SEND Provision — [Clive Betts in the Chair]

She highlighted the increase in EHCPs and the need for secondary school place selection a year earlier. She suggested using resources from ending tax breaks for private schools to fund early speech and language support, improving Ofsted's inclusion reporting, ensuring SEND training for teachers, increasing mental health support, and preserving pupil records. She also mentioned Trafalgar School as an example of restorative practice in education.

She intervened to agree with Sharon Hodgson's concerns about cuts to school funding under the previous government contributing to pressure on teachers and teaching assistants in mainstream schools, advocating for further steps to ensure appropriate training for staff.

Cheshire West and Chester council is putting in place just 6.5% of final education, health and care plans within the required 20 weeks, affecting fewer than one in 15 children. The councillor highlighted the work of the CWaC SEND Accountability group.

Ashley questioned whether the Labour Government would consider specific needs for SEND pupils in rural areas, such as access issues, following the previous Government's SEND and alternative provision improvement plan that did not address these needs.

Ben raised the issue of per-pupil funding for pupils in Cornwall, who receive significantly less than those in other parts of the country. He urged the Minister to finally address this disparity and ensure that children with special educational needs are valued equally.

Dinenage emphasizes the importance of early identification and intervention for children with SEND, particularly autistic children. She cites data showing that only one quarter of autistic children in mainstream education feel happy at school, leading many parents to seek private education despite financial strain. Dinenage calls for mandatory autism training for teachers similar to Oliver McGowan's mandatory training for health and care staff, suggesting this could improve the educational environment for autistic students.

Catherine Atkinson requested an intervention from the Minister during the debate. My constituent, Hayley, expressed relief that the debate is being held and thanked the Minister for her speech. Catherine offered to share with the Minister the testimonies of constituents who have contacted her.

A child with special educational needs in Camden receives more than three times the funding of a similar child in my constituency, illustrating a disparity in support and funding opportunities.

Claire Young stressed the broken nature of the SEND funding model, citing safety valve agreements as unfit for current demand. She also pointed to punitive approaches to school absence and highlighted issues with isolation measures not recorded in the same way exclusions are.

Investment in early intervention such as children's centres decreased by about 44% over the past decade under the previous Government, highlighting its negative impact on young children.

He points out that record demand exists for SEND services but there is not enough funding. He provides an example from his constituency where schools receive £900 per child compared to Camden's £3,500, leading to significant delays in education and therapy support.

Questioned the Government's impact assessment on VAT changes to private schools regarding SEND provision, inquiring about published assessments and fairness of VAT application. She highlighted delays in EHCP process leading to financial burdens for families.

Fred Thomas thanked his colleague for securing the debate and highlighted the challenges faced by children with SEND in Plymouth, where 18.5% of pupils have a SEND need, more than double the national figure. He praised Mill Ford school's efforts but noted that they face significant funding constraints.

Asked for an intervention. Surrey has an unusually high percentage of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities at 39%, double the national average. The county faces rising demands for services, but there is a lack of resources to meet these needs without delays. Stafford expressed concern about the Government's decision to raise VAT on independent SEND schools, which could push children back into the state sector.

He congratulates his hon. Friend on bringing this issue forward and agrees that despite an increase in EHCPs, investment in mainstream and special educational needs schools has been drastically cut.

James Wild highlighted the growing demand for special educational needs and disability support, noting a 33% increase in EHCPs in Norfolk. He praised the previous Conservative Government's £10.5 billion high needs budget but acknowledged ongoing challenges. Wild asked if the current government would implement national standards proposed by the previous administration to improve consistency and support outcomes for children with SEND.

She mentions a crisis in recruitment for teachers of the deaf, noting it is particularly acute at unitary council level and impacts children's ability to receive necessary support.

She intervened to support Sharon Hodgson, noting that only 3.6% of EHCPs in Conservative-led West Sussex county council are delivered within the statutory 20-week framework.

He commends the hon. Gentleman for bringing up this issue and suggests that it could be debated in the main Chamber due to its importance. He mentions that SEND pupils form 20% of Northern Ireland's school population, with a budget exceeding £500 million per year but still failing to meet demand.

Kim Leadbeater highlighted the struggles faced by children with special educational needs and disabilities, parents, teachers, headteachers, and schools due to a broken system. She detailed cases where students were not receiving adequate support, leading to severe mental health issues and academic challenges.

She thanks the hon. Gentleman for raising this issue and questions whether subsequent Governments failed to allocate additional resources after the 2014 Children and Families Act, leading to a system where local authorities often battle parents legally.

Marsha de Cordova commended Kim Leadbeater's speech and stressed the importance of maintaining an inclusive education system rather than reverting to a special schools approach, emphasizing the need for support within mainstream settings.

Matt highlighted the delay in building new SEND provision under the previous Government, which had a serious effect on families and vulnerable children in Berkshire. He urged that this point be considered again.

He expresses concern that 98% of parents who appeal decisions are successful, suggesting the system layers uncertainty on an already stressful situation for parents and their children.

Max Wilkinson briefly requested to speak but did not provide further details or statistics in this intervention.

Under the previous Government, in 2023, 98% of appeals to tribunal were upheld, indicating a failure that created the current broken SEND system.

The Liberal Democrat MP highlighted the challenges faced by children with special educational needs and disabilities, noting that over 1.6 million children in England have a SEND and more than half a million are on EHCPs. She emphasized the system's struggles to meet demand, resulting in long wait times for support. Wilson also pointed out that school budgets are stretched, leading to layoffs of teaching assistants who provide crucial support for children with SEND.

The MP thanked teachers for their work, noting a 16.1% increase in EHCPs in Solihull from January 2022 compared to the previous year. He proposed three changes: raising awareness of SEND, early identification of children with special needs, and better training for teachers. The MP also mentioned the challenges faced by military families due to regular school moves and requested fair funding for local authorities.

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) face significant barriers to inclusion, with long waiting lists for assessments and inadequate provision in mainstream education. There is a lack of training about SEND in initial teacher training and continuing professional development, which hinders the ability of teachers to support these children effectively.

The Children and Families Act has failed due to lack of support, funding, and systemic issues. She advocates for a therapeutic approach to education instead of the behaviourist model, stressing the need for inclusive environments where children can thrive. She highlights the importance of integrating arts, music, sports, and other elements into the curriculum for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Maskell also addresses the poor pay for teaching assistants who play a crucial role in supporting these students.

Sam Carling agreed that non-elective home education due to SEND issues is a serious consequence, welcoming proposed measures in the children's wellbeing Bill to address this issue.

She congratulates the hon. Friend on securing an important debate and highlights chronic underinvestment in schools since 2010, with special educational needs and disabilities bearing the brunt of this issue.

She highlighted the crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision, noting a rise of 72% in EHCPs issued between 2019 and 2023 while dedicated SEND funding increased by only 42%. She criticised the Conservative government for leaving SEND provision underfunded and disjointed. Hodgson shared her personal experience with her son's dyslexia to illustrate the challenges faced by children with SEND.

He agrees on the need for both more money and better use of existing funds. He notes that there has been a reduction in spending on speech and language therapy in primary schools, which then costs more in secondary education. The Local Government Association and Children's Commissioner Network estimate that the safety valve is worth about £3 billion. If the Conservative party had remained in power, what would have been their solution to address this funding gap?

She detailed systemic failings in Hertfordshire's SEND provision, citing a constituent named Charlotte whose children travel long distances daily due to inadequate local support. Collins noted that if the funding formula were updated, Hertfordshire would receive an additional £85 million annually for higher needs funding compared to neighbouring Buckinghamshire.