Munira Wilson (Twickenham) (LD) (Urgent Question): To ask the
Secretary of State for Education if she will make a statement on
support for children and young people with special educational
needs and disabilities. The Minister for School Standards
(Catherine McKinnell) Every child deserves the opportunity to
achieve and thrive, but at the moment far from every child is being
given that chance. Today's report from the National Audit Office
is, sadly, bang on the money:...Request free trial
(Twickenham) (LD)
(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Education if
she will make a statement on support for children and young
people with special educational needs and disabilities.
The Minister for School Standards ()
Every child deserves the opportunity to achieve and thrive, but
at the moment far from every child is being given that chance.
Today's report from the National Audit Office is, sadly, bang on
the money: the system has totally lost the confidence of
families. Families and children with special educational needs
are being failed, on every measure, and even shadow Ministers
have admitted that they should hang their heads in shame at the
failure to support them.
Our promise to families is that we are absolutely committed to
regaining parents' confidence in the special educational needs
and disabilities system, but that will be a huge and complex
reform. There is no magic wand and no quick fix, so we continue
to ask for patience as we work as quickly as we can to make the
changes that I know families are crying out for.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. Today we have published
independently commissioned insight that suggests that if the
system were extensively improved through early intervention and
better resourcing in mainstream schools, the needs of tens of
thousands more children and young people could be met without an
education, health and care plan, and in a mainstream setting
rather than a specialist placement. That can pave the way for a
sustainable system in which schools cater for all children, and
special schools cater only for those with the most complex
needs.
Our plans include strengthening accountability for mainstream
settings to be inclusive, for instance through Ofsted, and
helping the mainstream workforce to have SEND expertise. It is
clear that we need to work with the teachers, parents, children,
therapists and councils who, for so long, have been trying but
have been set up to fail by a broken system. This work forms part
of the Government's opportunity mission, which will break the
unfair link between background and opportunity and will start by
giving every child, including children with special educational
needs and disabilities, the best start in life.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting this urgent question.
Today's National Audit Office report confirms what parents,
carers, children and young people across the country have been
telling us for years: that our system to support those with
special educational needs and disabilities is in crisis and on
the brink. The last Conservative Government's abject failure to
tackle the systemic problems facing SEND provision has been laid
bare for all to see. With half of children waiting longer than
the statutory 20 weeks for an education, health and care plan,
with outcomes not improving, with special schools over capacity
and, damningly, with the Department for Education not knowing how
much capacity is required to meet future need, we are failing our
most vulnerable children. Shockingly, 43% of councils are at risk
of bankruptcy, given the deficits that they are racking up in
their high- needs budget.
This is a nationwide issue. Colleagues on both sides of the House
have, like me, been inundated with casework from concerned and
often desperate parents who just want to know that their children
will receive the support they need without waiting for months or
years. The report makes clear the urgent need for whole-system
reform, with joined-up thinking across local and national
Government, the NHS and schools.
Will the Minister please give us a clear timeline for the full
reform called for by the NAO? Will she consider Liberal Democrat
proposals for a new national body for SEND to support children
with the most complex needs to tackle the postcode lottery? What
steps is she taking to incentivise early intervention, including
training specialists for assessments and reducing the
contributions that schools have to make before they can apply for
an EHCP? What is she doing to speed up the building of state
special schools, given that local authorities are spending a
staggering £2 billion on independent special schools? Is she
pressing the Chancellor for an urgent cash injection in next
week's Budget so that we can start cleaning up this mess?
I thank the hon. Lady for raising the issue and bringing it to
the House. She is absolutely right to draw attention to the
National Audit Office report and its damning indictment of a
system that has lost the confidence of families and is failing
children with special educational needs and disabilities. She
rightly calls for the system to be reformed. That is what this
Government are absolutely focused on and determined to do.
One of the first differences that we made on coming into office
was moving the special educational needs and disabilities remit
within the schools sector. Our vision is one of mainstream
inclusive education for all children who would benefit from it,
while having specialist schools where we know that children with
the most complex needs can have those needs met. That is not
being delivered, and for far too many families it is not the
reality. It is a reality that we urgently need to see, not only
to address the local authority deficits to which the hon. Lady
rightly refers, but to create better outcomes for children.
At the moment, the system costs the Treasury a significant
amount. The hon. Lady tempts me into anticipating next week's
Budget statement or making announcements ahead of it, which she
knows I cannot, but she is right to identify that the system
costs an increasing amount but is not delivering the outcomes
that children deserve and families want.
We are absolutely determined to reform the system. We are working
at pace. All the changes that we have made since coming into
office are to that end. We have launched the curriculum and
assessment review, which will support a broad and inclusive
education for all children. We have made changes to Ofsted; those
changes are continuing at pace to ensure that the system takes
into account the whole school life and journey. That includes
creating an inclusive environment for children with special
educational needs.
Most of all, we are determined to restore parents' trust that, in
our education system, if their child has special educational
needs they will be identified early— we know that early
identification is key—and supported. We are continuing to support
early language and speech intervention and to prioritise the
roll-out of special educational needs training for the early
years workforce to ensure that children's needs can be identified
at the earliest point. We are expanding our childcare system to
ensure that more children can get into settings as early as
possible, so any needs can be identified and so we can rebuild
the public's trust that every child in our state sector will get
the opportunity of a fantastic education, regardless of any
additional special educational needs or disabilities.
