MPs discuss “broken” SEND system in need of reform

3 mins read

Tuesday 10 September 2024

Last week saw three Westminster Hall Debates on special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision in England.

The first two debates, led by Sarah Dyke and Alistair Strathern, focused on SEND in Somerset, Herts and Central Bedfordshire. The final debate, held by Richard Burgon, was on SEND provision across England.

What did we learn from these debates?

There is a large appetite for change. Nearly 50 MPs applied to speak in one debate, a number rarely seen in Westminster Hall. Richard Burgon’s statement, that “the special educational needs and disability system has gone beyond crisis and is in emergency”, is evidently a sentiment many share.

The main issues MPs discussed included:

  • Lack of funding for councils, NHS and schools. 
  • The need to build capacity and expertise in the mainstream system so that more children can access the universal and targeted support they need.
  • Safety valve agreements need to end.
  • The postcode lottery in funding and the quality of support that children experience across the country.
  • The adversarial system that leaves far too many families battling an appeals system to secure the support children need.
  • SEND pupils have had to take time out of school due to a lack of proper provision.
  • The behaviourist and attendance-focused approach to education.
  • The importance of early identification of SEN so that support can be provided quickly.

The government’s response

The current Schools and SEND Minister, Catherine McKinnell, said: “I can scarcely see a system that is so broken or in such desperate need of reform. That is why we are absolutely determined to fix it, and we have started work already. It is a priority for this department to fix our SEND system, but we know that we cannot do it alone”.

Contact welcomes the minister’s commitment to work with the sector, parents, schools, councils and expert staff to address the emergency in the SEN System.

The minister was keen to stress that the government “are absolutely committed to ensuring that every child’s entitlement to have the best education possible, in their local area and where they need it, can be delivered under our system”. We are concerned that there seems to be little detail on how they are going to achieve this.

We call on the government to implement our 3 SEN Asks and address the most challenging issues in the SEN system.