Special educational needs Bill withdrawn

At the end of its second reading, Bercow agreed to withdraw the private members Bill after receiving assurance from junior schools minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry that the government was making progress on many of the policies he had been calling for.

This means no new legislation to support SEN children will now be introduced. However, the National Autism Society, which had worked with Bercow on the Bill, said it was satisfied that the Bill had achieved some success.

NAS policy manager Beth Reid said: "This Bill has helped to raise the profile of many important issues facing SEN children. It has put increased focus on making sure the right measures are in place to ensure they are support properly."

However, Reid said more work was needed to bring down the high number of SEN children excluded from school, something Bercow's Bill had sought to address.

McCarthy-Fry told Parliament during the second reading last week that schools found to be giving inadequate support to children with special educational needs (SEN) will be penalised in their Ofsted inspections and placed in a "causing concern" category.