Mr Speaker
I call the Chair of the Select Committee on Education.
(Dulwich and West Norwood)
(Lab)
The National Audit Office report could not be clearer: children
and young people and their families are being failed by a SEND
system that cannot meet their needs, and local authorities are
being driven to the edge of a financial precipice by a £3.4
billion funding gap. This Government have inherited an appalling
legacy. The Government are clear that their focus is on the early
identification of need and the inclusivity of mainstream schools,
but the report notes that there is currently no process or
funding to support early identification, and no specific funding
or Ofsted measure on SEND support or inclusivity. Can the
Minister say more about how the Government will provide the
resources and the levers of accountability to address the scale
of the crisis?
Mr Speaker
Order. Can Members please all look to the Chair? You are speaking
to me, not the Minister. Look to the Chair, so I can hear, and
then I can help. Minister, you can be a good example for
everybody.
I welcome my hon. Friend to her position as Chair of the
Education Committee, which I know will undertake vital work
scrutinising the Government's approach on this issue and on many
others.
We know that wider change is needed, which is why we have started
to make improvements as quickly as possible. The changes that I
outlined to the hon. Member for Twickenham () amount to a whole-system
change to ensure that the inclusive mainstream education that the
National Audit Office has identified will provide the education
that many children deserve but are not currently receiving.
However, it will take time, and we will not be making promises
that we cannot keep. There are some things that we can move on
very quickly, but there are others that will take time to show.
The change that the NAO report highlights as being desperately
needed will take time, so we ask for patience while we make these
incredibly urgent changes.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
I am grateful to the hon. Member for Twickenham () for securing this urgent
question.
The Opposition welcome the NAO report. Every hon. Member will
regularly be dealing with constituents' SEND cases. The growing
demand is why we put major increases in funding in place to
ensure that children get the support they need. The last
Government worked with the sector on comprehensive reforms, but
since the election we have heard very little from this Government
about their plans for reform. We look for more clarity, and we
certainly support greater inclusivity. With too much variation in
the system and parents often having to battle for support, do the
Government plan to continue with the Conservatives' national
standards and bring forward a standardised approach to EHCPs?
More than 100,000 pupils with special educational needs are
educated at independent schools without EHCPs. How does the
Minister think hitting those pupils with a 20% education tax,
with more pupils moving into the state sector as a result, will
help pressures on schools? What assessment has she made of the
increase in EHCP applications that that will generate, putting
further burdens on local authorities? Can she confirm that the
axe that the Education Secretary is holding above free schools
does not apply to free special schools? Finally, council budgets
are under huge pressure, so is the Minister making the argument
to the Treasury to extend the statutory override beyond March
2026 or not?
As I have said, one of the first acts of the Education Secretary
was to reorganise the Department to make sure that the SEND team
sits within our school team and is not separate from it. That
speaks to the vision that we have for reform: a vision for our
whole education system, to create the inclusive mainstream
education that we know will provide the best opportunities for
the maximum number of children and, as far as possible, keep
children with special educational needs and disabilities within
the mainstream system with their friends. That is why we have
launched the curriculum assessment review.
We need to look closely at the key challenges to attainment for
young people and the barriers holding them back from accessing
the current mainstream education system. We are working with
Ofsted to introduce report cards to look at how inclusion can be
reflected as part of how schools are monitored by Ofsted. We are
also increasing training for early years providers. We have
extended the Nuffield early language intervention programme to
make sure that no child's needs are missed out and that every
child can find their voice. We have been very clear: full reform
will take time, but nothing is off the table to make sure that
every child with SEND can achieve and thrive in mainstream
schools. We have also started legislative change: the children's
wellbeing Bill will be introduced in the coming months.
The shadow Minister made a point about private schools. Ending
tax breaks on private schools will help to raise the revenue to
fund our educational priorities for next year, including
recruiting 6,500 new teachers. As he knows, the Treasury is
consulting on plans to enable those changes to come into force in
January and on how to design those plans to make sure that no
child with special educational needs on an education, health and
care plan will be adversely affected.
On the question of free schools, the review announced this week
relates only to mainstream free schools. We are starting a
process with local authorities and trusts with the mainstream
schools that are in scope, with a strong focus on assessing that
need to make sure that school places are in the local area, where
they should be, and that they align with our vision for
mainstream inclusive education for every child who needs it.
Dame (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)
Nearly 5% of children in Hackney have an EHCP—and that is not
accounting for others who have special educational needs. With
schools closing, we have an opportunity to create alternative
provision. The other week, one poor headteacher told me that more
than a third of her reception class has special educational
needs, most of which were not identified before the children
started school. Clearly, there is a need for a different vision.
Will my hon. Friend meet me and people from Hackney—or even visit
Hackney—to see what we can do with spare school spaces to motor
this change forward in Hackney, faster than is possible
nationally?
I thank my hon. Friend for her question. She rightly identifies
the need to ensure that we have the right school places for
children whose needs are currently not being met in the most
productive way possible. We are open to meeting hon. Members to
discuss where in their constituencies this can best be achieved.
I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this
further.
