Commenting on the government press release about the launch of
the SEND and alternative provision green paper on Tuesday, Geoff
Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and
College Leaders, said:
“The current system for supporting children with special
educational needs is in crisis.
“It is driven by a vicious cycle in which parents and schools are
left desperately trying to access support and funding for
children through Education, Health, and Care Plans, often facing
a postcode lottery of processes, delays and bureaucracy.
“The green paper proposals of a system built on early and
accurate identification of needs, with common standards on what
support should be provided and when, and local partnerships to
deliver that on the ground, seem right and sensible.
“The frustration is that the government’s SEND review began in
September 2019, it has taken nearly three years to reach this
point, and full implementation of the green paper is some way
off.
“In the meantime, many thousands of children and young people
will continue to pass through a broken system, with schools left
to pick up the pieces without sufficient resources.
“We understand that the pandemic has delayed this review, but the
government has not shown enough urgency. Nevertheless, we at
least now have a starting point and we will be replying fully and
in detail to the consultation in due course.”
