SEND Specialists Schools 2026-09-14
2026-09-14
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the lack of access to SEND specialists in schools.
I am concerned about the lack of access to specialist expertise in schools for students with SEND. What steps is her Department taking to ensure that schools can access the necessary support and expertise?
The Government are investing £1.8 billion over three years to deliver the Experts At Hand service, which will give mainstream settings access to health and education specialists for SEND. We will also deliver new SEND and inclusion training courses and materials as part of a £200 million investment for teachers, leaders and support staff.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about children missing out on specialist SEND placements due to a systemic issue.
Children in Cornwall and my constituency have missed out on specialist SEND placements this September. The system has let down a generation. Will the Minister confirm that the new Bill is on its way and that it will close the gap for children in my constituency? When will it take effect?
We are determined to ensure that every child who needs a specialist place has access to one. We are investing £3.7 billion in specialist places and are proposing the new specialist provision packages system. We recently had a full consultation on the proposals, and we are carefully working through the detailed responses. We will bring forward the Bill as quickly as possible.
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Assessment & feedback
When the Bill will take effect
Response accuracy
Q3
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the recruitment and retention of educational specialists in remote coastal areas of Cornwall.
Several schools in my constituency are reporting profound concerns about the lack of availability of educational specialists. Recruitment and retention are particularly difficult due to the remote location. Will the Minister meet Cornish MPs to discuss this issue?
After lobbying from my hon. Friends, I will be visiting Cornwall to talk to them directly and see the issues at first hand. We are working on the issues around recruitment and retention in rural areas.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q4
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the pressure on SENCOs and the need for SEND reform.
I speak to parents, young people and teachers about the need for SEND reform. My friend, a SENCO, tells me how broken he and his colleagues are after battling the broken SEND system. Will the Minister ensure that the SEND reforms cater for all the young people in Harlow who need them, and that they will make being a SENCO an attractive proposition again?
I appreciate that question. I have talked to SENCOs around the country and know the pressure they are under. Inclusion has to be the business of the entire school, not just one individual. We are determined to support them.
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Assessment & feedback
How the reforms will cater to young people in Harlow and make being a SENCO attractive
Response accuracy
Q5
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about the need for more SEND school places for families today.
I speak to many families in Broxbourne who are struggling with the SEND system. Children with SEND need to be in the right educational setting. What is the Department doing to create more SEND school places for families today, as they are needed now, not in the future?
Over the past two years, £3.7 billion investment has started. That money is going into local authorities today to start building schools, creating places, and taking the action that the Conservative Government failed to take.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q6
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about long delays in autism and ADHD diagnoses and the length of time it takes to get packages in place.
I hear from families daily about long waits for autism and ADHD diagnoses. What consideration has been given to screening for neurodivergence at a very early stage so that we can plan properly for those schools?
The new system is about identifying needs as early as possible. Through the national inclusion standards, new tools will be developed to support schools to identify needs early, and interventions will be put in place through the Experts at Hand service.
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Assessment & feedback
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Q7
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP is concerned about children waiting for SEND tribunal appeals without suitable education and school places.
Children in Gorton and Denton are being left without suitable education while families wait for SEND tribunal appeals. Does the Minister agree that we need an independent assessment of SEND school capacity? The Government reforms will not help if we do not first fix the capacity crisis.
We need more places in our schools. We are working quickly to get money into local authorities to deliver that capacity. This includes growing the number of inclusion bases, which can be built faster and often allow children to be educated in their community.
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Assessment & feedback
Whether an independent assessment of SEND school capacity is needed
Response accuracy