(Huntingdon) (Con)
Cambridgeshire county council is failing to meet the conditions
of the dedicated school grants safety valve agreement, with only
5% of EHCPs being granted within the 20-week timeframe; the
average in England is 49%. Families in my constituency face huge
challenges in ensuring that their children's education is not
disrupted or negatively impacted. How do the Government plan to
address these unacceptable delays?
The hon. Member is right to identify those challenges. In its
analysis, published today, the National Audit Office said that
the current system was not working and not serving the needs of
children and their families in the way that it should. We are
moving at pace to review the system in a wholesale way, and the
changes that I have outlined will support that. In addition, we
will legislate to ensure that local authorities can plan properly
for places and admissions in their areas. We want every state
school, regardless of how they were established, to co-operate in
ensuring that places are there for the children who need them. I
have outlined a whole range of changes that will seek to address
the problem that he mentioned.
(Easington) (Lab)
I am in no doubt that the Labour Government have a terrible
inheritance on SEND provision, but children in my constituency of
Easington who rely on services provided by the Tees, Esk and Wear
Valleys NHS Foundation Trust face unreasonably long waiting
times. Incredibly, they have to wait up to five years for
assessments for autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
and other related conditions. What steps is the Minister taking
to reduce those unacceptably long waiting lists, and support both
children and their families during these lengthy waits for
assessments?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. I reiterate that the
Government have inherited a terrible legacy, not only on special
educational needs and disabilities, but on our public spending
and the state of our public services overall. The example he
raises is good, as it highlights the importance of working across
Government to resolve issues and help the families who need
support. Whether that is done through the education system, which
my Department is responsible for, or through the health service,
we need to work collaboratively across Government to address the
huge backlogs that far too many people face in getting the
support that they need. I can assure him that that is a priority
for us.
(Mid Sussex) (LD)
In the past two weeks, I have met two families whose children are
suicidal, one of whom is nine years old. The other one was
committed to a secure unit for most of 2023. The cause of their
suicidal thoughts was their educational needs not being met by
the education system. Neither of those children have EHCPs.
Conservative-controlled West Sussex county council is completing
only 9.4% of EHCPs within 20 weeks. One block is the lack of
educational psychologists. Does the Minister agree that
increasing the supply of educational psychologists is
essential?
I am so sorry to hear about the cases the hon. Lady raises. She
highlights very well the huge challenge that we face in
addressing needs—in ensuring that we have not only the inclusive
mainstream education system that every child should feel they
belong in, and that provides the education they need, but the
mental health support that we know is sadly lacking. The waiting
lists are too long for far too many children and families. We are
prioritising investment to ensure mental health support and
educational psychologists are available in schools, because we
know how important it is to get the right support in place to
help the families and individuals affected, and to enable schools
to address these needs.
(Kettering) (Lab)
After today's shocking report, does the Minister agree with me
that we need to rebuild the SEND system from the ground up?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This change needs to be
delivered in conjunction with teachers, families, councils,
educational psychologists and the health sector. We need to work
together to ensure support is available at every stage. The
system needs reform and significant change. We cannot carry on as
we are with this “lose, lose, lose” system, which is letting down
far too many families.
(Rutland and Stamford)
(Con)
Are the Government surging support to local authorities to help
them process and complete EHCPs within the statutory timeframes?
My communities are seeing a significant increase in applications
because of the decision to impose VAT on independent schools. I
have three SEND schools—[Interruption.] Government Members may
shout, but that is the reality my councils face. I am asking for
urgent support for those councils that have to deal with these
increased numbers.
We have been clear about our manifesto commitment and our
approach in Government. Our priority is to ensure that we have
the investment in our schools that we need in order to ensure
that every child has the teaching and the school experience that
they deserve. We know that councils are facing significant
challenges processing applications and delivering for children
with special educational needs after 14 years of a system that
has let down families and children, and which the former
Secretary of State for Education herself described as “lose,
lose, lose.” This is the legacy we are dealing with and the mess
we are clearing up, but we are determined to do that for families
and children who we know deserve better.
Mr (Leeds South West and Morley)
(Lab)
Sadly, today's report confirms what many parents in my
constituency of Leeds South West and Morley have been telling me
since long before the election: the SEND system in this country
is failing. As a secondary school maths teacher, I know all too
well that SEND provision is not up to scratch. I have seen at
first hand that, after 14 years of negligence by the Conservative
party, parents and children have lost hope of ever seeing an
improvement in the system, following the SEND crisis. Does the
Minister agree that although there is no silver bullet, we must
improve the SEND system and give people hope that it will
improve?
Mr Speaker
Order. This urgent question will run until about 11.30 am, so if
I am to get everyone in, we will have to speed up the questions
and answers. I want to take as many questions as possible, as
this is a very important subject to all of us.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is understandable that a huge number of
hon. Members want to ask questions on this subject. We have
inherited an appalling legacy of failure on this front. We have
prioritised the issue and we are determined to fix it, but that
will take time, as hon. Members have recognised, but we are
moving at pace to fix the broken system.
(North Herefordshire)
(Green)
Parents and teachers in North Herefordshire tell me how concerned
they are that special educational needs funding has stagnated for
the last 10 years, while needs have increased. I visited
Westfield school in my constituency, which is in desperate need
of capital investment. It was allocated funding under the school
rebuilding programme, but the implementation of that programme
has been very slow. Can the Minister assure me that she remains
committed to the programme, that it is on track, and that she
will amend the way that the funding system works to incentivise
mainstream inclusion?
