Commenting on the government’s press release ahead of the
publication of their SEND and AP Improvement Plan, Margaret
Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion Specialist at the Association of
School and College Leaders, said: “The current system for
supporting children with special educational needs is badly
broken and critically underfunded. Children and young people are
not receiving the help they need, and schools are left without
the resources needed to best support them.
“Efforts to fix this crisis are very welcome. Expanded training
for staff and the standardisation of Education Health and Care
Plans (EHCPs) are important steps but we are concerned about the
length of time it is going to take to implement some of these
policies. More special schools are desperately needed, but will
take years to build. The promise of additional places in the
future will be of no comfort to those missing out right now who
have a special school named on their EHCP but who can’t get a
place as the relevant school is oversubscribed. Nor will it help
the mainstream schools currently struggling to meet the needs of
these pupils. Funding must also be made available to convert
existing buildings and ensure they offer the bespoke provision
young people deserve.
“It has taken an awfully long time to get to this point. We look
forward to reading the plan in detail, and to an explanation of
the level of funding available and the timeframe for when these
policies will be implemented. We are yet to see anything to
suggest the government understands the gravity of the situation
and the urgency with which they need to act.”
