended due to overwhelming demand and complexity. Davis called for a review of funding for SEND provision on behalf of support staff, teachers, parents, and children.