On the hon. Lady's final question, I can assure her that we are
determined to prioritise mainstream inclusion, and to ensure that
schools are supported. We will have the framework in place to
encourage, incentivise and support schools to do what we know
will create the best outcomes for the vast majority of children
in this country: inclusion in a mainstream system where they can
thrive.
(Portsmouth North) (Lab)
Given today's report, and the shocking and devastating impact
that the reality has on children, young people and their
families, what message does the Minister have for the children
and young people with SEND and their families in Portsmouth
North?
We recognise how challenging this situation is for families who
are not getting the support they need for special education needs
or disabilities. We know that the system is broken—the National
Audit Office report lays it out bare. We are determined to fix
this; that is the message that I want to send.
Mr (Basildon and Billericay)
(Con)
Within five months of entering office, this Government will
introduce VAT on independent schools, with all the impact that
may have on the state sector. How long will we have to wait for
an actual plan for SEND children, rather than just political
posturing around VAT?
The changes that we have set out and are determined to make all
aim to improve the situation that we have inherited, after 14
years of neglect and decline under the previous Government. I
have set out at length all the changes that we seek to make
through legislation—and the changes we have already made—to our
education system to ensure an inclusive mainstream, and high and
rising standards and opportunities for all.
(Southampton Itchen)
(Lab)
Today's report is damning but not surprising. It is an indictment
of the former Government and their 14 years of failure. Even
today, they shamelessly deflect and gaslight the very families
whom they have failed. Independent SEND provision is growing in
Southampton Itchen and across the country. Those places are
needed, but councils are left at the mercy of market price
and—often, when it comes to residential care—venture capitalists.
That is wrong. Does the Minister agree that as part of
whole-system reform we must return to basics, and that
profiteering from SEND is the wrong approach? Will she meet me
and my constituents to hear what they want from this whole-system
reform?
My hon. Friend raises an important challenge that we are
determined to address. We want mainstream inclusive education in
our state school system, which every child should have access to
and thrive in. However, we need specialist places for children
with complex needs when that is the only place where their needs
can be met, and a system that not only best serves the needs of
children but is sustainable. I will take away his comments, and
that will be part of our thinking as we go ahead.
(Chesham and Amersham) (LD)
Other Members have asked about educational psychologists. There
is a real shortage right now. Are the Government considering
enabling other professionals to undertake some of the assessments
to help unblock the waiting lists?
I thank the hon. Lady for the constructive way in which she put
her question. I will take it away, and consider how it would fit
into our broader plans to ensure that we have an education system
that can meet the needs of children in terms of both their
educational requirements and their mental health, special
educational needs and disability requirements, within a broader
health system that can meet those needs as well.
(Gloucester) (Lab)
Far too many families in my constituency have come to me in
tears, not just at the lack of support for their children with
SEND but at a system that seems set up to stop them getting that
support. How many appeals are successful because they should have
got through the first time around? People feel they are being let
down by the system, so will the Minister please ensure that our
reformed system will not make families have to fight to get the
support that their children so desperately need?
My hon. Friend is right: the system is letting down families and
children, and creating a situation where not only are educational
outcomes impacted by the poor response but too many families'
lives are affected by trying to deal with the system. That is why
we are determined to reform it. The evidence shows very clearly
that inclusive mainstream schools that meet demand will reduce
the need for education, health and care plans, and the need for
families to go through the process in the first place.
(Bromsgrove) (Con)
What additional resources will the Government provide to
Worcestershire county council, given what will undoubtedly be the
profound and devastating impact of the Government's education
tax?
The changes that we are looking to make to remove the exemptions
for private schools will be used to fund more teachers in our
state sector and create the inclusive mainstream education that
we know every child deserves.
(South Norfolk) (Lab)
SEND provision in Conservative-run Norfolk has collapsed after
years of adversarial mismanagement by the county council. I
welcome the steps that my hon. Friend has taken so far. Will she
commit to recognising the value of co-production to ensure that
SEND family voices are valued and money is spent wisely?
We are very clear that this reform is a journey that we want to
go on with all those who support our children and families,
whether that is teachers, school staff more broadly, education
professionals, health professionals or local authorities.
Everybody wants this to work better, and we need to work together
to achieve it.
(Thornbury and Yate) (LD)
Data for autumn 2023 and spring 2024 shows that more than a third
of children with an EHC plan were persistently absent—more than
double the rate for pupils without identified SEND. Persistent
absence is a very complex issue, and a multi-faceted approach is
needed to tackle the problem. In the light of this damning report
from the National Audit Office, does the Minister agree that we
cannot have parents facing prosecution for the failings of the
system? How will she work across Government to ensure that
parents of children with SEND can be sure that their children
will get the support that they need to attend school safely and
receive the education that they deserve?
The Government have inherited an absence epidemic in this
country. Last year, one in five children were persistently absent
from school, missing a day every fortnight or more. We know that
strong foundations are rooted in attendance at school. Children
cannot receive an outstanding education that unlocks
opportunities if they are not in school. I recognise the
challenge that the hon. Lady has set out. It is important that we
work together to create an inclusive mainstream education system
that every child wants to attend and feels they belong to, so
that those opportunities are unlocked for them, as they should be
for every child in this country.
