Special Educational Needs and Disability Funding — [Mark Pritchard in the Chair]

Mr. Chalk highlighted the significant increase in demand for special educational needs and disability services, noting a 20.2% rise in pupils attending special schools between January 2014 and January 2018 and an increase in complexity due to more children surviving with conditions that might not have previously survived. He praised the professionalism of staff in special schools and called for further research on health conditions driving demand, as well as additional funding to address these issues.

Welcomed government actions, including the £780 million investment and training for educational psychologists, but noted challenges such as local authority subsidies for EHCPs and difficulties with school transport. Asked about future funding for SEND children, recognition of mixed provision benefits, and support for families returning from abroad.

Commends the hon. Lady for securing this debate and highlights the importance of creating a supportive school environment in Northern Ireland, advocating for mandatory training on autism for teaching staff.

Ms. Cooper intervened, expressing concern about long waiting times for assessments in special educational needs services and questioned whether the statutory 20-week assessment period should be shortened.

The speaker commends the hon. Friend for securing the debate and discusses the accumulated debt on Kingston Council's balance sheet, urging the Government to address the crisis in funding not just for SEND but also for schools and local authority services across the board.

Mr Colburn criticised the local council in Sutton for its lack of leadership in providing SEND services, despite being well-funded. He highlighted that parents had to form a crisis group due to non-compliance with the 2014 Act, and called for accountability from the council. I am concerned that local authorities may not be fulfilling their statutory obligations, as shown by the example of the London Borough of Sutton where leadership is lacking.

Points out the significant variation in funding for speech and language difficulties across different regions, suggesting a more consistent approach focusing on basic skills and early intervention to address complex issues later.

Discussed the funding pressures faced by special educational needs schools in West Sussex, highlighting issues such as insufficient funding for building maintenance and inadequate classroom facilities. Raised concerns about rising costs like home-to-school travel expenses and oversubscribed school spaces. Emphasised the need for more places to meet increasing demand and the importance of autism awareness training for MPs and staff.

Mr Shannon noted that special needs services across Northern Ireland face significant challenges due to budget cuts. He cited a study showing higher spending cuts per pupil in Northern Ireland compared to other UK regions and called for sustained, enhanced funding for schools with children having special needs. The hon. Member asked whether the Minister would allocate funds specifically for children with complex health needs impacting their education.

Raises concerns about children being placed outside their areas in unfit educational settings that are not registered or inspected by Ofsted, calling for proper monitoring of alternative provision settings. Expressed gratitude for frontline workers dealing with children with special educational needs. Called for an inclusive education system allowing case-by-case accommodations, criticised the notional SEND budget, highlighted issues with EHCPs due to underfunding in CAMHS, questioned the unregistered alternative provision system and lack of consultation response on children not in school. The hon. Gentleman raised concerns about children with special educational needs ending up in the prison system, citing a statistic that children in custody are twice as likely to have SEND problems compared to those in the general population. She shares Elliot Colburn's sentiment and asks for clarity on when a consultation will be conducted regarding children not in school before launching another one.

The speaker notes that part of the funding issue is due to a lack of educational psychologists who can assess children at an early stage, particularly in relation to disability and autism. This places a greater burden on teachers.

Ms Gibson highlighted the importance of supporting children with special educational needs in Scotland, where 27% of pupils have additional support needs compared to 15% in England. She noted that while there has been an increase in staff supporting these pupils in Scotland, challenges remain and require ongoing effort. She emphasises the importance of valuing staff by addressing their pay, highlighting that Scotland offers higher starting salaries for teachers compared to England.

The speaker congratulates the hon. Lady on her first Westminster Hall debate and emphasizes the need for better resourcing and understanding of various conditions such as pathological demand avoidance, which is not consistently recognized across all areas.

In Luton, school exclusions for children with special educational needs have tripled in the last five years. Exclusion should only be a last resort and not used to manage overall performance or due to lack of funding.

Children with special educational needs face long delays in receiving support, waiting times can exceed 33 weeks. Some are excluded from school while awaiting assessments and others struggle daily due to inadequate care. The hon. Lady stated that Barnsley is projected to have a £6 million high-needs spending deficit and questioned whether the Minister accepts that there is insufficient funding in the system.

The hon. Member highlighted the severe underfunding of special educational needs services, citing a £109 million shortfall for high-needs services and numerous case studies from his constituency where children were denied necessary support due to lack of funding.

School headteachers in Cumbria are desperate due to cuts in special educational needs funding. Small rural schools lack financial resilience, leading to pressure on budgets for supporting children with EHCPs. Some schools are under deficit recovery plans, struggling to provide necessary care and education. The school system is penalising those that do the right thing by providing support for SEN children.

I shared personal experiences of having dyspraxia and dyslexia, highlighting the importance of learning support assistants and flexible schooling. Emphasised the need for early intervention, teacher training to understand special educational needs, and addressing Ofsted incentives.

Highlighted the growing number of children requiring SEND provision in Bath and North East Somerset, with less funding available. Called for more finance in high needs budget, clearer roles for schools in supporting children with SEND, and incentives for inclusive practices.