Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

SEND Pupils: Support

Monday 9 December 2024 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government aims to improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools.
  • Local authorities in Shropshire face challenges due to increased demand and funding constraints for special educational needs support.
  • Surrey partnership is under scrutiny and working on improvements identified by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Al Pinkerton Lib Dem Surrey Heath
Children & Families
Context

The question addresses the need to improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, seeking specifics on steps being taken by the Department.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities?

Answer from Catherine McKinnell

The Government's ambition is that all children with special educational needs receive the right support to succeed, where possible in mainstream schools. We will strengthen accountability and improve inclusivity through Ofsted, and we will support professionals to develop their SEND expertise. High needs funding will increase by almost £1 billion in the next spending year.

Answered
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Q2 Helen Morgan Lib Dem North Shropshire
Children & Families
Context

The question highlights disparities in top-up funding across regions, specifically mentioning Shropshire's low level of funding compared to other areas.

Question

Children with special educational needs and disabilities in Shropshire are relatively poorly funded compared with those in the rest of the country. Top-up funding for those with the highest level of needs is just £7,000, meaning that the schools that support them cannot even afford a full-time teaching assistant to help them progress. Can the Minister describe what she is doing to ensure that funding is fairly distributed across the country, so that children with special educational needs can get the help they need wherever they live?

Answer from Catherine McKinnell

We know that local authorities have been significantly impacted by increased demand for education, health and care plans, as well as challenges in workforce capacity. We expect the £740 million of additional investment to create thousands of new places in both mainstream and special schools and in specialist settings. We will confirm the allocations to specific local authorities, which know how best to invest in their local areas to increase capacity as needed, in the spring.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps for fair distribution of funding were not addressed directly, instead focusing on overall investment and local authority discretion.

How: Working With Partners, Local Authorities Know Best

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Q3 Al Pinkerton Lib Dem Surrey Heath
Education Children & Families
Context

The question focuses on problems with special educational needs co-ordination, including issues with education, health and care plans and the impact on families.

Question

Across Surrey last year, more than 1,800 children with special educational needs were absent from school for more than a third of the time. Special educational needs co-ordinators are incredibly frustrated that EHCPs are coming back from our local council with the wrong names, describing the wrong conditions and offering the wrong packages of care. Teachers are stretched, headteachers cannot stretch their budgets any further, and one or both parents are having to give up employment to look after their children, yet the leadership of Surrey county council has said that there is not a problem with special educational needs, but that there are parents who are too articulate. Would the Minister please meet me and SENCOs to discuss this very serious situation?

Answer from Catherine McKinnell

Following the most recent local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in September 2023, the Department—working alongside NHS England—continues to track the progress that the Surrey partnership is making against the areas for improvement that were identified, offering support and advice to the local authority. I appreciate the significant concerns that the hon. Gentleman outlines, and we will continue to keep the situation under review.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific request for a meeting was not directly addressed, instead focusing on ongoing reviews and support from Ofsted and NHS England.

How: Continuing To Track Progress, Under Review

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Q4 Polly Billington Lab East Thanet
Education Children & Families
Context

The question highlights the financial difficulties faced by Bradstow special school, which serves many children from across Kent. The school faces closure due to lack of funding.

Question

Bradstow special school in my constituency supports some of the most vulnerable children across the south-east. More than half of those children are from families in Kent, yet Tory-led Kent county council has refused to pay £2 million in fees, contributing to that school now facing closure. Kent has been offered the school for free, including all of its land, yet it is refusing to keep the school open. Will the Minister join me in urging Kent county council to take responsibility and work with the governing body, staff and children's families to ensure that we can keep this vital school open?

Answer from Catherine McKinnell

If we are to improve the situation that far too many children face in relation to special educational needs and disabilities, and to meet demand, which we know is outstripping supply, it is vital that areas work together in partnership. That is why we very much recommend that local authorities work together with health partners and local schools to solve some of those challenges together. The Department for Education will work closely with them to make sure that every child gets the education they deserve.

Not addressed: Request for ministerial intervention was not addressed, instead focusing on the importance of partnership working and solving challenges together.

How: Working Together In Partnership, Closely With Them To Make Sure

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Q5 Clive Efford Lab Eltham and Chislehurst
Children & Families
Context

The question addresses the cost discrepancy between independent and state schools for special educational needs places, based on a National Audit Office report.

Question

A National Audit Office report published in October highlights that special educational needs places in independent schools can cost two and a half times as much as in state schools. Does the Minister agree that if we are to ensure that children get the support they need in future, we will have to assist local authorities in expanding their number of special needs places?

Answer from Catherine McKinnell

My hon. Friend raises an important point. We know that the situation needs reform, and that we need much greater capacity within mainstream schools so that children with special educational needs and disabilities can be educated alongside their peers where that is the appropriate place for them to be, but also so that special school places are available where needed. That is why we have put in £740 million of additional investment to support mainstream schools to expand their specialist provision.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific agreement on expanding state school capacity was not directly confirmed, instead noting the need for reform and mentioning additional funding for mainstream schools.

How: The Situation Needs Reform, Additional Investment

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