(Darlington) (Lab)
I thank the Minister for her statement on this damning report on
SEND. Last week, the Minister and the Secretary of State visited
my constituency. We went to Mount Pleasant Primary, a shining
example of inclusive mainstream SEND provision in the state
sector. Does the Minister agree with me and the teachers there
that children with physical conditions and disabilities could be
referred for an EHCP by their GP much earlier, so that they
arrive at school with everything they need in place, ready to
excel in their education?
The visit to that school in my hon. Friend's constituency was
wonderful. The school is one of many examples of the provision of
inclusive mainstream education. We need such provision to be in
schools in every community and available to every child. She
rightly recognises the challenges of co-ordinating between health
services and education provision, and the vital importance of
those systems working together to achieve outcomes for children.
I will certainly take away her specific suggestion and share it
with my colleagues in the Department for Health and Social
Care.
(West Suffolk) (Con)
Parents in my constituency are not interested in what the
Minister thinks about the Conservative party. They may recall
that EHCPs were introduced under the coalition Government. They
want us to work together to make things better. We all know that
a problem with EHCPs has led to a tripling of costs for county
councils. In the Westminster Hall debate that the Minister took
part in with me recently, she was much more constructive than she
is being today, and I would like to believe that that is the
approach that she wants to take to these issues. Does she have a
timescale for the reform of EHCPs?
I appreciate the hon. Gentleman's comments, and I will always
work cross-party with colleagues to achieve the best for all
children in this country, but levelling the blame for the current
situation at a Government only five months old cannot be
accepted; the inheritance that we have taken on cannot be
underestimated. We will continue to work on putting right what
has been failing for the past 14 years, and the Department for
Education is moving at pace on work to that end. We will make
specific suggestions for legislative changes, and for any other
necessary systemic changes, in due course.
(Aylesbury) (Lab)
Many concerned parents wrote to me at the start of term because
they had finally been given a school place for their children
with special educational needs but had no transport to get their
child to and from school. Will the Minister reassure my
constituents that we will take measures to ensure that every
child with special educational needs has a reliable and safe
means of getting to and from school?
Transport to school is the responsibility of the local authority,
and families need to work with their local authorities to ensure
that they are not disadvantaged in getting their children to
school by transport. I appreciate that that is a challenge— our
transport system, too, is in crisis after 14 years of
Conservative Government—but we will continue to work across
Government to ensure that all our public services meet the needs
of families. In the interim, my hon. Friend's constituents should
work with the local authority to ensure that they get the
transport they require for their children's educational
needs.
(Bicester and Woodstock)
(LD)
Zak is nine years old. He is one of dozens of children in my
constituency who have been failed by the SEND system. Zak was
traumatised by his experience in an inappropriate school setting,
causing his learning to regress and both his parents to stop
work. Oxfordshire county council has an accumulated high needs
deficit of £56 million because of inadequate funding, which has
failed families such as Zak's. Has the Minister pressed the
Treasury to increase that funding and maintain the statutory
override in next week's Budget?
The hon. Gentleman tempts me into commentary on next week's
Budget, in which I cannot indulge him.
Ms (Carlisle) (Lab)
I speak both as a parent whose child was badly failed in SEND
provision under the last Government, and as an MP whose surgeries
have been visited on every single occasion by a parent who is
struggling not just to get an EHCP but to get from a school the
flexibility that matches their child's need. I say respectfully
to Opposition Members—including the shadow Secretary of State,
the right hon. Member for East Hampshire ()—that until and unless you
have walked in my shoes and the shoes of your constituents, you
should show a little humility and decorum in how you respond on
this issue. In the review, will the Minister encourage schools to
be more flexible in their SEND provision for children who need
it?
Mr Speaker
Order. I remind Members that when they say “you”, they mean
me—and I do not want responsibility.
My hon. Friend speaks with great passion and compassion on behalf
of her constituents, and I agree with everything that she says. I
reiterate that what she outlines is the epitome of what we are
seeking to achieve on inclusive mainstream education, so that it
can meet the needs of the vast majority of children with special
educational needs and disabilities in our country.
(Harrow East) (Con)
Children with special educational needs in Harrow face long
journeys to get to the schools they need in order to deal with
their problems, something that the previous Government
recognised. The three MPs in the area, on a cross-party basis,
the council and all the headteachers agreed that there was the
need for a new special educational needs school in Harrow. The
site has been acquired, but since the general election everything
has gone quiet. I do not expect the Minister to give an update
here and now, but will she undertake to review the position and
come back to the three MPs and the council to ensure that we
provide that school for the benefit of the children of
Harrow?
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to identify the current
significant transport requirement to meet the needs of children.
Obviously, the way that we wish to address that is to ensure that
there is inclusive mainstream education available in every
community for every child, and we are working at pace to achieve
that. The special school is under review and we will report back
as soon as possible.
(Runcorn and Helsby)
(Lab)
What more can the Minister do, working with her ministerial
colleagues, to ensure that integrated care boards such as those
in Cheshire and Warrington meet their part of the statutory
obligation of 20 weeks for EHCPs?
My hon. Friend is right to highlight the need for the Department
for Education, the Department of Health and Social Care, and all
those working to provide the services that children and families
rely on, to work together to achieve that statutory obligation. I
will take his question away and feed it back to my colleagues in
the Health Department.
