SEND Provision 2025-10-20
2025-10-20
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
In 2024, fewer than half of education, health and care plans were issued within the statutory 20-week limit. Winchester parents reported difficulties in obtaining support for their children with special educational needs.
Parents of Winchester tell me every single week about how hard they have to fight to get the support that their child needs and is entitled to. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that EHCPs are issued in a timely manner?
Parents and children should not have to wait for support; they should have it when they need it. We are working closely with councils with waiting lists to improve provision and, if necessary, to bring in specialist SEND advice. We will continue to push on that.
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Assessment & feedback
Working Closely
Pushing
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
Despite improvements, Liverpool still faces a shortage of specialist school places and necessary support for children with special educational needs. The number of children requiring EHCPs has doubled over the past three years.
Although Liverpool has improved waiting times for EHCPs, there remains a shortage of specialist school places and necessary support. Some 8,000 children in Liverpool now require an EHCP—that figure has doubled over the past three years—but almost half of them are educated in mainstream schools that do not meet their needs. What steps will the Government take to ensure that SEND reforms deliver real improvements for families in Liverpool Riverside?
Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make improvements, we will help them to identify barriers and put in place an effective recovery plan. This year’s high needs funding increase will help mainstream and special schools with the cost of supporting pupils.
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Assessment & feedback
Helping Local Authorities
Response accuracy