(Mid Dorset and North Poole)
(LD)
I would like to raise the issue of children being off-rolled and
put into alternative provision. I speak as not only an MP but a
parent who this has happened to, and I have a constituency
meeting on Saturday where it is the subject. Is the Minister
aware that children who are put in alternative provision are
entitled only to 15 hours a week of education? There is
absolutely no way they can recover and go on to achieve properly
on 15 hours a week. I ask the Minister to consider how that fits
with the new curriculum plan.
We are looking at the system in the round, which includes
ensuring that we have inclusive mainstream education, and making
sure that schools are required to work with local authorities on
admissions and off-rolling, so that there is the provision within
communities that children rely on. Where special schools or
alternative provision is required, it is important to ensure
there is an opportunity to break down the barriers for young
people. Ideally, the vast majority of children can go back into
the mainstream system as part of that inclusive provision. I will
take away the hon. Member's specific query. It is an issue we are
looking at as part of the wider system.
(West Bromwich) (Lab)
I know from speaking to families in Oldbury, Oakham and other
parts of my constituency, just what a SEND crisis the last
Government left us with. Even when children finally get their
EHCPs, parents still feel as if they are having to fight for
every bit of support that they need. We cannot fix that
overnight, but can the Minister set out what steps she is taking
to give families in Sandwell some hope that things will
change?
Although the urgent question today has come about because of a
damning report from the National Audit Office, which lays bare
the huge challenge we face in this area, my main purpose in
responding—an opportunity I am grateful for—is to restore hope
for families: it is a priority for this Government and we are
determined to fix it. That should give hope to the constituents
whom my hon. Friend serves.
(Brigg and Immingham)
(Con)
On a recent visit to a school in my constituency, it was put to
me that not all schools fully participate in dealing with special
needs children, and my casework over the years substantiates
that. What efforts is the Minister making to ensure that all
schools participate fully?
The hon. Gentleman is right to identify that all schools are part
of solving this huge challenge that far too many children and
families face. That is why we have made changes to how Ofsted
assesses schools, changes that are still in progress; it is why
we are carrying out the curriculum and assessment review and
looking at attendance measures; and it is why we are looking at
local authority co-operation with schools, to make sure that all
schools within a local area can work together to ensure that
inclusive mainstream education is available for all.
(Bishop Auckland) (Lab)
A mother in my constituency came to see me. Her son has been
off-rolled from mainstream primary school, which she would like
him to attend, and offered only a distant special school that is
entirely inappropriate for his needs. She would like to know why
Durham county council is prepared to spend £30,000 a year on
transport for her son to attend a school that she does not feel
is appropriate for him, but will not spend the same amount on a
classroom assistant who could help him to be in mainstream
school. That is happening under rules introduced by the previous
Government. Will the Minister meet me to discuss this?
I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend. He has outlined just one
example of how the system is broken and needs to be fixed.
(Chichester) (LD)
Parents and children in Chichester have lost confidence in the
SEND system, with families effectively pitted against each other
and against Conservative-led West Sussex county council, which
this year delivered only 10% of its EHCPs within the 20-week
statutory framework. Does the Minister agree that is
unacceptable, and will she meet me and other West Sussex MPs to
discuss this specific issue that West Sussex county council seems
to have?
The hon. Lady has outlined how the system is broken. We know it
is broken. We want to fix it, and I am happy to work with
colleagues across the House in order to do so, so I would be
happy to meet her, as she suggests.
(Oldham East and
Saddleworth) (Lab)
This damning report will come as no surprise to too many families
across Oldham and Saddleworth. Given that there is a difference
of nearly 20% between SEND children being in education and
training and non-SEND children, what are we doing to ensure that
SEND provision and support is available in foundation
apprenticeships?
My hon. Friend highlights the fact that not only is the system
creating stress and failing far too many children and families,
but it is not creating the outcomes that we want to see for every
child, including those with special educational needs and
disabilities. I will raise the important point she has made with
my colleague in the Department of Health who has responsibility
for apprenticeships.
(Farnham and Bordon)
(Con)
On Friday afternoon, alongside my right hon. Friends the Members
for East Hampshire () and for Godalming and Ash
(), I arranged a meeting with
parents, governors and teachers at independent schools. They were
unanimous that imposing an education tax partway through an
academic year will have disastrous impacts on the education of
every child, but especially those with special educational needs.
What assessment has the Minister made of the impact of Labour's
education tax on the caseload of EHCPs, and on the capacity of
local authorities such as Surrey and Hampshire to meet them?
The Treasury will produce its impact assessment as part of the
normal course of implementing new taxation, and the hon.
Gentleman can refer to that assessment once it is published.
(Cities of London and
Westminster) (Lab/Co-op)
I have been working with parents of children with SEND for a
number of months now. They talk to me about their children's
experiences in mainstream schools and the fact that the support
has not been what it should be, even though they are looking for
an inclusive education for their children. Can the Minister
outline what support mainstream schools might need in the near
future in order to provide that truly inclusive education to so
many children who have been let down?
My hon. Friend raises an important point: it is right that we
require schools to provide inclusive mainstream education, and
that we put in place the work- force, the training, and all the
support that is necessary for that to be delivered. That is why
one of our priorities is to have 6,500 more teachers within our
teaching system, to ensure we have the specialist teachers that
every child should have. We are looking at training; additional
training support for special educational needs and disabilities
has already been rolled out for the early years, and we want to
ensure all schools have access to high-quality training that
supports them to meet that need.
(Wells and Mendip Hills)
(LD)
Demand for EHCPs for children in Somerset has tripled in six
years, and the county's SEND budget is forecast to be in deficit
by £290 million in the next five years. Previously, Somerset
spent, on average, £22,000 per child with an EHCP, but now that
is £18,000. So this is not about overspending; it is about the
increasing number of children needing help. As a start, could the
Minister look at the current legislation, which lacks clear
definitions of which children should be assessed or funded? This
ambiguity, especially post covid, has led to a huge and rapid
increase in the number of children needing support.
The hon. Lady raises an important point. We will be looking at
the system as a whole, and at any legislation that needs to be
amended or brought in to achieve our vision for an inclusive
mainstem education that not only provides education for all
children regardless of their special educational needs and
disabilities, but provides specialist places for those with the
most complex needs that cannot be met within mainstream
education. We know the evidence shows that, where those needs are
being met within the inclusive mainstream education system, the
need for EHCPs is significantly reduced.
(Great Grimsby and
Cleethorpes) (Lab)
Last year alone, my local authority of North East Lincolnshire
spent £1.3 million sending 114 children out of area to special
educational needs settings. Could the Minister reassure
constituents across North East Lincolnshire and in my
constituency of Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes that the actions
she is taking will not only support local authorities and reduce
these additional costs, but provide the kind of education their
children need closer to home?
My hon. Friend sets out very well the vision that we are seeking
to achieve for all children. The purpose of all the changes we
are making in our education system is to ensure that inclusive
mainstream education is available to all children and that there
are specialist places for children with the most complex
needs.
Greg (Mid Buckinghamshire) (Con)
With more and more children requiring SEND provision, the scale
of the challenge is undoubtedly large. The previous Conservative
Government did offer a beacon of hope for children in
Buckinghamshire, with the previous Secretary of State confirming
funding for a new SEND school in the county. Can the Minister
confirm whether those funds are still secure and whether
Buckinghamshire will still get that new SEND school?
As the hon. Member is aware, we are looking at the whole system
in the round to ensure that we have the inclusive mainstream
provision that the vast majority of children will not only
benefit from but do better in, and that we have specialist places
where they are needed. We are working at pace to ensure that we
have the right places for the children who need them as fast as
possible.
(Stoke-on-Trent Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
I draw the House's attention to my registered interest as a
governor of a special educational needs school. The Minister has
rightly pointed out the failure of the SEN system over many
years, but it is important that we recognise the herculean effort
made by teachers and support staff in schools, and it is not
those individuals who have failed young people. Further to her
answer to my hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (), could the Minister
outline how she will engage with representative bodies of
teachers and support staff in schools to ensure that they are
included in the rescue plan?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We in government cannot
deliver any of the change we want to see; it will be delivered by
the teachers, the support staff, the education professionals and
the health professionals in our system. He is right to draw
attention to their valiant efforts in a system that has been
letting down them and the children and families they serve. We
will be legislating to bring in the school support staff
negotiating body to ensure that the support staff in our schools,
who are the lifeblood of so much of what is provided to our
children, have their voice as part of the national
conversation.
(Glastonbury and Somerton)
(LD)
Somerset has the third highest rate of school exclusions and the
second highest rate of suspensions in England for children with
SEND. Does the Minister agree with today's National Audit Office
report confirming that the Government must develop a whole-system
approach, to ensure that the most vulnerable students in
Glastonbury and Somerton get the education they deserve?
I absolutely agree with the National Audit Office. Although it is
a damning report, we recognise much of what it says and are
determined to fix it and put it right in the way the hon. Lady
suggests.
(Rossendale and Darwen)
(Lab)
SEND is the single greatest issue facing schools in my
constituency, and I have had far too many heartbreaking
conversations with families who are not getting the support they
need. Does my hon. Friend agree that supportive early
intervention and diagnosis is the single most effective way of
reducing this demand and ensuring better outcomes?
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. Early diagnosis and early
intervention are known to significantly improve the opportunities
and outcomes for children with special educational needs and
disabilities, but one of the biggest challenges in this space is
the battle that many families face with a system that is letting
them down, and we are determined to change that.
(Wokingham) (LD)
Special needs education was underfunded by the previous
Government, affecting many families in my constituency. I know
that the Government have been left with a £22 billion hole in the
country's finances, but will the Minister ensure that there is an
increase in funding for SEND education in the local government
settlement at the end of this year?
I recognise the challenge that the hon. Gentleman raises. He
tempts me into anticipating the Budget statement next week, but I
will say that we recognise the challenges that many local
authorities are facing and are alive to those concerns.
(Truro and Falmouth)
(Lab/Co-op)
The adversarial system has caused such damage and upset. Can the
Minister confirm that she will look towards a system in which
expectations are clear and co-produced, and will she also look at
the funding formula more generally, because some places have far
less high needs and direct funding for students than others even
though they have to cover much greater distances?
My hon. Friend raises a number of issues and I fear we are
running out of time to give them the response they deserve. I
will be happy to respond in more detail in writing because she
does raise some important issues that we are determined to
address.
(Sutton and Cheam) (LD)
Projections show a cumulative deficit of over £4 billion on
educational balance sheets by 2026, and the override mechanism
ending, which will allocate those deficits to county balance
sheets. This is a pending disaster for local authorities, and the
report suggests that it will push 43% into bankruptcy. The
report's conclusion is that the SEND system, if unreformed, is
financially unsustainable, yet we have not heard meaningful plans
for reform. Will the Minister take this opportunity to commit to
the national body for SEND that was included in the Liberal
Democrats manifesto, which will end the postcode lottery, ensure
funding for higher needs students and address the urgent funding
crisis for local government?
The hon. Gentleman is right that the NAO has identified that the
system is currently unsustainable, and not only is it financially
unsustainable but it is not sustainable for the children and
their families that are being let down. The Government are
determined to fix this and are working at pace to do so.
(Erewash) (Lab)
A whole 10% of my constituency casework relates to SEND
provision, so I recently issued a public letter to
Conservative-led Derbyshire county council expressing my deep
concern over the state of its provision as many affected families
feel voiceless. What steps will the Government take to ensure
that councils, including Derbyshire county council, actually
fulfil their responsibilities to children and families?
Councils are at the forefront of seeking to meet the needs of
children with special educational needs and disabilities and
their families, and they are being let down by a system that is
broken and that the NAO shows is completely unsustainable. So we
will work at pace in government, working with teachers, parents,
schools, school support staff, the health service and local
authorities to ensure that children get the opportunities they
deserve.
(Honiton and Sidmouth)
(LD)
Devon county council projects an overspend on special educational
needs of £38.5 million. That is explained partly by additional
travel costs in rural areas such as mine in mid and east Devon.
The last Conservative Government threatened that such an
overspend would put at risk the so-called safety valve for Devon.
How will the Minister help enable good-quality SEND support to be
delivered closer to home?
The hon. Gentleman is right that the solution to many of these
challenges is to create inclusive mainstream education in every
community, so that every child can benefit from it and
thrive.
(Mid Cheshire) (Lab)
Parents want the best for their children, schools want to deliver
the best for their children and local authorities want to provide
the best for their children, but the system sets everybody up to
fail. It is adversarial instead of being person-centred, and it
actively incentivises bad outcomes. I am pleased to hear the
Minister say that we need to rebuild the system from the ground
up, but does she agree that that needs to go hand in hand with
rebuilding child and adolescent mental health services and
improving the speed of diagnosis for autism and ADHD? Will she
commit to working with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of
State for Health and Social Care to help deliver that?
My hon. Friend makes the case very well. I agree that we need to
work at pace to improve the mental health support available for
young people, to improve the availability of educational
psychologists and to work across government, including with
colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care, to ensure
that we are unlocking opportunity for all.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister very much for her answers to the questions
and for always trying to be helpful. Movilla high school in my
constituency has increased its enrolments from 402 to 600 pupils.
That is because staff have worked hard, but also because
education authority support has enabled the school to extend the
special provision for pupils with autism to include 10 and
11-year-olds. It has established two nurture classes in the
mainstream. Does the Minister agree that additional funding to
create SEND units within the mainstream for the pupils who need
support is a way forward? Will she consider that suggestion to
make lives better?
The hon. Gentleman is, as always, characteristically constructive
in his contribution, and I thank him for that. I am more than
happy to take away his suggestion and consider it as part of our
wider reform of the system.
(Derby North) (Lab)
There are more than 20 cases in my constituency of children with
special educational needs and disabilities who are missing out on
care and school placements, and I am meeting the council about
them tomorrow. I thank the Minister for speaking with me this
week about the concerns of families. Can we make it a priority to
help local authorities to offer these children the best possible
placements?
I wish my hon. Friend well in her meeting tomorrow. We know the
challenges in the system, and they are laid bare in the National
Audit Office report. There is no shortage of will right across
the House to get this right and to put the system right. As we
draw to the end of these questions, I must reiterate that it will
take patience, because there is no quick fix to the situation we
have inherited. However, we are determined to fix it, and we will
do so on an ongoing basis and as quickly as possible.
(Lichfield) (Lab)
Saxon Hill academy in my constituency does amazing work to
support young people between the ages of two and 19 with physical
disabilities and complex needs, but for many of the students, it
is much more than a school. It is literally a home away from
home, due to its sleepover club, which allows pupils to stay at
the school overnight one night a week. The funding for that
provision was extended for two years in December last year. Can
the Minister assure me that as part of the Government's SEND
review, we will look at sustainable funding for such additional
provision?
My hon. Friend raises an important point. We need to move to a
more sustainable footing in the longer term and make sure that
councils can plan ahead. That is something we are looking at.
(Milton Keynes Central)
(Lab)
An entire generation of Milton Keynes children with SEND needs
has been let down by the previous Government. In addition, the
cuts to local councils and schools have made the situation much
worse, particularly in respect of high-level teaching assistants,
who are crucial to ensuring early detection of and ongoing
support for children with SEND in mainstream education. Will the
Minister ensure that the school support staff who do that
important work are included in this essential review to support
children in Milton Keynes?
Absolutely. I am always very careful to say that we thank and
applaud both the teachers in our schools and the incredible
support staff, who not only support teachers in their role but
ensure that every school can function and provide the
opportunities that we know will enable all children to thrive.
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